Today is a big day for the Eagles' rookie class as it takes the field for its first practice.
Eagles rookie camp kicks off today at the NovaCare Complex. Head coach Doug Pederson will have a press conference at 11:20 a.m. and the rookie class (and select first-year players) will be on the field at noon. The rookies will be available to reporters following practice.
Here are some of the storylines from this camp:
1. Watching the first-rounder
No, we won't get to learn a ton about first-round pick Andre Dillard in his first practice. It's hard to learn a lot about an offensive tackle in a non-contact practice, but this will at least be our first chance to see the No. 22 pick in his No. 77 jersey. And we'll at least get to see him on the field, running around. He's supposed to be a really impressive athlete for his size, so some of that should still come across. We'll get a better sense of his athleticism at OTAs, but especially once the pads go on at training camp this summer.
2. Second-round skill guys
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
It won't be too much fun watching the first-round pick, but the second-round picks should more than make up for that. Miles Sanders and JJ Arcega-Whiteside will be on the field for the first time as Eagles and, unlike linemen, skill guys are pretty much the only ones who shine in these practices. This weekend, we'll start to get clues as to how ready these two might be to be contributors this season. They'll likely have very different roles, but both will be two new weapons for Carson Wentz. They won't get to practice with him just yet though.
3. QBs in the house
Wentz obviously won't be at rookie camp, but fifth-round pick Clayton Thorson will. Thorson is known for having a big arm and we'll be able to see what kind of cannon he has, along with his accuracy. Most of these drills break down to catches between QBs and receivers anyway. Is Thorson the next backup quarterback?
4. The local kid
This weekend will be a realization of a dream for Shareef Miller. The Eagles' fourth-round pick grew up in Northeast Philly as an Eagles fan. Now, he'll be about 15 minutes away in his brand-new Eagles jersey. You could understand if the 22-year-old is filled with emotion, but like his mom told him after getting drafted: It's time to get to work.
5. Undrafted chances
In addition to the five draft picks and select first-year players, there will be many undrafted and tryout players on this rookie camp roster. Based on recent years, one or two of them will make the 53-man roster this summer or stay on the radar. In recent years, guys like Corey Clement, Bruce Hector, Josh Adams and Tre Sullivan were all undrafted. This year, keep an eye on LB T.J. Edwards and guards Ryan Bates, Sua Opeta and Nate Herbig.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.
