We’re simply 119 days from the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” season opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. While that seems like quite a few time for the league’s inexperienced persons to be able to polish in Week 1, you’ll be able to wager the league’s coaches are pondering the following 17 weeks are nowhere close to sufficient.
Which brings us to the significance of this weekend. While “rookie minicamp” sounds somewhat benign — what with the most productive avid gamers on the earth no longer concerned — the following 3 days set the tone for the entire new guys.
Each group will get to paintings 30 hours (10 in line with day Friday thru Sunday) with their learners. Particularly for groups that experience invested a lot in their franchise’s long term on a rookie or two, those 3 days be offering a large trace as as to if their franchise may develop into the following Chiefs — or the following laughingstock.
Here are 4 groups that in point of fact wish to come away feeling excellent about their draft:
Tennessee Titans
Last month, Cam Ward turned into the 19th quarterback within the closing 25 drafts to be the No. 1 total select. Guess what number of of the ones 19 have received a Super Bowl? Yep, simply two: Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning.
We point out this for 2 causes: First, it’s statistically flawed to be expecting Ward to steer the Titans to a Super Bowl. Second, nobody’s going to care concerning the first explanation why. The power to be particular begins now.
Head trainer Brian Callahan and offensive coordinator Nick Holz had months to come to a decision that Ward used to be the most productive are compatible for the No. 1 select. They imagine they know the way he thinks, how he works and the way he reacts to luck and failure — however this weekend is the an identical of the top of the honeymoon. Will Ward and the Titans reside thankfully ever after? The first indicators — excellent and dangerous — will pop out this weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars
One of the most fun storylines that may play out over the process the 2025 season is what number of snaps Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter can care for each and every week.
Is he a receiver first? Is he a nook first? Does he have the highbrow bandwidth along side the athletic talent to organize to play all sides of the ball?
Considering Hunter used to be a two-time Academic All-America — he reportedly posted a 3.79 GPA whilst incomes his stage in anthropology — his meeting-room preparation sounds love it received’t be an issue. But with Hunter to be had to the Jaguars 10 hours in line with day this weekend, they’ll get started finding out precisely how a lot they are able to pile on his plate sooner than he begins to buckle.
Las Vegas Raiders
Ashton Jeanty wasn’t drafted 6th total to take slightly warmth off new Raiders quarterback Geno Smith. He’s going to be the franchise. Jeanty is simply the 6th operating again drafted within the best 10 over the past 10 years. Three were Hall of Fame-worthy: Saquon Barkley (No. 2 in 2018), Christian McCaffrey (No. 8 in 2017) and Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 in 2016).
Bijan Robinson, who racked up 1,456 speeding yards and 14 touchdowns closing yr after a so-so rookie season, is also on his approach to Hall of Fame standing. Even Leonard Fournette (No. 4 in 2017), who’s the “bust” of the gang, earned a Super Bowl ring in 2021.
Of a majority of these guys, Elliott loved the most productive rookie yr. He piled up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns at the floor and completed 3rd within the NFL’s MVP vote casting. He touched the ball a mean of 23.6 occasions in line with sport. Expect Jeanty to the touch it no less than that frequently — regardless that he may catch 3 times as many passes as Elliott did (32) in his rookie yr.
This weekend, the Raiders begin to uncover how superhuman and flexible Jeanty could be.
Atlanta Falcons
Remember when the Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in closing yr’s first around regardless of signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal only one month sooner than? The Falcons and GM Terry Fontenot stuck some critical flak.
Now fast-forward to this draft: The Falcons won extra ridicule after they gave up their 2026 first-round select to transport up 20 spots to get cross rusher James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 select — even if that they had simply used the 15th total select on edge rusher Jalon Walker.
The handiest manner this is sensible is that if Pearce is far better than nearly all of the NFL believes him to be. The Falcons will breathe so much more uncomplicated if Pearce, who handled pre-draft whispers that he has a stiff frame and he’s “difficult,” proves to be tough to dam.