NFL Preseason 2018: Rookies on the rise after Week 1

Week 1 of the 2018 NFL Preseason is in the books, and these members of the rookie class only improved their stock with how they performed.

There was plenty of excitement heading into the first week of NFL preseason football, and many rookies did not disappoint. The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets may have found their quarterbacks of the future, the New York Giants drafted a superstar and an undrafted free agent could be the steal of the draft.

It’s easy to overreact after the first week of preseason, but who can blame us? We haven’t seen live football in nearly half a year.

So, let’s take a look into some notable rookies who impressed during their first taste of NFL action.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Barkley didn’t get too many touches in his first game, but he proved to Giants’ management and coaches that he was worth the high draft selection. 26 in blue ripped off a 39-yard run on the first offensive play of the game to electrify the home crowd (as electrified as a preseason crowd can get, that is):

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1027693990445895681

Some Giants fans are concerned for life after Eli Manning, and for good reason, but Barkley proved that he could end up being the best player in his draft class.

Sam Darnold, New York Jets

Yes, it seems like both New York football teams found franchise cornerstones. Sam Darnold looked just about as impressive as you can for an NFL debut. The No. 3 overall pick went 9-of-11 for 74 yards and one touchdown in the first half against the Falcons. On his second offensive drive, Darnold tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson to complete a 64-yard drive.

Jets fans haven’t had a lot of cheer about lately, but the rookie from USC may change that. This video should at least get them through the first week of the regular season.

Roc Thomas, Minnesota Vikings 

Roc Thomas, a former five-star prospect from Jacksonville State took a big leap to making an NFL roster. In fact, after scoring twice and racking up 102 receiving yards against the Broncos, Thomas proved he could be a legitimate contributor to the Vikings offense.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns 

Baker Mayfield had a fantastic debut for the Browns. He went 11-of-20 for 212 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. This game included some vintage Baker moments, including a laser to Antonio Callaway along the sideline.

Mayfield looks poised to start for the Browns on Week 1 of the regular season, but the problem is Tyrod Taylor does as well. It will be interesting to see how Hue Jackson handles the quarterback situation this year.

Shaquem Griffin, Seattle Seahawks 

Griffin, the fifth-round rookie linebacker from UCF made nine tackles, including six solo takedowns and one for loss, in the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. On his first drive of the game, Griffin made tackles on four consecutive snaps and ended up as the game’s leading tackler.

The young linebacker became the first player with one hand to be drafted during the NFL’s modern era. Griffin’s story is inspiring, and his play during his first NFL game was very impressive. The rookie will continue to compete for playing time during the preseason.