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NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: C.J. Baxter, RB, Texas

NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: C.J. Baxter, RB, Texas

USA Today09-07-2025
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Vikings fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Minnesota.
Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Vikings, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Vikings fans can be the most informed fans.
So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall.
Player Information
Player: CJ Baxter
School: Texas
Height/Weight: 6-1/220 lbs.
Player Background
- 5-Star Recruit
- High School All-American and All-State Honoree in Florida
- All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2023
- Missed 2024 with Knee Injury
Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season
- 138 Rushing Attempts
- 659 Rushing Yards
- 4.8 Yards Per Carry
- 24 Receptions
- 156 Receiving Yards
- 6.5 Yards Per Reception
- 5 Touchdown
Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season
- 74.8 PFF Rushing Grade
- 2.94 Yards After Contact Per Carry
- 29 Missed Tackles Forced
- 18 Carries of 10+ Yards
- Breakaway Run Chance of 23.2%
Player Traits
- Can be a dual-threat out of the backfield
- Microwave ability to get full-speed quickly
- Good ball carrier vision and awareness
- Can be physical when he has to
- Will surprise you with his footwork in his route running
Player Summary
CJ Baxter is going to be coming off a knee injury when fans see him return, but he has a chance to be very loud when he gets to be a part of an explosive 2025 Texas offense. Baxter has a dual-threat ability out of the backfield which will be perfect for Arch Manning to exploit against opposing defenses. He has great awareness and vision as a ball carrier, and it allows for him to get the most out of every touch. He really surprised me with his footwork and route running ability, something I hope to see be even better in 2025. All in all, he will be in a loaded backfield at Texas, but his skillset is unique enough he will have every chance to shine when given the chance.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine league — here are the results
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine league — here are the results

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine league — here are the results

