2023 NFL Preseason Week 1 rookie grades: Anthony Richardson has ups and downs in debut

I noted Tank Dell would be a factor for the Texans back in June, when I included him as the return specialist in my projected 2023 All-Rookie Team. In the first half of the Texans' 20-9 win over the Patriots on Thursday, Dell consistently separated from the slot and outside -- and even came back to the ball on a scramble drill. Dell was a bit tentative on his lone punt return; there was more available to him than the 13 yards he managed on a low line drive. On the following drive, however, he recorded four of the five receptions he had on the night, splitting the linebackers on one quick pass to gain 24 yards and weaving his way through space on his other catches. He also scored his first NFL touchdown, going down for a low pass and displaying excellent concentration and body control to reel it in. As Dell's nickname portends, there is no problem with his tenacity taking on defenders as a run blocker.

While Zach Charbonnet only gained 14 yards on four carries in Thursday night's 24-13 win over Vikings, the way he ran after missing practices with a shoulder issue earlier this month earns him a top grade. On a delayed handoff in the first half, Charbonnet found the hole and then made a strong cut upfield to avoid a lackluster tackle attempt. Vikings safety Lewis Cine might feel he saw too much of Charbonnet in the second quarter. On second-and-4, the burly back lowered his pads to punish the defender, gaining extra yards after picking up the first. He pummeled Cine again on a dump-off throw over the middle late in the first half. Charbonnet's smartest play was grabbing an attempted screen pass after it hit the ground on the final play before halftime; officials ruled quarterback Drew Lock fumbled while being hit. Securing the ball prevented Minnesota from taking possession inside Seattle's 15-yard line. 

DJ Turner II turned heads with a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, ultimately earning him a second-round draft slot, and he was given the start in the Bengals' 36-19 loss to Green Bay on Friday. Packers wideout Christian Watson beat Turner down the left sideline with his own speed and quick hands early on, but safety Dax Hill saved the day by breaking up the deep floater. Later, Turner got revenge by stuffing Watson for a short gain after following the motioning receiver across the field. Malik Heath also separated from the 178-pound Turner on a comeback route near the end of the first quarter; late in the second quarter, though, the former Wolverine fought for a break-up against Heath by turning his head and finding a poorly thrown jump ball on fourth down. Overall, a solid NFL debut for the rookie.

The second center off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, John Michael Schmitz started the Giants' 21-16 loss at Detroit on Friday and played the entire first half, generally looking stout but needing improvement in some areas. He got movement in the run game when asked to come off the ball with force, though he allowed his man to get low and shed on one third-and-short attempt. Veteran Isaiah Buggs gave Schmitz some issues early, tipping a pass on the first series and then out-hustling the rookie for a quarterback pressure, forcing the Giants to settle for a field goal. Schmitz had mixed results on the move, hitting multiple targets on a couple of runs but taking blows from (rather than giving them to) linebacker Malcolm Rodriquez on two occasions. The Giants will need their pivot to perform better in the run game to improve on their mark in this contest of 3.7 yards a carry (with 33 of their 81 yards coming on one fourth-quarter run).

The Falcons' search for depth on the edge led them to pick Zach Harrison in the third round. Throughout the team's 19-3 win at Miami on Friday, he used his long arms and strength to hold up blockers at the line or push them into the backfield. He was part of the rotation throughout the contest, but his only stop came when slanting inside a lineman's block to bring down rookie back De'Von Achane for loss in the second quarter. Harrison played too high on a lot of snaps, getting washed out when lined up at 4-technique on a run play early on and allowing two ball-carriers to get under his tackle attempts near the line of scrimmage. He did not show great speed to the quarterback on two naked bootlegs run by the Dolphins, but he did hustle to the ball on one of them, pressing Mike White and helping to force an interception.

