How Iowa State rookies fared in Week 2 of the NFL preseason

Week 2 of the NFL preseason wasn't as memorable as Week 1 for Iowa State rookies. 

David Montgomery didn't even play. And Hakeem Butler didn't have a catch. 

Instead, the star of the second week for Iowa State rookies was linebacker Willie Harvey who had another strong game for the Cleveland Browns. 

Here’s a look at how Iowa State’s rookies fared in Week 2. 

Hakeem Butler, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Stats: Butler didn’t tally any receptions in Arizona’s 33-26 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

The skinny: Butler has had an up-and-down preseason. It's gone a lot like his Iowa State career, in fact. He’s made some highlight reel catches in practice but struggled with easy drops at times. During his first game, he got substantial playing time and even caught one pass for six yards. But in Week 2, Butler didn’t tally a reception.  

Matthew Eaton, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stats: Eaton didn’t tally any stats in a 16-14 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The skinny: Easton, a non-drafted free agent, was a late signee by the Buccaneers. He has yet to record a stat in the first two weeks of preseason action.

Media coverage: While Eaton hasn’t made much of an impact on the field, The Athletic took note of what he’s done off it. The website wrote about Eaton’s business venture of providing cell phone holders in bathrooms.

Willie Harvey, LB, Cleveland Browns

Stats: Harvey tallied three total tackles and one pass deflection in a 21-18 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The pass deflection secured the win for the Browns.

The skinny: Harvey, a non-drafted free agent, has had a strong preseason. He tallied two tackles in Week 1 and had another strong performance in Week 2. Harvey is listed third on Cleveland’s depth chart at the WILL linebacker spot.

Media coverage: Harvey’s key pass deflection was included by writer Nick Shook among the team’s six plays that changed the game. The play was also a highlight on NFL.com.

David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

Stats: Montgomery didn’t play in Chicago’s 32-13 loss to the New York Giants. But there’s no reason to be worried. Bears coach Matt Nagy sat Montgomery and his starters on offense and defense for Week 2.

The skinny: Montgomery has done all he really needs to at this point. He turned heads with an impressive showing in Week 1, scoring a touchdown in his first game.

Media coverage: The quick success of Montgomery has caught the attention of a lot of people. Bleacher Reporter recently put out a story titled “David Montgomery Is the NFL Rookie You Need to Know About.” But because of all the hype and all the excitement surrounding Montgomery early on, Nagy has tried to bring it down a notch. The Chicago Sun-Times even wrote about how Nagy downplayed Montgomery’s first touchdown. “Yea, it was good,” Nagy said. “It was OK. You guys were blowing it up like it was some great run. It was just average. It was good. Jeez.”

D’Andre Payne, DB, Tennessee Titans

Stats: Payne didn’t tally any stats in a 22-17 loss to the New England Patriots.

The skinny: Payne is a non-drafted free agent. And he’s seen some playing time in the two preseason games but has yet to tally a stat. His versatility and ability to play on special teams are his best shot at landing a spot.

Media coverage: Payne hasn’t done much in the two games but he has turned some heads during practice as Titans senior writer Jim Wyatt notes.