Takeaways for Most Intriguing Rookies from NFL Team Minicamps

Rookie minicamps provide the first taste of the upcoming NFL season, as incoming first-year players take the field for the first time as professional athletes.

The process is quite literally a learning experience.

The prospects are putting on their uniforms for the first time and doing far more mentally than they are physically. Contact is at a minimum with only helmets and no pads—which places far more emphasis on technique and simply getting the playbook down.

"This will be more mental and about building these guys up than a physical camp," Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told reporters about minicamp. "It's just the way the rules are."

There are still areas where individuals can impress despite the practice restrictions.

"Do they take things that were implemented in the classroom and do them in the walk-throughs? If you make a mistake, can you correct it?" Smith said. "How quickly they learn, all those are ways to stand out."

Typically, the skill-position performers gain the most in these settings.

As such, the most intriguing notes from this year's rookie minicamps all involve those who play quarterback, wide receiver, running back or tight end. Even in these limited practices, excitement builds for certain situations.

QB Bryce Young Looks the Part for Panthers

Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 13: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers talks with teammates before a drill during practice at Bank of America Stadium on May 13, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

No better place to start than at the top, where the Carolina Panthers drafted quarterback Bryce Young with this year's No. 1 overall selection.

The knock on Young has always been his size. He's a 5'10", 204-pound quarterback. But the Panthers were sold on his mental makeup. One NFC executive went as far to refer to Young as a "mental savant" prior to the draft, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"Most pro-ready. Sees the whole field better than anyone," an AFC personnel evaluator said.

So, Young's seamless transition, even in his first minicamp, should come as no surprise.

"I think he's going to progress quickly in anything he does," Carolina head coach Frank Reich said, per The Athletic's Joseph Person. "I think we all know that's the kind of person he is. That's the kind of player he is and how fast his mind thinks, and how gifted he is physically. You can just see him throwing the football out there, how easy it is for him."

Young's perceived shortcomings (pun intended) are vastly outweighed by what he brings to the huddle and with his pre- and post-snap processing.

"The dude is one of the smartest dudes I've been in the huddle with," the 27-year-old Austin Proehl, who was at the minicamp as a tryout player, told reporters. "He's got instincts. He throws you open. He's got great timing. You can tell he's been there before. The moment's not too big,"

Bijan Robinson Will Be Far More Than An RB in Falcons Offense

AP Photo/John Bazemore

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson (7) catches a pass during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 12, 2023, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Atlanta Falcons have taken an interesting approach to roster building. During the last three draft classes, they chose a tight end, wide receiver and running back in the top 10.

Atlanta's most recent addition of Bijan Robinson shouldn't be viewed entirely through the lens of positional value, as he will be used as more than just a traditional running back.

Head coach Arthur Smith described Robinson as a "home run hitter" in the offense, while Tyler Allgeier (1,035 rushing yards in 2022) is "a sledgehammer that's bludgeoning through their line of scrimmage as the game goes on and wears you down," per the Associated Press' Charles Odum.

While not as polished as Christian McCaffrey entering the league, this year's eighth overall pick will be used quite a bit in the passing game.

"With Bijan, how he fits, there are a lot of guys that are versatile," Smith said Friday. "... We feel like we can give some people some unique matchups and continue to push the limits, and we're excited about all the rookies in it."

The trio of Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Robinson will create headaches for opposing defensive coordinators and should help greatly in quarterback Desmond Ridder's maturation.

Ravens Cater Offense to WR Zay Flowers

AP Photo/Gail Burton

Baltimore Ravens first round draft pick wide receiver Zay Flowers answers questions after practice, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Owings Mills, MD. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

For the first time since the Baltimore Ravens selected Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the organization's offensive approach isn't necessarily about building specifically around the quarterback.

New offensive coordinator Todd Monken is expected to open up the offense and make it more explosive. For that to happen, the Ravens needed to bolster their wide receivers corps. They did with the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and this year's 22nd overall draft pick, Zay Flowers.

"I think whenever you acquire talent, you then assess where can you put those players in the best position to showcase that talent," Monken said, per Adam Schultz of Ravens Country. "If you have a space player like Zay [Flowers], you have to get creative in ways to get him the ball and showcase that."

It feels like a very long time since the Ravens had a wide receiver who justified manufacturing ways to get the ball into his hands. After all, Marquise Brown is the only wide receiver to crack the 1,000-yard plateau during the last six campaigns.

