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Browns OG Joel Bitonio falls just shy of ESPN's top 10 interior linemen

Browns OG Joel Bitonio falls just shy of ESPN's top 10 interior linemen

USA Today13-07-2025
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is unveiling the results of his annual survey ranking the top 10 players at each position in the eyes of NFL personnel. After defensive end Myles Garrett was ranked as the top pass-rusher in the NFL earlier this week, another Cleveland Browns stalwart has drawn praise from participants.
While Browns guard Joel Bitonio didn't quite make Fowler's list of the top 10 interior offensive linemen in the NFL, he was one of five players to earn an honorable mention. 2025 marks the first time since Fowler began his survey in 2020 that Bitonio has not ranked within the top 10, but league personnel believe he is still playing at a high level.
Here is what one AFC executive had to say about Bitonio:
"Definitely slight decline as he ages, but still a really good player who grades out well. Still a very consistent player compared to the rest of the field, which is something I really value at an error prevention position."
Bitonio is coming off a 2024 season that saw him earn his seventh straight Pro Bowl selection, and is heading into his 12th season overall with the Browns. Last month, he opened up about why he decided to return for the 2025 season after seriously contemplating retirement this offseason.
While plenty of changes have come to Cleveland this offseason, Bitonio's play is one thing the Browns can count on staying consistent.
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NFL offseason power rankings: Division-by-division preview
NFL offseason power rankings: Division-by-division preview

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

NFL offseason power rankings: Division-by-division preview

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Ravens receive surprisingly low mention in ranking of young NFL talent
Ravens receive surprisingly low mention in ranking of young NFL talent

USA Today

time20 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Ravens receive surprisingly low mention in ranking of young NFL talent

The Ravens earn a surprising middle of the pack finish on a recent ranking of each team's young talent. Every time Zay Flowers and Roger Rosengarten perform, we marvel at the job the Baltimore Ravens have done by way of the NFL Draft. Flowers was a first-rounder, and in three of the past four selection meetings, Eric DeCosta has addressed the secondary. Malaki Starks and Nate Wiggins have the talent to be added to the Pro Bowl roster annually. Then, there is Kyle Hamilton. It's early, but we're going to say what others are thinking. If he avoids injury and stays on his current path, we're watching a Pro Football Hall of Fame career in the making. It appears none of that could sway ESPN's thinking during a ranking of NFL rosters based on players under 25. Ravens enjoy a puzzling mid-level finish on a ranking of NFL players who are under 25 years old Here's one we need a little help with. It's a head scratcher. ESPN recently cranked out a ranking of NFL teams based on the production of their young players. Guys under the age of 25 on every roster were evaluated. Aaron Schatz, the writer of this one, lists the following as the methodology: Baltimore landed Malaki Starks and Mike Green during the 2025 NFL Draft. One would think that would help them land a top-five ranking or so. It didn't. They land in the middle of the list at 15. This one requires an explanation. "The Ravens would be a little bit higher, but their best young talents are 24 years old. That includes second-team All-Pro Hamilton, No. 1 wide receiver Flowers, and inside linebacker Trenton Simpson." Those are the words on Mr. Schatz. That's strange. That doesn't seem like a reason to dock them. So, they're punished because their stars are under 25, but still too old"? "There are still some younger talents on the roster. Rosengarten is 23. Cornerback Nate Wiggins is 22. The Ravens also have this year's draft picks, highlighted by safety Malaki Starks (21) and edge rusher Mike Green (22)." Again, that's true, so why on Planet Earth is this team ranked 15th? Oh, and by the way, last year, they landed third. The eyeball test tells us this team has some of the best young talent in the league. We are huge fans of Schatz's work, but here's our attempt to respectfully appeal this decision.

