Why This Game Is a Rookie Showcase
Teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game get an extra preseason game on the schedule, and the usual response is to rest starters and let backups and rookies play extended snaps. Both the Cardinals and Panthers fit the profile for leaning into that further: Arizona is rebuilding under new head coach Mike LaFleur after a 3-14 season, and Carolina, fresh off an NFC South title, has less incentive to risk anything with its established players this early. That combination points to heavy rookie and depth-chart reps on both sides.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals
Arizona's No. 3 overall pick enters the game as the highest-profile rookie on either roster. Love ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at 212 pounds at the combine — one of the fastest times ever recorded by a back his size — and comes off a first-team All-American season at Notre Dame. With James Conner still the presumed starter, Canton is an early chance to see how that combine speed shows up in live snaps against someone other than his own teammates.
Chris Brazzell II, WR, Panthers
Carolina's third-round pick out of Tennessee measured 6'4", 198 pounds and ran a 4.37-second 40 at the combine — elite speed for a receiver his size, with a 10-yard split of 1.52 seconds that matches what some running backs post. Brazzell caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns in his final college season. A big catch radius paired with legitimate deep speed is exactly the profile that can turn preseason reps into real regular-season snaps behind Carolina's more established receivers.
Lee Hunter, DT, Panthers
Hunter, a second-round pick out of Texas Tech, offers a different kind of athletic profile entirely: 318 pounds with a 21.5-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot-4 broad jump. Those aren't flashy numbers next to a skill-position player, but for an interior defensive lineman they represent real short-area explosiveness — the kind that shows up as first-step quickness off the snap rather than straight-line speed.
Monroe Freeling, OT, Panthers
Carolina's first-round tackle out of Georgia ran a 4.93-second 40 at 6'7", 315 pounds at the combine, an eye-catching number for a player his size. Offensive tackle athleticism at the combine often gets less attention than skill positions, but for a first-rounder projected to protect Bryce Young's blindside, that kind of foot speed for his frame is a meaningful data point heading into his first live action.
| Player | Team · Position | Combine Standout |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | Cardinals · RB | 4.36s 40-yard dash (212 lbs) |
| Chris Brazzell II | Panthers · WR | 4.37s 40-yard dash (198 lbs) |
| Lee Hunter | Panthers · DT | 21.5" vertical, 8'4" broad jump (318 lbs) |
| Monroe Freeling | Panthers · OT | 4.93s 40-yard dash (315 lbs) |
What to Watch For
None of these four are guaranteed significant snaps once the regular season starts, but the Hall of Fame Game is where combine testing numbers get their first real football context. A fast 40 time means something different once there's a defender trying to stop you from using it. Kickoff is Thursday, August 6 at 8 p.m. ET from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, airing on NBC.