The 20 rookies are joined by several first-year veterans (who spent last year only on the practice squad) and one rookie quarterback on a tryout basis.
All in all, this was definitely the start of offseason practices that will take place over the next month, including OTAs and one minicamp practice. After this weekend, the entire team will be allowed to participate, but for the first two days it will be just rookies.
And according to head coach Mike McCarthy, he likes what he's seen so far on and off the field.
“They made a great first impression on everyone and I talked to them all,” McCarthy said in a press conference. “I talked to the people who picked me up at the airport. I talked to the people who dropped me off at the hotel. They're always valued. That's important. There's a lot about culture. Culture. They It's our responsibility to come in and move our culture forward. Today, they made a big impression on day one, and we hope they continue to exceed the standard tomorrow.”
As for the actual performance on the field, Coach McCarthy reiterated that they weren't even wearing helmets, so it's not easy to assess success right away. But again, he liked the way they were prepared for that moment.
“The work on the field was impressive,” McCarthy said. “I feel like every year we say, 'This is the best group we've ever had.' The quality of work that we've done from the draft to (now) definitely showed through today, so Kudos to the coaches and players. I'm very impressed with this group. They made a very strong first impression.”
Among the rookies, most of the attention was on first-round pick Tyler Guyton, who apparently didn't get to this moment fast enough. Guyton explained how he rented a house near the complex to begin preparations.
“I couldn't wait to get up here. I could sit at home for two weeks or I could go to work,” Guyton said. “Today was a great day to get off to a great start for us, but this is just the beginning.”
Practice with the new players will continue on Saturday.
The players who participated in the rookie minicamp are as follows.
- Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
- Western Michigan, Delaware Marshawn Kneeland
- Cooper Beebe, OL, Kansas
- Marist Refaud, LB, Notre Dame
- Kaylen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
- Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri State
- Nathan Thomas, G/T, Louisiana
- Justin Rodgers, DT, Auburn
- Nathaniel Peete, RB, Missouri
- Corey Crooms, WR, Minnesota
- Cam Johnson, WR, Northwestern
- Brevin Spunford, Tennessee, Minnesota
- Alec Holler, Tennessee, Central Florida
- Denzel Duxon, DT, Illinois
- Byron Bones, LB, Baylor
- Jason Johnson, LB, UCF
- Brock Mogensen, LB, South Dakota State
- Julius Wood, South, East Carolina
- Josh DeBerry, S, Texas A&M
- Emmanie Johnson, South, NV
- Mike Hohensee, QB, Northwest Missouri State University
- Josh Butler, CB
- Darrell Johnson, LB
- Earl Bostick, OT
- Princeton Fant, Tennessee
- Jalen Cropper, WR
