7 NFL Rookies Who Could Earn Starting Jobs During the Preseason

The 2025 NFL preseason got underway Thursday night with the Hall of Fame Game. While the level of exhibition play isn't always great, and fans may not be inclined to watch entire games, the preseason is an important stage on the NFL's calendar.

It's particularly important for players trying to make rosters and rookies vying for starting roles.

Some highly drafted rookies, inevitably, find themselves walking right into starting jobs. It'll be a fairly significant surprise No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, for example, isn't starting in Week 1. That was the Tennessee Titans' plan before training camp even started.

"Cam will take the majority of the ones reps, obviously," Titans head coach Brian Callahan told reporters on July 23.

Jobs are less guaranteed for players drafted outside of the top 10, but that doesn't mean they can't be earned. Here, we'll examine some rookies who aren't locks to be Week 1 starters but who could claim those roles in the preseason.

Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

Ward is a virtual lock to start for the Titans. The Cleveland Browns are likely to go with veteran Joe Flacco (or Kenny Pickett) over rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to start the season. The New York Giants have already made it known that Russell Wilson will start over Jaxson Dart.

"These guys will be out here competing, but Russ is our starter," Giants coach Brian Daboll said at the start of training camp, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

If there's a rookie QB who can truly win the starting job in the preseason, it's Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints. The Louisville product essentially walked into an open QB competition due to the injury, and later retirement, of veteran Derek Carr.

Shough is now competing with second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler and third-year quarterback Jake Haener for the Week 1 gig. That battle is still in its early stages with "no obvious" front-runner, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. That will change as New Orleans gets deeper into the preseason.

"Obviously we'll make the adjustments once we get out of that first preseason game and go from there," head coach Kellen Moore said, per Terrell.

Haener and Rattler both got opportunities last season, and the Saints used a second-round pick on Shough. Therefore, it's easy to assume that New Orleans is ready to pivot to the rookie.

However, the Saints are going to have a young, inexperienced quarterback regardless of who wins the competition, so this one should truly be open. Shough has the arm talent to win it, if he can show the necessary poise and processing skills during the preseason.

Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

The Browns may not start a rookie quarterback to open the 2025 season, but they could have a rookie in the starting offensive lineup against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 7.

Fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson has the baseline skills to be a starting NFL running back, but his smaller stature (5'8", 200 lbs) likely led to his slide in a deep running back class. The Tennessee product wasn't even the first running back that Cleveland drafted either, as the Browns took Ohio State product Quinshon Judkins 36th overall.

However, Judkins was arrested on a domestic violence and battery charge in early July, and Cleveland still hasn't signed him to a rookie contract. The former Buckeye may eventually suit up for Cleveland, but the Browns are in "no rush" to sign him as his legal case unfolds, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

This has left Sampson as the primary competition to incumbent starter Jerome Ford, who missed the first week of camp with a hamstring injury.

"Ford is dealing with an injury, and now it’s Sampson who is getting work with the first-team offense. And he’s looked good in that role," Marcus Mosher of Dawg Pound Daily wrote.

Pierre Strong Jr., undrafted rookie Ahmani Marshall and former UFL starter Toa Taua are also on Cleveland's roster, but the battle for RB1 will likely be between Sampson and Ford. And while Ford has the edge in experience, if the Browns were sold on him as a starter, they probably wouldn't have drafted two running backs in April.

Josh Simmons, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

AP PhotoColin E. Braley

Several teams likely slotted their first-round rookies into starting roles even before camp. The Kansas City Chiefs probably weren't one of them. Kansas City used the 32nd overall pick on former Ohio State offensive tackle  Josh Simmons, who entered the draft with some injury concerns.

Simmons suffered a torn patellar tendon in October. While he's been healthy enough to compete in training camp, obstacles still stand between him and a Week 1 starting job. For starters, the Chiefs are still championship contenders and aren't going to just hand over the all-important left-tackle job to a rookie if he isn't ready.

Secondly, Kansas City signed Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency to provide competition at left tackle. Wanya Morris and Kingley Suamataia are also on the roster, though neither should be a serious threat at LT after both failed to solidify the position last year.

Simmons, though, has "impressed" Kansas City all summer and is "on track" to start in Week 1, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Moore, meanwhile, is starting to look like a versatile backup at tackle and guard.

He’s working all three of those spots, and really, both guards. So he can do either," head coach Andy Reid said, per Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star.

Of course, there's a difference between impressing in camp and taking care of business in real, live game situations. If Simmons struggles during the preseason test, Kansas City may opt for a more experienced left tackle to start the season. If he doesn't, he should be among this year's Week 1 starters.

James Pearce Jr., Edge, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

Atlanta Falcons pass-rusher James Pearce Jr. is another late first-round pick who isn't guaranteed to land a starting job by Week 1 but very well could.

After recording just 31 sacks as a team in 2024, the Falcons entered the offseason in need of pass-rushing help. They threw some early darts at the need by signing Leonard Floyd in free agency and using the 15th overall pick on Georgia's  Jalon Walker. Atlanta then traded back into Round 1 to take Pearce 26th overall.

