CHARLOTTE — Rookie minicamp is a commentary on dreams.

There are Top 10 picks, on the starting line of what they believe can be a Hall of Fame career. There are tryout players, soaking up what may be the only two days in their lives they wear an NFL uniform.

There are former teammates and rivals, lifelong friends and strangers, all coming together to chase one thing: a chance at making their name known in the NFL.

It is a weekend full of hope, possibilities, dreams realized and dreams chased. It is a weekend for so many that deserves to be not only remembered but celebrated.

During the Panthers rookie minicamp, over 40 players came together, including draftees, undrafted free agents, and tryouts for a Friday and Saturday of practice. Our cameras were there to capture every moment, big and seemingly minuscule, albeit during a weekend when nothing is minute.

Join along for arrivals, take a peek behind the curtains of implementing rookies on a roster, and go inside the two days of practice with our photo retrospective.

The weekend begins on Thursday, when players first arrive in Charlotte. While some were able to tour the facilities during the draft process on a 30-visit, for many, this is the first time they've been to the Queen City. They arrive with suitcases packed for an indeterminate amount of time, often en masse, walking over from the hotel together and laughing at each other when someone takes a wrong turn in their new building.

Rookie minicamp is the first time many players meet their new coaches, such as offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.

With the advent of the transfer portal, a good many players arrive technically from different schools, but having played together at least once before.

Regardless, all are still loyal to their school—or schools—and the Thursday of arrivals, during which time players have to wait around a lot for physicals, meetings, and the such, is peppered with good natured debates on past matchups.

Before the players can take the field, they must make a visit to the equipment room. Run by Don Toner, who has been with the team since its inception, the equipment staff is stocked and prepared to test a multitude of helmets and styles with guys, ensuring they have the right specifications for their position, needs and comfort.

The first day is simply about getting on the grass. They have watched these guys on film for months, but Dave Canales always says you need to see a guy move in person to really grasp what he can do. That's what Friday is for.

While rookie minicamp can be a lot of information at once, it's also the first step in what many hope is a career defined by wins and accolades.

"I'm trying to do a lot of big things," Princely Umanmielen said. "I just take it a day at a time. Of course, I want to do things like get double-digit sacks and get defensive Rookie of the Year and things like that, but, you know, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and get better and better every day."

The weekend is all about connecting with other rookies and coaches. But players know it will only be a couple of days until veterans return to the building as well, giving them a chance to soak up even more knowledge.

"I want to be under and just be under their wing," Cam Jackson said of Derrick Brown and A'Shawn Robinson. "Not only as a teammate but also as a little brother as well."

When you come into rookie minicamp as a Top 10 pick—as did receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who the Panthers drafted No. 8 overall—there can be additional pressure. You're the star, but you're also the face of the draft class. Every eye is on you.

"There's no pressure, to be honest with you," promised TMac. "I'm just, I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity that I do. Obviously, I'm going to soak it all in at the end of the day, but I'm going to try to be the best player I can be, and I'm going to try to help this team as much as possible, whatever that may be.

"It's all about just getting to know each other," Canales said of the weekend, "getting to know for the staff or the personnel department because they may not make our 90-man roster right now, but things happen in camp, and we have a list of guys that have a little bit of familiarity to see how we do things so that when they come and show up to practice they know what to expect at a minimum.

"So it's about exposure for these guys, it's about a football life, and the more chances they can get in front of coaching staffs and all that, the better chance they have of getting opportunities to be able to show everybody what they can do."

Each day, the group ended practice with a competitive period. "Just trying to get these guys going and get them in the competitive spirit," Canales said. On Saturday, that was a football version of curling that the Panthers call "Get Like Me."

Rookie minicamp is a short period in a long offseason. But it is vital. A chance to meet the future of a team and set the groundwork for success.