In the end, the approach is about making life easier on Jackson and not leaning as heavily on a ground-and-pound attack.

"I think the more talented you are around your quarterback, the less he has to burden—take on that burden—shoulder the load because you're excited about getting others the football where they can utilize their skill set," Monken said.

Vikings' WR Jordan Addison Ready to Perform Opposite Justin Jefferson

Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

EAGAN, MN - MAY 12: Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Jordan Addison (3) makes a catch during the first day of Minnesota Vikings Rookie Mini-camp at TCO Performance Center on May 12, 2023 in Eagan, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Typically, the decision to move a proven veteran and then immediately sink a first-round pick into the same position isn't good roster management. But the Minnesota Vikings may have effectively done so twice in recent years.

Originally, the organization traded Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills and used the 2020 first-round draft pick it received to select Justin Jefferson. This offseason, the Vikings released Adam Thielen and then immediately drafted Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick.

Jefferson, who's the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, turned out to be an upgrade. It's far too early to say the same about Addison, but his quickness, route running and ability to create separation are already translating.

"You can tell he's a little bit ahead of a lot of the guys out on the field today," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters. "He's understanding exactly what that play means for what routes he has and how to go adjust once the picture changes when that ball is snapped. I was looking forward to seeing how he was moving. Just coming in and out of cuts and attacking the football when it was in the air."

Last season, no other wide receiver currently on the Vikings roster managed more than 650 receiving yards and the team will still rely on K.J. Osborn. Addison can immediately fill the spot vacated by Thielen.

"He looks the part, which is exactly what I expected out of him," O'Connell said.

Colts' WR Josh Downs Already on Same Page With QB Anthony Richardson

Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 06: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) runs through a drill during the Indianapolis Colts rookie camp practice on May 6, 2023 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The story of Josh Downs tracking down his new quarterback, Anthony Richardson, to throw a little bit in the parking lot the night before the start of the Indianapolis Colts' rookie minicamp immediately became a trending topic.

Obviously, quarterback Anthony Richardson is the Colts' headliner after being selected with this year's fourth overall pick. His natural abilities, athletic traits and upside are staggering. The 20-year-old signal-caller will need help from his wide receivers. They'll be extremely beneficial if they can get open quickly and provide consistent options.

Enter Downs.

Richardson let their pre-minicamp throwing session slip during his first post-practice Q&A with the local press. But Downs showed exactly why former NFL great and current Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne called him "the best receiver" in his combine group. He's a sudden target capable of running circles around defensive backs in small spaces. Plus, he has very strong hands for a smaller receiver.

"They expect me to do a lot of option routes, a lot of crossing routes, a lot of drags and underneath stuff and then sometimes over the top," Downs told reporters. "Similar to T.Y. [Hilton], working over the middle is where I thrive at. I love working over the middle. A lot of people don't like it. You're going to take hits here and there, but that's where the money's at."

Richardson and Downs should grow together to become a formidable battery, much like Andrew Luck and Hilton once did.

TE Sam LaPorta Steals Show Among Detroit Lions' Rookies

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta watches during an NFL football rookie minicamp practice in Allen Park, Mich., Saturday, May 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The Detroit Lions made the organizational decision not to make Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson a centerpiece of their team. Instead, they traded the 2019 eighth overall pick to a division rival in the Minnesota Vikings last season, where he was named to his second Pro Bowl.

The Lions didn't stray too far when it came to finding Hockenson's eventual replacement. General manager Brad Holmes went back to Iowa and selected Sam LaPorta with this year's 34th overall pick.

Despite playing in the same collegiate system, LaPorta brings a different skill set.

Hockenson's high draft status was built upon him being a true two-way tight end as a good pass-catcher and dominant blocker. The incoming rookie doesn't have the same in-line skills, but he can be an asset in the passing game. He started to show how terrific he can be during the Lions' rookie minicamp.

"Hat's off to him," head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. "He's a hell of a player, you guys know that."

With Detroit in need of help from a complementary pass-catcher to take some pressure off Amon-Ra St. Brown, LaPorta's sub-4.6-second 40-yard-dash speed, route running and tenacity after the catch can make the rookie an offensive focal point.

"You know, somebody called me 'underwhelming' one time, and I was like, 'all right?'" LaPorta admitted. "I think I can play with the best of them, but if I don't impress you, it doesn't really matter. My play will do the talking hopefully."