How are those Rookies doing? Training Camp edition

[Chiefer]

Always interests me to see how the rookies are doing around the league.

 

Patrick Mahomes looks very good. The arm strength is real, and he's doing much better than everybody said he would be to this point. Lots of wow moments and Getting 2nd string snaps now.

Tanoh Kpassgnon is raw. So much athletic potential though. Smart kid, getting some run at DL and OLB. Not really a cover guy though at 6'7 290 lbs.

Kareem Hunt is the 2nd string RB. Solid all around but still needs some work on blocking. 

Jehu Chesson is very meh. Getting some return work but not exactly impactful at WR so far.

Ukeme Eligwe has been doing well. Smart guy currently at 2nd string right now. 

Leon McQuay III has been a jag so far out there.

UDFA Marcus Kemp is Mahomes favorite target. Works hard, good hands,big frame, nice athletic ability. He might make the 53 man roster.

 

 

[Gmen]

Evan Engram has showed off his athleticism.  He'll be in the rotation almost immediately, but likely won't be on the field all the time due to Rhett Ellison's blocking ability.

Dalvin Tomlinson has shown a lot of power.  He'll be competing with Jay Bromely for playing time at DT. 

None of the other rookies have really made much noise.  Wayne Gallman hasn't impressed, but given the state of the Giants RB situation, he may work his way into the rotation at some point in the season.

[RedRider]

7 minutes ago, Gmen said:

Evan Engram has showed off his athleticism.  He'll be in the rotation almost immediately, but likely won't be on the field all the time due to Rhett Ellison's blocking ability.

I was under the impression Engram was to be a receiver for the Giants?

[ET80]

Deshaun Watson is the real deal. Every day, it sounds like he's going to start week one (and this is with Tom Savage having good days out in TC).

Zach Cunningham has been as advertised - really reads the field well, gets to the ball carrier. No word on splash plays but he's been steady.

D'Onta Foreman might be the star of this class. Very fast and physical, picking up his blocking assignments - and did you know he's catching the ball really well too?

Julie'n Davenport is still picking up the nuances of the role and is clearly a project. This being said, he is dominant in 1v1 drills - he's reportedly locked up Jadevion Clowney in these drills with ease.

Haven't heard much from Carlos Watkins, Treston Decoud or Kyle Fuller.

[RaidersAreOne]

Off the top of my head:

• Gareon Conley (CB) was finally cleared of allegations the other week, but has yet to practice with the team due to a shin injury. He ran for the first time in a couple months a few days ago so he is on the mend
• Obi (S/LB) has been hurt as well. He warms a bit with the team but then stays on the sidelines
• Eddie Vanderdoes (DT) looks very solid for all reports. Very strong, good hands and has been practicing/playing with the first team D
• Marquel Lee (MLB) looks just okay. MLB is a major weakness and we need him to step it up but we all have our doubts he can
• Shalom Luani (S) looks very good. Total ball magnet and looks like another potential Reggie late round gem
• Treyvon Hester (DT) looks alright. Had a couple sacks in the first game vs ARZ. Might be an important rotational piece to collapse the pocket but that is probably it
• UDFA Breon Borders (CB) was practicing with the first team D most of camp (Sean Smith was with the 2nd), and looked decent in the first game. Could be decent depth going forward

All in all, our first two draft picks have yet to practice and that reaaaally sucks. Our secondary looks particularly weak besides Karl Joseph and we all know how difficult it is for secondary players to translate to the NFL. Hopefully they heal up quick because we sure will need them.

[LouBegaFreak]

Myles Garrett is an absolute stud. Haven't seen one negative report, has looked great in every video I've seen (can share some clips and gifs if anyone is interested). Looked very good in the first preseason game. He should be a force in the league.

 

Jabrill Peppers has really come on strong the last week or so. Playing physical and being used at multiple positions. Looked really good in the return game against the Saints. He's got a swagger that our defense has been missing.

 

David Njoku struggled with drops and fumbles at the beginning of camp and missed the first game with a small injury. He's flashed some in practice and it seems the drops have stopped. Not overly concerned because TE is a tough transition.

 

Kizer has been up and down in practice, which is to be expected from a second round rookie. Did some great things in the first preseason game, also took some bad sacks though. His pocket movement looked good and his arm is as advertised. He's splitting first team reps now and should play a lot in the next game against the Giants. Should be in earlier so he'll see some more talented defenders.

