The first week of preseason action is in the books, and it’s time to take a look at the top rookies (that played), and how they fared in their rookie preseason debuts.
We’re breaking them down by conference, so let’s dive into the NFC’s fresh young talent and those that had an immediate impact for better or worse in their first game on an NFL field.
These are the rookies debut grades, complete with a summary of each performance and a couple of notes to keep an eye on for the future.
The Quarterbacks
Bryce Young
Quarterback – Carolina Panthers
Week 1 Preseason Grade: C+
Bryce Young’s preseason performance didn’t give us all that much, but there are a few things you can take away from his minimal showing.
First off, his composure is off the charts. He looks so relaxed in the pocket, and completely unphased by any of the pressure bearing down on him. His throws were either well placed or at least thrown out of harm’s way, which is great to see with balls thrown towards the sideline in tight coverage. You’d rather see your rookie throw those high and wide than underthrow them and see them picked off.
Bryce is going to play a full season, and Carolina has surrounded him with some veteran talent and a couple of young players with plenty of upside. As far as rookie QBs go, the former Alabama quarterback and number one pick is going to be one of the most solid options to take a shot on in your fantasy leagues.
Stetson Bennett
Quarterback – L.A. Rams
Week 1 Preseason Grade: B+
Stetson Bennett’s preseason debut was a mixed bag. He threw a couple of balls right into the hands of Chargers defenders and got away with it because of blatant drops.
While he wasn’t perfect, his level of experience and comfortability in the moment was evident. He was calm, and threw a few strikes as he led the Rams down the field, including a tidy throw into a tight window for a touchdown.
He only gets a B+ because of a couple of early mistakes, otherwise it would have been a near perfect day for him considering it was his first start. Let’s not forget that this guy led the Georgia Bulldogs to back to back National Championships, so he’s not exactly afraid of the big stage.
Stetson Bennett is listed as the QB2 for the Rams right now, but Matt Stafford has struggled to stay healthy as of late. There’ll be fantasy owners out there who take this guy just in case he ends up on the field for the Rams this season, and let’s face it, far crazier things have happened.
Sean Clifford
Quarterback – Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Preseason Grade: B
Sean Clifford was great for the Packers, he made some stunning throws for a rookie on his debut, and ended up with 208 passing yards against the Bengals.
The former Penn State QB was threading balls into tight windows, showing his arm strength and accuracy on multiple occasions. The only issue was the two turnovers. One of those two picks was a pick six, where Clifford floated the ball too softly and saw it undercut by a Bengals defensive back before it went back the other way for six.
The Packers rookie QB will be motivated by the fact that Green Bay is far from settled with Jordan Love. That’s the nature of the NFL if you’re anything but a Pro Bowler, and it looks as though Love already has hot competition for the starting job.
Could Sean Clifford end up starting for the Packers this season, at some point? I’d hesitate to rule it out.
The Running Backs
Deuce Vaughn
Running Back – Dallas Cowboys
Week 1 Preseason Grade: B+
Deuce Vaughn is a lot of fun to watch. He’s just always ready to make a big play, and in his preseason debut for the Cowboys he looked every bit as exciting as he was at Kansas State.
Vaughn was hitting the holes with speed, and his stocky frame and lateral quickness make him tough to bring down if you give him any space.
The Cowboys rookie RB carried the football eight times in his debut, posting 50 yards and a touchdown against the Jags. His 6.3 yards per carry almost didn’t do his performance justice, with one particular carry late in the third quarter really looking the part.
Deuce is already a fan favorite in Dallas, especially after his draft story with his father. He’ll be battling the likes of Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis for reps this season, and honestly so far it looks like he should be the number two behind Tony Pollard.
Roschon Johnson
Running Back – Chicago Bears
Week 1 Preseason Grade: B
One of the most interesting rookie running backs this season is Roschon Johnson. He just feels like a bit of an unknown talent, having been somewhat limited behind Bijan Robinson at Texas during his college career.
He lands in Chicago where the running back group is currently led by Khalil Herbert, but that job is far from locked in place long term.
Johnson’s first run of the day was a beauty, keeping his legs churning through contact to shake a couple of Titans defenders before bursting for additional yardage.
