This article is part of our Football Draft Kit series.
As always, the first week of the preseason mostly was comprised of meaningless action designed to help coaches with back-end roster decisions, and yet there still were some valuable nuggets that should help fantasy owners prepare for our drafts. In addition to the usual smattering of backup running back battles, there were major developments involving potential starters in Jacksonville, Minnesota and Washington.
While obviously locked into his role as Carolina's No. 1 wideout, Kelvin Benjamin has been a subject of interest dating back to last season when his snaps seemingly were limited as a result of poor conditioning. His 23-yard,jump-ball touchdown in Wednesday's game against Houston was a clear display of how he gets by without speed, though it does still look like he might benefit from losing another five pounds. In any case, he's clearly gotten his weight under control since reporting to the team in April dreadfully out of shape. Benjamin produced two catches for 40 yards and a score while playing only one series Wednesday.
Rookie third-round pick D'Onta Foreman tore up Carolina for 76 yards on nine carries and six more on two receptions. Alfred Blue made his own case with five carries for 33 yards and a touchdown and one catch for seven yards while clearly working ahead of the rookie. Blue is still a plodding veteran with limited pass-catching skills and no real upside, whereas Foreman displayed rare speed for a 225-pound back on this 41-yard run in Wednesday's game. Foreman makes more sense as a Lamar Miller handcuff or late-round dart.
Miami's Damien Williams worked ahead of Kenyan Drake (concussion) against the Falcons in Jay Ajayi's absence, taking six carries for 18 yards before the second-year Alabama product got his first touch. Drake is the bigger name and more explosive athlete, but Williams' well-rounded skillset makes him the favorite to serve as Ajay's top backup. Drake suffered a concussion at Monday's practice, reducing his odds to move ahead of Williams by Week 1.
Buffalo's Jonathan Williams shined against Minnesota, taking four carries for 39 yards and catching his lone target for another seven, though he did come out of the game with a seemingly minor hamstring injury. There's been talk of Mike Tolbert (four carries for 27 yards) poaching backup snaps -- particularly at the goal line or on passing downs -- but Williams still profiles as the primary beneficiary in the event of a LeSean McCoy injury.
Minnesota's Dalvin Cook only had 13 yards on five carries but made up for it by catching all four of his targets for 30 yards. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon both have plenty of experience catching passes, but neither has ever been efficient with that work (and both were held out of Thursday's game). Cook is one step closer to the lead job, though blocking may be more important than receiving when it comes to passing-down snaps.
Washington's Samaje Perine had a nightmare debut that included a fumble, a dropped pass and struggles in pass protection, along with a 6-15-0 rushing line. Talk of the rookie challenging Rob Kelley appears to have been hasty.
Chris Ivory got the start and the first carry for Jacksonville, but Leonard Fournette (foot) and T.J. Yeldon also mixed in throughout the first half, with the rookie getting all three carries inside the New England 10-yard line (he converted the last one for a one-yard score). Fournette finished with nine carries for 31 yards, while Ivory had six for 20 and caught a pass for five yards. The rookie would have a tough time pushing for RB1 value while ceding passing-down work to Yeldon and goal-line work to Ivory. The first part is a near certainty, whereas the second part is still to be determined. Fournette did come out of the game with a foot injury, which doesn't seem to be severe but could limit his action the rest of the preseason.
New England's Dion Lewis had seven carries for 32 yards and caught four of five targets for 23 yards, while James White, Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee (hamstring) all were held out. Might Lewis be on the roster bubble?
Brock Osweiler started against the Saints coming off a strong week of practice, but he proceeded to complete only six of 14 passes for 42 yards, while DeShone Kizer tore it up with the second unit to the tune of 11-of-18 passing for 184 and a score. This battle isn't over, but Cody Kessler's place in it might be; he was 5-of-10 for 47 yards with the third-stringers.
Ty Montgomery lost a fumble and only had eight yards on four touches, while rookie fourth-rounder Jamaal Williams took four carries for 14 yards as the top backup. Williams at least seems to have the No. 2 role locked down, and Montgomery's struggles in pass protection could lead to a more even split than most are anticipating.
Denver's De'Angelo Henderson was impressive in his pro debut, taking seven carries for 54 yards and a score and hauling in his lone target for a one-yard gain. With Devontae Booker (wrist) uncertain for Week 1 and Jamaal Charles (knee) still a total question mark, Henderson could open the season with a key role spelling C.J. Anderson.
Bears rookie scatback Tarik Cohen surprisingly didn't draw any targets, but he did gain 39 yards on seven carries while working ahead of every Chicago runner besides Jordan Howard. To be fair, Jeremy Langford (ankle) wasn't available, though it's possible Cohen is already ahead of Langford in the competition for backup work.
Paul Perkins managed only three yards on five carries and didn't draw any targets against Pittsburgh. He hasn't been mentioned as a standout at training camp, and it's possible both Shane Vereen and Orleans Darkwa will have significant roles. While still the best Giants back to own, Perkins should be met with great skepticism at this stage. We'll be keeping a close eye on him the next few weeks.
Joe Mixon had six carries for 31 yards and caught his lone target for 11 yards Friday against Tampa, clearly working behind starter Jeremy Hill, who had seven carries for 26 yards. With Gio Bernard (knee) trending toward Week 1 availability, Mixon could really use a strong preseason to boost his cause. Hill and Bernard both figure to stay involved even if the rookie also has a key role. Hill remains the favorite for the Week 1 starting gig.
Mike Evans picked up right where he left off last season, catching four of seven targets for 58 yards to account for more than half of Jameis Winston's pass attempts and yardage. Evans even drew three red-zone targets, including on back-to-back plays from the two-yard line (though both fell incomplete). Concerns about the improved supporting cast impacting Evans' volume might have been overblown. Then again they might not be -- I'll be watching closely the next two preseason games and into the regular season.
Todd Gurley stayed on the field for passing downs with the Rams' first-team offense, notably picking up 10 yards on a 3rd-and-13 dump off. With Lance Dunbar (knee) out indefinitely and backup Malcolm Brown not noted for his receiving skills, Gurley could be in line for a true three-down workhorse role. As for the No. 2 job, Brown seems to have a comfortable edge over undrafted rookie Justin Davis, who rumbled for 70 yards on nine carries against third-string defenders.
Darren McFadden had six carries (for 28 yards) and four targets (one catch for eight yards) before Alfred Morris got a single touch, with another two carries (for 14 yards) wiped out by penalties. Morris only gained 11 yards on five carries and nine yards on one catch, showing why the Cowboys view McFadden as the locked-in top option in Ezekiel Elliott's absence. That's not going to change before Week 1, though Elliott's eligibility might if he can drag out the appeal for a bit.
Detroit's Kenny Golladay was highly impressive for a rookie third-round pick, catching three of four targets for 54 yards and two scores, albeit with all the production occurring after Matt Stafford's four-snap cameo. The rookie is competing for the No. 3 job against T.J. Jones, whose only target came from Stafford and resulted in a 22-yard gain. It was a strong showing from both candidates.
Travis Benjamin looked awfully healthy on this 74-yard touchdown, though it did come from Kellen Clemens rather than Philip Rivers, who spread his six pass attempts to five different players (including Benjamin).
Also of note, Branden Oliver mixed in with the Chargers' first-team offense and caught a 14-yard pass from Rivers, working ahead of Andre Williams and Kenneth Farrow. None of the candidates for the No. 2 running back job posted an impressive stat line, but the usage suggests Oliver is an early favorite.
