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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
A'Mauri Washington ready to prove himself after learning from Oregon Ducks' NFL teammates
Throughout the decades, the Oregon Ducks have produced some legendary defensive linemen in Eugene who have gone on to the NFL. From guys like Haloti Ngata and Igor Olshansky to Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, the Ducks' trenches have earned their fair share of respect. Most recently, players like Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell were selected in the first and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, furthering Oregon's legacy. Going into 2025, junior A'Mauri Washington is ready to continue that legacy. He's patiently waited behind guys like Brandon Dorlus, Taki Taimani, and Casey Rogers. But now, with a new regime taking over in the middle, it's his time to stand up. The preseason buzz has also started to build, aided by Washington's placement at No. 4 on The Athletic's "Freaks List" earlier this month. With the ability to run almost 21 miles per hour, vertical jump 36 inches, squat 755 pounds, and bench press 475 pounds, all while standing 6-foot-3, 340 pounds, Washington is likely to turn some heads. While the attention is on him, he doesn't want any glory without proving why he deserves it first. "People will tell you how good you can be, how good you are," Washington said on Friday after practice. "I'm saying it doesn't really matter until you go out there and show the next thing. Like I could do something good last year, it doesn't really matter until I do something again this year." Washington will have the chance to do a lot of good things this year, as he enters the season projected as the starting defensive tackle for Oregon, alongside USC transfer Bear Alexander. With both Harmon and Caldwell moving on to the NFL, there is a production voice upfront, and Washington is looking to use what he learned from those guys to step up to the plate. 'I feel like just seeing the way they used to practice and all that stuff," Washington said. "Not even just them, though, the people that came before, like Taki, everybody that was just like, able to be drafted at our D-Line room — I was able to see the things that they did to, like, actually be right in front of me, to see them applying and practice, and then go show it on game day. It was just like, man, like, I'm in here in the same position to do what they were doing. So like, why can't I do it too?' It doesn't take a trained eye to look at Washington on the field and see that he fits the mold. When you see him run and watch him move, it's apparent that he is cut out to succeed both at Oregon and at the next level. But he will be the first one to pump the brakes for you before you go too far down the road. First, just let him show you what he can do. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
27-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the 25 best Oregon Ducks since 2000: No. 5 — Haloti Ngata
Over the last 25 years, the Oregon Ducks have been one of the single best teams in all of college football, sitting near the top of the sport for the better part of a quarter-century. Since 2000, Oregon has compiled an overall record of 239-83 (.742), with just two losing seasons during that span. They've been to 24 bowl games, won three Rose Bowls, been to a pair of College Football Playoffs, and appeared in two National Championships. They've seen a Heisman Trophy winner in Marcus Mariota and had 99 players selected in the NFL Draft. It's safe to say that when looking at the nation's best in this millennium, Oregon belongs in the conversation. But who are the players who helped get Nike University into that conversation? That's a different question entirely. To celebrate the quarter-century mark, we're going to dive into that question over the next month as we approach the start of the 2025 season. The Ducks have had hundreds of memorable and beloved players over the years, many of whom will live on forever in some way. But who is the best of the best? That answer, of course, is subjective. When reviewing the numbers and conducting our research, we took several factors into account: career statistics, overall impact and success, legacy, fan adoration, and NFL success. Boiling 25 years of Oregon football down to 25 players is no easy task, and not one that we took lightly. Dozens of players were left on the cutting room floor who deserve a spot in the top 25, and at some point, subtracting names off the list started to feel like pulling teeth. But in the end, we were left with 25 players, whom we will honor over the next few weeks. If you want to catch up, let's take a look at how we've gotten to where we're at in the rankings: Today, let's continue with No. 5 — the dominant force, Haloti Ngata. Player Overview Standing six-foot-five and 338 pounds, Haloti Ngata wasn't just the most physically imposing Duck during his tenure; he was perhaps the most physically imposing figure in all of college football. He completely dominated the line of scrimmage in three seasons of action at Oregon, racking up the individual accolades and leading his team to victory, especially in his final season. Ngata parlayed his success with the Ducks into an impressive NFL career, as he continued earning the top honors in the