The NFL is played on a whole ‘nother level than College.
That’s what you constantly hear around draft day, but things really start to come into focus once rookie OTA’s and mini-camps start as they did this week.
At this point we usually find out who is in the best shape of their lives (as they all claim), and who will need to put in that extra work if they want to see the field in week 1.
Today, we received unfortunate news regarding some promising rookies. The third overall pick by the Jaguars in this years draft, Mr. Dante Fowler, has already been diagnosed with a torn ACL; and new Cowboy LB Randy Gregory had to leave practice after vomiting during his wind sprints.
Now we can add the Carolina Panthers to the list of team’s missing key rookies.
The Panthers’ top two draft picks, linebacker Shaq Thompson and wide receiver Devin Funchess, both left Friday afternoon’s rookie minicamp practice early.
Thompson, the 25th overall pick from Washington, tweaked his hamstring and was held out of the final hour of Friday’s second practice. Funchess, selected in the second round with the 41st overall pick, limped off the field at the tail end of the nearly two-hour session.
The Panthers held two practices on Friday and will wrap up their two-day rookie minicamp with a three-hour practice Saturday. While Rivera did not formally address the media Friday afternoon, he did speak about the rookies after the morning session. He said the biggest adjustments for rookies will be “adapting to the quickness” of the NFL.
“There are a lot of adjustments that each one of these guys will go through,” Rivera said. “It’s just like going from junior high to high school to college to the NFL, every step you take is going to be another step up.”
The Panthers are expecting their guys to be alright, but its never a good sign to see future assets limping off before the season has even began.
Nothing can prepare these guys for the leap from college to the pro’s, but hopefully next year’s class is watching and taking notes; stay hydrated, folks.