The NFL regular season isn't here yet so there may be time for more preseason updates but now that teams have been in action for a little while it's a good time to check in on how former Wildcats are doing in the league.
Quinton Bohanna
One Dallas Cowboys blog — Blogging the Boys — gave Bohanna a rave review after his first preseason action with the NFC East franchise.
"Bohanna routinely showcased impressive strength and surprising agility for his size, holding his own against opposing offensive linemen and getting penetration into the backfield," site writer David Howman wrote. "He also displayed hustle; on one play he got an assisted tackle after running downfield to tackle a receiver from behind. That unwillingness to give up on the play was something Dallas didn’t see much of last year, at least early on.
All in all, Bohanna finished with three total tackles, but he also had several snaps where he affected the offense with his presence and technique. It wasn’t a whole lot to go off of, and it has to be stressed that Bohanna wasn’t going up against the cream of the crop anyway, but it was highly encouraging."
That was back on August 7th.
A week after that performance and report Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore suffered a dislocated elbow and he's going to be out for more than a month, still. That could be an opportunity for Bohanna although there are other players in the mix as well.
Jamin Davis
According to PFF, Jamin Davis was the highest graded rookie defensive player in NFL action on Monday night with a 75.3 grade against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Washington reporter Bryan Manning wrote, "He only played 17 snaps, but he was not only more active, but he was trusting his instincts more. Attacking the line of scrimmage instead of waiting. It was a small step, but it was encouraging growth."
There have been some who have identified Davis as a possible Rookie of the Year candidate and that kind of performance is evidence that he could be in the mix.
It was a step up from Washington's preseason opener, after which official team site writer Zach Selby wrote, "There were plenty of lessons to be learned for Jamin Davis in his first preseason game. He's played well in practice, but last week's game against the Patriots gave him a chance to get a better feel for the speed of the game. Now that he has an idea of what to expect in a game scenario, he knows how to adjust certain aspects of his game. Based on his own assessments, he could have played more downhill and used better positioning in coverage. And as a linebacker, he could always improve upon knowing his teammates' assignments and making sure they're working together. By fine-tuning those aspects of his game, Davis hopes to give people a better idea of the player he really is."
Part of Washington's job is to set Davis up for success as the NFL game slows down for him. On that point Matthew Paras has written, "Two preseason games into his NFL career, Davis isn’t there yet. In fact, the coaches seem to be narrowing his role in the defense, keeping him as the middle linebacker in its 4-3 base defense. When the team deploys its nickel package — which it used 65% of the time in 2020 — Davis isn’t normally one of the two featured linebackers. Washington instead has rolled with veterans Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb."
Kelvin Joseph
A second round pick for the Cowboys, Kelvin Joseph has been making waves and turning heads ever since he arrived in Dallas. Going all the way back three weeks there were reports that Joseph was already in the mix for a potential starting spot.
The Cowboys' Director of Player Personnel has been quoted as stating, "Yeah, (Joseph) is kicking butt. He is doing some really good things. He's really going to be a big help for us this year, on a timeline he's going to really help us out. He's jumped out."
Nahshon Wright, Anthony Brown, Maurice Canady, and Trevon Diggs are some of the other players in competition for the cornerback positions.
But Joseph has the kind of skill and athleticism that could make it hard for the coaches to keep him on the sideline for a long time.
A.J. Rose
In a blowout loss to start the preseason former UK running back A.J. Rose was the Vikings' best offensive player. That was in part due to not rushing against first teamers but he topped the 100 yard mark and that had to be taken as a good sign.
Rose is not going to be taking many carries from Dalvin Cook but if he can string together more good days then it could help his effort to join the roster.
Brandin Echols
"Tackle Mekhi Becton left the field and is being evaluated for a head injury, while rookie cornerback Brandin Echols is being looked at for a hip injury, according to Robert Saleh. The Jets took Becton out after he endured a head-to-head collision and vomited. Echols landed on his hip during a coverage play and left with trainers," Greenawalt wrote.
Echols made a name for himself early in Jets camp with a pick six in practice and Saleh has given New York's young defensive backs an opportunity to compete against the better offensive players on the roster.
Landon Young
According to PFF, former UK offensive tackle Landon Young is the second highest graded rookie offensive tackle so far this preseason with an overall 78.7 grade with the New Orleans Saints.
Saints writer John Sigler included Young in a recent story about players who have helped their position in advance of roster cuts.
"The rookie has stayed in his natural position at left tackle despite practicing on the right side over the summer, and he's performed very well against other backups," Sigler wrote. "He didn't allow a single pressure to the Jaguars defensive line and so far has yielded just one (a hurry) through two preseason games, totaling 26 snaps in pass protection. Versatility will do more to help him earn a roster spot than beating up on other teams' reserves, but it's encouraging progress. The Saints normally dress eight linemen on game days and keep nine on the active roster, and he's firmly in the mix."
Boogie Watson
PFF gave Watson a solid 61.5 grade on 15 snaps in the Steelers third preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
Dave Schofield and Jeff Hartman of Behind the Steel Curtain have predicted the next five players to be cut by Pittsburgh and both included Watson in that prediction. However, Hartman noted that none of his previous round of prediction on cuts was correct and there's sometimes a heavy degree of guessing on this point.
Both also included former UK defensive lineman TJ Carter on that cut prediction list.
