Latest news with #Bowlers
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Jets Predicted to Have Four First-Time Pro Bowlers
New York Jets Predicted to Have Four First-Time Pro Bowlers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In 2024, the 5-12 New York Jets send just one player to the Pro Bowl: defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was selected as a replacement player. It wasn't for a lack of talent, but due to the turmoil caused by the coaching situation, many talented youngsters on the Jets underperformed. Advertisement 2025 hopes to have a different outlook for a Jets team with new faces at quarterback, head coach and general manager. Predictions for the upcoming season seem to be all over the place for the Jets, with some analysts suggesting a potential playoff run, while other suggest the Jets are headed for another top selection in the NFL Draft. Sporting News' Peter Martuneac predicts four Jets will make their first Pro Bowls in 2025. Martuneac's first selection is the new quarterback in town, Justin Fields. "For the Jets, it begins and ends with their likely QB1, Justin Fields." Noted Martuneac. "Despite streaky play thus far in his four NFL seasons, Fields has flashed plenty of glimpses of an elite quarterback. And, to be fair to Fields, he was never surrounded by the type of talent this Jets team currently has, nor did he receive much competent coaching while in Chicago. If the Jets can finally unlock Fields and get him to his full potential, the sky's the limit, and the early returns in OTA's are promising. Not only would he be a Pro Bowler, but an All-Pro award would likely be in play, as well." Advertisement Fields' No. 1 target for the upcoming season and former college teammate is also primed for his first Pro Bowl appearance, despite being potentially snubbed in previous years, according to Martuneac. "He may have been Rookie of the Year in 2022, but Wilson has somehow failed to win a Pro Bowl award despite starting his career off with three straight 1,000 yard seasons. And he did all that with mostly questionable quarterback play." Wrote Martuneac. "Now he has his old Ohio State teammate Justin Fields throwing him the ball, and they already appear to be recapturing that old chemistry that made Ohio State's offense so electric in 2020. If Fields lives up to his potential, expect Wilson to be the main beneficiary of that which should be more than enough for his first Pro Bowl nod." Completing a trifecta of offensive Pro Bowl selections is Breece Hall. Hall's offseason has been a bit tumultuous, with head coach Aaron Glenn suggesting he may opt for a running back by committee approach, which may limit Hall's carries. But Martuneac believes Hall is about to embark on his best season yet. "Despite somewhat of a down year in 2024, Hall is primed for a career year. By adding Justin Fields, one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in the NFL, the Jets' run game has the juice for an explosive season. On top of that, they greatly improved the offensive line, as well." Wrote Martuneac. "Don't be surprised if Hall flirts with 2,000 total yards in 2025 give the improvements to both the O-line and quarterback position. The ceiling is truly sky-high for him." Advertisement On the defensive side of the ball, 2024 breakout star Will McDonald IV will finally get his flowers, according to Martuneac. "When the Jets drafted McDonald in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, most analysts had little good to say about the pick, and his rookie season seemed to confirm those doubts. But McDonald silenced all the haters with a mini-breakout in 2024 in which he registered 10.5 sacks and 24 QB hits." Martuneac wrote. "With the highly regarded defensive mind of Aaron Glenn now in New York, expect McDonald to have a true breakout season in 2025. I would not be surprised to see him hit 17 sacks this year. If he can get those numbers and lead a dominant Jets defense to the playoffs, he's a shoo-in for his first Pro Bowl award." Related: Mason Taylor Continues To Shine At Jets OTAs Related: Could Giants Land High-Profile Lineman? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Where key running backs, tight ends and edge defenders landed, plus inside the Shedeur prank call
Inside: Recapping everything you should know from days 2 and 3 of the draft, explaining who was behind the Shedeur Sanders prank and why a draft slide offered a hard lesson in humility. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. The first round gets the eyeballs, but rounds 2 to 7 can be just as important. And this is our first newsletter edition since Friday morning. Where did the star talent go? A quick recap on the three positions defining this class, starting with offense. This year, Days 2 and 3 paired running back talent with fortunate landing spots, suggesting this group might include multiple future Pro Bowlers. The Browns got their Nick Chubb replacement in Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins at No. 36. The third RB selected, Judkins has the skills to become a workhorse back and is a strong fit for Kevin Stefanski's power-based run scheme. He's a Jordan Mason-meets-Brian Robinson Jr., per Jake Ciely's fantasy football takeaways. This was beat reporter Zac Jackson's favorite pick, because yes, 'the Browns figure to run the ball a lot in 2025.' Chubb