I do not pay any attention to where a player sits on their team’s depth chart during the preseason. Many coaches choose to put rookies lower on the chart because they don’t want them to get overconfident, while other coaches see it as a sign of disrespect to the veterans. I am way more concerned about where a player is on the depth chart on September 10 rather than August 10.
Also, do not be shocked to see players not playing in preseason games. No coach wants to see a starter get injured and miss serious time in a meaningless game. Look for second and third-string players to get most of the action as they fight for a place on the team’s roster.
Lastly, don’t overate player performance during preseason. Texans rookie WR Tank Dell went for 5/65 and a TD against New England on Thursday. He’s supposed to do that to second/third-string defenders! That doesn’t mean I don’t like Dell (I do); it just means that we need to put his performance into perspective.