Latest news with #DROY
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jihaad Campbell lands behind Eagles rival in early ranking of DROY candidates
Jihaad Campbell lands behind Eagles rival in early ranking of DROY candidates Jihaad Campbell lands behind an Eagles' rival in an early ranking of early DROY favorites. If you're a Philadelphia Eagles rival, you're probably hoping that Howie Roseman's luck will run out and, at some point, things will stop breaking his way. If you're a Birds fan, you're probably hoping that never happens. You have to love what you've been seeing, especially recently. Whether it's the trade that brought A.J. Brown to town (or one that shipped Bryce Huff elsewhere), the Eagles' GM seems to be made of magic. Howie seems to have mastered the salary cap and the NFL Draft. He navigates both like he invented them. Let's discuss the past three offseasons. First, he landed Jalen Carter as a ninth-overall selection. No one said much because we were aware of the circumstances. The winning streak continued. Somehow, in that same draft, he also landed Nolan Smith in Round 1. Fast forward to 2024. It seemed impossible that Philadelphia would have a shot at acquiring Quinyon Mitchell because they were picking so late in Round 1. They landed him with the 22nd-overall selection. Then, they also added Cooper DeJean. Wait! How did they get both guys? And, while we're on the subject, how did the Eagles wind up with Jihaad Campbell this past April at 31? Some projected him as a top-15 selection. The answers are simple. Howie is a genius. Sometimes, teams get lucky. Fortune falls on the well-prepared. Jihaad Campbell named among five Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates. If there's one knock on Campbell, it's the injury history. There are discussions about past shoulder and knee injuries. He underwent labrum surgery this past March, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that's what wound up influencing his Round 1 slide. No one seems to be worried, though. Philadelphia is home to one of the league's best medical teams. If they're willing to give Campbell a passing grade, there is seemingly no need to argue, so the focus can be shifted to how much he'll be asked to do as a rookie and how high he can soar. Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano recently stacked five candidates for the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Campbell ranks second, right behind a rival on the New York Giants' roster, edge rusher Abdul Carter. Here's some of the explanation: "It bodes well that one of the most successful GMs of the past decade did everything he could to ensure Campbell landed in Philadelphia. Strangely, some teams don't value off-ball linebackers as high as other positions, but that ended up being a benefit for GM Howie Roseman, who only needed to trade up one spot after surprisingly seeing Campbell still available at No. 31." Here's more: "Roseman reportedly had multiple failed attempts to go up higher to nab the versatile playmaker from Alabama. Campbell could have a dominant rookie season playing for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, while lining up next to first-team All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun and behind dominant defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Teams might be kicking themselves for allowing Campbell to fall to the defending Super Bowl champions." Two things are interesting. One, Malaki Starks, someone the Birds' fans hoped would land, wasn't on this list. James Pearce Jr. (Atlanta Falcons), Nick Emmanwori (Seattle Seahawks), and Will Johnson (Arizona Cardinals) round out the top five. Another interesting fact is unrelated to the ranking. It's more about Carter landing with the hated Giants. Carter is from Philly. He grew up an Eagles fan and attended Penn State. Sadly, he's now the enemy. Oh well... Maybe the G-Men hold on to Joe Schoen. Maybe he screws everything up when Carter becomes eligible for free agency. That way, he can come to Philadelphia and terrorize Big Blue a la James Bradberry (in 2022), Saquon Barkley, and, hopefully, Azeez Ojulari.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch: Rams OLB Jared Verse wears suit to meet Rams 2025 rookies
Watch: Rams OLB Jared Verse wears suit to meet Rams 2025 rookies Los Angeles Rams star edge rusher Jared Verse showed up to meet his newest teammates in style. The 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year wore a full suit during the Rams' rookie minicamp to set the tone for himself and the team. "Somebody got to set the standard," Verse said. "We got rooks in the building today." There's no one better suited (pun intended) to set the standard for the newest Rams than Verse. Not only did he come in and win DROY in 2024 but he also has generated the most pressures as a rookie since 2020. The Rams' 2025 NFL Draft class isn't packed with stars, but the group should make an impact on the team's season early on both sides of the ball. Verse is here as a role model for the young players as they embark on the beginning of their NFL careers.
