Unlike recent years the Broncos are holding an actual on-field Rookie Mini-Camp Friday and Saturday at UC Health Training Center. Following former 3rd Round Draft Pick, Tight End, Jeff Heuerman's ACL tear at rookie mini-camp in 2015, the team had turned these couple of days into more of a symposium and getting to know their new environment as the players make the transition from college to the pro ranks.
Friday before practice, Head Coach Vic Fangio explained his reasoning for wanting to get the new Broncos rookie class on the field, "We had a walkthrough tempo there that we just finished. This afternoon we’re going to go out and have some individual position drill work. We’re going to do some routes on air, both sides of the ball. Then were going to have a ‘skelly,’ possibly two, with them too. There will be no team-work. We don’t have enough defensive lineman to do team-work."
A lot of the attention over the 2 day camp, certainly from media, will be on the top 2 picks, No. 9 overall selection in the 1st round, Cornerback Pat Surtain Jr. and 2nd round running back, Javonte Williams, who the team traded up from 40 to No. 35 with Atlanta to be able to select in front of the Dolphins.
Surtain is embracing his chance to be a tone setter for his rookie class, "Yeah, I’ve tried to take on that leadership role and lead by example—giving maximum effort," he said. "I’m trying to be a figure that all the rookies can look at. Just going through every drill as fast as I can and working hard through it."
Williams who a lot of "draft experts" considered to be the top ball carrier in the draft said this when he was asked about not trying to push it too hard in rookie mini-camp for he or his teammates, "The altitude will slow you down regardless (laughs). I don’t care how fast you want to go. Just getting used to that, I feel like that’s the biggest hurdle. The coaches are telling us to slow down if we’re going a little too fast."