Latest news with #defensiveprospects
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Who is defensive target Leoni?
Parma's teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni has emerged as one of Serie A's most intriguing defensive prospects - and it is no surprise that Liverpool are closing in on a deal for the season, Leoni enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, earning plaudits for his composure in possession and ability to read the game. But a closer look at the data from via Opta, compared with other defenders in Italy's top flight, paints a fuller picture of where he stands. A percentile shows how a player compares to others in the same position. For example, being in the 80th percentile for a stat means they perform better than 80% of their peers in that area. One facet where he ranks very highly is winning aerial duels. Here he ranks in the 93rd percentile, meaning he very rarely loses them, albeit perhaps Serie A is not at the physicality of the Premier chart below shows he has also performed strongly in metrics such as clearances and passes blocked, perhaps an indication of his alertness and positional awareness. The centre-back averages 4.73 clearances per 90 minutes. However, these numbers are affected by the fact Parma do not dominate the ball so their defence is required to work harder as a result. Leoni's pass completion sits at the 61st percentile which suggests he is comfortable retaining possession, but can be inaccurate when distributing from the back. In Arne Slot's system, where centre-backs are often tasked with initiating attacks under pressure, refining that consistency could be a key part of his development. His figures for challenges lost are also notable. This points to a player still developing his strength and reading of one-on-one situations. It may also reflect the fact that, as a young defender, he is still learning when to commit and when to hold his now, the statistics tell the story of a player on the rise, and if the move is completed, Anfield could be the stage on which he fulfils his potential.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Top 15 defensive underclassman prospects for 2026 NFL Draft class, led by Caleb Downs
We've already covered our early list of the 2026 NFL Draft's top offensive underclassmen prospects — and the other side of the ball is just as deep. Not unlike April's draft with Travis Hunter, the top of the '26 defensive class starts at a position that doesn't ordinarily receive top-five attention. Safety Caleb Downs, however, is not an ordinary player. If Hunter was the best defensive prospect in the country last season, Downs might've been the second. After starting and starring for Nick Saban and Alabama in 2023, Downs transferred to Ohio State and helped the Buckeyes capture a national title. Advertisement Let's take a look at Downs and the rest of the top defensive underclassmen, with an early eye toward the 2026 NFL Draft. Arguably America's best draft-eligible prospect this season regardless of position, Downs made national headlines after a stellar freshman year at Alabama by heading north to Ohio State. His arrival was as-advertised, as Downs' versatility on the back end — playing either safety spot, corner, slot or rush linebacker — unlocked what turned into a national championship defense. Downs could be a bit bigger, but his football instincts — especially in run support — are the best of any defensive back in college football. A fierce hitter who can cover anything sideline to sideline while adding value in the kick return game, Downs is a true blue-chip talent who's reminiscent of a cross between Budda Baker and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Despite his position, he will be in the mix as a top-three prospect in the 2026 draft class. A twitched-up 6-foot-3, 265-pounder, Parker plays with a more compact build than most of his peers but is a flexible and explosive house of fire off the edge (combined 32 tackles for loss and 16 1/2 sacks over his first two seasons at Clemson). Parker's speed and agility give him crazy coverage potential, and his ability to dip and corner tackles with enough gas left to flatten out the pocket is as natural as anyone in this class. Parker's blend of body control and hand speed, along with his awareness and ability to ID plays quickly, puts him around the ball constantly. He forced six fumbles last season, plus has three career pass breakups and three forced incompletions. If Parker's arrow stays pointing up, he'll be in the top-10 — possibly top-five — picture all year long. Advertisement A massive prospect, Faulk (6-6, 280) has the athleticism and twitch to line up basically anywhere along a defensive front. He's played mainly on the edge, either head-up or outside the tackle, but he's also seen plenty of work in two years at Auburn as a