Players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft have had a few months to get acclimated to their new cities and teammates -- now it's time to see how they handle the best competition they've ever faced.
I've graded the performance of one notable rookie from each of this past week's 16 preseason contests to get a feel for how some of these newbies stack up at the start of their respective professional careers.
These evaluations are not predictions of how players will fare this upcoming season, nor are they long-term career projections. Each mark simply takes stock of how the rookie played in Week 1 of the 2024 preseason.
The Patriots selected Polk early in the second round (37th overall) to be a strong, reliable outside playmaker. His first two catches against the Panthers on Thursday night came on consecutive plays in the first quarter, with the Washington product running a pair of stop routes in front of veteran corner Dane Jackson. In both cases, the rookie was unable to escape Jackson, though his contested catch the second time around earned a first down. Polk was in the slot for his final target of the night, snatching an out route before again failing to elude the tackle of a smaller defender (D'Shawn Jamison). He also couldn't manage to get a blocking angle on Panthers safety Alex Cook on a red zone run in the second quarter. The ample-sized Polk showed solid hands and needs to receive some downfield targets to fully showcase his skill set, but on his end, the rookie must make his blocks and run through some tackle attempts to be more than a No. 3 receiver.
Detroit's first-round pick, Terrion Arnold, was able to play in last Thursday's game after being evaluated for a concussion during a preceding practice, but the cornerback was not targeted during the Lions' tilt against the Giants. However, Rakestraw, the team's second-round CB selection, was in the crosshairs twice. Speedy New York WR Jalin Hyatt separated from the rookie on a third-down crossing route early in the first quarter, but Rakestraw tracked him down and escorted him out of bounds to prevent the first. The former Missouri Tiger lost ground to Isaiah Hodgins outside on his other target, but fought through contact off the line and at the top of the route. Meanwhile, safety Brandon Joseph sensed quarterback Drew Lock's focus on Hodgins, picking off the pass before Rakestraw had a chance to force a break-up. Just like in college, Rakestraw showed the competitive streak and catch-up speed to be an effective corner despite his average size.
Wright made a solid first impression on Friday evening, finishing with 55 yards and a score on 10 carries in a win over the Falcons. On his second attempt, he patiently waited for his blockers to negate a defender on the edge, then accelerated before a would-be tackler bounced off his thigh without effect. His touchdown came when cutting off the back side of a pulling guard, with the fourth-round pick looking decisive and squaring his shoulders to find paydirt without an issue. Wright hesitated on a couple of plays when the blocking wasn't great, but he took what he could get on later runs. He bobbled a catch but showed the presence of mind to avoid tacklers and cut back against the grain to gain a first down. Wright and quarterback Mike White weren't on the same page on a botched handoff early in the second half, but the rookie wisely jumped on the ball instead of trying to make something happen.
Fautanu started at right tackle (a spot he never manned in college) for the Steelers against the Texans on Friday night, playing the first half before a knee injury put him on the sideline. The first-round pick showed the footwork to mirror and get vertical in his pass set, stay in contact with defenders throughout plays and move downfield to make blocks -- though he didn't always take the right angle to hit his target. Fautanu's anchor against bull rushes was solid, but he did lose to a long-arm move on third down in the first quarter. He gave up a sack against Danielle Hunter's wide-nine technique, losing the hand battle on initial contact. The former Washington Husky did not maintain a blocking angle on a couple of double-teams, allowing his man to get inside of him after the guard moved to the second level. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin already ruled Fautanu out of Pittsburgh's second preseason game -- Saturday vs. Buffalo -- but doesn't expect the knee sprain to be a long-term issue.
The Ravens started Wiggins against the Eagles in their preseason opener, and Philadelphia tested the rookie throughout the first half. Wiggins' speed helped him box out his man on a poorly thrown go route early and he gave no quarter on a couple of comeback routes, working through the receiver to prevent completions. The first-round pick gave up a first-down completion because of a false step and missed his jam in the 5-yard area late in the half. Wiggins watched a touchdown late in the first quarter, getting lost in the inside action while in zone coverage instead of picking up the running back entering the flat. He did his job in zone later, though, coming off one target to challenge another receiver and prevent a sideline completion. The lean corner executed a couple of nice cut tackles in the open field to prevent gains, though better-blocking receivers controlled him in the run game.
