Rookie mini-camps are the first chance for everyone to overreact. It’s kind of a big sign that real football is a long way away as everyone runs to crown the next Hall of Famers. D.K. Metcalf seems to be the most recent beneficiary, while guys like Greedy Williams are obviously busts.

I kid, of course, but one of the more interesting tweets I ran into over this past weekend came on Saturday from the Senior Bowl (and longtime NFL Scout) Director Jim Nagy.

Rookie mini-camp is an exciting time for NFL staffs but there are some “oh, crap” moments where teams immediately know a player they just drafted isn’t what they thought he was. I was with a team once that took a skill player in Rd. 3 and we knew right away it was a bad pick. — Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) May 4, 2019

His tweet started a lot of fun conversations over the weekend from around the league about different guys that teams knew couldn’t hack it immediately. It got me thinking about what rookies around the Division that already look like they’ll be scary, good or bad.

Scary good: Juan Thornhill

I had Thornhill in a similar tier as Darnell Savage, who went at 21 overall to the Green Bay Packers. They come to the league with different skill sets (Savage profiles as a strong safety, while Thornhill is a free), but both offer the kind of ball hawking ability that will make passes in their vicinity an intimidating proposition for opposing quarterbacks. What makes the former Virginia Cavalier even more terrifying is how he perfectly compliments Tyrann Mathieu to give the Chiefs a versatile duo who can match up with receivers, cover a deep third, or provide help in run support. It’s no surprise ESPN’s Louis Riddick is a big fan.

One of the KC picks I hated most. Thornhill is going to be a pain. https://t.co/FchQDJD982 — Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) May 5, 2019

Scary bad: Rashad Fenton

Steve Nelson moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season because Steve Spagnuolo’s new defense doesn’t really value man coverage corners. Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward will play significant time in 2019 and were better than the national media would lead you to believe, but Fuller is an unrestricted free agent after the year. As highly as the team thought of Mecole Hardman, it’s worth wondering if Kansas City would have been wise to take a corner higher than the 6th round.

Pass rush vs coverage take:



Pass rush is more stable (should warrant more of an investment for stability!) but you always try to get better at both tbh. A marked man at DB hurts you more than DL. DB is like OL in that way — Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) May 2, 2019

Scary good: Nasir Adderly

I'm not convinced drafting Nasir Adderley to play deep safety and letting Derwin James (@DerwinJames) roam in the box/at the LOS is even legal.



The world isn't ready for James' second season in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/RKpF0uDmjq — Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) May 6, 2019

I mentioned as it happened that I thought a lot of Tom Telesco’s draft. Jerry Tillery and Drue Tranquill will both help them out of the gate, barring any health issues. Adderley is likely to have the biggest opportunity to make a difference in 2019, though.

At safety, the Chargers struggled to replace Tre Boston on the back end last season. Adrian Phillips allowed the most yards of any player on the Chargers (564) and the third-most of any safety in the NFL. Adderley should be an upgrade out the gate, as he combines the coverage skills of a former cornerback with absurd range and ball skills – the Delaware safety notched four picks and six pass breakups last season.

Scary bad: Trey Pipkins

This isn’t meant as an indictment of Pipkins, but he’s making a huge jump from Sioux Falls to the NFL. Telesco has already stated that he sees the rookie as the apparent heir to Russell Okung once the former Bronco has moved on, which may come as soon as 2020. I loved his traits coming out, it’s just that there’s some very real expectations placed on him due to his 3rd round pedigree.

Scary good: Josh Jacobs

I didn’t think much of the Raiders first round of the draft, mostly because Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden did a poor job of maximizing the value of their three first round picks. I do fully expect Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram, and Josh Jacobs to earn significant playing time in camp, even if only because the Raiders’ depth chart is sort of a tire fire.

Jacobs has the best chance to make a big difference for Oakland this season. As a running back who brings a versatile skill set, he’s likely to play on all 3 downs and have every chance to turn into a workhorse. If he does, that will make Gruden’s offense a lot more scary, as he’ll have a player who can punish defenses for devoting too much attention to Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams.

Scary bad: Travyon Mullen

To be fair, no prospect seemed to split NFL Draft analysts as much as the former Clemson Tiger did the past 3 months. He’s the guy who seemed to spark a days-long Twitter beef between The Draft Network and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

Keep an eye on Clemson CB #1, Trayvon Mullen. I think he's a top 20 player for the 2019 class. Big, long, smart cover man. Underrated right now — Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) December 29, 2018

Others saw him as a third or even fourth round value.

Overall, Mullen has an above-average combination of athleticism and length, but he is more of an athlete than technically-refined cover man and must improve his understanding of play indicators to take the next step in his development, projecting as a high-ceiling developmental corner. GRADE: 3rd Round (#90 overall)

-Dane Brugler

If Miller and Mayock are right, the Raiders will have a boundary corner locked up for the next four years, as he’s all but certain to start in 2019. If they aren’t, opposing quarterbacks will know where to throw against the Raiders defense this year.