Roderick Johnson looks pretty bad.

Matthew Dayes has impressed a lot of people, ran well against the Saints. Should make the 53 man roster and get a bit of run because Duke Johnson could be seeing a lot of time at WR.

Zane Gonzalez was losing the kicking battle but he's had a good week so maybe he's closing the gap.

Haven't heard much about anyone else, Howard Wilson is still injured.

[bucsfan333]

OJ Howard has had ups and downs as a receiver. But he blocks like a guard.

Justin Evans has struggled. He still misses tackles and he's been having trouble picking up the playbook. But he makes plays every now and then.

Chris Godwin is the steal of the draft. He had no business falling to the third. He looks like Mike Evans at times. Dude makes every hard catch and makes it all look so easy. I think he has one drop since rookie mini camp.

Kendell Beckwith has had his ups and downs. He struggled against Cincy. He's pretty much our starting SLB with Bond hurt. But he needs to toughen up and figure things out.

Jeremy McNichols has shown flashes of greatness. But he's inconsistent. He has natural hands. But he's been up and down as a runner. Kinda like Charles Sims.

Stevie Tu'ikolovatu has been steady. Nothing spectacular. But nothing bad. He eats up blocks like he should. And he's shown the ability to bull rush from time to time.

[TitanSlim]

Corey Davis-Was off to a fast start before being sidelined by a hamstring. Hopefully will be ready for week 1.

Adoree Jackson-Has lived up to his draft profile. Has moments where he struggles in coverage, followed by an impressive pass breakup or INT. Looks like he could be special in the return game.

Taywan Taylor-Has consistently made plays from OTAs to now. Mariota seems to be a big fan of his

Jonnu Smith-Was quiet to begin TC, but his name has constantly been brought up by reporters and Mularkey recently

Jayon Brown-The early gem of this class. He's been getting praise from reporters and the coaching staff all TC. Had a very impressive preseason game 1. Had a pick today in the joint practice with the Panthers.

Corey Levin-Haven't heard anything regarding him.

Josh Carraway-Been fairly quiet in camp but had a nice game 1 that earned him praise from Mularkey

Brad Seaton-Been pretty quiet

Khalfani Muhammed-Is fast but appears to be on the outside looking in on making the roster at this point. Will have to really show out in these next 3 games.

[MemphisEagles]

1. Derek Barnett has been looking like he belongs. Hasn't dominated, but he has beaten both Peters and Johnson on occasion.

2. Sydney Jones steadily healing. Wouldn't be surprised if he is on IR all year though

3. Rasul Douglas looks ok sometimes but his lack of speed and experience has led to some bad burns. Think he has potential to be a good but flawed player but he isn't ready.

4a. Mack Hollins is a beast at WR and special teams. 

4b. Donnel Pumphrey is fumbling and notching too many punts. Think he won't be dressed but on the roster.

5a. Shelton Gibson on the other hand has dropped multiple passes almost every practice. Might be the worst WR on our 90 man roster now that DGB is gone.

5b. Nathan Gerry probably has earned a roster spot. He's looked solid in his transition from safety to linebacker. Not getting manhandled and showing coverage ability.

6. Elijah Qualls just looks ok. He has a good chance of earning a spot though with Beau Allen probably going on PUP

 

Undrafted free agent QB Greg Ward has a chance to earn a roster spot as a spot WR.

 

[CatalystNX]

This tweet from today's joint practice with the Titans pretty much sums up Christian McCaffrey's camp so far...

Other than him:

Curtis Samuel, WR, Ohio State: Has missed most of camp with a hamstring injury. Just began practicing again today, so hopefully he'll be ready to go when it counts.

Taylor Moton, OT, Western Michigan: Has practiced and played at both guard and right tackle and is competing for Daryl Williams for the starting RT job. Has been pretty impressive and if I had to bet, I'd say he ends up as our starting right tackle, if not on opening day, then at some point during the year.

Daeshon Hall, DE, Texas A&M: Struggled in OTA's, but has been better in camp from the reports I've read. Still needs to build some more strength, but he looks like he'll at least be a contributor as part of our pass rush rotation this season.

Corn Elder, CB, Miami: Has a knee injury that has forced him to miss all of camp so far. He likely won't play in the preseason, but will hopefully be healthy enough to contribute this season.

