- Will Campbell tops the charts through preseason Week 1: The Patriots tackle logged the highest PFF overall grade (85.4) of any first-round rookie after the first wave of preseason action.
- Travis Hunter debuts on both sides of the ball: As expected, the Jaguars’ two-way star saw snaps on offense and defense in the team’s preseason opener.
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Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
The NFL is back, and once again, we have you covered with analysis of every first-round rookie this season. That includes snap counts, grades, principal opponents and in-depth breakdowns.
Here is our review of all of the first-round rookies after their preseason Week 1 performances.
Pick No. 1: Tennessee Titans: QB Cameron Ward
- Overall Rookie Grade: 54.2 (Rank: 10/14)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Preseason Week 1 Snaps: 15
- Preseason Week 1 Grade: 54.2
Ward’s first set of dropbacks in the NFL was a mixed bag. His best throws were three intermediate darts to Calvin Ridley, whom Ward would be wise to develop a rapport with early in the season. There were moments when he appeared hesitant in the face of pressure. He also committed a turnover-worthy play when he misread a flat defender covering an out route.
Pick No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars: WR/CB Travis Hunter
- Overall Rookie Grade (Offense): 58.4 (Rank: 52/94)
- Principal Opponent (Offense): Beanie Bishop Jr.
- Preseason Week 1 Offense Snaps: 11
- Preseason Week 1 Offense Grade: 58.4
- Overall Rookie Grade (Defense): 49.8 (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent (Defense): Robert Woods
- Preseason Week 1 Defense Snaps: 8
- Preseason Week 1 Defense Grade: 49.8
Hunter was featured on both sides of the ball in his preseason debut. He recorded three receptions totaling 16 yards in short work at wide receiver, though one of those catches was negated due to a penalty. On the defensive side, he played eight snaps at cornerback. He wasn’t targeted in coverage but remained fundamentally sound in that aspect. He did miss one tackle in run support on Kaleb Johnson, which drags down his defensive grade a bit.
Pick No. 3: New York Giants: EDGE Abdul Carter
- Overall Rookie Grade: 82.2 (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Preseason Week 1 Snaps: 6
- Preseason Week 1 Grade: 82.2
Carter wasted no time showing off his potentially elite pass-rush ability. He rushed Mitchell Trubisky three times and generated a hurry on all three occasions. Two of those three pressures came against standout left tackle Dion Dawkins, while the third came as an inside rusher. Expect Carter to be used in several alignments throughout the season as the Giants deploy all of their best pass rushers.
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