Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Stock: Eric Fisher Looks Better in “First” NFL Game

Sep 8, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher (72) blocks Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin (58) during the game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Week one saw some strong performances from the Chiefs rookie class. Some performances were good enough to see their stock rise quite a bit. Let’s take a look at how the Chiefs rookies are perform through five weeks of play (four preseason games, one regular season game).

1. Eric Fisher (Last Week: 5)

Week one was, by far, Fisher’s best game as a professional.

After a preseason full of below average performances, Fisher held his own against a solid pass rusher in Jason Babin. The bull-rush is still giving Fisher some problems, but overall he did what Kansas City needed him to do in order to keep the offense moving.

Fisher certainly had a better game than Luke Joeckel, who allowed a couple of sacks and whiffed on a block that allowed Tamba Hali to pick off a pass and return it for a touchdown. KC fans have to feel good about the early returns from Fisher in comparison to Joeckel.

He’ll be tested early and often this week against Dallas. Don’t be surprised if Demarcus Ware sees a lot of time matched up with Fisher. It’ll be interesting to see how Fisher handles one of the game’s best pass rushers.

2. Knile Davis (Last Week: 1)

Davis had four carries for 12 yards and a reception for five yards in his debut. Kansas City had already put the game away by the time Davis saw the field, and Jacksonville was playing the run since the Chiefs were trying to run out the clock. Still, it was good to see Davis get those first carries and jitters out of the way so he can focus on getting better.

May 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Catapano (53) and defensive end Tamba Hali (91) walk back to the huddle during organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3. Mike Catapano (Last Week: 9)

Catapano had a real solid start to his NFL career in situational pass rushing situations. He got a hit in on Blaine Gabbert and rushed a throw from Chad Henne late in the game.

Catapano saw playing time this week because Allen Bailey missed a full week of practice due to the death of his father, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Catapano is not active this week against Dallas. Still, the Chiefs saw a lot of good things from him on Sunday.

Kansas City has a lot of raw pass rushing potential from their rookie class, and Catapano is the first to actually have that manifest on the field. The more guys Kansas City has to throw out there, the better.

4. Marcus Cooper (Last Week: 10)

Cooper had a tackle in his NFL debut. The seventh round pick of the San Francisco 49ers last April was let go by the 49ers on cutdown day, which made him available to be picked up by the Chiefs. He has a ton of athleticism (4.45 40-yard dash, 39 1/2 inch vertical, 20 reps of 225 pounds) that he showed off at the Rutgers pro day. His size, 6-2, 192 pounds, is also appealing.

5. Nico Johnson (Last Week: 2)

An ankle injury kept Johnson off the field last week, but he should be able to go for the Dallas game. It’ll be interesting to see how much playing time Johnson gets considering how well Akeem Jordan is playing. Nico should definitely be a contributor on special teams.

6. Bradley McDougald (Last Week: 3)

McDougald was inactive for the season-opener, which isn’t too much of a surprise. He still needs some seasoning, but KC may have found a steal in the former Jayhawk.

Nov 10, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Travis Kelce (18) along the sidelines during the third quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Cincinnati defeated Temple 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

7. Travis Kelce (Last Week: 6)

Kelce was active against the Jaguars, but did not play. He has also been limited this week at practice with his knee injury. Kansas City really needs him to get healthy and improve as a player quickly as tight end depth is suddenly a huge concern for the Chiefs.

8. Eric Kush (Last Week: 8)

Kush was active last week and participated on special teams.

9. Tyler Bray (Last Week: 9)

To no one’s surprise, Bray was inactive for the game last weekend. We’ll know more about Bray’s progression by if he’s active for any games in the second half of the season. If Alex Smith and Chase Daniel are healthy and Bray suits up, that means Bray is doing some good things in practice and in the classroom.

10. Josh Martin (Last Week: 7)

Martin was inactive for the game at Jacksonville. He’s going to be a project for the Chiefs, but his pass rushing skills could end up being a huge lift for the Chiefs in the second half of the season.

11. Sanders Comings (Last Week: 11)

Comings is still on the IR, a place he will be until at least the sixth week of the season. Kansas City has no depth at cornerback so they need him to be ready to contribute once he is activated.