sport. Ngata made it look easy thanks to his size, athleticism and brute strength. He's one of the top interior defensive lineman to ever wear the green and yellow. Haloti Ngata Career Stats 101 tackles, 6 sacks, 24.5 TFL, seven blocked kicks Haloti Ngata Single Best Season 2005 — 61 tackles, 3 sacks, 9 TFL During his senior season in 2005, Ngata was a force to be reckoned with. No one team could seem to stop him, as he routinely bulled over blockers on his way to the ball. Ngata claimed the Morris Trophy (given to the nation's best interior defensive lineman) for his efforts as well as being named a consensus First-Team All-American, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Team MVP. The Ducks followed up a disappointing five-win campaign in 2004 by doubling their win title, going 10-2 under Hall of Fame head coach Mike Bellotti and with Ngata's reckless abandon style of play. Haloti Ngata NFL Draft Ngata was selected with the 12th overall pick in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, where he'd spend a majority of his NFL career. Haloti Ngata NFL Success While Ngata was a beast at Oregon, he made an even bigger name for himself in the NFL. During his 13-year career, Ngata registered 517 total tackles, 32.5 sacks and 63 TFL. He spent nine seasons with the Ravens (winning Super Bowl XLVII), three seasons with the Detroit Lions and his final year with the Philadelphia Eagles. When it was all said and done, Ngata left the game in 2018 as one of the top interior defensive lineman of his generation, earning five Pro Bowl selections, two First-Team All-Pro honors and three-time Second-Team All-Pro honors. He has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and could likely be inducted in the coming years. Haloti Ngata's Lasting Legacy Ngata left a lasting impact on the Oregon football program, as he was the first among a slew of defensive lineman in the 25 years since 2000. He was easily one of the most dominant Ducks on the field and was honored for it by being named to the Pac-12 "All-Century Team" and being inducted into Oregon's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. Not only did Ngata excel in Eugene, but he took it to the highest level. Ngata continued to make the Oregon faithful proud long after his four-year tenure with the Ducks. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
New York Times
27-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Ravens should use this year's draft to help solidify themselves up front
INDIANAPOLIS — The Baltimore Ravens have used just one of their last 11 first-round picks on an offensive lineman. Of their last 30 Day 1 or 2 draft picks, only five were spent on the offensive line. The last time they picked an interior defensive lineman in the first round was Haloti Ngata in 2006. Since taking a defensive lineman in the third round in three consecutive drafts from 2015 to 2017, Baltimore has used just two of its last 26 Day 1 or 2 picks to solidify the interior defensive line. Advertisement With four pending free agents on the offensive line and another on the defensive line, this feels like a year where the above-mentioned trends change. A highly regarded offensive and defensive line draft class should provide all the incentive the Ravens' decision-makers need. 'It starts there,' Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday from the NFL Scouting Combine. 'It starts on the offensive and defensive line, so we're going to be looking at both lines really hard.' GO DEEPER NFL beat writer mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders secure their futures at QB Less than three weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and reinforced one of football's oldest adages: win the line of scrimmage and win the game. The Eagles had arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, and their defense was so dominant that they overwhelmed Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs without blitzing. The Eagles' tour de force has put a lot of focus in Indianapolis this week on the guys up front as teams pore over prospects of all shapes and sizes. The defensive line class, which is arguably the deepest and most talented position group in the draft, will have their on-field workouts on Thursday. The offensive linemen, a group that's particularly strong in the interior, will be on the field Sunday. 'I don't want to speak for all of the teams, but I think every offseason, it's offensive line and defensive line,' Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday. 'I think our priority is always on the fronts first, and this will be no different.' The same holds true for the Ravens. Nearly three decades ago, long-time Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome constructed the team with the idea that it would dominate along the line of scrimmage. The Ravens' decision-makers annually talked about building 'from the inside out,' meaning it all started on the offensive and defensive fronts and things would fall into place from there. Advertisement That philosophy hasn't changed with Newsome's long-time lieutenant, Eric DeCosta, running the team since 2019 — even though DeCosta has recently prioritized other holes with many of his early picks. Last year, the Ravens devoted $34.3 million of cap space to their offensive line, which ranked 12th in the NFL, according to Spotrac, and $18.3 million to their defensive line, which ranked 21st. From those groups, starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and starting left guard Patrick Mekari are pending unrestricted free agents, as are reserves Ben Cleveland and Josh Jones. Reserve defensive lineman Brent Urban is also a free agent, and there's some uncertainty about veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce's status. GO DEEPER Justin Tucker, Ronnie Stanley, Mark Andrews among Ravens talking points at NFL combine In certain spots along the line of scrimmage, the Ravens probably need upgrades. In others, they need replacements or depth. They've returned the same defensive line back-to-back years. It feels unlikely it will be a third straight year for that group. 