Latest news with #RelativeAthletic
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts make pair of roster moves following rookie minicamp
Indianapolis Colts make pair of roster moves following rookie minicamp The Indianapolis Colts announced a pair of roster moves on Monday, following rookie minicamp. The Indianapolis Colts announced a pair of roster moves on Monday, following rookie minicamp. The team signed undrafted free agent center Mose Vavao, and to make room on the roster for him, the Colts waived defensive tackle Joe Evans. Vavao was brought in during rookie minicamp as a tryout candidate, while Evans was initially signed as an undrafted rookie out of UT-San Antonio. Evans played in only five games last season, but in 2023, he was one of PFF's highest-graded interior run defenders. Vavao measured in at 6-02 during the pre-draft process and weighed 305 pounds. He posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.56, which included a 5.14-second 40 time. Vavao is an extremely experienced collegiate player, seeing 3,359 offensive snaps during his five seasons at Fresno State. Over the last three seasons, Vavao made big strides in pass protection, going from allowing 27 pressures in 2022 to 15 in 2023 to just six this past season. In 2024 specifically, Vavao ranked 15th among all centers in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric. For what it's worth, by PFF's metrics, Vavao has routinely graded out better in pass pro than as a run blocker. For more on Vavao, here is what Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report: "A four-year starter with plenty of game experience, Vavao lacks the size and length teams covet from interior offensive linemen. He plays with inside hands and adequate core strength at the point of attack. However, he will have issues getting to his landmarks as a move blocker and mirroring athletic pass rushers when singled up. Vavao's lack of adequate quickness and length will make his journey an uphill climb." Generally speaking, interior offensive line depth was one area coming out of the draft where the Colts could have still used a boost.
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
RAS scores for Dolphins' 2025 rookie class
The Miami Dolphins emphasized size over speed in the 2025 NFL draft. Even when the team picked a running back in Round 6, it chose 226-pound bruiser Ollie Gordon II over speedier backs still on the board. While that was a departure from the Dolphins' recent m.o. of hunting for 4.3 speed, especially at the skill positions, it doesn't mean Miami ignored athleticism in its eight-player draft class. Football analyst Kent Lee Platte has created a formula to calculate prospects' Relative Athletic Score -- measuring their size, strength, speed, and agility against other players at their position in the last four decades. Here's what the RAS scores for the Dolphins' draft class look like: Round 1, No. 13: Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan A footnote on Grant is that his testing scores are measured against all defensive tackles and not nose tackles, specifically. Platte believes if there was a delineation, it would've upped Grant's score. Round 2, No. 37: Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona Round 5, No. 143: Jordan Phillips, DL, Maryland Round 5, No. 150: Jason Marshall Jr, CB, Florida Round 5, No. 155: Dante Trader Jr, S, Maryland Round 6, No. 179: Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State Round 7, No. 231: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas Round 7, No. 253: Zeek Biggers, DT, Georgia Tech Noteworthy undrafted additions:
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Five top defensive prospects, plus a Joe Flacco signing and why we miss on QBs
Inside: Meet five defensive players you should know, hear the latest trade rumors about the No. 1 pick, and learn why the NFL struggles to develop quarterbacks. Let's dive in before the Browns add another quarterback — this morning they signed Joe Flacco to a one-year deal worth $4 million, with up to $13 million in incentives. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. Elite draft talent is often a swinging pendulum. In 2024 the draft began with a record-setting 14 straight offensive players, including six quarterbacks. Only nine defensive players were first-round picks. Naturally, this draft is defense-heavy. A quick read of The Beast shows that four of the top five overall players should start on defense: And if you listened to yesterday's episode of 'The Athletic Football Show,' you'd know how stacked this defensive line class is. By the numbers: There are 28 edge rushers and defensive tackles in Dane Brugler's top 100 players, 40 percent more than last year's class. Ten of those players have first-round grades. Here's a quote, stat and comp for each of the top five: Quote: 'With only one season under his belt as a true edge rusher, Carter needs continued polish in his attack. His arrow is pointing sky high, though, because of his get-off burst, body twitch and competitive intensity,' writes Dane. Advertisement Stats: In that first season playing on the edge at Penn State, Carter ranked No. 1 in the FBS in tackles for loss (23.5) and No. 2 in pressures (66). Comp: 'He reminds me of Von Miller,' one coach told The Athletic's Bruce Feldman. 