Which Rookies Are Standing Out? 7 Takeaways From Week 1 Of The Preseason

Finally, after six months of no football, nearly all 32 teams got their first taste of game action this weekend, and while several stars and starters didn't play, many rookies made their unofficial NFL debuts.

Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, who were the only quarterbacks taken in the first round of this year's draft, showed glimpses of promise over the weekend. So did Drew Allar, who quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Those three quarterbacks were just a few of the rookies who made some headlines in Week 1 of the preseason. Now, with the first week of the preseason behind us, here are our takeaways. 

1. Ty Simpson Offers Solid, Promising Performance

Eric D. Williams: Simpson got the call for the Los Angeles Rams after Stetson Bennett started the first quarter in Saturday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs and didn't disappoint in three quarters of action, playing the rest of the game against back end of the roster players. Simpson continued to show command and comfort with Sean McVay’s offensive system. I watched him earlier in the week against the Dallas Cowboys in a joint practice, and Simpson showed well in the limited reps he got. He built on that performance against the Chiefs.

Simpson finished 21 of 25 for 190 yards with two touchdown passes to running back Dean Conners and no interceptions. He also wasn't sacked, posting a 125.0 passer rating. 

Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, calling the plays instead of McVay, did a nice job of tailoring them to accentuate Simpson’s movement skills and ability to throw on the run. Simpson completed a handful of throws on play-action passes and had a clean pocket most of the game. 

It’s a good start for Simpson, and we’ll see how he performs if he gets an opportunity to face ramped-up pressure against NFL starters as he competes with Bennett for the backup job behind Matthew Stafford.  

2. Drew Allar Gives Steelers Hope For A Post-Rodgers Future

Ralph Vacchiano: Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy is absolutely convinced they stole a first-round talent when they drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round in April. And Allar backed up his coach’s big words last week with a stellar performance, completing 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing score in a win over the Green Bay Packers.

But Allar has done more than that to give Pittsburgh hope for its future, whenever the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers really calls it quits. He has had an excellent camp, showing off a strong arm and excellent decision-making skills. And McCarthy told me that three weeks into camp, Allar basically has been given the entire playbook. There’s nothing he couldn’t be asked to do.

Now, no one in the Steelers' organization is willing to guarantee that the 22-year-old is their quarterback of the future. He’s not even likely to be Rodgers’ backup, an honor that probably will go to veteran Mason Rudolph. And technically, he still has to beat out Will Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, for a spot in the quarterback room.

But Allar almost certainly will be a part of the team's quarterback conversation moving forward, and he will spend the next year (at least) learning at the feet of Rodgers. Whether the Steelers roll with Allar in 2027 or dive into the star-studded quarterback class in the upcoming draft probably depends on how this season goes, and where they fall in the draft order. However, Allar’s quick growth and early returns may give them a future option they didn’t clearly have before.

3. How Much Playing Time Is Too Much? Cardinals Find Out With Jeremiyah Love

Greg Auman: No two NFL head coaches will answer the question the same way, but each team must decide how much — if at all — to play their best players in the preseason.

Too little, you risk rust and ineffective play in the first weeks of the regular season, but too much, you take on a greater risk of injury. The Arizona Cardinals' offense, under new coach Mike LaFleur, had as good a first half as you could ask for against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, with three drives all resulting in touchdowns.

Rookie running back Jeremiah Love, the third overall pick in the draft, was a big part of that, finishing the half with 11 carries for 58 yards and three catches for 14 yards. The 14 touches were more than most people expected him to get, including Love himself. But LaFleur liked the chance to get him comfortable and confident in adjusting to the speed of the NFL.

"I like where he was at with the touches," LaFleur said after the game.

However, the excitement was tempered by news that Love would miss a week with a "sore" ankle sustained as he was brought down on his last touch.

Things have escalated, and Love has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain that will sideline him from the remaining two preseason games. It puts his status for their season opener Sept. 13 at the Chargers in question as well.

Why the heavy usage a week after holding Love out of the Hall of Fame Game entirely? Another new back, Tyler Allgeier, played only six snaps compared to Love’s 24, and if any team should be wary of keeping their backs healthy, it’s Arizona. Last year, the Cardinals lost their top two backs — James Conner and Trey Benson — to season-ending injuries by Week 4, so their leading rusher (Michael Carter) had just 333 rushing yards, the lowest for any team’s leading rusher in six years.

Love might be healthy for the opener and could still have a monster rookie season. He never had so much as 200 carries in a season at Notre Dame, so he could easily exceed that in a healthy rookie season. 

