Friday marked the first day of the Chargers rookie minicamp, which saw some rain all throughout the morning. The event will run through the next two days and come to an end on May 12. This feature will include a collection of posted from team beat reporters, along with a couple of interesting observations of note from the session. Read on to see a collection of the highlights and top tweets from the Bolts reporters in attendance at minicamp Friday. Sixth-round selection LB Emeke Egbule is absent from this weekend’s rookie minicamp to attend his graduation this weekend at Houston. — Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) May 10, 2019 Welcome to SoCal, @NasirAdderley. We promise it doesn’t usually rain like this. pic.twitter.com/KHH41XRqoH — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) May 10, 2019 Third-round selection Trey Pipkins is working at left tackle. — Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) May 10, 2019 Anthony Lynn said he wants Pipkins to work and learn behind @RussellOkung https://t.co/h1uIk0qLzt — Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) May 10, 2019 Two guys that flashed during the period open to reporters at Chargers rookie minicamp: undrafted rookie TE Daniel Helm and non-roster invite RB Derrick Gore out of Louisiana-Monroe. — Eric Williams (@eric_d_williams) May 10, 2019 QB Easton Stick using those legs everyone is raving about #Chargers pic.twitter.com/ezxkaIaRjc — Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) May 10, 2019 #Chargers 4th round pick LB Drue Tranquill working through linebacker drills. pic.twitter.com/nRURVJ8sTY — Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) May 10, 2019 #Chargers first round pick DT Jerry Tillery is here for rookie mini camp but can’t practice because he is recovering from labrum surgery. He said during his presser that the doctor told him he would be ready for training camp in July. pic.twitter.com/0r5rOmVACH — Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) May 10, 2019 Easton Stick said he got a congratulatory text from Philip Rivers after the draft #Chargers pic.twitter.com/ZnmEjdlEIK — Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) May 10, 2019 Chargers coach Anthony Lynn was jokingly asked if he made Jerry Tillery run laps for calling him Lynn Swann after the draft. "We got another arrangement for that, it’s called sacks," Lynn said with a smile — Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) May 10, 2019<doc-sep>Rookie minicamp kicks off tomorrow for the Los Angeles Chargers, and some rookies arrived today. Minicamp is a three-day affair and will give us our first glimpse of the Chargers’ promising rookie class. Obviously, everyone will be excited to see the two presumed stars, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery out of Notre Dame and free safety Nasir Adderley out of Delaware. But perhaps more interesting will be seeing the more unknown players on the practice field. Specifically, third-round pick Trey Pipkins from the University of Sioux Falls, is as unknown a quantity as you can find in a day two pick. He is an enormous man at 6-foot-6 and over 300 pounds, and he is also a tremendous athlete for such a large man. He has exciting potential given how raw he is, and Friday will be our first chance to see how close he is to meeting that tantalizing ceiling. There are other fascinating members of the draft class as well as some exciting undrafted prospects to watch, too. Who are you looking forward to getting a first look at?<doc-sep>The 2019 NFL draft is officially behind us. We have spent the last week evaluating and grading the draft class as a whole, but now the attention is going to be specifically towards the individual players themselves as rookie minicamp is upon us. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has had a knack for finding Day 3 gems, whether it’s linebackers Kyzir White and Jatavis Brown or cornerback Desmond King. This year’s haul brought some promising players, but the one who has a chance to contribute in a huge way, outplay his draft slot and be the notorious late-round gem is seventh-round pick Cortez Broughton. Addressing the interior part of the defensive line was one of the main focuses coming into the draft. Los Angeles took DT Jerry Tillery right off the bat with its first-round selection and waited until its last pick to snag Broughton. Broughton was seen as a fifth- or sixth-round prospect throughout the pre-draft process. It’s obvious that the league thought differently on him than many media pundits, given has actual draft spot. A four-year starter for the Bearcats, Broughton played up and down the defensive line over his college career. The first couple seasons were puzzling because he primarily played off the edge, which for him appeared to be out of position and the statistics showed. Thanks to a defensive scheme change in his senior year, Broughton broke out as an all-conference defensive tackle in 2018. He topped his personal career-best marks in tackles for loss (18.5) and sacks (7.5). The former Cincinnati product then proceeded to shine at the East-West Shrine Game, which is where he caught the attention of the Chargers’ scouts. A combine snub, Broughton didn’t have the opportunity to showcase that in front of the copious amount of scouts. Instead, he waited until his school’s Pro