Latest news with #ConsensusBigBoard
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL draft: Grading the Browns' pick of Dylan Sampson
NFL draft: Grading the Browns' pick of Dylan Sampson The Cleveland Browns continued to invest in their ground attack on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting running back Dylan Sampson at pick 126. Despite boasting earlier additions to the backfield, this move has draft analysts buzzing about the potential value and fit of the young playmaker. Sampson's intriguing blend of instincts, patience, and explosive speed, particularly in the red zone, suggests he could be a significant asset for the Browns. Many believe Cleveland landed a steal, considering Sampson's pre-draft ranking. Let's delve into why Dylan Sampson might just be the hidden gem to further power the Browns' rushing attack and complement their existing talent. The Fit Sampson, despite only one season as a lead back, showcases impressive instincts and a knack for gaining yards after contact. What truly distinguishes him is his exceptional feel for timing, spacing, and understanding of blocking schemes. He patiently reads lane development in real time and adheres to the play's design, yet possesses the agility to improvise when necessary. Additionally, when in the redzone, Samspon has a different gear, often finding a way to get the ball to the promised land. Projecting as a strong RB2 in a gap-scheme offense, Sampson's blend of home-run speed and remarkable patience carves a clear path for potential success in the Browns' backfield when we eventually move on from Jerome Ford as a nearly 1:1 replacement. While his size and average outside vision might not suit every team, his skill set appears tailor-made to complement the bruising Quinshon Judkins we took earlier in the draft. The Value The Cleveland Browns snagged a potential steal at pick 126 in running back Dylan Sampson. In a draft deep with running back talent, Sampson distinguishes himself with his youthful profile and exceptional raw speed, especially at this point in the draft. Many draft analysts projected Sampson to be off the board much earlier, with Arif Hasan's Consensus Big Board placing him as the 76th overall prospect. This significant discrepancy in value suggests the Browns have acquired a player with considerable upside and athleticism far later than anticipated. Sampson's addition injects a dynamic speed element into their backfield at an excellent draft position. The Need With the additions of Quinshon Judkins, coupled with the existing skills of Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr., the Browns clearly prioritized bolstering their ground game. Furthermore, sources close to the team suggest that a potential return for veteran Nick Chubb remains a possibility, which could transform this running back room into a true strength for the Browns. Sampson's arrival further solidifies their commitment to a potent rushing attack and provides valuable depth and competition within the unit. Pick Grade: A Sampson is one of the youngest players in this draft, and he doesn't have a lot of pressure on him right away with Jerome Ford/Quinshon Judkins already in the room.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers hosting Oregon DE Jordan Burch on official pre-draft visit on Tuesday
Packers hosting Oregon DE Jordan Burch on official pre-draft visit on Tuesday With the 2025 NFL Draft a little over a week away, the Green Bay Packers are still conducting top-30 visits to gather information on available prospects. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, two high-profile defensive players are making the trip to Green Bay on Tuesday and one of them is Oregon defensive end Jordan Burch. Burch is ranked 67th overall prospect on the 2025 Consensus Big Board following a breakout final season with the Ducks. NFL Draft Analyst for the Athletic, Dane Brugler, listed Burch as his 10th-highest-rated edge rusher and 52nd overall in his top 100. Burch spent three years at South Carolina before transferring to Oregon for the 2023 season. He posted 7.5 sacks over his first four seasons before a breakout season as a fifth-year senior when he totaled 8.5 sacks despite missing four games due to injury. Once healthy, Burch was a key contributor on an Oregon team that reached the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. At the NFL combine, Burch measured in at 6-4, 279 pounds and ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash. He checks the boxes for Green Bay's prototypical size and athleticism at the position, making him a potential Day 2 target. On the field, Burch is a productive pass rusher who recorded 32 pressures and a pass rush win rate of 15.7% during his final season. For comparison, Kingsley Enagbare had a win rate of 22.7%, Rashan Gary had 14.5%, and Lukas Van Ness finished with 13.5% in their final college seasons. Burch is also a reliable run defender who is quick to locate the ball carrier and sets a strong edge. While he looks the part, Burch may not have the elite traits to become a star. Still, he has the upside to develop into a solid starter wherever he lands at the next level. After not signing any pass rushers in free agency, the Packers could use some more help to bolster a pass rush that was far too inconsistent last season. Burch could help in this area and might be in play when Green Bay picks at No. 54. Packers Wire is tracking all of the team's reported pre-draft visits here.