Alex Armah, FB, West Georgia: Was drafted as a conversion project by our former G.M. (Dave Gettleman) so it's tough to say if he'll stick around. Has been about what you'd expect for a 6th round rookie from a small school playing a new position. If I had to guess, I'd say he winds up on the practice squad for further development.

Harrison Butker, K, Georgia Tech: Was drafted to provide some competition for Graham Gano, who is coming off a down year. Has been somewhat inconsistent, but so has Gano. If I had to guess, I'd say he likely doesn't make the team as he doesn't seem like a long-term answer and Gano has a big edge on kickoffs.

[Danand]

Ravens:

1. Marlon Humphrey, cornerback, hasn't seen much action. A here and there plays but it seems the coaches like what they see. Has been injured for a week, but he isn't scheduled to be a starter this year.

2. Tyus Bowser, outside linebacker, he is as fast on agile on the field as advertised. Still a rotational player which will most likely be his role this year, as we are deep on the front 7. 

3. Chris Wormley, defensive end, we don't hear much about him. With the talent he is coming into the league, that might be the story for the rest of his career. My expectations also based on my draft evalution of him is, that he will be a solid and dependable player but not an exceptional talent. Also has to find his spot on a talented front 7 and could end up being burried on the depth chart because he doesn't have 1 particular skill where he does his work better than the rest.

4. Tim Williams, outside linebacker, does some very good things on the practice field. What we saw in college is what he brings, the explosive plays, but he hasn't put it together to make plays on the field when he saw time in the first pre season game. We haven't heard anything about the red flags he came with - but he probably hasn't had time to smoke something yet.

5. Nico Siragusa, guard, was in competition for the left guard spot, then tore his acl, mcl, pcl, bcl, qcl and tcl and now most likely need a robottic leg if he wants to make a comeback. He seems nice but is really ugly at the same time. I like him and hope he bounces back.

6. Jermaine Eluemunor, guard, was supposed to compete for the vacated spot at right tackle, but has played almost solely at guard. We haven't heard much about him, but he had a steep learning curve as football is new to him. Is actually in contention for a starting spot on the oline.

7. Chuck Clark, safety, versatile and a great special teams talent. Has really long arms. Hope to see him make plays on ST, really hope we don't have to see him cover anyone.

UDFA's:

Tim White, wide receiver, looked great as a receiver and made plays daily and was also the primary returner in the first preseason game. Seemed to play his best when there where audiences in the stands. Now on IR

Quincy Adeboyjo, wide receiver, makes some huge plays in TC, has to shine on special teams still to make the roster. 

Taquan Mizzell, runningback, injury to Dixon and a lastluster Buck Allen might be enough to give Mizzell a roster spot. TC/returner could be his way onto the roster, but still has to beat out a Bobby Rainey. Several of us Ravens fans like Mizzell and could see him as our 3. runningback, but he offers some of the same skills as Woodhead which might not help him.

Ricky Ortiz, fullback, is battling with Lorenzo Taliaferro for the open fullback position, none of them have distinguished themselves.

Jaylen Hill, cornerback, came out of nowhere and made plays in training camp, then also made plays in the first preseason game and now look like a good candidate as a backup/starter for the spot as nickelback.

[Forge]

For the 49ers:

1. Solomon Thomas - missed the mini camps due to the graduation rules. Signed right at the start of camp. He's been fine in camp, and I thought he played a good game against the Chiefs with a qb hit, a couple of tackles, and generating a good amount of pressure, including on the Tyler Bray pass that led to an interception.  He's ready to be the starter, but he's currently lsited as the back up at the big end position to Tank Carradine. I think he's ready to start because he holds up against the run very well. He's going to be the rare guy drafted for a pass rusher who I think will play better against the run than the pass to start off. If he gets more than 6 sacks this year, I'll be surprised, but I think he'll be stout against the run. 

2. Ruben Foster - listed as the starting weakside linebacker. For a while, it seemed like he had an interception in every practice during training camp. He's had some misfires on plays, but has come back strong. Had a decent pass break up in the Chiefs game, but otherwise was pretty quiet. I think he'll be fine. 

3. Ahkello Witherspoon - Raw. Has been more miss than hit in camp, I think, but he's getting better. I don't think that there's any way in which he opens the season as a starter. Played a lot versus the chiefs, and he was never targeted. Having a quiet game as a cornerback is always a good thing. 

