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Three more Eagles rookies spoke to the media Friday afternoon after practice, Jack Driscoll, Shaun Bradley, and John Hightower. They all touched on the unique virtual offseason and commented on their fellow rookie class, along with what kind of roles they are focusing on.
Here’s what they had to say:
Jack Driscoll
On the virtual offseason
“It was definitely unique, but the past few months I’ve been training hard.”
His plan to be ready both mentally and physically for whenever they were able to get to the facility. Driscoll did some position work with Kynan Forney who played with the Falcons.
The rookie talked about working out in a family friend’s basement weight room with his brother — a walk-on at Auburn — and then he went down to Atlanta to work out with Forney and get his body into game shape.
Now that they’re on-site, it’s been great to finally work technique, rather than the virtual X’s and O’s stuff that they did in the spring. Driscoll said he’s already learned so many tricks of the trade from Stoutland, and he can’t wait to keep working with him.
He talked about how safe the NovaCare Complex is and how he doesn’t feel concerned with all the protocols they put in place. Driscoll was making good decisions before even coming to camp, because with an already shortened offseason, he didn’t want to report to camp and test positive for COVID and then be even further behind the rest of the first-year players.
On his role
“It’s kind of too early to say.”
At the moment he’s just trying to learn as much as he can about all positions, but he’s doing mostly right tackle work — that’s where he played all four years predominantly at Auburn.
On advice from his father
Driscoll’s father, John, was drafted by the Bills in the 1988 NFL Draft, and has been giving the rookie some tips along the way. His biggest advice was to just takes things day-by-day. Now, Jack is playing among the best in the world, so if you make a mistake, you have to put it behind you and move on.
Shaun Bradley
On being a local guy
Despite being from the area, he didn’t get to experience the NovaCare Complex ahead of the other rookies reporting. He did, however, spend time working out and training with Corey Clement and Miles Sanders.
On playing special teams
Bradley noted that the depth chart isn’t solidified yet, especially since it’s just been all rookies, so he’s just learning as much as he can and “however it pans out, it pans out”.
On the rookie class
The linebacker said that everyone has been getting along and joking around, and he’s just trying to get a sense of everybody and learn about them. Bradley admitted that he’s one of the louder guys in the locker room, he likes to start conversations with people.
He’s specifically been getting along with the other rookie linebackers, Davion Taylor and Dante Olson. Bradley said that they talk all the time and help each other through drills and in the film room.
John Hightower
On his timetable to contribute
“I don’t really know as far as a timetable, I just know that when they call my number, I’ll be ready.”
Hightower later said that with one person being out — Marquise Goodwin — the coaches will have to figure out the rotation with reps, but that’s up to them on how many reps he gets or doesn’t get.
The coaches haven’t had Hightower narrow on specific receiver positions just yet, he’s been learning the entire offense and getting familiar with where he might be needed at his position.
On the rookie class
The WR said that it feels like he’s known the other rookies longer than he has, and that it’s going really good. They get together and study plays and help each other out.
Hightower said that he doesn’t really know what he missed as far as earlier this offseason and having to learn virtually, but that they just had to lock into learning the plays because you couldn’t do on-field walk-throughs — they had to be really diligent.
On the wide receiver rookies specifically, Hightower said they all have different personalities, but in a way that they all gel.
Other notables
- He lauds Stefon Diggs route running and the way he makes cuts as why the receiver is someone he tries to emulate.
- Hightower wasn’t sure whether there should or shouldn’t be college football, and notes that it will probably depend on where we’re in the pandemic at that time.
- The wide receiver used to love riding dirt bikes, getting his first one at age 4, but says he hasn’t ridden since 2016 — so, the team didn’t have to talk to him about the activity.