Category: NFL news

Houston Texans select Houston OT Patrick Paul with the 55th overall pick. Grade: B+

The Texans went hometown with the addition of Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul, one of the more adept pass-blockers in this class.

Well, the Texans didn’t have to travel far to get a good look at Houston left tackle Patrick Paul, and Paul is a nice addition to a roster that’s nearly Super Bowl-ready at this point. With Laremy Tunsil manning the left side, it’s likely that Paul will move to the right side, Paul didn’t play a single snap of right tackle in his five years with the Cougars, but he has the athletic flexibility to do different things. Paul isn’t a pure power guy, but he’s one of the more adept technical pass-blockers in this class.  

Patrick Paul was a three-star recruit out of Jersey Village High School in Houston, Texas, and he went with his hometown school with few other offers. He became a full-time player in 2021, his third season with the Cougars, and by then, he had developed his pass-blocking acumen to an impressive degree. Last season, he allowed one sack, one quarterback hit, and seven quarterback hurries in 496 pass-blocking attempts. Any team with a pass-heavy offense will love him; the question with Paul is whether he has that dawg in him to use his frame to dominate opposing defenders when it’s time to run to daylight.

PLUSES

— Outstanding combination of size (6′ 7½”, 332), arm length, and technique. Paul comes off the plane just looking like a left tackle.

— Has a natural kick-step that allows him to control the arc with his feet under him. Not a ton of wasted movement.

— Paul is really good at catching aggressive pass-rushers who want to displace him by shoving him through the numbers.

— Not a lot of issues with games and stunts; Paul is an aware player with his head on a swivel.

— Has a decent sense of when to attack with his hands; I’d like to see more of that when he hits the NFL, though that’s a personal preference.

MINUSES

— Quick movement outside with his first step might leave him more vulnerable to inside and spin moves at the NFL level. Recovery speed is more decent than spectacular

— For a guy with his agility, Paul’s hit rate outside and upfield is an issue; he needs to work on attacking moving targets.

— Small hands (9⅜”, third-percentile among offensive tackles) may affect his ability to latch on and dominate in power situations.

— Needs some work in the run game to work quickly to seal the edge. You see it once in a while, but he can be a bit of a spectator when you want an alpha dog.

— Overall, I would love to see Paul get defenders on the track more often and just drive them off the screen, because he has the physical potential to do so.

If your preference is for a glass-eating, ass-kicking tackle, Paul will probably not be your favorite. I like him as a big, agile pass-protector with most everything you need in that department. In offenses where pass pro is the order of the day, he’ll be a fine developmental starter. More balanced teams might look at him a bit sideways.

Eagles select Houston Christian University LB Jalyx Hunt with the No. 94 overall pick

Eagles select Jalyx Hunt with the No. 94 overall pick

Howie Roseman is restocking the Eagles’ defense and landed an under the radar linebacker who started his collegiate career at the safety position.

After making multiple Day 2 trades, Philadelphia selected Houston Christian University Jalyx Hunt with the 94th pick.

A converted safety that transferred to Houston Christian from Cornell, Hunt stands 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, and runs a 4.64 40-yard dash.

With Brandon Graham retiring next off-season, and Josh Sweat a free agent, Hunt gives the Eagles athletic and versatile prospect.

Washington Commanders select Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’zhan) Newton with the 36th overall pick. Grade: A+

The Washington Commanders got the best defensive tackle in this class in Johnny Newton, and Dan Quinn will unleash hell with him.

Newton was my best defensive tackle in this class, and one of the defensive players. I know that some teams were worried about the Jones fracture in his foot, but he played through it last season and still destroyed just about every offensive lineman he faced. New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is one of the NFL’s most creative minds in terms of defensive line deployment and scheme (Quinn’s Cowboys led the league in stunts last season), and this match of team and player had the potential to be absolutely incendiary. 

A three-star recruit from Clearwater Central High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jer’Zhan Newton (who has since changed his first name to Johnny) chose Illinois under head coach Lovie Smith over several other programs, and excelled under defensive coordinator Aaron Henry in a defense that has recently put a lot of talent in the NFL, including Seattle Seahawks 2023 first-round cornerback Devon Witherspoon and Philadelphia Eagles 2023 safety Sydney Brown.

In 2023, his fourth year on the field with the Fighting Illini, Newton totaled eight sacks, seven quarterback hits, 28 quarterback hurries, 32 stops, and 33 solo tackles, At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds (unofficial), Newton can disrupt just fine inside, but he also saw 25% of his snaps last season either over or outside the tackles, and he brings an interesting set of techniques to foil blockers on the edge.

Newton should be seen as among the best interior defensive linemen in this draft class, though he can do much more. He did not work out at the combine due to a Jones fracture in his foot — which he played through the second half of his junior season… which makes his 2023 tape all the more impressive.

