Chiefs summer scouting: USC Trojans star wide receiver duo
The Kansas City Chiefs revitalized their wide receiver room over the past three years by drafting Rashee Rice, Jalen Royals and Xavier Worthy, but the team still lacks a premier top target. With Travis Kelce nearing the end of his career, the Chiefs should consider swinging for the fences at pass catcher in the 2026 NFL draft.
The USC Trojans have a strong wide receiver pipeline that produced Jordan Addison, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London and Michael Pittman Jr. over the past six years. Two new pass catchers will join that esteemed group next spring. True junior wide receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon could emerge as two of the five best receivers in the 2026 NFL draft.
Unofficially listed at 6'4", 195 lbs., Lane looks like your classic high school forward on the basketball team. He dominates at the catch point with his massive catch radius, elite body control and impressive ball tracking. Lane's strong hands help him make acrobatic one-handed catches and draw extra defensive attention in the red zone.
Lane finished his sophomore year on a high note, crushing the Texas A&M Aggies with seven receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns in the Las Vegas Bowl. Many analysts believe that breakout performance was just the start of Lane's ascension to earning a first round selection.
While Lane is a surprisingly smooth route runner for his size and quickly covers ground with his long strides, he isn't a natural separator. Roughly 34.8% of his targets in 2024 were contested, meaning he relies on winning in crowded air spaces. Lane needs to improve his route running to provide his quarterback with more open windows.
At 5'11", 195 lbs., Lemon is the opposite of Lane. He's an agile, explosive slot receiver with elite route running skills. Lemon showcases his quickness and long speed as a kick returner and vertical threat. He isn't an elite speedster but is fast enough to stack cornerbacks downfield.
As a route runner, Lemon uses his sudden deceleration and elite change of direction to shake cornerbacks at the top of the route's stem. His sharp cuts and understanding of leverage and angles make him a natural separator. He also thrives against zone coverage, easily locating and sitting in open space.
Lemon's size is his most significant limitation. It causes him issues against physical cornerbacks and shrinks his catch radius. Unlike Lane, Lemon lacks the play strength to break tackle attempts. Fortunately, his vision and speed make him a threat after the catch.
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 6 Minnesota Vikings put their trust in J.J. McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last season. Their only losses were to two division winners: the 15-2 Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. Had they won in Week 18 at Detroit, they would have been the No. 1 seed in the NFC and one of nine teams in NFL history to win 15 regular-season games. Not that the Vikings' breakout season has been forgotten, but it has been dismissed. The Vikings, after a good offseason, find their win total at BetMGM to be 8.5. A team that went 14-3 a season ago without a bad loss, then had a very good offseason, is expected by oddsmakers to be .500. Everyone must think Sam Darnold, who the Vikings moved on from, is a no-doubt superstar who can't be replaced, right? (No, in fact, nobody is saying that this offseason.) If you believe Darnold is below average and also believe the Vikings are going to come crashing back to mediocrity, you must really, really dislike J.J. McCarthy. There's no great reason for that either. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The Vikings traded up to draft McCarthy at 10th overall last season. They obviously liked him. He injured his knee in the preseason and had his rookie year wiped away, but that doesn't mean he's bad. The rest of the 2024 quarterback draft class has been pretty good. The brief glimpse of McCarthy we saw in preseason was promising, for whatever that's worth. He has the same exceptional environment, with great coaching and all-world receiver Justin Jefferson, that helped Darnold to a fantastic season far beyond his career norms. McCarthy is an unknown. But so were Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix last season. And for all the concern of a drop-off, what if McCarthy is better than Darnold, who had a career passer rating under 80 before he landed in the warm Vikings cocoon? It's not out of the question. "I want him to be just as confident as I am of him to make the plays out there," Jefferson told Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz. Maybe McCarthy falls on his face and Vikings fans can pine for the salad days of Darnold. The quarterback switch isn't guaranteed to be the right move. But mostly, the Vikings are being brushed aside after a fantastic season and should feel a bit disrespected for it. [Get more Minnesota news: Vikings team feed] The Vikings showed last season that their foundation is strong. Kevin O'Connell has shown he is one of the NFL coaches who can elevate whatever roster he is given to work with, especially at quarterback, and his 2023 hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores changed Minnesota's defense. