NFC preseason player grades, Week 3: Aaron Donald rollsBy Bucky Brooks NFL.comPublished: Sept. 1, 2015 at 07:38 p.m. Wins and losses don't count in the NFL preseason -- but individual performances sure do. After each week's slate of preseason action, Bucky Brooks will shine the spotlight on one notable player from each team in the league, grading that player's performance and providing a snapshot of how he's doing in this critical dress-rehearsal phase of the 2015 campaign. The performance grading scale is as follows:A: MasterfulB: StrongC: AcceptableD: MarginalF: UnacceptableSOUTHAtlanta Falcons: Tevin Coleman, RBGRADE: C-Strengths: Coleman is a dynamic straight-line runner with explosive speed and quickness, capable of going the distance from anywhere; he only needs a small crease to flip the field with an explosive run. Against the Dolphins on Saturday, Coleman couldn't find a crack at the point of attack, but his speed and explosiveness jumps off the tape when he moves around.Weaknesses: The third-round pick lacks the lower-body strength and power to run through contact. He struggles breaking tackles in the hole; his inability to bounce off hits prevents him from picking up the hard yards up the gut. The Dolphins' defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage on Saturday, and Coleman's suspect power resulted in two minimal gains on the night for a total of 2 yards (on four carries).What he needs to work on: Coleman needs to show toughness and fight with the ball in his hands in Week 4. He needs to have a better day against the Ravens than he did in Week 3 to show coaches he can handle the responsibility of being a feature back. If Coleman can pick up positive yards and run through a few arm tackles against a stout defense, the Falcons will feel better about Coleman playing a key role in the rotation.Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson, LBGRADE: BStrengths: Thompson is an ultra-athletic linebacker with sound instincts and awareness. The rookie has a knack for finding the ball as a sideline-to-sideline player, exhibiting good quickness and burst in pursuit. Additionally, Thompson is an active player in pass coverage, as evidenced by his "bang-bang" hits on Patriots players Jonathan Krause (since released) and Dion Lewis on short passes last Friday. With Thompson also showing better-than-anticipated tackling skills in the hole, the Panthers' undersized linebacker might be a perfect fit alongside Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis on the second level.Weaknesses: The first-round pick lacks the size (6-0, 228 pounds) and strength to take on blockers squarely in the hole. He must slip or dodge lead blockers, which could result in open gaps in a defense predicated on proper "fits" (defenders assigned to designated holes) at the line of scrimmage.What he needs to work on: If he suits up in Week 4, Thompson must continue to show physicality and toughness in his play. He is an instinctive playmaker with a feel for finding the ball, but he will need to work through traffic to create disruption for the Panthers as a rookie starter.New Orleans Saints: Josh Hill, TEGRADE: CStrengths: Hill is a sneaky athletic pass catcher with speed and crafty route-running skills. The third-year pro is capable of creating mismatches with his size-speed combination on the perimeter. Although he finished with just one catch for 5 yards against the Texans on Sunday, he nearly hauled in a touchdown on a cleverly designed red-zone play in the first quarter.Weaknesses: Hill was expected to fill the void created by veteran Jimmy Graham's departure this offseason, but he lacks the special skills to demand extra attention from defensive coordinators. He failed to separate from defenders consistently on downfield routes (see: Drew Brees' red-zone incompletion) and he hasn't shown elite qualities as a playmaker on the perimeter. Hill is a capable TE2, but he lacks the "it" factor Graham provided in the passing game.What he needs to work on: The buzz surrounding Hill prior to training camp raised expectations. However, he needs to provide a bigger presence in the passing game to upgrade the Saints' aerial attack. Hill must find a way to get open consistently against the Packers' backups in Week 4 to build up his confidence heading into the regular season.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Donovan Smith, LTGRADE: C-Strengths: Smith is an intriguing edge blocker with average athletic traits for the position. He is capable of winning on the edge with strong jams, but the rookie is at his best when he quickly gets into defenders at the point of attack. He flashes a sticky grip and is an adequate finisher on the edge.Weaknesses: Smith struggled with speed and quickness off the edge on Saturday. The Browns' edge rushers repeatedly ran past the second-round pick on passing downs, leading to constant harassment of Jameis Winston in the pocket. Smith's questionable balance and body control was not only exposed in pass protection, but it showed up in his struggles in the run game. Smith failed to consistently finish on the second level, limiting the big-play opportunities for the Buccaneers' runners.What he needs to work on: Smith must improve his recognition and awareness during the pre-snap phase. He needs to anticipate probable rushers in his area to improve his ability to lock onto the proper defender following the snap. Although he will see limited action in Week 4, Smith will benefit from extra repetitions in game action.For every team..link