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On the same day Marvin Jones let a ball go through his hands and bounce into the air for an interception, Lions rookie Kenny Golladay flashed as bright as the high beams on a Mustang right off the production line.
Passing the eyeball test at 6-foot-4 with big arms, a wide chest and pretty good speed, Golladay clearly proved against the Colts that he knows how to use his size to his advantage and can concentrate on the football like a seasoned pro.
All three receptions Golladay had saw him use his strength and concentration to make plays against smaller defenders in tight coverage. His first grab, his only one not for a touchdown, was a short comeback route where Golladay basically manhandled Colts rookie corner Quincy Wilson and snared the pass from Jake Rudock just in time, gaining almost 10 more yards after the catch.
It only got better from there. Golladay's first touchdown catch was pretty incredible as he fell backward into the end zone with Wilson on his right hip while reeling the ball into his chest. His second touchdown was more traditional as Golladay caught a back-shoulder dart from 15 yards out with the defender out of position. Both touchdowns came on great throws by Rudock.
Go ahead and remind yourself how Matthew Stafford did the last time he had a big, strong receiver in Motown. He wasn't too bad. Betcha the Lions are thinking about it, too.
Golladay should find himself as at least the No. 2 outside receiver for the Lions in the near term, and potentially the No. 1 outside threat in a matter of weeks. Remember, his primary competition for playing time is Jones, who hasn't impressed in practically 11 months. There's nothing wrong with throwing a dart at Golladay in Round 10 in drafts, but if he starts showing up with the first-team offense this preseason, his stock will keep rising.
It didn't take long for Robby Anderson to remind us of his deep speed. On an play early in the first quarter, Anderson sped downfield and caught a perfect Josh McCown pass for a 53-yard gain. He later ran nice short routes and reeled in on-the-money passes from Christian Hackenberg.
Anderson is rail thin and struggled with press coverage, something opponents will probably focus on with him over the course of the season. But if the Jets can get creative with how they use him, and if they can keep their quarterbacks from getting pressured and throwing crummy passes, Anderson will contribute to Fantasy rosters this year. Unfortunately, those are some big ifs, so don't reach past those late rounds for him.
We didn't see LeSean McCoy run in Buffalo against the Vikings, but backup rusher Jonathan Williams did an excellent job in his place. Williams started and took advantage of great blocking, charging hard for nice gains on carries plus a reception. He even looked great if you throw out his long run of 17 yards -- it came on a third-and-31 draw play where the defense was willing to give up a bunch of rush yards.
Williams had a hamstring issue after the game but it's not considered serious. It's a no-brainer to draft Williams if you spend a first-round pick on McCoy, but Williams would be in line for a huge workload if pushed into the starting lineup for whatever reason. He should be on everyone's Fantasy radars with a pick in Round 10 or later, which could force a Round 9 selection for those who draft Shady.
A sleeper who didn't even have a target in a preseason game? Yup, Jones is it. What stood out was Jones' usage. The Bills' 6-foot-2 rookie receiver played exclusively with the first-team offense and took most of his snaps in the slot. It was visual proof that he's a part of the Bills' plans -- not that you couldn't figure that out for yourself after Buffalo traded Sammy Watkins away.
Jones' fit into the offense moving forward should be interesting. Anquan Boldin and Jordan Matthews can line up anywhere but don't have elusive speed. Jones isn't known as a burner but he ran his 40 in the mid-4.4 second range at the combine and put on a show during Senior Bowl week after running shorter routes in college. Coach Sean McDermott said we'd see Jones primarily line up on the outside this season, so there's a chance he morphs into the Bills' best receiver sooner than later. You could do worse with a pick in Round 10 or later.
Mack Hollins was first noticed while watching Trubisky's games from North Carolina. He was just as notable last week when he showed off his size and power against the Packers. His touchdown catch was incredible -- on what looked like a broken play, Hollins crossed the field and had a step on his defender, got the catch from Carson Wentz, ditched the defender and stiff-armed another like a boss en route to the end zone. It was really impressive.
Hollins is 6-foot-4 and definitely strong, but not anything close to a speedster. That's an issue. However, in the wake of the Jordan Matthews trade, I can't help but wonder if he's got a chance to pick up some work as an outside receiver with the Eagles. Keep in mind that Alshon Jeffery is working his way back from a shoulder injury and has a history of getting hurt, and Torrey Smith hasn't been productive in years (Smith also worked a little in the slot at Green Bay, perhaps as a quasi-replacement for Matthews). Hollins will have my attention this month and is worth drafting in the deepest of leagues as of now.
De'Angelo Henderson's intriguing combination of big size and quick feet made him an appealing prospect before the draft. Since then the Broncos added him to their capable -- but injury-prone -- stable of rushers. There are worse places to be buried on a depth chart.
Henderson played with and against third-stringers for Chicago, so take it all for what it's worth, but he ran hard whether on a carry or on a route (and he ran a surprising amount of routes). Several carries went for short yardage, though his offensive line didn't do him many favors. On two plays he showed his ability to shed tackles and make some incredible cuts for a big guy, but both were called back because of penalties on his linemen. He was also downright solid as a pass blocker.
The highlight of the night was his 41-yard touchdown run, which came on a third-and-long play. Typically those plays afford offenses a chance to run against prevent defenses designed to not give up enough yards to keep a drive alive. Welp, the Bears couldn't stop Henderson, who ran a draw play from shotgun, got a great lane from the left side of the line, accelerated to avoid a safety and outran all but one defender who couldn't stop him from chugging into the end zone.
C.J. Anderson has never played 16 games, Jamaal Charles hasn't done it in four seasons and Devontae Booker will miss the entire preseason with an injury. If you're patient, and if you have the roster room, drafting Henderson with a very late-round pick could pay off. He's almost a must if you take Anderson.
Not every Fantasy owner is looking for the next Dak Prescott. But if a rookie quarterback emerges and has a chance at putting up some large Fantasy points, you better believe he'll draw attention on Draft Day.
Everything you might have heard or read about Watson's poise and pocket awareness is spot on. Against Carolina's backups, he was fantastic for a rookie in that regard. He also showed no fear in taking off and running with the ball, a dimension the Texans offense has never had from its quarterbacks. However, he missed some throws, which is kind of important if you're a quarterback. We'll see Watson play at some point this season -- between his rushing ability and the passes that he can hit, he'll be usable in Fantasy as at least a bye-week quarterback.
Trubisky also looked great, though you have to keep in mind that he also went up against backups. He officially completed his first 10 passes including a short (and, admittedly, very easy) touchdown dart to Victor Cruz. Overall, his passes were on point (only three incompletions over 25 throws could be credited to him), he managed the pocket well, the Broncos' defensive pressure never bothered him and he looked like he was far, far more experienced than the 13-game starter he was when he came out of North Carolina. After Mike Glennon struggled against the Broncos' vaunted secondary, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Trubisky get some first-team reps soon.
When's the last time the Browns had a quarterback show some real promise in the preseason? Feels like it's been a while. DeShone Kizer didn't play against any starters but he did look very good in his time on the field. His best throw was when Kizer side-stepped pressure in the pocket, pump-faked and then uncorked a perfect 52-yard touchdown bomb to Richard Mullaney. It was one of several examples on the night of Kizer playing nothing like your typical rookie. He hasn't been this consistent in practice, but nonetheless we'd love to see him get the chance to play with the starters.
