Members of the 2024 draft class 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 2 of the 2024 preseason.
The Eagles' first-round pick split time outside and inside while playing the first half against the Patriots. Twice in the first quarter, he took on receiver blocks at nickel to help force plays to his teammates. He moved well with slot receivers when inside and displayed closing speed whenever he gave up a bit of ground. Mitchell's performance on the outside was a mixed bag, even though he didn't see any targets. He sold man coverage well on a third down late in the first quarter before covering an out route. There were instances early in the game when double moves got the former Toledo star turned around; he showed more physicality at the top of routes later on. Mitchell slipped at one point as Demario Douglas cut inside in the red zone during one first-quarter play, but Jacoby Brissett instead threw to tight end Austin Hooper and was intercepted by Avonte Maddox. Mitchell allowed himself to be easily shielded in the end zone on the Patriots' lone touchdown, a Drake Maye run, although he maintained his outside leverage responsibility.
The second-round pick primarily served as a third-down specialist during Atlanta's loss to Baltimore on Saturday. Orhorhoro logged a total of 12 snaps, and he made a big play on his first one, beating left guard Andrew Vorhees one-on-one with strong hands and upfield quickness to sack Josh Johnson. Orhorhoro bested Vorhees again to make Johnson get rid of the ball quickly late in the first quarter, and he pushed the pocket on other occasions, though he could not reach the passer in time to affect the play during those instances. The former Clemson Tiger found limited success when lined up at five-technique, as he was unable to overpower tackles on the outside. Overall, though, he showed himself capable of making an impact as a pass rusher during his rookie season.
Odunze flashed the talent that made him a top-10 draft pick while simultaneously making some rookie mistakes in the Bears' win over the Bengals. There were multiple occasions when the smooth mover gained a step on his man off the line, though fellow rookie quarterback Caleb Williams did not look in his direction. On one third down in the first quarter, Odunze ran a short cross but seemingly failed to look for the ball, and Williams went to another target. Odunze did get the ball on a reverse at the top of the second quarter, beating linebacker Maema Njongmeta to the sideline for a 16-yard gain. He also worked a scramble drill perfectly late in the first half, heading downfield to provide a target for Williams, who found him for 45 yards. The 2023 All-American from Washington missed out on a touchdown soon after, though, failing to keep his feet in-bounds on a would-be scoring grab. Odunze was willing to block when in the slot, crashing down on a nickel defender to open a lane on one run, but on another, he missed two targets, allowing the Bengals to record a stop.
Nabers faced off against star Texans corner Derek Stingley Jr. early in Saturday's loss to Houston, and he nearly allowed an interception on Big Blue's first offensive play, when he turned late on a stop route. On the same set of downs two plays later, Nabers beat Stingley with a stop-and-go but could not bring in the pass before getting tagged by safety Jimmie Ward. The rookie grabbed an out route for 14 yards later in the first quarter (surviving another Ward hit); then, he set up a field goal as the first half wound down by using his strong mitts to snatch a sideline pass while twisting his body in the air for a 21-yard pickup. The speedy receiver slipped coming out of his cut on another play but regained his balance, found the ball and held on for a 16-yard gain. Nabers gave some effort as a blocker during his half of play, but his best hit came when he was picking off a defender on a mesh, springing Jalin Hyatt open; unfortunately for the Giants, quarterback Daniel Jones threw to running back Eric Gray before Hyatt appeared in his vision, and the pass fell incomplete.
The Chiefs' second-round pick was solid while starting at left tackle against Detroit on Saturday afternoon. He proved effective in pass protection against the Lions' backup edge rushers, thanks to his strong hands, powerful one-handed punch and lateral movement skills. Defensive lineman Josh Paschal did manage at one point to get the big man on skates, pushing him into Patrick Mahomes to disrupt a deep pass play midway through the first quarter. The former BYU Cougar got off the ball strong when blocking for runs, using his girth to move the line of scrimmage and playing with some nasty attitude. He showed the mobility to get to second-level targets, as well. However, Suamataia did bend at the waist regularly when attacking defenders; that wasn't an issue in this game, but it could become one when he's facing starters in the regular season.
