Where Does Shedeur Sanders Rank Among Top NFL Preseason Week 1 Rookie Performers?

The NFL preseason is a platform to propel young players into the spotlight.

Rookies have an opportunity to stake an early claim for a starting spot or playing time and potentially inspire confidence. A team finding out a recent draft pick can be a reliable contributor in Year 1 makes a world of difference in how the roster is constructed.

Coming out of the first weekend of preseason action, one question dominated multiple conversations: How long can certain squads keep their rookie quarterbacks out of the lineup?

Obviously, a handful of other rookies impressed, but the concentration on quarterbacks when discussing a franchise's future is too important to dismiss. The Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and even Las Vegas Raiders, to a lesser degree, received positive impressions from their new signal-callers to create excitement and provide some hope.

As such, the year's initial rookie rankings begin (and end) at the obvious starting point.

10. WR Efton Chism III, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

The New England Patriots redefined the importance of slot receiver in modern NFL offenses, but their streak of Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman ended five years ago.

The team has struggled to generate offense since then and has lacked the same type of threat from its inside receivers. Undrafted rookie Efton Chism III has the makings to be the next.

To be fair, the 23-year-old shouldn't be directly compared to those other names. He still has a lot to prove. Though the skill set to thrive in Josh McDaniels' offense is present, as evidenced by his six-catch, 50-yard performance Friday against the Washington Commanders.

"I think his play-strength stood out to me," head coach Mike Vrabel said. "Just thought from the sideline, I think just the way that he blocks and his ability to catch the ball in traffic…Kind of ran through a tackle and ran through contact, and then we threw him a screen. So those are all positive things. I think his play-strength to me is what stood out."

While Chism is highlighted this week mainly because he's an undrafted free agent outperforming expectations, the Patriots also received excellent performances from fellow rookies Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson and Jared Wilson.

9. QB Cam Miller, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Geno Smith is the starting quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders. Cam Miller, who was chosen by the organization in this year's sixth round, isn't threatening for that spot (at least not now).

However, the 24-year-old can provide the Raiders with something they don't really have on the roster: A young, developmental quarterback with future starting potential.

Aidan O'Connell may have been drafted a round higher two years earlier, but the Raiders have already gotten a good look at what he provides. Now, he is battling with Miller to be QB2.

In Miller's case, his draft stock was held back due to being an FCS quarterback in a run-dominant offense, though he experienced significant success.

During Thursday's contest against the Seattle Seahawks, the 24-year-old rookie played well in the second half. He completed six of seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, while placing the Raiders in a position to win if not for a blocked field-goal attempt as time expired.

A similar effort in Week 2 of the preseason should push him past O'Connell on the depth chart. Then, the Raiders can get a little excited about what they have behind Smith.

"Cam has been great," the 34-year-old veteran said when asked earlier about the rookie. "The thing about Cam is that he has all the tools, the physical tools to make all the throws. He’s a super athletic guy. He can make every single read. He can make every play out there on the field. I just continue to preach confidence to him."

8. IOL Willie Lampkin, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Chris Seward

Willie Lampkin embodies the old saying, "It's not the size of the dawg. It's the size of the fight in the dog."

The 23-year-old was one of college football's best offensive linemen during the 2024 campaign. But he fell short of the prototypical measurements NFL teams want in blockers, which is why he went undrafted despite being an outstanding player.

His sub-5'11", 280-pound frame is packed with explosive play strength while providing natural leverage against the opposition. That became apparent against the Dallas Cowboys, with the undersized linemen driving defenders off the ball and registering multiple pancake blocks.

"I thought he did a nice job," Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters. "Can get underneath people and be able to finish. That was what you loved about him at North Carolina. But just a competitor. He's tough, he's physical, he understands how to be able to play to his strengths, and I think he's done a really good job. And I thought a lot of those guys did a nice job, but I was pleased with Willie."

The Rams already have Coleman Shelton and Beaux Limmer at center. Don't overlook Lampkin's odds to usurp a roster spot, especially with his experience also playing guard.

7. LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Phil Long

Another Cleveland Browns rookie demanded far more attention coming out of the NFL's first weekend of preseason action, but linebacker Carson Schwesinger opened eyes with how he handled the defense and produced during a pair of series.

This time last year, the 22-year-old wasn't even a projected starter for the UCLA Bruins, which didn't happen until Week 3 of the regular season. He wasn't necessarily going to be in the middle of the Browns defense as a rookie, either, but Jordan Hicks' unexpected retirement expedited the second-rounder's development.

Schwesinger didn't look out of place Friday against the Carolina Panthers. He made six tackles while playing only 13 snaps. This year's No. 33 overall pick showed good run fits, flew about the field and looked comfortable when playing in space.

"Carson, in particular, was productive when he was in there," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I thought he did a nice job of playing physical—engaged with a blocker and still made a tackle. So, you just see his skill set showing up, really, in that short amount of time."

6. DL Deone Walker, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

The Buffalo Bills have a pair of talented rookie defensive tackles in T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker. The latter gets the nod here, because he was drafted later—fourth round as opposed to the second—and displayed more than he showed last season.

Walker was highly regarded among draft circles prior to the start of last season. His combination of size (6'7", 331 lbs) and athleticism should have led to a dominant final collegiate campaign with the Kentucky Wildcats. It didn't.

Instead, the three-time second-team All-SEC honoree was seen being pushed around and not making plays far too often.

Still, the Bills saw significant upside in the mountainous defender, hence why he came off the board quickly during the third day of the draft.

"He does things at his size that you're not expecting someone at that size to be able to do," defensive coordinator Bobby Babich told reporters in June.