Broderick Jones came in late in the first quarter for starting LT Dan Moore Jr. and played most of the rest of the way in the team's 27-17 win at Tampa Bay on Friday. He was strong as a run blocker, moving his man off the ball, sealing the edge or using his length to push linebackers out of the way at the second level. While only truly beaten once in pass protection (resulting in a fourth-quarter sack), Jones was stilted in his slide and regularly was late with his hands, allowing his man to get under his pads and push him backwards. Most times, he recovered using his quick feet and strength, however, throwing defenders to the ground to keep them from making plays. Jones also missed a blitzer off the edge in the third quarter, resulting in a pressured throw. 

Siaki Ika is expected to bolster what was a below-average run defense in 2022. The Browns' second pick in the draft (98th overall, third round) played in all four quarters of the team's 17-15 loss to Washington on Friday, struggling to get off one-on-one blocks in open space -- which is an issue if he wants to be a three-down tackle. Ika pressured quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the second quarter, but only after his man let him go on an attempted screen pass. At the end of the first half, Ika caved in guard Aaron Monteiro and center Tyler Larsen, allowing stunting tackle Sam Kamara to get a hand on Brissett and force an interception. In the second half, Ika respectably held his ground against single and double blocks as the Commanders ran the ball. He slanted into a gap to reach the ball in the fourth quarter, though he also lost his balance and got planted on one slant attempt.

Drew Sanders did not start the Broncos' 18-17 loss to Arizona on Friday night, but he contributed on defense and coverage units. He secured one of his two tackles in zone coverage, limiting any gain after a catch by tight end Blake Whiteheart. The athleticism that made him a third-round pick was evident when he was dropping into coverage, with quick hips allowing him to get to his spot. The Cardinals picked up a first down in the second quarter, though, when the ball sailed over his head as he got sucked in on a shorter route. Sanders' speed will be an asset on blitzes, as he showed coming from the A-gap in the first quarter to force a quick incompletion before Cardinals receivers could finish their routes. While not the strongest linebacker, Sanders was not afraid to fight through blocks and stick his nose into run plays inside.

The much-anticipated debut of Anthony Richardson in the Colts' 23-19 loss to Buffalo on Saturday went about as expected for the young-but-promising dual-threat QB. He threw a couple of short darts in the first series before slinging an ill-advised pass to a covered Isaiah McKenzie that sailed into the hands of cornerback Dane Jackson. (In fairness to Richardson, McKenzie took responsibility for the pick, but the young quarterback probably shouldn't have thrown the ball in the first place.) On his next play, he kept the ball on an RPO, stiff-arming big D-lineman Greg Rousseau to pick up 5 yards. Richardson seemed to learned from his earlier mistake later in the series, throwing away a pass instead of forcing it to Michael Pittman Jr. in double coverage. He sold a screen well on his last series, which helped kick-start the drive with a first down. Richardson then found a rhythm, piercing one pass over the middle and two to the sideline, one a dime just missed by receiver Alec Pierce for a near touchdown. Another keeper in the red zone went for 7 yards, and then Richardson overthrew an open Pittman, though both plays were made moot by holding penalties.

The Bears were thrilled Zacch Pickens lasted until the first pick of the third round. He played most of the first three quarters in Chicago's 23-17 win over Tennessee on Saturday, getting push from multiple spots on the line in the passing game, sticking his big paw into passing lanes and finding his way to a first-quarter blind-side sack of fellow rookie Will Levis on an end-tackle twist. Pickens played on the other side of the line of scrimmage in the run game, keeping an eye on the quarterback to track down scrambles; he recovered a Malik Willis fumble toward the end of the first half by keeping his eyes in the backfield. Pickens continued to churn forward in the second half, moving the line of scrimmage, shoving aside his man to stop a third-down run and even hustling downfield to halt a third-quarter pass play.

