Here's a look at some of the more interesting names who will be on the field at One Bills Drive the next three days.
Rookie minicamp will be the first up close look at Buffalo's 2017 draft class for the Bills coaching staff, along with a bounty of other rookies and first-year players trying to make a good first impression.
**Squaring off
**Buffalo's top two draft choices will likely see a lot of each other through the course of the three-day minicamp. CB Tre'Davious White and WR Zay Jones are expected to line up across from one another a good deal in one-on-ones and in team segments of practice.
"I'm going to ask these players to battle every day," said head coach Sean McDermott. "They're coming in to earn the right to be on this football team and this roster and we'll see where it goes from there. When you look at the players with Tre' (Tre'Davious White) and Zay, they have that type of DNA over the course of their careers in college where they've earned everything that they've gotten."
OL Dion Dawkins, Buffalo's second second-round pick, won't be able to block and drive defenders off the ball with the practice restrictions on contact, but he will be working with the other linemen participating on hand work and a feel for his steps in Buffalo's run game and pass sets.
Local flavorThe Bills will have a local prospect participating in the rookie minicamp this weekend. Undrafted rookie signing Jordan Johnson will be on the field. The running back finished his college career at the University at Buffalo with the sixth-most rushing yards in school history.
There are also a pair of tryout players from nearby schools. LB Abner Logan from SUNY Albany and WR Jordan Williams from Division II Edinboro (PA).
Who's throwing?Just about everyone knows that fifth-round pick Nate Peterman will be seeing an awful lot of action at quarterback over the next three days, but he cannot do all the throwing. There are simply too many reps.
First-year player Josh Woodrum (6-3, 231) will be participating as well. Signed by the Bills in January as a reserve/future free agent, Woodrum was last on Chicago's practice squad. He originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants. The Liberty University product finished his college career as the school's all-time leader in passing yards (10,266) and total offensive yards (10,690).
Added to the practice roster this weekend is tryout quarterback Danny Collins. Collins (6-3, 215) played the last four seasons for the FCS Maine Black Bears. In 2016 he was 166-318 passing (52%) for 2,375 yards with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
**Player notes of interest
Among the more interesting players participating this weekend is tryoutWR Dres Anderson**. He's the son of former NFL WR Flipper Anderson, who had a 10-year NFL career, was part of Denver's Super Bowl championship team in 1997 and still holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game with 336.
Dres Anderson went undrafted in the 2015 draft, and signed with San Francisco. After more than a year on 49ers practice squad he was released and signed by Chicago. The Bears, who signed him as a reserve/future free agent waived him earlier this month.
WR Jalin Robinetteis another interesting tryout receiver out of the Air Force Academy. Blessed with tremendous size (6-3, 220) and meat hooks for hands (10 7/8 inches) he participated in the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine and led the nation in yards per catch in 2016 (27.4).
A first-team All-Mountain West conference player, Robinette ran a 4.62 40-time, had an impressive 6.77-second three cone drill and a 10-foot broad jump.
Undrafted rookie signing Austin Rehkow (pronounced ree-COH) was widely seen as the best punting prospect in the 2017 class. Though he had a down senior season, he still had 26 of his 56 punts downed inside the 20 (46.4%) and just three touchbacks. He also improved his fair catch percentage from 21.6 in 2015 to 35.1 percent this past year. He has also handled kickoff duties.
Player participants in totalHere's the rundown of all the players participating in rookie minicamp this weekend.
Bills draft choicesCB Tre'Davious White (5-11, 192) - LSU
WR Zay Jones (6-2, 201) - East Carolina
OL Dion Dawkins (6-5, 320) - Temple
LB Matt Milano (6-0, 223) - Boston College
QB Nate Peterman (6-2, 225) - Pitt
LB Tanner Vallejo (6-1, 228) - Boise State
Eligible Bills 1st-year playersS Trae Elston (6-0, 190) - Mississippi
LS Reid Ferguson (6-2, 244) - 2016 Bills practice squad
OL Cameron Jefferson (6-5, 317) - Arkansas
LB Jacob Lindsey (6-2, 220) - Harvard
WR Kolby Listenbee (6-1, 183) - 2016 6th-round pick
DL Jake Metz (6-6, 265) - Shippensburg
OL Jordan Mudge (6-4, 300) - Nevada
RB Cedric O'Neal (5-10, 215) - Valdosta St.
S Joe Powell (6-2, 205) - Globe
DL Ian Seau (6-2, 250) - Nevada
CB Bradley Sylve (6-0, 180) - Alabama
LB Junior Sylvestre (6-0, 242) - Toledo
QB Josh Woodrum (6-2, 231) - 2016 Bears practice squad
LB Eddie Yarbrough (6-3, 259) - Wyoming
Bills undrafted rookiesTE Jason Croom (6-5, 246) - Tennessee
RB Jordan Johnson (6-1, 220) - Buffalo
DL Marquavius Lewis (6-3, 270) - South Carolina
G Greg Pyke (6-6, 325) - Georgia
P Austin Rehkow (6-3, 213) - Idaho
WR Brandon Reilly (6-2, 200) - Nebraska
S B.T. Sanders (6-0, 195) - Nicholls State
CB Marcus Sayles (5-10, 175) - West Georgia
WR Dakiel Shorts (6-1, 202) - West Virginia
TE Keith Towbridge (6-5, 262) - Louisville
S Jeremy Tyler (5-11, 207) - West Virginia
OL Zach Voytek (6-5, 305) - New Haven
DT Nigel Williams (6-2, 297) - Virginia Tech
Tryout Players
DT Chas Alecxih (6-4, 296) - Pitt
WR Dres Anderson (6-1, 187) - Utah
OL Gavin Andrews (6-5, 334) - Oregon State
K/P Brett Benes (6-0, 179) - Charleston
QB Danny Collins (6-2, 219) - Maine
LB Fletcher Collins (6-2, 225) - Montana St.
FB Adam Cox (5-10, 238) - Iowa
LB Sean Folliard (6-2, 225) - Northern Illinois
DE Jamari Ford (6-2, 234) - Miles
C Jay Guillermo (6-0, 298) - Clemson
LB Anthony Harrell (6-2, 229) - Georgia Tech
CB Isaiah Jackson (6-0, 182) - Western Colorado
CB Justin Jemison (6-2, 185) - Jackson State
TE Kenny Johnston (6-3, 226) - Florida Tech
FB Andrew King (5-11, 240) - Texas-San Antonio
OT Voghens Larrieux (6-5, 300) - Coastal Carolina
LB Abner Logan (6-1, 235) - Albany
S Adam Maxie (6-1, 176) - Coastal Carolina
OT Ryan Melton (6-5, 304) - Texas State
OT Jac'que Polite (6-4, 296) - Winston-Salem State
WR Jalin Robinette (6-3, 220) - Air Force
C Michael Selby (6-1, 295) - Marshall
CB Terrance Singleton (5-11, 200) - Prairie View
DT Donte Wilkins (6-0, 294) - Virginia
WR Jordan Williams (6-2, 188) - Edinboro
