NFL Stock Watch: Trey Lance Shines, While Deshaun Watson Struggles

Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions

•Riser: QB Desmond Ridder (ATL)

Speaking of former Cincinnati Bearcats’, Jerome Ford’s college teammate, Desmond Ridder, showcased his talent against the Detroit Lions. Ridder was shaky to start the night, resulting in some poor under and overthrows. However, once he dialed it back in, he was a joy to watch. Ridder used his superb athleticism to create plays on the ground, something he was not asked to do as much in college. He also flashed his potential as a passer, throwing multiple touchdown passes. The final touchdown clinched the win for Atlanta, as Ridder completed a 21-yard pass with under two minutes left in the game. Marcus Mariota played well too, but this is a battle to keep tabs on.

•Faller: WR Drake London (ATL)

Similar to Zach Wilson, London is a faller strictly due to injury. After recording a 24-yard catch and showing an ability to get open on the outside as well as the inside, London pulled up with a knee injury on the first drive. The severity of the injury is still unknown, but if it is enough to keep the former USC Trojan out of the lineup, this cuts down on his progression as a rookie in 2022.

•Riser: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (DET)

The Detroit Lions used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on hometown boy, Aidan Hutchinson. The former Michigan Wolverine took little time to show why he was worthy of such a lofty draft pick. “Hutch” made multiple plays on the first series of the game, forcing the scrambling Marcus Mariota out of bounds and then stopping the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage later on in the drive. The pass rusher has already made his presence felt in the locker room, and now has shown that he is a productive player on the field as well.

Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers

•Riser: QB Trey Lance (SF)

Trey Lance only appeared in the first two drives for San Francisco, but boy did he make an impact on the game. On the first drive, Lance missed Danny Gray on third down, which led to a field goal. A very promising sign from Lance came during his next (and final) drive. This time, Danny Gray got open again and Trey Lance did not miss him. They connected on a 76-yard touchdown, causing a stir among the Niners’ faithful. By design, Lance did not run much on Friday, but this will change once the regular season gets underway. This felt like a true changing of the guard performance.

•Faller: RB Trey Sermon (SF)

It is wrong to use box scores against a player too much in the preseason, but Trey Sermon underwhelmed big time in terms of efficiency. He looked spry and moved well, but could not get things going on the ground. After the team spent a third-round pick on Sermon in 2021, many believed he would challenge Elijah Mitchell for the starter role entering 2022. Mitchell is slated to miss the preseason, but Sermon must do more to capitalize on this opportunity. Especially with this years’ third-round pick, Tyrion Davis-Price, breathing down his neck for the No. 2 role.

•Riser: WR Romeo Doubs (GB)

Throughout the Packers’ training camp, it has been impossible to ignore the attention that Romeo Doubs has garnered. Those in attendance have said for weeks that Doubs is the best receiver on the roster currently, and the wide receiver out of Nevada made those folks look brilliant on Friday. Sure, he had a really bad drop, but the good far outweighed the bad. Doubs has a surprisingly great release off of the line, and he uses this to blow by his defenders. Although Jordan Love missed Doubs on a wide open touchdown, they were able to connect the next drive with a 33-yard bomb for a touchdown. If he looks this good without the back-to-back MVP, just imagine what will happen when it’s Aaron Rodgers throwing him the rock.