Admin July 29, 2024
NFL training camp is here and we have our first preseason game this week. This means we will get our first look at 2024 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams as the Chicago Bears take on the Houston Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night.
Most teams are a week into their traning camps as a result, preparing to get set for a grueling 2024 season and a pursuit of the Lombardi Trophy. And for those drafted this past April, training camp is their real first opportunity to put the pads on and make an impact on their new teams.
Putting those rookies under a microscope, here is one rookie storyline to follow for each of the 32 teams this training camp:
The Arizona Cardinals lack depth at the wide receiver position. Even more glaring, they lack a top dog. That makes No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. an easy pick to be a Day 1 impact player as he makes his way to the NFL. With Kyler Murray back from injury, the two must develop immediate chemistry. How long will it take for them to get there?
The Falcons not only paid Kirk Cousins a ton of money right before drafting Michael Penix Jr. with a top-10 pick, but they have perhaps one of the best spot-starting backups already on their roster as well. Will the Falcons give Penix the opportunity to be Cousins’ backup and move Taylor Heinicke in a trade this offseason, or will they give Penix an entire year to watch and learn even if Cousins does go down again?
The Ravens are throwing second round right tackle Roger Rosengarten into their starting lineup right away. After being a part of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line at Washington, Rosengarten will now have to learn quick and on the fly. And that means being thrown to the wolves extremely early in camp. How will he hold up and grow?
There are few worse wide receiver rooms in the NFL than the one in Buffalo. And after trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans this offseason, Keon Coleman is the number one option for the Bills already. That’s a massive load of expectation for a rookie to carry, but Coleman has been up to it since he stepped foot in New York. Can him and Josh Allen strike a chord from Week 1?
After tearing his ACL last season, Texas running back Jonathon Brooks was still the first running back off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, he is still on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has yet to practice. There are a great deal of touches waiting on Brooks, but when will he be ready to return to the field?
The Bears don’t particularly need wide receiver Rome Odunze to burst onto the scene immediately with Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore already on the roster. However, for the sake of their future, a strong connection on the field between franchise quarterback Caleb Williams and Odunze would play well. That’s something I’ll be watching closely.
The Bengals have made a massive effort to improve their offensive line over the past two years. This offseason, that included signing Trent Brown and drafting Amarius Mims in the first round. And with Brown still on the PUP list, do not sleep on Mims making an immediate flash and stealing a starting job. Make no mistake, just because Mims has a lack of starts at the college level has no bearing on his talent. He has the highest ceiling of any player in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
The Browns fielded the NFL’s best defense a year ago, and made a conscious effort to bring back all of those faces. They then threw Ohio State defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. into their defensive tackle room already consisting of Dalvin Tomlinson, Quinton Jefferson, Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst, and others. While this is clearly a move to protect their front for the future with the first three names mentioned all over 30, Hall is too dynamic to keep off the field on passing downs as a rookie too. It will be interesting to see how the Browns and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz get him onto the field early on.
Being asked to replace a future Hall of Famer as a rookie is no easy ask, but that’s exactly what the Dallas Cowboys are asking of Tyler Guyton after taking him in the first round. Kicking from right tackle to left tackle, Guyton has a ton of expectations to shoulder. Especially with a competitive roster. He’s long and athletic like Tyron Smith, now with the New York Jets, but can he carry the mantel?
There is no reason Bo Nix, a first round pick, should lose a quarterback competition to Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. However, can he solidify himself atop the depth chart? It may be an early indictment of Nix, who I think was overdrafted in the first place, if he can’t.
The Lions shocked everyone when they took Giovanni Manu, a player from the International Pathway Program, in the fourth round of the draft. With little experience playing football but all of the tools, the Lions took a gamble on the big man. They don’t need him to start this season as they hope to have found the next Jordan Mailata, but with Taylor Decker getting up in age (despite signing a new, shiny three-year deal), the Lions will want to see some steps forward.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Packers love their versatile offensive linemen who can play in multiple spots. Elgton Jenkins has played all over their line, Zach Tom has played in multiple spots early on, and now they have Jordan Morgan after taking him in the first round. And the early reports out of Green Bay is that Morgan will move all over the offensive line throughout training camp as well. The question remains, however: where will he actually play when Week 1 rolls around?
