Rams QB Ty Simpson leads NFL preseason Week 1 rookie standouts

From early first-rounders who justified the hype to undrafted free agents who surprised just about everyone, the Week 1 slate was dominated by first-year players who stole the show.

Narrowing the list down was no easy task, but here are the top rookie performances that caught our eye.

Best rookie performances of preseason Week 1

Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams

No rookie had a better preseason debut than Matthew Stafford's understudy in Los Angeles.

Simpson reminded everyone why he was a first-round pick by completing 21 of his 25 attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs.

Rams coach Sean McVay was delighted with what he saw.

"I thought he took what the defense gave him," McVay told reporters. "I thought he read the plays out, read with his feet. I thought he did a really good job overall.”

One preseason game won't silence the doubters who questioned whether Simpson deserved to be taken with the 13th overall pick, but it's a start.

Drew Allar, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Allar did not take a single snap until the second half against the Packers, but he made every one of them count.

The third-round pick finished 10 of 13 for around 153 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score, good for a passer close to perfect.

His most impressive play came on a 74-plus-yard catch-and-run to fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen.

Given the questions that followed Allar out of Penn State about accuracy and decision-making, a mistake-free display was exactly the statement he needed to make.

He did most of his damage against backups, which adds to the fact that it's far too early to declare him the successor to Aaron Rodgers, but Allar's performance will get everyone thinking.

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

Expectations are sky-high for the Heisman winner, and while it will be months before we know if he can deliver as a No. 1 pick should, he certainly looked the part this week.

Mendoza wasn't perfect, but the poise was there for all to see, as he completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown on his debut.

Kirk Cousins remains the starter for now, but a performance like this will only add to the growing clamour for Mendoza to take over sooner rather than later.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

The third overall pick saw plenty of action, turning his 14 touches into an impressive 72 yards from scrimmage before an injury cut his night short.

Cardinals' fans breathed a huge sigh of relief once coach Mike LaFleur indicated the injury was not serious.

After starting slowly, he showed plenty of the explosiveness that made him such a coveted prospect, breaking off chunks of yardage in much the same way as he did at Notre Dame.

As mentioned in our Week 1 takeaways, more performances like this could put to bed the idea of Love splitting carries with Tyler Allgeier in the backfield.

De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Stribling arrived hot after a strong showing in camp, and after hauling in seven of his eight targets for 63 yards, he left even hotter.

With Ricky Pearsall out for the season and Christian Kirk banged up, his path to real playing time was already wider than it first appeared when he was drafted 33rd overall.

After a performance like this, and even with Mike Evans trending toward returning, expectations have shifted from 'could be good down the stretch' to 'should make an impact from Week 1.'

Camden Brown, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Brown was enjoying a strong training camp, but very few outside of Dallas were talking about the undrafted free agent in recent weeks.

That will change going forward, after the Georgia Southern product caught three passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle.

Both scores were contested grabs, including a one-handed snag that instantly became one of the plays of the preseason.

CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy have the Cowboys' starting roles locked down, but there's room enough behind them for Brown to make a case for a spot on the roster.

Rookies who deserve a mention

Plenty of other rookies made a case for inclusion.

• Browns WR KC Concepcion looked dangerous, catching three balls for 27 yards and adding a 14-yard score on a handoff.
• Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson was lively, piling up 59 yards on just 12 carries.
• Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels threw for 111 yards and added a rushing touchdown in relief duty against the Jets.
• Commanders running back Robert Henry Jr had a special debut, with a touchdown and 75 yards rushing at an impressive 6.3 yards per carry.
• Ravens receiver Ja'Kobi Lane and Steelers receiver Kaden Wetjen both scored touchdowns that lived up to their camp hype.
• Undrafted Saints edge rusher Michael Heldman recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss against the Jaguars.
• And lest we forget kickers exist, we must give props to the Packers' Trey Smack, who went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 58-yarder.

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