How Did Your Rookie QB's Preseason Debut Go?

Author:
Conor Orr
Publish date:
Aug 9, 2019

So…how did your future franchise quarterback do on Thursday night?

Here’s a quick rundown of the first-round picks from their debut preseason action.

Kyler Murray: 6-for-7, 44 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 INT. I’ll repeat something about Murray I said about him in college; he throws a well-placed football and, of his six completed passes, only one was not in an advantageous spot for his wide receiver to catch it. That was my favorite part about Murray at Oklahoma—not only was the velocity there, but the professional-grade, throw-it-where-they-can-catch-it touch was evident from Day One. We’ll see if that changes at the NFL level when he’s not facing a shell of a Chargers defense.

Daniel Jones: 5-for-5, 67 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 INT.No one is sure if Adam Gase is O.K.(like, really O.K.). But he almost assuredly wasn’t okay watching Daniel Jones glide down the field for a touchdown on his first NFL drive. Keep in mind that the Jets removed their first-string defense while the Giants kept in most of their starting-caliber role players. That being said, Jones had some solid placement on his passes. There was a marked difference in velocity between Jones and Eli Manning, who flailed about on his only series, completing his only pass for three yards. Inevitably, those who initially bemoaned the Jones pick will now overcorrect, and call for Manning’s benching within the first month of the regular season.

Dwayne Haskins: 8-for-14, 117 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 INTs. Odd how this played out, that, in descending order, the first-round quarterbacks seemed to fall into line. Of course, that’s absent a good deal of context. I thought Haskins handled duress well, and did throw one contested ball in a professional window. There were also two bad picks. Of the three first-round picks, it would seem Haskins probably has the longest wait to see the field as a full-time starter, though he may have had the best touch on unique throws of any of the three quarterbacks Thursday.

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