The biggest question mark surrounding Walker heading into the draft was whether he'd start out as an off-ball linebacker or as a dedicated edge-rusher.

"His potential is enormous, as he could be a versatile defender who impacts the game in several ways, but he also runs the risk of struggling to find a true position in the NFL," Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.

One way or another, though, the Falcons are likely to find a starting role for Walker. The same isn't necessarily true for Pearce, since Walker and Floyd could both be ahead of him at outside linebacker when the season opens.

Pearce, though, will have a chance to play his way into a starting role. The Tennessee product has taken the first step by impressing in training camp.

"Pearce has made a quick impression with his aggressive style," Charles Odum of the Associated Press wrote.

The next step will be making a strong impression against players in different uniforms. If Pearce fares well enough during exhibition play, Atlanta may have no choice but to make him a starter with Floyd or Walker in more of a rotational role.

Nic Scourton, Edge, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Chris Carlson

The Carolina Panthers entered the draft needing a true No. 1 receiver, and they used their first-round pick on Arizona pass-catcher Tetairoa McMillan. If McMillan isn't in the starting lineup for Week 1, something has gone awry.

Texas A&M's Nic Scourton isn't as much of a lock to be in the Week 1 starting lineup, but he'll have a great chance to do so. Carolina recorded just 32 sacks last season and desperately needed to add edge-rushers in the spring.

The Panthers did just that, signing Patrick Jones II before drafting Scourton in Round 2 and Mississippi's Princely Umanmielen in Round 3. Carolina still has D.J. Wonnum near the top of its edge rotation, but it also parted with Jadeveon Clowney after the draft.

Scourton will likely need to outplay Jones and/or Wonnum during camp and the preseason to earn a starting job, but he has the size and the baseline skills to be a full-time player early.

"A big part of Nic Scourton's appeal is his combination of size, strength, and athleticism," Holder wrote. "...Scourton already has a nasty spin move that can beat offensive tackles. He also has active hands to help add to his pass-rush arsenal and a good motor to get coverage sacks."

Additionally, Scourton has come to Carolina with a pro-ready mindset on preparation.

"I kind of do the same thing since I was in college, by prioritizing going home and watching tape on my couch, go and watch the tape, and then just living in football," Scourton said, per Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official website.

If that preparation pays off with prolific preseason performances, it'll be hard to keep Scourton out of a starting role.

Trey Amos, CB, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Teams that go deep in the playoffs don't often have starting jobs waiting for rookies. The Washington Commanders, though, aren't like most playoff teams. They reached the NFC title game in 2024 despite having a mix of young players and free-agent additions on their patchwork roster.

Washington, which won just four games in 2023, didn't find success as a result of a methodical rebuild. The Commanders simply don't have as many entrenched starters as a 12-win team typically would.

It wouldn't be a total shock to see offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Trey Amos or wide receiver Jaylin Lane snag a starting job as a rookie. Amos, a second-round pick out of Mississippi, might have the clearest path to starting in Week 1.

Conerly, a first-round pick out of Oregon, is competing with right tackle Andrew Wylie, who has started 29 games over the past two seasons. Given the importance of protecting quarterback Jayden Daniels, going with the veteran early may be the smart play.

Lane, a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, will likely need to supplant Noah Brown and Luke McCaffrey for a starting job—Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel should be solidified starters, assuming McLaurin's contract situation is resolved.

Amos, meanwhile, may only have to beat out 31-year-old Jonathan Jones to start alongside Mike Sainristil and Marshon Lattimore. It's early, but Amos appears to be well on his way to doing just that.

According to NFL Network's Steve Wyche, Amos "has been the talk of training camp" thus far.

If the 23-year-old continues to turn heads during the preseason, he'll likely be a rookie starter, just as Daniels, Sainristil and McCaffrey were entering Week 1 last year.

Kyle Williams, WR, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

The New England Patriots pretty much planned to start rookie fourth overall pick Will Campbell as their starting left tackle from the moment they knew they wanted to draft him.

According to The Athletic's Chad Graff, the Patriots visited with Campbell in Louisiana before the draft and have had him "penciled in" as the starter ever since.

However, Campbell may not be the only rookie aiding second-year quarterback Drake Maye as a starter in Week 1. Second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson may need to wait his turn behind starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson, but third-rounder Kyle Williams could be a true starter at wide receiver.

The third-round pick out of Washington State certainly has a prime opportunity. The Patriots added Mack Hollins and Stefon Diggs in free agency but had arguably the league's worst receiving corps in 2024. If Williams can outshine either DeMario Douglas or Kayshon Boutte during the preseason, he could lock down a starting job.

According to Danny Jaillet of Patriots Wire, Williams has been "viewed as one of the top receivers in training camp so far" and has already created chemistry with Maye. According to the rookie receiver, that chemistry has been the result of hard work.

"Just getting that constant work in," Williams said, per WEEI's Tom Carroll. "Understanding each other. Him being able to trust me when those types of routes are being called. And when it comes to pads, just try to carry it all over."

If that chemistry carries through the preseason, Williams will probably be one of Maye's go-to targets in Week 1.