Three huge takeaways from preseason Week 1 | A to Z Sports NFL newsletter originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Week 1 of the NFL preseason has come and gone. We officially got our first look at the 2025 NFL Draft class in action, along with some big players making waves in their push to make the 53-man roster. With the season just weeks away, we’re getting a clearer picture of how the teams may plan to use these players during the regular season.
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Here are some of the biggest takeaways from NFL preseason Week 1:
Shedeur Sanders silences critics: Perhaps the most polarizing figure in the draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 draft. Sanders wasn’t even the only rookie taken by Cleveland. With four QBs on their roster and rumors swirling that Sanders didn’t get a lot of reps with the ones, it appeared that the team may be setting him up to fail. What transpired was nothing short of incredible. Sanders was wheeling and dealing as he completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and multiple touchdowns.
Brandon Little from A to Z Sports put everything into perspective with his comments shortly after the game: “Of course, expectations should be tempered. It was just one preseason game, and things could look very different next week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders got the start because of injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, and he took full advantage of the opportunity — showing glimpses of what he could be for Cleveland. He did take a couple of sacks he’d probably like to have back, but overall it was the kind of performance that makes you want to see him do it again.”
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Darius Cooper shines as a UDFA: The rookie receiver from Tarleton State is making waves across the NFL. Cooper isn’t just competing for a spot on the 53-man roster; he’s fighting to establish himself as a top option in this already impressive offense. While it was just one showing, Cooper made it clear that he’s not going to waste his opportunity. Cooper stole the show, hauling in six of seven targets for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had some high praise for the rookie following the contest: “I mentioned him the other day. I think he has a lot of good tools, catches the ball obviously really well,” Sirianni said after the game. “Those are some tough catches that he made today, particularly on some of those shallows. That fourth-down shallow was like a perfect ball by Tanner with some traffic. I think they were in two-man and he just made a really nice catch there. He’s continuing to get better, learning all the different spots that he needs to play. I think he’s got an opportunity to do some good things. Obviously, you saw that out there today.”
Tyler Warren came ready to play: While the collective NFL world focused on the brutal hit on Anthony Richardson, there was a lot of good for the Indianapolis Colts in their first preseason matchup. When the Colts selected TE Tyler Warren in the first round of the NFL draft, they were hoping he’d come in and make an immediate impact. While it’s the preseason and you should temper your expectations, in his first NFL action, Warren shone.
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As Destin Adams from A to Z reports, “The Colts’ first round didn’t have to play very long yesterday to impress all those watching on. Tyler Warren caught all three of his targets for 40 yards, and he had another catch called back due to a flag. He showed that his strong start in training isn’t just a mirage. He moved very smoothly out there, and his hands are as reliable as they come. It was also good to see he was a big part of the offense with both [Anthony] Richardson and Daniel Jones in at QB. The Colts believe they now have one of the few true game changers at the TE position, and the preseason opener just might have confirmed those beliefs.”
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.