'It's always going to be an allocation of resources in where you spend your money every year,' DeCosta said Tuesday. 'There are different schools of thought, but you have to be physical. We've always prided ourselves on being a physical football team that can stop the run, run the ball, protect the quarterback, rush the passer and win games in the fourth quarter.' The Ravens' offensive line graded out well last year despite having three new starters, including a natural tackle in Daniel Faalele playing right guard and rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten starting at right tackle. A mostly veteran defensive line also performed, as the Ravens had the top-ranked run defense in football and finished second in the league in sacks. However, the last vision of the Ravens featured them getting handled up front by the Buffalo Bills in a 27-25 loss in the divisional playoff round. Offensively, Lamar Jackson was sacked twice and hit five times. Defensively, the Ravens had only one sack of Josh Allen and allowed 147 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Advertisement The loss had so many shared elements with past Baltimore playoff failures, with one of the most notable factors being an inability to win at the line of scrimmage. That, however, is not unique to the Ravens. It's where most big games are won or lost. 'You have to look at the lines of scrimmage and you look no further than the Super Bowl, where that game was clearly won at the line of scrimmage,' New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday. 'You have to be able to win at the line of scrimmage,' former Ravens defensive coordinator and current Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Wednesday. 'If you can't see that from watching the playoffs this year, then I don't know what game you're watching. We have to be able to do that if we want to win a championship.' Fortunately for the Ravens and everyone else, they should have plenty of options come April's draft. Eighteen of the top 60 draft prospects on Dane Brugler's top-100 list are either offensive linemen or interior defensive linemen — and 13 are edge rushers, another significant need for the Ravens this offseason. Offensive tackles Will Campbell (LSU) and Armand Membou (Missouri) will likely be gone before the Ravens are on the clock in the first round at No. 27, but tackles Josh Simmons (Ohio State), Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) and Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) and guards Tyler Booker (Alabama) and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) may not be. If the Ravens can re-sign Stanley — and DeCosta and Harbaugh certainly were optimistic Tuesday — they could add a developmental tackle later in the draft. A guard, however, would become a priority. 'We see a number of guards that could get picked in the first and second round and probably provide early value and start right away for their drafting clubs,' DeCosta said. GO DEEPER Ravens nearing decision time with LT Ronnie Stanley as NFL combine begins One by one, NFL general managers have touted the available defensive linemen when asked about the strength of this year's draft at the Indianapolis Convention Center this week. The class has both quality and quantity. 'There's a lot of depth along the defensive front, not just edge rushers, but D-tackles,' NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call with reporters last week. 'There's a lot of defensive tackles. In terms of guys with potential starter grades — so I'm not saying they're locks, stamp it, they're going to be starters, but with players with the potential to start at defensive tackle — last year I had 12. This year I had double. So it is as deep of a defensive tackle draft as I can ever remember.' Advertisement The group of interior defensive linemen that could be options for the Ravens at pick No. 27 includes Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Michigan's Kenneth Grant and Mississippi's Walter Nolen. The edge-rush options figure to be more numerous. Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, Georgia's Mykel Williams, Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. and Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku are all widely viewed as late first-round, early second-round guys. 'Yes, game-wrecking defensive tackles, kind of a big deal,' Harbaugh said. 'Pass-pressuring defensive ends, that's kind of a big deal, too.' This offseason, especially. Never was that more clear than on Super Bowl Sunday. (Photo of John Harbaugh: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
