Latest news with #KyleKennard
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
This Chargers rookie could surprise and exceed expectations in 2025
Most players selected in Round 3 or later aren't expected to contribute as much and are primarily relegated to reserve and/or on special teams duties in their rookie season. However, some later-round picks prove they belong, and for Pro Football Network, they believe Kyle Kennard falls under that category. Kyle Kennard is bringing length, burst, and production to the Chargers' front seven. After a dominant final season at South Carolina, where he earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and captured the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Kennard enters the NFL as one of the most productive edge rushers in college football. His numbers reflect a player who consistently disrupted plays against high-level competition. Advertisement Los Angeles added Kennard in the fourth round to shore up an edge defender group with aging Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree, who are in the final year of their contract. Additionally, they needed more pass-rushing juice on the edge, which Kennard has shown to possess by dominating against good competition, which resulted in 11.5 sacks in his final collegiate season. Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu will be the starters during the 2025 season, while Kennard will begin as a third-down or situational rusher. But when he is on the field, the former South Carolina could make a huge impact, given how polished he is as a pass rusher. By Year 2, Kennard could start opposite Tuipulotu, especially if he becomes more refined as a run defender. This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: This Chargers rookie could exceed expectations in 2025 season
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
This Chargers rookie could surprise and exceed expectations in 2025
This Chargers rookie could surprise and exceed expectations in 2025 Most players selected in Round 3 or later aren't expected to contribute as much and are primarily relegated to reserve and/or on special teams duties in their rookie season. However, some later-round picks prove they belong, and for Pro Football Network, they believe Kyle Kennard falls under that category. Kyle Kennard is bringing length, burst, and production to the Chargers' front seven. After a dominant final season at South Carolina, where he earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and captured the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Kennard enters the NFL as one of the most productive edge rushers in college football. His numbers reflect a player who consistently disrupted plays against high-level competition. Los Angeles added Kennard in the fourth round to shore up an edge defender group with aging Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree, who are in the final year of their contract. Additionally, they needed more pass-rushing juice on the edge, which Kennard has shown to possess by dominating against good competition, which resulted in 11.5 sacks in his final collegiate season. Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu will be the starters during the 2025 season, while Kennard will begin as a third-down or situational rusher. But when he is on the field, the former South Carolina could make a huge impact, given how polished he is as a pass rusher. By Year 2, Kennard could start opposite Tuipulotu, especially if he becomes more refined as a run defender.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL draft: Chargers pick EDGE Kyle Kennard with No. 125 overall selection
2025 NFL draft: Chargers pick EDGE Kyle Kennard with No. 125 overall selection The Chargers selected former South Carolina edge defender Kyle Kennard with the No. 125 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Los Angeles entered the draft needing to inject the position room with more juice behind Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. Kennard, the Georgia Tech transfer, played 54 games over five years and started every game he played for South Carolina in his only season with the Gamecocks. He led the SEC with 11.5 sacks, coming up just shy of Jadeveon Clowney's school single-season sack record (13). Kennard earned the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2024, given to the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Kennard has the get off, speed rush and range to be a solid designated pass rusher but will need to build upon his consistency with his pass-rush moves and defending the run to become an every-down player.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chargers draft South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard in fourth round
South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard celebrates after a win over Vanderbilt in November. (George Walker IV / Associated Press) The Chargers picked Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Kyle Kennard with the 125th overall pick of the NFL draft Saturday to add youth to an edge rusher group in flux. Kennard won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player at South Carolina in 2024, leading the SEC with 11½ tackles for loss and 11½ sacks. It was an emphatic SEC debut for the 6-foot-5, 254-pound prospect after he transferred from Georgia Tech. Advertisement Read more: Chargers believe patience helped them win big with picks Tre Harris and Jamaree Caldwell While the re-signing of Khalil Mack set a tone for the offseason, the edge rusher position is still in transition for the Chargers. They released the franchise's longest-tenured player Joey Bosa, who signed with the Buffalo Bills. Mack, 34, and 32-year-old Bud Dupree won't be cornerstones for much longer. Third-year former USC star Tuli Tuipulotu is expected to take a major step forward as the team moves away from Bosa. The 22-year-old had 8½ sacks last year. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Chargers draft South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard in fourth round
The Chargers picked Southeastern conference defensive player of the year Kyle Kennard with the 125th overall pick of the NFL draft Saturday to add youth to an edge rusher group in flux. Kennard won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top defensive player at South Carolina in 2024, leading the SEC with 11½ tackles for loss and 11½ sacks. It was an emphatic SEC debut for the 6-foot-5, 254-pound prospect after he transferred from Georgia Tech. While the re-signing of Khalil Mack set a tone for the offseason, the edge rusher position is still in transition for the Chargers. They released the franchise's longest-tenured player Joey Bosa, who signed with the Buffalo Bills. Mack, 34, and 32-year-old Bud Dupree won't be cornerstones for much longer. Third-year former USC star Tuli Tuipulotu is expected to take a major step forward as the team moves away from Bosa. The 22-year-old had 8½ sacks last year.
