NFL preseason statistics should always be taken with a grain of salt, as many starters don't play much, if at all. With that being said, the preseason is a great time to get a look at backups and third stringers, many of whom are vying for increased roles or even spots on a 53-man roster.
The biggest winners of the preseason thus far might not earn many regular-season snaps if it began today, but they certainly appear to be moving up the depth chart or at least showing that they belong. Let's dive in.
QB Joe Milton III, Dallas Cowboys
While Dak Prescott is the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback, there's still a quarterback competition worth watching in Dallas. Joe Milton III is competing with Sam Howell for the backup quarterback job, and while Howell is the more experienced option, Milton has likely taken firm command of the race given how well he's played.
Milton, a quarterback who has always possessed a good amount of upside but has a low floor due to accuracy issues, has gone 21-for-28 (75 percent completion percentage) for 286 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions through the Cowboys' first two games. His upside has been on full display, and he's been remarkably efficient. His 142.9 passer rating through the first two weeks is as good as anyone's thus far. Say what you want about the importance of a backup quarterback competition, but Milton, a player who might've been the underdog in this race, is forcing his way onto the Cowboys' 53-man roster.
RB Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza is the rookie Las Vegas Raiders fans are watching closely, and understandably so, but can we talk about Mike Washington Jr.? Washington, the Raiders' fourth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, has starred in the preseason, rushing for 63 yards on six attempts in Week 1 and for 56 yards on nine carries in Week 2.
He wasn't quite as efficient in Week 2, but Washington still averaged over six yards per carry and even had a 33-yard run against a very potent Texas defense (albeit one without several starters). This is Ashton Jeanty's backfield when healthy, but Jeanty's sprained ankle could cost him some regular-season time, or at least result in him being limited to begin the year. Both of those situations would open the door for Washington, the favorite to serve as Jeanty's backup, to play a very prominent role for Las Vegas.
QB Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback, and since they traded for Andy Dalton, a proven veteran, it felt as if Tanner McKee had little to no shot at making the Eagles' Week 1 roster. Not only has Dalton really struggled thus far, but McKee has really excelled, giving reason to believe that he'll either win the backup job over Dalton or be traded to a team with a path to playing time.
McKee wasn't great in Week 1, but by going 6-for-10, he was more efficient than Dalton and Cole Payton. In Week 2, McKee played as well as any quarterback, completing 16 of his 22 passes (72.7 percent completion percentage) for 173 yards and two touchdowns. McKee generated tons of buzz around this time last preseason, and he's doing so again now.
New York Jets defense
Did you know that the New York Jets went the entire 2025 regular season without recording a single interception? That is a very real and very alarming statistic. Well, it took them two preseason games to record their first two interceptions this season, as they picked off Will Howard twice in a dominant 17-0 victory.
As if that isn't impressive enough, they forced Drew Allar, perhaps the most impressive quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason, to a sub-50 percent completion percentage, and looked good defensively for part of their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Does this mean much in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, but at a bare minimum, it gives Jets fans some hope that they might actually be able to generate some turnovers this season. They can't possibly do worse in that area than they did last season.
WR De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers made De'Zhaun Stribling the sixth wide receiver taken when they selected him with the first pick of the second round in the 2026 NFL Draft. So far, Stribling has outperformed everyone picked before him, and perhaps every receiver overall. He's totaled 11 receptions for 109 yards thus far, converting on all but two targets.
Stribling was always going to make the team, but how big a role he was going to play in Week 1 was up in the air. Well, with Ricky Pearsall out for the year, Stribling has a chance to make a major impact in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
QB Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams made the most controversial selection in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Not only did this feel very early for Simpson, a quarterback whose resume was far from perfect, but it was pretty shocking that the Rams, a team in Super Bowl contention, would use such a valuable pick on a quarterback who, in an ideal world, wouldn't see the field for a single meaningful snap in 2026.
Well, we're seeing why the Rams used a top pick on Simpson this preseason, as the 23-year-old went 21-for-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 and went 8-for-12 in Week 2. It's not as if he's had Puka Nacua or Davante Adams to lean on either, making his play that much more impressive. Simpson still has no shot at starting a game without a Matthew Stafford injury, but he sure looks like a quarterback more capable of replacing Stafford long-term.
WR John Metchie III, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a team on the rise, but beyond Tetairoa McMillan and (to a lesser extent) Jalen Coker, there isn't much proven talent in their wide receiver room. This reality has created a very real competition for reps behind McMillan and Coker, and given how this preseason has gone for John Metchie III, there's every reason to believe he's leading the way in said race.
Metchie, a wideout who has been on three teams in three years and who signed a one-year, $1.9 million deal with the Panthers, his fourth team, this past offseason, looks like a player who belongs. He led the team with six receptions for 77 yards in Week 2, and while his Week 1 output wasn't as strong, his lone catch was a nine-yard touchdown reception. Not bad.
QB Kyle McCord, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers' quarterback spot is Jordan Love's, barring injury, but again, the backup spot does matter. It was assumed that Tyrod Taylor, a 15-year veteran with 100 appearances and 62 starts under his belt, would be Love's backup, but it's not looking so cut-and-dried now. Taylor has gone just 8-for-16 for 38 passing yards thus far, and he's not the rushing threat he once was. Not only is Taylor looking like an underwhelming option, but Kyle McCord has really opened some eyes during the preseason.
The idea of McCord, the Eagles' sixth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, making the Packers' 53-man roster seemed far-fetched, but he's given himself a shot, going 24-for-35 (68.6 percent completion percentage) for 220 yards in the preseason thus far. He's been Green Bay's most impressive quarterback thus far, and even if he doesn't earn the backup job with the Packers, his play might earn himself a look elsewhere.
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