5 reasons Tampa Bay should be excited about drafting center Jake Majors
5 reasons Tampa Bay should be excited about drafting center Jake Majors
Texas Longhorns center Jake Majors didn't hear his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. However, shortly after it was over, Majors was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Majors came to the Longhorns in 2020 as the No. 260 overall recruit according to On3's industry rankings. Je ended up being a four-year starter for the Longhorns and was a key part of turning their offensive line around over the last few years.
It took a while, but Majors is officially in the NFL. Here's five reasons the Buccaneers can be excited about Majors.
Tons of experience
Majors was a four-star prospect coming prospect out of Prosper, Texas. He lived up to the hype. Majors played in 58 games for the Longhorns, and 57 of them wee starts. Texas made consecutive trips to the college football playoff, which gave Majors tons of big game experience against top-level competition. Theirs no better teacher than being on the field, and Majors has logged plenty of time playing collegiate level football.
Underrated athleticism
One goal of offensive lineman is to be able to get to the second level and take out linebackers. Majors has the athleticism to get the second level and create lanes up the middle in the running game. This is a key element to have for a center for a team to maximize their ability to run the ball.
Keeps the quarterback clean
Quarterbacks hate getting pressured up the middle. Well, Majors is a great player to have for the Buccaneers to keep their quarterbacks upright. In 2023, he didn't allow a single sack and only gave up one quarterback hit in 504 pass block snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Majors has only given up three sacks for his entire collegiate career. He's only allowed eight quarterback hits and 43 pressures in 2,055 pas block snaps.
Very smart
Being a center is being the brains of the offensive line. It is of extreme importance to be able to recognize defenses and adjust protections. That's not only important for him but the only lineman on the unit. Majors excels in that regard. This gives the quarterback a sense of comfort, and in return, the offense can run smoother.
Technically sound
Technique is paramount for any position. Majors know how to get his hands inside and control blockers. He knows how to set a good anchor and not allow interior defenders to move him. Coming into the NFL already having excellent technique is a big plus for Majors, and he'll be able to hit to ground running once his learns the Buccaneers system.
Contact/Follow us @LonhgornsWire on X (Twitter). You can also follow Matthew on Twitter @StarConscience
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
7 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick's first college team
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina's new coach. 'It was just like, 'That's the greatest coach of all time,'' the receiver recalled, ''and he's about to be coaching us.'' Belichick's arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program. No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team. North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots. Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'' Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' Formative stages The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. 'We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us.' Enticing opportunity For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. Intimidating much? 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. 'But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great.' Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,' Dixon said. Behind the curtain Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,' said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. 'And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,' Hardy said. 'It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.'
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Portion Of Falcons Schedule Allows Them To Create Space In The NFC South Division
Portion Of Falcons Schedule Allows Them To Create Space In The NFC South Division originally appeared on Athlon Sports. According to NFL schedule experts, since the NFL has experts in every aspect of the game, the Atlanta Falcons have the 20th-ranked strength of schedule for the 2025 NFL season. Advertisement The Falcons are ranked 17th in the league in terms of difficulty alone. However, they will play against seven teams that were over .500 last season. Three of those teams had at least twelve wins, and six had fewer than six wins. Six of Atlanta's games will be against teams that made the playoffs last year. Numbers and math are complex, but a portion of Atlanta's schedule could present them with an opportunity to rattle off a few straight wins and set themselves up for a run at the NFC South division title. Looking at the schedule and eyeing weeks 8 through 17 could give Atlanta just what they need to turn this thing around and make their first playoff appearance since 2017. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot speaks to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images In week 8, the Falcons will take on the Miami Dolphins at home. They will hit the road in week 9 for a date with the New England Patriots, then return home for a week 10 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. During this stretch, Atlanta could be looking at rattling off three wins in a row and propelling the team to a first-place division lead. Advertisement In Week 11, the Falcons will have a home game against the Carolina Panthers. Yes, they will be better across the board, but Atlanta could prove to be too much offensively. Week 12 at the New Orleans Saints is always a toss-up due to the bitter rivalry, but Atlanta could also snag a win here, depending on the Saints' QB situation. Weeks 13 and 14 will feature Atlanta taking on the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks at home. Atlanta could be looking at a six- or seven-game win streak at this point in the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 15 are another division toss-up. Weeks 16 and 17 will bring on the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. All of this is speculation, and the Atlanta Falcons will need to develop the chemistry this summer with all of the new additions on defense. However, the offensive side of the ball can be a very potent weapon for the foreseeable future in the NFL and should propel Atlanta to the top of the NFC South. Related: Falcons Beat Writer Throws Unnecessary Jab At Former RB Devonta Freeman Related: Falcons Safety Jessie Bates' Ready To Ignite A New Atlanta Defensive Scheme This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aggressive Draft For The Atlanta Falcons Could Result In One Defensive Rookie Earning DROY Honors
Aggressive Draft For The Atlanta Falcons Could Result In One Defensive Rookie Earning DROY Honors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The inconsistency of the pass rush in Atlanta has been the butt of jokes for awhile now, but CBS Sports predicts that to change with one rookie winning DPOY. Advertisement The Falcons had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last year and have been inconsistent at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks since John Abraham patrolled the edge. I'm sorry, Vic Beasley, but stats do not lie. James Pearce Jr. has his video board displayed after being selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL Draft. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso named rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. his pick to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors at season's end. Atlanta would listen to the fans this year and be aggressive in finding that next great edge rusher to wreak havoc on opposing QBs. The team traded back into the first round to snag Pearce Jr. after drafting Jalon Walker with the 15th pick. Some fans and officials think that Atlanta may have given up too much to get back into the first round to draft Pearce Jr, but they wanted another dynamic rusher to set the tone for the offseason in addressing pressing needs. They would give up a 2026 first-round selection in doing so. Advertisement According to PFF, Atlanta would also finish third worst in pass-rushing defense. With the glaring needs on the defensive side of the football, Chris Trapasso was very high on Pearce Jr. coming into this year's draft. "With Pearce as my No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class, I'm not backing away from that before any games are played,' said Trapasso of CBS Sports. 'Pearce is a sizable, athletic, refined, and deceptively powerful outside rusher who demolished the SEC the past two seasons with a cumulative pressure rate over 21%. I've written that statistic like 50 times the past four months, and I'm still astonished by it.' 'His situation in Atlanta couldn't be more conducive to DROY hype,' Trapasso said. 'Atlanta has finished 32nd in sacks twice (2015, 2021) and 31st a ridiculous five times (2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, and 2024) over the past decade. Any uptick in team pass-rushing production will be viewed as a ginormous win for the Falcons.' Related: The Dawn Of A Dangerous Contender In Atlanta Related: Are The Atlanta Falcons The NFL's Wildcard In 2025 With The Team's New Identity? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
