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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers 2024 Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn tabbed as team's 'bounce-back candidate' for 2025
Panthers 2024 Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn tabbed as team's 'bounce-back candidate' for 2025 Which Carolina Panthers player is primed to bounce back here in 2025? Well, what about one of their two Pro Bowlers from 2024? (Yup, you read that correctly.) Pro Football Focus contributor Dalton Wasserman recently named one bounce-back candidate for each NFL team, and tabbed cornerback Jaycee Horn for the Panthers. So, yes, even despite securing the first Pro Bowl selection of his career this past season, the fifth-year defender still has room to improve. Wasserman explains: Horn's 2024 season had its ups and downs. On the positive side, he played over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career and earned a team-high 80.9 run-defense grade. However, he also posted a career-low 59.1 coverage grade. He wasn't helped by a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league across the board. The improvement of his supporting cast — including the addition of safety Tre'Von Moehrig — should benefit Horn as much as anyone. As noted by Wasserman, Horn's 59.1 coverage grade was the worst of his four-year tenure. He earned a 67.4 grade over three games as a rookie in 2021, a 73.2 in 2022 and an 83.0 in 2023. Horn did, however, play in a career-high 15 games in 2024—perhaps the most valuable stat given his early injury history. That availability helped him notch a few more bests in combined tackles (68), tackles for a loss (five), sacks (2.0) and passes defensed (13). Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Commanders' roster ranked outside the top 10
The Washington Commanders' 2024 season was nothing short of magical. It was an unexpected result of mixing new ingredients together, ending up with a unicorn instead of a cake. The best possible outcome of combining GM Adam Peters' scouting ability, head coach Dan Quinn's leadership skills, and Jayden Daniels' ability to inspire and elevate the players around him. It wasn't a perfect season, ending at the NFC Championship game, but it was a far cry from winning just three games in the previous season. And, it rekindled the Commanders' fans' hopes that former owner Dan Snyder had previously squashed. Advertisement Peters and the rest of the organization understood the assignment this offseason: solidify the defense, give Daniels more weapons, and protect the quarterback. They've answered all of those questions and, as analyzed by Pro Football Focus, have earned the 11th-best roster in the NFL. The projected starting lineup includes each player's PFF grade from 2024. The Commanders' biggest strength in 2024 was Jayden Daniels. He ranked fifth among all qualified quarterbacks with a 90.6 PFF grade, and he led the league with a 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate, plus forced 52 missed tackles, which led all quarterbacks. As Daniels will return to the Commanders in 2025 (and many years in the future), his presence alone improves the roster dramatically. The additions the Commanders made during the offseason were helpful, too. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: PFF doesn't believe the Commanders have a top-10 roster
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
3 Texas A&M players included in Pro Football Focus's Top 50 2026 NFL Draft prospects
3 Texas A&M players included in Pro Football Focus's Top 50 2026 NFL Draft prospects Texas A&M's 2025 football roster isn't lacking talent at any position. While the disappointing 1-4 finish during the 2024 season still haunts most of the Aggie fan base, it's time to move on and look ahead, as the 2025 campaign, which his highly critical for coach Mike Elko's future, is less than 100 days away. This offseason, during several speaking events, Elko emphasized the importance of building the program through recruiting elite talent and developing prospects to send to the NFL ultimately. During the 2025 NFL draft, only three Aggies heard their names called, led by junior edge Shemar Stewart, who was selected with the 17th overall selection by the Cincinnati Bengals. Followed by edge Nic Scourton (Carolina Panthers) and defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (Chicago Bears) going early in the second round, three players drafted isn't a good number for most SEC programs, outside of Vanderbilt, but this was mainly due to several veterans, including left tackle Trey Zuhn, right guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams, and running back Le'Veon Moss, who would have been selected in the early rounds. For the 2026 NFL draft, Pro Football Focus believes Texas A&M will have at least three players guaranteed to be selected in the first two or three rounds, led by linebacker Taurean York, guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams, and wide receiver KC Concepcion, who transferred to College Station from NC State this offseason. Here is where each player landed in PFF's Top 50 2026 NFL prospects Taurean York (23rd) Ar'Maj Reed-Adams (28th) KC Concepcion (35th) Two former Aggies were also ranked, led by defensive tackle LT Overton (20th) and, former Texas A&M QB turned star Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers finsihing the rankings at No. 50. Texas A&M needs to take advantage of the talent and experience on the roster, which would be a shame, and detrimental to the coaching staff to waste in 2025. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
9 hours 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.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts Given Top-5 Ranking in NFL
Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts Given Top-5 Ranking in NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After winning Super Bowl LIX MVP for the Philadelphia Eagles, it seems to finally be happening for Jalen Hurts. Advertisement Since becoming the team's starting quarterback in 2021, Hurts has won with the Eagles at a clip that no other quarterback has done before in franchise history. He was the first signal-caller in Eagles lore to lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance twice. National pundits are beginning to respect the work of the star now. Pro Football Focus' John Kosko came out with his latest top-10 quarterback rankings with Hurts coming in at fifth on the list. He was behind Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson, but ahead of quarterbacks like Justin Herbert, Jayden Daniels, and Dak Prescott. Hurts' numbers certainly don't look like an elite quarterback … at least in the minds of some. He threw for under 3,000 yards and under 20 touchdown throws last season. Despite that, he made key plays in playoff moments to help Philadelphia win. Advertisement His 45 wins since being a starter are the second best in the league outside of Patrick Mahomes. That is who Hurts is. He isn't going to be a player who dominates the stat sheet. He will be a player, though, that doesn't make mistakes and helps the team continue to find wins on the schedule. It should be worth noting that of the top-five quarterbacks on the list, Hurts' record as a starter against them is 4-1 in the regular season. All Hurts does is win. And that is what makes him so special to begin with. Related: 'Kelce Genes Are Strong!' Jason And Kylie Reveal Baby Girl's 'Look' Related: Bryce Huff Trade Shows Why NFL is Cracking Down on Eagles This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
