3. Jeremiyah Love
Was Love always going to be a big part of the plan for the Arizona Cardinals? Absolutely. However, the first week of preseason gave watchers so much more clarity on what the rookie running back is capable of.
Love had a lot of pop when he ran, displayed his hands in the receiving game and showed his athleticism with an impressive hurdle. When a rookie is drawing comparisons to Adrian Peterson after a single preseason game, you know the running back showed a lot. One thing to keep an eye on is the high-ankle sprain sustained at the end of his playing time on Thursday, as there is currently no timetable for a return to action for Love.
4. Mike Washington Jr.
Love was not the only rookie running back who had an amazing showing in the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders game on Thursday night. Washington showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in Las Vegas. Even though the Raiders have Ashton Jeanty, Washington proved that he will be an excellent complement to the sophomore running back for years to come.
Washington displayed his speed, strength and size, bullying Cardinals defenders at times. Not only that, but Washington had snaps with the starting offense, showing that he will be a part of the offense along with Jeanty, forming a terrifying 1-2 punch in the backfield.
5. Robert Henry
Speaking of Washington, the Washington Commanders have themselves a bit of a competition going on for a third running back for the initial 53-man roster. It feels like undrafted free agent Robert Henry and 6th-round pick Kaytron Allen will battle it out for the rest of the preseason to fill the position. Henry won the first outing on Friday.
He ran the ball 12 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, which equates to an eye-popping 6.2 yards per carry. If that is not impressive to the powers that be in Washington, nothing will be. If nothing else, Henry at least raised the question of whether the Commanders should carry a quartet of running backs into the opening day roster with them.
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