The NFL is officially back following the first week of preseason. In fairness, it has been back for over a week at this point, but this past week was the first time all 32 teams took the field.
There were highlight plays made. There were training camp battles on full display. There were important first looks at rookies, heading into the regular season.
Today, we take a look at some of the rookies from the 2026 class whose stocks went up the most due to their performance in the first week of preseason. In particular, this discussion will be on first-year players on the offensive side of the ball. There were plenty of them, so many, in fact, that there is, feasibly, another list of ten that could be made in conjunction with this one.
Offensive rookie players whose stocks went up in Week 1 of the preseason
1. KC Concepcion
Although Concepcion was the first skill position player that the Cleveland Browns took in 2026, a lot of talk this offseason has been focused on second-round draft pick Denzel Boston. However, Concepcion had a masterful outing during the first week of preseason.
The Browns moved the rookie across the offense, and he ended up with three catches for 27 yards, in addition to a 14-yard touchdown run. Concepcion was expected to be a major part of this Cleveland offense with his draft capital. If this game is anything to go by, he might be the top wide receiver on the team for the 2026 season.
2. Caleb Douglas
The Miami Dolphins are struggling with its pass-catching room this year. That said, there was a huge bright spot during the first week of preseason in the form of Caleb Douglas.
Although Douglas only had one reception, it is an early contender for catch of the year. Not only that, but it happened with the starting offense, which means the rookie just got a big boost in the trust department with new starting quarterback Malik Willis. Douglas may have cemented himself as a starter heading into the 2026 campaign, and could make a push for the lead wide receiver out in Miami.
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