Category: 2024 NFL draft

3 Steelers land on All-Rookie team

The Steelers had an excellent 2024 draft class including these three players.

If you looked at the 2024 NFL draft class for the Pittsburgh Steelers immediately after the draft, the two players we expected to see the biggest contributions from would have been offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and wide receiver Roman Wilson.

But thanks to injuries, Wilson and Fautanu haven’t been able to contribute at all. Yet somehow the Steelers landed three rookies on the 33rd Team’s All-Rookie Team for 2024.

On offense, center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick both made the first team. Frazier has been the highest-graded rookie tackle this season and is in the top six of all centers in the NFL. The Steelers have a reputation for great centers and it’s clear Frazier is the latest.

For McCormick, he took over for James Daniels and continues to improve each week. McCormick suffered a broken hand in last week’s game and if he misses this week against the Baltimore Ravens, his presence will be missed.

Defensively, inside linebacker Payton Wilson has made a splash despite not being listed as a starter. Wilson has split snaps almost even with veteran Elandon Roberts and Wilson seems to be involved in every play when he’s on the field. Wilson is fourth on the team with 78 total tackles despite playing fewer than half the total snaps.

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C Zach Frazier named Steelers Rookie of the Year

Zach Frazier earns the Joe Greene Great Performance Award after an impressive rookie season as the Steelers’ center.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie C Zach Frazier’s outstanding performance on the offensive line this season hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he has been named the 2024 recipient of the ‘Joe Greene Great Performance Award.’

The award—also regarded as the Steelers Rookie of the Year—is selected by the Pittsburgh Chapter of Pro Football Writers of America and is annually presented to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ top rookie.

Frazier, drafted out of West Virginia with the 51st pick of the second round in the 2024 NFL Draft, has more than exceeded expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Out of 914 snaps at center, the rookie has allowed only one sack while also performing as the NFL’s fifth-best center, according to PFF.

When anyone turns on the tape, his pass blocking is excellent for a rookie, but his dominance in the run game is where he truly excels.

Congratulations are in order for Frazier, but the celebration will likely be on hiatus, as the team must prepare quickly for an important Week 18 AFC North showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals on January 4 at 5:00 PM EST.

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This is currently the Cowboys offense’s best chance without Dak Prescott

The Cowboys need Cooper Rush to play within himself and that means conservative. @ReidDHanson looks at the evidence.

Cooper Rush has played in eight games in 2024, starting four while logging a total of 320 snaps. In that time, he’s passed the ball 185 times, completing 112, for a total of 1,008 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. His 48.0 grade at Pro Football Focus ranks him last in the NFL by a rather significant margin and his -0.027 EPA+CPOE composite score backs up such a claim (also last in the NFL).

It’s safe to say at this point the Cowboys know what they have in Rush. Despite banging out two consecutive wins, he’s not a quarterback that elevates a team. And despite calls to open up the offense and take more shots downfield, Mike McCarthy appears to be doing the smart thing with his replacement QB by taking a conservative approach.

The Cowboys opponent in Week 14 begs such a conservative attack. The zone-happy Bengals defense ranks 28th in EPA/dropback, 29th in rush EPA allowed and 30th in total EPA allowed. They are vulnerable to both the run and the pass and as long as Dallas plays within themselves, they should be able to find success against the Cincinnati defense.

In situations such as this it will be tempting for the Cowboys to take shots down the field. That’s not only unnecessary, but it asks Rush to succeed in an area of personal weakness. Based on FTN Data shown by Doug Analytics, Rush has thrown catchable deep balls on less than 30 percent of his attempts this season. He’s also bottom three in attempts and catchability percentage.

PFF tracking shows Rush has attempted 16 passes of 20 or more yards and completed just four of them for a 25 percent completion rate. One of those passes qualified as a big-time throw and one pass qualified as a turnover worthy throw. It’s arguably the biggest inefficiency in his game, making the case for McCarthy to avoid deep passes with Rush at the helm.

Even in the 10–19-yard range Rush has struggled in 2024. His completion percentage sits at just 40 percent and this intermediate range grades as his poorest on the field with him throwing three times as many turnover worthy throws than big time throws.

For as much as the Cowboys running game and defense have struggled in 2024, they are areas Dallas simply has to lean on in order to win games. Combined with a dink and dunk passing attack that plays inside the numbers, the Cowboys are best positioned to win games behind Rush at QB.