is still a free agent. Advertisement The Patriots added competition for Rhamondre Stevenson by drafting Judkins' former teammate, Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson at No. 38. Ranked ahead of Judkins in The Beast, Henderson averaged an impressive 7.1 yards per carry in 2024 and brings explosiveness to a team desperate for it. The Broncos surprised by reaching on UCF RB RJ Harvey — Dane's 93rd overall prospect and RB8 — at No. 60. A fast runner and dangerous pass-catcher who makes plays in space (23.3 percent of his carries last season resulted in 10-plus yards, leading all FBS running backs), Harvey offers Sean Payton that versatile Joker weapon he's always searching for. This was Dane's favorite Broncos pick. The Steelers stopped the fall of Iowa's Kaleb Johnson by taking him 39 picks below his ranking in The Beast (where he ranked 44th overall). A downhill runner who fits nicely in Pittsburgh's smashmouth environment, Johnson should fill the Najee Harris role in a committee with Jaylen Warren. Cam Skattebo had tears in his eyes when his name was called by the Giants, who took the promising Arizona State bruiser in round 4 (No. 105 overall). 'It's a great pick to fill out the Giants' running back room, as Skattebo's rugged running style offers a perfect complement to the more shifty Tyrone Tracy Jr.,' explained beat reporter Charlotte Carroll, who has Skattebo as her favorite pick. Late-rounder to watch: Saints RB Devin Neal. The sixth-round steal (Dane had given him a fourth-round grade) should quickly become Kellen Moore's hand-picked RB2 behind 30-year-old Alvin Kamara. Three went in the second round: The Jets added a potential Week 1 starter in LSU's Mason Taylor, son of Hall of Fame DE Jason Taylor, at No. 42. They filled their biggest need with the promising 20-year-old, who was the most productive TE in LSU history. He could quickly become Justin Fields' second-favorite target as a Zach Ertz-type player. It got New York an A+ from Nick Baumgardner. Advertisement The Rams used their first pick on Tyler Higbee's replacement. After trading back with the Falcons for an extra 2026 first-round pick, Los Angeles took Oregon's Terrance Ferguson, a 6-foot-5, 247-pounder who ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.63) among combine tight ends. 'Coach Sean McVay wanted Ferguson badly and seems to already have a vision,' reported Jourdan Rodrigue. The Seahawks added massive upside with Miami's Alijah Arroyo. It was part of Seattle's 2025 focus on drafting for ceiling, with beat reporter Michael-Shawn Dugar noting that Arroyo might contribute immediately. Starter Noah Fant is in a contract year. In this draft, no position was as restocked as edge defender was. When The Athletic's beat reporters listed their favorite picks of 2025, edge was by far the most-referenced position. Six players made the list. Let's talk about four: Buccaneers: David Walker. His strong Senior Bowl showing helped Walker, an undersized 25-year-old from Central Arkansas, land in the fourth round. His 39 sacks in college hint at the upside here. Panthers: Prince Umanmielen. Pass rusher was the biggest need in Charlotte, where beat reporter Joseph Person compares Umanmielen — their third-round pick — with Brian Burns, also a light and explosive pass rusher. Cowboys: Donovan Ezeiruaku. A first-round grade in The Beast suggests Ezeiruaku was a steal for the Cowboys at 44, when they ignored their running back woes for a polished pass rusher. The best story of the draft, though, might be new Packers edge Barryn Sorrell, who paid his way to Wisconsin to experience the moment in-person. He arrived Wednesday and sat in the green room. And sat. And sat. It took three days, but Sorrell eventually heard his name called at No. 124. His patience was rewarded in front of a Green Bay crowd: 'We did not know he was here,' said a Packers executive afterward. Sorrell also did a Lambeau Leap before his introductory news conference! That's an epic first impression — though, as Rustin Dodd explains, Nick Sirianni's awkward introduction is a reminder that first impressions are misleading. Let's take a brief look at the Shedeur Sanders situation. Two young men learned difficult lessons this weekend. Let's start with Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Falcons defensive coordinator and former Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. Shortly before the Saints were scheduled to make the 40th pick, Jax and his friend (see the above GIF, Ulbrich is in the white sweater) phoned Shedeur Sanders and pretended to be the Saints GM. Advertisement 'This is Mickey Loomis here, (general manager) of the Saints. It's been a long wait, man. We're gonna take you with our next pick right here, man,' the caller said. 'Yes sir, let's be legendary,' Shedeur said. 