NFL Preseason 2015: Report on Top Rookies After Week 1 Games

Every rookie class starts with the quarterbacks, and this year was no different, with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2015 NFL draft, respectively, drawing most of the attention out of the new crop of youngsters.

Their preseason debuts were each shaky at best and revealed that the NFL is a whole different game than college football.

Winston had a mostly forgettable debut, going 9-of-19 passing with 131 yards, one interception, one lost fumble and this rushing touchdown.

His highlights, besides the touchdown, included a 40-yard bomb to Vincent Jackson, which resembled a flashback to the Winston-to-Kelvin Benjamin connections that led Florida State to their 2014 championship.

"I thought it was a typical Jameis Winston day,” Smith told USA Today after the game.

Winston posted a dismal 48.4 passer rating, but he did lead the Buccaneers at the end of the first half, going 5-of-6 on a no-huddle, 76-yard drive capped by his eight-yard touchdown run.

You'll never question Winston's ability to perform in the clutch.

Mariota started off his preseason debut in more dire straits than Winston, but they ended with similar outcomes. The 2015 Heisman winner, who threw for 42 touchdowns and only four interceptions during his last season at Oregon, threw a pick on his very first drive against the Atlanta Falcons.

"

Marcus Mariota didn’t throw an interception during training camp. Then this happened: http://t.co/GB1MmcS1rC pic.twitter.com/lFRLEfdgG5

— SB Nation (@SBNation) August 15, 2015"

As noted, he hadn't thrown an interception in two weeks of training camp, either, a streak that came to an end Tuesday on his 231st pass.

"It's over," Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt joked to ESPN.com. "I guess we'll see if we can find another quarterback now."

His turnover barrage wasn't over after the first pick. On his next dropback, he fumbled while looking downfield for a receiver and a Falcons defender returned it for a touchdown. Falcons defense 7, Mariota 0.

"

Oh boy. #Titans Marcus Mariota is having a rough first #NFL quarter. Fumble returned for TD. https://t.co/4PY551Kzl8

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 14, 2015"

But Mariota rebounded after that, completing a perfect 7-of-7 for 94 yards after the interception. He even orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive on his next series, on which he completed five of five passes.

It didn't help that Mariota was running for his life behind a struggling offensive line.

He ended with a better passer rating than Winston, 76.0, and even eked out a positive 0.1 Pro Football Focus rating for the game.

Both quarterbacks still have three more preseason games to work out all the kinks before it starts to count.

Winston will get the chance to avenge his team's 2015 semifinal loss in the college football playoffs against Mariota in Week 1, September 13 in Tampa Bay.

Fear the Cornhusker

Coaches always say: I want to see players jump out at me while watching film.

Detroit Lions rookie running back Ameer Abdullah jumped out at everyone live, on film and on SportsCenter with his performance during his preseason debut Thursday against the Jets.

He made Jets safety Calvin Pryor whiff with a vicious cut on a seven-yard scamper.

On the next drive, he left at least five defenders grasping for their ankles as he flew through a small crease for a 45-yard run down the field.

"I think my first preseason game went OK, borderline good, but by no means great. I missed a lot of holes. I was a little rusty," Abdullah wrote in a blog post on the team's site.

The second-round pick from Nebraska quickly became a fantasy football sleeper after just one preseason game, and if that was rusty, it makes you wonder how he'll look in full gear.

"

That 45-yard Ameer Abdullah run just boosted his ADP by a full round.

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 13, 2015"

"

The Ameer Abdullah hype is warranted. Vision, quickness, strength and toughness...perfect fit for Lions offense too.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) August 14, 2015"

He finished with seven carries for 67 yards, but he left more than a few general managers wondering why he wasn't higher on their draft board.

Don't Kick It to Him

Although Seahawks third-round pick Tyler Lockett is listed as a receiver, his primary position is returner.

And he showed that in his preseason debut against the Broncos, when he returned a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, showing blazing speed and the natural return ability that made him Kansas State's career kickoff-return-yardage record-holder and a consensus All-American in 2014.

"

Wow!!!! Tyler Lockett is FAST!!!! 103yd TD return for @TDLockett12! #GoHawks #12s pic.twitter.com/g7pOHe0kAn

— Bender (@TheBenderNation) August 15, 2015"

He later returned another kick 46 yards in the same game.

Lockett will quickly become a weapon even if he doesn't catch a single pass from Russell Wilson this season.

"

Seahawks haven't returned a regular-season kickoff for TD since 2012. Return of the return? [http://t.co/36lYYcnpqX] pic.twitter.com/e9gHVfG08b

— #SeahawksCamp (@Seahawks) May 3, 2015"

His quarterback told NFL.com that Lockett "looked like Usain Bolt running down the sideline."

The preseason is most beneficial to the rookies, who are acclimating to a completely new climate. These rookies stood out after Week 1, and there will be a new crop who will do the same in Week 2.