Latest news with #ProtectoroftheYear
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paris Johnson named most likely Cardinals OL to win new Protector of the Year
Paris Johnson named most likely Cardinals OL to win new Protector of the Year The NFL has a new award for O-lineman. Johnson is the most likely Cardinals player to win it. The NFL will have a new award in 2025 for an offensive lineman, called the Protector of the Year. There will be certain metrics used to determine that. But that means we can look at what player on each team is most likely to receive those first honors. Pro Football Network ranked the best candidate from each team in terms of being the league's best protector. For the Arizona Cardinals, unsurprisingly, it was tackle Paris Johnson. If you want a true dark horse candidate for Protector of the Year, Johnson Jr. might be it. After an average rookie year in 2023, he exploded for the Arizona Cardinals in Year 2, sliding from right tackle back over to his natural position of left tackle. If he continues his level of development, he should be in Pro Bowl consideration by the end of the season. He should be the Cardinals' best offensive lineman. He was a highly drafted tackle and had a solid 2024, although his play dipped a bit in the second half of the season before he missed the final three games with a knee injury. PFN has him 18th in their rankings of linemen likely to win. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Jacksonville Jaguars' top contender for Protector of the Year award?
Who is Jacksonville Jaguars' top contender for Protector of the Year award? Which of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive linemen should be considered the team's top contender for the NFL's new Protector of the Year award? Which of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive linemen should be considered the top contender for the NFL's new Protector of the Year award? It was reported last week that the NFL will be unveiling a new end-of-season award to go along with MVP and the other high-profile awards. The Protector of the Year will recognize the best offensive lineman each season and will be decided by a panel that features a number of former offensive linemen greats. Pro Football Network recently selected the top Protector of the Year candidate from each team and then ranked those players in terms of likelihood to win the inaugural award in 2025. For the Jaguars, PFN selected Walker Little, who came in at No. 30 overall on these rankings. "The Jacksonville Jaguars were active adding offensive line talent this offseason, signing Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey to boost their interior," wrote PFN. "There's a lack of star power on the unit which makes Little the best Protector Award candidate." Little appeared in 13 games on offense last season at left tackle, which included eight starts. Over 316 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed two sacks and 13 pressures. Compared to his position group league-wide, Little ranked 18th in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric and 27th out of 76 tackles in run-blocking grade. The difficulty in trying to predict which Jaguars' offensive lineman could give Jacksonville the best chance to win this award is that there are a lot of new faces at this position group. While we can make educated guesses, we also don't exactly know what the starting offensive line configuration will look like this season. Between free agency and the NFL draft, GM James Gladstone made six additions to the offensive line, and with that, there is going to be a lot of competition for playing time, especially with all of the versatility that the Jaguars have up front, giving them numerous combinations when it comes to putting their best five on the field. "From a communication standpoint, all five being on the same page, you can definitely see an intent behind what they're trying to do," Liam Coen said of the offensive line after Tuesday's practice. "I think Shaun (Sarrett), and Keli'i (Kekuewa), and Trevor (Mendelson) have done a really nice job in that room, and I think the players have caught on in a lot of ways."
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NFL adds ‘Protector of the Year' as a new end-of-year award list for best offensive linemen
Jacksonville Jaguars (via Getty Images) The National Football League unveiled a historic addition to its season-ending awards packages this week — a new year-end award for only offensive linemen. Beginning with the 2025 season, the 'Protector of the Year' award will officially honor the league's premier-performing offensive lineman, filling a long-standing gap in player recognition. The news follows the Jacksonville Jaguars' ongoing rebuild of their offensive line as they express their commitment to becoming a more powerful force in the trenches. Jacksonville Jaguars concentrate on offensive line in wake of NFL's new lineman award program With the NFL creating the Protector of the Year award, clubs such as the Jacksonville Jaguars are focusing increasingly on offensive line play. With new head coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars made one thing certain: their offensive line has to be improved in 2025. During the offseason, general manager James Gladstone reformed the unit aggressively, signing six free agents and two additional linemen in the NFL Draft. NFL football operations executive vice president Troy Vincent confirmed the establishment of the award, observing that Buffalo Bills veteran Dion Dawkins and former Los Angeles Rams great Andrew Whitworth were key in pushing for the honor. The award will be chosen by a committee that includes former offensive line all-time greats, thereby making the recognition based on experience and respect for the position. Brooke Pryor