4. Did Ravens Finally Hit On A Mid-Round WR? If They Did, It Could Change AFC Outlook

Henry McKenna: It’s not like Lamar Jackson has been entirely unsupported. The Baltimore Ravens offense boasts Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and, before he defected in free agency, Isaiah Likely. But there have been times when — in the passing game — that has not quite seemed like enough.

The more I’ve watched this Baltimore offense over the years, the more I wondered what the Ravens could be with legit playmakers at WR2 and WR3.

Maybe — just maybe — that’s what the Ravens found in the 2026 NFL Draft. Baltimore selected USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and Indiana wideout Elijah Sarratt, and both players have put together impressive camps, according to reports on the scene. So my eyes were fixed on that Ravens offense in preseason, even if Jackson wasn’t on the field.

Because the rookies were.

And they were terrific. 

In this weekend’s game, Sarratt led Baltimore in catches (six) and receiving yards (66). Lane finished with three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown.

That preseason production might not mean a whole lot if the receivers weren’t already showing promising signs in training camp. But their body of work has been really solid. That’s all the Ravens need from the rookies: reliability. If they can take some of the pressure off Jackson (and Andrews and Flowers), the entire Ravens offense should be better off. Certainly, with coach Jesse Minter running the defense, the defense should be just fine.

There is no clearer candidate for a bounceback season than the Ravens.

They missed the playoffs last year. If these young receivers are for real, though, I can’t imagine Baltimore missing two years in a row.

5. De’Zhaun Stribling Makes Loss Of Ricky Pearsall A Little Less Painful For 49ers

Ben Arthur: Losing Ricky Pearsall before the season started marked a major blow for the 49ers, but they may be just fine production-wise out of the wide receiver thanks to rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. 

Stribling, who was taken by the 49ers with the first pick of the second round, shined in San Francisco’s preseason opener Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans with seven receptions on eight targets for a game-high 63 yards. The former Ole Miss standout gave the Titans’ starting secondary all kinds of fits, catching passes against each of Tennessee’s top three cornerbacks (Cor’Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor, Marcus Harris). 

Stribling’s most impressive play: a 32-yard, back-shoulder catch down the right sideline with Flott in tight coverage, setting up the Niners’ lone touchdown. 

With Pearsall (PCL) out for the year and Brandon Aiyuk (reserve/left squad) not part of the team’s plans, San Francisco will depend heavily on old receivers in 2026. Of the 12 receivers on its 90-man roster, seven are at least 29 years old, including Mike Evans (32), Deebo Samuel Sr. (30) and Christian Kirk (29). 

Stribling is much-needed young blood. And if the preseason opener is any indication, he’ll be a major contributor as a rookie. 

6. Odell Beckham's Performance Not Big Enough To Match Cheers

Vacchiano: The biggest cheer of the New York Giants’ preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings was the moment in the second quarter when Odell Beckham entered the game with the second team. It was a reminder of how popular he remains with the New York fans.

Too bad those were really the only big cheers he got.

The 33-year-old Beckham had a quiet two catches for six yards in his first game action of any kind since December 2024. It’s not that more was expected — this game was mostly about Beckham seeing action and getting some of his timing back. It’s that more was needed if Beckham has any hope of making the team out of camp.

Beckham is in a difficult spot. He isn’t trying to just make the Giants as one of their six likely receivers. Since he doesn’t play special teams, he really needs to be in the top four to crack the roster. Assuming Malik Nabers is healthy, the top three spots are likely going to him, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields. And Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin seem likely to be two more. That doesn’t give Beckham an obvious avenue. And he’s not going to force Giants coach John Harbaugh’s hand two preseason catches at a time.

Beckham did get open one other time in the game on a deep seam route, but the Vikings blitzed and quarterback Jameis Winston dumped the ball off underneath. It was a moment that would have electrified Giants fans in the stadium. Who knows if it would’ve done anything to increase Beckham’s chances of making the team.

But he’ll need moments like that, and bigger performances than he had, to have any shot of sticking on the roster. And he’s running out of time to do it. 

7. Cowboys Undrafted WR Camden Brown Makes Highlight Reel Plays

Williams: The top of the Cowboys’ receiver room is set, with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens arguably forming the top wide receiver duo in the NFL. Ryan Flournoy is also listed as a projected starter, and talented return man KaVontae Turpin will take another spot. But Brown, an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern, could be making a claim for one of those spots on the back end of the roster. 

Brown finished with three catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Both scores were diving, acrobatic catches in the end zone, including a one-handed catch on a fade route. 

Brown made similar plays during the two training camp practices I watched the Cowboys in Oxnard and has been one of the most talked-about players in the team's camp. If he can figure out a way to contribute on special teams, Brown could have a chance to find his way on the back of the roster, or at least land on the practice squad.