BBNFL: 25 former Wildcats play in NFL Preseason Week 1

Football is officially back. While we still have a couple of more weeks before meaningful games begin, the pads cracked en masse during the first week of the NFL preseason and provided a much-appreciated appetizer before the main course is served in a few short weeks. Among the many veterans looking to shed the offseason rust and young hopefuls vying to secure a roster spot, 25 former Kentucky Wildcats saw the field.

You most likely tuned into Will Levis‘s debut for the Tennessee Titans, or perhaps even watched Chris Rodriguez carry the ball as if he were in Kroger Field for the Washington Commanders, but a host of former ‘Cats made a solid first impression for their respective team as well.

It can be difficult to track players who don’t play a position that is draftable in fantasy football. That is why this year, KSR will be bringing you PFF ratings for every former ‘Cat each week of the NFL season.

PFF is a football statistics company known for its in-depth evaluations and grading scale for individual performances. It puts more emphasis on performance above statistical outcomes and normalizes the data across all players, giving a unique perspective on how well a given player performed.

The scale goes from 0 to 100, with 60 being average and 30 being an extremely poor performance.

For example, are you not sure if Luke Fortner had a good game or not as the center of the Jaguars? They might say his rating was 71.2, meaning he was better than average. They even go a step further and rate pass-blocking and run-blocking as well.

Of course, we’ll still look for touchdowns, interceptions, and celebratory dances. Those matter just as much, but hopefully these PFF ratings will be helpful at a glance.

Will Levis took center stage

No Kentucky quarterback since Tim Couch has received as much NFL attention as Will Levis. From his banana-eating habits to his on-field success to his inexplicable draft-day plummet, Levis has been a must-watch character in football.

That did not change during preseason Week 1, despite entering the game as the third quarterback on the Titans’ depth chart attempting to overtake Malik Willis as Ryan Tannehill’s backup. Like most rookies in their debut, there were some growing pains.

Levis finished the day completing 9 of 14 passes for 85 yards and an interception. One of those five-yard completions was to former Kentucky teammate Justin Rigg. Afterward, assistant head coach Terrell Williams said he saw some good and some bad things from Levis and looks at this game as an extension of training camp. One area where Levis will undoubtedly need to improve is his tendency to hold on to the ball a little too long, as the rookie took four sacks on Saturday.

PFF graded Levis with an offensive rating of 46.4, well below average and much lower than his competition, Malik Willis, who graded out at 76.9. From that perspective, Willis got the first jump in the battle for Tennessee’s QB2.

Chris Rodriguez shined for the Commanders

Kentucky’s other prominent offensive rookie, Chris Rodriguez, ran like he was still wearing blue. C-Rod carried the ball just five times but racked up 39 yards, 31 of which came after contact. Yep, he still always falls forward.

His 7.8 yards per attempt led all Washington running backs, as did his impressive 74.4 PFF rating. Great start to his NFL career for Chris Rodriguez.

Rookie RB @CROD_JR
•5 rushes for 39 yards
-I was impressed by his vision and decisiveness to get where he wanted to. He’s also got a burst for a guy his size that’s hard to take down. Here’s all 5 of his rushes ⬇️ #HTTC pic.twitter.com/SZZgUzN8D4

— Josh Taylor (@JoshTaylorFB) August 12, 2023

Carrington Valentine debuts with an interception

The Green Bay Packers may have lost a Hall of Fame player in Aaron Rodgers, but they picked up Carrington Valentine. After the first preseason game, it might be a wash.

Valentine was impressive in his debut overall but highlighted his day with an interception that came off a tipped ball. He also had four tackles and out of the six times the receiver he was guarding was targeted, he only allowed two receptions for 16 yards.

Overall, PFF graded him the highest of any former Kentucky player at an impressive 89.8. The Packers got a steal in the 7th round.

.@run_carri7 gets the pick!#GBvsCIN | #GoPackGo

📺: Packers TV Network + NFL Network pic.twitter.com/TVeCJILNTO

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 12, 2023

Strong defensive showing for former ‘Cats

Mark Stoops is a defensive-minded coach, so it is no surprise his players excelling in the NFL are on that side of the ball. In addition to Carrington Valentine, six more former Wildcats came out of Week 1 of the preseason with a PFF grade above 80.