Zinter once looked like a potential top-50 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he suffered a broken tibia and fibula in Michigan's win over rival Ohio State in November and fell to Round 3. However, he recovered quickly enough from that injury to start at right guard against Minnesota this weekend. Anchoring and mirroring in pass protection was no issue for Zinter. He adeptly picked up twists and managed to hit his target on a pull play to his right, despite his tackle stepping on his foot. Zinter missed a combo block on a third-and-short run, though, failing to reach Kamu Grugier-Hill before the Vikings linebacker got to the back. Zinter moved to left guard (a position he never played in a college game) for the first series of the second half, notably using his athleticism to take his man to the ground when the lineman tried to cut inside to stop a run play. Zinter did not get a lot of push (which was especially notable on a goal-line series in the first quarter) and was shed at times after initial contact, but he looked good, considering his situation.
Carolina needed depth at inside linebacker in April's draft, so it was serendipitous for the Panthers to find Wallace in the third round. The former Kentucky Wildcat was eaten up by linemen on a couple of inside runs throughout his one half of action against the Jets, but he mostly looked comfortable sorting through trash to find the ball. He also showed his toughness when taking on a pulling guard late in the second quarter to disrupt a rush attempt. Wallace's speed and quickness are big parts of his game. He displayed the ability to get to the sideline and form tackle on a run in the first series; he chased other plays across the field and stayed with running backs and tight ends in coverage. He showed football intelligence while communicating with teammates before the snap and read his keys on a misdirection bubble screen, knifing between linemen to stop a play for a short gain. Wallace overran his gap and followed misdirection on occasion, but those kinds of mistakes are typical for a rookie.
Bortolini tried to prove himself worthy of being a future starting center against the Cardinals. He had a tough time against widebodied nose tackle Khyiris Tonga early in the game, though, giving up ground when working one-on-one and letting the pocket collapse. The third-round pick failed to finish off a double-team midway through the first quarter, allowing his man to get across his face and make a tackle. He had a solid anchor against other tackles and used his plus athleticism to explode from his stance to block down on outside linemen. Bortolini generally looked comfortable moving to left guard for the third quarter, but undrafted rookie Myles Murphy swam over Bortolini on one play, and big defensive end Phil Hoskins tossed him aside on a red-zone run. Bortolini led a delayed quarterback run late in the third quarter but failed to take out the safety, who helped make the stop.
Daniels got the start against Miami on Saturday night, looking efficient and making good decisions. The play-calling set the rookie up to get the ball out of his hand quickly on bubble screens, stop routes and underneath throws to move the chains. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner regularly threw the ball outside away from defenders, including a perfect delivery on the first series to Terry McLaurin that allowed the veteran receiver to make a move and get 20 yards. Daniels could not connect with McLaurin on another throw to the sideline, though, forcing the team to settle for a field-goal attempt (which was missed). His only throw in the middle of the field was a pop pass to John Bates that was too low to allow the tight end to run after the catch. As a runner, Daniels smartly dove to the ground to prevent taking a big hit on the first series and later followed a lead blocker for 13 yards on a called quarterback run. Again, he made a smart choice on his final play, checking down instead of throwing into coverage to set up a successful field goal.
Davis entered the Bills’ victory over Pittsburgh in the second quarter, hitting an open lane without slowing down on his first carry to explode for a 13-yard gain. He made good decisions on his first series, cutting upfield and covering the ball when defenders had leverage to the outside. He took six straight handoffs to begin the second half, efficiently moving his feet, keeping his pad level low and busting through contact to move the chains. His final run was his longest of the day. He found a crease on an inside-zone play and ran through tackle attempts from three defenders for a 19-yard gain. Davis did not make a catch, but he showed savvy as a receiver. He moved upfield on a scramble drill, though Mitchell Trubisky did not seem to see the wide-open back.