In his first game as a pro, Sinnott looked like a legitimate two-way threat at tight end. He used his quickness off the line to get down the seam late in the first half, avoiding one tackler and powering through other defenders for a 44-yard gain. The third of Washington's three second-round picks grabbed another pass outside his frame in the third quarter, stiff-arming his man before getting dragged down after 12 yards. Sinnott proved his worth as a move blocker in this contest, too, coming down the line pre-snap to lead an outside run in the second quarter, chipping on one defender before escorting another out of bounds to free up the runner for a first down. A penalty negated that play, however, so the team promptly ran quarterback Jeff Driskel behind a leading Sinnott again, nearly gaining a first down on the ensuing snap. The rookie's straight-up blocking is still a work in progress, but everything else looked great for the future starter.
The No. 1 overall pick in April started Saturday afternoon's 33-6 win over the Bills in Buffalo. Bears fans saw all his attributes during the contest, with Williams leading the team to field goals on each of his two drives. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner stood tall in the pocket on the first series, looking at multiple targets before peppering a first-down throw to DJ Moore. Williams also showed his improv ability, stepping out of a closing pocket early in the drive to throw away a pass and later flipping a no-look screen pass while under pressure to running back D'Andre Swift, who ran for 42 yards. Bears coaches got Williams out of the pocket on the second series, with the 22-year-old throwing two shorter passes (one dropped) and two downfield hurls (one dropped). He stepped up on a third-down play to run for a first down on that drive, smartly sliding before taking a hit. So far, so good.
Veteran pass rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel sat against the Raiders, so Turner had a chance to showcase his explosiveness off the edge throughout the first half. The No. 17 overall pick actually powered the left tackle backward on a third-down play, forcing his man to hold (not called) to prevent Turner from grabbing the quarterback. Turner beat his man outside on third-and-1 in the red zone, but Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell just got the ball away before taking the hit. The passer was not so lucky a few snaps later, as Turner got upfield to record his first sack, dragging down O'Connell as he backed out of the pocket. On the second series, Turner tried a spin move inside on third down but ran into a helping guard. He was willing to stick his nose into run plays, but was unable to break free from blocks -- something he must do to avoid a "designated pass rusher" role as a rookie.
Bullard showed his versatility as a starter during the victory at Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. He was not afraid to take on blockers, forcing an early run play inside by keeping leverage on slot receiver David Bell. Shortly thereafter, he chopped down Bell immediately after a catch on third down in zone coverage, though the first down was gained. Bullard played a good amount of slot coverage in this contest, which portends a lot of three-safety formations from the Packers this year -- especially with fellow rookie Evan Williams playing well. Bullard covered Browns TE Jordan Akins like a glove on a fourth-and-4 (which was made, but negated by penalty) and later came off his man from off coverage to get a piece of a ball-carrier and stop a first down. Bullard also played deep on several snaps and even blitzed once, but the Browns were in max protection on that play.
The Buccaneers are looking to Barton to replace veteran leader Ryan Jensen, who retired this offseason. The first-rounder looked the part at center in Saturday’s win despite not playing the position in a game since his freshman year at Duke. Barton stood strong against bullish Bengals big men, widening his stance and resetting his hands when needed. An inside twist late in the first quarter tested his agility, but he later displayed great athleticism by clearing out a blitzing linebacker from the A-gap. Barton's quickness from his stance helped him make reach blocks and combo to second-level defenders, notably escorting an opponent into the end zone on a first-quarter touchdown run. Bucs running backs are going to make cuts off Barton's duo and zone blocks regularly this season. He finished a couple of blocks all the way to the ground in the second quarter, showing the sort of nasty streak Bucs fans routinely saw from Jensen.
