The Denver Broncos kicked off their rookie minicamp last weekend with a roster of 60 players, but three of those names stood out for a specific reason—they're designated "first-year" players, and head coach Sean Payton is making sure they get every opportunity to prove themselves.

Guard Nash Jones, tight end Caleb Lohner, and defensive lineman Jordan Miller were the trio invited to the camp despite already having some NFL experience. So why are they still considered first-year players? It all comes down to league rules. In the NFL, a player earns an "accrued season" only after spending at least six games on an active roster, injured reserve, or PUP list. Since Jones, Lohner, and Miller haven't met that threshold, they're still classified as rookies in the league's eyes.

"It's really a league rule based on pension credits," Payton explained. "Every year, I get the list of eligible players. We may have all five invited, but this year we have three or four."

For these players, the extra reps at minicamp are a golden opportunity. Jones joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent from Texas State last year and spent time on the practice squad. Lohner, a former college basketball player at Utah, was a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft and also spent his rookie season on the practice squad. Miller signed as an undrafted free agent from SMU in 2024 and has been developing on the practice squad for two years.

"They're generally Year 1 guys without a pension credit," Payton said. "In a normal rookie camp, they'd get about 15 workouts, but we pushed it back this year. So it's just more exposure for them, more reps for them to steal before we get the whole 90-man roster together. Those snaps are invaluable."

For fans keeping an eye on roster battles, these three players are worth watching. With OTAs and mandatory minicamp on the horizon in June, Jones, Lohner, and Miller will look to build on their extra work and fight for a spot on the final 53-man roster come summer.