three-tech and even some as a rushing nose tackle. A great lateral mover and athlete at his size, Faulk — who has some Aidan Hutchinson in his game — can be a terror for slower guards inside and is very difficult to move in the run game. The biggest hurdle left for Faulk is fine-tuning his pass rush arsenal to be more efficient and diverse off the snap, as his size can sometimes lead to a slower rush process. Assuming he can continue to add power and strength to his frame while working on the finer points of his game, Faulk has top-10 pick written all over him. Another extremely versatile and athletic defensive lineman, Woods (6-3, 315) played out of position on the edge for much of last season and still wound up having a highly productive year for the uber-talented Tigers. When he's inside as a three-tech or nose, Woods is a terror. With speed, length and power throughout his body, Woods has shown truly dominant flashes in each of his first two seasons at Clemson. He possesses the ability to bull rush a guard, split a double or chase down a back. At times, Woods reminds me of 2025 Cleveland Browns first-rounder Mason Graham, with the quickness and twitch to play just about anywhere along a defensive front and the power/hand speed to be a three-down weapon at either spot inside. Woods has a combined 40 run stops and 40 pressures in two years playing in Clemson's rotation. Advertisement A quick and sturdy corner with good length and an advanced understanding of press coverage, McCoy is physical, plays with great eye control outside and is very difficult to stack. He's also a patient defender who doesn't guess often — his instincts in man or zone helped him break up six passes and pick off four more during his debut season at Tennessee last year (transferred from Oregon State following the 2023 season). McCoy also led the Vols and finished second in the SEC with 12 forced incompletions, after he had four picks and six pass breakups as a true freshman with the Beavers in 2023. And though he doesn't have overwhelming speed, his high IQ means he usually can avoid serious trouble. One thing to watch: McCoy tore an ACL in January, so it remains to be seen if he plays this year. A former five-star prospect and the younger brother of former Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei, Matayo Uiagalelei was an outstanding two-way prospect in high school, showing real prowess as a tight end before landing as an edge rusher at Oregon. With great size and a terrific first step, Uiagalelei (6-5, 270) combines quick, active hands with great length as a versatile, savvy pass rusher who has not yet hit his ceiling. Uiagalelei (who won't turn 21 until next July) made 9 1/2 sacks with a 15.5 percent win rate last year as a true sophomore. His work as a run defender isn't on the same level as his pass rush at this point, but Uiagalelei will rocket up draft boards if he takes the next step. With a true NFL body at 6-3, 240, Hill is fast enough to play basically any linebacker spot, including in the alley as an overhang defender or off the edge as a pass rusher. With great length and burst, Hill rushes the passer with a great feel for dipping around and cornering tackles in space. A potential front-seven hybrid defender, Hill also plays with great closing speed on the ball in the backfield, both on screens and run plays. Although he's long and fast enough to overrun a ball carrier and still make the tackle, Hill can get lost taking eye candy in the box and is a tad late with coverage reactions at this stage in his career. Just a one-year starter, Hill still needs more experience, but his physical traits have been all over NFL radars for at least a year now. Advertisement With violent hands and good size, Bain (6-3, 275) plays with the type of initial burst and power we see from current Chiefs rusher George Karlaftis. When Bain maintains leverage and wins with a punch to the chest of a tackle or guard, it's a serious problem for the offense. He can win inside or outside and plays with a good anchor off the edge against the run. There are some length concerns here, and Bain is more about power than general movement skills. Not unlike Karlaftis, Bain can struggle to convert pressures to sacks at times and his tackling has been rather suspect. But when healthy (he missed about a quarter of 2024 with a hamstring injury), he's shown flashes of dominance inside. Allen (6-1, 235) doesn't have the length/size combination that Hill brings, but he's no slouch, with good length and explosion for days. He's also a sure tackler who plays with great balance and enough speed to run with tight ends (and even some receivers). A very physical presence in the box, Allen takes great pursuit angles to the football and isn't afraid to run through a guard's chest on a run fit. There are times when Hill can be too aggressive in the box, as