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (who could face a suspension after pleading to a lesser offense following being arrested on suspicion of DUI), T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones are very good skill-position players around the quarterback position. The offensive line got some huge upgrades in free agency, and getting left tackle Christian Darrisaw back from a knee injury will be big, even if the Vikings take it slow with Darrisaw and he misses the beginning of the season. There are some tangible reasons, aside from the quarterback change, to believe the Vikings don't come close to 14 wins again. They won eight of nine games decided by one possession, which was a bit lucky. The schedule gets tougher. Maybe opponents finally have a plan to beat Flores' hyper-aggressive approach. But the Vikings were a good team last season. Assuming McCarthy isn't a total bust, they should be pretty good again, even if nobody seems to be projecting that to be the case. Offseason grade The Vikings had a clear plan for the offseason. They chose to let Sam Darnold leave and use the cap space that would have been slotted for him to improve the roster around J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings clearly thought they needed to upgrade the interior of the offensive and defensive lines. They signed two standouts from the Colts' line to fix the offensive line issues. Guard Will Fries got a five-year, $87.7 million and center Ryan Kelly to a two-year, $18 million deal. That's a big help. Then the Vikings used the 24th pick on offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, who will likely start at left guard. The defensive tackle position got two new, expensive pieces. Jonathan Allen was signed to a three-year, $51 million deal and Javon Hargrave got $30 million over two years. Minnesota was also able to keep cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. after his career year, signing him to a three-year, $54 million extension. Other than Darnold, the Vikings lost cornerback Camryn Bynum, offensive tackle Cam Robinson and outside linebacker Patrick Jones. The Vikings' draft was thin, with only one pick in the top 100, but overall Minnesota executed its offseason plan very well. Their offseason got one of my three A or A- grades across the NFL. Grade: A- Quarterback report J.J. McCarthy's talent shouldn't be much of an issue. He was the 10th overall pick in a really good, and potentially historic, quarterback draft class. He could be a bust, because almost all prospects have that risk, but there's no real reason to believe it based on his skill level. Health is a factor though. McCarthy had surgery in August to repair the meniscus in his right knee, which ended his season before it started. Then he had a second surgery in November to address swelling in the knee, which was alarming. The offseason hasn't brought any bad news. McCarthy had no limitations at the start of the offseason program in April. There hasn't been any word of a setback. But until McCarthy shows that he can hold up over a full season in the NFL, it will be a lingering question. If that part is answered, there aren't many other reasons to doubt McCarthy's ability to succeed in a very good offensive environment. BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'Coming off an impressive 14-3 season that no one outside the organization (and maybe inside it as well) saw coming, the Vikings identified the biggest hole on the roster and attacked it: offensive line. By drafting Donovan Jackson in the first round, and signing Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, Minnesota now should have one of the best O-lines in the NFL — to go along with Brian Flores' defense. Cornerback has some question marks, but how J.J. McCarthy plays will be the deciding factor in how well Minnesota goes this season. The Vikings have a win total of only 8.5 at BetMGM and are favored in just seven games." Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Obviously J.J. McCarthy is all over this preview; let me quickly add that I expect him to beat his global ADP of QB20. I'd follow Kevin O'Connell into a burning building, and Minnesota's pass-catching rooms are brimming with talent. "Another value target is Jordan Mason, the new backup running back. Mason is about five years younger than Aaron Jones, and he's 15 pounds heavier. It's possible Mason could become this team's short-yardage specialist, and Mason looked like a potential feature back during his time in San Francisco (5.3 YPC). The depth chart is thin after Jones and Mason — the Vikings probably envision Mason holding a notable role no matter what becomes of Jones. Mason isn't cheap (his Yahoo ADP is just outside the Top 100) but he's still a proactive pick for me." Stat to remember Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has no brake pedal. The 2024 Vikings were the most aggressive defense in the NFL. They used a four-man rush at the lowest frequency in the NFL, and by a wide margin. Flores sent only four rushers just 53.1% of the time, via FTN Fantasy. No other team was below 59.4%. The Vikings' rate of sending five or more rushers was 38.8%, which topped the league. The crazy part was the Vikings' blitz rate dropped