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Grading CBS Sports' 7-round mock draft for the Vikings
Grading CBS Sports' 7-round mock draft for the Vikings We're less than two weeks away from the first round of the NFL Draft. That means we're about to get a flurry of mock drafts, including full seven-round mocks like the one CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso released this week. He doesn't have the Vikings making any trades, which is unfortunate because that leaves the team with only four picks. But it's also a possibility, as it takes two to tango. So even if the Vikings want to trade down, they may not find a willing partner. 1st Round, 24th Overall: Nick Emmanwori, Safety, South Carolina Nick Emmanwori, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety is ranked 25th overall on the 2025 Consensus Big Board. This is good value and gives the Vikings their eventual successor to Harrison Smith, who may be playing his final season in 2025. Emmanwori has position flexibility to play in the box and deep safety. It's worth noting that players who are still available at 24 in Trapasso's mock include interior defensive linemen Kenneth Grant and Walter Nolen, as well as offensive lineman Grey Zabel. 3rd Round, 97th Overall: Jordan Hancock, Safety/Cornerback, Ohio State The Vikings address the secondary again in the third round, taking Hancock, who, like Emmanwori, has position flexibility. He can play slot cornerback, although Byron Murphy, Jr. has manned that role the past two seasons. Hancock is ranked 153rd in the Consensus Big Board. This pick would make more sense if the Vikings hadn't signed Theo Jackson to an extension this offseason. Players passed up in the mock include Kentucky defensive lineman Deone Walker, Virginia Tech cornerback Dorian Strong, and Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. 5th Round, 139th Overall: Caleb Rogers, Guard/Tackle, Texas Tech With the first pick in the fifth round, the Vikings address the trenches with Rogers. He, too, gives the team position flexibility. Rogers is ranked 131st on the Consensus Big Board. 6th Round, 187th Overall: Jamaree Caldwell, DT, Oregon The Vikings add to the trenches again, drafting Caldwell, who stands 6-foot-2, 332 pounds. Although Minnesota added Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in free agency, they need younger players who can replace them in the future. Caldwell is ranked 129th on the Consensus Big Board. Total Grade: B- Outside of the Hancock selection, the Vikings combine value with need, addressing their most pressing roster questions with the Emmanwori, Rogers, and Caldwell picks. It will sting a bit if the Vikings aren't able to trade down in the first round, especially if players like Grant, Nolen, and Zabel are still on the board at 24. Not being able to swing a trade and recouping lost draft capital could raise further questions about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's draft approach.
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking 20 NBA Draft prospects to watch during 2025 March Madness
Ranking 20 NBA Draft prospects to watch during 2025 March Madness Before the 2025 NBA Draft, plenty of prospects will have an opportunity to showcase their game on the biggest scouting stages during March Madness. Of course, the biggest name to know is Duke freshman Coper Flagg. While he is currently injured, he is arguably the best overall player in college basketball and expected to turn pro after this season. Flagg has multiple teammates (including Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach) expected to join him in the NBA next season. As always, there are some notable prospects who did not make the tournament (including Rutgers teammates Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey as well as South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles, Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming, and UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg). But here are a few of the top names to know who did make the Big Dance. Note that the ranking is determined by Rookie Scale's Consensus Big Board. Meanwhile, for more prospect coverage, here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win. The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 1. Cooper Flagg TEAM: Duke POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-9 DRAFT AGE: 18.5 2. V.J. Edgecombe TEAM: Baylor POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-5 DRAFT AGE: 19.9 3. Tre Johnson TEAM: Texas POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-6 DRAFT AGE: 19.3 4. Kasparas Jakučionis TEAM: Illinois POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-6 DRAFT AGE: 19.1 5. Kon Knueppel TEAM: Duke POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-7 DRAFT AGE: 19.9 6. Khaman Maluach TEAM: Duke POSITION: Big HEIGHT: 7-2 DRAFT AGE: 18.8 7. Derik Queen TEAM: Maryland POSITION: Big HEIGHT: 6-10 DRAFT AGE: 20.5 8. Jeremiah Fears TEAM: Oklahoma POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-4 DRAFT AGE: 18.7 9. Liam McNeeley TEAM: Connecticut POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-7 DRAFT AGE: 19.7 10. Asa Newell TEAM: Georgia POSITION: Big HEIGHT: 6-11 DRAFT AGE: 19.7 11. Jase Richardson TEAM: Michigan St. POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-3 DRAFT AGE: 19.7 12. Egor Demin TEAM: BYU POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-9 DRAFT AGE: 19.3 13. Danny Wolf TEAM: Michigan POSITION: Big HEIGHT: 7-0 DRAFT AGE: 21.2 14. Nique Clifford TEAM: Colorado St. POSITION: Forward HEIGHT: 6-6 DRAFT AGE: 23.4 15. Will Riley TEAM: Illinois POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-8 DRAFT AGE: 19.3 16. Carter Bryant TEAM: Arizona POSITION: Forward HEIGHT: 6-8 DRAFT AGE: 19.6 17. Kam Jones TEAM: Marquette POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-4 DRAFT AGE: 23.3 18. Adou Thiero TEAM: Arkansas POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-6 DRAFT AGE: 21.1 19. Miles Byrd TEAM: San Diego St. POSITION: Wing HEIGHT: 6-7 DRAFT AGE: 20.8 20. Labaron Philon TEAM: Alabama POSITION: Guard HEIGHT: 6-4 DRAFT AGE: 19.6 Honorable Mentions
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Post-NFL combine risers and fallers, plus where Giants, Raiders turn after Stafford stays
Inside: Sorting NFL combine winners and losers into categories that matter, plus unpacking the Deebo Samuel trade and how the Raiders and Giants respond to Matthew Stafford's extension. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's daily NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. Pictured above is Missouri's Armand Membou, a 6-foot-3, 332-pound offensive lineman whom college football writers had projected to land in Chicago at No. 10, where he'd protect quarterback Caleb Williams. But after an incredible combine, Membou might go earlier. He hit a top speed of 20.28 miles per hour during his 40-yard dash, where he set the best mark among all tackles (4.91 seconds) while letting out a primal scream. No. 20 on the Consensus Big Board pre-combine (but No. 8 on Dane Brugler's list), Membou has a mix of size, vertical leap and speed that rivals All-Pros Tristan Wirfs and Trent Williams: After last week's review of which combine metrics matter per Tej Seth's analysis, let's talk about the prospects who shone in the most important areas: For quarterbacks, the broad jump has mattered most. Three stood out: 📈 Missouri QB Brady Cook. No quarterback improved their stock more than the previously projected Day 3 pick/UDFA, who struggled with accuracy in college. His lower-body explosiveness was on display with a broad jump mark (128 inches) that rivaled Anthony Richardson's record (129 inches). 📈 Louisville QB Tyler Shough showed well and could be an early-round pick. He might fall due to narratives like 'too old' (turns 26 in the fall) and 'injury history' (three major injuries in seven college seasons), but probably shouldn't, given his impressive touch and strong metrics. 📉 Ohio State QB Will Howard led his team to a national championship, but don't ask him to broad jump (worst mark among quarterbacks) or hit open receivers in a practice setting. His Saturday throwing session went poorly, to put it nicely: For receivers, the 40-yard dash impacts draft position but does not correlate to future production, while youthfulness is more predictive. That means teams overvalue the 40-yard dash but underrate age. Knowing that: 📈 Texas WR Matthew Golden. After Xavier Worthy's record-setting 2024, a Longhorn again led receivers in the 40-yard dash. Golden's 4.29-second dash likely cemented his first-round status. Perhaps more importantly, Golden is also one of this draft's youngest receiving prospects. 📉 Oregon WR Tez Johnson's NFL future is in doubt after the 5-foot-9 receiver was lighter than expected (154 pounds) and not all that fast. The 22 year-old ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, one of the slower times at his position. Fast tight ends tend to thrive, though, which is good news for two of the faster prospects: 📈 Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr., an Isaiah Likely type who set FBS records for receiving yards (1,555) and receptions (117) at his position. The Dolphins or Broncos could be a fit on Day 2. 📈 LSU TE Mason Taylor didn't run a 40, but that won't stop him from being this class' TE3 on most consensus boards. The son of former Dolphins great DE Jason Taylor, Mason looked smooth with the ball while running the gauntlet well. The most surprisingly important metric is the 40-yard dash for offensive lineman (adding to the Membou buzz above). Arm size and three-cone time matter too. You should know: 📉 Alabama OL Tyler Booker. His profile screams franchise left tackle — 6-5, 321 pounds with 34 1/2-inch arms — but is questionable after he was the second-slowest lineman in both the 40 (5.38 seconds, 25th percentile) and three-cone (7.96 seconds, 28th percentile). I've seen him mocked to the Chargers and Texans, but the first round now feels like a stretch. 📉 LSU OL Will Campbell, a consensus All-American who saw his arm length (32 and 5/8 inches) fall a few inches short of what most NFL teams look for at his position. (Still, I don't know what to make of anybody's measurements after Jalen Milroe's hand size grew from 8.75 inches to 9.38 in the month between the Senior Bowl and the combine.) On the defensive side: 📈 South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori confirmed his first-round bona fides by measuring 6-3, 220 while leading the combine in broad jump (11 feet, 6 inches) and vertical (43 inches) and running a 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Last season, the high-energy safety led his team in tackles and didn't allow a touchdown in coverage. The Bills are a good fit. 