The Most Intriguing Rookie Storylines at Jacksonville Jaguars' OTAs

Competition spawns the majority of news and stories from OTAs, but for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their rookies, there are other storylines to consider. These five players have new challenges in the NFL, and how they handle them will mean a lot for their first season.

For most, it's basically a case of transition and dealing with the new responsibilities or roles of being an NFL player. While it can be narrowed down to the transition from college to the NFL, each player's potential story is different.

The Jaguars have one of the most talented rookie classes thanks to an incredible draft, and it's for that reason that they can handle this new challenge. The Jaguars will ask a lot of some of these guys, and that won't be easy by any means.

It's impossible to predict exactly how any of these rookies will handle the NFL, but a lot of these guys were either from top programs or were at the top of their teams in college. Success in college obviously doesn't always translate to pro success, but it definitely helps their case.

The situations and storylines are dependents to the performance of the rookies, which just adds more depth to each rookie's story overall. Besides handling all the extra details of being an NFL player, they need to handle business on and off the field.

It won't be an easy process, but it's one that can kick-start an NFL career. A player proving that he can handle it now makes the first season easier, and he will earn the trust of the coaches and the supporters.

With the intro out of the way, let's look at the five most intriguing rookie storylines at the Jaguars' OTAs.

Michael Bennett Going from National Champion to the Jaguars

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Michael Bennett most likely knew that he was trading Ohio State and national championships for a team trying to reach that level, but he may not have thought he was joining the Jaguars. The transition is now a bit more drastic, and the change doesn't stop there.

Bennett's record while at Ohio State was 42-10, and from 2012 to 2014, he was 36-3. Ohio State has been one of the country's elite programs throughout history, and the past three seasons have been some of its best.

Now, Bennett is coming to the Jaguars, whose record from 2012 to 2014 was 9-39—a bit different, to say the least. Trading a championship program for a struggling NFL team is never easy, even with the Jaguars' improvement and atmosphere.

Not only is Bennett trading success for struggle, but he's also going from one of college football's finest to a guy who will probably be the third string. It's hard to tell exactly where he'll end up, but he's most likely the Jaguars' third option.

Overall, this doesn't necessarily change what is expected from Bennett, but it does provide an interesting challenge. The change of pace and success wouldn't be easy for any player, especially for one as successful as Bennett.

However, he can wipe all the past clean and change if he just handles himself and proves his worth to the Jaguars in OTAs. A successful offseason starts here, and the better he does, the less drastic the overall change will be.

Rashad Greene Preparing for Blake Bortles

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Rashad Greene, like Michael Bennett, is going from one of the nation's top programs to a struggling NFL team in the Jaguars. However, his transition is a bit different, and it's mostly because of higher expectations than Bennett.

Greene is expected to be the go-to slot receiver in Jacksonville this year, a responsibility he was familiar with at Florida State. And although this is an important part of his new challenge, the more prevalent one deals with quarterback Blake Bortles.

Of all the receivers toward the top of the depth chart, Greene is the only one who doesn't have prior experience with Bortles. As we saw last season, new partnerships between QB and WR are never easy, and how Greene handles it will be interesting.

He has to make the most of his OTAs and possible non-organized practice with Bortles. The faster he gets on the same page with Bortles, the better they'll both perform, which will be crucial this year.

Greene's situation is different than most other rookies because of his expectations and the situation at WR. He can lock down a starting spot and become an important player in his first season, and that will all start with his relationship with Bortles.

T.J. Yeldon Fighting to Stay at the Top

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While at Alabama, T.J. Yeldon was constantly competing with some of the most talented running backs in the SEC, such as Derrick Henry and Eddie Lacy. Although he's traded Lacy and Henry for players like Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart, the intense competition is still there.

Yeldon knows what it's like to fight to move up in the pecking order, but he's spent the last two seasons as the Crimson Tide's top back, so he seems more experienced with maintaining his top spot, which he'll need this offseason. 

Throughout OTAs and into the season, Yeldon will have to defend his starting spot from guys who have been fighting for the spot a good while longer. Robinson will be entering his third season, and Gerhart will be entering his sixth season. 

Both will be gunning to show they deserve the starting spot over a rookie, which, as mentioned, Yeldon is familiar with. He defended his spot for two straight years against up-and-coming players, and now he's defending his spot from veterans.

Yeldon has to handle business in OTAs, and the battle won't end there. All the way up to the season and through most of the season, Yeldon will be fighting to maintain being the starting back.

It's not an easy task, but his experience in this position will help him. He was a three-down back in college, and if he can prove his legitimacy sooner rather than later, his first season will be a little bit easier.

Neal Sterling Learning from Julius Thomas

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Neal Sterling's role with the Jaguars this season and in the future isn't necessarily finalized, but it seems like the Jaguars want to develop him into a tight end. That's an exciting goal considering Sterling is 6'5" and 235 pounds, and his probable teacher is Julius Thomas.

Thomas has been one of the top TEs in the NFL the past two seasons, and his addition to the Jaguars should really make a difference on offense. However, with Sterling under his wing, Thomas is doing more than just bringing down receptions for the Jaguars.

The rise of the pure receiving TE has caused a lot of teams to find their project to mold and shape into a player who can be an offense's top receiver. Thomas is a project himself, and his experience transitioning will do a lot for Sterling.

Sterling was a top WR for Monmouth, and the transition to TE shouldn't be all that difficult, really. He's a huge player and plays a game similar to what you might see in Thomas, but he can still learn a lot in OTAs even before his primary tutoring begins.

He needs to make sure he keeps his mind open and handles business in practice before anything. It's not completely certain Sterling will transition to TE, and he could still have a future as a WR.

It's not easy to find a place within a team, but Sterling can do so by performing in OTAs. The Jaguars obviously have faith in his ability, but he needs to show he's willing to change his game accordingly and that he can gain something from working with Thomas.

James Sample Switching from Strong Safety to Free Safety

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James Sample went down an unorthodox path in college, but it's paid off. Leaving Washington after two seasons on the bench for JUCO and then finally getting his starting chance as a strong safety at Louisville now sees him gunning for a starter spot.

That starting spot is where the questions arise. Sample is fighting for a free safety spot rather than his accustomed strong safety spot, and while that's not a perfect situation, it's better than what most rookies walk into.

Sample is a solid coverage player and has terrific ball skills, most apparent in his four interceptions for Louisville last season. He's got the ability to perform, but can he make the transition and beat out his competitors?

Veteran Sergio Brown was signed this offseason to compete for the position as well. Their battle for the spot is interesting enough, but Sample seems to have the overall larger load to carry through the offseason.

Not only is he competing against a player who's seen playing time with the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, he's also competing for a position he didn't play much in college. It's not an easy task, but performing in OTAs and beating out Brown can be done.

If he is able to win the starting spot, it'll be extremely impressive. The Jaguars will pick the best of the two, and if Sample is able to win the job with the extra baggage, he could be set for a terrific rookie season.