dramatically from 2023, Flores' first season in Minnesota, when they blitzed 50.7% of the time. The Vikings were effective blitzing last season, as their DVOA on blitzes (-12.3%) was the sixth best in the NFL. Flores' approach isn't a mystery. He'll send extra rushers at a league-leading level and it will make quarterbacks uncomfortable. The NFL had an offseason to adjust after that outrageous 50.7% blitz rate, and the Vikings were still among the league leaders in blitz effectiveness while blitzing the most of any team in the NFL. This season, Flores is going to send many blitzes, even with two good interior pass rushers added in Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, and the Vikings will be pretty good at it. That's what made the Vikings' defense one of the best in the NFL last season. Burning question Is Justin Jefferson the NFL's best receiver? It's still astonishing that 2019 LSU had Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson (among others) all on the same team. Burrow is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks and most impartial observers would have Chase or Jefferson ranked as the best receiver in the league. Jefferson had that title, at least when he won NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, but last season Chase might have passed him by winning the receiving triple crown. Jefferson was still excellent, dealing with a change in quarterbacks and still putting up a 103-1,533-10 line. He's the best reason to predict success for new Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Jefferson just turned 26 years old and Chase will turn 26 next March. Chase told CBS Sports he believes someone will produce the NFL's first 2,000-yard receiving season, and he had an easy answer on who he thinks are the best bets to do it. "Me and Justin, of course," Chase told CBS. It's hard to pick between the two as the NFL's best. Perhaps the first to a 2,000-yard season gets the tiebreaker. Best-case scenario Even in the Vikings' dreams, repeating 14 wins is a tough goal. Those types of seasons don't come along often. But it shows Minnesota has the ceiling of winning the NFL's toughest division and being the NFL's No. 1 seed. They were extremely close to doing both last season. It's fine to predict the Vikings fall off, but you haven't heard the counterargument often this offseason: A fantastic coaching staff is back, the Vikings' roster got better in key places, they did win 14 games last season (even if many have chosen to selectively ignore that part). And there's a scenario in which J.J. McCarthy is a better quarterback than Sam Darnold. Every great run by a team had to start somewhere, and it's usually with a big growth season when nobody was expecting it. Maybe what we saw from the 2024 Vikings was the start of a sustained run. As long as McCarthy is good, Flores doesn't get a head-coaching job and the roster stays mostly intact, why can't the Vikings remain a top-10 team? Nightmare scenario The regression argument for the Vikings starts with J.J. McCarthy. We haven't seen him play an NFL regular season game and maybe he isn't good. Perhaps we will look back and see that 2024 was the beginning of Sam Darnold being a star, and the Vikings made a mistake letting him go. Who knows? More realistically, the Vikings' record in close games can't repeat. They were 8-1 in games decided by seven points or fewer, and 5-1 in games decided by three points or fewer. If this season's Vikings find normal luck in those games, Minnesota can quickly drop two or three wins from last season. And the schedule, while it wasn't easy last season (14th toughest in DVOA), is definitely tougher this season (fifth toughest via Sharp Football, which uses win totals to project schedule strength). That might bring Minnesota down by a couple more wins. Then, suddenly, the Vikings might be hovering around .500 and find themselves out of the playoffs. The NFC North is the toughest division in the league and someone has to finish last place. There's an argument that it could be Minnesota. If McCarthy looks like a bust and the Vikings take a big tumble from 14-3 to out of the playoffs, it would make 2024 look like a mirage and that would be tough for hard-luck Minnesota fans to take. The crystal ball says The Vikings should be getting a lot more respect. That's why they're pretty high in these rankings. What they did last season was not fluky. The same people believing the Vikings will fall way back are also skeptical of Sam Darnold in Seattle. It's hard to reconcile that. Assuming J.J. McCarthy won't be good is strange, too. He's not some fifth-round pick; a smart Vikings front office liked him enough to trade up and draft him 10th overall. Maybe we'll look back and see that last season for Minnesota was a weird positive blip and they fall back to the middle or worse of the NFL, but I have no reason to project that now. Their coaching staff is excellent. McCarthy was a good prospect. They had a good offseason, including a clear-eyed plan to invest the money many teams would have thrown at Darnold into the rest of the roster. The Vikings aren't going 14-3 again. But they will go to the playoffs and be a contender in a very tough NFC North all season. I have no reason to believe otherwise as we head into the season.