'He's really bendy around the edge and such a speed rusher. He's slippery enough to make your tackle completely whiff, and it's a TFL.' Quote: 'Graham was arguably the most valuable defensive player on the Wolverines' 2023 national championship team and played even better (with lesser talent around him) in 2024,' wrote Dane. Stats: Like most defensive tackles, Graham's production doesn't pop on the stat sheet — 5 sacks, 7 TFL — but his PFF grade (91.1) led the FBS. Comp: Rams DT Braden Fiske, though a Big Ten running backs coach told Bruce Feldman that Graham's play style is a little like Aaron Donald. 👀 All three were considered undersized. Quote: 'I'm at my best being a chess piece,' said Walker, whom Dane notes split his snaps between inside linebacker, outside linebacker and edge rusher. Stats: Walker led Georgia in almost every pass-rushing metric in 2024, including pressures (34) and pass rush win percentage (17.2), despite ranking seventh on the team in pass-rush snaps, per Dane. Comp: Early-career Haason Reddick, another undersized edge who wins with explosiveness. Quote: 'He's the most athletic edge in this class not named Abdul Carter,' wrote Nick Baumgardner in his recent mock, which had the Bears drafting Stewart at No. 10. Stats: Stewart's Relative Athletic Score (RAS) makes him the most athletic defensive end among the 2,029 tested since 1987. Detractors point to Stewart's lack of production at Texas A&M: He averaged just 1.5 sacks per season and a 26.9 percent missed tackle rate. Oof. Comp: A less productive Jadeveon Clowney or Montez Sweat. If you haven't seen his bull rush at the Senior Bowl, you're welcome: Quote: 'Green could be among the first 15 picks if teams are comfortable with his off-the-field controversies,' wrote Ben Standig, as his mock draft had Green falling to Buffalo at No. 26. There have been two allegations of sexual assault against Green, both of which he denies. Stats: Green ranked first in the FBS in sacks (17, tied the most by a player since Will Anderson had 17.5), tackles by a defensive lineman (84) and sack yardage (144) at Marshall in 2024. Comp: 'I think I can show flashes of Nik Bonitto's speed, Will Anderson's physicality,' Green reportedly said at the combine. Now, Dianna has the latest on trade talks for the No. 1 pick: If you're looking for a last-minute shakeup atop the draft, 2025 might not be the year for you. I haven't found a single source who's said to watch out for a trade of the No. 1 pick. The Giants are the team that most suspect would make a move for the Titans' pick, but the price to pry it away from Tennessee would be historically high. Advertisement In fact, I don't think we're going to see many trades in this year's draft. Based on all the conversations I've had, no one seems to be interested in moving up in the first round — though there are some teams that would move down if given the chance. Back to you, Jacob. Earlier this week I charted 25 years of data and found that the first quarterback drafted has become the best pro just 40 percent of the time. The second QB drafted? 24 percent. The collective group of quarterbacks drafted after the first two (i.e. third, fourth, fifth, etc.)? That group, albeit large — with an average of 11 quarterbacks drafted each year — has fielded the best passer in their class at a 36 percent clip. It's clear that drafting a successful quarterback remains an inexact science. Mike Jones explored this in detail last April. Former players, current head coaches and GMs all chimed in with their thoughts: 'We're only getting to see who a player is right now in college at 21, 22 years old … It's a complete projection on who can be better,' said Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, himself an overlooked prospect. NFL agent Leigh Steinberg, whose client list includes Patrick Mahomes, explained it this way: 'Ryan Leaf, physically, was the better quarterback than Peyton Manning. But Manning had the killer mentality and attention to detail.' 'I've always found in scouting that you make the biggest mistakes more so on the person than the actual talent,' said Commanders GM Adam Peters. Then there's the nurture part of the equation. Take Bryce Young, who had less help in Carolina than Justin Fields did in Chicago. Then compare the experience of Young and Fields with that of Mahomes: He began his career surrounded by Andy Reid, Alex Smith, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Failure seemed almost inexcusable. The full article has more on why we miss on quarterbacks. What do you think? Nature or nurture? Share your thoughts here or in the comments below. We'll unpack this in greater detail in the coming weeks. 📫 Enjoyed this read? 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USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
This Day 2 tight end could provide 'instant impact' for Indianapolis Colts