Fantasy football defenses (DST) with favorable early-season schedules: Broncos, Cardinals at the top
Fantasy football defenses (DST) with favorable early-season schedules: Broncos, Cardinals at the top

NBC Sports

time21 minutes ago

  • NBC Sports

Fantasy football defenses (DST) with favorable early-season schedules: Broncos, Cardinals at the top

Fantasy football draft season is kicking into gear, which means we're all searching for rankings to help us with our drafts or collect insights to modify our rankings. Yet, far too often, strategies for drafting defenses get ignored. While many people will say, 'Who cares? I just stream' or 'Just take whoever's left in the last round,' I do believe we can maximize the effectiveness of our drafts with just a touch of strategy. Drafting a D/ST doesn't have the same make-or-break consequence as drafting your first-round wide receiver or your sleeper RB in the middle rounds, but it is still a decision with ripple effects that can cost you one week or potentially more during your season. Below, I'll give you some of my favorite defenses to target in fantasy football drafts this summer. Fantasy Football Defense Draft Strategy Before I get into the specific teams, I did want to briefly mention my general strategy for drafting defenses. For starters, I am never the first one to draft a defense. In 2017, ESPN analyzed 15 years of ADP data and found that ONLY TWO TIMES over 15 seasons did a D/ST that was drafted first, second, third, or fourth, according to ADP, actually finish as the top-ranked fantasy defense. That means only two times have the top 60 D/STs selected wind up as the best D/ST. In my article last year, I covered that those odds haven't gotten much better since that article came out. That means that reaching and being one of the first four managers to draft a defense gives you a 3.3% chance of drafting the best overall defense. That's not enough to entice me to do that. I also want to maximize my chances of having early breakout running backs and wide receivers on my team, so I will always take my defense and kicker as my last two picks, I will never draft two defenses, and I will always focus on the early season schedule when drafting a defense. For me, that means looking behind Week 1. I know targeting the top Week 1 defense is trendy, and I will give you some options below, but I'd prefer to draft a defense that I can hold onto for three or four weeks. That will not only save me FAAB dollars in adding a brand new defense in Week 2, but it will also free up the time and energy to focus my waiver wire attention on the running backs and wide receivers who might pop off in the coming weeks. So, who are those defenses that I'm targeting for their early-season schedule? Fantasy Football Defense Early Season Schedule Picks FIRST THREE GAMES: TITANS, COLTS, CHARGERS This shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The Broncos finished last year as the top-scoring defense in football, averaging 10.5 fantasy points per game based on FantasyPros scoring. For context, that's what DK Metcalf and Josh Downs averaged per game in half-PPR scoring last season. So we like the Denver defense as it stands, and then we love what we get from them the first two weeks, with games against Titans and Colts teams that have more question marks at quarterback. Cam Ward may wind up being a really good quarterback, but he'll be a rookie in his pro debut, going on the road in altitude to face one of the best defenses in football. He has a passing attack led by Calvin Ridley and whatever is left of Tyler Lockett, and an offensive line that ranks 24th in PFF's preseason offensive line rankings. Things are a little better for the Colts, who have a good offensive line, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, and Josh Downs, but they will also have either Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson at quarterback, and both of them have been prone to giving the ball away. Lastly, the matchup against the Chargers doesn't seem like a great one on paper, but with Mike Williams retiring, Najee Harris dealing with an eye injury, and Tre Harris a late signing, you have to wonder what this offense looks like early in the season. Even if they look solid, you've got the Broncos in two good matchups to start. FIRST FOUR GAMES: JETS, SEAHAWKS, PATRIOTS, VIKINGS The Broncos may be a hard defense to snag if you're not the first one to draft a defense, which could make the Steelers slightly more realistic. They finished fourth last season, averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game in FantasyPros scoring. They open up the season against a Jets offense that will be starting Justin Fields at quarterback and doesn't have many proven options in the passing game other than Garrett Wilson. We like Fields for fantasy, but he will turn the ball over, and