7 NFL Players Who Will Become Preseason Stars
Rookie Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson put himself on the NFL radar with a dazzling performance in the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets last week, whetting our appetite for the preseason.
And other young players will command the spotlight in three weeks of exhibition action, along with the 23-year-old UCLA product.
Last year, Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely made headlines in the preseason and then went on to catch 36 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season.
Quarterbacks Malik Willis, Sam Howell, Bailey Zappe and Anthony Brown had productive outings in the 2022 preseason. They all started at least one regular-season game for their respective teams last year because of injuries or inefficient play at the position.
Several young players have looked impressive at training camp and seem ready to carry that momentum into the next phase of the offseason.
We'll highlight seven first- and second-year players who will likely log a significant number of preseason snaps because they're starters in need of reps or in competition for a lead role. Also, these selections stand out because of their style of play. Flashy playmakers have a much better chance of generating headlines.
We probably won't see a lot of Bijan Robinson because of his draft status (eighth overall pick) and the physical demand on running backs, but other top rookies should emerge with a lot of playing time.
Nik Bonitto, Edge, Denver Broncos
1 of 7
The Denver Broncos had a decorated pass-rushing duo with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the edge. One of the two earned a Pro Bowl nod every year between 2018 and 2020.
Over the last two years, though, the Broncos have traded Miller and Chubb to start anew at the position.
In 2022, Denver selected Nik Bonitto in the second round of the draft, but he didn't play the part of a lead playmaker, registering 14 tackles, one for loss, 1.5 sacks and six pressures in 15 games (one start).
The 23-year-old told reporters he lacked confidence throughout his rookie campaign:
"I don't want to put lofty goals out there, but I feel like I'm definitely going to be more productive. I'm definitely, I feel like, going to be more disruptive. I feel like you're going to see more of a confident player. Last year, I wasn't very confident going out there. I kind of wasn't the guy that I know I can be when I was out there. Definitely more confident."
Bonitto has a year of experience on his resume and a wide-open opportunity to take on a bigger role in 2023.
The Oklahoma product will play under a new coaching staff and in a new defensive scheme, and he may be a better starting option than Randy Gregory, who's yet to play through a full NFL season in eight years; Baron Browning, who's out of action after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery; and 30-year-old Frank Clark, who was signed in June.
Bonitto should be motivated to show out in the preseason with a chance to move up on the depth chart.
Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
2 of 7
Under former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon last year, the Philadelphia Eagles fielded a dominant defensive front that featured four players with at least 11 sacks, which is something we hadn't seen before in NFL history.
Though the Eagles lost one of their top four pass-rushers in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who joined the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, they will attempt to replace him with Jalen Carter.
The 22-year-old is a potential top-three talent in this year's class, but he pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a car crash that resulted in the death of his former teammate, Devin Willock, and Bulldogs recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy in January. He also had a poor workout at Georgia's pro day.
Both factors contributed to a slide in the draft, and the Eagles moved up one spot to select him ninth overall.
NBC Sports' Peter King visited Eagles camp and left impressed with Carter's on-field attributes.
"He has tremendous short-area quickness around the line of scrimmage. And I think you're going to see him make an impact early on as a situational player. Who knows how many snaps he plays at the beginning, 15 or 20? I don't think it matters how many he plays. I think you're going to see him make an impact early on with splash plays from the interior of the Philadelphia defensive line."
With Hargrave's departure and Fletcher Cox going into his age-33 term, the Eagles could rely on Carter to provide immediate pressure while defensive tackle Jordan Davis, a 2022 first-rounder, takes on more of the run-stopping responsibilities.
To get Carter ready for a key role on the defensive line, the Eagles should give him plenty of preseason snaps.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
3 of 7
As a unit, the Baltimore Ravens passing offense needs reps. In February, they hired Todd Monken to replace Greg Roman for the offensive coordinator position. Between free agency and the draft, the front office overhauled the wide receiver group, adding Nelson Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers.
Among the Ravens' notable wide receiver additions, Flowers will likely see the most snaps in the preseason.
Coming straight out of Boston College, the 22-year-old has to get a feel for the speed of the pro game. With Beckham making a full recovery from his second ACL tear in three years, he's unlikely to see a lot of in-game action in August, while nine-year veteran Agholor will also probably see limited reps in exhibition games as well.
If Flowers can get off to a quick start, he could become a dynamic playmaker for the Ravens' new-look aerial attack.
NBC Sports' Peter King heaped significant praise on the rookie wideout:
"The most impressive rookie I have seen in six camps is Zay Flowers. He lines up across from a corner and unless they literally interfere with him or hold him, he has tremendous separation on almost every cut. His quickness, his speed out of cuts is going to be a thing to watch in the NFL this year."