Day. He didn’t disappoint, amassing a 4.98 40-yard dash, 1.77 10-yard split, 33.5-inch vertical, 113-inch broad jump, 7.65 three-cone drill and 4.57 short shuttle. That athleticism was evident on film. The name of the game for the 6-foot-2 and 290-pound defensive tackle is his powerful first step. He is quick off the snap to penetrate through gaps and invade the opponent’s backfield. Broughton has a powerful upper body and heavy hands to dispose of blockers at the point of attack. Here, is playing off the edge where he throws a vicious hump move on the right tackle. Broughton doesn’t only possess a strong upper half, his lower body strength is evident to work his way through contact where he lives for bullying blockers into the laps of the quarterback. If Broughton is unable to work his way into the backfield to cause pressure, he would always make sure that he was trying to contribute in some way. Even if that meant getting his arms up to defend the pass, he would excel at it, finishing with 10 passes defensed. Not only does he get after the passer efficiently, but he is also stout against the run. Broughton anchors at the point of attack against the double team. He splits it and gets underneath, leaving the running back nowhere to go. Outside of the positives, there are things are Broughton will need to work on. He needs some polish by using his hands more as a pass rusher and run defender to get together a game plan as opposed to relying purely on initial quickness. It will make it easier by keeping his chest clean at the next level. Along with that, the former Cincinnati product will need to be more consistent at playing with lower pads. He can play upright and narrow quite often, which will get him washed out of plays. With Los Angeles being thin at the defensive tackle position, Broughton should have no problem earner playing time early on. It’s unlikely that he will be a starter in 2019, but he should be a rotational player and key interior defender in his second season. If Broughton does indeed unlock his full potential, we will be looking back at this with the words, “Telesco did it again.”<doc-sep>COSTA MESA — Easton Stick stepped behind center and saw a familiar pair of hands getting ready to snap him the ball, but when he glanced at his surroundings as rain dripped from his helmet, the rookie quarterback realized he’s no longer in Fargo. “It’s a new environment,” Stick said Friday at the Chargers’ rookie minicamp. “They’re all new guys. You’re getting in the huddle and you met a guy five minutes ago.” Stick won’t need to get used to the rain in Southern California, but the Chargers want the former North Dakota State quarterback to get comfortable under center and learn their system. The Chargers are known for drawing up plays that allow quarterback Philip Rivers to make pre-snap reads. In college, Stick was known for creating plays on the fly with his arms and legs. “He looked good, especially on the move,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said about his fifth-round pick in last month’s draft. “You know, he was under center probably more than a lot of these quarterbacks in college. He had no problems today under center. He was fine.” Stick received snaps from college teammate and center Tanner Volson, who joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent. Stick and Volson won three FCS national titles at North Dakota State. Stick said it doesn’t bother him that critics view him more of an athlete than a pocket quarterback. Stick recorded 41 rushing touchdowns with the Bisons. “I guess I’m not too worried how you analyze it or the way people look at it,” Stick said. “I think that’s something that’s part of my game that I’m able to run around and just be an athlete and play. I think, sometimes, football looks that way. “Obviously, not always. You have to stay in there and hang in there. Philip (Rivers) is one of the best at standing in there, making the throw and taking one in the teeth. That’s a huge part of the quarterback position, but every once in a while, you just have to play.” Tillery watches from sidelines Jerry Tillery, the Chargers’ 2019 first-round pick, watched practice from the sidelines because of a shoulder injury, but the defensive tackle still found other ways to learn. “It’s very frustrating,” Tillery said about not participating this weekend. “Wish I could be out there, competing, getting better today physically. But since I can’t do that, my world is just being with my coaches, watching the drills that we’re doing and learning from that and getting better mentally.” Tillery, the 28th overall pick from Notre Dame, is expected to make his on-field debut in July for training camp. He underwent shoulder surgery in March to repair a torn labrum. “He’s on track,” Lynn said about Tillery. “We don’t like to put timetables on these injuries, but he’s on track. He’s doing well.” With the Chargers thin at defensive tackle, expectations are high on Tillery to contribute as a rookie, but Lynn doesn’t want him to rush back to the field and would rather he focus on learning the playbook. Lynn, however, did have one on-field request for his rookie, an arrangement that could get Tillery out of the dog house for mistakenly calling him “Coach Swann” at his introductory news conference last month. Tillery confused Lynn for USC athletic director Lynn Swann. “We got