he hasn't shown that he can lead a consistently high-scoring offense. After that Jets game, the Steelers get a matchup against a Seahawks offense that has the 30th-ranked offensive line according to PFF, and then a matchup against a Patriots team that has the 29th-ranked offensive line. I'm a firm believer that pressure on the quarterback is crucial for fantasy defense success because it not only leads to sacks but also leads to pressure that can cause turnovers. The Steelers' defense could feast in those two matchups, especially with both offenses having questions around the health of their veteran receivers (Cooper Kupp for the Seahawks and Stefon Diggs for the Patriots) in addition to quarterbacks without a long track record of NFL success. The Steelers will that up with a game against a rookie quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, and a Vikings offense that may be without wide receiver Jordan Addison if he gets suspended for his offseason DUI. FIRST FOUR GAMES: TEXANS, TITANS, EAGLES, COLTS Now we're starting to get to the defenses that will more likely be available to you in the last two rounds of the draft. The Rams finished last year as the 13th-ranked defense, according to FantasyPros scoring, but they have a lot of talent on their defensive line with Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske. That's the big component of putting them on this list because they get a Texans offense in Week 1 that has PFF's worst-ranked offensive line heading into 2025. The Texans' line was brutal last year and might be even worse this year. With Joe Mixon also battling a foot injury and still out, this Rams defensive front may put a lot of pressure on C.J. Stroud and rack up their fair share of sacks. After that first game, the Rams get the Titans and Colts, who we mentioned earlier. There is a game against the Eagles sandwiched in there, so you might drop the Rams after the first two weeks, but that's still likely to be two good weeks of production at minimum. FIRST FIVE GAMES: SAINTS, PANTHERS, 49ERS, SEAHAWKS, TITANS This is a bit of an off-the-wall pick because this Cardinals defense finished the season as the 18th-ranked fantasy defense, according to FantasyPros scoring. However, there is a lot of young talent on their defense, like first-round pick Walter Nolen III, second-round pick Will Johnson, and last year's first-round pick Darius Robinson, who played just six games last year. This could be a better defense overall, and they get a Saints offense in Week 1 that may be one of the worst offenses in football. They will start either Tyler Slough or Spencer Rattler at quarterback behind an offensive line that ranks 22nd in PFF's offensive line rankings. That's a matchup we want to target. After that, they get a Panthers offense that I'm just not sure about. I know Bryce Young looked better after being benched last year, but he takes a lot of sacks, and I'm just not sure he's more than a league-average quarterback. I expect some regression for Chuca Hubbard this year, and the offense is relying heavily on rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The Cardinals will also face the Seahawks and Titans in the first five games, and we talked about those offenses above, so we know why those could be solid matchups. The Week 3 matchup against the 49ers might be one we want to avoid, but Deebo Samuel is no longer in San Francisco, and Brandon Aiyuk is still returning from an injury, while Jauan Jennings is holding out for a new contract. The 49ers are unlikely to be an offense we want to attack, but you may get to Week 3 and decide they're not an offense you need to avoid if you want matchups against the Seahawks and Titans. FIRST THREE GAMES: SEAHAWKS, SAINTS, CARDINALS We've always thought of the 49ers' defense as one of the premier units in football, but they finished last season ranked 25th in fantasy points per game. A good chunk of that had to do with injuries, and I think this will be a better unit overall this year. They drafted Mykel Williams in the first round, signed Yetur Gross–Matos to a free agent deal, and traded for Bryce Huff, who flashed real pass-rushing juice with the Jets. Plus, Robert Saleh is a really good defensive coach. I think this is a unit that could surprise in Week 1 against a Sam Darnold-led Seahawks offense that has the offensive line concerns we mentioned above and no true downfield pass-catching threat with both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp (if he's the old version we know and love) thriving over the middle of the field. Given that and the Seahawks' offensive line concerns while facing Nick Bosa, I like the 49ers here, enough so that I would take them for Week 1 to get the next matchup. After that game, they face a Saints offense that we already mentioned could be one of the worst in football and a Cardinals offense