By Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ.com for NJ Advance Media

The Eagles opened their 2017 rookie minicamp on Friday, a three-day event that gives both coaches and the new players a chance to get acquainted with each other before the veterans return.

The minicamp involved some work on the field, which started on Friday. The beginning part of the practice was open to the media.

Here are some observations:

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

DONNEL PUMPHREY

Friday was the first chance to see running back Donnel Pumphrey in uniform and two things stood out.

The first was that the concerns about Pumphrey's size are legit. The Eagles have him listed at 169 pounds on the website, but 180 pounds on the minicamp roster. Either way, Pumphrey is a small 5-foot-9, and without pads on it, it really stood out how much smaller he was than he teammates.

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Hitting Pumphrey, however, might be a problem for opposing defenses.

Even though he was just running through drills, it was clear Pumphrey has elite speed and quick feet, something that has always helped veteran running back Darren Sproles.

Pumphrey spent the portion of practice open to the media mostly catching punts, and if he gets in the open field with the ball, it's clear he is going to be very tough to bring down.

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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DEREK BARNETT NOT BRANDON GRAHAM

One comparison defensive end Derek Barnett has gotten since being drafted is the Eagles' current defensive end, Brandon Graham. On paper, the two are very similar physically.

In person, however, it looks like Barnett might be longer and not as stout as Graham. He also seemed to move much better in drills where he was asked to backpedal. He actually seemed much more similar physically to defensive end Marcus Smith than Graham.

Barnett obviously has a long way to go answer questions about whether he is a good enough athlete to physically handle offensive tackles in the NFL.

He looked the part on Friday, however, which was surprising.

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ONE THING TO KNOW ABOUT EACH EAGLES ROOKIE

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WATCH: DEREK BARNETT AT PRACTICE

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MIKE GROH VERY VOCAL

One change made on the Eagles' coaching staff this offseason was replacing Greg Lewis with Mike Groh as receiving coach.

The difference between the two was clear on Friday.

Groh was very vocal with his players during practice and seemed to be much more serious than Lewis, who was often joking around with his players.

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Groh had his receiver running a drill that involved cutting around two poles before turning and catching the ball, at which point they were hit with a foam stick. The drill was to help the players cut better on the field and to hold onto the ball once they had it.

Groh was very vocal throughout the drill, and at least through one practice, it seems like there will be a big difference in the coaching the receivers get this year.

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RANKING THE EAGLES TOP 10 PLAYERS

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MACK HOLLINS

One receiver that stood out in the limited practice time that was open to the media was fourth-round pick Mack Hollins.

Hollins looked every bit the part of 6-foot-4, 221 pounds on the field. He has long arms and moved very well for a player his size, including during the drills that involved quick cuts.

Hollins didn't look as strong as Dorial Green-Beckham, but he did look quicker, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Hollins take Green-Beckham's roster spot.

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GREG WARD TOO SKINNY

One receiver that looked way too small to play the position wasn't a receiver in college -- former Houston quarterback Greg Ward.

Ward, 5-foot-11, is listed at 186 pounds, but didn't look much bigger than Pumphrey.

To be a receiver in the NFL you have to either have elite speed or be physical enough to get off the line against taller, stronger cornerbacks.

It doesn't look like Ward has either.

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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NATHAN GERRY AS A LINEBACKER

The Eagles are moving Nebraska safety Nathan Gerry to linebacker, and on Friday, it seems obvious why they did.

Gerry has a similar build to former-Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso. He has huge arms and looked quick moving through the linebacker drills. It's clear his time at safety is going to make him an above-average coverage linebacker, something the Eagles desperately need.

How the Eagles use Gerry will be interesting to see, but it does seem they might have found a player that physically will be able move around and fill a number of different roles for them.

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Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ Advance Media

WATCH: DONNEL PUMPHREY AT PRACTICE

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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COREY CLEMENT

Seeing Wisconsin running back Corey Clement stand next to Pumphrey was startling.

Clement, 220, has somewhere between 40 to 51 pounds on Pumphrey, depending on whether you think Pumphrey is actually 180 pounds or is really 169 pounds. It shows when the two are out on the field.

Clement has big arms and looks like he will be big enough to run between the tackle in short-yardage situations. Assuming Ryan Mathews isn't back on the team, the Eagles are going to need somebody to step into the short-yardage role.

Clement looks the part of being able to do just that.

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RASUL DOUGLAS

The Eagles' draft pick with the best chance of playing right away is West Virginia cornerback Rasul Douglas, who spent most of the practice on the other side of the field with the cornerbacks, away from the media.

One thing that did stand out about Douglas, however, is that from afar he looked considerably bigger than the other cornerbacks. He was on the only cornerback on the field that was over 6-feet tall.

If Douglas is going to succeed with the Eagles it is going to have to be because of his size, as he doesn't have elite speed.

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JEROD EVANS

The Eagles are set at quarterback with Carson Wentz as their starter and Nick Foles as the backup. The third spot is up for grabs though and it wouldn't be surprising to see Virginia Tech quarterback Jerod Evans make a push for it.

Evans was the only impressive quarterback out on the field Friday. What stood out was how much bigger he was than the other two quarterbacks -- Evans stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 232 pounds -- and his arm strength.

Playing quarterback is about much more than size, but Evans has the physical tools to make him an intriguing option for the Eagles as a practice squad quarterback this year.

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TYLER ORLOSKY

One of the more interesting undrafted free agent signings by the Eagles was West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky.

Orlosky faces a tough battle to make the roster, as the Eagles are very deep at the interior of the offensive line. Which makes the fact he decided to come here is interesting.

Orlosky was out on the practice field Friday, and you can see why the Eagles are intrigued. Orlosky has a thick frame, weighing 298 pounds, which is around 20 pounds more than the team's current starting center, Jason Kelce.

If Kelce is moved look for Orlosky to make a serious push to make the 53-man roster.

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WHERE TO REACH ME

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.