Darden secured two of six targets for 19 yards and returned one kickoff for 12 yards in the Buccaneers' 19-14 preseason loss to the Bengals on Saturday night.
The speedy rookie wasn't exactly efficient with his opportunities in the passing game, but he got on the stat sheet in his first action as a pro and also was given a chance to make an impression on special teams. Darden caught the eye of head coach Bruce Arians with both his natural ability and on-field growing pains, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports. "He looked like a rookie. He's hand-fighting too much instead of just using his speed," Arians said. "It's just things he's got to learn. But he's doing alright. He looked real fast when we got that little quick screen out to him. He's dangerous with his hands on the ball."