Most years, rookie minicamps in the NFL kick off in May following April’s draft. This, as we are all aware, is not most years.
As such, minicamps have been canceled, and most rookies are training at home with their parents, siblings and significant others. That includes No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, who hasn’t practiced in front of his Bengals coaches or had the chance to get in any reps with his new teammates in Cincinnati.
His coach, Zac Taylor, is relying on Burrow to coach himself. “You have to find a way to get in your backyard and get reps in,” Taylor said. “Whether it’s telling your girlfriend or mom where to line up, or how many steps to take on each route — just make sure you know it inside and outside. We’re going to challenge our guys to get creative.”
Based on historical data, what Taylor is asking Burrow to do may actually be enough to have him perform decently once the upcoming season starts. In 2011 thanks to a lockout, rookie minicamps were also canceled, and incoming players didn’t get a chance to work out with their new teams until late July.
As FiveThirtyEight notes, rookie performance that season — as measured by overall Approximate Value — was actually on par with how well first-year players fared during other years last decade. “If 2011 is any indication, the class will rise or fall based mostly on the quality of the prospects, not on any time lost with their teams because of the coronavirus,” according to the publication.
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