Yahoo Fantasy staff members took part in an 18-team, 14-round guillotine mock draft to help give an idea of how to approach building a roster in this format. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The scoring for this mock is half PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated: Ben Zweiman (Editorial team) Jonathan Bassey (Podcast team) Aaron Tan (Social team) Matt Harmon (Fantasy analyst) Trevor Brigham (Customer care team) Mo Castillo (Editorial team) Jason Klabacha (Editorial team) Brett Rader (Podcast team) Scott Pianowski (Fantasy analyst) Justin Boone (Fantasy analyst) Collin Brennan (Podcast team) Dan Harris (Podcast team) Dan Titus (Fantasy analyst) Jason Jung (Podcast team) John Adams (Customer care team) Mike Graben (Product team) Adam Hellwig (Customer care team) Brett Kundtz (Business intelligence team) Round 1 Pick Player Team 1 Ja'Marr Chase Ben Zweiman 2 Bijan Robinson Jonathan Bassey 3 Saquon Barkley Aaron Tan 4 Jahmyr Gibbs Matt Harmon 5 CeeDee Lamb Trevor Brigham 6 Justin Jefferson Mo Castillo 7 Puka Nacua Jason Klabacha 8 Christian McCaffrey Brett Rader 9 Derrick Henry Scott Pianowski 10 Nico Collins Justin Boone 11 Amon-Ra St. Brown Collin Brennan 12 Ashton Jeanty Dan Harris 13 Brian Thomas Jr. Dan Titus 14 Malik Nabers Jason Jung 15 Jonathan Taylor John Adams 16 Drake London Mike Graben 17 Josh Jacobs Adam Hellwig 18 De'Von Achane Brett Kundtz In an 18-team league, the first round might be the only round that feels fairly normal, since you haven't strayed that far from traditional league drafts. However, the deeper you get into the opening frame, you start to realize how quickly the talent level is falling off and how long you'll be waiting in between picks. Keep that in mind for later, so you don't end up on the wrong side of a position run. My Pick: Collins was the WR8 in fantasy points per game (17.6) last year, despite missing five weeks with a hamstring injury. Prior to getting hurt, he was the fourth-highest-scoring wideout, averaging 21.3 fppg. While having a bye in Week 6 does feel a little early in the season to be without my first-round pick, Collins' talent (and potential path to a top-five finish) was too tough to pass up. Round 2 Pick Player Team 19 Bucky Irving Brett Kundtz 20 Josh Allen Adam Hellwig 21 Ladd McConkey Mike Graben 22 A.J. Brown John Adams 23 Lamar Jackson Jason Jung 24 Chase Brown Dan Titus 25 Jayden Daniels Dan Harris 26 Brock Bowers Collin Brennan 27 Omarion Hampton Justin Boone 28 Kyren Williams Scott Pianowski 29 Trey McBride Brett Rader 30 Mike Evans Jason Klabacha 31 James Cook Mo Castillo 32 Breece Hall Trevor Brigham 33 Tee Higgins Matt Harmon 34 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Aaron Tan 35 Garrett Wilson Jonathan Bassey 36 Chuba Hubbard Ben Zweiman Three elite quarterbacks and two elite tight ends go off the board already, as managers try to find players who will give them an immediate edge. They'll have to hope it's enough of an advantage to overcome the potential holes it could cause in their lineups at other important positions like running back and receiver. My Pick: Some guillotine players shy away from rookies, since they could take longer to get comfortable in the pros, and if they start slow it could result in an early exit for that manager. 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My Pick: Taking Kamara in the third round feels odd, but drafting him as the 19th running back selected feels like a gift. Though he turned 30 years old this summer, the veteran is coming off back-to-back top-five fantasy RB seasons and has finished top-eight in seven of his eight NFL campaigns. Round 4 Pick Player Team 55 Patrick Mahomes Brett Kundtz 56 Jameson Williams Adam Hellwig 57 Baker Mayfield Mike Graben 58 Zay Flowers John Adams 59 George Pickens Jason Jung 60 D'Andre Swift Dan Titus 61 Tony Pollard Dan Harris 62 Khalil Shakir Collin Brennan 63 Tetairoa McMillan Justin Boone 64 DeVonta Smith Scott Pianowski 65 TreVeyon Henderson Brett Rader 66 Kaleb Johnson Jason Klabacha 67 Isiah Pacheco Mo Castillo 68 Calvin Ridley Trevor Brigham 69 Aaron Jones Sr. Matt Harmon 70 Brian Robinson Jr. Aaron Tan 71 Chris Olave Jonathan Bassey 72 Rome Odunze Ben Zweiman Odunze stands out as a very intriguing value at the end of this round. 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Unfortunately, we won't score points for his defensive snaps in this format. The good news is that he's apparently excelling on both sides of the ball at Jaguars' practices. He's even shone as the hardest Jags' receiver to cover in one-on-one drills, according to beat writer John Shipley. Make no mistake, Hunter is not a safe pick due to the uncertainty around how he'll be used on offense and defense, but I'm confident in him as a flex option. 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As he works his way back from an ACL tear, the 27-year-old might end up sitting out early in the season. We know Aiyuk can be a fantasy difference-maker when healthy — the only question is, how soon will he get back to form? Stashing him on IR and hoping he can contribute later is a worthwhile play at this point in the draft. My Pick: Bryant is yet another rookie added to my roster, but based on the comments coming out of Broncos' practices, the third-round pick should carve out a role in Sean Payton's ascending offense. While Denver's No. 1 target, Courtland Sutton, just signed a new deal, the pecking order behind him in the receiver room is up in the air. Beating out part-time players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele doesn't seem like an insurmountable obstacle. It also doesn't hurt that Payton has compared Bryant to former Saints' star, Michael Thomas. 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Round 14 Pick Player Team 235 Amari Cooper Brett Kundtz 236 Russell Wilson Adam Hellwig 237 Antonio Gibson Mike Graben 238 Roman Wilson John Adams 239 Tutu Atwell Jason Jung 240 Jalen Nailor Dan Titus 241 Calvin Austin III Dan Harris 242 Phil Mafah Collin Brennan 243 Daniel Jones Justin Boone 244 Keaton Mitchell Scott Pianowski 245 Tory Horton Brett Rader 246 Elic Ayomanor Jason Klabacha 247 Jermaine Burton Mo Castillo 248 Ollie Gordon II Trevor Brigham 249 Theo Johnson Matt Harmon 250 JuJu Smith-Schuster Aaron Tan 251 Tyler Higbee Jonathan Bassey 252 Cole Kmet Ben Zweiman Nailor is a very sneaky pick here and I was disappointed he didn't fall to me in the final round. Similar to the Chiefs scenario, Minnesota might be without Addison early in the season if the league issues a suspension before then. That would create an opportunity for Nailor to temporarily play the No. 2 receiver role in the Vikings offense. Nailor caught touchdowns in both games Addison missed last year. My Pick: With Richardson playing well so far in camp, Jones seems like the underdog to start for the Colts in Week 1. Even so, I didn't take a second quarterback and wasn't particularly thrilled by any of the names still available when I was on the clock at 243rd overall. So, taking a QB with a chance to win himself a starting job over the next month made sense.