This Day 2 tight end could provide 'instant impact' for Indianapolis Colts If the Indianapolis Colts don't address tight end in Round 1 of the NFL draft, keep your eyes on this Day 2 prospect. If the Indianapolis Colts don't address tight end in the first round, keep your eyes on LSU's Mason Taylor on Day 2 of the NFL draft. ESPN's draft analysts Jordan Reid, Field Yates, and Matt Miller each recently answered a series of draft-specific questions, one of which was naming a Day 2 pick who could be an "instant impact player in the right system." For Reid, his selection was Taylor. "He put together one of the most impressive pro day performances in this cycle, showcasing his elite movement skills to evaluators up close," Reid wrote. "Taylor's nuance as a route runner makes him an excellent red-zone option -- he can find the open spots in zone coverage and win with details against man coverage. "He's also versatile, as he can line up in-line or flex out to create mismatches against smaller defenders. I've spoken with teams that think Taylor will be a top-50 pick capable of playing immediately as a pass-catching tight end." Taylor measures in at 6-5, weighs 251 pounds, and posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.88 out of 10.0. This includes running a 4.68-second 40 and posting a 7.06-second 3-cone. For three seasons now, he has been a steady presence in the LSU passing game, catching 71% of his 181 targets during that span at 10.1 yards per catch with six scores. Roughly half of Taylor's snaps over his career have come lined up in-line, while 43% came from the slot. Out of 85 eligible tight ends, Taylor ranked 41st in PFF's run-blocking grade. While the focus on the outside when it comes to the tight end position for the Colts is on the passing game, not to be forgotten about in Shane Steichen's offense is the importance of that position's ability to impact the run game as well. Taylor will bring a fairly well-rounded skill set to the NFL level, and that element at the tight end position can add some unpredictability to an offense. This not only creates opportunities for Taylor to exploit but for others in the offense as well. "That's a huge part of it," Shane Steichen said of having a tight end who can impact the game in multiple ways. "When you got the guy who can do both and you can run, stay in 11 personnel (three receivers, one tight end, one running back) and not have to sub certain guys out, that definitely helps."
USA Today
09-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Colts NFL draft: Exec weighs in on Day 2 tight end prospect
Colts NFL draft: Exec weighs in on Day 2 tight end prospect With tight end being a big need for the Colts, one NFL exec recently weighed in on a Day 2 prospect at the position. We know tight end is a major need for the Indianapolis Colts, but what if they don't address the need on Day 1 of the NFL draft? Then what? In that instance, a name to know on Day 2 of the NFL draft is Oregon's Terrance Ferguson. But does he fit with what the Colts are looking for at the position? ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently got some additional insight into Ferguson, along with several other NFL draft prospects from NFL executives and scouts. "Good athlete, probably not as physical as you'd like," an AFC executive told Fowler. "Not quite as finesse as [Mike] Gesicki but not as physical as you'd hope. Though I think he has worked to answer that in the pre-draft process and the Senior Bowl." Ferguson measured in at 6-5 - 247 pounds and posted an elite Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.30, which featured a 4.63-second 40, a 39-inch vertical, and 10-02 feet on the broad jump. Ferguson has been an active part of the Oregon passing game and could help provide the Colts a needed boost in that facet of the game. In four seasons, he caught 73% of his 183 targets, averaged 11.5 yards per catch with 16 touchdowns. The 2024 season was a career-best for Ferguson, who caught 43 passes, totaled 591 yards, and averaged almost 14 yards per reception. He was extremely effective with the ball in his hands picking up YAC, according to PFF's metrics. However, as we know, the blocking component cannot be forgotten about in Shane Steichen's offense. Lance Zierlein of would write in his scouting report that there is an "alarming lack of tenacity and fire when it's time to run block." In addition to that, nearly half of Ferguson's snaps in 2024 came from the slot, and with the Colts having Josh Downs on the roster, Ferguson is going to be asked to line up in-line more often if in Steichen's offense. "You gotta be multiple in the pass game," Steichen said of the tight end position at the NFL's annual league meeting via the team site. "Obviously you would love the guy that can block. I think those guys, it's hard to find the true blocking tight ends anymore, but a guy that can battle in the run game is good. Great hands, can come in and out of the breaks, big and strong after the catch as well. There's a lot of good ones in this draft. It'll be interesting." Whether or not Ferguson is an option for the Colts could very well come down to how they evaluate him as a blocker and what the area of opportunity for growth in that facet of his game looks like. Yes, the Colts need more passing game help, but the ability to impact the run game is still going to be a priority when addressing this need.
