14 NFL preseason All-Stars from Week 1

If this inaugural weekend of NFL preseason action is any indication of how the season will go, then rookie quarterbacks will be the big story across the league –– and it isn’t who you think.

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in this year’s draft, both struggled in their debuts and left with injuries. The Los Angeles Rams planned to play Goff in the second and third quarters, but he was removed at halftime with a shoulder scare. Head coach Jeff Fisher said Goff will have to monitor the situation closely over the next couple of days.

Prior to the injury, Goff looked pedestrian under center. He went 4 of 9 for 38 yards and an interception. Wentz fared a little better than his numbers would indicate, but still only completed 50 percent of his passes and threw a pick before suffering a hairline fracture. Eagles head coach Doug Pedersen says Wentz is expected to play in this week’s game.

While first-rounder Paxton Lynch impressed for the Denver Broncos –– he completed 6 of 7 passes for 74 yards –– the rookie QBs who really stole the show were an undrafted backup, a little-known fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State and the much-maligned Cardale Jones. Neither of these three players are expected to start this season, but August is their time to shine. That’s what the preseason is all about, right?

Over these last four nights, a number of players have separated themselves from the pack. Some of them are household names, but many of them are not. And for this one week, at least, they all stand together as a part of the Preseason All-Star squad.

Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): When backup Kellen Moore broke his ankle earlier this month, it seemed as if the Cowboys would have no choice but to bring in another quarterback. The team that lost all eight of its games without Tony Romo last season knows the value of QB depth.

Dak Prescott’s dazzling performance in the Cowboys’ 28-24 loss to the Rams doesn’t mean he’s a shoo-in for the No. 2 job, but it greatly helps his case. The fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdown, earning praise from Dez Bryant in the process.

“I think the best thing about Dak is that he is extremely calm,” Bryant said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s like he’s been here before. He’s not playing like a rookie. He is going to be very good; he’s special.”

Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was impressed with Prescott in practice. The rookie couldn’t have performed much better in a game than he did Saturday.

Trevone Boykin (Seattle Seahawks): August is a time for undrafted rookies to shine, and that’s exactly what Boykin did in the Seahawks’ come-from-behind 17-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

With five seconds remaining and the Seahawks trailing by seven, Boykin hurled a Hail Mary pass to receiver Tanner McEvoy in the end zone. He came down with the catch, and Seattle converted its two-point attempt to defeat the Chiefs.

With Russell Wilson locked in at quarterback for the next several years, it’s unlikely that Boykin will get much of a chance with the Seahawks. But that doesn’t mean his performance was meaningless. Four years ago, Wilson’s stellar camp is what won him the quarterback job as a rookie over Matt Flynn. Boykin isn’t a threat to supplant Wilson, obviously, but Pete Carroll is watching this stuff. With a couple of more games like that, Boykin could play his way onto the roster.

Cardale Jones (Buffalo Bills): In a vacuum, Jones’ passing line (11 of 21 completions, 161 yards and a touchdown) in the Buffalo Bills’ 19-18 loss to the Indianapolis Colts isn’t particularly impressive. But his performance late in the game showed he possesses the football acumen to be a professional quarterback. Jones led the Bills down the field in the final moments before connecting with Jarrett Boykin on a four-yard touchdown pass that brought Buffalo within one. (The Bills couldn’t punch in the two-point conversion to take the lead.)

There’s a reason why Ohio State went undefeated in all 23 games Jones played in. He’s not used to losing, and appears to be a promising NFL prospect.

George Atkinson III (Oakland Raiders): This is Atkinson’s fourth go-around with the Raiders, and he may finally be poised to make an impact.

The 23-year old running back led all rushers with 97 yards this week, scampering his way to a potential roster spot. “You want to have confidence,” Atkinson said, via ESPN. “But you also need to work on things that didn’t go right and to continue to get better and, I’m still trying to make the team.”

Atkinson’s father was a Raider great. His son is still a long way from superstardom, but now at least looks like he belongs.

