2026 NFL Preseason Week 2 rookie grades: David Bailey logs sack; No. 4 pick Carnell Tate still quiet

Rutledge looked like an NFL starter while playing left guard in the first drive of the Texans' loss to the Raiders. He combo-blocked his way to the linebacker on his first two snaps, finishing the second play with a push in the echo of the whistle. Rutledge happily finished other plays, as well, while bringing physicality to help his center or left tackle when uncovered, particularly on one third-and-11 where he grounded an engaged defender and then continued to drive him into the turf. Jonah Laulu beat the first-round pick off the snap on a third-and-1 run, but Rutledge impressively recovered to keep Laulu from preventing the conversion. Veteran DT Folorunso Fatukasi tried his best to bull Rutledge off the ball, but the rookie anchored at the last moment.

Slaughter had been competing for time at guard during camp but moved back to his college position of center after Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending knee injury. Despite the rookie's last-minute shift back to the pivot, there were no bad center-quarterback exchanges during the team's first two series against the 49ers on Thursday night. Slaughter's athleticism was evident, and he just missed a tough second-level block despite hustling and taking the correct angle across the field. Slaughter stood up to massive defensive tackle Alfred Collins on three reps, but veteran Osa Odighizuwa gave the second-round pick a couple of "Welcome to the NFL" moments, bull-rushing him into Trey Lance on one second-down play and easily evading Slaughter's advance on the next second-down snap to disrupt an otherwise-promising-looking run. Slaughter did just enough to hold off Odighizuwa on his last snap, though Lance's third-down pass fell incomplete.

Bailey lined up against the Steelers' right tackles -- in two- and three-point stances -- throughout the first half of the Jets' win in Pittsburgh. The first-round pick showed run-defense chops by standing his ground against offensive linemen, even stringing out a double-team down the line to stay involved in his opening play. Bailey attempted to get under the outside shoulder of pass protectors with speed-to-power, registering his first NFL sack when second-year quarterback Will Howard unwisely attempted to back out of the pocket instead of stepping up. Bailey dropped into coverage on his final third-down opportunity, floating too far outside and allowing Howard to hit his man down the seam for a first down.

With Taylor Moton sidelined indefinitely due to a blood clot in his lung, Freeling is expected to step into the starting right tackle spot. The former Georgia Bulldog stood his ground against bull rushes on Friday night in Jacksonville, even thwarting a hard-charging linebacker midway through the first quarter, allowing Bryce Young to quickly check the ball down. As a run blocker, the first-round pick displayed the strength and foot quickness to win against defensive tackles on zone runs and made room for an 11-yard rush on the second series by effectively negating a linebacker at the second level. Freeling was the last lineman off the ball on Carolina's goal-line touchdown run but still kept his man from getting into the play.

McClellan won a few 1-on-1 matchups against Denver on Friday night: cleanly swimming past veteran LG Ben Powers at the end of the first quarter; ditching Powers' block on a third-and-long draw to grab the running back for minimal gain; shedding reserve RT Alex Palczewski on the opening play of the second half to hit a running back; and beating a reach block near the end of the third quarter to earn a tackle for loss. Double-teams moved the third-round pick out of the hole at times, however, including on a third-and-1 rush toward the end of the first quarter. The 313-pound McClellan is not fleet of foot but often hustled to the ball outside.

Moore was not a major factor against Washington on Saturday, unable to overpower left or right tackles and failing to gain the edge with speed. The second-round pick from Michigan finally got to the quarterback late in the first half, chasing down and stripping Sam Hartman as he attempted to escape pressure coming from up the middle. Moore drew an offside flag after reacting to a hard count early in the third quarter and couldn't turn the corner sharply enough on the next play to reach the quarterback despite getting a step on the right tackle. He made a tackle on his final defensive snap, though, wisely staying home to eventually swallow a running back attempting to cut to daylight.

I wrote about No. 9 overall pick Spencer Fano last week, but given the Browns' recent issues keeping linemen healthy, this third-round selection could also find himself starting as a rookie. He looked comfortable moving from his college position of tackle to right guard against the Bills on Saturday, taking a defensive tackle to the ground on an early second-down run play and then getting his feet inside to set up a blocking angle on the next play. Barber reached linebackers at the second level on multiple plays and was fluid moving ahead of an outside run early in the second half before escorting a defensive back to the sideline. His pass protection was on point, anchoring against Buffalo's tackles without an issue.

Allen made the calls and directed traffic in his 20 snaps during the Colts’ home loss to the Falcons. He was overwhelmed by a lineman's block late in the first quarter, allowing RB Tyler Goodson to run for a 49-yard score. The second-round pick did attack gaps as a run defender later on, though, forcing a holding call on OL Andrew Stueber and stopping a back for a loss in the second quarter. He played well in zone coverage but struggled in man coverage, getting picked off by his own teammate (with help from an Atlanta receiver) on RB Cash Jones’ 13-yard touchdown catch late in the first half.