Will McDonald IV did not play a ton of snaps in the Jets' 27-0 shellacking of Carolina on Saturday, but he showed enough for the team to be excited about his future. Lined up in the wide-9 technique (well outside the left tackle instead of head-up against linemen, as he often was at Iowa State), McDonald took advantage of that space; in the second quarter, he hesitated before winning with his hands to turn the corner, picking up his first NFL sack. He's added a balanced spin move that is a dangerous complement to his bend outside, twice pressuring the passer after winning the inside lane. McDonald also used his plus length to hold off the much larger Ikem Ekwonu early on, though the starting tackle did not play many snaps. The rookie played on punt coverage and return units, as well, showing he's willing to contribute in any way necessary in his first season.

Anton Harrison played well starting at right tackle in Jacksonville's 28-23 victory at Dallas on Saturday. (Walker Little started on the left side, and suspended veteran Cam Robinson played with the second string.) The Jaguars' first-round pick (27th overall) pushed around defenders in the run game, landing his hands and extending to get movement. He displayed quick feet, getting correct angles and displaying mobility on stretch plays and second-level blocks (putting his man on the ground a couple of times). Harrison was solid in pass protection, anchoring well and executing a cut block for a quick throw to his side in the second series. He did miss a back-side run block on former Jaguar Dante Fowler Jr. in the third series that led to a tackle for loss. Harrison bounced back, though, to stone Fowler on the next play, then picked up a twist to give Trevor Lawrence a chance to throw a touchdown. 

Kelee Ringo has something to prove as a rookie, after he surprisingly fell to the fourth round of the draft in April. He started the Eagles' 20-19 loss to the Ravens, charged with covering Baltimore first-rounder Zay Flowers, among others, on the right side of the defense. He stayed with his man down the sideline without a problem, varying whether or not he put a hand on the receiver off the line. Drawn away from the outside while in man coverage late in the first quarter, Ringo hustled back and avoided a block to stop a run before it hit the red zone. Veteran Devin Duvernay scored late that drive, though, as Ringo played inside leverage, making himself susceptible to the back-shoulder throw. Ringo made a third-down stop two drives later, halting quickly with the receiver and getting his off hand out to knock down the (admittedly late) throw.

The Chargers selected Derius Davis in the fourth round because of the return skills he showed off in the team's 34-17 win over the Rams on Saturday. Davis had a 21-yard kick return and 13-yard punt return called back by penalties before making the highlight reel with an 81-yard return for a score. A long punt gave him time to hesitate and find a hole, set up a would-be tackler and cut inside and then run through two arm-tackle attempts before turning on the jets down the sideline. Davis made good decisions on two other punts, fair-catching one at his own 9-yard line and allowing another to go into the end zone. He played in the slot on offense, finding space on numerous jerk, crossing and corner routes and catching two stop routes for 21 yards. He did not offer much as a blocker, though, missing targets and lacking the size to sustain.

With Kadarius Toney again dealing with injuries, Rashee Rice got his chance to shine in the slot during the Chiefs' 26-24 loss at New Orleans on Sunday. He provided a quick target on short routes, but really impressed with his ability to get vertical, even though he didn't see any deep passes. His biggest play was a receiver screen, where he showed his explosive first step and barreled through contact for extra yards. Rice dropped a jerk route, trying to run before securing the catch while fighting off a linebacker, but later battled for a catch in traffic during the first-half two-minute drill. He mixed it up as a run blocker, but was tossed aside by stronger hands on a couple of occasions. Rice was part of a double-team against a gunner on a punt return, but allowed his man to pin the ball down near the end zone.

Aidan O'Connell was truly poised and efficient in the short and intermediate passing game during his first pro start, playing three quarters of the 34-7 win against the 49ers on Sunday. He is taking well to working from under center in the NFL, displaying good footwork and hand-off technique. O'Connell threw multiple completions across his body to his left, getting the ball out on time and leading his targets to maximize the run after the catch. He threw a nice deep ball down the left sideline in the first half, but his receiver was unable to bring it in for what would have been a huge gain on third down. O'Connell was sacked once when the left tackle was cleanly beaten but avoided another sack by dipping under an oncoming blitzer.