USA Today
20 minutes ago
- USA Today
Checking in with the Oregon Ducks DL room ahead of the 2025 season
We are less than 50 days away from the start of the 2025 college football season, and fewer than two weeks stand between us and the beginning of the Oregon Ducks' fall camp getting off the ground in Eugene. While coaches and players wrap up their final couple of offseason weeks, we're ready to jump back into things and take a deep dive into what's set to take place at Autzen Stadium this year. The Ducks are coming off of an incredible season that saw a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The offseason brought significant roster turnover as Oregon sent a program record 10 players into the 2025 NFL draft; however, those players have been replaced by a young yet incredibly talented group of players ready to uphold the standard in Eugene. Will they be able to complete the job? Expectations are high, but it won't be an easy task. Over the next few weeks, many questions will be asked, and a significant number of them will be answered. Once we get a look at things during fall camp, we will be able to predict more accurately how things shape up. However, we already have our depth chart projections for offense and defense from spring. As we continue our preview of the 2025 season, leading up to the kick-off vs. Montana State on August 30, let's take a deep dive, position by position. Previous Position Previews Now let's take a closer look at the defensive line as we prepare for fall camp. Overall Oregon Ducks Defensive Line Check-In The Ducks sent a lot of players to the NFL draft, but no position group was hit as hard as the defensive line. Derrick Harmon went in the first round to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jamaree Caldwell went to the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round. While there are a lot of talented players returning to Eugene in 2025, not many have the production that was lost. Like many other positions on the roster, though, there's a sense that the standard is going to be upheld; we just need to see the young guys on the field and get a sense for what they're capable of. Departing Oregon Ducks Defensive Linemen Oregon Career Stats: 14 games, 45 tackles, 11 TFLs, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries Analysis: Oregon's most significant loss on the D-line is Derrick Harmon, who became a first-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers this past April. Harmon played just one season with the Ducks, but he wasted no time making an impact, and he was a significant factor in Oregon's 2024 success. Oregon Career Stats: 14 games, 29 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 forced fumble Analysis: Harmon is the most significant loss, but Caldwell is a very close second. He may not have the stats Harmon does, but Caldwell clogs up the middle from the nose tackle spot as well as anyone, helping make plays for the rest of the defense. Caldwell landed with the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round of the NFL draft this past April. Oregon Career Stats: 60 games, 78 tackles, 11 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries Analysis: The Ducks' final graduation departure on the interior defensive line is Keyon-Ware Hudson, one of the last remaining recruits from the Mario Cristobal days. Hudson never was able to break into a starting role during his six-year Oregon career, but he made valuable impacts off of the bench. Oregon Career Stats: 3 games, 1 tackle Analysis: Last on the list is My'Keil Gardner, who announced his transfer to the Arizona State Sun Devils in January. Gardner played a bit in 2023 but was kept off the field for all of 2024 with an injury. Hopefully, he'll be back to full health in 2025 and hit the ground running in Tempe. Returning Oregon Ducks Defensive Linemen Oregon Career Stats: 22 games, 12 tackles, 2 TFLs Analysis: A'Mauri Washington is the returner Oregon Ducks fans should be most excited about on the D-line. A 4-star recruit two seasons ago, Washington hasn't seen many in-game reps, but the small sample he's earned has been exciting. I expect him to play a significant role for Oregon's defense this year and play it well. Oregon Career Stats: 2 QB pressures in 17 defensive snaps. Analysis: Even greener than Washington is Aydin Breland — the 5-star jewel of Oregon's 2024 recruiting class. Breland played just 17 defensive snaps as a freshman, but in year two, it's fair to assume that Breland will climb the ladder by a few rungs. Oregon Career Stats: 4 games, 1 tackle Analysis: Next up is Tionne Gray, another member of Oregon's 2024 recruiting class. Gray wasn't rated as highly in the recruiting process as