Latest news with #DaltonWasserman
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Analyst Predicts Former First-Rounder as Eagles 'X-Factor'
Analyst Predicts Former First-Rounder as Eagles 'X-Factor' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has only taken two playoff runs, but Nolan Smith has quickly become one of the best playoff performers in Philadelphia Eagles history. Advertisement The Georgia product has recorded 4.5 sacks in the playoffs, including 3.5 during the team's postseason run to Super Bowl LIX. That is just a single sack behind Brandon Graham all-time in Eagles history. Going into the 2025 season, the Eagles can't just rely on Smith in the postseason. After an offseason where several edge rushers left the team, Philadelphia is expecting a major jump from Smith in his third year with the team. That is why Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman called Smith the Eagles' "X-Factor" for the new year. "Philadelphia lost longtime contributors Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham this offseason, which puts third-year man Nolan Smith in the spotlight off the edge," Chadwick and Wasserman wrote. "Smith posted a solid 68.3 PFF pass-rush grade last season as he began to earn more playing time. In Philadelphia's four postseason games, he racked up 19 pressures and four sacks. Advertisement "If he can produce at that level for a full season, the Eagles will have no problem replacing their departed stars." Smith recorded a strong 6.5 sacks last year while improving as an every-down run defender. ... so it is not all just about individual numbers. But he is a first-round talent. And he now has a track record in the clutch. Will Nolan Smith be able to take the next step as a star? That's something the Eagles are hoping for as they begin their title defense. Related: Eagles Heavy Favorite To Snap Strange Sports Streak Related: Eagles A.J. Brown Makes Hilarious Admission After Viral Rollercoaster Experience This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
One analyst sees the Bucs as the 'class of the division' in the NFC South
One analyst sees the Bucs as the 'class of the division' in the NFC South The offseason has mostly come and gone, which allows us to examine how teams have settled. PFF took that step for many of us in their state of the division post done by Dalton Wasserman. He went through each division discussing where things stood following the NFL Draft and free agency and how it impacted the landscape of every division within the NFL. The NFC South has always been one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL and in 2025 that will be no different. However, someone is going to have to try and knock the Bucs off their mountain top according to Wasserman. "Having won the past four NFC South titles, the Buccaneers are the class of the NFC South until further notice. They spent their first-round pick on Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, which adds to their incredibly talented wide receiver unit. They also brought in multiple young players at edge defender and cornerback to improve their biggest weakness, pass defense." Anytime you can be called the "class" of your division, it is special. What isn't special is being knocked out of the playoffs so early each time. They need to do more than win division titles, they need to win conference titles, and Super Bowls. They hope the moves they made this offseason get them closer to that.
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF redrafts 2006 NFL draft; who did Jacksonville Jaguars pick in first round?
PFF redrafts 2006 NFL draft; who did Jacksonville Jaguars pick in first round? PFF went back and redrafted the 2006 NFL draft. So who did the Jacksonville Jaguars end up selecting in the first round? Pro Football Focus hopped in the time machine and went back to the 2006 NFL draft and redrafted the entire first round. So, who did the Jacksonville Jaguars come away with? The trio of Dalton Wasserman, Trevor Sikkema, and Max Chadwick used the benefit of hindsight and PFF's grading system to evaluate the careers of the 2006 draft class and used that as their barometer in this redraft. In this draft, the Jaguars held the 28th overall pick and originally selected tight end Marcedes Lewis out of UCLA. Lewis would go on to play 12 seasons with the Jaguars and was still in the NFL this past year, playing in his second season with Chicago after a five-year stint in Green Bay. Lewis has been an excellent blocker at the tight end position throughout his career. As a pass-catcher, his most productive seasons came with the Jaguars, which included a career-high 700 receiving yards in 2010, when he was also named to the Pro Bowl. In 12 seasons with Jacksonville, Lewis caught 437 passes for 4,502 yards with 33 touchdowns. But this time, the Jaguars couldn't take Lewis because he went 22nd overall to Denver in the redraft. So instead, PFF had the Jaguars selecting Maurice Jones-Drew, who in the actual draft was their second-round selection. "MJD is the franchise's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (68), and his 8,071 rushing yards are second only to Fred Taylor," wrote PFF. "Jones-Drew made three Pro Bowls and was a two-time first-team All-Pro in his NFL career." The top five picks in this redraft ended up being Andrew Whitworth to Houston, Jahri Evans to New Orleans, Brandon Marshall to Tennessee, Haloti Ngata to the New York Jets, and Marques Colston to Green Bay.
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chiefs still stand alone atop PFF's AFC West power ranking after 2025 NFL draft
Chiefs still stand alone atop PFF's AFC West power ranking after 2025 NFL draft The Kansas City Chiefs have been the most dominant team in the NFL over the last four seasons, and while they may have fallen short in their bid to win a third consecutive Super Bowl earlier this year, the team is primed for success after securing a massive haul of high value prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. Though all of Kansas City's rivals in the AFC West added talented rookies, none were able to overcome the Chiefs in a recent power ranking by Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus. Take a look at Wasserman's full AFC West power rankings, which were posted to Twitter by PFF on Friday: It is far too early to tell if Kansas City will be able to get back to the Super Bowl next season, but for now, Chiefs fans can take solace in the fact that their favorite team hasn't lost any ground within its own division. Stay to see if Kansas City will add any more players to its roster before training camp starts in July.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs still stand alone atop PFF's AFC West power ranking after 2025 NFL draft
The Kansas City Chiefs have been the most dominant team in the NFL over the last four seasons, and while they may have fallen short in their bid to win a third consecutive Super Bowl earlier this year, the team is primed for success after securing a massive haul of high value prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. Though all of Kansas City's rivals in the AFC West added talented rookies, none were able to overcome the Chiefs in a recent power ranking by Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus. Advertisement Take a look at Wasserman's full AFC West power rankings, which were posted to Twitter by PFF on Friday: It is far too early to tell if Kansas City will be able to get back to the Super Bowl next season, but for now, Chiefs fans can take solace in the fact that their favorite team hasn't lost any ground within its own division. Stay to see if Kansas City will add any more players to its roster before training camp starts in July. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs top PFF's AFC West power rankings after 2025 NFL draft
