Now that the 2017 NFL Draft process has finally completed its course, you probably thought there would be a bit of a lull for football news. But, when the weather was as nice as it was in Tampa Bay on Friday, they couldn’t let a good football day go to waste.

With the perfect conditions as the preface, 56 players took the field at One Buc Place on Friday for day one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rookie Mini-Camp.

Beyond the six players drafted by the Buccaneers last weekend, there were some other notable names from the college football world who were trying to make their mark, and make a case for their talent at the next level after going undrafted.

Though the drills for the day were without full pads and void of contact, there were still a handful of players who stood out among the rest.

TE O.J. Howard

Coming into camp as the team’s first round draft pick, you’d figure Howard would stand out. Well, he certainly did.

The clip above showed his first rep as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the result was one the franchise hopes to see more of for years to come. Howard, as expected going up against mostly undrafted competition, looked uncoverable. It didn’t matter what route he was running (though he did have a dropped pass).

The team lined him up on the line of scrimmage and in the slot during 11-on-11. He won’t get much of a challenge until the rest of the roster shows up.

WR JESUS “BOBO” WILSON

When there’s no pads or contact involved, it’s obviously much easier for the skill players to stand out. However, when one does, you still have to take notice – it means that they’re performing better than their peers at their position as well as besting their defensive counterparts.

Florida State’s “Bobo” Wilson was the wide receiver who stood out the most, in our eyes. The play above was one of a handful of good plays he had on Friday, but it was also the best. What stood out for Wilson was his footwork and explosiveness. He consistently got separation from the defensive backs guarding him, as was an example in the clip above.

Wilson was also one of four players chosen to get practice returning punts. Versatility is always key for these players since most of them will be bottom of the depth chart guys anyways, if they make the team, and depth players have to play special teams in some way. Wilson has his way to compliment his standout separation.

WR RILEY COOPER

Cooper was a surprising participant at the Bucs rookie mini-camp – it wasn’t reported that Cooper was trying out until the final 56 participant list was released this morning.

Cooper last played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. He was drafted by the Eagles in 2010, and played for them for six seasons before being released. In his most productive season, he recorded 47 catches for 835 yards with eight touchdowns.

As you would expect from a 29-year-old vet going up against mostly rookies, Cooper certainly stood out today as well. In the clip above, Cooper showed great awareness to get around to the ball, go up and reach it at its high point, and get his toes in bounds. He also had a long touchdown catch over cornerback Greg Maybin earlier in the practice.

After practice, Cooper spoke to the media and said that coming back home to Tampa is an “honor”. He said that during his time off, he’s just been working out in Ocala, FL, staying ready for that call, and fishing in his free time.

The media asked Cooper if he thought the racial slur incident was a reason he was a free agent for so long, and he said he wasn’t sure. He said again that he was, “extremely apologetic about that” and that, “that’s not the type of person I am, and the people that know me know that.”

Cooper reiterated that he doesn’t think coming on as a tryout is “humbling”, but more of an honor just to get another chance. He was one of the best wide receivers out there today.

Beyond those three, here are some other notes and observations the PewterReeport.com staff had from that first day of mini-camp

• Wide receiver and third round pick for the Buccaneers, Chris Godwin, looked a littler nervous earlier on (he admitted that as well after practice). He had a couple drops during drills, but as the day went on, he seemed to get more comfortable.
• Undrafted free agent cornerback from Boise State Jonathan Moxey also seemed a bit tense early on. During the first few defensive back drills, he was getting mixed up on which way to turn or flip. One of the DB coaches told him to relax and “just play football – don’t think so much.” After that, he calmed down and played well. He even had a few pass break ups in the 11-on-11 drill.
• Running back and fifth round pick for the Buccaneers, Jeremy McNichols, did not practice today and will not be practicing at all this weekend as he is still recovering from shoulder surgery he had after the Combine. He should be good-to-go by training camp.
• Undrafted free agent wide receiver from Nebraska, Jordan Westerkamp, was in the top three or four wide receivers from the day. He looked explosive off the snap and as a potential slot receiver, that’s what you need.
• Safety and second round pick for the Buccaneers, Justin Evans, looked fast, but it’s tough to judge safeties at practice at all, let alone without pads on. His speed was evident, but there were also times he was a little late to read and react to the ball. However, since the safety position is so much about studying and anticipating, we shouldn’t judge him on things like that. For now, let the takeaway be how fast he looked when he knew where things were going.
• Former Bama quarterback Blake Sims – now a running back – was easily the best of the bunch on the field on Friday. Sims, despite being a big man, showed off athleticism and good footwork during agility drills.
• Quarterback Sefo Liufau got the best of fellow rookie QB Alex Synder, on Friday at least. While neither quarterback was extremely accurate, Liufau showed excellent arm strength in a brisk northwest wind that made throwing the ball difficult. He showed poise and good mechanics throughout the practice on Friday.
• Tight end Tevin Westbrook is an imposing physical specimen, and has so much raw natural ability. But, his lack of tight end playing time is hurting him somewhat. Just watching him run, you can see the traits that have the coaching staff giving him another opportunity this season.
• Thomas Sperbeck, a wide receiver from Boise State, looked like Adam Humphries, but with a little more quickness and speed. Sperback made the most of his opportunities today and didn’t suffer any drops that we saw during the 1.5 hour practice on Friday.