Tampa Bay Buccaneers huge receiver Deven Thompkins carries a blocking dummy throughout an NFL soccer organized workforce exercise Tuesday, Might 31, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Picture/Chris O’Meara) AP
With report dates for NFL coaching camps only a few weeks away, ESPN final week carried out a panel wherein it requested its beat writers to determine one participant from every workforce who has been “a shock offseason standout” in the course of the varied workforce camps which are held all through the offseason.
“All 32 of those gamers have caught the eyes of our reporters — and their groups — this offseason, displaying that they may play a much bigger function than anticipated in 2022,” reads the introduction.
Two gamers with Utah ties — each rookies — made the checklist: Former Murray Excessive and SUU offensive lineman Braxton Jones of the Chicago Bears and former Utah State huge receiver Deven Thompkins of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wrote Courtney Cronin about Jones: “The fifth-round choose rapidly emerged with the first-team offensive line at left sort out throughout spring practices and supplanted Teven Jenkins, who moved to proper sort out with the second-team unit.
“Jones admitted he was “a bit of bit stunned” he was competing with those this early however understands the significance of the reps he has gotten, which have helped him create a pre-snap course of, be taught completely different cadences and transfer sooner.”
As for Thompkins, Jenna Laine wrote that the small however productive wideout “caught the eye” of Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles throughout a minicamp.
“At his professional day, he clocked a 4.35 40-yard sprint and had the second-most receiving yards in faculty soccer with 1,704 yards and 10 touchdowns,” Laine wrote.
“However he faces tall odds to make the Bucs’ 53-man roster at 5-foot-7 and 155 kilos and at a place that already has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage. His ticket would seemingly come within the type of kick and punt returns, which hasn’t been a robust spot for the Bucs.”