Hawkeyes in the NFL: Week 3 Top Performers
Week 3 of the NFL season is complete, which means it’s time for another week of former Hawkeyes in the NFL. Injuries have taken their toll on the group, especially at the tight end position, with George Kittle and TJ Hockenson out, while Sam LaPorta injured his ankle on Sunday. That being said, there were still some standout performances, even with those regulars out. We take a look at the top performances of the weekend.
Honorable Mention Performers
DB Amani Hooker – 6 tkls, 2 tfl vs Green Bay
DB Riley Moss – 6 tkls vs Tampa Bay
LB Josey Jewell – 5 tkls, 2 PD vs Las Vegas
TE Erick All Jr – 4 rec, 22 yds vs Washington
1. Pittsburgh OG James Daniels
The Steelers are off to a fantastic 3-0 start and former Hawkeye James Daniels has been absolutely spectacular on their offensive line. He led all NFL offensive lineman for week three with a 93.2 overall grade, a 91.7 run blocking grade and had the 26th-best pass blocking grade (81.6). Daniels did not allow a single pressure on 37 pass blocking snaps, allowing Justin Fields to complete 25 of his 32 passes for 245 yards.
Through three games, Daniels has the second-best overall blocking grade (93.3) and run blocking grade (92.9) behind New Orleans center Erik McCoy. The early season success is even more impressive given the fact that he ranked as the 135th-best offensive lineman last season.
2. Seattle TE Noah Fant
There’s so many quality Iowa tight ends in the NFL that Noah Fant ends up getting lost in the shuffle behind Kittle, Hockenson and LaPorta. He stepped up this week with a solid game in the Seahawks 24-3 win over Miami. Fant caught a game-high six passes for 60 yards, while his 83.7 PFF game grade led Seattle.
After just seven targets over the first two games, Fant was targeted six times and caught all six passes on Sunday. While DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will likely continue to get the most looks, maybe Noah can emerge as the #3 option for quarterback Geno Smith.
3. Baltimore C Tyler Linderbaum
In a 28-25 win over Dallas on Sunday, the Ravens rushed for 6.1 yards per carry and 274 total yards. To do that, you need some pretty good blocking and center Tyler Linderbaum paved the way for the Baltimore rushing attack. Linderbaum earned a 91.4 game grade by PFF and a 91.5 run blocking grade, with both ranking second-best for the week behind the aforementioned James Daniels.
4. Tampa Bay OT Tristan Wirfs
It was quite the week for former Iowa offensive lineman and Tristan Wirfs is a guy that has been blocking at high level since the day he stepped on an NFL field. The Buccaneers may have lost to Denver on Sunday, but Wirfs stood out, earning a 85.2 game grade, which ranks as the 5th-best amongst all offensive lineman for week three.
Since joining the league in 2020, Tristan has ranked inside the top 20 every season in blocking grade, including 11th in 2022 and 14th in 2021.
5. Green Bay DE Lukas Van Ness
He didn’t light up the scoreboard with a bunch of tackles on Sunday, but Lukas Van Ness did cause some havoc in the Tennessee Titans backfield. In the Packers 30-14 win over the Titans, Van Ness finished with two tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. His sack in the second quarter forced a Tennessee punt and allowed the Packers to tack on a field goal before halftime. In the second half, Van Ness was able to dive over Titans QB Will Levis to recover a fumble forced by Kingsley Enagbare and give the Packers the ball back leading 27-14.
