Saturday’s slate of NFL preseason games gave us some impressive rookie performances, as a handful of first-year players took full advantage of their chance to get meaningful reps in real-game situations.
Here are four rookies who made a huge impact in their Week 2 preseason matchups Saturday:
LB Jaishawn Barham, Cowboys
One of my favorite players to evaluate throughout this year’s predraft process, Barham’s versatility and punishing style of play jumped off the tape at Michigan last year. It did the same Saturday night for Dallas, as Barham was flying all over the field and making his presence felt in a big way. He’s able to line up at multiple spots along the front seven, which should give the Cowboys a ton of creativity in terms of how they deploy his unique skill set, and his performance against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night gave Dallas fans just a taste of what he’s capable of when he’s on the field.
QB Joe Fagnano, Ravens
One of this year’s most intriguing quarterback prospects, Fagnano’s college career was marred by injury, and being an older prospect (25 years old) didn’t help his draft stock. But the film showed a mechanically sound, efficient passer who knew how to distribute the ball effectively, and that’s exactly what we saw from Fagnano on Saturday against Brian Flores’ Minnesota Vikings defense. Fagnano completed 15 of 20 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, adding 10 rushing yards. The Ravens won’t need him to start anytime soon, but Fagnano showed off the best of what he brings to the table.
WR CJ Daniels, Rams
Daniels stood out to me as a potential late-round gem with a similar skill set to Puka Nacua, so it made perfect sense when it was the Rams that scooped him up in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Daniels showed off his reliable hands and well-rounded skill set Saturday against the New Orleans Saints, hauling in eight passes for 68 yards. Matthew Stafford obviously has plenty of dangerous pass-catching weapons ahead of Daniels on the depth chart, but if called upon, it’s clear the Miami product has the talent to rise to the occasion if he can avoid the injuries that plagued him during his college career.
QB Jalon Daniels, Buccaneers
After an impressive showing in his preseason debut last week, Daniels picked up right where he left off Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. After trailing 9-0 at halftime, the Bucs scored a 16-15 comeback win, sparked largely by the energy, efficiency, and playmaking ability Daniels brought to the offense. He completed 9 of his 14 pass attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown, adding 19 more yards on the ground. Daniels sealed the win with a clutch third-down conversion through the air after avoiding multiple rushers in the pocket. The Bucs might prefer Jake Browning’s experience at Baker Mayfield’s backup, but Daniels is playing too well to keep him off the roster.