Harrell started the Titans’ win over Seattle and showed why he was a bargain in the seventh round. He impressively out-quicked LT Stone Forsythe on one play and then long-armed the big man to the ground on the next snap for a strip-sack of QB Sam Howell. On the first play of his third series, he got into the backfield and nearly hit Howell before he could unload. Harrell recorded his second sack of the game in the third quarter, staying with the play until QB PJ Walker ducked into him. Harrell did get engulfed by linemen and pushed back by TE Pharaoh Brown on some run plays. He could use an inside spin as a counter move. Overall, he looks like a nice fit for the Titans' scheme, given his explosiveness off the snap and mobility in space when asked to cover.
Whittington led the Rams with five catches for 52 yards in their victory over the Chargers. He went in motion on the first play from scrimmage -- he was regularly on the move pre-snap -- running an out route before walking the tightrope on the sideline for a 13-yard grab. Whittington's biggest play came on a third-down in-breaking route early in the second quarter. He grabbed the ball in stride and cut upfield for a 24-yard gain. He was open on similar routes later in the first half, but the ball was not thrown his way. The former Texas Longhorn played outside, too, grabbing consecutive slants late in the first half and showing subtle movement in his routes that could prove useful this season. Whittington did not escape contact after the catch, however, which he'll need to do if he wants to become a playmaker.
Smith, a second-round pick, was not credited with any tackles in the Jaguars’ win over Tampa Bay, but he showed a nice combination of strength and quickness that could result in more production in the future. He played low for a 6-foot-5 tackle, pushing his man backwards and maintaining the line of scrimmage. Smith pushed through a double-team on a third-down play midway through the third quarter, getting his long arms into a passing lane and forcing the quarterback to make a tough throw on the run. He came in for two series in the fourth quarter, pushing the pocket consistently and freeing fellow rookie lineman Esezi Otomewo on a twist for a third-down sack.
If Guyton's preseason work is any indication, Dallas fans should be hopeful the first-round pick will excel at the crucial left tackle spot. The rookie played with an edge in a win over the Raiders, blocking through the whistle and extending his arms to finish plays, even throwing DE Janarius Robinson to the ground on a second-quarter run play. Robinson got some revenge soon after, getting inside to stop a run play after Guyton's aggressive jump off the snap. The former Oklahoma right tackle gets out of a three-point stance smoothly for a 6-foot-7 tackle. He was late landing his hands on DE Malcolm Koonce a few times in the first half, however, allowing the veteran to evade or shed his block. He attacked Koonce in the run game, though, and gave little ground on bull rushes.
Hopper played the most snaps (51) of any Green Bay defender in the Packers' loss to Denver. The third-round pick made a team-high 11 tackles, hustling to the ball with his good straight-line speed. He worked through traffic defending the run, dipping under the shoulder of an approaching center to make a first-quarter stop, staying free to stop a red-zone run in the second quarter and then finding the ball to make a few tackles early in the third quarter. Hopper stayed with tight ends and receivers when man-up downfield, but his average short-area quickness showed on a stiff drop-plant-and-drive against play-action on an early third-and-1 that resulted in a conversion.
Cowing led the Niners with four catches for 51 yards in their win over the Saints. He displayed speed off the line and quickness to separate from defenders with sharp, precise cuts whether outside or in the slot. The former UTEP and Arizona star ran a smooth out-and-up move late in the first half to gain 38 yards, setting up the team's only touchdown. Cowing was open on crossers and made quick-outs from the slot look effortless, like when he converted a third-and-6 in the third quarter. He eluded defenders on a first-half bubble screen (though he lost yardage cutting against the grain) and beat everyone to the sideline on a jet sweep for 19 yards. Cowing belied his slight frame with aggressive blocking, holding on a bit too long on one second-quarter run to draw a penalty. He covered 19 yards on two punt returns, as well.
