With final cuts just around the corner (all teams must reduce their rosters to 53 by Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EST), and the 2022 regular season starting Thursday, September 8, anybody who doesn’t have a lock on a starting job tends to see the final week of the preseason as a sort of Hunger Games. At this point, you’re not just trying to impress your coaches and your teammates — you’re just trying to hang onto the roster spot you have, or give enough of an effort to make other teams aware. Perhaps one of those teams will pick you up if you do get cut.
Our Secret Superstars list for that final week of the preseason has a lot of guys who may have either evaded the Turk (the guy who comes to your room, knocks on your door, and quietly asks you to bring your playbook to the head coach’s office to let you know you’re off the team), or have done enough to eliminate any doubt as to their veracity as starters in the league.
The clock is ticking, oxygen is getting thin, and it’s all about to be for real. Here are the under-the-radar players who did the most to advance their cases for themselves in Week 3 of the 2022 preseason. Since there were so many of them this week, we’re splitting the list into two parts. The Secret Superstars All-Offense team is right here.
Sam WIlliams, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
(Troy McClure voice)
“Hi. I’m Sam Williams, pass-rusher for the Dallas Cowboys. You may remember me from such plays as the dumbest roughing the passer penalty of the 2022 NFL preseason. But I’m also a second-round rookie out of Mississippi, and I’m trying to make my way in the NFL. In this preseason, per the good people over at Pro Football Focus, I’ve amassed one sack, four quarterback hurries, and four stops in 132 snaps. When my Cowboys faced off against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night in our preseason finale, I was the first defender to force Seattle left tackle (and fellow rookie) Charles Cross to give up a pressure of any kind.
.@DallasCowboys second-round pick Sam Williams registers the sack! 😤
📺: #SEAvsDAL on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/NuFDwY3j8a pic.twitter.com/67zCQvgHQu— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2022
“As Mr. McClure himself has said, ‘My Good Looks Paid For That Pool, And My Talent Filled It With Water!'”
Derek Rivers, EDGE, Houston Texans
Selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2018 draft out of Youngstown State, Rivers has bounced around the league since, never amassing more than two sacks and eight pressures in any one season. The Texans signed him to a one-year contract in March, and he was very solid this preseason. He had three sacks and 11 pressures in three games, and against the 49ers last Thursday, Rivers (No. 95) was a real problem for San Francisco’s outmanned offensive line, as this tackle for loss showed.
Unfortunately, Rivers suffered a torn biceps in the San Francisco game, which means that he’ll miss the 2022 regular season. It’s a shame, as Rivers had put some really good plays on tape, but that’ll have teams looking at him in 2023.
Texans veteran defensive end Derek Rivers, who was having an excellent preseason and vying for roster spot, diagnosed with torn biceps, per a league source. Tough setback for a player who has checked every box this preseason.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 26, 2022
Tashawn Bower, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders
The Vikings signed Bower in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of LSU, and he moved between Minnesota and New England over the next few seasons. Perhaps new Raiders head coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took note of Bower’s talent — Las Vegas signed Bower in April, and the veteran did his best to stick this preseason, with four sacks, 11 total pressures, and 10 stops in 159 total snaps. Those four sacks led the NFL this preseason, as did Bower’s five tackles for loss.
Tashawn Bower's Preseason:
– 148 snaps
– 12 pressuers
– 4 sacks
– 6 QB Hits
– 8 Hurries
– 7 Run Stops
– Forced Fumble— Tristen Kuhn (@KuhnTristen) August 27, 2022
Bower (No. 96) presented serious problems for New England’s beleaguered line last Friday; he gave his old team what for with two sacks, a quarterback hurry, and four stops. This strip-sack of quarterback Brian Hoyer, in which Bower beat left tackle Justin Herron, was perhaps the splashiest play of a most impressive preseason.
