Rookies are scheduled to report to training camps around the NFL, and just about every team is dealing with something unprecedented. Almost the entire second round of the 2025 NFL Draft remains unsigned outside of Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins.
And the Denver Broncos are being affected.
Not only are the Broncos one of just two teams that don't have their first-round pick signed (the other being Shemar Stewart of the Bengals), but they are sharing in the frustration of nearly the entire NFL at this point, with all but two second-round picks still unsigned.
The Broncos moved down in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select running back RJ Harvey, who has pretty high expectations being heaped upon him for a variety of reasons. If he remains unsigned as rookies report to camp on July 16, he likely won't be taking the practice field.
And in that case, it might be a perfect opportunity for another recent draft pick to work his way back into the Sean Payton circle of trust.
Audric Estimé may have new life at Denver Broncos training camp
One of the players who has been somewhat written off before camp even begins by a lot of fans out there in Broncos Country is running back Audric Estimé, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft who had a rollercoaster of a rookie season in Denver.
Estimé struggled with ball security throughout camp and the preseason, and found himself in the proverbial doghouse as a result. He managed to show some glimpses of how good he was capable of being in games against the Chiefs, Saints, and Chargers, but was unceremoniously "benched" for the team's playoff game against Buffalo in favor of Tyler Badie.
It was hard not to read into that in a negative way, because it was assumed that Estimé was going to be a key piece of the backfield solution in 2025. After the selection of Harvey in the 2025 NFL Draft and the signing of JK Dobbins around mandatory minicamp, it became clear that Estimé still has some work to do to get back on the good graces of the staff.
But he's a young player who needs time on task. Sean Payton acknowledged that early in the offseason program, and now he might have some new life if Harvey misses significant time in camp. This is a league-wide issue, and Harvey is unfortunately near the bottom of the second round. If agents are waiting for someone to break the ice, nobody is blinking right now.
Hopefully, for everyone's sake, this issue doesn't linger far into training camp. But Audric Estimé isn't likely to complain about having more reps, if that's the result.