At this point a year ago, Kyler Murray had thrown hundreds of balls to Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, Nick Bosa had the chance to size up Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey in a practice setting, and Maxx Crosby had opened eyes in Oakland to clear a path toward playing a bigger role on defense than a teammate taken 102 picks earlier.
Meanwhile, undrafted free agents like Preston Williams in Miami, Duck Hodges in Pittsburgh, and Deonte Harris in New Orleans had lined themselves up for a run not just at roster spots in the summer, but roles in the fall.