This week is the third opportunity for the rookies to showcase their talent on the NFL stage. Also, this is an opportunity for some of them to showcase it against starting-caliber talent since this week is considered the dress rehearsal for the regular season.

For the rookies who are on the edge of the roster, this is their best chance to show why they deserve to make the final roster for their team. For the ones who are already firmly entrenched in the final 53, they can show how well they stack up against the type of players they will be pitted against in the regular season.

As always, these performances come with the caveat that the teams aren’t game planning for these contests. Instead, they use vanilla coverages and formations, so they don’t tip their hand for what they plan to do during the regular season. This makes it difficult to gauge the players’ football intelligence, as they won’t have to deal with the complex and exotic schemes they will face later on this season.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few rookies who impressed during the first set of games in the third week of the preseason.

Zach Zenner, Detroit Lions

It feels like a broken record, but Zach Zenner was impressive once again for the Detroit Lions. Zenner had eight carries for 85 yards and a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which should put even more pressure on the Lions’ brass to keep him on the roster.

Zenner showcased the toughness and grit that made him a star at South Dakota State; however, he also showed great vision and sneaky athleticism that allowed him to slice and dice the Jaguars Friday night. Zenner was thought to be on the outside looking in for the Lions’ final roster, but he has done nothing but play extremely well in every game thus far this preseason.

Even with his impressive performance, Zenner still was critical of his own play, “We had a decent week of preparation as an offense and I think we were able to go out and do some things, but in the same time, there is a lot we can improve on, like penalties, including myself,” Zenner said. “I had a penalty, I think a holding call, which can happen. Also, I dropped a screen, so I have a lot to improve on, but still we were able to get the win and do some good things offensively.”

Even with those miniscule mistakes, the Lions would be smart to keep him around because there is a very small chance that they could sneak him onto the practice squad.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

A lot has been made of Marcus Mariota’s practice performances this offseason, but he has showed up quite well in the preseason thus far. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Mariota was once again very efficient as he led the Tennessee Titans from under center. He completed seven of his 11 passes for 99 yards as he consistently made the smart throws throughout.

Now, the real test for Mariota will be when he sees the variety of blitzes and exotic coverages that teams will throw at him once the regular season begins, but he has passed the test thus far. Mariota has shown that he can operate from under center and that he can command a pro-style offense.

The Titans are devoid of talent on their roster, which means Mariota is likely in for a rough year, but it is good to see that the transition to the NFL might not be as big as many thought when he came out of college.

Ramik Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs

Ramik Wilson came into the NFL with little fanfare, but he has shown enough potential to make the Chiefs’ roster and possibly even start for them once the regular season begins. Through the first two weeks of the preseason, Wilson showed well in coverage as he was definite with his drops and has great awareness in zone coverage.

However, he struggled a bit with his run fits and reading his keys in pursuit of the football. Against the Titans, Wilson was much better against the run as the game appeared to slow down for him. He was able to read the offense and flow to the ball much better in this contest.

He finished with only four tackles, but Wilson was around the football throughout the game. He still needs some work, like all rookies, but he has shown that the Chiefs may have found a gem with their fourth-round pick.