reportedly said that the winned for this award shall be based on the decision of a panel of former offensive linemen greats. BEHIND THE SCENES: Draft Trades on Day 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars' approach isn't about simply filling holes but about creating internal competition. By developing depth and versatility, Jacksonville is trying to build a culture where effort is rewarded and improvement is inevitable. Also read: 'Travis is moving like he's injured': Jacksonville Jaguars' two-way star Travis Hunter pays a meet-and-greet visit to a young athlete With this new award, the NFL is making a strong move to bring much-needed attention to an underappreciated position group. For the Jaguars, it's symbolic in a larger sense — it's a confluence of team priorities and league recognition, and it comes at exactly the right time. As the summer camp is near, the competition for starting spots on the Jaguars' line will be one to pay attention to. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bills' Dion Dawkins honored to have impact on Protector of the Year Award
Bills' Dion Dawkins honored to have impact on Protector of the Year Award It was announced that the NFL will be introducing a new player award for the upcoming season, the Protector of the Year award, which will be given to the league's best offensive lineman at the NFL Honors following the season. The big guys up front are finally getting some recognition. For Buffalo Bills guard Dion Dawkins (2017-present), this award coming to fruition means a lot, and he was a big reason why it came about. He spent the last few years spreading awareness of the importance of his position, expressing that the o-line is the backbone of every team. "This Protector of the Year award is finally giving the big boys up front the respect we deserve,' Dawkins said. 'I've been knocking on doors and spearheading this movement because offensive linemen are the true foundation of every team's success. We might not have all the fancy stats as the skinnies or end up on a highlight reel every week, but without us, there's no rushing titles, passing titles, or touchdowns. This award is for all the unsung heroes who put in work every snap. I won't stop fighting to give offensive linemen the respect and recognition we deserve.' For the NFL, it's about time they show the big guys love. Right now, there are probably a lot of retired greats who played offensive line that are upset they never got a chance to take home this award. But, they have to be happy about the introduction of the award, and it's better late than never. The league definitely got it right, and Dawkins deserves a lot of the credit. "We've been talking about this for the last three years," Dawkins said to the media during Bills OTAs. "Me having meetings with Roger [Goodell] and Troy [Vincent] and some of these other guys... that's what did it. I'm honored that no matter what, that's a part of my legacy... and that's what I wanted. "I'm honored to change football... we changed football," he continued. "There will be an award for offensive linemen now. Now all the kids... they don't have to be fast... they'll be happy with something to push after and achieve." Dawkins has been extremely vocal regarding him and his fellow offensive linemen getting the love they deserve. Now, after years of knocking down doors and spreading awareness, Dawkins was the major force behind getting this award into the NFL. As for the award itself, it will be based on five categories of performance from offensive linemen: skill metrics; impact; leadership; durability; strength of opponent. The panel who will select the recipient of the award features six former NFL offensive linemen: LeCharles Bentley; Jason Kelce; Shaun O'Hara; Orlando Pace; Will Shields; Andrew Whitworth. Watch below to get Dawkins' full thoughts regarding the Protector of the Year award from this week's Bills OTAs:
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Indianapolis Colts' top contender for Protector of the Year award?
Who is Indianapolis Colts' top contender for Protector of the Year award? Which of the Indianapolis Colts' offensive linemen should be considered the top contender for the NFL's new Protector of the Year award? Which of the Indianapolis Colts' offensive linemen should be considered the top contender for the NFL's new Protector of the Year award? It was reported last week that the NFL will be unveiling a new end-of-season award to go along with MVP and the other high-profile awards. The Protector of the Year will recognize the best offensive lineman each season and will be decided by a panel that features a number of former offensive linemen greats. Pro Football Network recently selected the top Protector of the Year candidate from each team and then ranked those players in terms of likelihood to win the inaugural award in 2025. For the Colts, the choice was pretty straightforward with PFN selecting Quenton Nelson, who was 12th overall in their rankings. "Nelson has been a Pro Bowler seven times (2018-24), while racking up five All-Pro nods along the way," wrote PFN. "He figures to be a strong contender for Protector of the Year and the anchor of the Indianapolis Colts' offense in 2025." In this most recent 2024 season, Nelson made his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl team and was also named a second-team All-Pro--his first All-Pro nod since the 2021 season. By PFF's metrics, Nelson ranked 15th among all guards in pass-blocking efficiency, and he was fourth in run-blocking grade, with Jonathan Taylor averaging 4.8 yards per rush when running to Nelson's direct left and 5.3 yards per rush when running to his direct right. At the top of PFN's rankings were Penei Sewell at No. 1, followed by Tristan Wirfs, Jordan Mailata, Creed Humphrey, and Trent Williams.
