{
  "id": 17306139,
  "title": "Two former Sooners among PFF's highest-graded rookies this season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/two-former-sooners-among-pffs-highest-graded-rookies-this-season",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-30T23:30:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/two-former-sooners-among-pffs-233027882.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Oklahoma Sooners fielded seven players in the 2026 NFL Draft, with multiple graduates making a significant impact in their first seven weeks of their NFL careers. Pro Football Focus (PFF) and writer Gordon McGuinness released a list of the top 15 highest-graded rookies in the league so far this season, including two former Sooners. Former linebacker Kendal Daniels, now playing for the Atlanta Falcons, secured the No. 5 spot, a remarkable achievement considering he suffered an injury last week but returned to action. Daniels had a stellar performance in the Falcons' win against the San Francisco 49ers, racking up 10 solo tackles, three of which led to defensive stops, and earning his first career interception. With a PFF grade of 90.5, Daniels shone as a starter on the OU defense, earning an overall rookie grade of 77.7. Also on the list is former defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings, now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was selected at No. 7. Spears-Jennings, who played for the Sooners for four years, demonstrated consistent excellence, earning a 76.5 PFF grade in the Steelers' win against the Saints in Paris. He has not earned a PFF grade below 60.0 in any of his 15 games as a rookie and has missed only one tackle attempt.",
  "summary": "Two former Oklahoma Sooners standouts are off to fast rookie starts in the NFL.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former OU linebacker Kendal Daniels ranked No. 5 by PFF",
    "Robert Spears-Jennings, OU defensive back, ranked No. 7",
    "Both rookies excelled in first seven weeks of NFL careers"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}