Breland, but in four games this season he played a similar amount of snaps to Breland. Both will have big opportunities and chances to make major impacts in 2025. Oregon Career Stats: 10 games, 7 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack Analysis: Terrance Green is another name that could rise this fall. Entering his third season as a redshirt sophomore, Green has the necessary experience to play D-line, and this could be the season where he breaks out. This will be a competitive position, but no one's role is guaranteed. Oregon Career Stats: N/A Analysis: Next up is Jericho Johnson, a former 4-star recruit who was a freshman in 2024. Johnson played just two games and six snaps last fall, but that's typical of a D-line freshman. With all the young talent in this room, it seems like at least one young D-lineman is primed for a breakout season in 2025. Maybe it will be Johnson. Oregon Career Stats: N/A Analysis: Another 4-star tackle from the 2024 class, Xadavien Sims played just three snaps in as a freshman last fall. Sims is a bit undersized for his position, but he doesn't lack the necessary strength to play D-line. Just like Johnson, Sims could be one of the players primed to break out this fall. Incoming Oregon Ducks Defensive Linemen Career Stats: (Georgia and USC): 28 games, 61 tackles, 10 TFLS, 3.5 sacks Analysis: Oregon's sole newcomer on the defensive line is Bear Alexander, a transfer from USC who Dan Lanning helped bring to Georgia out of high school when he was the Bulldogs defensive coordinator. Alexander has immense talent and potential, but he has yet to utilize either in college football. A transfer to Oregon could be precisely what Alexander needed, and if he can realize his potential, he'll be exactly what the Ducks need. Projection Oregon Ducks Defensive Lineman Starters Defensive Tackle: A'Mauri Washington Nose Tackle: Bear Alexander I see the starters shaking out with Washington at DT and Alexander NT. Those two feel like the most game-ready players on the line, though there are a lot of talented guys who will rotate in early and often. I expect guys like Breland, Gray, Johnson, and Green to get a lot of playing time. Overall Oregon Ducks Defensive Line Outlook Oregon has recruited very well at this position over the past few years under Dan Lanning, and there are some big bodies in the trenches, just waiting for an opportunity. With guys like Aydin Breland, A'mauri Washington, and Jericho Johnson primed and ready, the future is bright at this position. We will see how quickly they can click in 2025 and get down to business, but there should be a lot of optimism among the fans that the Ducks will be dominant in the trenches for years to come. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Titans great Taylor Lewan skeptical of Will Levis surgery circumstances
Former Titans offensive lineman and podcasting personality Taylor Lewan has more questions than answers when it comes to Will Levis getting season-ending shoulder surgery so soon after arriving at training camp. Levis previously played through a sprained AC joint for nearly the entire 2024 season, suffering the injury in Week 4 against the Dolphins and missing Weeks 7 through 9, but eventually returned to play 12 games last season. 'I'm sure there's a side to the story that explains why Will waited until late July to get this surgery,' Lewan, a three-time Pro Bowler at offensive tackle during his nine seasons in Tennessee, said in a post on X. 'Unfortunately, I'm too dumb to figure out what that is.' Will Levis struggled in 2024. AP Levis was previously drafted in the second round after expecting to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He had frustrated coaches at different points last season, with coach Brian Callahan asking him, 'What the f–k are you doing?' after an embarrassing turnover against the Jets. The Titans decided to draft Cam Ward with the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the former Miami star was an overwhelming favorite to be Tennessee's starter over Levis. The franchise released a statement that Levis decided to undergo surgery and they 'support his decision to focus on his long-term health.' Taylor Lewan has questions about the timing of Will Levis' shoulder surgery. Getty Images 'He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery,' the statement continued. ESPN reported, citing an anonymous source, that Levis experienced discomfort during minicamp and began looking at his medical options. Levis struggled through his second season in 2024, throwing for 2,091 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with five fumbles. The Titans were tied for the NFL's worst record at 3-14 with the Browns and Giants.
