Week 1 of the 2024 preseason officially kicked off with two contests on Thursday evening. Rookie quarterbacks Drake Maye and Joe Milton III made their debuts for the New England Patriots. Milton particularly dazzled, throwing for 54 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown, also adding 22 rushing yards to his totals. Elsewhere, rookies Andru Phillips and Tyrone Tracy Jr. made plays for the New York Giants.
Thursday's two-game slate offered an exciting showcase of the 2024 NFL Draft's rookie class. Several first-year talents will make their debuts this weekend. We've identified five rookies entering Week 1 of the preseason with something to prove.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have already confirmed that veteran quarterback Sam Darnold will receive the start versus the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon. Rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy will enter the game as the second-string QB behind Darnold. That's been the consistent order of things throughout training camp, and that's how it appears on Minnesota's unofficial depth chart.
Darnold is the overwhelming favorite to open the season as the starter, but the Vikings didn’t draft McCarthy for him to settle in as a backup. Darnold is on a one-year contract as a bridge QB. You’d like to see McCarthy start creating headway toward winning the job.
T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Tennessee Titans
T'Vondre Sweat’s pre-draft process was a roller coaster, to say the least. Sweat was arrested for an alleged DWI in early April. Reports emerged that the former Texas Longhorn was removed from some draft boards, but the Tennessee Titans still pounced on his availability with a premium selection at 38th overall.
Sweat then missed the majority of OTAs and minicamp with a minor injury, raising concern levels. Sweat has been a full participant at every training camp practice since and has been downright dominant at times. He's expected to start against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday and can prove why he'll form a fearsome interior duo with Jeffery Simmons.
Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
The Bills drafted Keon Coleman to be their future No. 1 receiver. They'll alleviate some of that pressure to start, but he'll eventually be tasked with replacing some of the production lost by the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis (combined 152 receptions for 1,929 yards and 15 touchdowns last season).
The Bills will take a by-committee approach to replacing last year's Nos. 1 and 2 receivers, with Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, and Curtis Samuel all chipping in. But make no mistake, they hope Coleman becomes a cream-of-the-crop talent. Coleman has made some eye-popping plays in practice, and head coach Sean McDermott wants to see that translate.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
The expectation is that the Denver Broncos will start Jarrett Stidham at quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Stidham is listed as the starting QB on the unofficial depth chart and has received the majority of first-team reps at practice. That complicates matters for rookie signal-caller Bo Nix.
Nix has done an excellent job separating himself from Zach Wilson in what was once a three-man QB competition. Stidham has enjoyed a quality summer and remains ahead of Nix for head coach Sean Payton. The 2024 Broncos possess a higher ceiling if their first-round quarterback wins the job.
Darius Robinson, DE, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive end Darius Robinson will play a significant role this season. Robinson was drafted by general manager Monti Ossenfort at 27th overall to address a pass rush that finished 30th in sacks last year with just 33 quarterback takedowns.
The Cardinals unfortunately lost sophomore pass rusher BJ Ojulari to a torn ACL last week. Ojulari finished second on Jonathan Gannon's defense in sacks last season and was expected to take another developmental step forward. His absence will place even more pressure on Robinson, who should aim to capture momentum with his performance versus the New Orleans Saints on Saturday.