Rivers' performance against the Vikings showed why I projected the fifth-round pick as a potential starter for the Ravens in Year 1. The nickelback broke up a third-and-13 pass at the end of the first quarter by fighting with the receiver at the catch point and disrupted a third-down play midway through the fourth by reading the route and quarterback. Rivers' headiness and aggressive nature showed when chopping down a running back after the catch late in the first half to keep him in bounds. He failed to recognize a receiver rub on a third-down play late in the third quarter but, luckily for him, the quarterback did not see his man running open over the middle. Rivers didn't beat lineman blocks as a blitzer but fought through a running back to share a quarterback sack early in the second half.

Subpar top-end speed contributed to Daniels still being available in the sixth round of April's draft, but his eight catches for 68 yards against the Saints on Saturday should bolster his chances of carving out a role in the Rams' offense. Daniels boxed out smaller defenders on short throws to move the chains and separated downfield with a jab step on a 17-yard gain late in the first half. He did not break many tackles but did avoid defenders after catching stop routes from the slot twice in the second quarter. Daniels' physicality as a run blocker allowed Rams coaches to put him in motion to lead plays like an H-back.

Rodriguez and his fellow Dolphins defensive players failed to make the necessary plays to stop an 83-yard touchdown drive by the Giants in the rookie’s lone series on Saturday. He swiped aside rookie left tackle J.C. Davis on an early run play but could not fight his way through traffic on a later first-down run in the red zone. Known as a turnover machine at Texas Tech, Rodriguez could not wrestle the ball from Darius Slayton at the end of a 29-yard reception. On the next play, Rodriguez and fellow rookie linebacker Kyle Louis ran into each other in coverage, allowing a 12-yard gain. The second-round pick did not properly read a jet sweep, barely getting a piece of the ball-carrier 15 yards downfield. He dropped into coverage on his final play, taking away Jameis Winston's target, but Rodriguez lacked the speed to track down the scrambling 32-year-old quarterback before he reached the right pylon for an 11-yard touchdown run.

Thieneman flashed versatility and athleticism for the Bears on Saturday, though he missed some opportunities in his 14 snaps. He came unblocked into the backfield during the Bengals’ first drive but could not wrap up the running back on the play. Thieneman is athletic enough to cover tight ends and running backs but he kept his eyes in the backfield on a first-down pass play, allowing his man to find open space for a completion. The Bears' first-round selection could not beat a lineman’s block on a third-and-10 blitz, giving journeyman Josh Johnson time to throw for a first down. Thieneman made both of his tackles late in Cincinnati’s opening drive, fighting through a receiver’s block to stop a run and then coming downhill from two-deep on a second-down outlet throw to the running back.

Bell started strong against New England, moving OLB Gabe Jacas out of the hole with his upper body and then throwing his fellow rookie to the ground. The third-round pick got out of his stance quickly for a 6-foot-9 behemoth. He generated a push on zone runs, including on a third-and-1 late in the first quarter. Pass rushers were unable to win outside because of Bell's length. However, his height can be an issue for him in the leverage battle, as OLB Jesse Luketa showed on a second-down tackle for loss where he stayed low to shed the big man’s block.

Woods was not credited with a tackle against the Buccaneers on Saturday, but his active hands and feet made him a factor in his 18 snaps. He showed a quick first step, ripping through his man's inside or outside shoulder when one-gapping. Woods wowed by shedding the center with pure strength on a second-and-11 midway through the second quarter, chasing QB Jake Browning out of the pocket. Woods nearly recovered a fumble late in the first half but tried to scoop the ball instead of falling on it. He battled double-teams but lacked the mass to maintain his ground.

Barham attacked the run early on, recording a tackle for loss and stopping a ball-carrier after a gain of only a yard in the first quarter. Barham read the quarterback’s eyes on a pass play during the Cardinals’ second series, ripping down the tight end immediately after the catch, and sniffed out a third-and-long screen early in the second quarter. However, as the half wore on, Barham did not attack running lanes as quickly and didn’t show the same hustle to the outside. He lowered an ineffective shoulder against a running back on his only pass-rush blitz.

Tate and QB Cam Ward could not get on the same page during the first half of Sunday’s game. The rookie did not catch a pass for the second straight week, with Ward's sideline fade in the first quarter just eluding Tate's grasp and the other pass in his area sailing over his head. The fourth overall pick of April’s draft was smooth off the line, though, getting himself open down the seam and presenting a strong target on stop routes. He gained inside position on a cornerback in the second quarter, but the CB grabbed Tate’s jersey (no penalty was called) at the top of the route and the ball didn’t go his way. Tate gave solid effort as a blocker, too.