OTAs, offseason activities, voluntary workouts; these late spring team practices between rookie camp and actual training camp go by a few names.
For our purposes they mainly serve as an opportunity to get a feel for which new names we need to know, and a few familiar ones to file away. With my ear to the ground for all of May and the start of June, here are the names that I've seen making the most waves on the AFC side of things before the shoulder pads go on:
AFC East
BUFFALO: Opening OTAs with a "best shape of his life" nod from head coach Sean McDermott, the Keon Coleman hype machine is back up and running. Not to be outdone, Dalton Kincaid looks to be over the knee issues that ruined his sophomore season.
NEW ENGLAND: Patriots' third round pick Kyle Williams has generated every bit as much buzz as New England's rookie receivers of yesteryear. Between mercenary Stefon Diggs' ongoing ACL rehab and some questionable proclivities, the path to major year 1 involvement could quickly become six lanes wide. Early vibe is that the new Vrabel regime is willing to give Ja'Lynn Polk a pass for his disastrous rookie season; Javon Baker on the other hand... as if things weren't already clear as mud, a mysterious UDFA challenger approaches.
NEW YORK: Another mid-round rookie receiver turning the proverbial heads is the Jets' Arian Smith, whose world-class speed has him reportedly getting open at will thus far. His hands remain a concern, but if Smith keeps this up in July, he could be in the mix early on across from Garrett Wilson as the new-look Jets look to very likely move on from the Allen Lazard Experiment.
AFC North
BALTIMORE: While some veteran wideouts would avoid even signing with a team before August, DeAndre Hopkins is putting the work in and looking spry in purple. ... Making the most of an opportunity to get some run with the first-team offense has been second-year man Devontez Walker, who made "a bunch of catches" last Wednesday and has drawn high praise from a former Ravens' great (no, not Steve Smith).
CLEVELAND: The rookies continue to gobble up clicks and headlines, but journeyman Joe Flacco looks to be taking the inside track for the Week 1 nod; from that same article it sounds like it would take an absolutely dominant summer showing for either of the rookies to break camp as the man. ... one of this draft's two or three most fascinating players, Harold Fannin Jr. has come out guns blazing in these early practices; HC Kevin Stefanski may already be building personnel packages around the almost 21-year-old.
PITTSBURGH: Very few players just plain look the part like does new Pittsburgh running back Kaleb Johnson; not hard to imagine a guy built like Derrick Henry's little brother running away with this backfield; OC Arthur Smith's best offenses of yore were courtesy of, you guessed it: Derrick Henry. ... After saying they were counting on Roman Wilson for a year 2 leap, the Steelers' front office appears to be waffling. Steeler WRs coach Zach Azzanni today passed along that diminutive speed merchant Calvin Austin is currently the lead sled dog to start across from DK Metcalf.
AFC South
HOUSTON: After battling each other to a stalemate for the title of No. 1 receiver in Ames, Iowa the last two years, Houston rookie duo Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are once again going punch for punch on the hype-o-meter, even garnering some praise from Nico Collins. C.J. Stroud's cupboard is restocked, and he was finally able to get out there and throw with them for the first time earlier this week.
INDIANAPOLIS: First rounder Tyler Warren's unique game seems to be translating just fine at the next level. He's become fast friends with 2025 CFP opponent and new teammate Riley Leonard, who amid the Colts' massive (and growing) QB uncertainty has wisely wasted no time buddying up with the team's core players.
JACKSONVILLE: A spring of rampant and wild speculation about Travis Etienne's Duval future in Jacksonville has been quelled - for now, anyway. Probably no player this side of Shedeur Sanders has been tweeted about more than Travis Hunter since the draft. The question of his usage remains wide open - and highlights like these certainly aren't doing anything to help clarify the situation.
TENNESSEE: To the extent that there were any lingering questions about a possible camp battle for the Week 1 nod, Cam Ward has taken them out back and buried them; this is absolutely his team now. The messiest WR corps this side of Foxboro is still guesswork; Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor are hyper-athletic and have garnered some praise, but the arrival of Tyler Lockett this week may quickly settle the pecking order here. And for the disappointment gluttons among you, I must report that Treylon Burks is ahead of schedule in his recovery from ACL surgery and doing actual football things... for now.
AFC West
DENVER: Curiously hurled away from Jacksonville with great force, Denver is already making it pretty clear to the Broncos' beat that Evan Engram will be heavily involved. Third round WR Pat Bryant was talked up by HC Sean Payton during the draft and has very much built on that praise thus far; the 'Marvin Mims third-year breakout' bulb has dimmed a bit. While the arrival of mercenary J.K. Dobbins isn't great news, it does nothing to detract from the RJ Harvey excitement in Broncos' camp; this feels like an offense primed to take another big step forward in 2025.
KANSAS CITY: Rashee Rice looks to be at or near 100 percent heading into training camp.
LAS VEGAS: Ashton Jeanty and Jack Bech headline the Raiders' rookies, but it's perhaps Dont'e Thornton that's done the most to help his case this fall. Thornton's been impressing nonstop, and at almost 6-foot-5/205 with 4.30 speed he may simply be too much of a unicorn for the Raiders not to funnel snaps outside to him as a rookie - he would allow them so much more formational flexibility with Bech and Jakobi Meyers.
LOS ANGELES: The battle for backfield supremacy is well underway in L.A. While OC Greg Roman has high praise for first round pick Omarion Hampton, he also had no shortage of glowing remarks for Najee Harris. This situation still feels like a dead heat. But it's two other rookies who may have impressed even more without pads on: Tre Harris and Oronde Gadsden, who have both flashed relentlessly this month - especially Gadsden.
—Luke Wilson