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Rookies on both sides proved their potential in Saints vs. Rams

Jared Verse registered six pressures and the game winning play, but Taliese Fuaga allowed 0 pressures all game. The future’s bright for both:

Jared Verse absolutely wrecked the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. It was the rookie edge rusher who hit Derek Carr’s arm as he was throwing to win the game for the Los Angeles Rams.

One person he didn’t run through was fellow rookie Taliese Fuaga. Ironically, on that game winning play Fuaga was right there, but Verse rushed against tight end Foster Moreau. Credit to Los Angeles for how they schemed that pressure.

The Fuaga versus Verse was the battle we wanted to see, and both rookies lived up to the billing. Verse registered six pressures on the day but Fuaga didn’t allow a pressure the entire game.

Fuaga continues to be the bright spot of the offensive line. Sometimes an unit gets beat so bad everyone shares the blame, but Fuaga handled himself great in pass protection.

On 41 pass blocking snaps, Fuaga allowed pressure zero percent of the time. There were snaps he lined up in front of Verse, but it wasn’t the main event we were hoping for.

Instead, Verse wrecked the game by rushing from different places and Fuaga walked away with another clean game. Both teams feel more than satisfied with their first-round pick.

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Watch: Hell breaks loose between Texans and Jaguars after Trevor Lawerence hit

Azeez Al-Shaair has been ejected from Sunday’s contest after a late hit that knocked out Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawerence.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

It’s a war zone in Duval County entering halftime between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a late hit on a sliding Trevor Lawrence during the closing minutes of the second quarter. Lawrence lay sprawled out and needed immediate medical assistance.

That was only the start of the events. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram attacked Al-Shaair after the play, and the fight broke out near the Jaguars’ sidelines between both sides.

Several minutes after the brawl was eased, Lawrence was carted off and immediately ruled out with a head injury. After further review, Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones were ejected for starting the fight.

Here’s a look at the hit below.

After the disqualifications were announced, Al-Shaair, who has been the Texans’ top defensive leader, continued jawing with Jaguars players, including offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.

Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, defensive end Will Anderson Jr.,and running back Joe Mixon held their teammate back. Jacksonville fans hurled debris and jeers at Al-Shaair as he finally headed up the tunnel.

Al-Shaair knows better. It was an avoidable hit that should have never been in jeopardy once Lawrence began to slide. Even the most loyal of Texans’ fans can admit the hit deserved an ejection.

Al-Shaair can expect a fine from the league office and perhaps a suspension once Houston returns from its bye week to take on the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15.

Week 3’s Saints-Rams game puts two rookies into a pivotal matchup

Not many could have predicted how immediately productive Taliese Fuaga and Jared Verse would be, and now the two rookies face off in Week 13:

Last time we saw Taliese Fuaga, he was busy keeping the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, off the stat sheet. After the bye week, Fuaga gets to face fellow rookie Jared Verse. Verse isn’t anywhere near the household name Garrett is, but he’s played well

We previewed the matchup going into the season, but we couldn’t have predicted how well these players would have performed in their first season in NFL.

We circled the matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams rookies because it’s the only game Fuaga has against a first round edge rusher. Toss the rookie statuses out the window, and the game should still be anticipated.

Fuaga has the lowest pressure rate allowed by a rookie. In comparison, Verse has more pressures than any rookie. Let’s dive deeper. He is already warranting double teams. That hasn’t stopped Verse, however. His six pressures while being doubled are third highest among all pass rushers.

In this matchup, Fuaga will have to make sure his base is strong. Verse is a powerful rusher who does a good job converting speed to power in his pass rushes. Verse does a good job of knocking linemen backwards. A strong anchor and good hands will be imperative to Fuaga winning this powerful rookie showdown.

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Texans elevate veteran DL from practice squad for Titans game

The Texans are adding a player to the active roster before Sunday’s showdown against the Tennessee Titans.

With Foley Fatukaski out with a foot injury for Sunday’s matchup against the Tennesee Titans, the Houston Texans are upgrading their defensive line.

The Texans are elevating defensive tackle Tommy Togiai to the active roster from the practice squad, according to the team’s transaction wire.

Players can be elevated up to three times during the season without having to clear waivers to return to the practice squad. This will mark Togiai’s third and final elevation of the season, meaning the Texans would have to sign him to the active roster if he plans on playing again this year.

Over the past two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, Togiai has three tackles and one pass breakup on 52 defensive snaps. He’s played 35% of the available defensive playing time.

With a victory, Houston would improve to 4-0 in the AFC South for 2024, setting up a potential playoff-clinching scenario before the bye week next Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Titans vs. Texans injury report: Latest updates, news for Thursday

Here’s the injury report for Thursday’s practice as the Houston Texans prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans.

