Rookie Standouts From Week 1 of the NFL Preseason: Caleb Williams, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels Shined

During Week 1 of the NFL preseason, rookies from around the league made their highly-anticipated professional debuts with their new teams. Over the weekend, each of the first-round pick quarterbacks saw their first NFL action, as did many other talented rookies on both sides of the ball. Following the first week of preseason games, which rookies had the most impressive performances?

Best Rookie Performances From Week 1 of the NFL Preseason

Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears

After being drafted No. 1 overall, Caleb Williams’ preseason debut certainly lived up to the hype. Completing four of seven passes for 95 yards and a 101.8 passer rating, Williams showcased the ability to play in structure while also flashing the ability to keep plays alive.

“You’re a Wizard Caleb Williams” 😳

🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/asoNn4j5CP

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 10, 2024

After just one preseason look at Williams, the hype appears to look real. As a rookie, could he become the first Chicago quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season?

Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins

After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round, Jalyen Wright entered an offense that was seemingly made for him. Wright’s 4.38-second 40-yard dash time fits right into the speedy Dolphins offense.

This week against the Atlanta Falcons, Wright was the star. In his first NFL appearance, Wright rushed 10 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, showcasing his abilities as one of the top backs from his draft class.

Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets

Against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Braelon Allen took the opportunities he was presented with and ran with them — pun intended. Allen carried the ball six times, totaling 54 yards and ending the game as the New York Jets’ leading rusher.

While Breece Hall is the undisputed lead back in New York, Allen is providing a lot of confidence as his backup.

Evan Williams, S, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers added free safety Xavier McKinney this offseason via free agency while still needing a full-time strong safety to aid the former New York Giant in secondary duties. The Packers spent three draft picks on safeties, including one on Evan Williams out of the University of Oregon.

Williams made his first appearance this week against the Cleveland Browns, making a strong impression in his position battle with Javon Bullard, the second-round selection out of Georgia. Williams ended this game as the team’s highest tackler, adding a forced fumble to his stat line.

Austin Booker, DE, Chicago Bears

As a fifth-round selection out of Kansas, Austin Booker saw the field briefly in the Hall of Fame Game against Houston. The production was underwhelming, but this week against the Buffalo Bills, Booker showed out.

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Booker ended the game with five tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Per PFF, Booker also had five total pressures and an 18.2% pass-rush win rate. As the 144th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Booker had a strong bounce-back from the Hall of Fame Game.

Joe Alt, OT, Los Angeles Chargers

There was a mixed reaction to the Los Angeles Chargers selecting Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and while watching Justin Herbert throw to Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze would have been fun, getting a potential future Hall of Famer to protect Herbert shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing.

Sure, maybe “future Hall of Famer” is a bit excessive after playing just one preseason game, but his performance was unsurprisingly impressive. Alt played 20 snaps against the Seattle Seahawks, including 13 reps as a pass blocker. Of those 13 reps, Alt allowed just one pressure.

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

While there was a lot of commotion around the Denver Broncos using the 12th overall pick on Bo Nix — and maybe for a good reason — his first NFL appearance was undoubtedly strong, at least as far as completing a majority of his passes and running the offense well for a rookie. Nix completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, adding three rushes for 17 yards.

SEE MORE: Ranking First-Round NFL Rookie QB Debuts

Nix comes into the league after five seasons in college, and considering the price tag on quarterback contracts following their rookie season, he is expected to be a capable NFL starter by Week 1 of the regular season.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings

After being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, J.J. McCarthy was a highly scrutinized prospect due to Michigan’s play style during their College Football Playoff National Championship season. Used as more of a game manager under Jim Harbaugh, McCarthy’s reputation took a bit of a hit heading into the NFL Draft by fans.

However, his performance against the Las Vegas Raiders was mostly positive. Minnesota gave McCarthy six drives after Sam Darnold started the game. McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two TDs.

.@jjmccarthy09's throw.

Trishton's catch.@JJettas2's reaction.

Everything about this video is gold.

Absolute gold.

📺: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/qVMMx4e5BY

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 10, 2024

One glaring red flag was McCarthy’s pick-six, coming in as the game’s Rookie Mistake of the Day.

The Vikings have Darnold as the team’s starter now, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities for McCarthy to win the starting job by Week 1.

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

In his first start for the Commanders, No. 2 overall quarterback Jayden Daniels wasn’t asked to do much, but what he did was impressive. Daniels comes into this season with mixed reviews. Some claim he’s the next coming of Robert Griffin III, while others aren’t as impressed with his standalone Heisman-winning season with LSU.

READ MORE: Rookies Daniels and Williams Make Impressive NFL Debuts

Daniels played just one offensive drive against the Jets, completing two of his three passes for 45 yards and a three-yard rushing touchdown.

Joe Milton III, QB, New England Patriots

While the Patriots used the No. 3 pick on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, New England double-dipped at the position, drafting Joe Milton III with the 193rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Milton is a quarterback with a lot of tools that make him special, but when asked to put it all together to make a complete NFL quarterback, question marks come up. Throughout his college career, Milton struggled in the short-to-intermediate game while being a unicorn of a deep-ball magician.

In his performance against Carolina, Milton completed four of six passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, adding five rushes for 22 yards to his strong day. Though his performance was strong, Maye still appears to be the plan for New England moving forward.