DeMarco Murray (Tennessee Titans): Two years ago, Murray led the NFL in rushing. When the Titans picked him up for proverbial pennies on the dollar from the Philadelphia Eagles in March, they were counting on him to find that skill set once again. After one preseason game, it appears as if he’s on his way.

The Titans’ running game dominated in their 27-10 win over the San Diego Chargers. Titans backs ran for 288 yards, with Murray unleashing a 71-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

Murray, 28, went through a season of turmoil in Philadelphia. But he could resurrect his career in Tennessee and help lead the Titans back to respectability.

Dwyane Washington (Detroit Lions): The rookie running back may still be a longshot to make the Lions’ roster, but he’s been turning heads this summer. Washington’s electricity was on display in Detroit’s 30-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Friday, as he returned a kickoff 96 yards to the house.

With speed like that, it will be difficult for the Lions coaching staff to cut the seventh-round pick at the end of the month.

Allen Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars): Robinson is one of the best young receivers in the NFL. He reeled in 80 catches for 1,400 yards last season, both of which were massive upgrades from his rookie season.

He showed he’s Blake Bortles’ No. 1 target in the Jaguars’ 17-13 loss to the New York Jets, making leaping catches on back-to-back throws.

Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints): The second-round draft pick is expected to be a significant contributor to the Saints’ passing game this season, and didn’t disappoint in his debut Thursday. He led the Saints with four receptions and 67 yards, making a couple of jaw-dropping catches in the process.

Cody Latimer (Denver Broncos): Latimer admitted recently Peyton Manning’s presence made him nervous during his first two years with the team. But now, in his third season, he seems to be playing with more confidence.

Latimer led all receivers with seven receptions this week and gained 82 yards. With Demaryius Thomas’ proclivity for dropping passes and Emmanuel Sanders nearing 30, his emergence could be crucial to the Broncos’ offensive success.

Terrelle Pryor (Cleveland Browns): In last season’s season finale, Pryor reeled in a 42-yard pass. He picked up right where he left off in Cleveland’s 17-11 loss to the Green Bay Packers Friday night.

In the first quarter, Pryor found himself on the receiving end of Robert Griffin III’s first pass with the Browns. He seamlessly caught the 49-yard bomb down the right sideline, leading one to believe that maybe this football thing could still work out for the failed quarterback after all.

Owa Odighizuwa (New York Giants): The Giants, once defined by their suffocating pass-rush, have become one of the most porous defenses in the league. In an effort to rectify that, they spent big money on defensive linemen Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison as well as cornerback Janoris Jenkins in free agency. But their most impressive defender Friday was Odighizuwa, a 2015 second-round pick who played in just four games during his rookie campaign.

Obdighizuwa recorded two sacks in New York’s 27-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins and was credited with three tackles as well. He may not be a headline name, but he could be a valuable contributor to a defense that must be better if the Giants are going to seriously compete in the NFC East.

Jamie Collins (New England Patriots): The typically tight-lipped Bill Belichick isn’t shy about praising Collins. The 2013 second-round pick is one of the most versatile linebackers in football, possessing the ability to make big plays in both the passing and running game.

That’s exactly what he did during the Patriots’ 34-22 victory over the Saints Thursday night. In addition to a pick six, he wrecked havoc in the New Orleans backfield.

Collins, 26, is in a contract year. He’s setting himself up to get paid –– big time.

Marcus Peters (Kansas City Chiefs): Peters showed he had a nose for the football during his rookie season, coming down with eight interceptions. He recorded his first pick of the preseason when he got his hands on a throw from Russell Wilson midway through the first quarter of the Chiefs’ 17-16 loss to Seattle.

According to Richard Sherman, the NFL’s next lockdown cornerback resides in Kansas City. He’s right.

Cairo Santos (Kansas City Chiefs): Heading into training camp, the kicker who garnered the most attention across the league was Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round draft pick, Roberto Aguayo. But the veteran Santos stole the show Saturday with a booming 58-yard field goal. (His regular season high is 53 yards, by the way.)

With strength like that, Santos looks like he could hit a field goal from 60 yards. Andy Reid may feel compelled to try it before the preseason wraps up.