Tag: 2018 NFL Draft

Ravens HC John Harbaugh comments on development of Dolphins DE Zach Sieler

John Harbaugh has high praise for Miami Dolphins DE Zach Sieler

While speaking to the media on the Friday ahead of the Baltimore Ravens game against the Miami Dolphins with the AFC’s No. 1 seed on the line, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked about the development of 2018 Baltimore draft pick and current Dolphins defensive end Zach Sieler.

“I’m going to tell you straight up – [Zach Sieler’s] exactly the player that I thought he was going to be,” Harbaugh said. He was a [dang] good player when he was here. [He’s] physical, tough, and he’s playing that way but better because he’s been further along in his career. He’s strong. He’s twitchy. He gets off blocks [and] presses the pocket. He’s a very good football player, and he’s everything you want in a football player. He’s tough, and he shows up every day.”

Sieler was drafted by the Ravens in the seventh round with the No. 238 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft — former Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome’s final pick before stepping down and handing the reigns over to Eric DeCosta in 2019.

Sieler was waived by the Ravens in December of the 2019 season and was claimed off waivers the following day by Miami. Sieler signed a three-year contract extension in 2020 with the Dolphins and another three-year extension in 2023.

During his time with Miami, Sieler has accumulated 239 total tackles, 18.5 sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 13 passes defended, and one defensive touchdown.

Former Sooner wins NFC Offensive Player of the Week

Former Oklahoma star and Heisman winner wins Offensive Player of the Week award in the NFL.

Former Oklahoma Sooners legend and now Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield had a historic day against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Mayfield and the NFC South-leading Buccaneers went into Lambeau Field and came out with a 34-20 win.

He finished 22 of 28 (78.6%) for 381 yards and four touchdowns. Mayfield recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3, which was the first time a visiting quarterback had ever accomplished the feat. He was only the second quarterback to do it at Lambeau Field joining former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.

That kind of day earned Mayfield NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Mayfield’s NFL career hasn’t gone according to plan. After being drafted No. 1 overall in the [autotag]2018 NFL Draft[/autotag], he has played for four teams. But he may have found his home in Tampa Bay.

He’s completing 63.5% of his passes which is the second-best in his career. His 94.7 passer rating is also the second-best passer rating of his career. He’s on track to throw for the most touchdowns and yards of his career as well.

Now, he’s on a one-year deal right now and they still have work to do to make the playoffs but if he keeps this up, the Buccaneers may have found their franchise quarterback.

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Oklahoma Sooners legend named guest picker for ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’

A Sooner legend is returning to the Cotton Bowl to be the celebrity picker for ESPN’s College Gameday.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will meet for the 119th time on Saturday in Dallas at the [autotag]Cotton Bowl[/autotag]. Both teams enter unbeaten for the first time since 2011.

The eyes of the nation will be on this game as it will have several national implications. ESPN’s “College GameDay” announced earlier this week they would also be in attendance.

If you haven’t followed the show, the show always ends with the analysts picking several games across college football before Lee Corso puts on the headgear of the team he thinks will win the game they’re onsite for.

One of the pickers is usually a celebrity representing the home team. So, that had people wondering who would be the picker for OU-Texas. Would it be someone for Texas or would it be someone for Oklahoma?

We have that answer. [autotag]ESPN’s “College GameDay[/autotag]” announced on social media the guest picker will be none other than the man who grew up in Austin, Texas, but as a diehard Sooner fan, [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag].

Mayfield played for Oklahoma from 2015-2017. During that time, he was 2-1 against the Longhorns. He was also a Heisman finalist in 2016 and won the award in 2017. He has several Oklahoma and Big 12 records to his name as well.

After being drafted No. 1 overall in the [autotag]2018 NFL draft[/autotag], it’s been a rocky road for Mayfield in the NFL. He has had some great highs, such as setting the rookie touchdown passing record and also leading the Cleveland Browns to its first playoff win since 1994 in 2020.

Now Mayfield is playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is off to a great start. The team was picked to be one of the worst in the NFL, but it is 3-1 and in first place in the NFC South.

Mayfield is completing 69.6% of his passes for 882 yards, seven touchdowns and only two interceptions. The Bucs are on a bye this week, which gave Mayfield a perfect opportunity to make the trip to see his Sooners.

I don’t think there’s any question who he will be picking to win the game on Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Giants select QB Lamar Jackson in 2018 NFL re-draft

In a 2018 NFL re-draft, the New York Giants pass on RB Saquon Barkley and instead select QB Lamar Jackson.

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The New York Giants held the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft and — depending on who you ask — fumbled it when they used it to take Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

Many Giants fans will dispute that, but when presented with a possible ‘re-draft’ scenario, would have done something different with the pick.

In Bleacher Report’s latest 2018 re-draft, analyst Gary Davenport sees the Giants selecting Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson at No. 2 overall.

This one is actually tough. Saquon Barkley has been a great player at times for the Giants over five seasons. Quarterback Daniel Jones, whom the Giants drafted sixth overall the following year, teamed with Barkley to lead the G-Men to the postseason in 2022.

Still, you just don’t pass on drafting an MVP quarterback like Lamar Jackson.

Since that magical season in 2019 when he rushed for a quarterback single-season record 1,206 yards and led the league with 36 touchdown passes, Jackson has been unable to duplicate those gaudy numbers. He has also missed substantial time in each of the past two seasons. But he’s the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years and one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league.

