I was super hype for the start of the NFL (pre)season, and it delivered. The Denver Broncos look like legit Super Bowl contenders despite having the third-best odds in their own division. Granted, the Atlanta Falcons are going to be bad. Sneak peek into my upcoming NFL preseason predictions, I have the Falcons picking inside the top 5 in the 2027 NFL Draft. The QB situation with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. is disgusting, and they will be missing BOTH 2025 first round edge rushers for a minimum of 25 games (Jalon Walker, torn ACL out for season & James Pearce Jr., suspended 8 games). They have a Ferrari in Bijan Robinson and two other really good skill position players. Outside of that, yikes. Offensive line? Below average. Defense? Below average.

We’re on to week 2 of the preseason and we know more now than we did last week. We’ll learn more next week and more the week after that. So, let’s focus on where we should be seeking information.

Thursday, August 20

Raiders at Texans — I’m watching Fernando Mendoza. He was solid in his first NFL action, let’s see how he builds on it.

49ers at Chargers — Did you see Omarion Hampton truck that dude on Tuesday? He really could have an incredible season. Apparently joint practice was crazy early in the week with multiple injuries.

Friday, August 21

Jets at Steelers — Rumor is Will Howard and Drew Allar will split the reps 50/50 with the veteran QBs getting the night off. This is the first true Roman Empire gladiator fight this NFL season. You have two dudes: Howard, a National Championship winning QB with Ohio State and Allar, his former Big 10 foe who lost the only head-to-head matchup against Howard. May the better QB come out on top (I still think Allar).

Panthers at Jaguars — I want to watch Travis Hunter play football. I don’t care if it’s on offense or defense, but with Parker Washington missing the rest of the preseason, Hunter should get his opportunity as a receiver.

Packers at Broncos — The Packers have a three-way battle for the starting left guard spot right now. Aaron Banks signed a 4-year, $77M deal last offseason, but rookie Jager Burton and second-year player Jacob Monk. Both Burton and Monk were 5th-round picks. I actually compared Burton to Monk as a prospect before he was drafted to Green Bay so clearly the Packers have a type. They face a damn good Broncos defense, so this is a perfect test.

Saturday, August 22

Commanders at Lions — I’m looking forward to seeing how Jayden Daniels plays in the midst of his off-the-field drama.

Ravens at Vikings — This game is all about the beef. Two rookies going at it in the trenches with Ravens first round pick Vega Ioane going up against Vikings third round pick Dominique Orange aka “Big Citrus”.

Falcons at Colts — I’m not afraid to admit when I miss on a player. Colts’ rookie linebacker Caden Curry dominated in week one of the preseason. I did not have him scouted for the 2026 NFL Draft but the Colts selected him in the 6th round. He looked really good in his debut and is someone I’ll be watching.

Bills at Browns — It’s looking like Shedeur Sanders will get the start in week 2 for the Browns. He seems to be tailing Deshaun Watson in the QB battle right now, but he can make his case against Buffalo. I’ll be tuned in to Prime Time Jr.

Giants at Dolphins — I’m looking forward to watching the talented, rookie receivers in this game. I’ve talked about Malachi Fields, the Giants #2 receiver and the Dolphins Caleb Douglas who has been playing well with the starters in camp. And now the Dolphins add Chris Bell into the mix. All three of these guys are going to get opportunities early in their careers.

Saints at Rams — I’ll talk about Dean Connors forever. I had him as my RB7 in the 2026 class. He went undrafted (I have no idea how) but landed in LA and balled out in week 1 of the preseason, scoring 2 touchdowns. He’s a pass catching back with pretty significant juice. He won’t be an every down back, but I think he deserves a roster spot.

Eagles at Patriots — From joint practice yesterday it looks like the Eagles offense isn’t looking great and AJ Brown is thriving with Drake Maye. If the starters play, I’m guessing tensions will be high.

Bears at Bengals — Defensive tackle Landon Robinson, a Draft Professor favorite, was my DT6 in the 2026 class. His film was impressive but his 5’11, 291-pound frame dropped him all the way to the 7th round (I had a 3rd round grade). Robinson dominated in week 1 of the preseason and has real potential to make the Bengals 53-man roster to open the regular season.

Chiefs at Buccaneers — I’m looking at rookie WR Ted Hurst for the Bucs out of Georgia State. He’s gotten some opportunities early in camp with an injury to Emeka Egbuka that could keep him out of regular season week 1. If that’s the case, Baker Mayfield needs another reliable receiver, and Hurst has been making impressive plays throughout camp.

Cowboys at Cardinals — The Cowboys and the Saints had a joint practice on Tuesday and there were six fights. 6!!! There are videos all around the internet poking fun, but this is the reality of competition at the highest level. There’s always going to be real beef that happens between those lines.

Sunday, August 23

Seahawks at Titans — These two teams don’t joint practice until tomorrow, but I need to see Cam Ward bounce back. I’ve been adamant that he’s going to take a a leap this season, but he’s going to need a lot of help up front. Rookie guard Fernando Carmona is a name to watch. The fifth round pick has been impressing and will get the chance to start.