Against the New York Giants, Walker showed good quickness off the snap, an ability to defeat blocks and the skill set to be disruptive, both against the run and collapsing the pocket. The Bills will expect him to primarily serve as the backup nose tackle, though he can provide quality reps as a 3-technique. The defensive-line rotation should help maximize his effectiveness, as seen at the weekend.

5. Edge Mike Green, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Baltimore Ravens rookie Mike Green knows how to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

That may come across as a Captain Obvious scenario since the second-round draft pick led major college football last season with 17 sacks. But great collegiate pass-rushers don't always translate to the professional ranks.

In this particular case, Green looks to have the goods thanks to his lightning-quick first step and flexibility to bend the edge. This year's 59th overall pick posted a 30 percent pass-rush win rate in his debut against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Pro Football Focus.

While the 22-year-old may not be projected to start for the Ravens, he should be a fixture in their pass-rush packages.

"I think when you play relentlessly, it opens more doors to make plays," Green told reporters, "because you can mess up a play or whatever, but if you're going all out, and you're putting a lot of effort into it, the play could end up winding right back into your hands."

Green would have been higher on this list with his effort except he did his damage against the Colts' backup offensive tackles since neither Bernhard Raimann or Braden Smith played in the contest.

4. QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

The New York Giants and everyone around the organization should be thrilled with what they saw from their first-round rookies against the Buffalo Bills at the weekend.

After selecting Abdul Carter with the third overall pick, the Giants traded back into the first round to select their quarterback of choice at No. 25th. At the time, many were surprised it wasn't Shedeur Sanders (long before anyone realized how far he would slide).

Instead, the Giants chose Jaxson Dart. He looked like a legitimate first-round quarterback with his initial play. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards, including a beautifully placed 28-yard touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

"It's about what I thought he would do," head coach Brian Daboll told reporters. "Efficient, effective, aggressive, confident in the pocket."

The first-year quarterback also showed how his mobility can be a big part of the offense, particularly when working outside of structure.

"We saw that on tape at Ole Miss," Daboll said. "He did that for a long time there. He's tough. He's got good moxie. He's got toughness. He's got leadership."

If Dart continues to show exactly what the organization expected of him, it's only a matter of time before he replaces Russell Wilson atop the depth charter. Tick tock.

3. OT Josh Simmons, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

A slight groan could be heard around the NFL when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted offensive tackle Josh Simmons with this year's 32nd overall pick. The rich get richer, as is often said.

In truth, the Ohio State product only fell to the perennial Super Bowl contender because of a knee injury he suffered during the 2024 campaign.

Granted, a few rumblings existed about work ethic, but Simmons was still, arguably, the class' best pure offensive tackle prospect had he been healthy (even compared to Will Campbell, who was drafted fourth overall by the Patriots, because not all teams viewed him as a future NFL left tackle).

Now healthy, Simmons looks every bit the part of a future longtime blindside protector for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his preseason debut, the rookie blocker basically received the best possible compliment for his work by not being noticed on all 11 snaps.

“I wasn't screaming at him, so I think he did OK," head coach Andy Reid told reporters after Simmons' preseason debut.

An important part of his performance might have gone unnoticed. The Arizona Cardinals present a different defensive front with their 3-4 base than what Simmons is accustomed to seeing, which will be valuable experience once the regular season begins.

"So, they rush different from our guys," Simmons said. "So that's probably a bigger adjustment you have to be able to (make) because, like, people may line up wider. They (the Cardinals) line up a lot wider than we do. So, you're gonna have to set a little bit deeper and keep that position between you and the quarterback, and make the quarterback a lot more accurate, if that makes sense. Probably that suggestion on the fly to those."

2. Edge Abdul Carter, New York Giants

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Abdul Carter didn't play much in his preseason debut for the Giants, but he didn't need to. The third overall pick looked like a potential dominant defender in his first game action.

The 21-year-old played a total of six snaps. The small sample size did nothing to temper the excitement around how explosive he is and how difficult it will be to block him, even as a rookie.

As Pro Football Focus noted, Carter had three pass-rush snaps and generated three quarterback pressures. Keep in mind he did so against the Buffalo Bills' first-team offense. He wasn't doing this later in the contest against blockers who aren't starting-caliber, including four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins.

Carter presented as much or more potential of any prospect in this year's draft class. The Giants passed on a quarterback early because the front office believed in his ability to be an impact player.

Granted, the team circled back later in the frame, and Dart had his own impressive showing. But Carter is already starting to flash game-changing ability that will likely help define Big Blue's identity.

Despite the limited appearance, Saturday's performance served as confirmation for what Carter can be.

1. QB Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

One week of preseason play isn't going to shift the entire direction of a franchise, even if it's the Cleveland Browns and there's finally a gleam at the game's most important position.

As of now, Joe Flacco is well on his way to being the opening-day starter for the Browns this fall.

Still, Shedeur Sanders took full advantage of an opportunity to start Friday against the Carolina Panthers, with Flacco not playing and injuries keeping out Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

The Colorado product impressed with how he navigated the pocket, showed good movement skills and displayed impressive accuracy, including a pair of touchdown tosses.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski tried to temper expectations after the 138-yard performance.

"We need to get through the next couple of days from injury standpoint, and see where everybody is," he told reporters after Friday's contest. "I'm really focused on all of our quarterbacks' development and every single one of these reps last night, how important they are. So that's what I'm focused on more than anything."

Here's the thing: The Browns have no clear plan at quarterback. Sanders was viewed as a much better talent than his fifth-round draft status indicates. By playing well, the rookie changes the math despite the coaching staff not giving him first-team reps in practice.

Now, Stefanski and Co. must provide him with more opportunities, because Cleveland is better off with a promising young QB behind center than a 40-year-old veteran.

The fact that Sanders forced his way into this conversation, with the potential to change the entire setup, gives him a clear edge as the initial No. 1 rookie on B/R's rankings.