Preseason Report Card For Several Notable Rookies

With the first two weeks of the preseason in the books, it’s time to take stock of how several notable rookies have been performing so far, especially with most teams likely to feature third and fourth-string players in the final preseason game. Some rookies have almost a full game’s worth of tape, others have only played a few drives. But everyone in this article showed enough to get us talking.

These grades are based on preseason performance only and scaled against expectations and role. It’s obviously very early and the preseason can be deceptive — like in 2021, when Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and Lions OT Penei Sewell looked awful. They both had excellent rookie seasons and are now two of the best players at their respective positions.

Still, there are some things worth taking away from preseason football, especially because it’s the first time we’ve seen these players against NFL competition. Let’s hand out some early grades for our rookie class.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

The most anticipated debut of the preseason, Williams has played a total of 42 snaps in the two games he’s appeared in. While the box score numbers haven’t been great (10/20 for 170 yards), he’s looked poised and ready for the moment. He’s had his share of plays that look like they were ripped straight from his USC highlight tape to go with a few throws he’d like back. Overall, the NFL doesn’t look too big for Williams.

Grade: B+

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

The box score numbers for Daniels are off the charts — 12/15 for 123 yards and three rushes for 16 yards and a touchdown. He’s done everything the Commanders have asked of him, to near perfection. Some context is in order, however. Per Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy, Daniels averaged a 1.91-second time to throw across his 28 preseason snaps, which would have been the fastest in the NFL last season by a full half second. His average depth of target would have also checked in as the lowest in the league last year. Daniels is performing well but isn’t being asked to do much yet. We’ll have to wait until the regular season to see more from him.

Grade: B+

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

On 30 snaps this preseason, Maye is 8/14 for 66 yards, to go with a rushing touchdown. We haven’t seen as much of him as we would have liked, and he is still firmly behind veteran QB Jacoby Brissett on the depth chart. Still, his receivers have dropped two of his better passes. Maye has been largely on-target this preseason and has flashed his absolute cannon of an arm. He’s cracked the door open on possibly starting sooner than expected, though Brissett is still currently entrenched.

Grade: B

Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers

While Alt was a stalwart in three seasons at Notre Dame, there was some question about how he’d perform with the Chargers early on, given they’re asking him to switch to the right side of the line. So far, he’s looked great, and noticeably more comfortable in his second game. In 55 snaps PFF has him with a 70.9 grade. It might take some time before Alt is as elite at right tackle as he was at left tackle, but if his preseason reps are any indication, he’ll do just fine.

Grade: A-

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

We got our first good look at Nabers this past weekend, and it has the NFL world buzzing. He’s played 42 snaps and has four catches on six targets for 54 yards. It wasn’t all perfect, as he was at least partially to blame on a bad Daniel Jones throw and was imprecise on his routes at times. But he moves so naturally, weaving his way through defenses and making acrobatic catches look easy. The hype around Nabers is plain to see.

Grade: B+

Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

Chicago’s other first-round selection, Odunze has my attention. In 31 preseason snaps, he only has one catch for 45 yards on three targets, but he added a 16-yard run to that against the Bengals and was inches away from a touchdown catch. Odunze looked comfortable and could push fellow WRs D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen for the featured role in Chicago’s passing attack before the season is through.

Grade: B+

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix has played the most of the first-round quarterbacks by far, totaling 59 snaps through two games. He’s gone 23/30 for 205 and two touchdowns, carrying over his surgical precision from his days at Oregon. Much like he did in college, Nix has focused on quick reads and accurate passes in the short and intermediate parts of the field. We haven’t seen him throw downfield much yet, but the early returns are promising, and he looks to be a perfect fit for Broncos HC Sean Payton’s offense.

Grade: A

Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks

It’s been a mixed bag so far for Murphy, but he’s flashed some of the incredible upside that made Seattle snap him up with the 16th pick. He’s shown he’ll be a problem as a pass rusher, and the interior penetration he provides will be extremely valuable — he already has a tackle for a loss in just 28 snaps. However, he’s also been credited with two missed tackles, per PFF, which is not what the Seahawks wanted to see from him.

Grade: C

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas was one of college football’s most elite deep threats last season, and he’s picked up right where he left off. He’s caught two passes on three targets for 55 yards, proving his ability to take the top off a defense can translate to the NFL right away. Thomas needs to develop a more diverse route tree before he can be relied upon as a true No. 1 option, but he’ll give QB Trevor Lawrence the ability to go deep on every snap.

Grade: B

Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins

In his preseason debut, Robinson performed about as expected. He flashed his freaky athleticism, snagging two tackles, including one for a loss. He failed to make much of an impact as a pass rusher, though, with the caveat that he only played 23 snaps. He’s a developmental prospect who will need some time to refine his game. The Dolphins need him to produce right away, though, with the status of both OLBs Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Philips in question for the start of the season.

Grade: C

Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles

The first cornerback taken in the 2024 draft, Mitchell has put some promising work on tape. He’s been credited with a tackle and pass breakup across 53 snaps so far, with PFF giving him a 78.1 overall grade. Darius Slay is entrenched at one of the starting outside corner spots, but the other is up for grabs. James Bradberry has started there the last two seasons, but he’s been bad this preseason, earning a 42.1 overall grade from PFF on 55 snaps. There’s room for Mitchell to claim a starting role in this defense, and he looks to be on his way to doing that.

Grade: A

Tyler Guyton, Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys fans everywhere, rejoice. Guyton has been nothing short of sensational this preseason, despite how raw he was coming out of Oklahoma. PFF has him graded at 80.6 overall across 56 total snaps, the best mark for a rookie tackle this preseason. Guyton will be asked to step into the starting left tackle spot, so this is a very encouraging sign.

Grade: A+

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

This is what everyone was afraid of when the Chiefs drafted Worthy. In just 23 snaps, Worthy has been targeted six times and hauled in three passes for 62 yards and a touchdown, adding an 11-yard run as well. His route-running skills are still raw, but if Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes want to get you the ball, they’ll find ways to get you open. Worthy’s speed is a game-changing threat and he’ll be unleashed in this Kansas City offense.

Grade: B