The NFL preseason is in the books and rookies all across the league will be hoping that they have played themselves into a roster position.
Here is a rundown of some of the key performances from the third and final week of the preseason.
The Quarterbacks
Bryce Young
Quarterback – Carolina Panthers
Week 3 Preseason Grade: A
Bryce Young had arguably the strongest showing by any rookie quarterback in week three of the preseason. He looked cool, calm and collected on his drop-backs and showed his shiftiness in evading the pass rush. He was given some easy passes to start with but delivered them all with pinpoint accuracy. His best of the day was a lovely deep crossing route to Adam Thielen, in which he hit him perfectly in stride on his way to the sideline.
The chemistry with Thielen was clear, with the two connecting on several passes in the first quarter, including Bryce Young’s first ever NFL touchdown. His final box score was 7 completions for 73 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.
This was a very strong performance from the number one overall pick and there is absolutely no doubt that he is the correct starter for the Panthers in week one of the upcoming season. The offense is short of talented playmakers, but Young will be hoping that the combination of Thielen and second-round rookie, Jonathan Mingo, can give him some open targets to aim for. Young should not be in consideration in fantasy unless in dynasty or 2 quarterback leagues.
Clayton Tune
Quarterback – Arizona Cardinals
Week 3 Preseason Grade : A-
Clayton Tune’s appearance in the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason finale led people to believe that he was behind Colt McCoy in the race for the backup quarterback position. McCoy is now off the team, and with Kyler Murray starting the season on the PUP list, Clayton Tune is now in with a shot of being the week 1 starter. To do so, he will have to fight off 6th-year journeyman, Joshua Dobbs, who the team traded for last week.
The Cardinals rookie quarterback made a strong case in the preseason finale against the Vikings, making some nice throws on his way to an efficient box score of 85 yards on 9 completions, from 12 attempts. This was just 8 yards shy of what veteran David Blough managed from 22 attempts, with Tune also getting the first reps of the match.
Tune showed good accuracy on short and intermediate passes and would have had an even more impressive completion percentage if not for a drop on one of his incompletions. With the Cardinals appearing to opt for the all-out rebuild this year, they would be smart to see what they have in their 5th-round draft pick.
The Running Backs
Hunter Luepke
Running Back – Dallas Cowboys
Week 3 Preseason Grade: A
A definite winner in week 3 of the preseason was Cowboys’ running back Hunter Luepke. He finds himself buried in a busy backfield but made the most of his opportunities against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The dynamic offensive weapon has lined up at running back, tight end, fullback and wildcat quarterback in his intriguing college career and his diverse skill set was on full display in this week’s final preseason game. He went a perfect 5 from 5 on receptions out of the backfield, totalling 60 yards and a touchdown. He took his total yardage for the game over the 100-yard mark with a further 58 yards on the ground from 15 carries. Whilst the 3.9 yards per carry is not the most eye-catching, Luepke has proven his ability on the gridiron and that his diverse skill set could cause headaches for opposition defenses.
Tony Pollard will begin the season as the Dallas Cowboys starting running back, but his slender frame means that some secondary options could come into play. The Cowboys won’t want to run him up the middle 20 times a game, and whilst Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn will get first dibs on any spare carries, Hunter Luepke has given the team some food for thought if injuries hit.
Luepke was named to the 53 man roster on Tuesday, and will now provide depth for the organization going into the season.
DeWayne McBride & Abram Smith
Running Back – Minnesota Vikings
Week 3 Preseason Grade: B+
With Dalvin Cook having left the Vikings over the offseason, Alexander Mattinson is the only running back left in Minnesota with any reputation. DeWayne McBride and Abram Smith will be looking to earn themselves some snaps in relief of Mattinson and both did well with their opportunities in the Vikings final preseason game against the Cardinals.
McBride started the game nicely by bouncing out to turn a lost play into a 9-yard gain. He was then trusted with three straight rushing attempts from the 10-yard line, in which he had a nice gain before punching in from the 1-yard line. On the following drive, it was Smith’s turn to celebrate a touchdown, taking a short pass into the end zone.
Both running backs looked good on the ground, with McBride averaging 4.6 yards per carry on his 8 rush attempts and Smith gaining 5.8 yards per carry from his 6 attempts. Alexander Mattinson has only really operated as Dalvin Cook’s backup and it is yet to be seen if he can handle a full workload. Both Smith and McBride could be names to keep an eye on in deep leagues as the season progresses.
Both running backs were then cut during Tuesday’s roster cut downs, which could lead to spots on the practice squad or significant interest from other teams looking to bring them in. McBride in particular is a candidate to be brought back by the Vikings should he go unclaimed.
Other notable performances at running back
With many starters sitting on the sidelines in the final week of the preseason, there was not much to shout about at the running back position. Both Zach Charbonnet and Roschon Johnson did have some snaps, but neither was able to do anything noteworthy with them. Charbonnet had 3 rush attempts for a whopping 3 yards and Johnson could only manage 22 yards from his 9 rush attempts against the Bills.
Despite not posting impressive numbers, both of these running backs will expect to see some playing time in the regular season, and only then will we begin to get an idea of how their coaches plan to use them. Both are worth rostering in fantasy and it will be interesting to monitor their usages.
The Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
Malik Heath
Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers
Week 3 Preseason Draft Grade: B
The new look, Green Bay offense has some unknown quantities at the wide receiver position. Christian Watson broke out towards the end of last year to establish himself as the team’s number one, but behind him is a collection of receivers who are looking to stake their claim for the number two position.
Jayden Reed comes with the second-round draft capital, but it is undrafted rookie Malik Heath who seems to have built up the most chemistry with Jordan Love. Romeo Doubs missed the final preseason game with an injury and Heath capitalized by garnering 7 targets whilst on the field with the first team. This was plenty more targets than any other receiver, including the second-round draft selection, Jayden Reed. He converted these targets into 4 receptions for 35 yards, showcasing strong hands and a good ability to get open.
Despite not coming with the draft capital, there will be plenty of opportunities behind Christian Watson in the Green Bay offense this year and Malik Heath is a name worth keeping an eye on. If this relationship with Jordan Love starts to pop up in the regular season, Heath could be a name to stash on the bench.
Malik Heath’s work was rewarded on Tuesday when he was named to the initial 53 man roster. Not a bad effort at all for an undrafted free agent.
Luke Musgrave
Tight End – Green Bay Packers
Week 3 Preseason Draft Grade: B
Luke Musgrave was part of a very exciting tight end draft class in 2023. His selection in the early second round was probably a little bit later than people expected, but there is no doubt that people view him as a very talented and exciting prospect.
There is a lot of unknown in Green Bay as they enter a period of transition following the departure of future Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. His replacement is Jordan Love, who is finally entering his first full season as a starter. Inexperienced quarterbacks love a big target and Musgrave can be just that for Love.
Musgrave only had two catches for 15 yards in the final week of the preseason, but he was out there for all of the first-team snaps. In the short time that the first team stayed on the field, Musgrave ran nine routes and received two targets. That is good enough for a 22% target per route run, which would make him an intriguing option at the tight end position in fantasy. Rookie tight ends often struggle to make an impact in their first season, but Musgrave is worth monitoring.
