Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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GREEN BAY – The Packers' nine-player draft class arrived in Green Bay last month under the most challenging circumstances NFL rookies have faced in nearly a decade.
With the country under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, incoming rookies spent the first offseason of their NFL careers largely behind a computer screen.
There weren't any organized team lifts, walkthroughs, OTAs, mini-camps or team-building exercises. All that was available to rookies were hours of pre-taped team meetings, video calls with position coaches and independent workouts.
Despite the difficult arrangements, the Packers' rookie class has proven to be a quick study. Through the first nine practices of training camp, the rookies have wasted little time putting months of mental preparation to good use.
"We're throwing a lot at all those guys," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "We're pretty fortunate, I thought (GM Brian Gutekunst) and the scouting department did a good job of making sure that we get guys in here that are intelligent, they're able to pick it up quickly.
"And it's just about getting those reps. So unfortunately it was what it was with the offseason, but we're going to count on his guys throughout the course of the season to come in and play a big part in what we do."