The NFL preseason kicks off in earnest on Thursday night, just a week after the Hall of Fame Game between Carolina and Arizona marked our first football since Super Bowl LX. While there are some big picture storylines like new coaches taking the field or injured stars returning, most of the spotlight in preseason games is on the league's rookie class.
Some of the most impactful rookies in this year's class are set to make their professional debuts this week so teams can see how their practice habits translate onto a field in live action. Let's go through each of the 16 Week 1 preseason games and highlight one rookie to watch in each contest. The list will be in chronological order of when games kick off, starting on Thursday with Lions-Bengals.
Lions-Bengals
The choice here is Cincinnati's Cashius Howell, a second-round pick out of Texas A&M. Howell has flashed some serious pass rushing chops in practice and will get a chance to show off his skills in the Bengals' first preseason game against a strong Lions' offensive line. For a team in need of a serious defensive boost after losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency, Howell has an opportunity to stake a claim to serious playing time with a strong preseason performance.
Packers-Steelers
Aaron Rodgers is expected to get more preseason snaps for Pittsburgh than he did a year ago (despite his belief in the meaningless nature of the games), which should give him an opportunity to connect with some of his new pass catchers. One of the more intriguing options is Germie Bernard, a highly productive receiver at Alabama who slipped under the radar in the draft. Bernard has an opportunity to earn slot reps with a strong camp showing and could become a favored target for Rodgers before long.
Colts-Patriots
The guy to watch here is edge rusher Gabe Jacas, New England's second-round pick out of Illinois. Jacas has been putting on a show at Patriots' camp, blowing by offensive linemen to wreak havoc in the backfield. Indianapolis' front is an underrated group in the league so it should be a good test for Jacas to show how his ability translates against a quality offensive line.
Cardinals-Raiders
If you're looking for rookies to watch, this is the game for you. Arizona's Jeremiyah Love is expected to take the field for the first time but the headliner here will be Fernando Mendoza, the top pick in the draft and the Raiders' new franchise quarterback. Kirk Cousins is expected to start the year for Las Vegas but Mendoza could put some heat on the veteran by lighting up the Cardinals' shaky defense in this contest.
Chargers-Texans
One of the most heartwarming stories from the draft involved Kayden McDonald, who spent the entire first round in the green room before coming back on Friday and getting to walk on stage after the Texans took him in the second round. McDonald has paid off Houston's faith by putting on a show at camp, creating a ton of pocket pressure from the interior of the defensive line. The Chargers have one of the league's best offensive lines so this spot is a good test to see how impactful McDonald can be early on in his career.
Titans-49ers
We'll spotlight another top five pick here in Carnell Tate, the first wide receiver taken off the board at Ohio State. Tennessee is hoping to see Cam Ward take a big leap forward in his sophomore season and the addition of Tate as his new go-to-guy should certainly help that effort. Fantasy players will surely be keeping an eye on how Tate looks in the preseason before they consider taking him in their drafts.
Broncos-Falcons
Atlanta created one of the most fun dynamics in the league when they drafted Aveion Terrell, the younger brother of star cornerback A.J. Terrell, in the second round. While A.J. may not see much action as a locked-in starter, Aveion figures to get plenty of playing time against a Denver offense that has some sneaky good depth receivers. An all-Terrell cornerback duo could be a fun one for the Falcons to pull off but Aveion needs to show he's ready for tough assignments early to make that happen.
Buccaneers-Jets
The Jets made a controversial call when they passed on Arvell Reese to David Bailey at No. 2 in the draft but Bailey's camp showing has vindicated their decision. Bailey has been a menace as a pass rusher in camp, blowing by offensive linemen on a daily basis to showcase his double-digit sack potential. After giving the Buccaneers' offensive line a hard time in joint practices this week, Bailey will get to show what he can do when the two sides face off again at MetLife Stadium on Friday night.
Dolphins-Commanders
Washington made what was perceived to be one of the best value picks of the first round when they grabbed Sonny Styles at No. 7. Styles, the class' best pure off-ball linebacker, has made highlight plays throughout camp and is vying for an opportunity to wear the green dot helmet to serve as the defensive play caller on the field. A good showing against the Dolphins certainly wouldn't hurt Styles' cause in that regard.
Panthers-Bills
The reigning NFC South champions have a lot invested in Monroe Freeling, their first-round pick, who is slated to get reps at left tackle with Ikem Ekwonu slowly working his way back from a knee injury. Freeling has the chops to handle that spot but is going to get a test in his first preseason game against a strong defensive front from the Bills. The Panthers definitely need to see if Freeling can handle the challenge of protecting Bryce Young's blindside before they decide whether to go look for more tackle help during camp.
Vikings-Giants
The Giants had two first-round picks in April's draft but all eyes figure to be on Reese, who fell to them at No. 5 and is a bit of a mystery box player due to his freakish skill set. Reese has been playing all over the field for the Giants in practice and it will be interesting to see how exactly he is used against Minnesota in the preseason. John Harbaugh has built a smart coaching staff in New York and its clear they have a plan to get the most out of Reese but they may opt not to reveal too much of it, so keep an eye on what they do allow Reese to do in this game.
Rams-Chiefs
If all goes according to plan for the Rams we won't see Ty Simpson on the field at all this season. Los Angeles' investment in Simpson was a key part of the team's future, freeing up assets to add Myles Garrett to make a Super Bowl run, and he will get to learn behind Matthew Stafford as a rookie. Seeing how Simpson does against the Chiefs should give us a clue about how much more work Sean McVay has to do with him to ensure he's NFL-ready when the time comes.
Jaguars-Saints
This game features another player that fantasy types will be watching closely in New Orleans' Jordyn Tyson, a top 10 pick at receiver. The Saints have an intriguing young quarterback in Tyler Shough and a competition for who will start across from Chris Olave as the WR2. Tyson figures to be a favorite to grab that spot and can give himself a significant boost with a good showing against the Jaguars on Saturday.
Eagles-Ravens
Another wide receiver competition that should impact fantasy leagues is in Philadelphia where Makai Lemon has to fight with veteran free agent pickup Romeo Doubs for the spot opposite DeVonta Smith. Lemon has the skill set to work well out of the slot, which is where he figures to get most of his reps, but there is a wild card here in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. If Philadelphia finds creative ways to get Lemon the ball in this matchup it could hint towards him having a significant role in the offense this year.
Cowboys-Seahawks
It's unclear if Jadarian Price has gotten far enough along from leg injuries to play in this game, making the pick here Dallas safety Caleb Downs. The Cowboys were jumping for joy when Downs, who some experts pegged as the best overall prospect in the class, fell to them at No. 11 overall. Downs has turned heads at camp and should be in contention to start right away at safety, but his potential to bounce all over the field like Kyle Hamilton does for the Ravens makes him the rookie to watch in this contest.
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