No Colts rookies are attending NFL Rookie Premiere this year

Beginning today, a number of rookies throughout the NFL will take part in the 22nd annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere this weekend.

The event is intended to help players "learn the business of football" and gives them plenty of opportunities to engage with people about marketability, trading cards, and things like that. It is the occasion where the annual photo shoot for rookie trading cards happens, while plenty of representatives from various companies are in attendance to help the rookies with the business side of the game. 41 of the top rookies are in attendance, but there are no Colts players who will be participating.

The Colts are one of nine teams to have no players selected to attend (you can read the full list of all 41 players attending here), but it makes sense why not. Of the 41 players, 40 of them are either a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or a tight end - in other words, the most exciting players. The only exception is the Chargers' Joey Bosa, who was drafted third overall. Silver and Black Pride looked at the past few years and found the same trend: last year, the only defensive player to attend the Rookie Premiere was Leonard Williams (the sixth overall pick), and the year before that the only defensive players in attendance were Jadeveon Clowney (the first overall pick) and Khalil Mack (the fifth overall pick).

In other words, the Rookie Premiere is basically a chance for the draft's best skill-position offensive playmakers to get connected and learn the business of football. If you're a defensive player picked outside the top ten or an offensive lineman, however, you probably won't be going. That's why there are no Colts players in attendance this year. Their first round pick was spent on Ryan Kelly, and three of their remaining seven picks were also spent on offensive linemen. Their second round pick was on safety T.J. Green, and they used three other picks on defensive players as well. They didn't draft any offensive skill position players, so that's why they're not represented at the Rookie Premiere.

It's kind of funny that offensive linemen and defensive players don't have to learn the business of football (yes, that was sarcastic), but at the same time I get it. The NFL Rookie Premiere is all about marketing, and so they bring in the most marketable players. This year, that doesn't include any Colts rookies.