Ezekiel Elliot suffered a scary fall during the first week of rookie minicamps

Bruce Matson provides a recap of the first week of rookie minicamps.

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The NFL Draft is over and now we are inching our way to the regular season. Rookie minicamps have commenced giving us our first look at our favorite rookies with their new teams. For dynasty and redraft owners, this is the time where reading the tea leaves from news releases and press conferences are vital to getting the maximum amount of information about the rookies as we head into the regular season.

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Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
Elliott is currently the sparkly new toy in dynasty but his appeal almost took a massive hit when he slipped during a zig-zag drill in practice. Even though the fall looked gruesome and was a potential nightmare for the Dallas Cowboys and dynasty owners, he was able to walk off under his own power without being injured.

He is adapting well to his new team by learning the playbook quickly and he’s already very efficient at performing some of his assignments. He looked good at catching the ball out of the backfield and he displayed his quick feet in the open field.

Laquon Treadwell (WR – MIN)
Treadwell wowed his teammates and coaching staff by making a stunning one-handed grab along the sideline in practice. He’s the only rookie on the team that hasn’t signed, but he was in good spirits, giving maximum effort all week. He caught the ball well and displayed quickness and suddenness in his routes.

Will Fuller (WR – HOU)
The knock on Fuller going into the NFL Draft was that he was very inconsistent at catching the football. He proved his critics wrong by effectively catching the ball with his hands, consistently snatching the ball out of the air with authority.

He did a good job at getting in and out of his breaks while running routes. The Texans wanted to see what they had in Fuller by also working with him on punt returns, which could be a sign that they plan on getting him acclimated to the team as quick as possible.

Braxton Miller (WR – HOU)
Miller’s athleticism was gushing during minicamp and he’s looking more crisp running his routes while at the same time getting quicker at getting in and out of his breaks. He could end up becoming a steal in rookie drafts if he reaches his potential.

Jared Goff (QB – LA)
Goff was happy to be back under center as he was the only live arm the Rams had during their rookie minicamp. The extra reps from being the only quarterback at practice are only going to expedite his transition from college to the NFL. He looked good throwing the ball and it appears he is already gelling well with his new team.

Paxton Lynch (QB – DEN)
Lynch wasn’t perfect, he was off the mark on some throws, but his first outing with the team wasn’t bad. He’s a rookie and it’s going to take some time before he gets all the kinks ironed out. However, he demonstrated the willingness to learn and he took initiative by taking command of the huddle which is very important for a rookie quarterback.

Sterling Shepard (WR – NYG)
Shepard and first-round pick Eli Apple battled during one on one drills. Both players looked good but Shepard was able to create separation with his superb route running.

Not only did Shepard have a good session of practices but he was also excited to meet his new teammates Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz before the start of minicamp. With three talented receivers, the Giants’ receiving corps is going to be fun to watch in the near future.

Tyler Boyd (WR – CIN)
Boyd was drafted in the second round to fill the void playing on the opposite side of A.J. Green after Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones left the team during free agency. He’s an excellent route runner and it showed on the field during practice as he was tough to cover.

His strong hands were on display for everyone to watch as he easily plucked balls out of the air while being draped by defenders. Boyd’s game should translate quickly to the NFL level.

Devontae Booker (RB – DEN)
Booker’s work was limited in practice due to a torn meniscus that he tore during last season. He stated that he is currently at 90 percent health and should be ready for training camp without any setbacks. He was still able to take some handoffs and run some routes out of the backfield which is a good sign that he’s close to full strength.

Kenneth Dixon (RB – BAL)
Dixon was sidelined with a hamstring injury which caused him to sit out during camp. The injury wasn’t severe and shouldn’t impact his ability to participate in training camp. It’s something to keep an eye on because being sidelined with an injury during rookie camp could curtail his development with the team.

Leonte Carroo (WR – MIA) and Kenyan Drake (RB – MIA)
Drake and Carroo both had a different experience during their rookie minicamp as head coach Adam Gase and his coaching staff worked with their rookies in the classroom and getting them acclimated to the NFL lifestyle. The sessions included a tour around the weight room, meetings with coaches and a visit with the sports science experts.