Brandin Echols for the Jets, Mike Edwards for the Chiefs, Lonnie Johnson Jr. for the Saints, Za’Darius Smith for the Browns, Kelvin “Bossman Fat” Joseph for the Cowboys, and rookie Keidron Smith for the Miami Dolphins all had quality performances despite not securing a specific highlight.

Additionally, Josh Paschal, entering his second season with the Lions after being hurt much of last year, had a solid outing according to PFF with a rating of 72.5

While most of these players saw just 12 to 15 snaps, Keidron Smith played 31 snaps for the Dolphins, showing that the team has confidence in the undrafted free agent.

Offensive players had a steady outing

Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez got all the headlines, but other former Kentucky players on offense held their own well. Benny Snell, a newcomer to the Detroit Lions, rushed the ball six times for 23 yards and led all Detroit running backs in PFF rating with a 60.2.

Lynn Bowden secured his only target for three yards and a first down, as he looks to make the 53-man roster for the New Orleans Saints. He also made a tackle on special teams.

With Randall Cobb sitting out due to veteran status and Wan’Dale Robinson still working his way back from injury, Josh Ali with the Atlanta Falcons led former ‘Cats in receptions, as he hauled in all three of his targets for 14 yards.

On the line, Luke Fortner was his reliable self for the Jaguars in minimal time on the field, however, it was former OVW intern, Tashawn Manning, who outperformed everyone. The guard for the Baltimore Ravens played 28 snaps, allowed zero pressures, and finished the day with a PFF grade of 83, good for the second-best Ravens lineman on the day.

More ridiculously, the Ravens won, meaning they continued their most impressive yet meaningless streak in all of sports by not losing a preseason game since 2015. That’s right, they have won 23 consecutive preseason games.

BBNFL Stats | Preseason Week 1

Player	Pos	Stats	PFF Grade
Carrington Valentine (GB)	CB	29 snaps, 4 tackles, 1 Int	89.8
Brandin Echols (NYJ)	CB	14 snaps, 1 tackle	88.4
Mike Edwards (KC)	S	32 snaps, 1 tackle	84.3
Tashawn Manning (BAL)	G	28 snaps, 0 pressures	83
Kelvin Joseph (DAL)	CB	15 snaps, 3 targets, 0 rec	81.1
Keidron Smith (MIA)	S	31 snaps, 3 tackles	81.1
Za’Darius Smith (CLE)	DE	13 snaps, 1 hit, 1 hurry,	80.6
Lonnie Johnson Jr. (NO)	CB	19 snaps, 1 tackle	80.3
Chris Rodriguez (WAS)	RB	12 snaps, 5 rush, 39 yards (31 YAC)	74.4
Josh Paschal (DET)	DE	12 snaps, 1 hurry, 1 tackle	72.5
Chris Westry (CLE)	CB	5 snaps	64.8
Lynn Bowden (NO)	WR	22 snaps, 1 rec, 3 yards	64.6
Justin Rigg (TEN)	TE	12 snaps, 1 target, 1 rec, 5 yards	63.8
Phil Hoskins (KC)	DT	14 snaps	62.6
Josh Allen (JAX)	LB	9 snaps, 1 tackle	62.1
Luke Fortner (JAX)	C	13 snaps, 0 pressures	60.9
Benny Snell (DET)	RB	21 snaps, 6 rush, 23 yards	60.2
Darian Kinnard (KC)	OT	35 snaps, 1 pressure	60.2
Quinton Bohanna (DAL)	DT	42 snaps	55.2
TJ Carter (LAR)	DE	21 snaps, 1 tackle	54.1
Josh Ali (ATL)	WR	18 snaps, 3 targets, 3 rec, 14 yards	53
Quandre Mosely (NE)	CB	20 snaps, 1 tackle	51.5
Will Levis (TEN)	QB	30 snaps, 9/14, 85 yards, INT, 6 rush yards	46.4
Jamin Davis (WAS)	LB	12 snaps, 1 tackle	40.9
Marquan McCall (CAR)	DT	18 snaps, 3 tackles	32.7
Landon Young (NO)	OT	DNP
Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG)	WR	DNP
Randall Cobb (NYJ)	WR	DNP
Bud Dupree (ATL)	LB	DNP
Yusuf Corker (CIN)	S	DNP