One rookie to watch in every NFL preseason Week 1 game

• J.J. McCarthy has a chance to prove training camp reports correct: While Sam Darnold is set to be Minnesota's starter going into the season, how well McCarthy fares in the preseason could accelerate the timeline for when he takes over.

• Rams DI Braden Fiske is one piece of the solution to replacing Aaron Donald: The Rams moved some hefty draft capital in the second round to bring him to Los Angeles, and now it’s time to see if they can get early returns on their investment.

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Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

NFL football is back in earnest. All 32 teams will be in action for what is the true Week 1 of the NFL preseason, and with it will come our first chance to see some of the rookies in game action. Here is one rookie to keep an eye on for every game.

Jump to a game:

DET@NYG | CAR@NE | ATL@MIA | HOU@PIT
PHI@BAL | WAS@NYJ | CHI@BUF | LVR@MIN
GB@CLE | KC@JAX | TB@CIN | SF@TEN
SEA@LAC | NO@ARZ | DEN@IND | DAL@LAR

NFL Preseason Week 1 Schedule

Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots: Patriots WR Javon Baker

Baker has been a big early winner in this offseason. Many thought of second-round wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk as the immediate rookie contributor from the receiver room, but Baker could very well be just as impactful. He should get a decent amount of playing time in this contest. The UCF product earned a career-high 82.9 PFF overall grade in his final college season.

Detroit Lions @ New York Giants: Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

First-round cornerback Terrion Arnold got a lot of hype on draft weekend, but Ennis Rakestraw Jr. could play a big role, too. With as many veterans as Detroit now has in its secondary, we weren’t sure how early Rakestraw would get on the field. But a strong showing in the preseason might make it tough to keep him out of the rotation this season. He earned a 96th-percentile PFF coverage grade on the outside in 2023.

Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins: Any Falcons Defensive Lineman

Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus or Bralen Trice — pick whichever one you want, but the fact of the matter is the Falcons need one of their Day 2 defensive linemen to step up and be a major contributor this season. Whoever can show out early will make a good case for securing a spot in the starting lineup.

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Texans S Calen Bullock

Bullock was seen as a feast-or-famine safety prospect whose ball-hawking mentality and ability were enough to look past some tackling and run-defense woes. In the Hall of Fame Game to kick off the preseason, Bullock made a few big tackles in the first half to fend off some of those negatives in his scouting report. If he can continue to show better effort and efficiency in run defense, his coverage ability could get him some good playing time this year.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens: Eagles RB Will Shipley

Early camp reports on Shipley are promising. He seems to be getting plenty of work, even with the first team. His all-around play style, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, appears to be setting him apart from the rest of the running backs behind Saquon Barkley. The rookie earned a 70.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of 2021, 2022 and 2023 at Clemson. We’ll see just how much the Eagles plan to use him — and in what ways — in their first preseason game.

Washington Commanders @ New York Jets: Commanders S Tyler Owens/Dominique Hampton

It was very intriguing when the Commanders drafted both Dominique Hampton and Tyler Owens. They are super-sized safeties whose body type and athleticism give them position versatility. Washington also brought in Jeremy Chinn this offseason, who is of a similar mold. I am looking forward to seeing how Dan Quinn deploys them.

Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills: Bears QB Caleb Williams

We don’t have to overthink this. Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams will make his Bears debut this weekend. He will likely only play about a quarter, given it’s just the first preseason game, but he is the one to watch, nonetheless, after earning elite 90.0-plus PFF overall grades in each season from 2021-2023.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy

By all accounts, McCarthy is looking good at Vikings camp. Now, it seems to be against second- and third-team defenses, but that good play is still worth noting. It seems Sam Darnold will be Minnesota's starter going into the season, but how well McCarthy fares in the preseason could accelerate the timeline for when he takes over.

Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns: Packers S Javon Bullard

I was a big fan of Bullard throughout the draft process, and just like he was able to get on the field early at Georgia, he has that same opportunity — and the requisite talent — to do so in the NFL. Whether it’s a safety spot next to Xavier McKinney or even in the slot when Jaire Alexander is needed out wide, Bullard has a lot of versatility. I am excited to see how new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley deploys the rookie, who earned 90th-percentile-or-better PFF coverage grades in the slot and at safety in 2023.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals: Bengals T Amarius Mims

Clips of Mims at Bengals camp make him already look as advertised. It’s not regular-season action this Saturday, but it is new competition at a higher level than just practice. He is more inexperienced than most rookie tackles coming from college, so we’ll see how much his athleticism and freakish build still allow him to dominate in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.

We’re all looking forward to seeing how Andy Reid and the Chiefs use Xavier Worthy’s speed, obviously, but they likely won't give away too much in the preseason. On the other side of the field, we haven't heard much about Brian Thomas Jr. in camp so far. This preseason game will be a chance for him to stand out. The Jaguars will need him to thrive if they want to continue to be a team that ranks top 10 in deep throws. Thomas tied for the FBS lead in 2023 with his 12 deep touchdown receptions.

San Francisco 49ers @ Tennessee Titans: Titans DI T'Vondre Sweat

Depending on who you asked pre-draft, some might have told you former Longhorns defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat should have been a first-round pick. The Titans picked up the massive 360-pounder in the second round, and this weekend’s preseason game is the first look at his condition. That will be the key to how much playing time he will get in the regular season.

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Chargers: Chargers T Joe Alt

The future of football in Los Angeles (the Chargers’ side, that is) is here, and that future is Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater on the edges of a Jim Harbaugh offensive line. Alt has already put out some great training camp clips, and now we get to see him in game action. The 6-foot-8, 322-pounder allowed only 13 combined quarterback pressures in his final two college seasons.

New Orleans Saints @ Arizona Cardinals: Saints T Taliese Fuaga

For as much as most loved Fuaga’s film at Oregon State, his lack of length made some question his ability to be an offensive tackle at the NFL level. I’ve read some promising things about him at left tackle during Saints camp, and we get our first look this weekend at how he’ll fare at that spot against a different team. New Orleans desperately needs him to work out there with Ryan Ramczyk out for the year.

Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts: Broncos QB Bo Nix

There are a few really good options for a rookie to have your eye on in this game: Laiatu Latu, Adonai Mitchell, Troy Franklin, Audric Estime, Tanor Bortolini, etc. But none of those guys can answer the million-dollar question: Can the Bo Nix of Oregon show up and excel in the NFL? That’s what the Broncos bet on when they took him at No. 12 overall. We’ll get our first look at that this weekend.

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams: Rams DI Braden Fiske

Fiske had one heck of a draft season, with a stellar showing at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. The Rams moved some hefty draft capital in the second round to bring him to Los Angeles, and now it’s time to see if they can get early returns on their investment. Can Fiske’s quickness continue to prevail in the NFL the way it did in college?