From that point, he did a lot of the hard work between the tackles, and that’s what Chicago loves about him. Johnson can catch the football and do everything they want him to in the run game. He’s already a hit with the fans, and many believe he could emerge as a potential RB1 for the franchise. He certainly looks the part, and he’s one of my favorite rookie running back sleepers this season.
Emanuel Wilson
Running Back – Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Preseason Grade: A
Everybody loves an outside shot at making the roster, and Emanuel Wilson covered himself in glory in the Green Bay Packers opening game of the preseason.
Wilson had already been waived by the Denver Broncos after being picked up as an undrafted free agent, and Green Bay brought him in to see what he could do. As it turns out, the answer to that question is 111 yards and two touchdowns on six carries…
The young man came out of Fort Valley State, a small Division II school, but believes he can make an impact on the NFL. It was great to see him have his moment in the headlines in the first Packers preseason game, and if he keeps that up Green Bay might need to keep him around.
Wilson rode contact well and his burst away from a defender was superb. His second touchdown was an 80 yard run that saw him bounce out to the sideline and just take off. Maybe the young man sneaks his way onto a roster this season.
The Best of the Rest at Running Back
A few other names to mention! Chris Rodriguez Jr. who was a sixth round pick this year for the Washington Commanders, picked up 39 yards on just five carries for a 7.8 yard average.
Zach Evans had 34 yards on eight carries for the Rams, while DeWayne McBride struggled a little with 15 yards on six carries for the Vikings.
Then of course, Jahmyr Gibbs, who I’d have loved to write a feature on but we just didn’t see all that much from him in the opening preseason game. The Lions running back should be splitting starting reps with David Montgomery this year, and fantasy owners trusting his ADP right now will be expecting big things.
The Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
A.T. Perry
Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints
Week 1 Preseason Draft Grade: A
A.T. Perry surprised me a little. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him in a Saints uniform, but with his first opportunity he showed up and showed out against the Chiefs.
Perry led all rookie receivers in the NFC with six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. He was sitting down nicely between zones and making himself available to Jameis Winston, and got his reward when he caught a lofted ball over the top on the spin before reaching over the goal line for a touchdown.
The Wake Forest product has some developing to do in order to get on the field in the regular season, but early signs are looking extremely promising that the Saints got a good one here.
The Saints rookie was drafted in the sixth round because he’s not quite as polished as he could be, but at six foot three with 4.4 speed I’m excited to see how this one plays out.
Dontayvion Wicks
Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers
Week 1 Preseason Draft Grade: B
Dontayvion Wicks is one of the Packers depth receivers making a tonne of noise in training camp, and those performances translated onto the field in their first preseason game against the Bengals.
The rookie receiver’s debut was great, and he’s the third Packer on this list as a top performer in the first week of the preseason.
Wicks caught three passes for 68 yards while playing largely as an outside receiver on the night. Beat writers and fans believe he might be a sneaky addition to the Packers wide receiver room this year, which is extremely young already and largely unproven.
There will certainly be opportunities in Green Bay for those who show out this year, and don’t rule the Packers fifth rounder out of that conversation. He’s in the second rotation right now, and should see some reps during the regular season if he continues to perform at a high level.
Ronnie Bell
Wide Receiver – San Francisco 49ers
Week 1 Preseason Draft Grade: B
As if Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers need any more weapons. Ronnie Bell was available in the seventh round of the draft this year, and the Niners calmly scooped him up and brought him in.
Word on the street is that Bell is already exceeding expectations at camp, and in the preseason game he only added to the hype with three catches for 58 yards.
One of those three balls was an over the shoulder pass down the right sideline against tight coverage. Bell beat his man off the line, created a yard of separation for himself and hauled in the football for a hefty gain. That’s the kind of play that could earn you a spot on the roster.
The Best of the Rest at Wide Receiver and Tight End
We didn’t see much of either Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Jordan Addison in the first game. Smith-Njigba had three catches for 25 yards, while Addison only caught one ball, albeit for a 22 yard gain.
Two names I didn’t expect to be talking about however, John Stephens Jr. and Chase Cota.
Cota is a six foot four undrafted free agent out of Oregon who caught four passes for 60 yards in his first NFL action, and John Stephens Jr. is six foot five and 220 pounds and managed five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown for Dallas.
Both guys played well, and Stephens in particular looked like he offered something as a depth option for the Cowboys. He is a big dude who is basically a tight end, producing over the middle and powering his way into the endzone for a score.