Mullen capped his Clemson career with Defensive MVP honors in the Tigers’ National Championship win over Alabama. Mullen’s best fit at the next level comes as an outside corner, used in press coverage where his size, physicality, play strength and recovery speed are accentuated. With that said, there are notable concerns with his footwork and lack of fluidity that present challenges for him in off-man coverage. Mullen will need to develop his coverage awareness to become less of a reactionary defender to succeed in zone and become a more consistent pattern matcher. In addition, Mullen was rarely targeted and his ability to make game-changing plays on the ball is unknown. Mullen should be able to provide depth early in his career and evolve into an eventual starter with development. Round Grade - Fourth Round Value

Your Broncos Links

John Elway and the Denver Broncos put on a show in the first two rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft by being both patient and aggressive at the right times.

Will that be Joe Flacco, Drew Lock or one of the studs in the 2020 draft?

There’s talent out there. Should John Elway chase it to help fill the remaining holes on the Denver Broncos roster?

What’s not to love?

Could the rookie edge rusher break into Vic Fangio’s rotation on the Denver Broncos defense?

Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer: QB Drew Lock to the Denver Broncos (No. 42). Whether or not he was overrated in mock drafts is irrelevant at this point. The Broncos grabbed a quarterback who has nearly 50 games experience at the SEC level, with perhaps the strongest arm in the entire draft, at a point in the second round where there is no pressure to get him on the field. He is easily John Elway’s best pick at the position.

The Broncos selected my model’s top tight end prospect in Noah Fant. In fact, his early-age production and insane athleticism made Fant the highest-projected tight end in my 15-year database. … Drew Lock isn’t a great quarterback prospect, but he’s certainly a worthwhile pick in the middle of Round 2. Like I keep mentioning, drafting quarterbacks is a smart strategy regardless because of positional value, but Lock has at least some upside on top of just drafting for positional value. … Justin Hollins was a phenomenal pick. Hollins has elite athleticism -- 4.50 speed with a 36.5 vertical -- and was pretty productive for three seasons at Oregon. … Juwann Winfree was drafted ahead of a lot of decent wide receivers (Kelvin Harmon, Scott Miller, John Ursua, and Dillon Mitchell) and there’s nothing in his production profile that indicates he was a better prospect.

Been back running for over a month now. I just don’t post ‍♂️ https://t.co/bdZcsISX2a — Ronald Leary (@BigLeary65) May 4, 2019

I don’t love Drew Lock as a player, though I appreciate the logic and strategy of the pick. I don’t love Dre’Mont Jones the player, and there’s less of a redemptive reasoning there. That said, Fant and Risner is a great Day 1, and Hollins and Winfree are fine picks on Day 3, so the Broncos grade out as a good, if unspectacular class.

What I love about how Denver has approached the quarterback position this offseason is that it hasn’t given up much future flexibility whatsoever, while taking two swings at getting it right. Joe Flacco is on a middling non-guaranteed quarterback contract for the next three years (at $21 million per), from which the Broncos can bail at any point. And they took Lock in the second round this year, which doesn’t really preclude them from taking a QB in the first round in the next year or two. So maybe Flacco or Lock hits big. If not, Denver can still be in the Tua Tagovialoa or Justin Herbert business next year, or the Trevor Lawrence business the year after that.

WNBA star Kelsey Plum. If Drew Lock had these mechanics, he would have been a top-5 pick. https://t.co/cwoYFjuXCJ — Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 5, 2019

Monday, Sept. 9. Denver at Oakland. Talk about two new teams. Joe Flacco throwing to Noah Fant. Kareem Jackson covering Antonio Brown, Bryce Callahan trying to blanket Tyrell Williams. Josh Jacobs getting 20 touches (at least) against the rebuilding Denver D in Vic Fangio’s head-coaching debut. What a fun game this should be. a. Sunday night, Denver at Portland. Not only did Jamal Murray of the Nuggets hit six of six free throws to clinch the game at the end. But consider this: Murray made all six free throws in the last 14 seconds, and none even hit the rim. All six, nothing but net, with a playoff game on the line. I want that guy on my team. b. Jamal Murray: 18 for 18 on free throws in the series.

wow as if blazers fans didn't hate Joker enough, now he's breaking their mics#MileHighBasketball #NBA pic.twitter.com/z9fXbCHyv4 — Ryan Greene (@RyanCBS4) May 6, 2019

Is Joe Flacco the answer? We dropped the Broncos three spots since the move was made.

This is the best QB talent they’ve had since Manning. https://t.co/zhjiwJYRCK — West Coast Scout (@CaddytotheLama) May 2, 2019

Wouldn’t surprise me at all if Rypien had a longer career than second-round pick Drew Lock. I wish a book would offer me juicy odds on Rypien starting more career games. Shoutout to my Jayhawk brother Joe Dineen, who was an absolute tackle machine behind Daniel Wise on the otherwise dreary KU defense with 220 over the past two years.

