Latest news with #Vera-Tucker
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Alijah Vera-Tucker a Fit for Giants?
Is Alijah Vera-Tucker a Fit for Giants? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Giants didn't make the biggest splash of the offseason, but that doesn't mean they weren't bold. General manager Joe Schoen gambled when he returned 10 starters on the conference's worst offense. Switching out Daniel Jones for quarterback Russell Wilson is a massive upgrade, and first-round passer Jaxson Dart might be even better in due time. But the two will be throwing to an average receiving corps with a fringe-average running game and an offensive line that collapsed in 2024. Advertisement Left tackle Andrew Thomas is back and healthy, which is the biggest piece of the offensive line returning to form. For the first six weeks of last season, it was a promising unit. Still, banking on left guard Jon Runyan, center John Michael Schmitz, and right guard Greg Van Roten to improve is a risky proposition. Subsequently, the Giants were listed as a trade candidate for high-profile New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker by Pro Football and Sports Network. 'The Jets have a roster full of talented players nearing the end of their contracts,' Brandon Austin wrote. 'New general manager Darren Mougey must make tough decisions about which young standouts to extend and which to let go. And among those with trade potential, Vera-Tucker stands out as a viable candidate. 'After two injury-shortened seasons, Vera-Tucker finally stayed healthy in 2024 and performed well, allowing a 1.74% pressure rate. Still, he logged fewer than 450 snaps in each of the two previous years, so reliability could be a concern. Advertisement 'The Jets also can't pay everyone, so they'll need to decide how valuable Vera-Tucker is because he could command decent trade value.' New York's cap situation is fairly healthy, and while it does have a host of young stars entering the extension phase of their rookie contracts, a strong piece in the trenches may be more likely to get paid than, say, running back Breece Hall. With how much the Jets have invested up front, keeping Vera-Tucker around makes sense, making any trade unlikely. However, if the Giants were to trade for him, he would have a significant impact on the current offensive line. His ability to play either guard or tackle spot makes him valuable, as he could move around in the event that Thomas or Jermaine Eluemunor goes down, insulating the unit from poor second-string play. Further, he'd likely push Van Roten to center, demoting Schmitz and thus patching up a liability up front. Advertisement New York isn't in position to trade for a one-year rental, and the Jets probably aren't entertaining calls. But if Schoen has a late-offseason trick up his sleeve, the Giants stand to upgrade. Related: Schoen's Offseason Strategy Underlines Giants' Offense Related: Continuity Key to Giants' Potential Climb in NFC East OL Rankings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Colts NFL draft: Every player drafted at 14th overall in last 10 years
Colts NFL draft: Every player drafted at 14th overall in last 10 years The Colts hold the 14th overall pick in this year's NFL draft. Here is a look back at the last 10 selections at that draft slot. The Indianapolis Colts will enter the 2025 NFL draft with seven selections in total, including the 14th overall pick in the first round. Of course, previous picks at 14th overall by other teams have no bearing on who the Colts pick or how that selection turns out. But it is interesting to see the caliber of players that have come from this specific spot in the NFL draft in recent years. As it pertains to the Colts, tight end, as we know, is a major need, but the offensive line and the defensive line are two other position groups that could be on GM Chris Ballard's radar--not to mention that adding to linebacker should be on the to-do list as well, although I don't know that ends up as a first round priority for Indianapolis. Here are the last 10 selections to be taken at 14th overall in the NFL draft. 2024: New Orleans Saints, T - Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State As a rookie, Fuaga started all 17 regular-season games at left tackle for the Saints. 2023: Pittsburgh Steelers, T – Broderick Jones, Georgia Jones has started 27 out of 34 regular season games in his two NFL seasons, which includes 16 games this past year. 2022: Baltimore Ravens, S – Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame The do-it-all safety has missed just three games in his first three seasons and is a two-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro. 2021: New York Jets, G – Alijah Vera-Tucker, Southern California Vera-Tucker has been a versatile member of the Jets' offensive line, playing multiple positions. Unfortunately, injuries have been a part of his career, with Vera-Tucker appearing in only 12 games between 2022 and 2023. However, he did make 15 starts last season. 2020: San Francisco 49ers, DT – Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina After spending his first four seasons with the 49ers, Kinlaw joined the Jets in 2024. He's appeared in all 34 games the last two seasons and has 9.5 career sacks and 12 tackles for loss. 2019: Atlanta Falcons, G – Chris Lindstrom, Boston College Lindstrom has been a three-time Pro Bowler in his NFL career. Since 2020, Lindstrom has missed only one game. 2018: New Orleans Saints, DE – Marcus Davenport, UTSA After spending his first five seasons with the Saints, Davenport was in Minnesota in 2023 and Detroit in 2024, appearing in just six total games during that span. Davenport has 24 career sacks over seven seasons and 27 tackles for loss. 2017: Philadelphia Eagles, DE – Derek Barnett, Tennessee Barnett has missed time over his career. In four seasons, he's played fewer than eight games. He did, however, appear in 16 games with Houston last season and has won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia. Barnett has 29 career sacks and 49 tackles for loss. 2016: Las Vegas Raiders, DB – Karl Joseph, West Virginia After four seasons with the Raiders, Joseph played in 14 games in 2020 with Cleveland and then appeared in two games with Pittsburgh in 2021, which was the last time he saw regular-season snaps. Joseph finished his career with 20 pass breakups, five interceptions, and 305 tackles. 2015: Miami Dolphins, WR – DeVante Parker, Louisville Parker spent seven seasons with Miami and then the 2022 and 2023 seasons with New England. Parker averaged 14.1 yards per catch over his career, catching 59% of his targets, with 27 touchdowns.