Matthew Butler, DI, Las Vegas Raiders
Speaking of Raiders defensive linemen… new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has an abundance of riches with which to deploy his multi-faceted pressure packages. When you have Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones terrorizing tackles off the edge, that’s a good thing. And Butler, selected in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Tennessee, might be a hidden force multiplier on the inside. He was especially disruptive against the Patriots with a quarterback hit and four quarterback hurries, but he’s been a surprise standout throughout.
Matthew Butler was a fantastic Day 3 pick for the Raiders…. Nice QB pressures yesterday vs NE. Some solid power/lean and then winning on the edge of OG
Butler/Nichols should be the sub 3-techs https://t.co/7FyUmhSGdy pic.twitter.com/dPxwCWedog
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) August 27, 2022
Grover Stewart, DI, Indianapolis Colts
Stewart isn’t a secret here at Touchdown Wire — in 2021, we named him as the NFL’s best pass-rusher from the one-technique position, wreaking havoc between the guard and the center. Playing alongside DeForest Buckner will get you one-on-one opportunities, but Stewart can also create his own.
#90 Grover Stewart going Super Saiyan on a drive and blowing up three straight plays pic.twitter.com/RsAZ2UyATy
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) August 29, 2022
My favorite rep from Stewart against the Buccaneers last Saturday came with 7:31 left in the first quarter. This tackle for loss was an extension of the old Joe Greene “Stunt 4-3,” where Greene would line up at an angle, blow through the guard and the tackle, and blow up anything that moved. The 2017 fourth-rounder from Albany State continues to excel.
Frankie Luvu, LB, Carolina Panthers
Luvu played his first three NFL seasons with the Jets after they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State in 2018. The Panthers signed him to a one-year deal in 2021, just in time for Luvu to excel in Phil Snow’s multiple defenses, and Carolina followed up with a two-year, $9 million deal in February.
Against the Bills on Friday, Luvu validated his team’s faith in his potential. He was all over the place as an off-ball linebacker, a blitzer in mug looks at the line of scrimmage, and an aggressive run defender.
Frankie Luvu’s quickness blows up this 4th & 1 for Buffalo. Xavier Woods right there, too. pic.twitter.com/56cb1Pt2fU
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) August 28, 2022
Luvu (No. 49) also showed potential as a sideline-to-side defender who can blow up a screen pass from the middle of the field, when such things are required.
Nahshon Wright, CB, Dallas Cowboys
If you want a reason that former Falcons head coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will eventually get another shot as a head coach… well, you can start with the fact that Dallas’ defense rose from 23rd to second in DVOA in 2021, his first year there. Want another reason? Take a look at all the young defenders showing up and showing off under Quinn’s tutelage.
Wright, the 2021 third-round cornerback out of Oregon State is one of three Cowboys defenders in this week’s Secret Superstars list, based on his outstanding performance against Seattle’s passing game (such as it is these days). Wright allowed two catches on six targets against the Seahawks for eight yards. He also had this interception, and overall, he allowed an opponent passer rating of 2.8.
Last time we checked, that’s pretty good.
Nahshon Wright interception!!!
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/Ln8Vjdl6ew
— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) August 27, 2022
Greg Stroman Jr., CB, Chicago Bears
The 2021 Bears had one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses, especially against the deep ball, where they allowed 11 touchdowns and had no interceptions on passes of 20 or more air yards. New head coach Matt Eberflus no doubt has his share of insights on how to fix that from his time as the Colts’ defensive coordinator, and the team went secondary-heavy at the top of their draft with second-round cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker.
Stroman, the former Washington (NFL) cornerback who hasn’t played since the 2020 season, showed against the Browns on Saturday that he’d like to help with that improvement process. He gave up two catches on six targets for 12 yards, this interception, an opponent passer rating of 2.8. Moreover, Stroman looked impressively sticky throughout routes he was covering when it was time to match receivers.