4. CJ Beathard - a lot of 49er fans liked what they saw. I was unimpressed, but I also wasn't discouraged. He kind of displayed what I thought he was. Maybe he gets better, maybe not. He has been better than Matt Barkley in the practices, so I think he's in a legit competition for the backup quarterback spot, but I don't think that it's one that he will win. 

5. Joe Williams, RB - Has not had a great camp. Has really been outperformed by UDFA Matt Breida throughout mini camps & TC, to be perfectly honest. But he had a really, really nice game against the chiefs, gashing them for a couple of decent runs. Of course, that was mostly mop up duty against third stringers and the like. I think it'll be important to get him in against first and second team defenses in the preseason before its over if they can. He could be the type that doesn't practice well. 

6. George Kittle, TE - Had a great minicamp, so much so that by the end, he started taking the most first team reps at tight end. But he's been limited by a hamstring issue since the start of TC, and missed a lot of practices along with the first preseason game. It's unfortunate, because the starting role was his to lock up, and the practices and game action could really help out. The team clearly doesn't like or trust Vance McDonald, so he still has a chance to open the season as a starter, but needs to get into some game action. 

7. Trent Taylor, WR - Has made some beautiful highlight reel catches in training camp, and word is that he is well loved. He was pretty consistent in the Chiefs game, showing pretty much what he shows in practice. A few catches and a nice punt return. Most of us would like to see him open the season as the starting slot receiver over Jeremy Kerley, though I'm not sure what the odds of that are. He's got a place in this league though as a slot receiver. He's got the goods. May not be a great receiver but he's going to stick. 

8. DJ Jones, NT - I feel like he's been pretty quiet. Hasn't done a ton in camp to stand out, and may be a bit of an uphill battle to make the squad since the defensive line position is the deepest on the team. He entered the preseason game with the third stringers, so I don't love that for his chances of making the team. He did have a fumble recovery in the game. 

9. Pita Taumoepenu - quiet in training camp, quiet in the game. He adds special team play, which is nice, but he's not ready to make the roster. He's a practice squad guy for sure. 

10. Adrian Colbert - He had been fairly quiet in camp until this week, and didn't play against the chiefs. With the injuries in the secondary piling up, he's been shifted around a bit and can play bot safety and cornerback, which is nice. We are currently trying him at safety, and he had 2 picks in his first practice there, though it was an non-pad practice. Doubt he makes the team. 

 

Prioity free agents. Including these because we have 2 or 3 who are going to make the team. 

1. Matt Breida - He was the best rookie during rookie mini camp, and has continued his rave reviews throughout training camp. Has outplayed / outpracticed Joe Williams. He was the second running back in against the chiefs (though it should be noted that Tim Hightower did not play), and while his stats weren't super impressive, he showed some nice running ability and instinct inside the tackle box, which was nice. If you take away the 49ers inept goaline / redzone offense, his stats look far more impressive (8 for 43). Overall, his first game was more success than failure. He's going to make the team for sure, but  he's got an uphill battle to claw in front of Hyde / Hightower / Williams on the depth chart. 

2. Lorenzo Jerome - one of the more notable udfas, he's basically played with the first team defense throughout all of TC and in the first preseason game while Jimmie Ward has been hurt. He's had quite a few ints in practices. He was okay during the chiefs game - got looked off a few passes that went for decent gains. He's certainly not ready to start, but these reps are invaluable. Has gotten some reps as a slot corner too. Pretty much a lock to make the roster. 

3. Cole Hikituni - Has had a pretty solid TC and mini camp before it, but may be facing an uphill battle to make the roster, especially after coming in with the third team offense against the Chiefs and not getting targeted on a limited number of snaps. The problem for him is that its a crowded group at tight end, and while none of them are great, they're all sort of in the same talent bucket. Kittle has impressed when healthy, and would likely be a lock. Vance is twice as expensive to cut as he is to keep, so unless there is a real reason to dump him, I don't know that we do. Logan Paulsen was brought in by this regime to be the blocking tight end, so he's obviously someone they want here. Then there's still Garrett Celek who, quite frankly, is just as good as Vance McDonald and a whole lot cheaper. My gut says that Hikituni somehow ends up on the IR this year as a stash guy. 

