It’s rare that the stars of preseason end up being the stars of the regular season, but breakout performances do happen. Last season, for example, the San Francisco 49ers got their first taste of rookies Aaron Lynch and Chris Borland. Both players had stellar preseasons as rookies, presaging their stellar rookie seasons.
What you don’t see, of course, are established starters. According to Pro Football Focus, Anquan Boldin, Bruce Miller and Justin Smith all played less than 50 snaps throughout the entirety of 2014’s preseason. Veterans do not have a lot to prove during preseason, leaving snaps for young players and bottom-of-the-roster fodder.