Latest news with #BeastMode2.0
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks' NFL draft final round: A self-proclaimed ‘Beast Mode 2.0' RB, WR, guard (again)
Damien Martinez breaks tackles. And tackles legacies. It wasn't 30 seconds into his comments to reporters on a speaker call just after the Seahawks drafted him in the seventh round Saturday. Yet the rugged former lead rusher for Oregon State and University of Miami described himself in the legacy of Seattle immortal Marshawn Lynch. 'Physical another 'Beast Mode 2.0' coming up here,' Martinez said. 'Get ready to see it.' 'I was definitely a big fan of 'Beast Mode' growing up, just being always being a bigger back,' he said. 'I'm ready.' With the first of their three picks in the final round, the Seahawks selected the 6-foot, 217-pound back that was fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season in yards after contact. He was first-team All-Pac-12 with Oregon State in 2023. He rushed for 1,185 yards, 6.1 yards per carry and nine touchdowns rushing. He romped through the Washington Huskies with 100-yard games in consecutive seasons. 'I know I definitely that I did them bad a couple times,' Martinez said. 'They did end up beating us, though.' At Miami in 2024 he rushed for 1,002 yards with an even-better average of 6.3 yards per rush and 10 TDs. Seattle's lead running back Kenneth Walker is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Walker has yet to play a full season in the NFL because of multiple injuries at the sport's most banged-up position in each of the last three Seahawks years. Backup Zach Charbonnet, the team's second-round pick in 2023, has yet to prove he can be the Seahawks' lead back. Martinez got picked in the same round Seattle drafted running back Kenny McIntosh two years ago. McIntosh is third on the Seahawks' depth chart. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak runs an outside, wide-zone running game that Martinez likened to the system he romped in at Oregon State. 'It just means a lot, really, to be drafted in general by the Seahawks. 'Just grateful to have this opportunity.' With their second pick in the seventh round, at 234th overall, Seattle selected another college tackle they are moving to guard: Mason Richman, 6-5, 307 pounds, from Iowa. He is the third college tackle to the Seahawks are making a guard in this draft. Yes, they attacked their biggest need this weekend. Richman said on the phone from his family home in Leawood, Kansas, Saturday afternoon he was a left guard entire freshman season at Iowa. He was a defensive end and tight end in high school. He said he had 'thousands' of snaps at tackle his final years at Iowa. The Seahawks had first-round pick Grey Zabel call Richman to tell him he was in the NFL, a handful of picks before the draft ended. Zabel was in the Seahawks' facility for the first time Saturday, with his parents. He's another college tackle who is going to be Seattle's new starting left guard. Richman said he thought it was a crank call. 'I'm not going to lie, it was getting down to end,' Richman said. 'I just had to believe it was true.' Seattle's third and final pick of the seventh round was their second wide receiver the team drafted Saturday: All-Mountain West wide receiver Ricky White III from UNLV. He's 6-1, 181 pounds. A slower-than-NFL-norm 40-yard dash time of 4.61 seconds dropped him to the final round, at 238th overall. White then went through intense training and improved technique with a speed coach. In a few weeks, at his pro day, he ran a 4.44 40. In his freshman season at Michigan State back in 2020, White set an MSU freshman record with 196 yards on eight catches and a touchdown in a win over Michigan. He redshirted in 2021 at Michigan State, then transferred to UNLV for the 2022 through '24 seasons. He had 79 receptions, 1,041 receiving yards,and 13.2 yards per catch last season for the Rebels. He led the Football Bowl Subdivision with four blocked punts. 'Want-to,' White said Saturday. He said Seahawks wide receiver coach Frisman Jackson told him he loves his game. But White also said he knows he will need to play well on special teams to contribute as a rookie in Seattle.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks' NFL draft final round: A self-proclaimed ‘Beast Mode 2.0' RB, WR, guard (again)
Damien Martinez breaks tackles. And tackles legacies. It wasn't 30 seconds into his comments to reporters on a speaker call just after the Seahawks drafted him in the seventh round Saturday. Yet the rugged former lead rusher for Oregon State and University of Miami described himself in the legacy of Seattle immortal Marshawn Lynch. 'Physical another 'Beast Mode 2.0' coming up here,' Martinez said. 'Get ready to see it.' 'I was definitely a big fan of 'Beast Mode' growing up, just being always being a bigger back,' he said. 'I'm ready.' With the first of their three picks in the final round, the Seahawks selected the 6-foot, 217-pound back that was fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season in yards after contact. He was first-team All-Pac-12 with Oregon State in 2023. He rushed for 1,185 yards, 6.1 yards per carry and nine touchdowns rushing. He romped through the Washington Huskies with 100-yard games in consecutive seasons. 'I know I definitely that I did them bad a couple times,' Martinez said. 'They did end up beating us, though.' At Miami in 2024 he rushed for 1,002 yards with an even-better average of 6.3 yards per rush and 10 TDs. Seattle's lead running back Kenneth Walker is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Walker has yet to play a full season in the NFL because of multiple injuries at the sport's most banged-up position in each of the last three Seahawks years. Backup Zach Charbonnet, the team's second-round pick in 2023, has yet to prove he can be the Seahawks' lead back. Martinez got picked in the same round Seattle drafted running back Kenny McIntosh two years ago. McIntosh is third on the Seahawks' depth chart. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak runs an outside, wide-zone running game that Martinez likened to the system he romped in at Oregon State. 'It just means a lot, really, to be drafted in general by the Seahawks. 