4. Austin Calitro wasn't signed until after the injury to Malcom Smith, so he got a very late start, but that being said, he was actually incredibly impressive against the Chiefs. Will be curious to watch him the rest of the preseason. It'd be shocking to see him make the team, but I'd really love to see it. 

[bananabucket]

All I have seen are some gifs and half a preseason game, so I can only relay what local reporters have said.

 

1. Malik Hooker FS -- Has been easing into more first team reps but still on a pitch count.  Have heard only good things though.

2. Quincy Wilson CB -- Up and down.  Has definitely not yet secured a starting spot despite it being there for the taking.  Mostly tight coverage in the first game, but was not able to locate the ball and gave up some catches as a result.

3. Tarell Basham EDGE -- Have barely heard anything about him.  Apparently played well in the first game but other than that has not really stood out.

4. Zach Banner RT -- Inconsistent, more bad than good from what I can tell.

4. Marlon Mack RB -- Only glowing reviews so far.  Unfortunately has been dinged up the last week so we didn't get to see him play in the first game.

4. Grover Stewart DL -- Probably second to Mack in terms of positive reports.  Everyone acknowledges he is a project, but maybe less than we thought initially.

5. Nate Hairston CB -- Weird one.  I hadn't heard much at all about him then he suddenly started getting some first team reps.  Can't really comment beyond that.

5. Anthony Walker ILB -- Has not stood out positively or negatively really.  Seems to be 4th on the depth chart so he should make the roster.

 

[jebrick]

TJ Watt - Has shown good motor off the edge and decent in coverage.  Will spell Harrison and hopefully be able to start later this year.

JuJu Smith-Schuster - Has shown well in camp but nagging injuries are holding him back.  I do not see him as a starter right now.

Cameron Sutton - Showed well in the mini camps but the nagging injury bug has kept him from practice and games.

James Conner - People like him.  Nagging injuries ( I am tired of typing that) have kept him away form practice and the games.

Joshua Dobbs - Has mechanical problems that is being corrected.  Said to be a quick learner who does not make the same mistake twice.  I will be interested to see any change in the next game.

Brian Allen - Could be the surprise roster spot for a 'project' player.  Covered WR is looking decent in camp.  Still has issues with tracking the ball but much better than expected at this time.  

Colin Holba - He is a LS and has not messed up yet.

Keion Adams - Shown some promise.  I expect he will be on the practice squad

 

UDFA Terrell Watson - RB - has looked really good in short yardage situations.  i think he will make the practice squad because of the crowded RB situation in camp.

[TheVillain112]

John Ross (WR) - Just started practicing so no real update yet.

Joe Mixon (RB) - Looks like a stud so far. Did well in his first preseason game, and has been having a good camp as well.  Coaches including Marvin whose notoriously negative about rookies have been giving him praise.

Jordan Willis (DE) - Hasn't been a lot of hype around him but he played great in the first preseason game.  Since then there seems to be more reports about how well he's performing in camp. Should see snaps in a rotational role, but Bengal fans are ready to cut Michael Johnson and give him the starting position.

Carl Lawson (DE\LB) - The most hyped player in Bengals camp this preseason (not just including rookies).  He did OK in his first preseason game, but man is there a lot of hype around just how dominant he's been in camp.  Not that we have a good OLine but he's been destroying every OLinemen he's been facing in camp.

Josh Malone (WR) - Has been doing well but we're deep at WR.  Expect him to be cut/stashed on the Practice Squad unless an injury occurs.  He's probably the last cut we make at WR unless we keep 7 WRs.

Ryan Glasgow (DL) - Played well in the first preseason game.  Decent shot to make the roster.

Jake Elliot (K) - Losing the kicking battle to Randy Bullock.  He drilled all of his kicks and had some great hangtime on his kickoffs in the preseason game, but at the moment it looks like Bullock is going to make the team over him.

J.J. Deilman (OL) - Not much to report here.

Jordan Evans (LB) - In the first preseason game he was a tackling machine.  Looked like the best LB out there for us (granted after Burfict that's not saying much).  Should be a lock to make the roster.

Brandon Wilson (DB\RB\KR) - Has been hurt and hasn't practiced yet.  Expecting him to be cut/IR'd.

Mason Schreck (TE) - Meh.

Overall this rookie class has been fantastic for us...