The Seattle Seahawks are the first team to start training camp this offseason, with their rookies reporting to the facility on Friday. Over the next 10 days, the other 31 teams will begin reporting for camp, meaning we’re almost done with the offseason.
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Training camp is important for everyone, players who are changing teams, but it is especially important for rookies. This is their first chance to really make their mark on their new team, so they’re going to be out there giving it their all and fighting for a starting spot.
Since training camp is right around the corner, it will be a good time to go through some of the first-round rookies who have the most to prove this season. Starting with…
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza was the runaway favorite to be the first overall pick in this year’s draft. He was clearly the best quarterback available, and the Las Vegas Raiders desperately needed help at the position. That’s exactly why Mendoza has a ton of pressure on him entering training camp.
Mendoza is supposed to be Vegas’s savior. I know he’s this cool, calm, and collected dude, but that’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Fans and coaches are going to expect him to step into the league and perform right away, so he’s going to have to ball out right away.
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Another thing going against Mendoza is the fact that he’s not going to start right away. The Raiders brought Kirk Cousins in to start Week 1, and preferably for most of the season, so Mendoza’s only real chance to show the fans and coaches that he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick will be in training camp.
I think it’s very important for Mendoza that he performs well in camp. If not, he won’t have another chance to show what he’s got for a while.
David Bailey, ED, New York Jets
There were a lot of people who didn’t think David Bailey should have been the second overall pick in the draft in April. His production at Texas Tech was undeniable, but he may not be the greatest athlete.
As with every prospect, there are flaws to his game, but it feels like Bailey’s could be more worrisome than others. In college, you don’t have to be an incredible athlete to win as a pass rusher, but in the NFL, you have to be athletic to get by these huge tackles. On top of that, there are some concerns about Bailey’s ability to stop the run.
Aaron Glenn could be out of a job this year if things don’t go well, but he’s banking on David Bailey being able to help them turn things around. If he struggles in training camp, Glenn is going to wonder if he made the wrong decision at No. 2.
Arvell Reese, LB, New York Giants
Arvell Reese doesn’t have the same pressure that Mendoza and Bailey have, but I still think he has a lot to prove.
Reese has stated that he wants to be an edge rusher in the NFL, but he has two of the game’s best – Brian Burns and Abdul Carter – ahead of him on the depth chart. And if that wasn’t enough, he also has to beat out former first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux if he wants to get significant playing time off the edge.
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This is a big offseason for Reese. If he comes out and shows he can be an elite edge in the NFL, he’s going to get in the pass rush rotation and could one day be an every-down edge. But if he struggles and can’t even beat out Thibodeaux, who the Giants seemingly want to get rid of, he’s going to spend a lot of time at off-ball linebacker, and who knows when (or if) he’ll get another shot at being a full-time edge?
Caleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys
Caleb Downs has been talked about as a first-round prospect ever since he stepped on the field at Alabama as a true freshman. He’s been touted as one of the best prospects in the 2026 class for three years now, and in a week, he’ll finally put on an NFL uniform for the first time.
Downs’s situation is interesting. Like Reese, no matter how he performs, he’s going to see a lot of playing time. The Dallas Cowboys have needs all over their defense, so he’ll line up at safety or in the slot, pretty much no matter what.
The reason Downs has a lot to prove is that he plays for the Dallas Cowboys, and they’re counting on him to be the focal point of their defensive rebuild. Cowboys fans are expecting him to be a top-five safety in the league pretty much from the moment he steps onto the field for the first time, so if he struggles out of the gate in training camp, fans are going to wonder what the heck is going on.
Downs is going to be a great player in the NFL, but Cowboys fans aren’t known to be the most patient in the world. I just hope he gets off to a hot start, because if not, they could turn on him quickly.
Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Ty Simpson might be the first-rounder with the most to prove in training camp.
It’s no secret that the majority of the football world, including Los Angeles Rams fans, thought this was a terrible pick. Simpson hasn’t even started 15 games in college; he fell apart late last season (especially in the playoffs), doesn’t have any elite traits, and it’s well known that the Rams’ GM is close friends with his father. There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical about this pick.
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The Rams, who are currently the favorites to win the Super Bowl, could’ve used their top-15 pick on any other player that would’ve helped them right away. Instead, they picked pretty much the guy who won’t be of any sort of help to them in 2026. And if he does have to play, things have already gone catastrophically wrong.
Rams fans obviously want to kid to do well, because he’s supposed to be the future of their franchise, but if he struggles in training camp and the preseason, fans are going to turn on him, and the front office will be forced to act fast. And I mean FAST.
Peter Woods, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
Peter Woods is another guy who has a whole lot to prove in training camp after the Kansas City Chiefs selected him with the 29th overall pick in the draft.
Let’s rewind to a year ago. After his sophomore season at Clemson, many believed Woods would end up being a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But after an incredibly disappointing season where he recorded just two sacks, he started sliding down draft boards.
However, Woods was still very highly touted because of his athletic ability. But then he didn’t test well. He opted out of the NFL Combine and worked out at his Pro Day, where he had a 29-inch vertical and an 8-foot, 8-inch broad jump. For an “athletic freak,” I was very underwhelmed with his performance.
A lot of people thought Woods should’ve fallen out of the first round, and instead of selecting other players that could’ve helped their team, they went with a risky, but high-upside player.
If Woods doesn’t pan out immediately, fans are going to wonder why they didn’t spend that pick on someone else.
