The 2018 NFL Draft class is chock full of players who could start as rookies, and that’s bad news for veterans with a loose grip on their starting job.
Here are 10 veterans who have grown accustomed to being starters, but are in jeopardy of losing their job to rookies.
Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys
With Dez Bryant gone, Williams and the rest of the Cowboys wide receivers will have an opportunity to be “the guy” for quarterback Dak Prescott. One player to keep an eye on is third-round draft pick Michael Gallup, who has turned heads in training camp. Williams, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which he put up a goose egg for touchdown catches.
CJ Prosise, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks haven’t had a true No. 1 running back since Marshawn Lynch, but they may have found one in first-round draft pick Rashaad Penny. All Penny did in 2017 was lead the nation in rushing with 2,248 yards to go along with 23 scores. Prosise will see time as the team’s change-of-pace back, but Penny is the clear-cut choice to handle the bulk of Seattle’s carries this season.
Kevin White, Chicago Bears
Three seasons in the NFL, three straight years on injured reserve. That’s essentially been White’s career in a nutshell. If he’s able to stay healthy, though, White will have an opportunity to win a starting job with the Bears this season, but only if he can stave off second-round pick Anthony Miller. Judging from everything that’s been said about Miller in camp, it sounds like he’s the favorite to start opposite Allen Robinson.
Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions
The Lions have ranked near the bottom in rushing in each of the past four seasons, which might explain why they took an offensive lineman and a running back with their first two picks in last April’s draft. Abdullah and LeGarrette Blount will be in the mix to get some carries, but Kerryon Johnson made his case for the starting job with a solid performance in last Friday’s preseason game.
Kerryon Johnson got busy doing bad things Friday night. The rookie looked goood. https://t.co/M0nktJbrfX
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 11, 2018
The second-round pick finished with 67 yards from scrimmage and looked more than capable of shouldering the load for Detroit during the regular season.
Braxton Miller, Houston Texans
The college quarterback turned NFL wide receiver has totaled just 34 receptions in two seasons with the Texans, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Miller’s job as the team’s top slot receiver could go to a rookie. Fourth-round pick Keke Coutee has impressed his teammates in camp, and he was one of the most productive wide receivers in college football last season with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Kai Forbath, Minnesota Vikings
Daniel Carlson, a fifth-round pick of the Vikings last April, seems to be comfortably in front of Forbath for Minnesota’s place-kicking job after a perfect outing last Saturday that saw the rookie connect on all four of his extra-point attempts and two field goals, including a 57-yarder that might have been good from 60.
Daniel Carlson makes an almost 60-yard field goal look like a chip shot #WarDamnSkol pic.twitter.com/zzW42R1jGa
— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) August 12, 2018
Forbath has held down the kicking job for the last two seasons with the Vikings, but Carlson’s power and accuracy are tough to ignore.
Phillip Dorsett, New England Patriots
After seeing just 18 targets with the Patriots last season, Dorsett is looking at a more prominent role in 2018, especially in Weeks 1-4 while Julian Edelman serves his suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. That said, the opportunity to temporarily replace Edelman is open to any of New England’s wide receivers, including sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios, who was viewed as a perfect fit for the Patriots in the draft. Berrios’ preseason debut last Thursday left a lot to be desired, but he should get more opportunities to shine in the exhibition games to come.
Donald Penn, Oakland Raiders
Penn has been a staple of the Raiders’ offensive line for the last four seasons, but his starting job at left tackle isn’t a given anymore after the team drafted Kolton Miller last April. That, plus the fact that Penn is coming off foot surgery and has yet to practice in camp could open the door for Miller take the job sooner rather than later.
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
It’s highly unlikely that the Ravens hand the reins to first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson to start the season given how well Flacco has looked in camp, but after going 20-22 in the past three seasons as the starting quarterback, Flacco doesn’t have the longest of leashes. Granted, injuries have played a part in the former Super Bowl MVP’s decline, but the Ravens might not hesitate to call Jackson’s number at the first sign of trouble for Flacco. And if they choose to stick with a veteran, rather than Jackson, Robert Griffin III has also had a strong training camp, and has looked good in both of the team’s preseason games thus far.
Ted Ginn Jr., New Orleans Saints
Ginn was the No. 2 wide receiver for the Saints last season, but free-agent pickup Cameron Meredith figures to assume that role once he’s fully recovered from the knee injury that kept him out all of last season. That leaves only the slot as a possibility for Ginn, but he will be pushed for the job by third-round draft pick Tre’Quan Smith, who has been making a name for himself in camp.
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