Bears rookie WR Luther Burden shines at Wednesday's camp practice
Bears rookie WR Luther Burden shines at Wednesday's camp practice

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bears rookie WR Luther Burden shines at Wednesday's camp practice

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III's training camp experience has been a roller coaster since the team reported last week. The second-round pick out of Missouri missed the first week as he continued to recover from a leg injury he suffered in rookie mini camp. When he finally hit the field for the first time on Monday, Burden only participated in individual drills as he ramped up work. On Tuesday, he saw more action but wasn't in the right spots at times and received some tough love from head coach Ben Johnson. On Wednesday, however, Burden finally started to show what made him such a coveted prospect. Burden saw his most action to date and was connecting with quarterback Caleb Williams multiple times. The first came on a crossing route where Williams put the ball in between two defenders where only Burden could secure it. He made the catch and took the ball upfield for the score. The second big play came near the end of practice when Burden made a great catch in the back of the end zone for a would-be touchdown, but his feet didn't land in bounds. Still, you like to see the rookie start building his confidence and chemistry with his quarterback at the next level. Wednesday's practice was a short one that didn't include pads, but it was one where Burden stole the show. If he can start stacking good practices and learn from the mental mistakes made earlier this week, he will be on the fast track to make an impact early in the regular season. This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookie WR Luther Burden shines at Wednesday's camp practice

2025 College Football Odds: Back Longhorns To Eclipse Win Total
2025 College Football Odds: Back Longhorns To Eclipse Win Total

Fox Sports

time17 minutes ago

  • Fox Sports

2025 College Football Odds: Back Longhorns To Eclipse Win Total

Is just making the College Football Playoff good enough for the richest program in the sport? After back-to-back playoff appearances, including two wins and a semifinal berth last season, the Texas Longhorns look to finally win the championship in 2025. Texas, just like its friends in the upper tier of the sport, does not lose games that it should win. The Horns were 11-1 with a loss to Georgia in the 2024 regular season. Then they went 11-1 in 2023 with a loss to 6-0 Oklahoma on the final play of the game. That's it — two regular-season losses in the last two seasons. Now, after two years of hype and 90 passing attempts last season, Texas turns to Arch Manning as the starter. He's shown elite physical abilities, so the hype is warranted — but being a first-time starter does come with some bumps and bruises. The Texas offensive line was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award last year, but that unit still had moments where it wasn't as clean as expected. It now has to replace four starters, but waiting are all the top-tier recruits and portal players. Texas continues to lose receivers to the draft and Steve Sarkisian has replacements waiting on the roster there, too. The Longhorns run game has been something they can lean on. The offense is loaded with unproven talent, but Sark's track record, plus the talent of Manning, should get them humming quickly. On the defensive side, Texas sent five guys to the NFL, but just like the offense, that side of the ball is retooling with the highest level of talent. Linebacker Anthony Hill will be the anchor of the defense, with freshman All-American Colin Simmons as the lead pass rusher. Texas went to the portal for defensive linemen and the secondary. The Longhorns have a track record of being able to develop on that side of the ball and I trust Pete Kwiatkowski and staff to have this defense playing at an elite level again this season. If we look at the Texas schedule with the assumption that upsets are rare, the squad has two games right now that are toss-ups. Texas opens the season at Ohio State and then plays Georgia in the middle of November on the road. Ohio State must replace so much production on both lines and at quarterback, so catching them to start the season could favor Texas here. I do worry about the Longhorns' ability to win at Georgia after going 0-2 against the Bulldogs last season. So if they split these games, Texas is closer to winning 11 games than nine. A split would allow for an upset and the Longhorns still going Over 9.5 wins. Games against Florida and Texas A&M will be difficult, but Florida has questions at quarterback at the moment and I don't think A&M is good enough to win at Texas right now. If given a choice between the Over or Under on the Texas season, I lean toward the Over. PICK: Texas Over 9.5 Regular Season Wins Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

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