Brett Rypien.. Gimme this guy on Day 3!! We’ll figure it out pic.twitter.com/q87ZMgh81a — Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) March 30, 2019

NFL Links

Tank for Tua? The 2020 NFL draft might be almost a year away, but it’s not too early to look at a loaded QB class and where they might all end up.

Watching some Justin Herbert today and I'm impressed. He showed a lot of growth from the guy he was in 2017. — J.T. Olson (@IcewaterOlson) May 2, 2019

If you remember, draft season may be over for many of you but here at The Draft Network it is always #DraftSZN. Always.

If you need a RB or WR, the 2020 draft is for your team. — Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 2, 2019

It this were a Sunday during the regular season, the pregame shows would be rife with reports regarding the status of Tyreek Hill. Then again, if this were a Sunday during the regular season, there would be nothing to report because Tyreek Hill already would be on the Commissioner Exempt list.

“Nothing else will work, because there always will be an owner, a G.M., or a coach who won’t be able to resist the upside,”

I like the design of the slant flat combo attached to a zone run. Presnap is the advantage throw to the slant flat there? If so take it. Post snap read the backer away from the pOA. If he hesitates hand it off, if he fits the run work the slant flat. Slant 1st, flat 2nd. pic.twitter.com/oNDXX2eOL0 — Anthony White (@AWhite_73) May 4, 2019

After seeing second-round pick Mecole Hardman during rookie minicamp, it’s clear why the Chiefs valued the receiver out of Georgia.

Love how Kansas City runs their “Pin-N-Pull” concept. They’ll arc the TE around the DE, making it look like the TE is trying to reach him. The DE widens, trying to not get reached which allows for easier kick out block by the FSG. Reading the BSLB for the Give/Throw read. pic.twitter.com/4c6x0n66Al — Zach Dunn (@ZachSDunn) May 4, 2019

“Not at all,” Guido said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “It doesn’t mean we didn’t do background on the kid, doesn’t mean we didn’t bring it up and ask him the question, but look — if we’re going to get in a world where we’re not drafting Republicans or not drafting Democrats. . . . The way that I think about it is, ‘he’s a young kid, he had a perspective.’ That perspective is fine, some of other stuff he did I think was a little insensitive and needs to learn from.”

The Dolphins’ O-coordinator and quarterbacks coach plan to surround their new acquisition with key tools and sage expertise to set him up for success.

The Seahawks may have the steal of the draft in DK Metcalf, because the things he can’t do, he actually can.

I will say this about @dkmetcalf14 - I’ve seen talent in my lifetime. If I this kid realizes his potential, he will be the steal of the draft. Mark my words. #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/j3HvdvtoYJ — WALTER JONES (@BigWalt71) May 5, 2019

Imagine thinking Draft Szn is over. Could not be me. It’s always draft season at TDN.That said, we’ll spend the next few weeks recapping the 2019 NFL ...

When we try to think of the most impactful picks immediately following each draft class, we often think of just the first rounders when it comes to wh...

Watched the Bills war room video & mapped out all potential trades. But this one fascinated me most b/c Bengals had 11 & Giants had 37. Based on info in this pic, here are the 2 possible 3-way trades I think were on the table or preliminarily discussed between CIN, NYG, & BUF... pic.twitter.com/ofjg5iw3lg — Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) May 4, 2019

As the Bears desperately attempt to upgrade at kicker, they’re paring down the roster. After wrapping up a rookie minicamp at which the kicking competition was the most-watched event, the Bears released two kickers, Redford Jones and John Baron.

Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has not been with the team during their offseason program and his future with the organization has been in doubt since comments from head coach Bruce Arians in March.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton provided an update on his right shoulder’s recovery from arthroscopic surgery and said that he feels positive about where things are right now.

Y’all made a highlight video of almost exclusively swing passes to fullbacks. https://t.co/MN9GTl4Hyi — Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) May 5, 2019

Greenlaw protected this man’s daughter at a fraternity party in 2015.

Tom Brady explains why he is not one of the NFL’s highest paid players: ‘My wife makes a lot of money.’

He left out, "The Patriots are a client of my private business, & I've been profiting from that partnership for years, enabling the team to skirt the salary cap while other teams with franchise quarterbacks are saddled by albatross contracts and struggle to add talent elsewhere." https://t.co/noXkU40LCs — Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 3, 2019

A common rebuttal has been that Brady took discounts before he opened TB12.



Wrong.



In 2010, he signed an extension that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. Then in 2013, when he opened TB12, he renegotiated an absurdly team-friendly deal. Look at the decrease in APY: pic.twitter.com/kmK1FXWTj9 — Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 4, 2019

It wouldn’t be surprising if Marcus Mariota is available in 2020.

It will be interesting to look back on Elway’s decision to pass on Bush in a couple of years.

Last week the Raiders decided not to exercise their fifth-year option on safety Karl Joseph, meaning he will be a free agent after the year is over.