PLUSES

— Capable of pressure from every gap; spends most of his time at 3-tech, but he’s a disruptor all over the place.

— Gets skinny through gaps like a running back would; gets it done with more than just pass-rush moves.

— Violent with his hands to push through blocks with ridiculous speed — Hits the edge with burst around the turn; can beat tackles with edge techniques.

— Can run multiple gaps at the snap and has good vision to penetrate.

MINUSES

— Size deficits (6′ 1⅝, 304) show up when he’s doubled and can’t break free.

— Slides will have him lost in the wash and trying to recover at times.

— Needs to be less upright off the snap more often; that’s where he loses leverage.

I’ve always had a bias for smaller defensive tackles who can move around. Newton could wind up being another one of those Geno Atkins-style agitators if he gets his leverage together and devises strategies to beat double teams. Overall, about as fun a player to watch as I’ve seen in this draft class.

Roger Goodell endorses 18-game NFL regular season

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would love to see the Super Bowl on the Sunday of Presidents’ Day weekend

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday. He voiced an opinion that players might dislike but fans would approve.

Goodell said the league is good with a 17=game regular season … for now.

However, he has no use for preseason games and said he would like for there to be two of them with the regular season expanding to 18 games.

The idea would be to add another bye week into the schedule — a second one — and push the Super Bowl back a week.

If that happened, the NFL Championship Game would take place on the Sunday of Presidents’ Day weekend.

And that Monday would be a holiday for many people.

Football fans — and anyone who watches the game — would be thrilled to have that Monday off to recover.

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With the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr., a wide receiver out of LSU, will look to help the Jaguars improve on last season’s run which included a 9-8 regular season record.

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Jordan Morgan Green Bay Packers jersey: How to buy Jordan Morgan NFL jersey

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With the No. 25 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Green Bay Packers have selected Jordan Morgan.

Morgan, a tackle out of Arizona, will look to help the Packers improve on last season’s run which ended with a 9-8 regular season record.

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Amarius Mims Bengals jersey: How to buy Amarius Mims NFL jersey

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With the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals have selected Amarius Mims.

Mims, a tackle out of Georgia, will look to help the Bengals improve on last season’s run which ended with a 9-8 regular season record.

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Byron Murphy II Seahawks jersey: How to buy Byron Murphy II NFL jersey

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With the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Seattle Seahawks have selected Byron Murphy II.

Murphy II, a defensive tackle out of Texas, will look to help the Seahawks improve on last season’s run which ended with a 9-8 regular season record.

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With the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the New Orleans Saints have selected Taliese Fuaga.

Fuaga, a tackle out of Oregon State, will look to help the Saints improve on last season’s run which ended with a 9-8 regular season record.

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Detroit Lions select Alabama CB Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick. Grade: A

Alabama CB Terrion Arnold is the perfect cornerback for the Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The Lions don’t have a ton of needs, but cornerback was obviously one. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has had to work in defensive schemes he’d rather not have to because of the talent he had (or didn’t have), but there’s a reason the Lions traded up with the Cowboys to get here. Arnold is perhaps the best man/match cornerback in this class, and he will erase receivers in press coverage. That’s a big win for Glenn, and for the Lions. 

A four-star recruit out of John Paul II High in Tallahassee, Florida, Arnold was a football and basketball star in high school, and at one point was convinced that basketball was his primary sporting avenue before Charlie Ward, who had a similar dual profile at Florida State and was Arnold’s high school basketball coach, convinced him to stick it out. It was the wise choice, as Arnold committed to Alabama over offers from Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Penn State and Texas A&M.

Arnold locked things down quite nicely for the Crimson tide last season. He allowed 41 receptions on 79 targets for 441 yards, 250 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 50.7. Arnold can play just about any route really well, though he’ll need some development on quick, angular routes when he’s in off coverage. When he’s in press, good luck getting anything by him.

PLUSES

— Outstanding man/match corner with step-for-step ability and excellent ball skills to catch and break up passes all over the field

— Hyper-aggressive playing personality when it comes to timing the ball; he thinks it’s more his than yours if you throw it in his area

— Short-area agility and transition speed make him a real pain in tight coverage

— Love him in press coverage where he’s velcroed to the receiver all the way though

— Has an great sense of how to disrupt receivers off the line, which is crucial in today’s NFL with so much quick game

MINUSES

— Had a bad stretch mid-season where Tennessee and Arkansas just killed him with comebacks

— Can be a step late to diagnose and react; you’d like to see him get going just a hair quicker at times

— Grabby at times, which NFL officials might ding him on based on their own competence (ha)

— Needs to work on closing to the target in off coverage

The dings are minor here, though I think that Arnold would be better in a defense with more press coverage than not if you want him to be a Day 1 alpha.