Greg Stroman Jr. gets the takeaway 💯 @IAM_GSIII
📱: Stream #CHIvsCLE on NFL+ https://t.co/dk9akPer7B pic.twitter.com/8hobKz5SR5
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2022
Michael Jackson, CB, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are a team in transition at just about every position, which leaves a lot of openings for enterprising young players. Jackson, a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2019 who has also spent time with the Patriots and Lions, looks like such a player. He’s allowed just six catches on 17 targets for Seattle this preseason, and though he has no interceptions, the tape shows a guy who’s been close more often than not. What has impressed about Jackson most of all is his intelligent aggressiveness when going after the ball — he has the speed and acumen to run routes with receivers, and he knows how to time his attacks for the ball.
Seahawks cornerback Michael Jackson had three pass breakups against the Cowboys, and he's been sticky in coverage throughout the preseason. Seattle may have a dude here. pic.twitter.com/d911v4guaA
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 29, 2022
“He’s played well,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Jackson on August 23, three days before he shut down just about every Cowboys receiver in his vicinity. “I’m really anxious for him to get another shot at it to do it again. I think he’s been one of the surprises to really step to the front not just to play and be a good ball player, but to really step up and make plays and make things happen, and very aggressively as well.”
So far, so good.
Jalen Pitre, S, Houston Texans
On Monday, Texans head coach Lovie Smith refused to name rookie running back Dameon Pierce as his Week 1 starter, despite the fact that Pierce has demolished the two NFL defenses he’s faced so far.
Smith had no similar reticence about the starting status of Pitre, the second-round rookie from Baylor who has reminded some (okay, me) of an embryonic Tyrann Mathieu with his ability to play all over the field, doing everything from blowing up run fits to covering the deep third and deep half with aplomb.
“I’ve told you about Jalen Pitre, that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you about everything else,” Smith said. “If I was going to tell you, I would’ve come out here and said that. We’re not naming any more positions. Since Jalen Pitre has been in the starting lineup the entire time that he’s here, that’s an easy one. With our running back position, I think you can see why we’ll kind of wait for that.”
Alrighty then! In any event, Pitre has more than earned Smith’s confidence. Opposing quarterbacks tested Pitre with three targets this preseason, and he didn’t allow a single completion. Smith has to love how aggressive and accurate Pitre is as a run defender…
Get you a safety that defends the run from a deep alignment like Jalen Pitre (5) does.
His 5 tackles last night was second on the #Texans defense pic.twitter.com/3HcWHGnN4V
— Jordan Pun (@Texans_Thoughts) August 26, 2022
Smith also had to like this play, where Pitre (No. 5) locked George Kittle up from the line of scrimmage, preventing Trey Lance from going to the easy outlet, and allowing cornerback Steven Nelson to break up the deep pass.
“What we notice, is when you’re making a whole lot of big flash plays,” Smith said after the 49ers game. “Jalen has been consistent throughout. He’s a smart player. He’s been like a sponge as far as learning. But he’s going to be around the ball. That’s what we’ve seen since OTAs. I’m excited about going forward with him and him lining up for us when Indy comes into town.”
And there you have it.
Israel Mukuamu, S, Dallas Cowboys
Another Cowboys defender in this piece? Verily. Dallas took Mukuamu in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of South Carolina, and he played just 20 defensive snaps in his rookie campaign. There may be an uptick in 2022. In this preseason, Mukuamu allowed three catches on six targets for 47 yards, one touchdown, an opponent passer rating of 76.4, and these two interceptions — once against the Chargers in Week 2, and one against the Seahawks last Friday.
Two straight games with an INT for @IsraelMukuamu!
📺: #SEAvsDAL on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/NuFDwY3j8a pic.twitter.com/MScZk1xRy3— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2022
Israel Mukuamu LET'S GO!
Would really like him to make it at safety. Thought that's where he'd fit coming out of college.
Filled the alley well on the play prior. pic.twitter.com/W6EGWXlYu7
— Dalton Miller (@DaltonBMiller) August 21, 2022
The play prior was this: Mukuamu (No. 24) crashing into the backfield to slow Chargers running back Joshua Kelley down.
