After a month of training camp and NFL preseason action, it’s all over. Teams are now preparing for the regular season with their 53-man rosters and practice squads locked in.

It’s time for the starters to take the field, but the fun in preseason is seeing younger players step up and dominate the competition. As usual, there were plenty of players who deserve to be shouted out, but that list would get way too long. It was hard to narrow down, but these eight players impressed their teams and fan bases with their play over the past month.

Joe Fagnano – Baltimore Ravens

Throughout the summer, there was no expectation that the Baltimore Ravens would keep three quarterbacks. It was always expected that the two would be Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Enter undrafted free agent Joe Fagnano, who is 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds and has an interesting backstory. He’s a 25-year-old rookie who spent seven years playing college football. It’s a main reason he performed at such a high level for the Ravens in the preseason.

During his preseason action, Fagnano showed poise in the pocket and the ability to scan the field, making split-second decisions. It’s something rookie quarterbacks struggle with, but for Fagnano it looked effortless. It’d be a dream for Ravens fans to not see Fagnano take a single regular-season snap, but that’s not a bad thing. The team may have found a long-term backup for cheap this summer, which is more valuable than anything.

Wesley Bailey – Los Angeles Rams

This is the second and last underrated free agent on this list, but it’s hard to find players who had a more dominant preseason than Wesley Bailey. Undrafted out of Louisville, Bailey packs great length on the outside with his 6-foot-5 and 265-pound frame. Throughout the summer and preseason, Bailey showed athleticism mixed with pure strength off the edge, which caught the Los Angeles Rams’ eye.

Against New Orleans in the second week of preseason action, he completely broke out. He played 48 defensive snaps and finished the game with 10 pressures, three quarterback hits and one sack. That performance sealed the deal as Bailey played just two snaps in the preseason finale. He joins a room of Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart and Desjuan Johnson.

Jordan van den Berg – Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg maybe didn’t have “crazy” stats throughout the preseason, but watching the film, he popped. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, the sixth-round pick just moved so fluidly for his size. The explosion up the field with his first step and powerful hands were a handful for offensive linemen to handle.

The best part? He looks completely lost out there at the same time. Van Den Berg needs a lot of refinement, but the raw talent is there, and it’s clear the Bears are ready to gamble on it. The team traded away Gervon Dexter to Atlanta, freeing up space in the interior defensive line room.

Chicago’s defensive line has been cited as a reason this team won’t make the Super Bowl run many expect, but Van Den Berg could help address that issue if he can refine his athleticism.

Ty Robinson – Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles took Ty Robinson in the fourth round of last year’s draft, but didn’t flash much as a rookie. He packs great size for an interior defender at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, but, as his own defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, said, “He’s been on life support since he’s been here.”

Robinson needed a strong preseason, and that’s exactly what he gave Philadelphia. In 113 total snaps, he totaled nine pressures, three sacks, and seven run-stop tackles, showing that explosive power he had at Nebraska. The Eagles have given out some big contracts this offseason, so they need cheap depth along the defensive line. With Robinson impressing and making the final 53, he gives the Eagles just that.

Mike Washington Jr. – Las Vegas Raiders

Even with Ashton Jeanty having an injury scare a couple of weeks ago, there was a bit of optimism surrounding the news. Las Vegas Raiders had Mike Washington Jr. ready to step up, and throughout the preseason, he’s done just that.

Washington stood out at the NFL Combine in the spring, running a 4.33 40-yard dash at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds. His workout helped influence the Raiders to take him in the fourth round of the draft, and every time he gets the ball, it’s a chunk play. On 23 attempts, Washington is averaging 7.3 yards per attempt, showing the big-play ability he has. He’s been everything and more that the Raiders could’ve asked for, and he’s made them feel confident in him getting more carries, even when Jeanty is healthy.

Garrett Nussmeier – Kansas City Chiefs

It made no sense that quarterbacks like Taylen Green went before Garrett Nussmeier in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it did. Nussmeier was a projected Day 2, early Day 3 pick, but fell all the way to the seventh round. The Kansas City Chiefs took him, and he’s outplayed that draft position throughout this preseason.

Now we all know Patrick Mahomes is the starter, but with Nussmeier getting time to learn behind Mahomes, he can be the real backup option for the Chiefs down the line. It’s a cheap contract while he’s on his rookie deal and will help the Chiefs save money and pay the other big positions on the roster. The team has Justin Fields for this season, but it’d make sense for them not to re-sign him after this season.

Nussmeier didn’t do anything crazy during the preseason, but he showed what made him an intriguing prospect. He has the arm talent to make throws at awkward arm angles, showed pocket maneuverability, and showed his IQ for the game, getting the ball out quickly at times. The big nagging negative in his game is decision-making, which showed up at times, but overall, Nussmeier showed he can play.

Emmanuel Pregnon – Jacksonville Jaguars

Emmanuel Pregnon had such a dominant debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the preseason; they didn’t need to see any more. In 32 offensive snaps, Pregnon allowed one pressure with one quaterback hit, but throughout showed the power he plays with.

Pregnon fell to the third round of the draft, as many expected him to be taken in Round 2. He’s a mauler at guard, just a huge presence at 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds; watching his film, he just looks comfortable at the guard position. It looks to be a major steal for the Jaguars early on, which is something this draft class needed.

Kaden Wetjen – Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers took Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the value seemed off at the time. Wetjen was more of a return specialist while at Iowa, so taking one that early seemed interesting. But it seems like the Steelers knew what they were doing, because Wetjen has showcased that speed throughout the preseason.

Wetjen’s big play came on a simple in-breaking route in the first week of preseason action, where he turned what would’ve been a small gain into a 74-yard gain. He flashed his big-play ability in the return game as well against Buffalo, taking a punt return 45 yards to the house.