NFL Preseason 2014: Report Card Grades for All 1st-Round Rookies After Week 1By Dan Hope , Featured Columnist Aug 12, 2014 
Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press Blake Bortles was among the rookie standouts of the first week of the 2014 NFL preseason. After months of hype, the rookies of the 2014 NFL draft class took the field for their first game action last week as the preseason got underway. The preseason is a time for all rookies to make first impressions, but the first-round picks—from No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to No. 32 selection Teddy Bridgewater—were especially in focus.It’s far too early to jump to conclusions on which rookies will emerge as stars and who will turn out to be busts. Still, the first week of the preseason did give us a better idea of how each team plans to utilize its rookies and which players appear to be in position for significant playing time in year one.That remains to be seen for some rookies, such as Cleveland Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert (groin) and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (hamstring), who missed their teams’ preseason openers while nursing injuries.The rest are being evaluated on their first tests, which provided a glimpse into where players are ready to excel and where their games remain works in progress.There's no perfect method for comparatively grading players across a multitude of different positions with different responsibilities, but the following grades take into account not only the statistics each rookie posted but also what skills each put on display, the competition each went up against and the mistakes that hurt each performance.Players are listed in order of draft selection. Snap counts and quarterback-pressure totals are courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required for premium statistics). All other statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. 
1. Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Houston Texans Rick Scuteri/Associated Press A 32-0 beatdown at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night showed that the Houston Texans might not be ready to turn the corner after winning just two games in 2013.But while Ryan Fitzpatrick’s two-interception first half leaves some second-guessing the Texans’ decision to pass up the draft’s top quarterbacks with the No. 1 overall pick, Clowney showed his potential to be special in his preseason debut.Clowney is an absurdly explosive edge defender, even by NFL standards, and he showed that on a number of plays Saturday night. Most notably was a play where he timed his jump off the snap perfectly, immediately bulldozed Cardinals tight end Darren Fells into the backfield then blew up running back Stepfan Taylor for a five-yard loss before Taylor could get his legs running.That was Clowney’s only credited tackle of the contest, but he only played two series (20 total snaps). He had another tackle on a short pass in front of him wiped out by a defensive penalty against Texans cornerback Brandon Harris, and he helped supply pressure off the edge on a number of passing plays.One area in which Clowney must improve is in dropping back to cover passes. On one passing play where he had to pick up Cardinals tight end John Carlson, he was unable to run out to the sideline with the pass-catcher and got burned for what would have been a 13-yard touchdown if not for an offensive penalty.Clowney’s game remains a work in progress, but that’s to be expected as he transitions to 3-4 outside linebacker after playing his entire South Carolina career on the defensive line. Overall, Clowney is off to a promising start that shows how he could be a game-changer for the Texans defense. Grade: B 
2. Greg Robinson, LG, St. Louis Rams Michael Thomas/Getty Images Tasked with playing two different positions in his preseason debut, No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson put together a solid outing for the St. Louis Rams in their preseason opener Friday vs. the New Orleans Saints.Robinson started the game at left guard, where he is expected to play in 2014, and looked to have made a smooth transition to playing inside. He showed that he could utilize his athleticism to attack the second level and pick up defenders as a run-blocker, while he gave up no significant push every time he engaged a defender in pass protection.He returned to the position he played at Auburn, left tackle, for the final two series of the first half. Pass protecting against outside pass-rushers is a different animal, but Robinson handled it well in this game. He allowed heavy pressure around the edge to Saints outside linebacker Keyunta Dawson on one play, but otherwise he did a great job drop-stepping into position and getting his hands on opponents.It seemed on a number of occasions as though Robinson was confused with his assignment, and missed blocks and/or allowed defenders by him as a result. He also didn’t generate as much drive off the line of scrimmage as would have been expected from the 6’5”, 322-pound behemoth.Nonetheless it was impressive how smoothly, for the most part, Robinson handled playing two different offensive line positions in this contest. Moments of confusion will decrease as he gains experience, and he already appears as though he will be ready to solidify the Rams’ left guard spot by Week 1.Grade: B 
3. Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars USA TODAY Sports The Jacksonville Jaguars are purposely taking a patient approach with Blake Bortles, but the rookie quarterback proved in his preseason debut that his progress this summer has been rapid nonetheless.Working with the second-team offense on Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bortles looked like a seasoned veteran.In completing seven of 11 passing attempts for 117 yards, he looked confident as he threw downfield and fit passes between tight coverage windows with velocity. He showed that he trusted his receivers to make plays on the ball, and connected on a number of passes that required precise ball placement and timing.Despite being the No. 3 overall pick and needing an exceptional August to unseat incumbent veteran Chad Henne for the Jaguars’ starting job, Bortles seemed unfazed by the pressure of the spotlight Friday.Jaguars coach Gus Bradley has been insistent that the team expects Henne to be its starter. On Saturday, Bradley said Bortles will eventually get some work with the first-team offense, but that he “wouldn’t count on it this week,” according to Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union.One would think, nonetheless, that the Jaguars would at least open their minds to the idea of Bortles being their regular-season starter if he continues to perform as well as he did on Friday.Grade: A 
4. Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills USA TODAY Sports Finishing the preseason-opening Pro Football Hall of Fame Game with zero catches was enough for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins to land a premature “bust” label on “Overreaction Monday” on ESPN’s NFL Live (h/t Matt Yoder of AwfulAnnouncing.com).That graphic was made in jest, but even so, it’s good for Watkins and the Bills that he had something to show for his second preseason game Friday against the Carolina Panthers.It’s important for the Bills to see chemistry on the field between Watkins, whom they traded up for in this year’s draft, and quarterback EJ Manuel, whom they selected in the first round last year. That chemistry started to come together Friday, when the pair connected three times for 21 yards.Watkins’ first catch was his most aesthetic. He ran a crisp post route from the right side of the field and made a secure-hands grab through a low tackle.The Clemson product hasn’t had an opportunity to make any big plays yet this preseason, but his training camp practices have reportedly been full of impressive moments, including a spectacular one-handed pluck Vined by WGRZ’s Jonah Javad on Sunday.Watkins’ statistics thus far this preseason don’t move the needle, but most importantly, he is already establishing himself as a go-to target for Manuel in the first-team offense. So long as he continues to show reliable hands and emerge as a downfield receiver, he should be in line for a productive rookie year. Grade: B-
5. Khalil Mack, SLB, Oakland Raiders USA TODAY Sports Khalil Mack has the tools to emerge as a star of the Oakland Raiders defense, but his preseason debut against the Minnesota Vikings showed that the rookie defender from Buffalo still has a long way to go in his development.Mack failed to make any impact plays over the course of 18 total snaps. He was credited with two tackles, but one of them came at the sideline on the end of a 13-yard catch-and-run by Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, while the other was on a fumble recovery in the backfield by Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil.Expected to play a similar role in Oakland to how Von Miller is used by the Denver Broncos, Mack saw time as both an edge defender on the line of scrimmage and as a linebacker in space on Friday.He had some issues in both capacities. He had trouble getting off of blocks at the line, while he was at times, as Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Sunday, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, “just a little bit late in reacting to his responsibility.”As Mack gains experience, his technique and timing should improve, which will enable him to take full advantage of his physical gifts and be a regular playmaker like he was in college. His preseason opener, however, was underwhelming for a No. 5 overall pick. Grade: C- 
6. Jake Matthews, RT, Atlanta Falcons USA TODAY Sports Jake Matthews is one of the last rookies anyone would have expected to struggle in his preseason debut, but the No. 6 overall pick ended up having one of the worst performances of the first-round crop in Week 1.The Atlanta Falcons right tackle had as many holding penalties against him—two—as the number of series he played. One of those penalties wiped out what otherwise would have been a 76-yard touchdown run by Antone Smith.Matthews was thrown right into the fire with a very tough matchup, as his first series consisted of playing against Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake, one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers. Wake gave Matthews a battle, but the rookie held his own—with the exception of the aforementioned hold.He permitted one hit on quarterback Matt Ryan on a play where he allowed a defender inside him and failed to block anyone. His worst struggles, however, came in run defense. He failed to generate any significant pushes and was knocked to the ground on a number of plays.Matthews, a four-year starter at Texas A&M and the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, should be able to shake off his rough outing and soon establish himself as a very solid right tackle in Atlanta, but he needs to be much better than he was in his debut Friday. Grade: D+ 
7. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers USA TODAY Sports Mike Evans’ preseason debut came and went very quietly. The No. 7 overall pick did not record a catch in his first exhibition game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Evans was targeted twice, but neither pass was catchable. A big receiver who uses his size more than his speed, Evans had some issues separating from coverage but did not have any realistic opportunities to put his skills on display.The 6’5”, 231-pound wideout showed on a couple of occasions that he can push defensive backs downfield as a perimeter run-blocker. Among his 18 snaps, he lined up both outside and inside at times, showing that Tampa Bay is likely to use him in different spots all over the field.What Evans was able to show in Friday’s contest was not enough to make a blip on the national radar. He’ll need some better throws to come his way to make a greater mark the rest of the preseason. Grade: CFor the entire first round.....link
