NFL Rookies Jumping Up Depth Charts This Offseason

With the spring workout season complete and training camps about a month away, NFL teams are starting to get an idea for what their depth charts might look like for the 2015 season—and which of their rookies might end up in significant placements on their depth charts.

Most rookies, even some first-round picks, have to claw their way up the depth chart in advance of their debut seasons. Teams don't just give out starting spots in professional football; if a player wants to be in the lineup right away, he has to prove through OTAs, minicamps, training camp and the preseason that he deserves it.

The players highlighted in the following slides—none of whom were selected within the top 50 picks in the 2015 NFL draft—have already started building cases for themselves this offseason.

Players who were drafted with expectations of being immediate starters, such as Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper, are not included in this slideshow, even though they have gotten off to strong starts.

Instead, we take a look at eight rookies who were not expected to start in 2015 but might end up doing so anyway—or at least see significant snaps this season—if they can continue to perform well this summer. None of these players has locked up a starting gig yet—and some might still be long shots to an extent—but all of them have entered the conversation unexpectedly early. We cannot ignore them as preparation for the upcoming year moves forward.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions

Even with the release of Reggie Bush this offseason, the Detroit Lions could bring rookie running back Ameer Abdullah along slowly if they want to; Joique Bell and Theo Riddick are talented enough to form a solid one-two punch. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, though, the Lions have no such plans for the newcomer from Nebraska.

“Second-round pick Ameer Abdullah has impressed coaches with his quick feet and sure hands, and it's evident that the rookie running back will play significant minutes this fall,” Birkett wrote last week.

Per Jeff Seidel of the Free Press, “Abdullah took the first rep at running back with the first team” during last week’s mandatory minicamp.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Lions envision Abdullah as their starting running back in 2015, especially given that Bell was sidelined for the minicamp while continuing to recover from offseason surgeries on his knee and Achilles tendon.

It does appear, however, that Abdullah is at least making a strong push to move ahead of Riddick on the depth chart.

“Abdullah appears to be even better than advertised, particularly as a pass-catcher, and should get plenty of action,” MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke wrote earlier this month.

Although there were some concerns about Abdullah as a draft prospect—specifically, his size (5'9", 205 lbs) and his proneness to fumbling—it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that he is performing well early. He is coming off an excellent collegiate career at Nebraska, where he accumulated more than 7,000 all-purpose yards and was regularly lauded for his work ethic and character.

An agile back who is good at cutting in the open field and making defenders miss, Abdullah could provide a level of dynamism and big-play ability that the Lions did not have in their backfield as Bush battled injuries last season.

Chris Conley, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

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A player who stood out for his athletic accomplishments at the NFL Scouting Combine but never had outstanding production in his college football career at Georgia, Chris Conley would likely be viewed as a long-term project if drafted by another team. With the Kansas City Chiefs, however, the third-round pick is already in contention to be a starter.

Coming off the first NFL season in 50 years in which a team did not have a single touchdown pass caught by a wide receiver, the Chiefs need some players to step up at the position. Kansas City signed Jeremy Maclin in free agency as a true No. 1 receiving option, but beyond him, the crop of wideouts is largely composed of unproven talent.

Albert Wilson, a second-year player who had a few breakout performances late in his rookie season last year, is projected to be the starter opposite Maclin. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, Conley could be Wilson’s top competition or at least make a push to start out as the No. 3 receiver.

“Conley took Maclin’s spot with the starting lineup for one day when the veteran was out with an injury,” Teicher wrote earlier this month, referring to an OTA practice. “He’ll have to learn the other outside receiving position if he’s to get significant playing time as a rookie. That spot is occupied by Albert Wilson, but Conley could also make a claim for that position.”

A 6’2”, 213-pound wide receiver who ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine, Conley has elite physical measurables for the position. He needs to become a more polished player—which is why it’s a bit surprising to see him already getting work with the starters—but he brings immediate big-play potential to the field.

Even if Conley does not beat out Wilson for a starting job, it’s likely the Chiefs will still find ways to get him on the field. The two offer different skill sets; Wilson is a smaller, shiftier player, while Conley is a faster, stronger outside target.

The rookie, who was profiled by Bleacher Report prior to the draft, could also have a shot at making an impact this year as a kickoff returner, according to Teicher.

Clayton Geathers, SS, Indianapolis Colts

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By addressing virtually all of their positions of need with veteran free-agent additions this offseason, the Indianapolis Colts left themselves in a position to develop their rookies with patience in 2015. Even so, it appears that fourth-round pick Clayton Geathers could be on the fast track to earning a spot in the starting lineup.

While the Colts made clear upgrades to their roster with some of the experienced players they signed, particularly running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Andre Johnson, the same cannot be said for safety Dwight Lowery. While he has started games in each of his seven NFL seasons, including a career-high 15 for the Atlanta Falcons in 2014, he is also a journeyman who cannot be viewed as a long-term fix at the position.