that has really failed to live up to expectations so far. Maybe you'll want to avoid the Cardinals game by Week 3, and that's fine, but I think you'll like what you get from the 49ers for the first two weeks. FIRST FOUR GAMES: RAIDERS, DOLPHINS, STEELERS, PANTHERS Back in the Bill Belichick years, the Patriots always had one of the best defenses in football. Last year, they finished 31st in fantasy points per game. By all accounts, we should avoid them, but they now have Mike Vrabel leading the way and should have Christian Barmore healthy, Robert Spillane in the fold, and both Carlton Davis and Marcus Epps added to the secondary. I don't think they'll be a great defense, but I think they'll be an improved one, and I think this Raiders offense will be really bad. They have Geno Smith under center and Ashton Jeanty at running back, but little else in the way of dynamic talent. When you add to that a slightly below-average offensive line, I think you get an offense that we want to target in fantasy leagues. The Week 2 matchup for the Patriots is not ideal, but the Dolphins were not one of the top 10 worst matchups for defenses even when they were healthy last season because they usually have turnover issues on offense. PFF gives the Dolphins the 25th-ranked offensive line heading into the 2025 season after the retirement of Terron Armstead, so if the Patriots' defensive line can get pressure on Tua Tagovailoa, this could be a manageable matchup for New England and then allows you to use them against the Steelers and Panthers in the next two weeks. I might be alone, but I'm not sold on the Steelers as an offense we want to avoid. I have no idea what Aaron Rodgers has left in the tank, but I know he's basically a statue in the pocket right now. I have no clue what the Steelers' rushing attack is going to get from Jaylen Warren or rookie Kaleb Johnson, and I don't think they have any difference-making receiving options other than DK Metcalf. With PFF also giving them the 21st-ranked offensive line heading into the season, I might be OK targeting the Steelers with early-season matchups. Of course, you may choose to use New England for just week one and move on, and that's totally fine too. Fantasy Football Defense Week 1 Targets If you're not interested in maximizing value for a few weeks and are fine with having to use the waiver wire to find a new defense after just one week, below are my favorite fantasy football defense (DST) options solely for Week 1. The Denver Broncos (vs Titans), Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Jets), Arizona Cardinals (vs Saints), Los Angeles Rams (vs Texans), and New England Patriots (vs Raiders) are all defenses that I covered above, so you know why I like those matchups. I also mentioned that I'm not sure how good the Steelers' offense will be, so that makes the New York Jets (vs Steelers) a solid option in Week 1. The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the top defensive units in fantasy football last year, so they always appear to be a team we can trust. They get a Week 1 matchup against a Cowboys offense that has a below-average offensive line (23rd in PFF's rankings), and a fairly mediocre running game with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders leading the way. We know CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are talented, but this Eagles pass rush could prevent Dak Prescott from having any time to hit big plays down the field to either receiver. I know it's hard to trust the Washington Commanders' defense, but there are some talented pieces here with Bobby Wagner, Von Miller, Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, and Jonathan Jones. If they can also get a bounce-back season from Marson Lattimore, this could be a good secondary. They will also go up against a Giants offense that has one of the worst offensive lines in football (apart from Andrew Thomas) and will start a past-his-prime Russell Wilson at quarterback with limited receiving options apart from Malik Nabers. I'm OK with this gamble in deeper formats. It may be even harder to trust the Cincinnati Bengals' defense after their brutal showing in 2024, but a matchup against the Browns in Week 1 is super enticing. PFF ranked the Browns as the 27th offensive line in football, and they will likely start immobile Joe Flacco under center to begin the season. The other option is Kenny Pickett, which is also nice for fantasy purposes. Quinshon Judkins' contract and legal situations mean Jerome Ford or Dylan Sampson will likely be the starting running back behind that poor offensive line, and all of the wide receivers behind Jerry Jeudy have not proven to be consistent producers during their NFL careers. I'd rather not take this gamble in shallower leagues, but I can see it in deeper formats.

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