Baltimore Ravens
Position: Nose Tackle
College: Samford University
After Week 2…
This is one guy to keep an eye on going forward. The rookie out of Samford has only played 33 snaps over two games, but has totaled a sack, a hit, and two hurries over that span. Right now, no first-year defensive lineman is grading higher. Pierce just needs to prove it’s not a sample-size fluke, and he’ll see himself move on up this list.
Going into Week 5…
If you don’t recognize the name, don’t worry. I only first heard about Michael Pierce leading into Week 1 after he had one of the top pass-rushing grades in the preseason. Pierce went undrafted out of Samford, yet has thrived early on in a sub-package role. The Baltimore DT has six pressures in 48 pass-rushes this season, and has performed well week after week.