Here are the full injury reports for the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans ahead of their Week 12 matchup at NRG Stadium:

Tennessee Titans (2-8)

Did not practice

  • CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad)
  • OT Leroy Watson (back)
  • CB Roger McCreary (knee)
  • LB Jack Gibbens (ankle)
  • DB Justin Hardee (groin)
  • RB Tyjae Spears (concussion)

Limited participation 

N/A

Full practice

  • DT Sebastian Joseph-Day (biceps)
  • WR Calvin Ridley (illness)
  • LB Kenneth Murray (shoulder)
  • DL Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest)

Note: Simmons, Ridley, Joseph-Day and Murray all missed Wednesday’s practice.

Houston Texans (7-4)

Did not practice

  • DE Denico Autry (knee/oblique)
  • DT Folorunso Fatukasi (foot)
  • OT Blake Fisher (concussion)

Limited participation 

  • LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee)
  • DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle)
  • CB Derek Stingley Jr. (hip)

Full practice

  • CB Kamari Lassiter (concussion)

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Brandon Brown on Tyrone Tracy: ‘We knew there would be good return on investment’

New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown said the team had a feeling rookie RB Tyron Tracy Jr. would be a good return on their investment.

The New York Giants knew they might have found a gem in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft with Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tracy had an interesting college career beginning as a wide receiver at Iowa before transferring to Purdue and switching to running back.

As a result Tracy, who will turn 25 later this month, has had a lot of experience at the college level and is more mature than most rookies. He has hit the ground running (so to speak) and leads all NFL rookies in rushing with 545 yards.

Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown spoke about Tracy on The Athletic’s podcast, The Playcallers, recently and how the team vetted him from every possible angle.

“We knew there would be good return on investment at the point where we could get him because the marketplace would devalue him as an older player with a limited resume,” Brown said.

That limited resume, combined with the Giants’ intensive scouting of Tracy, allowed him to fall into the fifth round, where Big Blue selected him with the 166th overall pick.

The record for most yards by a Giants rookie is 1,307 by Saquon Barkley (2018). Tracy is not likely to get there with seven games remaining, but anything is possible.

Tracy’s recent fumble that cost the Giants a possible victory in Munich against the Carolina Panthers won’t preclude them from featuring him going forward. They know what they have.

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Giants impressed, pleased with 2024 NFL draft class

Despite their regular season struggles, the New York Giants have been both impressed and pleased with their 2024 NFL draft class.

The first 10 weeks of the New York Giants’ 2024 season are in the rearview mirror as they head into the bye. With a disappointing record of 2-8, there hasn’t been much that has gone right for Big Blue this year.

One of the few things that has been impressive is the team’s 2024 NFL draft class.

General manager Joe Schoen fielded questions from the media on Tuesday and talked about the early success of his most recent class.

“I like Tyler Nubin. He’s played well for us. He’s one of the only rookies playing 99 percent of the defensive playtime. He’s leading rookies in tackles. So, I’m excited about him,” Schoen said. “Tyrone Tracy, also leading rookies in terms of rushing. So, I’m excited about the young players that we have.

“The build’s tough. It hurts sometimes as you’re going through it. But, you got to go through it to get to the other side. I like the young foundation that we’ve put in place. Whether it’s (Brian) Burns, (Dexter Lawrence II) and Kayvon (Thibodeaux). There’s some pieces that are going to be in.”

Schoen then circled back around to his 2024 draft class.

“(Malik) Nabers, the rookies I talked about, Theo (Johnson). There’s some young pieces here in place in terms of the foundation that we’re going to continue to build on. Another year of free agency and another draft, we’re not far off. We’re not far off.”

At 2-8 in the third season of the Schoen-Brian Daboll regime, there are no guarantees that the general manager or head coach will be back.

However, Schoen’s 2024 draft class certainly has been impressive. He received criticism following the draft after being the only team not to draft an offensive or defensive lineman.

On offense, the Giants have the rookie rushing leader in Tracy and the rookie receiving yards leader in Nabers. Let’s not forget, Theo Johnson has seen an increased role in the offense as time has gone on. On the other side of the ball, Andru Phillips and Nubin have been noticeable in the secondary for the Giants.

With just three teams younger than the Giants at the start of the regular season, Schoen will continue to evaluate the roster in the final seven games. However, it does seem as though the 2024 draft class will go down as a win on his resume.

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