another arrangement for that, it’s called sacks,” Lynn joking said. Adderley ignores reviews The Chargers were showered with praise from draft experts after they landed defensive back Nasir Adderley with the 60th pick. Some have already penciled Adderley as the Day 1 starter at free safety. But the rookie from Delaware said he won’t let that kind of hype influence his approach. Related Articles Chargers’ Rashawn Slater eager to face Chase Young in debut Chargers safety Derwin James returns for Brandon Staley’s first OTAs Rams, Chargers, fans to meet at SoFi Stadium Aug. 14 for preseason matchup Rashawn Slater shows he’s a fast learner at Chargers rookie minicamp Chargers to face Dallas Cowboys for 2021 home opener at SoFi Stadium “I’ve always blocked it out,” Adderley said. “Everyone is going to have an opinion, whether that’s positive or negative, and if you get too caught up in either one of those it could lead to your downfall.” Adderley was viewed as a perfect fit because he fills a need and also has the pass coverage skills to complement star strong safety Derwin James. Lynn and his coaching staff have made it clear Adderley needs to compete with players such as Jaylen Watkins and Rayshawn Jenkins for the starting role next to James. Adderley embraces the competition. “I just focus on making sure I’m doing everything I can do to control the controllable,” Adderley said. “Just doing all the little things to make sure I’m the best player I can be.”<doc-sep>
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Former North Dakota State quarterback Easton Stick made a good first impression on his new head coach. Stick was on the practice field for the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday along with fellow rookies for Day 1 of the three-day rookie minicamp. The Chargers selected Stick in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, which concluded on April 27. "He looked good, especially on the move," Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said. "I liked some of the things he did. ... I thought he had a good day." Stick is one of the Chargers' seven draft picks to take part in the minicamp along with 19 undrafted free agents and other selected invites. Rookie minicamp is the first opportunity coaches have to work with rookies on and off the field. listen live watch live Easton Stick speaks to the media following day one of rookie minicamp. https://t.co/dY6Ty4cVNj — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) May 10, 2019 “Obviously, it is a lot. It’s a new environment,” Stick said. “You’re around new guys. You’re getting into the huddle and you met a guy five minutes ago. It’s just a different dynamic.” From Omaha, Neb., Stick was the selected No. 166 overall in the NFL Draft after a successful four-year career at NDSU. “As a rookie, it’s just about learning,” Stick said. “Listening more than talking and working your tail off. If you do those two things, if you’re listening, you’re working hard, hopefully you earn the respect of the guys who have been here for a long time.” Stick was asked about his relationship with former Bison teammate Carson Wentz, who is now the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Stick said Wentz has been a good resource as he’s transitioned from the college game to the NFL. “Carson’s a good friend,” Stick said. “We talk a decent amount so, kind of always in contact with him. He’s been really good to me going back all the way back to Fargo.” Former Bison offensive lineman Tanner Volson is also taking part in Chargers rookie minicamp. The 6-foot-4, 303-pound center played in 58 games for NDSU in his four seasons. Stick said it was good to see Volson get a chance with the Chargers. “It’s awesome having a familiar face,” Stick said. “Tanner’s awesome.” Stick said he hasn’t met with Chargers veteran quarterback Philip Rivers yet, but has had an interaction with the multiple-time Pro Bowl quarterback. “He sent me a text after the draft and that was cool. I really appreciated that,” Stick said. “I haven’t got a chance to meet him yet. Looking forward to meeting him and really all the guys.” Thursday, former NDSU head coach Chris Klieman was on the Chargers Weekly podcast and compared Stick to Wentz. Klieman, now the head coach at Kansas State, coached both Wentz and Stick at NDSU. “Probably the smartest guy I’ve ever been around and I coached Carson Wentz as well,” Klieman said of Stick on the podcast. “And so that’s a big thing to say.” Stick posted a 49-3 record as the starting quarterback for the Bison, helping the team win three NCAA Division I FCS championships in his final four seasons in the program. He was the starting quarterback for NDSU in the past two national title games. “This weekend is huge for all of us to soak up as much as you can,” Stick said. Lynn said the goals for the three days of rookie minicamp is for players to learn how to be a professional and grow up. “These guys they’ve just got to get obsessed with learning this system and these schemes,” Lynn said. “But right now, their heads are spinning.” Lynn said Stick looked good under center in his first practice time with the Chargers. "He was under center probably more than a lot of these quarterbacks in college," Lynn said. "He had no problems today underneath the center. He was fine. I like the way he moved around a little bit in the pocket."