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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Countdown to Kickoff: Vernon Broughton is the Saints Player of Day 91
Countdown to Kickoff: Vernon Broughton is the Saints Player of Day 91 Broughton is expected to upgrade the interior defense for New Orleans The New Orleans Saints start their 2025 regular season 91 days from today against the Arizona Cardinals. Currently wearing No. 91 for the Saints is one of several newcomers to the team, rookie defensive lineman Vernon Broughton. As our Saints Player of the Day, it's time to take a closer look at the rookie defender. Name (age): Vernon Broughton II (23) Vernon Broughton II (23) Hometown: Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Position: Defensive tackle Defensive tackle Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 311 pounds 6-foot-5, 311 pounds College: Texas Longhorns Texas Longhorns Relative Athletic Score: N/A N/A Drafted: Round 3, 71st overall in 2025 (New Orleans Saints) Round 3, 71st overall in 2025 (New Orleans Saints) NFL experience: Rookie Rookie 2025 salary cap hit: $1,206,872 A four-star recruit out of Cypress Ridge High School in Texas, Broughton elected to stay in-state over recruiting pitches from other national powers. After playing in just two games in 2020 as a freshman, he was a regular part of the defensive line rotation until becoming a starter last season. In his last four years with the Longhorns, Broughton totaled 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss among his 70 total stops. New Orleans targeted Broughton with their first of two choices in Round 3, the seventh pick in the round. He was the fifth defensive tackle taken off the board in Day 2. Outside of Bryan Bresee, a first round pick in 2023, Broughton is the highest drafted interior defender by the Saints since Sheldon Rankins in 2016. Broughton has an explosive first step off the snap and good athleticism for his size. He'll need to get stronger and show more consistency against the run, but plays with good leverage against double-teams and shows good lateral movement down the line of scrimmage. Broughton's frame and athleticism gives him some versatility as both an interior lineman or a big end in 3-man fronts. New Orleans ranked 30th in overall defense and a putrid 31st against the run and yards per rush. It's clear that the Saints and new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley wanted to get more skilled up front. They picked Vernon Broughton midway through Day 2 of this year's draft to hopefully help them do exactly that.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Third-Round Choice Vernon Broughton May Be Just What The Saints Needed For Their Defense
The New Orleans Saints used the first of their two third-round picks in the NFL Draft on Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Vernon Broughton. Broughton was the seventh choice in the third round and the 71st overall selection. He was the 10th defensive tackle picked and the first of four consecutive defensive players that the Saints would draft. Advertisement New Orleans needs to fix a defense that ranked 30th overall last season, including a woeful 31st against the run. Here are the abilities that attracted the Saints to Broughton that might help do it. DT - Vernon Broughton, Texas Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) is pressured by Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45). Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Longhorns won the recruiting battle for Broughton, a four-star recruit from Cypress Ridge High School in Texas. Between 2020 and 2022, Broughton would appear in 26 games as a reserve. Over that stretch, he had 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss among his 14 total tackles. By 2023, Broughton was a more active member of the Longhorns line rotation and had a sack to go with 5 tackles for loss. He was a starter last season and would respond with 4 sacks, 5 stops for loss, and 39 total tackles. Advertisement Despite a formidable build at 6'4" and 305-Lbs., Broughton doesn't always play with the necessary power required at an interior line position. He's been inconsistent against the run, too often getting buried or moved off point by double-teams. Texas Longhorns edge rusher Vernon Broughton (45) rushes Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8). Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images A good athlete for his size, Broughton is still developing those traits. He'll need to expand his tools as a pass rusher and must also disengage more consistently to be involved in plays down the line. Broughton gets almost instant penetration into opposing backfields because of his explosive burst at the snap. His constant upper body movement helps him set up counter moves and gives him several tools as a pass rusher. Advertisement Against the run, Broughton plays with very good leverage that helps him anchor against double-teams, especially with increased strength. Once he's able to disengage, his terrific lateral agility helps him make plays down the line of scrimmage. He also has surprising speed and closing burst to chase plays down from behind. Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) hits Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) during the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bo Davis was the defensive line coach at Texas for three years while Broughton was with the Longhorns. Davis is the new defensive line coach of the Saints. Clearly, the familiarity between Davis and Broughton was a major factor in the choice. Broughton must show that he can be a force inside against the run at the NFL level. However, he also has enough athletic skills and pass rush ability to play end in 3-man fronts that the Saints are expected to employ more often. Advertisement New Orleans desperately needed a big-bodied interior force, particularly against opposing rushing attacks. The familiarity between Bo Davis and Vernon Broughton could be an indication that the Saints believe they found just that player in Round 3 of this year's draft. Related: Why Saints Drafting Of Kelvin Banks Jr. Made Sense Related: Saints Draft Pick Tyler Shough Among Favorites For 2025 NFL Rookie Of The Year Related: Why The Saints Targeted Oklahoma Linebacker Danny Stutsman In The Draft Related: How Louisville Draft Pick Quincy Riley Fills A Saints Need Related: What Kansas Draft Choice Devin Neal Adds To Saints Offense Related: Syracuse Draft Choice Fadil Diggs May Fill A Critical Role For The Saints
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Which schools and college football conferences did the Saints draft their rookies from?