'But you're gonna have to wait a little bit longer, man. Sorry about that,' the caller said before hanging up. Sanders took steps to ensure this didn't happen. He purchased a new phone specifically for the draft, only sharing the number in an email thread that the NFL shared with teams. The Falcons released a statement explaining that Jax 'came across the draft contact phone number for Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent's home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call.' Jax issued a public apology and called Sanders to apologize personally. As you know, the Saints passed on Sanders at 40. Everyone else passed on him, too. It wasn't until the Browns — who had already drafted a different quarterback, Oregon's 5-11 Dillon Gabriel, in the third round — saw 'a price we felt was a pretty steep discount,' at pick 144, per GM Andrew Berry. Dane's No. 34 overall prospect and QB2, Sander's slide surprised even his biggest detractors. This morning, Mike Jones explains how Shedeur and his father were taught a hard lesson in humility. $952,000: Shedeur Sanders' first-year salary. For those counting, that's 0.34 percent of the Browns salary cap, making this a risk-free bet by Cleveland. It also means they can cut ties if needed, and that Sanders has the potential to become the best value in the NFL. Anything can happen here. 87: Picks between the Jaguars' first choice and their second. The new regime's first draft included betting the farm on Travis Hunter, which cut down the number of potential starters they could add. Then again, Hunter might eventually be two starters. Now the pressure turns to GM James Gladstone and HC Liam Coen to make it work. They think they have the pieces to. F— them picks. Advertisement 57: Snaps of college football played by Broncos TE Caleb Lohner. He caught just four passes in one season at Utah, which is why he was the 57th tight end in The Beast — behind 37 others at the position whom Dane graded as free agents. I don't need to explain to you why Sean Payton took the 6-foot-7, 256-pound former basketball player in the seventh round (remember, Graham had just 17 catches in his one season at Miami after his basketball career). 'If it turns out like the last one did, then we'd be real excited,' said Payton. 15: Georgia's still-standing picks record. Ohio State was one of four schools — Georgia, Texas and Oregon were the others — with at least 10 of their prospects drafted. Fourteen Buckeyes were drafted this year, but Georgia's record-setting 2022 (15 selections) remains the mark to beat. Cale Clinton broke it all down here. 1: The Patriots' ranking in Dane Brugler's draft class rankings. I'll save you time: They never grade this well. Starting with LSU OT Will Campbell at No. 4 through Georgia C Jared Wilson at No. 95, the Patriots are clearly doing everything to make life easier for Drake Maye. Their first third-round pick, WR Kyle Williams, could be Drake Maye's go-to target before long. Additionally, we should note the allegations against new Ravens edge Mike Green. A top-10 overall talent in The Beast and Dane's fourth-ranked edge, Green fell to Baltimore in the second round (No. 59). Why? There were no questions about Green's on-field potential, as he led the FBS with 17 sacks last year. But he was also twice accused of sexual assault, first in high school and again at the University of Virginia. No formal charges were filed in either case, but NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported that Green was off several teams' draft boards for that reason. The Ravens spent Friday night defending the pick, which they made amid the ongoing investigation into startling allegations against Justin Tucker. Tomorrow: Grading landing spots for QBs, RBs and WRs, plus UDFA signings that matter. 📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's free daily NFL newsletter in your inbox. Also, check out our other newsletters.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions get Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with 28th pick in NFL draft
Ohio State's Tyleik Williams falls as he runs the 40-dash during the school's NFL football pro day, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Ohio State's Tyleik Williams, center, is helped off the field after falling while running the 40-yard dash during the school's NFL football pro day, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Ohio State's Tyleik Williams falls as he runs the 40-dash during the school's NFL football pro day, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Ohio State's Tyleik Williams, center, is helped off the field after falling while running the 40-yard dash during the school's NFL football pro day, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions selected defensive tackle Tyleik Williams of Ohio State with the 28th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Williams started 13 games for the 2024 national champions with 46 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks. Advertisement While the Lions return defensive tackles Alim McNeill and D.J. Reader, McNeill might not be available to start the season after suffering a torn ACL in December. Williams could fill that void. With Detroit coming off a 15-win season, general manager Brad Holmes is in the best position for the draft since he took the Lions job in 2021. In his first four drafts, Holmes chose six eventual Pro Bowlers. The Lions won the NFC North title and the top overall seed in the conference despite a rash of injuries, especially on defense, but were one and done in the playoffs, losing in the divisional round to visiting Washington. In the past three drafts, Holmes had traded up in the first round, but he stayed put this time. The Lions had six picks remaining in subsequent rounds. ___ AP NFL:
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Can the Commanders land a blue-chip player at No. 29 or later?
