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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 takeaways from the Philadelphia Eagles' 2025 draft class
Philadelphia entered Thursday night with eight draft picks. Still, after GM Howie Roseman did some wheeling and dealing on Days 2 and 3, the Eagles came away with an impressive, athletic, and versatile 10-player draft class. After watching 12 players depart in free agency, Roseman added two dynamic SEC linebackers, an All-American pass rusher, three offensive linemen, and an accomplished quarterback from Philadelphia. Advertisement With the rookie minicamp fast approaching, we're looking at five takeaways from the ten-player draft class. Eagles continue renewed focus on Power 4 talent Since passing on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor, Howie Roseman and the Eagles have continuously focused on acquiring SEC talent, and more importantly, Power 4 talent. The "Power Four" conferences in college football are the Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and Southeastern Conference (SEC). These conferences are at the top of the college football landscape, with the SEC and Big Ten often considered the most prestigious. The ten-player class includes four players from the SEC, two from the Big 10, one from the Big 12, and three from the ACC. Eagles focused on defense Philadelphia has one of the NFL's most explosive offensive units, but saw eight players depart on defense. Roseman used the Eagles' first five picks to land defensive players, and six defenders total. QB factory continues Roseman values the quarterback position, and since taking over as GM, he has drafted signal-callers once a year, or at least every other year. Roseman drafted Mike Kafka in 2010, Nick Foles in 20212, and Matt Barkley in 2013, but then he lost power to Chip Kelly. Upon getting that power back, Roseman drafted Carson Wentz in 2016, Clayton Thorson in 2019, Jalen Hurts in 2020, Tanner McKee in 2023, and now McCord this past weekend. Georgia on our Minds The Eagles have drafted a player from Georgia in three of the past four NFL drafts. After drafting Smael Mondon and signing Azeez Ojulari in free agency, they now have eight former Bulldogs on the roster. Value reigns supreme Philadelphia does the draft better than most teams around the league and somehow got value at every pick. Jihaad Campbell is one of the top ten talents, while Mac McWilliams had high-profile matchups with Travis Hunter. Drew Kendall (OL), Myles Hinton (OL), and Cameron Williams (OL) are developmental prospects who could become future starters. The biggest steal could be Virginia Tech pass rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland. Powell-Ryland has spent the last two seasons at Virginia Tech after transferring from Florida before the 2023 season. Advertisement In 2024, the 6-foot-2, 258-pounder started all 12 games he played, accumulating 43 total tackles and 16 sacks, which ranked third in FBS. Powell-Ryland earned first-team All-ACC and Associated Press All-American third-team honors during his redshirt senior season with the Hokies. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 5 takeaways from the Philadelphia Eagles' 2025 draft class
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans select Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery with 48th overall pick in 2025 NFL draft
The Houston Texans couldn't sit and wait until No. 58 to land their next star offensive tackle on Day 2. Instead, they've moving up ten spot to land an All-Big Ten talent. After shipping off the No. 59 overall pick and No. 99 overall pick, the Texans secured the 48th overall pick from the Las Vegas Raiders and selected Minnesota offensive tackle Aiereontae Ersery. The 6-foot-6 offensive tackle and three-year starter should compete for starting reps at left tackle starting in 2025 with veteran Cam Robinson. A third-team Associated Press All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Ersery impressed on the blindside for the Golden Gophers. A three-year starter at left tackle, the Kansas City native only allowed just five sacks and 11 QB hits in over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps in Big Ten games. Advertisement Lance Zierlein of wrote the following evaluation of Ersery: Three-year starter at left tackle with good power. Ersery is not a natural bender, which creates disadvantages with leverage and when attempting to mirror moving fronts. He's well-versed in Minnesota's outside zone attack, but might be more consistent in power, inside zone and hat-on-hat matchups. He's huge, but he sets with good quickness to the rush, using his length and hand strength to gather it or lock it out. His anchor is derived from his upper half, which opens him to hand counters. Ersery has the potential to become an average starting tackle on the right side, but his success will be tied to matchups across from him. NFL DRAFT HUB: Live NFL Draft news, live picks, grades, analysis and more. The Texans now have two picks on Day 2 and will not select until No. 79. Texans' 2025 draft picks Round 2 No. 34 : Jayden Higgins, WR Iowa State Round 2 : No. 48 : Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota Round 3 : No. 79 Round 3: No. 89 Round 6: No. 179 Round 6: No. 216 Round 7: No. 236 Round 7: No. 241 Round 7: No. 255 This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans select OT Aireontae Ersery with 48th overall pick in NFL draft
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breaking down Eagles' 2025 NFL draft class: Best pick, head-scratching pick, best value