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How the Eagles could dominate the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year race again
How the Eagles could dominate the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year race again Lightning will strike twice in 2025. Yeah... We're convinced more now than ever. We watch the same games you do. We watched the Philadelphia Eagles tick off most of the nation by being too good at the quarterback sneak. No... We're being serious. That's been a conversation for what now? Three years or so? Stop laughing. This is serious. We've learned something in all of this. We're convinced about something we once tried to tell ourselves wasn't that big of an issue. There's an unmistakable and undeniable angst towards this team that few reserve for other franchises. You aren't talking us out of this. League offices are going to ban the Brotherly Shove. That's how this ends. We've made our peace about this. We don't think that's where the madness will see its ending. The collusion won't stop there. They'll probably tell us A.J. Brown can't run the slant route either because Philly is too good at that. Then, they'll set their sights on Howie Roseman for drafting too well. We predict the Eagles will again field two Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists. How does Howie outsmart the rest of the NFL in these annual drafts? He didn't just grab Jalen Carter, arguably the 2023 NFL Draft's best player. He did so with the ninth overall selection. Then, he also grabbed Nolan Smith on night one of that same selection meeting. In 2024, he worked his magic again. None of us thought the Birds could grab Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall selection. We would have thought he'd be long gone by then, but that's why Howie Roseman is Howie Roseman. He added insult to injury by acquiring Cooper DeJean in Round 2. Much of the feedback was about Howie's brilliance. He had grabbed two of the class's top corners, and he did so between picks 22 and 40. We all know how that turned out. Q and Coop played their way into being Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists. Expect lightning to strike twice thanks to more of Howie's draft magic. How about a bold prediction? Two Birds will again be DROY finalists. Here's why we can state that with confidence. NFL fans love bigger brands (even if they choose to deny it). People say they love underdogs, but the ratings prove that's not true. There's a reason we used to call the NFC East the NFL's 'Money Division'. Four teams, four huge media markets, four of the most popular brands in sports—fans love to cheer for these teams and root against them. The Philadelphia Eagles are typically in the spotlight regardless of their performance. Throw in the angle that they're defending Super Bowl champions, and the spotlight will burn even brighter. That will allow their young stars to become household names. The Eagles will play in several prime-time games on the national stage. Life is great when you're the champs and winning. The reigning champs wind up in more prime-time games each year than anyone else. In 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs played in five. Standalone games played in front of a national audience mean more viewers for the Birds, which means their young rookies will be displayed often. Vic Fangio's scheme will allow his best young players plenty of opportunities to be successful. Jihaad Campbell, Andrew Mukuba, and Ty Robinson will all see the field and contribute as rookies. Vic Fangio's scheme, one that accentuates the talents of its key pieces, will put these young Birds in plenty of positions to be successful. The linebackers, Campbell included, will make a ton of tackles. Mukuba will have chances to make plays in coverage (as Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean did a year ago). Robinson will earn opportunities to wreak havoc while opposing offenses key in on Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Guess what that means. The youngsters are going to pile up some stats. Gaudy stats mean Pro Bowl votes, lots of attention, and, potentially, postseason awards. Winning teams typically see their best players in the conversations for postseason awards. It's no accident that Philly sent six players to the Pro Bowl. A 14-3 regular-season record will do that for you. The Eagles were also home to six All-Pros. Some might argue that better talent equals Pro Bowl votes and All-Pro designations. Those people would be correct, but the other side of that coin is that fans vote for players on winning teams (and their favorite players on their own team). Final thoughts: Howie knocked another NFL Draft out of the park. At some point, they'll talk about how they can't allow him to do so at the annual league meetings, but until then, we can marvel at his work and smile. Somehow, he did it again. He landed Jihaad Campbell, Andrew Mukuba, and Ty Robinson in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he landed each one later than many thought they'd be taken. At least two of these young Birds will be Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists when the regular season ends. Our money is on Campbell and Mukuba, but we wouldn't be shocked if Robinson finds his way into the conversation.
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
49ers have one ESPN analyst's favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year
49ers have one ESPN analyst's favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year The San Francisco 49ers desperately need to connect on some of their picks from this year's draft. One ESPN analyst thinks they'll do so with at least their first-round pick. ESPN's Ben Solak went through the rookie of the year candidates on both sides of the ball and came up with his own list that wasn't set by betting odds. While 49ers first-round pick Mykel Williams is third in the BetMGM Defensive Rookie of the Year odds, he lands atop Solak's list ahead of his college teammate and Atlanta Falcons first-round pick Jalon Walker. Via ESPN: Neither Williams nor Walker was super productive in college, but both have landed in defenses that can maximize their skill sets. Williams will play under legendary defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who will free him up to play faster off the line than he ever did at Georgia. Walker will play under coach Raheem Morris, who excelled at featuring a rushing linebacker in Kaden Elliss last season. Williams' play style and role lends itself to a little more pass-rush production than Walker's outlook, as we should expect Walker to spend some time dropping into coverage. As such, I give Williams the edge. One key to the 49ers' success this season will be the production from their rookies, and particularly from Williams who figures to start at the defensive end spot opposite Nick Bosa. Being good in the run game isn't going to win Williams any awards, though. If he's winning a DROY it's because he put together an excellent pass-rushing season, which would provide a lift for a group that struggled to affect the quarterback last year. The 49ers need more than one pick to pan out, but a DROY campaign from Williams would be their quickest path to returning to dominance on defense.
Fox Sports
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL odds: Can Travis Hunter make award-season history?
Can Travis Hunter really play both sides of the ball in the NFL? Wait, let's take it a step further. Can Travis Hunter really win awards on both sides of the ball in the NFL? Everything mentioned above might seem unlikely, but when has that ever mattered when it comes to gambling? Post-NFL Draft, FanDuel Sportsbook has posted a bunch of odds having to do with No. 2 pick Hunter. Two of those wagers go as follows: Travis Hunter to win either Offensive Rookie of the Year or Defensive Rookie of the Year: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total) Travis Hunter to win both Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Jacksonville's Hunter winning either OROY or DROY isn't a long shot. He's +750 to win OROY (third on the oddsboard) and +1000 to win DROY (also third on the oddsboard). But winning both is something no player has ever come close to in NFL history, because rarely do players play both offense and defense. And if they do, they play one side of the ball far less often than the other. Hunter's college coach, Deion Sanders — arguably the best cornerback of all time — played a good amount of offense for the Cowboys during the 1996 season. He was targeted 67 times and caught 36 passes for 475 yards and one touchdown. But Sanders is also regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, considering he spent nine seasons playing professional baseball as well, for the Yankees, Braves, Reds and Giants. There are examples of NFL stars winning two awards in one year. Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton are a few examples of players that won regular-season MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in the same season. Arguably the most impressive instance of a dual-award winner in NFL history came in 1981, when a 22-year-old Lawrence Taylor won both Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his inaugural pro season with the Giants. With regard to Hunter, he's no stranger to winning more than one award in a year. In his final college season at Colorado, he won the Heisman Trophy, AP College Football Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Fred Biletnikoff Award, Lott Trophy and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 TDs last season, and also racked up 36 combined tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