Can the Commanders land a blue-chip player at No. 29 or later? Can the Washington Commanders land a blue-chip player at No. 29 in the 2025 NFL draft? That's the job of general manager Adam Peters after the Commanders surprised everyone last season by winning 12 games and making it to the NFC championship game. Washington has been linked to multiple positions in mock drafts. The most consistent position has been edge rusher. The Commanders do not have a top-tier pass rusher on their current roster. Last year's leader in sacks, Dante Fowler Jr., left, signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys. Washington was fine with letting Fowler go because he was a role player and weak against the run. Fortunately, the edge rusher class in 2025 is a solid one. While it's not as deep as some will tell you, several good players can be found after the first round. Some mock drafts have had as many as seven or eight edge defenders go in the first round. After finding an elite blue-chip talent last year with quarterback Jayden Daniels, Peters must have a strong draft class. The Commanders have traded multiple picks for veterans Marshon Lattimore, Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. Washington needs defensive help, especially along the defensive line. The Commanders would love to come away from the NFL draft with an edge rusher capable of double-digit sacks. While the odds don't seem great at finding a blue-chip talent at No. 29, teams do every year. Aaron Donald was selected with the No. 13 overall pick in 2014. Lamar Jackson was once the No. 32 overall pick. Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick. Star wide receivers such as Amon-Ra Saint-Brown, Terry McLaurin and A.J. Brown were drafted outside of the first round. So were Trey Hendrickson and Chris Jones. There are many other examples as well. Former NFL player Bucky Brooks, now an analyst for the NFL Network, recently named five players who he thinks will be future All-Pros. He named 11 more he believed would be future Pro Bowlers. Of those 11 players, it's possible that none make it to the Commanders at No. 29. What does that mean? Nothing. Why? Every year, teams draft players who outplay their pre-draft expectations. Ultimately, Washington needs to find a starter with its first pick. The goal is to develop him into a future All-Pro performer. But just because the Commanders do not land what many believe is an elite talent before the draft, doesn't mean they won't come away from the draft with a future star. What if Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart falls to Washington? Stewart has elite tools, but the production never matched those tools in college. What if playing for Washington coach Dan Quinn unlocks Stewart's potential? It could happen. What if the Commanders select UCLA EDGE/LB Oluwafemi Oladejo in the second round and Washington's coaching staff turns him into a productive pass rusher? Don't fall into the narrative that the Commanders can't find future Pro Bowlers just because they don't hold a top-10 pick. It's all about finding the right players, and that falls on the shoulders of Peters. Washington fans certainly have more confidence in finding those types of players these days.
USA Today
27-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Johnson says he models his game after Panthers CB Jaycee Horn
Will Johnson says he models his game after Panthers CB Jaycee Horn The Carolina Panthers probably feel pretty lucky that they have cornerback Jaycee Horn. But how would they feel if they had two of him? Thursday's media availability from the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine featured University of Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, a potential target for the Panthers' upcoming first-round pick. During his time at the podium, the standout defender was asked who he models his game after—and credited one of Carolina's 2024 Pro Bowlers . . . "Dawg," huh? Anyway, this wouldn't be the first time a link has been made between Johnson and Horn. NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein actually noted Horn as Johnson's pro comparison in his recent scouting report—one in which he praises the 21-year-old for having Pro Bowl potential. Johnson will enter the pros after a decorated collegiate career with the Wolverines. The Detroit, Mich. native departs Ann Arbor as a 2023 first-team All-American, a 2024 second-team All-American and the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship Game's Defensive Most Valuable Player. He could soon add "eighth overall pick" to that list, the same exact title a certain someone also holds.