Breaking down Eagles' 2025 NFL draft class: Best pick, head-scratching pick, best value We're taking a closer look at the Philadelphia Eagles' 2025 NFL draft class with the best pick, sleeper, head-scratching pick, and more. The Philadelphia Eagles added ten draft picks to their roster in this year's NFL draft, landing Jihaad Campbell near the end of Round 1 to cap things off. Overall, the consensus for Howie Roseman centered on draft value and landing prospects who can develop into starters regardless of the round in which they were selected. Of course, we won't know the actual impact of this year's class until these players hit the field and have time to develop, but on paper, it does look like Roseman maintained and created another Super Bowl window. With the rookie minicamp having concluded, we're looking at this 2025 class, where we highlight the best pick, sleeper, head-scratching pick, and more. Best pick-Andrew Mukuba A player who can emulate C.J. Gardner-Johnson's production, Mukuba has the coverage skills to play in the slot and the athleticism to control the deep center field as a "robber" and use his instincts, burst,, and ball skills to make plays. Best Value-Jihaad Campbell Campbell had a top 15 ranking on most big boards, yet he slipped to No. 31 overall because of a torn Labrum. Sleeper pick - Antwaun Powell-Ryland The Eagles selected outside linebacker Virginia Tech's Antwaun Powell-Ryland with their 10th and final pick. No. 209 overall, in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. A talented pass rusher who slipped in the draft due to concerns about his arm length, Powell-Ryland has spent the last two seasons with the Hokies after transferring from Florida before the 2023 season. In 2024, the 6-foot-2, 258-pounder started all 12 games he played, accumulating 43 total tackles and 16 sacks, which ranked third in FBS. Powell-Ryland earned first-team All-ACC and Associated Press All-American third-team honors during his redshirt senior season with the Hokies. Head-scratching pick - Kyle McCord Roseman values the quarterback position, and since taking over as GM, he has drafted signal-callers once a year, or at least every other year. Roseman drafted Mike Kafka in 2010, Nick Foles in 20212, and Matt Barkley in 2013, but then he lost power to Chip Kelly. Upon getting that power back, Roseman drafted Carson Wentz in 2016, Clayton Thorson in 2019, Jalen Hurts in 2020, Tanner McKee in 2023, and now McCord two weeks ago. The Eagles always do their due diligence on quarterback prospects and have added far less talented signal callers to the factory since Howie Roseman became general manager. Hurts is the franchise and face of the NFL, while McKee is a talented backup and a potential lucrative asset in his own right. Still, talent is talent, and Philadelphia does a better job than every team in the NFL in addressing talent and adding it to the roster. Position group to watch: Linebacker Philadelphia drafted Campbell, who'll play multiple positions. Then it doubled back and added former Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. to a group that already includes Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans 2025 rookie WR Jayden Higgins named projected starter by PFF
Texans 2025 rookie WR Jayden Higgins named projected starter by PFF The Houston Texans drafted nine players to upgrade positions of need across the roster and two should have the inside track to earn a starting role no later than midway through the 2025 season. Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman wrote that second-round picks Jadyen Higgins and Aireontae Ersery could crack the Texans' starting lineup because of their need for help at offensive tackle and wide receiver. A third-team Associated Press All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Ersery impressed on the blindside for the Golden Gophers. A three-year starter at left tackle, the Kansas City native only allowed just five sacks and 11 QB hits in over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps in Big Ten games. The Texans added left tackle Cam Robinson this offseason as a stop-gap option following the trade of five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil. He's only in Houston on a one-year deal and is coming off an underwhelming stint with the Minnesota Vikings following a midseason trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston must build a young, prosperous line around third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud should it become a promising franchise built for long-term success. Should Ersery catch up with the playbook and feel smooth in pass protection, the hope could be for the future left tackle to become the Day 1 starter. Higgins, a third-team AP All-American, was one of the top pass-patchers in the Big 12 for 2024, hauling in 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Cyclones. His 6-foot-4 frame and superb route-running should make him an immediate starter on the outside in place of the injured Tank Dell. Higgins, who finished his college career [including Eastern Kentucky] with 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdown receptions, was one of the better wide receivers left on the board. Serving as a safety net for Rocco Becht, Higgins should provide the same value in Houston for Stroud opposite Pro Bowler Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. The rest of the Texans' draft class has a bit of a harder path to starting in 2025. USC running back Woody Marks and Iowa State wideout Jaylin Noel should have roles, but they're blocked by Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and Kirk. Pretty much everyone else would need serious injuries for the other players to be thrust into the starting lineup.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans select Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery in the 2025 NFL Draft: Social media reacts
Texans select Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery in the 2025 NFL Draft: Social media reacts C.J. Stroud has a new long-term blindside protector and the Houston Texans have their Laremy Tunsil replacement. The Texans swapped picks with the Las Vegas Raiders to move up 10 spots and select Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery. After becoming a fixture in the Big Ten during his tenure in Minneapolis, he heads to Houston with the intent of stabilizing the trenches for the next decade. A third-team Associated Press All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Ersery impressed on the blindside for the Golden Gophers. A three-year starter at left tackle, the Kansas City native only allowed just five sacks and 11 QB hits in over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps in Big Ten games. Though Ersery was high on many boards, he was always expected to be a Day 2 selection. Some believe that with proper coaching, he could become a top-three player in the 2025 draft. Texans fans would love it, but they'll take a solid replacement for Tunsil and a long-term starter on the left side. Here is how social media reacted to the selection: How social media reacted to the Texans selecting OT Aireontae Ersery at No. 48:
