With the most important week of the preseason in the books, who are some of the young lesser-known players around the league that are standing out and making a name for themselves? Below is an alphabetical list of those making an impact.
Rodney Anderson | Corey Ballantine | Keelan Doss | Daeshon Hall | Kelvin Harmon | KeeSean Johnson | Trace McSorley | Jimmy Moreland | Dare Ogunbowale | Darius Slayton | Ty Summers
Rodney Anderson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Anderson isn’t Joe Mixon, but he did a nice Mixon-impersonation on Thursday night. If Mixon were to miss time, Anderson might leap Giovanni Bernard as Cincinnati’s primary ball carrier. Anderson’s injury history is worrisome, but he has an every down skill set with size, power and receiving ability. Where Anderson really made an impact in this game was as a receiver, particularly after the catch.
Corey Ballentine, CB, New York Giants
All of a sudden, the Giants have a crowded and talented cornerback room. Ballentine started this game and got his hands on the football several times on Thursday night. He also made several stops in the run game. Ballentine has man coverage skills and should fit in well with New York and overall, the Giants coverage looks to be much improved in 2019.
Keelan Doss, WR, Oakland Raiders
Doss shows up big week after week for the Raiders. Doss isn’t overly fast or explosive, but he is an advanced route runner and is becoming very reliable. Doss also displays top ball skills. His style of wide receiver play has translated to today’s NFL very well of late. Doss has been a huge part of what has been a very productive preseason receiving corps. He has a sturdy build and with his mental makeup profiles as a special teams contributor as well.
Daeshon Hall, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Hall has been productive all preseason and kept it up against the Ravens. Actually, he has been a wrecking machine rushing the passer all preseason. Hall has both length and thickness with a great motor. He has also continued to add weight making him a great fit in a pure 4-3 scheme. After three straight great games, the Eagles are going to have a very tough time keeping Hall off the field, even with Philadelphia’s deep defensive line rotation.
Kelvin Harmon, WR, Washington Redskins
Harmon only caught two passes against the Falcons, but he has a chance to help the Redskins passing game early in his career, especially when considering the question marks ahead of Harmon on the depth chart. Harmon has obvious size and physicality at the catch point as well as with the football in his hands. He isn’t the fastest receiver or overly quick, but he was extremely productive at the college level.
KeeSean Johnson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
There has been a ton of buzz around Johnson this entire preseason. In fact, he has stood out more than fellow rookie wide receivers Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler. Against Minnesota, Johnson caught seven passes for 85 yards. Two of Arizona’s wide receiver spots are locked in with Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, but Johnson now has a chance to be on a field a ton in the regular season, especially if the Cardinals employ as many four wide sets as most expect.
Trace McSorley, QB, Baltimore Ravens
After what McSorley did against the Eagles, he has to be mentioned. The rookie quarterback played extensively and carved Philadelphia up with his legs, which wasn’t all that surprising, as well as with his arm, that was more shocking. Both of McSorley’s touchdown passes were exceptional throws with precision accuracy and touch. McSorley was a much better all-around player at the college level than his draft status would indicate.
Jimmy Moreland, CB, Washington Redskins
Week after week, Moreland continues to play at an extremely high level for the Redskins. He gets his hands on passes and doesn’t allow big plays. This is a guy that picked off 18 passes in college. Moreland doesn’t have great bulk or length, but he plays with a feisty aggressive attitude. He could be the Redskins best option at slot corner for now and for years to come.
Dare Ogunbowale, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ogunbowale touched the ball nine times and racked up 41 yards against a Cleveland defense that just dominated this game with their pass-rush. This is the third straight productive game for Ogunbowale. He isn’t the biggest or fastest runner, but Ogunbowale runs hard and does a nice job finding creases in the defense. Considering the sad state of Tampa Bay’s running back position, maybe he is putting himself in line for regular season touches.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
The Giants might need to call on Slayton in Week 1 of the regular season. He has been impressive since joining the league and has downfield ability where the majority of New York’s top wide receivers are more short-to-intermediate options. Slayton had a nice night against the Bengals and might soon become New York’s best downfield option.
Ty Summers, LB, Green Bay Packers
Summers was highly productive against the Raiders. With many of the top players totally sitting this one out in Winnipeg, Summers got plenty of opportunities to make plays. He came through in a big way. What stands out most when watching Summers is his athletic ability. He can really run and has explosive movement skills. This is a player to monitor in 2019, even if he just begins his pro career on special teams.
