The second week of the NFL preseason has concluded, and one final tune-up remains ahead of the regular season. The week brought disappointing news for one rookie quarterback, but a handful of others delivered promising performances.
Here is how I would rank this weekend's performances from rookie quarterbacks:
1. Caleb Williams (Bears)
Williams has wide receivers capable of beating man coverage, so he has a built-in advantage other rookie quarterbacks do not. The No. 1 overall pick was exceptional keeping plays alive and making throws on the run.
There were times he held onto the ball too long and fixated on one outlet rather than working through his progressions. For example, in the first quarter, on third-and-10, there was a go ball to fellow first-round selection Rome Odunze that he wanted badly. His eyes never moved off of him, so when the safety provided help over the top, Williams felt pressure bearing down on him and threw it away. The play resulted in an Intentional grounding. He may have been trying to do too much at times, but Williams showed he can make throws of which most quarterbacks are incapable.
Williams completed 6 of 13 pass attempts for 75 yards in addition to his 7-yard touchdown run.
2. Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
Daniels averaged 11.0 air yards per attempt in last week's preseason game against the Jets, according to TruMedia. His encore performance saw that figure dip to 4.7 air yards per attempt. It was an efficient, but not explosive performance. Daniels has a quick release and the ball gets on his receivers quickly. With his arm strength, he is able to target all portions of the field. The rookie completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards.
Between LSU and Arizona State, Daniels played a lot of college football and that experience has translated to a quiet confidence in the pocket.
3. Bo Nix (Broncos)
Nix had roughly half of the dropbacks he had the prior week, but it was another highly efficient outing for the first-round selection. Denver is comfortable administering death by a thousand paper cuts, so teams sitting back in zone coverage are at risk of being picked apart. While Nix's ceiling may not be as high as others in the class, he landed in the ideal situation for his skillset and, to the credit of he and head coach Sean Payton, it has worked.
The Oregon product completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in addition to three carries for 12 yards.
4. Drake Maye (Patriots)
His first real shot of the game happened on third-and-8 in the second quarter. Philadelphia left its cornerback on an island and Maye felt comfortable throwing it out there so Javon Baker, who has made big plays throughout training camp, would have a chance, but it fell incomplete. Overall, the No. 3 overall selection showed good pocket mobility and good decision-making, but the supporting cast did him no favors.
He finished having completed 6 of 11 pass attempts for 47 yards, in addition to four carries for 15 yards and a touchdown. Below is the second downfield attempt to Baker:
N/A Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons)
After an encouraging debut in Week 1 of the preseason, Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris made the decision to sit Penix against the Ravens on Saturday. Morris had the following to say, via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"Last week, we wanted to get (Michael Penix Jr.) out there and get a feel for what it was like in a live game, which we kind of already knew. We wanted to see him be able to answer questions (and) talk about it on the sideline, go out there and execute, make mistakes and know what to do -- like when looking the wrong way and getting right to the checkdown. He did a lot of those things live, but took a hit last week. To change the protection, he's able to clearly communicate those things. We saw enough last week of him and the live stuff. Now, we have a chance to (mimic it) in practice. We give him a bunch of live stuff out there in practice, (and) you do everything that you would do in a game other than get hit. We feel really good (with) where we are at with Michael. We feel really good with where we're at with the other guys that we sat. We treated that the same way. He showed us last week enough that we don't have to play him in the preseason.
N/A J.J. McCarthy (Vikings)
The story of McCarthy's first NFL season has unfortunately been written. It was learned last week that the No. 10 overall selection would miss his rookie season in its entirety following a torn meniscus diagnosis. McCarthy had looked promising in last weekend's preseason debut.
Other rookie takeaways
- A year ago, the Vikings landed a steal in undrafted free agency when Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. signed. Minnesota may have found a few undervalued additions in 2024 as well. Edge rusher Bo Richter, formerly of Air Force, and defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez, formerly of Texas A&M-Commerce, play with an insatiable motor. Richter played more of an off-ball linebacker role in college but certainly looks the part of an NFL pass rusher.
- Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy and Chiefs first-round pick Xavier Worthy were the only two rookies to register a receiving touchdown this week. Only two rookies accomplished the same feat last week. There was only one rookie running back, Jase McClellan of the Falcons, to rush for a touchdown in preseason Week 2.
- Austin Booker of the Bears leads all rookies with 2.5 sacks through two games. Cardinals pass rusher Xavier Thomas and Titans pass rusher Jaylen Harrell are the only two other players with at least two sacks. Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was the only rookie to intercept a pass in Week 2 of the preseason.