Latest news with #MasonCameron
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dark horse prospect named 'best' 1st-round fit for the Panthers
Dark horse prospect named 'best' 1st-round fit for the Panthers What if the Carolina Panthers were free to find the perfect first-round pick from the 2025 NFL draft? Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron recently bucked the typical mock draft trend and paired each team with their "best" first-round fit—and without any limitations. No considerations on positional value, player availability, order or depth. Just simple matchmaking. And the Panthers, according to Cameron, should be targeting Marshall University edge defender Mike Green. He writes: The Panthers defense needs reinforcements at every level, but starting up front makes the most sense for a unit that finished dead last in PFF pass-rush grade at 37.5, more than 10 points behind the next worst team. Green has produced a 95th-percentile pass-rush win rate over the last two seasons and would give Carolina a high-upside building block off the edge. Along with that lowly pass-rush grade, the Panthers also mustered up the lowest pressure rate (16.2 percent) in the NFL this past season. Their 32 sacks, if you're more into the traditional stats, were tied for the third-lowest amongst all defenses. Green, on the other hand, hasn't had any issues producing takedowns. The 2024 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year amassed an FBS-leading 17.0 sacks in his final season at Marshall. Carolina currently holds the eighth overall pick of the draft, which may seem a bit high for Green—at least based off consensus rankings. But maybe the match, even in a possible trade-down, will be too perfect for them to pass up. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
This South Carolina pass rusher was named the Panthers' best Day 2 fit of 2025 draft . . .
This South Carolina pass rusher was named the Panthers' best Day 2 fit of 2025 draft . . . Do you know exactly what the Carolina Panthers need? Yes, another Gamecock. With the 2025 NFL draft a little over a few weeks away, Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron recently named the best Day 2 fits for each team. When it comes to the Panthers, he settles on University of South Carolina edge defender Kyle Kennard. Cameron writes: Carolina ranked dead last in PFF pass-rush grade (51.6) in 2024, highlighting the team's clear need for a dynamic pass rusher. Kennard, a long player with a good understanding of how to win in a variety of situations, would slot well into the Panthers' 3-4 scheme at outside linebacker, where he can deploy his full bag of pass-rush moves. Kennard is fresh off an SEC-leading 11.5-sack campaign in what was his first and only year in the powerhouse conference. His efforts earned him a consensus All-American selection, a first-team All-SEC nod, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Carolina has had eyes on the 6-foot-4, 254-pound Atlanta native, most recently at their local day from Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday. If the Panthers were to spend their second- or third-round pick on Kennard, he'd become the sixth South Carolina Gamecock on the roster—joining running back Rico Dowdle, wide receiver Xavier Legette, outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum and cornerback Jaycee Horn. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
08-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Pro Football Focus identifies Raiders' best day two NFL draft fit
Pro Football Focus identifies Raiders' best day two NFL draft fit The Las Vegas Raiders have several key position groups they need to work to shore up during the upcoming 2025 NFL draft. With a total of nine draft picks and three inside the top 68 selections, the Raiders have some ammo at their disposal to address areas of concern quickly. After the departures of Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones, Las Vegas is almost assuredly in the market for a cornerback to join Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson and Eric Stokes. Pro Football Focus likes the Raiders to find some cornerback help as their perfect round two fit. PFF's Mason Cameron tabs East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel as the perfect round two selection for Las Vegas. Pete Carroll values length and physicality at the cornerback position as much as any coach in the NFL. Revel provides that in spades as an explosive athlete who can excel in press-man coverages. He would be a key addition to the Raiders' 32nd-ranked coverage unit (30.4 PFF grade) from last season. - Mason Cameron, Pro Football Focus. Revel is a 6-foot-2, 194 pound cornerback that was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection during the 2023 campaign when he racked up 55 tackles, 12 passes defensed, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception and one sack. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native played in just three games during the 2024 college football season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a practice. Revel had a pair of defensive touchdowns at East Carolina, including his 50-yard pick-six against Appalachian State. Regarded as a top corner in this draft class, one NFL draft scout raved to ESPN's Pete Thamel about Revel last fall. ""He has a chance to be this year's Quinyon Mitchell. He's as talented of a player as there is in a Group of 5 conference. "The size, the length and the movement skills, for being as tall and long as he is. You don't see a body type as rangy and fluid as he is at that size," the NFL scout said of Revel. Revel arrived at East Carolina from Louisburg College after impressing the coaching staff with a 4.4 40-yard dash during an ECU camp. Revel is currently ranked as the No. 9 cornerback in this draft class according to ESPN's best available.
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee Titans bottom out in PFF's post-free agency power rankings
Tennessee Titans bottom out in PFF's post-free agency power rankings With the first week of free agency in the books, the Tennessee Titans have started the process of rebuilding their roster. While they have made some moves to improve their offensive line, there are still a lot of questions to be answered in the coming weeks. The Titans still have major needs at quarterback, edge and wide receiver and could use depth everywhere on their roster. The question that remains at this point is how much these moves have moved the needle, and are the Titans a better team today than they were in 2024. In the mind of Mason Cameron at Pro Football Focus (PFF), they haven't made an impact and the Titans remain at the bottom of the PFF Power Rankings, No. 32 overall. With the first wave of free agency behind us, the Titans' draft plans have become clearer — Tennessee will be selecting a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Cam Ward, PFF's top-ranked quarterback prospect, has plenty of talent, but the roster around him still has glaring weaknesses. Given the team's significant investment in its defensive front, featuring Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat, Tennessee's defensive line will need to play a major role if they hope to be competitive in the AFC. The additions of Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler definitely upgrade the offensive line, which will be a tremendous help to whoever plays quarterback in 2025. The offensive line was arguably the weakest unit they put on the field in 2024 and was the cause of many of the issues on that side of the ball. It's a start to digging out of the cellar, but a lot more is needed. Cody Barton, Xavier Woods, Dre'Mont Jones, and Johnny Hekker were all needed additions that solidified depth and are possible upgrades over 2024, but a lot more is needed to make a difference and move the Titans out of the bottom.