he's too often guilty of running into darkness without a plan. Like Hill, though, Allen has only started for one year of college ball — there's still work to be done, but the potential is obvious. Another big-bodied South Carolina defensive back, Kilgore (6-1, 211) has mainly worked as a slot corner/safety over the last two seasons but is also explosive and fast enough to play on the outside. A true playmaker, Kilgore had five interceptions and five pass breakups last season. He's a very fluid athlete (and was a great basketball player/track athlete in high school), but Kilgore can be wobbly with his coverage assignments and missed nine tackles last season. Still, his value as a versatile, athletic, physical defensive back is impossible to ignore. If Kilgore can get rid of the streaky play and be more assignment sound, he'll be in the mix for a first-round grade. As you can see, Clemson is dripping with talent again this season. Advertisement The younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell, Avieon Terrell is very physical at just 5-11, 180. A naturally fluid athlete, Terrell plays with terrific feet as a mirror corner in man coverage and shows great football instincts in zone. Mostly an outside corner at Clemson, Terrell is athletic enough to handle slot reps, too. He made 12 pass breakups (No. 5 nationally) and forced 14 incompletions (No. 3) as a sophomore last season — his first as a full-time starter. Size is a concern. Terrell plays much bigger than his weight but can get stuck on blocks from larger opponents and will have to add strength. If it all comes together, though, Terrell has the potential to be a complete cornerback. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Purdue in 2023, Thieneman transferred to Oregon this offseason after spending his first two years as arguably the country's best defender on a bad football team. A member of Bruce Feldman's 'Freaks List' last year, Thieneman (6-0, 207) hit 22.37 miles per hour on the GPS and ran a 4.03-second short shuttle during his time in West Lafayette. A complete athlete and weight-room warrior, Thieneman is an elite ball tracker capable of wearing basically any hat on the back end. He was mainly a free safety as a freshman but split time deep, in the box, in the slot and even played some as an outside corner as a sophomore. With six career interceptions and seven career pass breakups, Thieneman should be one of the top impact transfers this season. A great athlete who also played running back and receiver while also sprinting on his high school track team, Weeks was all over the field for LSU last year, his first as a starter. Weeks made 56 run stops and created 25 pressures (with four sacks) as a hyper-active box defender with sideline-to-sideline speed. He finished his sophomore season with a whopping 125 tackles (10 for a loss), while adding three pass breakups and an interception as LSU's defensive leader. Weeks' length and range at 6-2 are definitely assets, but at just 225 pounds, he's still a little light in the box. A natural run defender with great instincts near the ball, Weeks is also still working to fine-tune his coverage responsibilities. A sophomore captain at Texas A&M last season, York — who started in the SEC as a true freshman — has a combined 156 tackles (18 for loss) and 5 1/2 sacks through two seasons. A natural leader and one of the SEC's most productive run stoppers since his arrival, York plays much bigger than his 6-foot, 235-pound frame would suggest. He could use more bulk before transitioning to the NFL, but his presence as a thumper is impossible to ignore. Advertisement Much like Weeks, he still needs to grow as a coverage defender, as he can be a bit stiff in space against more athletic slots and tight ends. However, York is already a fearless box defender and trusted tackler at a young age. A fourth-year junior who started his career at UCLA, Ramsey was one of the best coverage safeties in the country last season for the Trojans, breaking up five passes and forcing five incompletions while splitting time between free safety, box safety and nickel corner. Big enough (6-0, 202) and physical enough to be an outside corner, Ramsey has coverage instincts that stack up against any defensive back in the country. There is room for improvement here, though — Ramsey's work against the run leaves plenty to be desired. He missed 15 tackles last season and has to be better in 2025 with his pursuit angles and technique in space. Other names to remember: A.J. Harris, CB, Penn State; Anto Saka, edge, Northwestern; Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas; Austin Romaine, LB, Kansas State; Drayk Bowen, LB, Notre Dame; D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana (Top photos of Anthony Hill Jr. and Caleb Downs: Sam Hodde, Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