Which schools and college football conferences did the Saints draft their rookies from? Where did the New Orleans Saints go to fill our their 20-man rookie class? Between nine players selected in the 2025 NFL draft and eleven more signed afterwards as rookie free agents, the Saints searched high and low for options to make their team better. Here are some quick takeaways from the group now that we've had a few days to get to know them better. Three schools sent multiple players to New Orleans: OL Kelvin Banks Jr. and DT Vernon Broughton (Texas) QB Tyler Shough and CB Quincy Riley (Louisville) S Jonas Sanker and WR Chris Tyree (Virginia) Additionally, seven players came from teams in the ACC (Louisville, SMU, Syracuse, and Virginia), with six more hailing from the SEC (Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas). Two each came to New Orleans from the Big Ten (Rutgers and UCLA), the Big 12 (Kansas and Kansas State), and FCS teams in Delaware and South Dakota State. One rookie, safety Elliott Davison, comes to the Saints from UTSA in the AAC. And out of all 20 players, just two of them competed in last year's College Football Playoff: Banks and Broughton, with the Texas Longhorns. It's an interesting mix of talent, but the Saints have to be hoping that this unique rookie crop gives them the best chance of winning games and getting back to the playoffs in 2025.
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 reasons why New Orleans should by excited about drafting Texas DT Vernon Broughton
5 reasons why New Orleans should by excited about drafting Texas DT Vernon Broughton Vernon Broughton is off the board. The former Longhorns defensive tackle was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the third round with the 71st overall pick. It was a very productive 2024 campaign for Broughton. He racked up 39 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. This was better than all of his previous seasons at Texas combined, which means he peeked at the perfect time. As he begins his NFL journey, here are five reasons why the Saints should be excited to have Broughton: Experience No matter how good a player is coming out of college, the NFL is a different animal. So, experience is a huge benefit for a player to have on the next level. Broughton played in 56 games since 2020 for the Longhorns and helped them tremendously over their back-to-back college football playoff appearances. Having played a lot of football and being good at it also instills confidence. Broughton has plenty of that, plus his natural talent entering the league. Explosive off the line of scrimmage When playing on the defensive line, it's paramount for a player to get off the ball quickly so that offensive lineman have a hard time getting their hands on them. Broughton does that very well, and it allows him to bully rush guys into the backfield, and quarterbacks hate getting pressured up the middle the most. Long arms Another trait that Broughton has in his favor is long arms. They measured at 35 inches at the combine. This gives Broughton the ability to extend his arms and keep opposing offensive lineman from getting their hands on him and controlling him through a rep. It also keeps offensive lineman off balance and makes them easier to beat. Good run stopper The first goal of any defense is to stop the run. Broughton has the ability to disengage blocks quickly and get to the carrier. He also uses his hands well with rip and swim moves that allow him to get in the backfield. Also, Broughton can move laterally down the line and make plays sideline to sideline. Athleticism It's a plus for any player the size of Broughton to have athleticism. He can get skinny and split double teams as well as combo blocks. He can navigate across the line smoothy and get pressure up the middle or off the edge if he's running a stunt. Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on Twitter @StarConscience
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos set top 30 visit with Longhorns defensive tackle
Broncos set top 30 visit with Longhorns defensive tackle Vernon Broughton preparing for Broncos visit The Denver Broncos are looking to add to their defense in the draft and are turning to a former Longhorn. Next week, they will reportedly host Vernon Broughton on a top-30 visit, according to The Denver Post's Lucas Evans. Before entering the NFL Draft, Broughton had one of the best seasons of his college career. During the 2024 campaign, Broughton appeared in 16 games and was reliable on the defensive line. The Houston native set career highs in total tackles with 39, sacks with four, and pass defection with two. It marked the first season that he appeared in more than 14 games. After a career year, Broughton was unable to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine and the Texas Pro Day due to a quad strain suffered prior. With the visit, Denver will see Broughton up close and learn more about the talented defensive end. Due to the number of their pending free agents at that position, adding depth in the draft will be important. At the moment, Broughton is projected to be a day-three pick. He was a rotational player for most of his career at Texas before getting a bump in playing time. He took advantage of the opportunity and is now getting a lot of attention as teams finalize their draft boards. Regardless of where Broughton is drafted, he would make sense for many teams. He improved each year With the Longhorns, resulting in higher snap counts. If that continues at the pro level, he could develop into a promising rotational player in the NFL. If He ends up in Denver, Broughton will provide competition for Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen. The draft is scheduled to be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 24-26.
