2019 NFL Draft: Remember, preseason numbers prove nothing
By Joel Deering
Fans are excited about how well their favorite players have performed in NFL preseason, but they shouldn’t be too excited. Preseason numbers prove nothing.
After the New York Giants selected quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, they were heavily scrutinized for the selection.
Since then, Jones has gone on to silence critics after completing 25 of 30 passes (83.3%) for 369 yards, two touchdowns and a rating of 140.1, which ranks fourth among all quarterbacks who have thrown a pass this NFL preseason.
Ever since running back Ezekiel Elliott has been holding out, the Dallas Cowboys have given first-team reps to their rookie running back, Tony Pollard. Pollard has made the most of his time running with the first-team this NFL preseason, picking up 84 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (5.6 yards per carry).
Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has been spectacular for the New England Patriots during the 2019 NFL preseason. He currently leads all wide receivers in receptions (19) and receiving yards (225), and is tied for first for the most receiving touchdowns (2).
Jones, Pollard and Meyers are just a few examples of players who have been very successful this NFL preseason. If you’re a fan of these guys or the teams they play for, you should be excited about how they’ve performed. However, don’t get too excited. Their preseason performances don’t necessarily mean they’ll produce these numbers during the regular season.
I’m not trying to spoil all the preseason fun. Instead, I want to make a point about just how little preseason numbers actually mean. I could go through every position to find examples, but instead I’m going to go through numbers for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Just enough to make my point.