Flowers will have a chance to prove he's ready to contribute right away. Perhaps he gets a drive or two with quarterback Lamar Jackson in a "dress rehearsal game."
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Cowboys Commanders Football")
Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
4 of 7
Typically, tight ends have a tough transition from college to the pros, though Sam LaPorta seems to be off to a strong start.
The Athletic's Colton Pouncy is ready to call the 22-year-old the Detroit Lions' starting tight end.
"Sam LaPorta looks like TE1," he wrote. "I don't know how else to say that. The rookie is always with the starters. He's the most talented TE on the roster. And I believe the Lions are comfortable with his ability to pick up the offense. He's passing every test."
Before the 2022 trade deadline, Detroit traded Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, LaPorta isn't competing within a group of distinguished tight ends for the lead position.
According to Pouncy, the Lions have featured LaPorta and Brock Wright in two-tight end sets, with second-year pro James Mitchell getting "more involved" this offseason.
Nonetheless, because of LaPorta's collegiate receiving numbers (153 receptions for 1,786 yards and five touchdowns), he's more likely to stand out in the preseason than Wright or Mitchell. The latter two posted modest-to-moderate pass-catching numbers in college.
We should expect the Iowa product to see a ton of targets in the exhibition games.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
5 of 7
The Indianapolis Colts have to see Anthony Richardson on the field for the preseason as they sort out their quarterback competition. He's battling Gardner Minshew for the starting job.
Though Richardson has taken most of the reps with the first-team offense in recent training camp sessions, he's going up against a veteran who has two years of experience in head coach Shane Steichen's offensive system, which may factor into this competition.
With that said, Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin has noticed the 21-year-old's growth over the past few months, per James Boyd of The Athletic:
"Man, honestly he's just so much more comfortable. (He's) starting to find his rhythm, starting to find that version of his game in this offense at this level, which is great to see. Obviously, mistakes are still there. He's still a young player, but it's just encouraging to see that growth, especially from early on until now."
Richardson's ability to throw and run with the ball will get some "oohs" and "ahhs" in the preseason. At Florida, he showed flashes with his dynamic playmaking ability, rushing for 654 yards and nine touchdowns in addition to throwing for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 games.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
6 of 7
The Las Vegas Raiders shocked a lot of people last year when they featured Josh Jacobs early in the Hall of Fame Game. A year later, he's away from the team after the two sides failed to agree on an extension before the July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players.
In his absence, the Raiders will take a long look at the depth of their running back group.
Going into their first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, they may be down two running backs. They placed Austin Walter on injured reserve, which ends his season, and Brittain Brown left the practice field with a "lower-body issue" last Saturday, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Zamir White and Sincere McCormick are the only two running backs on the roster younger than 30 years old. Las Vegas selected the former in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and signed the latter as an undrafted free agent last year.
The Athletic's Tashan Reed expected White to take on a bigger role even with Jacobs in the picture. But the 23-year-old may be the featured ball-carrier if his teammate chooses to sit out regular-season games.
Head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters that White has worked on becoming a more well-rounded running back:
"He's putting in a lot of time and effort into being a complete player, not just a guy that has the ball and can do something with it. He wants to be good at blitz pickup, he wants to improve in the passing game and all those things that are a part of a running back's progression. He's really working hard."
The Raiders will likely put White to the test in the preseason to see if he's a viable fill-in for Jacobs. If they're not impressed, the front office could dip into the free-agent market to sign Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette or Ezekiel Elliott for veteran insurance.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
7 of 7
Bryce Young has sewed up the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback job, though he may still get a lot of on-field work in the next few weeks.
Head coach Frank Reich said the 22-year-old will start in the preseason opener against the New York Jets, though he plans to be flexible with the rookie signal-caller's workload.
"There is flexibility in the plan," Reich told reporters. "There has to be. That's just being smart about it. We have a general idea how many plays we want to get through the whole preseason, but that can be adjusted by 10 or 20 percent depending on how things go."
Carolina could pull Young out of the game early against the Jets if he shows enough flashes. It may also decide to shut him down for the preseason after one high-end performance.
On the other hand, the Panthers may want to see as much of the Alabama product in live action as possible before the regular season to prevent early bumps in the road when the games count in the standings.
As the No. 1 overall pick, Young will have strong appeal and only needs a handful of drives to get everyone buzzing about his potential to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
College football statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Commanders Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
.png?w=600 "Who Will Panthers Take at No. 9 ? 🤔")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")