Thomas worked in the slot and out wide in the first quarter of Jacksonville's win over Kansas City. Though he was only targeted twice, the former LSU Tiger separated from coverage on multiple occasions with pure speed and/or a nice shake at the top of the route. The first pass thrown his way was well out of bounds, but the first-rounder laid out in an attempt to corral the throw. On the next play, the rookie fought through contact to make a very impressive 41-yard reception on a ball thrown a bit short and inside by quarterback C.J. Beathard. Thomas found blocking targets in the run game and downfield when his fellow receivers were in space, but he’ll need to work to maintain blocks, as corners regularly shed him after initial contact. The defender he was assigned to stopped running back Tank Bigsby downfield to limit a potentially explosive play late in the opening quarter.
Sweat started the Titans' win over the 49ers, failing to accumulate any production in his 12 snaps. His quickness seemed to take the center by surprise on the first snap and the right guard had to help in pass protection. Sweat displayed plus agility for his size (6-foot-4, 366 pounds) at times, getting a hand on San Francisco RB Jordan Mason on the game’s second play after breaking free from a zone block and spinning off blocks inside to find the ball. Sweat's height and length forced a high throw later on the opening drive. He came out of the game on third downs in this contest. His conditioning must improve and he needs to bring down ball-carriers who enter his area if he wants to be more than an average two-down defender in the NFL.
It didn’t take the former Texas star long to show he's going to be a problem for NFL offenses. His explosiveness was evident against the Chargers from the first snap, when he jumped from a shade position on one side of the center to the other A-gap, avoiding a double-team to get into the backfield. His lone tackle came in the second quarter, when he used his excellent strength to force the right guard into the backfield and shed him quickly to grab running back Isaiah Spiller for a 1-yard loss. The first-rounder pushed the center into the quarterback on third-and-10 late in the second quarter, forcing a high throw that was nearly picked off. His only misstep came when he jumped inside instead of holding his gap on a late second-quarter run, allowing back Jaret Patterson to cut into the empty space and scamper for a 16-yard gain.
Robinson played just 10 snaps during the Cardinals' loss to the Saints, but that was enough time for him to provide a glimpse into why Arizona used a first-round pick to secure his services in April. His strength and quickness appeared on the first play of the game, as he stayed with right tackle Trevor Penning down the line to stop Alvin Kamara after a 5-yard run. The former Missouri Tiger then shed veteran guard Cesar Ruiz with strong hands and a quick first step on second down. Robinson forced his way to the quarterback on third down on the second series, reaching through the left guard with his plus length to hit Derek Carr just after he threw the ball. Penning couldn't reach the quick Robinson on a run play on the next series and then drew a holding call on the next snap after preventing Robinson from chasing the scrambling quarterback to the outside. The small sample of plays exhibited what a nice fit Robinson will be for Arizona's defense.
Nix had his rough moments against the Colts, throwing with unsettled feet and having some apparent miscommunication with receivers, but the rookie settled down enough to lead four scoring drives. He was nearly intercepted on his first dropback, but bounced back with an accurate throw moving to his left for a 22-yard gain a few plays later. A couple of runs on his second series totaled 17 yards (one scramble and one called run) and seemed to help calm his nerves. He finished off the drive with his first touchdown on a quick throw to Marvin Mims Jr. Nix showed some improvisational skills and efficiency in a two-minute drill that led to a field goal at the end of the first half. He came out to start the third quarter, leading another touchdown drive that included a nice touch pass on a wheel route where he gave wide-open running back Jaleel McLaughlin a firm but catchable ball. Overall, it was a successful first outing for the draft’s 12th overall pick.
Beebe is in a camp battle with third-year veteran Brock Hoffman to start at center, which is the only O-line position Beebe didn't play at Kansas State. He looked at home as a run blocker against the Rams on Sunday, moving comfortably while executing combo and lead blocks in space. He was mostly stout in pass protection and made a clean cut block midway through the second quarter to create a large throwing lane. His average athleticism and length caused issues when uncovered in pass pro, though. He missed a stunting linebacker on one play and failed to help a guard on another, forcing quarterback Trey Lance to scramble on both occasions. He was solid after moving to his familiar left guard spot in the fourth quarter, showing he can provide help at multiple positions.