Kamari Lassiter has been the talk of Houston’s offseason thus far. He’s been getting starting reps through minicamp and making his impact for Demeco Ryans and his defense. As the Texans look to lean on their second round cornerback, can Lassiter continue to step up as he goes head-to-head with the likes of Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins?
Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard was outspoken about the negative attention given to AD Mitchell pre-draft, defending his second round pick. And looking at the depth chart in Indianapolis, Mitchell has a chance to prove Ballard and the Colts right early on. Even with Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, two Day 2 picks over the last two drafts, on the roster, Mitchell has a chance to emerge as the Robin to Michael Pittman Jr.’s Batman. Downs is more of a gadget and YAC player, while Pierce has proven most valuable on the vertical plane. Like Pittman, Mitchell can win at every level of the field. This gives him the chance to make a big impact early on.
Losing Calvin Ridley and adding just Gabe Davis in free agency, a massive void opened up in the wide receiver room in Jacksonville. A void that first round pick Brian Thomas Jr. looks to fill as the new premier target for Trevor Lawrence. Transitioning from predominantly a vertical threat at LSU to a receiver who can run a deep route tree, however, the learning curve will be steep for Thomas Jr.. How will he handle his expectations and his transition on the fly in camp?
The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes still won the Super Bowl a year ago despite fielding one of the worst wide receiver rooms a year ago. This offseason, they signed Marquise Brown and then drafted Xavier Worthy to help with those woes. Running a blazing and record-setting 4.21 40-yard dash at the combine, Mahomes and Worthy fit well on paper. But can he step up as a top dog as a rookie? Or will the Chiefs just look for a particular role for Worthy to fill in year one?
The Raiders drafted perhaps the best overall player in the 2024 NFL Draft in tight end Brock Bowers. Getting him outside of the top ten due to his positional value, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and the Raiders now get tasked with the creative challenge of how to deploy their newest weapon in Bowers. Their quarterback play will be questionable this season, but Bowers has the ability to be the ultimate safety valve.
The Chargers let both Keenan Allen (traded to the Bears) and Mike Williams (released, signed wit hthe Jets) leave the building this offseason. This has left their wide receiver room in absolute shambles. It also leaves a massive opportunity for one of the biggest silent killers in all of college football a year ago, second round pick Ladd McConkey, to leave his stamp on the offense. Look for Herbert and McConkey to become best friends in no time.
Brad Pitt couldn’t replace Jason Giambi, and Les Snead cannot replace Aaron Donald. But what he did do is attempt to get pass rush impact in the aggregate. Drafting two Florida State standouts in Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, the Rams need the two young guys to shoulder a chunk of the load left behind by the retirement of the future first-ballot Hall of Famer with second-year defensive tackle Kobie Turner.
The Dolphins’ starting pass rushers are both coming off of season-ending injuries and veteran Shaq Barrett has decided to hang up his cleats after signing in Miami this offseason. This leaves a Penn State standout Chop Robinson with the opportunity to step up as a rotational player (at the very minimum) as a rookie. He was not known for his ability to stop the run this past season, however, so the question remains if he can grow into a three-down player in South Beach. The Dolphins need him to expeditiously.
The Vikings gave quarterback Sam Darnold $10 million for the 2024 season for a reason. They are going to give their rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy plenty of time to get his feet underneath of him at the NFL level. Minnesota is clearly going through a bit of a rebuild, so there is no need to feed McCarthy to the wolves until he is ready. However, what is the plan with the Michigan gunslinger? Will they let Darnold flounder if he struggles early? Will they force McCarthy onto the field? How will they develop him this summer and into the season?
Two of the top-three wide receivers in New England are rookies. Kendrick Bourne is the only veteran in the building, and Pop Douglas fills a need in the slot. However, the Patriots will throw both Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker onto the field very early on. They will see plenty of targets with little time to learn from veterans before stepping on the field. There is a good chance Polk leads the Patriots in targets this season. Are they ready for it?
