Eye-catching rookies might make impact

Last week I spent a day at NFL Films looking at tape of some of this year's rookie class. Here are some of my thoughts on the players I watched. The thing about looking at rookies is you have to be careful not to reach any conclusions based on preseason performances. Rookies are just learning the pro game so some players will progress faster than others. I always looked for the positives in players in preseason.

Percy Harvin in the open field will be a frightening sight for defenses. (US Presswire)

My feeling is that you look for something to build on, with the idea players can improve with coaching, experience and physical development. With that in mind here are the players I liked. One thing to keep in mind is that time only permitted me to look at a limited number of players.

Fun player to watch

Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings

Harvin will be used in a variety of ways. He will line up in the backfield in a Wildcat, where he will take the direct snap. He will line up at wide receiver. He will return kicks. Harvin has explosive ability. He has breakaway speed, so any time he touches the ball he can score. He has quick feet and explosion out of his breaks that make him potentially hard to cover as a wide receiver and a threat as a running back when he runs out of the Wildcat formation. These same characteristics will make him an effective return man. He is also not just a jack of all trades and a master of none. I believe he can be a starting wide receiver in the NFL and a good one.

First-round QBs

On opening day Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez both started for their teams and deserved to. Both were the best QBs coming out of training camp.

What I like most about Stafford is his ability to make rare plays with his arm, which he showed in the preseason. He also showed toughness, standing in the pocket, as well as an ability to read defenses and go to the second receiver. He did have some judgment errors, but you have to believe he will improve.

Sanchez's best asset is his ability to make plays out of the pocket. He has good mobility, but what he really does well is keep his eyes down field. He is a smart player who can read defenses. I believe both QBs will be successful.

Sanchez has a big edge now because of the team he is playing for. The Jets last year were playing for a playoff spot in the last week of the season and return that team virtually intact with the addition of some free agents, led by Bart Scott. They are a better team than the one that went 9-7 last season. They have two good backs, a good receiving tight end and a good offensive line. On defense they have a good front seven and one of the top corners in the NFL in Darrelle Revis. With this talent, Sanchez does not have to win the game by himself, which is a big break for a rookie QB.

Stafford is in a whole different boat. He is with a team that was 0-16 last year and is in a major rebuilding job. GM Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz have gotten off to a good start reshaping the team, but it will not be done overnight. The Lions have a chance to be respectable on offense, but I am afraid when their defense faces a good offense like it did Sunday vs. New Orleans the Lions will be playing from behind. That will make it tougher on Stafford because he can't rely on the running game to help him.

The key for Stafford will be to try not to win the game by himself, just run the offense. I hope years from now this is not a classic case of two good QBs coming out of college and one being successful because he went to a playoff-caliber team and the other losing his confidence after struggling with a rebuilding team. If the situations were reversed, I would have the same feelings.

Year of the offensive lineman

Last year was the year of the running backs. This season, I think it will be the year of the offensive linemen.

Michael Oher, RT, Ravens

He has started from Day 1 in the spring. He was the best combination of a run and pass blocker of the left tackles in the draft in my opinion. He is playing right tackle for the Ravens because they already have a talented left tackle in Jared Gaither. What I liked about Oher was his balance and base. He could punch and recover in pass protection. He also displayed the ability to show power in the run game as well as balance and ability. He was also able to slide and block the corner in pass protection. You can tell he is still adjusting at times mentally, but he did compete hard.

Eugene Monroe, LT, and Eben Britton, RT, Jaguars

Both of these are part of a good draft class by GM Gene Smith (defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and cornerback Derek Cox are also starting). Monroe and Britton were the focal point of Jacksonville's effort to rebuild its offensive line. Monroe reported late to camp, but I still saw positives as far as being a good pass blocker, and he seemed more aggressive vs. the run than I thought he was in college. Britton is a tough, aggressive player who will attack you both in the run and pass game. He played left tackle in college but is better suited athletically for right tackle. It might take a year for both players to hit their grove, but they are going to be good players.

Alex Mack, Browns, center

He shows enough quickness to reach block and the strength to handle the nose tackle. What really impressed me was his ability to pull and adjust in space. That is a rare trait for a center.

Eric Wood, guard, and Andy Levitre, guard, Bills

I liked both in college and they played well in the preseason. Levitre played left tackle in college but is now playing guard, which I think is his best position. His best attributes are his balance and aggressiveness in a tight area. Wood, who can also play center, is the better of the two prospects because he is more athletic. That shows up in his footwork as a pass blocker. It will be interesting to see how these players fare in a no-huddle offense. I would think that would be harder on them than if they were in a conventional offense.

Some others to watch

James Laurinaitis, Rams, MLB

He's a very instinctual player against the run and pass. He will beat blocks to the ball. He will be even better when the Rams improve their defensive line.

Chris Wells, Cardinals, running back

I can see this both ways. I can see a player who has lost 20 pounds since college and showed quickness and speed to make plays in the preseason. But I can also see the back that missed most of the preseason because of an injury.

LeSean McCoy, Eagles, RB

McCoy was a late first-round talent who went in the second round. He has the speed and change of direction to make big plays. I do not see him as an inside runner, but he can be dangerous in space. Andy Reid assured me he would get enough touches this year to have an impact even if Brian Westbrook stays healthy.

Jared Cook, Titans, TE

With Bo Scaife injured, Cook should get a chance to play. He is very athletic and fast for a tight end. He even lined up at wideout in training camp. He will not help them much as a blocker, but can be effective in the passing game. There were other players I looked at who struggled some in preseason, but as I wrote earlier you only look for positives in players in the preseason. When you see a player struggle in preseason you don't write him off, you just take more time to evaluate him, and that is why I didn't mention those players.