📉 Michigan DT Mason Graham had been a consensus top-five pick, but might trickle down mock draft boards after measuring 20-plus pounds lighter than expected and having 32-inch arms (26th percentile for his position). Still, Graham is an instant starter for whom the Jets could come calling at No. 7. 📈 Arkansas edge Landon Jackson. A consensus top-50 prospect prior to the combine, he led his position in the vertical and finished second in the broad jump. Both marks impressed, given his 6-6, 264-pound frame. He's now in first-round consideration. Now the inevitable question: Do combine risers and fallers even matter? A simple way to test this is to look back at big names in these categories over the past two years (via our 2023 winners/losers and 2024 risers/fallers): Clearly, the combine ... might not matter, maybe? It's a mixed bag, but there are always significant names in both categories — meaning a bad combine could still lead to a good career, or vice versa. Before we get to the Stafford news, Dianna has more on the 49ers' post-Deebo plans. Deebo Samuel's trade demand was granted on Saturday, as the former All-Pro receiver is Jayden Daniels' newest weapon in Washington. Samuel wanted to be traded to either the Commanders, Broncos or Texans, though the latter two never made an offer for him. Washington is taking on the remainder of Samuel's contract, paying his full $17.55 million salary for the 2025 season. That means he's set to make more than Terry McLaurin, who's getting $15.5 million in the final year of a deal signed in the summer of 2022 — expect that to change. Advertisement As for the 49ers, they might not be done dealing. League sources tell me multiple teams have called about acquiring Brandon Aiyuk as San Francisco reworks their roster ahead of Brock Purdy's coming mega-extension. My colleague Ben Standig explains why the Commanders made this deal. Back to you, Jacob. The talk of the combine was that the Raiders and Giants were pushing for Stafford. League sources confirmed this to The Athletic reporters, saying the teams offered two-year deals with between $90 million and $100 million guaranteed. No matter, as the 37-year-old was unwilling to uproot his family for more money. Just as we hit send on Friday's newsletter, the Rams announced Stafford will remain in Los Angeles after a contract restructure, which is still being finalized and will be adjusted again next year, per Sean McVay. Stafford's return is good news for a young team that sits No. 7 in our early 2025 Power Rankings and tested the Eagles during the playoffs. Bad news for everyone else, one way or the other. What do QB-needy teams do now? Let's check in with beat reporters after New York and Las Vegas whiffed: Giants: I asked Charlotte Carroll if GM Joe Schoen is feeling win-now pressure after co-owner John Mara expressed a lack of patience. She said Schoen isn't admitting anything, but she pointed to his combine message: 'We're going to look for the best player available that can help us win games in '25." Plan B might be Aaron Rodgers, which could be a big mistake. Also, Dan Duggan wrote, "There hasn't been much buzz connecting the Giants to Sam Darnold," while Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are potential adds. They could also trade up for No. 1, as the Titans are reportedly open for business. The Giants currently hold No. 3 and are expected to target a quarterback, which Schoen is yet to do in three seasons at the helm. Everything suggests a big swing. Advertisement Raiders: Minority owner Tom Brady ran into Stafford in Montana. They skied together. It caused chaos at an Indianapolis Starbucks, and that was all. Now, Las Vegas now shifts to considering a Pete Carroll reunion with Wilson or adding Darnold, both available via free agency. But neither signing seems likely, since Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed noted Brady and Raiders GM John Spytek "prioritized Stafford because they are not super high on Darnold or the other potential free agents." As for the draft, The Athletic reported the Raiders' brass left Indianapolis interested in [Alabama QB Jalen] Milroe and [Texas QB Quinn] Ewers after going over X's and O's and film. Regardless, the expectation is winning, now. Many others are searching for quarterbacks, including the Browns, Titans, Jets, Steelers and Colts. Their solutions might not come via this draft, as Jeff Howe explains league evaluators left Indy unimpressed with this rookie QB class. "Plus, there's a hidden danger in whiffing on a first-round QB in April — it also may take teams out of the running from a more highly coveted class in 2026," wrote Jeff. That's when Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli, is eligible. He's the real deal. Last week's most-clicked: Mike Sando explains how the NFL's youth coaching movement has transformed the league, for both good and bad. 📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's free daily NFL newsletter in your inbox. Also, check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