That leaves the door open for Geathers, a four-year starter at Central Florida, to potentially leapfrog Lowery on the depth chart. Early on, Geathers has been making a case for consideration.

In May, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells wrote that Geathers was “getting a lot of snaps in practice, even some with the first unit, during the team's OTAs.” In another post on Geathers last week, Wells added that “Lowery is the front-runner because of his experience, but he’s far from a lock to keep the job.”

Ultimately, this competition should come down to how well Geathers continues to progress in the preseason. He might not have Lowery’s chops in coverage yet, but he is fluid in that capacity for a 6’2”, 218-pound safety who could make a big presence against the run, which Lowery will not.

Even if Lowery ends up keeping his spot in the first-team defense, Geathers should see the field situationally. Per Wells, Colts coach Chuck Pagano has said this offseason that Geathers is “going to contribute, not only on defense, but he should be an outstanding special teamer as well.”

“He’s going to be one of those guys that in today’s football you can play inside as a dime (linebacker) and get faster, get more speed on the field and matchup with the tight ends that we’ve got to cover now, the backs out of the backfield and things like that,” Pagano said.

Jamil Douglas, LG, Miami Dolphins

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If the Miami Dolphins offensive line is going to bounce back from a rough 2014 season, the team needs two reliable starters at guard. Because the Dolphins lack a proven, polished player at the position, they could turn to rookie Jamil Douglas, a fourth-round pick from Arizona State, in hopes that he can be that player.

The favorite to start at left guard going into spring workouts was Dallas Thomas, a 2013 third-round pick who started nine games across three different offensive line positions for Miami last season. Because Thomas played poorly as a starter last year, however, the Dolphins may be willing to give Douglas an opportunity to earn the job away from him.

Douglas split first- and second-team work with Thomas during workouts earlier this month, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. At the time, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said that he was impressed with Douglas’ progress.

“I like the fact that when he’s been in there he doesn’t make a lot of mental mistakes,” Philbin said, per Abramson. “I think he’s grasped the system relatively well. I think his play speed’s been pretty good. He doesn’t seem to hesitate a lot and that’s a good sign for a young guy.”

Douglas acknowledged that he needs to “sharpen up [his] technique and footwork,” per Abramson. Even so, ESPN.com’s James Walker predicts that Douglas will beat out Thomas for the starting job.

“This will be a close competition that will be decided in preseason games,” Walker wrote earlier this week. “I like what I've seen from Douglas so far. The most important aspect of his game is he's been solid holding the point of attack in pass protection, which is an area in which Thomas struggles.

“Unless he's made a significant improvement in Year 3, it's difficult to envision Thomas holding the starting job for 16 games,” Walker said. “I predict Douglas, barring injury, will get a chance to start eventually, if not right away in Week 1.”

The Dolphins are set to go with Billy Turner, their 2014 third-round pick, as their new starter at right guard. But it’s not out of the question that Douglas could also end up in the mix at that position, given that Turner did not start any games in his rookie season.

Tyrus Thompson, RG, Minnesota Vikings

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Tyrus Thompson (No. 72) has been working at right guard, as that is where there is a potential starting job available to him on the Vikings offensive line.

Having moved Brandon Fusco to replace Charlie Johnson at left guard, the Minnesota Vikings have an opening for a new starter at right guard, and they are considering a rookie to fill the position.

Fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings, a projected early-round selection who fell in the draft due to concerns about a foot injury, is in the mix to move inside and fill the void in the lineup. Yet sixth-round pick Tyrus Thompson, another massive offensive lineman who received much less predraft fanfare than Clemmings, appears so far to be just as strong a candidate to win the job.

According to Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune, Thompson was mixed in with the first-team offense at right guard during the team’s final OTA last week. Furthermore, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune believes Thompson “might have the edge at right guard.”

Both Tesfatsion and Vensel added qualifiers to their reports. “You probably shouldn’t read too much into it this early in the offseason that Thompson has played with the first team at right guard,” Tesfatsion wrote, while Vensel said “truthfully, it is too early to say” who will fill the starting spot between center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt.

Nonetheless, it is an encouraging sign for Thompson—who has terrific stature at 6’5” and 324 pounds but was widely viewed by draft analysts as a project—that he is already earning work with the starters.

Playing guard is new for Thompson, who was a tackle throughout his collegiate career at Oklahoma. That said, it could prove to be a great fit for him, given his tremendous size and strength but also the fact that he might not be agile enough to play on the edge in the NFL.

Clemmings, 2014 fourth-round pick David Yankey and veteran Joe Berger should all get their chances to potentially start at right guard as well. But even though it would be an unusual position for a sixth-round pick to be in, Thompson might be talented enough to beat out his competition and win the job.

Darryl Roberts, CB, New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots have a wide-open depth chart at the cornerback position after moving on from Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington this offseason. Darryl Roberts, a seventh-round pick from Marshall, appears to be taking advantage of the potential opportunity for playing time.

