Extra Points

Time to hand out midterm grades to this year's first-round draft choices. Most receive C's or incompletes, but the following are making real progress:

•Eddie Brown, No. 13 pick. The Bengal wide receiver appears to be the best of the '85 draft, with 26 catches for 440 yards and three TDs. Teammates call him the Magic Man. An A student.

•Freddie Nunn, No. 18. A blitzing linebacker for the Cards. A-minus.

•Ray Childress, No. 3. Has started every game for the Oilers at left defensive end. Strong against the run, needs to work on pass rush. B-plus.

•Ron Holmes, No. 8. A starting defensive end for the Bucs, he has improved weekly. Says Holmes, "Basically, I'm not so lost out there anymore." B-plus.

These rookies have a lot to learn:

•Richard Johnson, No. 11. The Houston Oiler right cornerback has been burned repeatedly. Failed to jam Browns wide receiver Clarence Weathers at line in Oct. 13 game, and Weathers then caught 67-yard touchdown pass. Probably won't play much more—if at all—this year. F.

•Darryl Sims, No. 20. Steeler defensive end missed two weeks of camp because of surgery for infected fingernails. Plays on special teams and in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Made only one tackle in first six games. D-minus.

•Alvin Toles, No. 24. The Saints 6'1", 211-pound linebacker has been something of a bust. One teammate says he's "clueless" about defensive system. D.

Weird Injury of the Week: Before Denver's Oct. 13 game with the Colts, linebacker Darren Comeaux was going through that age-old football ritual—pounding down teammates' shoulder pads. While working on Karl Mecklenburg's pads, Comeaux missed his target and smashed his thumb on Mecklenburg's helmet. Result: broken thumb.