Playmakers to watch in 2023
After an overly anticipated preseason week one , some names standout against the rest. Then again some still don’t get the recognition they deserve. The guys on this list have shined in week one and should get some mention for it! Every week will be three new names from the prior weekends games, giving respect to the guys who deserve it and might not see much love in the mainstream media. That said, here’s the first three guys who stood out to Sport Dispatch:
Dane Jackson- Buffalo Bills starting cornerback opposite of Tre White, an aggressive tackler who found an interception in preseason week one. Playing with White , you can see the tremendous growth in man coverage, and confidence from play to play. Without anymore critical errors, Dane Jackson has proven to be worth the developmental time the Bills invested into Jackson’s early playing career. He will enter his fourth season primed to make some noise.
2023 prediction: 65 total tackles*, 4 INTs *(1 will be on Jets QB Rodgers), and at least 1 forced fumble. (*=career high for season totals)
Emmanuel Wilson- Green Bay Packers 3rd/4th running back by the time preseason is almost a certainty. Currently the 6th man on the depth chart behind big names like AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones. Playing time after the preseason may have been isolated but after a debut such as Wilson’s, the Packers coaching staff might be drawing up some extra play calls with Wilson in design. 111 yards on 6 attempts plus 2 touchdowns! Gigantic numbers for an undrafted rookie already on his second team of his career. Denver signed Wilson post draft but released him three days later. Look for #31 to make some more noise in the preseason games against the Patriots and Seahawks. Green Bay surely won’t feel comfortable trying to carry him on the practice squad this year meaning he should be one of the 53 man roster spots the Packers can maintain.
2023 prediction: 20 attempts, 160 yards, 2 touchdowns
Tyrie Cleveland- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver , listed behind the main five guys on the depth chart, getting a spot on the Eagles 53 might be a stretch. However Cleveland caught five balls for 68 yards and was clearly comfortable on the field in his preseason outing against the Browns. He was Mariota’s go to guy trying to connect ten times throughout the game, a display that another team could appreciate and pay him for. This time of year is riddled with injury snd performance decline , Cleveland could easily find a home in the coming weeks and be a contributor for said team as well. The other bright spot to Tyrie is his special teams gunner ability, making tackles and covering kicks without hesitancy will always boost someone’s chances of earning a spot.
2023 prediction: on a new team (Bucaneers), 40 catches, 325 yards, 5 touchdowns
Sport Dispatch
Sport Dispatch 