A long, athletic cornerback who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at Marshall’s pro day, Roberts was considered draftable mostly because of his physical tools. Still raw in pass coverage, he was expected to start out as a special teams player, with the potential to develop into something more down the line.

Landing with the Patriots, however, could be a perfect opportunity for Roberts to have an accelerated rise to playing time. After all, no one would have expected at this time last year that Malcolm Butler, a long-shot undrafted rookie from West Alabama, would end up not only making the roster but making the game-winning interception for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Roberts “got some work with the starters” in minicamp last week. “Roberts keeps making a play a day and is a dark horse to steal a cornerback job,” Howe added.

NESN’s Doug Kyed also noted a positive impression for Roberts, whom Kyed named as one of the Patriots’ offseason standouts this year. “The seventh-round draft pick must have impressed Patriots coaches early, because he immediately came in and earned significant snaps in the secondary during OTAs and minicamp,” Kyed wrote.

Butler, despite being held out of practice for the first two weeks of OTAs after a late arrival, projects as one of the Patriots’ two new starting cornerbacks, along with Logan Ryan. Robert McClain, a veteran from the Atlanta Falcons who signed in free agency this offseason, is the favorite to be the main slot cornerback.

None of those players are locks for starting roles, however, and there is not much talent on the depth chart behind them. Given that, it’s not unfathomable to think that Roberts could end up playing a major role in the Patriots secondary in 2015.

Trent Brown, RT, San Francisco 49ers

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Anthony Davis’ decision to leave the NFL could open an unexpected opportunity to start for Trent Brown. A seventh-round draft pick from Florida, Brown appears to be in the mix as the San Francisco 49ers look for a new starter at the right tackle position.

According to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez, Brown ran with the first-team offense during the voluntary portion of the 49ers’ offseason workout program. Reporting on Brown’s performance in late May, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee stated that the rookie was off to an impressive start in OTAs.

“Brown has not looked like a late seventh-round pick; rather he looks the part due to his 6'8" height and his incredibly long, 36-inch arms,” Barrows wrote. “He also fared well in one-on-one pass-rush drills.

“The exercise, of course, is done without pads and contact is at a minimum,” Barrows added. “But it's a good gauge for a lineman's athleticism, and it's clear that the more weight Brown loses, the quicker his feet become. The former Florida lineman is down into the 350-pound range after being as heavy as 387.”

In minicamp, the 49ers turned to veteran free-agent addition Erik Pears to be their first-team right tackle, according to Gutierrez. Even so, Gutierrez won't rule out Brown from potentially taking the spot back from Pears.

“Brown did impress the coaching staff with his [athleticism] and ability, albeit in shorts and helmets, and he did get a head start on the position, so to speak,” Gutierrez wrote. “As such, it would not be that much of a shocker to see Brown win the job.”

Pears’ experience makes him the front-runner, but he is not exactly a strong choice to be a long-term starter in San Francisco. Never better than a below-average starter for the Buffalo Bills, he was graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the NFL’s three worst guards in 2014.

Brown is very much a project, and if he starts as a rookie, he will likely have his own share of struggles. But if he can continue to improve upon his conditioning and exhibit the power he should be able to generate with his size, he could turn his hot start this spring into a spot in the lineup this fall.

La’el Collins, LG, Dallas Cowboys

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La'el Collins (No. 71) is talented enough to earn his way into the Dallas Cowboys' starting lineup.

It’s rare for an undrafted rookie to have a shot at starting right away for an NFL team, but La’el Collins is no ordinary undrafted rookie. Projected to be a first-round pick before having his name connected to a homicide investigation just days before the draft, Collins has the talent to potentially make the Dallas Cowboys’ already-great offensive line even better.

Collins, who has not been charged with any crime in connection with the murder, has the skill set to step in as a rookie and perform at a high level. A two-year starter at left tackle and one-year starter at left guard at LSU, he would have been drafted with the expectation to start—likely by a different team—if not for horribly unfortunate timing.

To crack the Cowboys’ lineup this season, he’ll have to beat out Ronald Leary at left guard. Leary, whom Pro Football Focus graded as the NFL’s 17th-best guard last season, is no pushover. But he is the weakest link on the star-studded Dallas offensive line.

Barring an injury that forces Collins to take over at another position—he has the versatility to play either tackle or guard spot—the battle between him and Leary will likely rage on throughout training camp and the preseason. What is already clear is that despite Leary’s solid play in 2014, Collins has a real shot to overtake him on the depth chart for 2015.

According to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Collins worked with the first-team offense at left guard on Thursday, the final day of Dallas’ offseason workout program.

Machota believes that Collins will ultimately surpass Leary and be in the Cowboys’ opening-day lineup.

“I've said all along I think he'll start Week 1,” Machota said of Collins. “I think he's got a chance to be an excellent left guard."

“I'm not writing off Ron Leary, either,” Machota added. “He was a big part of the offensive line's success last season. He's an excellent run-blocker. But I just don't see the Cowboys using a probable first-round pick as a backup. As long as he's healthy, I think Collins will be on the field.”

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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