Latest news with #UnderwearOlympics
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs
Cowboys Insider Says Miles Sanders Bidding For Starting Role at OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys' running back battle is going to be one of the most-watched situations in Oxnard when training camp begins. Advertisement But we might already have a clubhouse leader. And yes, we know it's OTAs, and there are still plenty of padded practices to take place, but Miles Sanders, by all reports, is impressing. As part of a running back room that includes Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue (who was injured in practice on Tuesday), and Deuce Vaughn, it has been Sanders who has impressed. "I don't know why anybody would be surprised with Miles' ability,' head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. 'I mean having been in the division and played against Miles when he was in Philadelphia you talk about a guy that's a home run threat. A guy that's got incredible ability to hurt you running, catching the ball out of the back field, all that stuff very smart, very bright.' Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams At AT&T StadiumTony Fisher So Sanders is making Schottenheimer take notice, and as it turns out, the Cowboys head coach isn't the only one speaking glowingly of Miles' ability on the practice field. Advertisement Our own Mike Fisher, who got a front row seat to OTAs on Tuesday, and like Schotty, was left impressed by the veteran running back ... again. "Miles Sanders did it again today," Fish said on The Fish Report. "He's got burst, all the things that I say about him when he was with the Eagles, you're watching Miles Sanders, and you're on the edge of your seat holding your breath every time he touches the ball. He does that at practice. He did it last week, and he did it again today. If they [Cowboys] had to make cuts to 53 today, they're not cutting Sanders. No way.' That is quite the endorsement from both Schotty and Fish. Yes, we know it's the Underwear Olympics, and offensive players get a little more leeway to play with than defenders, but it does appear that if a game were played today, Sanders might just start. Advertisement At a position that many think could go down to the wire when it comes to the final make-up of it, Miles is taking his chance. And everyone is noticing. Related: Cowboys Legend Reveals 'Totally Different Vibe' Under Schottenheimer Related: Cowboys' Schottenheimer Won't Shy Away From Super Bowl Prediction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player
Kamren Kinchens had to wait a while to hear his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft. By the time he was selected, 98 players had already come off the board. His stock had slipped, not because of production or character, but because of a stopwatch. A 4.65 40-yard dash at the combine knocked the Miami safety down draft boards, and by the end of Round 3, the Los Angeles Rams were happy to take the gamble. It didn't take long for that bet to pay off. Advertisement Gennaro Filice recently named Kinchens as the Rams' most underappreciated player heading into the 2025 season, a nod to a debut campaign that flew under the national radar but didn't go unnoticed by opposing quarterbacks. It's the kind of recognition that suggests bigger things might be on the way. Blame the Underwear Olympics. Shoddy athletic testing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine depressed the safety's draft stock, allowing the Rams to scoop him up with the penultimate pick of Round 3. But the 4.65 40-yard dash didn't prevent the rookie from picking off four passes -- and taking one 103 yards to the house. An instinctive ballhawk who grabbed 11 interceptions in his final two collegiate campaigns at Miami, Kinchens is further proof that play speed transfers quite nicely to the NFL. After all, Ed Reed ran a 4.57 40 in Indy, and he might be the greatest center fielder in league history. It was an offseason that saw Los Angeles reload on both sides of the ball and Kinchens quietly emerged as one of the most impactful rookies on the roster last year. He finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, four interceptions, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, one recovery, and a highlight-reel 103-yard pick-six that changed the course of a midseason win. Instincts. Timing. Ball skills. The traits that made him a college standout translated immediately, even if the pre-draft narrative suggested otherwise. His speed on tape never matched his time in Indy, and in today's NFL where anticipation and positioning matter more than straight-line speed, Kinchens fits right in. Advertisement Kinchens may not have turned heads under the lights of the combine, but put him in pads on Sundays and the story changes. The Rams found themselves a steal, and he's just getting started. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage! This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams DB Kamren Kinchens named LA's most underappreciated defender
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player
Rams 2nd-year defender highlighted as LA's most underappreciated player Kamren Kinchens has already proved he can be one of the top playmaking safeties in the NFL Kamren Kinchens had to wait a while to hear his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft. By the time he was selected, 98 players had already come off the board. His stock had slipped, not because of production or character, but because of a stopwatch. A 4.65 40-yard dash at the combine knocked the Miami safety down draft boards, and by the end of Round 3, the Los Angeles Rams were happy to take the gamble. It didn't take long for that bet to pay off. Gennaro Filice recently named Kinchens as the Rams' most underappreciated player heading into the 2025 season, a nod to a debut campaign that flew under the national radar but didn't go unnoticed by opposing quarterbacks. It's the kind of recognition that suggests bigger things might be on the way. Blame the Underwear Olympics. Shoddy athletic testing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine depressed the safety's draft stock, allowing the Rams to scoop him up with the penultimate pick of Round 3. But the 4.65 40-yard dash didn't prevent the rookie from picking off four passes -- and taking one 103 yards to the house. An instinctive ballhawk who grabbed 11 interceptions in his final two collegiate campaigns at Miami, Kinchens is further proof that play speed transfers quite nicely to the NFL. After all, Ed Reed ran a 4.57 40 in Indy, and he might be the greatest center fielder in league history. It was an offseason that saw Los Angeles reload on both sides of the ball and Kinchens quietly emerged as one of the most impactful rookies on the roster last year. He finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, four interceptions, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, one recovery, and a highlight-reel 103-yard pick-six that changed the course of a midseason win. Instincts. Timing. Ball skills. The traits that made him a college standout translated immediately, even if the pre-draft narrative suggested otherwise. His speed on tape never matched his time in Indy, and in today's NFL where anticipation and positioning matter more than straight-line speed, Kinchens fits right in. Kinchens may not have turned heads under the lights of the combine, but put him in pads on Sundays and the story changes. The Rams found themselves a steal, and he's just getting started. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers take scouting combine superstar in The Athletic's latest mock draft
Panthers take scouting combine superstar in The Athletic's latest mock draft One of the league's most locked-in draft analysts just connected the Carolina Panthers to a very big winner from the 2025 scouting combine. The Athletic's Dane Brugler released a fresh mock draft following this year's trip to the "Underwear Olympics." And one of the event's stars, Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart, ends up with the Panthers at the eighth overall pick of Brugler's first-round projections. He writes: At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Stewart ripped off a 1.58-second 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash. To put that into context, Von Miller posted a split of 1.59 — and he was 20 points lighter. Many people will get hung up on Stewart's lack of sack production, but the tape shows a player who affects the backfield much more than the stat sheet suggests. Amongst the prospects at his position, Stewart posted the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds), the second-highest vertical jump (40 inches) and the longest broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches). His results were good enough to yield a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), the third-best out of 1,802 defensive ends charted since 1987. But it's Stewart's numbers on the playing field in college that could give teams some pause. Over three seasons and 37 games with the Aggies, he recorded a total of just 4.5 sacks.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers mock draft roundup 5.0: Tracking the latest 2025 projections
We're sure you're all having fun tuning in to this year's "Underwear Olympics," which got off to a pretty hot start on Thursday. But before we finish up in Indianapolis, let's take a bit of inventory on the first-round projections for your Carolina Panthers. Here are the returns from the latest mock drafts for the eighth overall selection . . . Pick: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia Author: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz Take: General manager Dan Morgan said the priority for this offseason would be rebuilding the defensive line in a manner comparable to the approach the team took in overhauling its offensive front last spring. Yet a group that ranked 31st in ESPN's pass-rush win rate metric might need to generate pressure in whatever form that's within reach. That might mean rolling the dice on Walker, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound disruptor who might need to be deployed creatively but should keep blockers on their toes as both an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker. Pick: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan Author: Bucky Brooks Take: Pairing the Michigan standout, who has a low-leverage playing style and exceptional strength, with Derrick Brown would give the Panthers a formidable point-of-attack presence. Pick: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia Author: Mel Kiper Jr. Take: This has to be defense, right? Carolina ranked last in yards allowed per play at 6.0 this past season. News broke Monday that the Panthers won't re-sign linebacker Shaq Thompson, and they didn't have a single edge rusher with six or more sacks in 2024. Walker can play either of those spots at a high level. Explosion is the word that comes to mind with his game, as he fires off the ball to make plays both as a pass rusher and a run defender. He had 62 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss in his final season at Georgia. Pick: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia Author: Ryan Wilson Take: Georgia has a history of producing insane athletes and Mykel Williams might end up being the best of the group. He's a first-round talent all day long, and he could end up being one of the first defenders off the board in April. Pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona Author: Jordan Plocher Take: A pass rusher would be a logical choice for the Panthers here, but helping Bryce Young continue to develop takes priority. Selecting McMillan gives Carolina's offense more versatility and firepower, providing Young with another reliable weapon as he enters his third season. After showing tremendous progress in the back half of 2024, Young will benefit greatly from an improved supporting cast. Pick: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia Author: Charles McDonald Take: The Panthers' defense simply lacks needle-moving players in 2024, especially after an injury to Derrick Brown. Williams had an inconsistent year as he also battled injuries in 2024. He still showed glimpses and stretches that makes his upside as high as anybody in this draft. He might take time, but the Panthers have it, and Williams could end up being a real difference-maker if he keeps adding more technique to his natural talent. Pick: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia Author: Luke Easterling Take: This roster needs just about everything, so the Panthers need to prioritize overall talent and playmaking ability here, regardless of position. That should point them to the defensive in this scenario, where they need both a three-down linebacker who can create splash plays off the ball, and a dynamic edge rusher who can get after the quarterback. Walker is a versatile weapon who can check all of those boxes. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers mock draft roundup 5.0: Tracking the latest 2025 projections