'Just grateful to have this opportunity.' With their second pick in the seventh round, at 234th overall, Seattle selected another college tackle they are moving to guard: Mason Richman, 6-5, 307 pounds, from Iowa. He is the third college tackle to the Seahawks are making a guard in this draft. Yes, they attacked their biggest need this weekend. Richman said on the phone from his family home in Leawood, Kansas, Saturday afternoon he was a left guard entire freshman season at Iowa. He was a defensive end and tight end in high school. He said he had 'thousands' of snaps at tackle his final years at Iowa. The Seahawks had first-round pick Grey Zabel call Richman to tell him he was in the NFL, a handful of picks before the draft ended. Zabel was in the Seahawks' facility for the first time Saturday, with his parents. He's another college tackle who is going to be Seattle's new starting left guard. Richman said he thought it was a crank call. 'I'm not going to lie, it was getting down to end,' Richman said. 'I just had to believe it was true.' Seattle's third and final pick of the seventh round was their second wide receiver the team drafted Saturday: All-Mountain West wide receiver Ricky White III from UNLV. He's 6-1, 181 pounds. A slower-than-NFL-norm 40-yard dash time of 4.61 seconds dropped him to the final round, at 238th overall. White then went through intense training and improved technique with a speed coach. In a few weeks, at his pro day, he ran a 4.44 40. In his freshman season at Michigan State back in 2020, White set an MSU freshman record with 196 yards on eight catches and a touchdown in a win over Michigan. He redshirted in 2021 at Michigan State, then transferred to UNLV for the 2022 through '24 seasons. He had 79 receptions, 1,041 receiving yards,and 13.2 yards per catch last season for the Rebels. He led the Football Bowl Subdivision with four blocked punts. 'Want-to,' White said Saturday. He said Seahawks wide receiver coach Frisman Jackson told him he loves his game. But White also said he knows he will need to play well on special teams to contribute as a rookie in Seattle.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breaking down first round of 2025 draft from Packers point of view
Breaking down first round of 2025 draft from Packers point of view The first round of the 2025 NFL draft is underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The league will make 32 picks over the course of roughly three-and-a-half hours on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers hold the No. 23 overall pick. Breaking down the first round from a Packers viewpoint: No. 1: Titans select QB Cam Ward A new quarterback in Tennessee. The Packers beat up Will Levis in a win in Nashville last year. It's possible the Packers won't play the Titans again until the 2028 season. No. 2: Jaguars select WR/CB Travis Hunter Blockbuster trade allows the Jaguars to move up and get the unicorn of the draft class. Like the Titans, the Packers played the Jaguars in 2024 and might not see them again on the regular season schedule until 2028. No. 3: Giants select edge rusher Abdul Carter A big-time pass-rushing talent goes to the Giants. Carter is one of the elite players in the class. The Packers will go to New York to play Carter and the Giants in 2025. No. 4: Patriots select OT Will Campbell A new left tackle for Drake Maye? Campbell said he's going to "fight and die" to protect Maye in New England. No. 5: Browns select DL Mason Graham The Browns moved down and then took the best interior defensive lineman in the class. Graham will team with Myles Garrett to create a tough defensive front. The Packers go to Cleveland to play in 2025. No. 6: Raiders select RB Ashton Jeanty Jeanty runs like the Mega Evolution of Aaron Jones. He's a great fit with Pete Carroll, who gets his Beast Mode 2.0. The Packers will probably be happy about Jeanty not falling to the Bears at No. 10. No. 7: Jets select OT Armand Membou Aaron Rodgers got sacked a bunch last season. The Jets are committing a big resource to keep new quarterback Justin Fields protected in 2025. No. 8: Panthers select WR Tetairoa McMillan The new Mike Evans in the NFC South? McMillan is the first dream Packers target to come off the board. Green Bay will host McMillan and the Panthers at Lambeau Field in 2025. No. 9: Saints select OT Kelvin Banks The Saints have a big question mark at quarterback. Instead of reaching for one, New Orleans grabs an offensive lineman to block for whoever is throwing passes for the Saints in 2025. Maybe New Orleans wants to trade back into the first round to get a passer? No. 10: Bears select TE Colston Loveland Another weapon for quarterback Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson. The Bears are building a diverse and impressive offense. But a tight end at No. 10? Maybe Johnson thinks Loveland can be his new Sam LaPorta in Chicago. No. 11: 49ers select edge rusher Mykel Williams A second potential Packers target off the board in the first 11 picks. Williams is one of the youngest and highest upside defensive players in the draft class. The Packers almost certainly had him high on their board. No. 12 Cowboys select guard Tyler Booker The Cowboys get a new blocker for Dak Prescott. He was the top rated guard in the draft class for many evaluators. The Packers will attempt to get through Booker and the Cowboys offensive line when they go to Dallas in 2025. No. 13: Dolphins select defensive tackle Kenneth Grant Another potential Packers target gone. He's an athletic, disruptive big man. He would fit perfectly as a one-tech in Green Bay. Grant goes to Miami instead. No. 14: Colts select tight end Tyler Warren A second tight end in the top 15. It's impossible not to think of Dallas Clark. Warren did a little bit of everything at Penn State. The Packers won't see him or Indy for a few years, most likely. No. 15: Falcons select edge rusher Jalon Walker The Falcons probably feel fortunate to get Walker at this point in the first round. He's a versatile edge rusher/off-ball linebacker who could help reshape the Falcons' defensive front. Atlanta isn't on Green Bay's 2025 schedule, but the Falcons could be a playoff contender.