Derek Carr is known for his toughness and the ability to play through shot after shot. However, if Carr goes down, who steps up? Jake Haener was suspended last season for the use of PEDs, and Jameis Winston is now in Cleveland with the Browns. There is no denying Rattler’s extraordinary arm talent during his up-and-down college career. He now has a chance to win the backup job in New Orleans. And while a 2026 cut date for Carr is more realistic, there is an out in Carr’s contract if the Saints found a suitor on the trade market after this season. If Carr struggles and the Saints are trending in the wrong direction, would they see what they have in Rattler?
The Giants dealt with the abrupt retirement of Darren Waller just one year into a new deal he signed in New York. And while I am a big fan of Daniel Bellinger, he can be deployed as more of a move piece and H-back. Rookie Theo Johnson, who just came off of the PUP list, has a chance to emerge as the new in-line tight end in New York. He’s a freak athlete who can high point the football and is not afraid to block. The roster in New York is bad, so young players are going to play early. Can Johnson make his mark on the offense?
From a draft day text message between the head coach and general manager pining for Corley, to Aaron Rodgers hosting the young wide receiver at his house, the Jets have been hyping the Western Kentucky wideout from the moment they drafted him. However, it has been hard for YAC-only players to make much of a long-term impact at the NFL level (excluding the outlier in Deebo Samuel). Can Corley live up to the hype he’s received since being drafted by the Jets?
The Eagles’ defense stunk out loud a year ago. They focused most of their energy in the draft on that side of the football. Drafting both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean (who is currently hurt) with their top two picks, Philadelphia is hoping to revamp their defense under legendary defensive mind Vic Fangio. Leaning this heavily on first-year players, however, will the Eagles see the turnaround they hope for?
The Steelers look much different than they did a year ago, particularly on the offensive side of the football. Not only are they transitioning to Russell Wilson from Kenny Pickett, but they have expedited a rebuild along their offensive line as well. That is led by their top two picks in the draft in tackle Troy Fautanu and center Zach Frazier. Pairing them with 2023 first rounder Broderick Jones, the Steelers are hoping for much better success upfront in 2024.
If the 49ers do trade Brandon Aiyuk, he will not be easy to replace. He runs as complete as a route tree as anyone, wins one-on-one matchups at a high level, and did the most with the least of any receiver a year ago. However, drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round, a player they have already gotten a ton of versatility out of , could help shoulder at least a part of what Aiyuk can do. I am still skeptical that Aiyuk gets traded, but it will still be interesting to see how the Niners and mastermind Kyle Shanahan deploy their rookie speedster in 2024.
Mike MacDonald loves dominant, physical players on the defensive line. He got the most out of the likes of Justin Madubuike and Jadaveon Clowney a year ago, and looks to do the same now as he takes over as the head coach in Seattle. Texas defensive tackle and first round pick Byron Murphy II is a clone of MacDonald’s identity as well. Seeing what Madubuike was able to do a year ago in Baltimore, the ceiling is extraordinarily high for Murphy with the Seahawks. Excitement should be buzzing for that marriage in the Pacific Northwest.
The Buccaneers had the worst run game in the NFL a year ago, and that will look to change under MccVay disciple Liam Coen this season after Dave Canales took the head coaching gig in Carolina. And while Bucky Irving did not test well (leading to him dropping in the draft), his tape is undeniable. With Rashaad White as the starting running back right now, can Iriving potentially steal some reps with the first-team offense under a new offensive coordinator? Don’t count him out.
The Titans took a big risk taking JC Latham over the likes of Olu Fashanu and Amarius Mims. However, they have the best offensive line coach in the business with Bill Callahan joining his son on staff in Tennessee. While Latham had some apparent balance issues and oversets on tape, he and Peter Skoronski now become the faces of an offensive trenches remodel in Nashville. How Latham continues to grow under the guidance of Callahan will be worth putting under the microscope.
It’s a fresh start in Washington. New owner, new general manager, new head coach, and new quarterback. Jayden Daniels, coming off of a Heisman Trophy-winning season comes to the Commanders looking to be the leading general of their culture change.
MORE NFL DRAFT NEWS
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Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. showing inconsistencies that on his Washington tape