That Jackson’s No. 1 receiver in New York in 2018 would have been Odell Beckham Jr. is proof that time is a flat circle.

This is a tough call because both players have been beset by injuries in their careers and many would say neither is worth the second pick.

Part of Jackson’s lure is that he wasn’t taken that high (No. 32 overall by Baltimore) which added to his initial value. Taking him second overall back then would have been controversial and panned by the fans.

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Colts select OT Orlando Brown Jr. in 2018 re-draft

In Bleacher Report’s re-draft of the 2018 class, the Colts opted for an offensive tackle.

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The 2018 NFL draft helped put the Indianapolis Colts back on the map for a few seasons as a contending team in the AFC, but how different might it look if the class underwent a re-draft?

Bleacher Report conducted the exercise of re-drafting the first round of the 2018 draft. The Colts held the No. 3 overall pick and then traded it to the New York Jets for the No. 6 overall pick and several other selections.

Though the Colts took three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in 2018, he was taken one spot ahead of them in this re-draft. Instead, they pivot to finding their left tackle of the future.

The Pick Then: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

The Pick Now: Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Oklahoma

The Indianapolis Colts don’t have an opportunity to select Quenton Nelson in this re-draft. But they still have an opportunity here to bolster the offensive line at what most would argue is a more valuable position.

Brown hasn’t quite had the career Nelson has, but he’s not exactly cat food, either. In five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and now the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown has been named to the Pro Bowl four times. PFF’s Gordon McGuinness recently slotted him as the NFL’s 14th-best offensive tackle.

“Brown has developed into a high-floor NFL player, with his PFF grade sitting between 73.0 and 78.0 in each of the past four seasons,” McGuinness wrote. “Five seasons into his NFL career, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever be a top-10 tackle. But at the very worst, he is a more-than-capable starting player on the left side.”

That may not sound like the most glowing of recommendations. But in today’s NFL, a “more-than-capable” left tackle is absolutely worth a top-10 pick.

Brown would be an interesting choice for the Colts. It certainly would have answered the question as to who the successor to Anthony Castonzo would be considering the latter eventually would retire following the 2020 season. But it also is fair to question whether Brown would have sat for three seasons behind Castonzo.

Another current Colts player selected in the 2018 draft was taken in this re-draft. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard was originally the No. 36 overall pick in this draft, but he went No. 12 overall to the Buffalo Bills.

Other players the Colts could have considered in this re-draft would be safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, cornerback Denzel Ward, offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and safety Derwin James, to name a few.

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Panthers miss out on DJ Moore, take Pro Bowl pass rusher in 2018 re-draft

A recent 2018 re-draft has the Panthers pairing up Brian Burns with an old pal.

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An NFL analyst has finally found a way to get the Carolina Panthers and Brian Burns another standout pass rusher! But they’ll just need a time machine to do it.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently realigned the 2018 NFL draft. Instead of grabbing University of Maryland wide receiver DJ Moore, who was swiped by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 16 in this redo, the Panthers grabbed Florida State University defensive end Josh Sweat with the 24th overall pick:

Like the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers struggled rushing the passer in 2018, checking in 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks. It’s one of the reasons why they drafted Brian Burns with the 16th overall pick the following season.

This time, the Panthers will have a running mate ready for him.

Originally a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2018, it took Josh Sweat a while to get going. He played sparingly as a rookie and posted only 10 sacks over his first three NFL seasons. But in 2021, the lightbulb came on, and he finished with 45 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl.

In 2022, that lightbulb turned up the brightness to blinding. Sweat logged career-bests in both tackles (48) and sacks (11) on Philly’s way to the Super Bowl.

Sweat, Burns’ old Seminole teammate from 2016 and 2017, also posted career-bests in stops (32) and quarterback hits (23). He, additionally, got his highest Pro Football Focus grades in overall defense (86.6) and in pass rushing (82.1).

Wait, so does this mean the Panthers would eventually have to trade Sweat in the package for the first overall pick of the 2023 draft . . . ?

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27 Days, 27 Picks: DT Vita Vea

Our next entry in the 27 Days, 27 Picks series is the first Jason Licht first-rounder to get a major contract extension since Mike Evans in 2014:

In 27 Days, 27 Picks, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.

GM Jason Licht had a pretty decent string of picks in the first round from 2018-20, selecting three players that would help him get a Super Bowl ring. The first of those players, drafted in 2018, was DT Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea — but most people just call him Vita.

Check out our 27 Days, 27 Picks rundown on [autotag]Vita Vea[/autotag] below:

Giants’ Joe Schoen: Dave Gettleman refused to trade No. 2 in 2018 NFL draft

Ex-Giants GM Dave Gettleman had offers for the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL draft but refused to budge, eventually taking Saquon Barkley.

Ever since the New York Giants’ controversial selection of Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, there have been rumors that Dave Gettleman did not even field calls from other teams inquiring about the pick.

Now, years later, with Gettleman’s Giants tenure in the rearview mirror, current general manager, Joe Schoen, has shed some light on that situation.

Schoen was, of course, part of the Buffalo Bills’ front office at the time. This week, while appearing on Peter Schrager’s podcast ‘The Season,’ he discussed the 2018 draft process and the Giants being a potential trade partner.

“We were at No. 21 and No. 22 when the season ended,” Schoen recalled. “We had Kansas City’s pick, too, and we used Cordy Glenn, who we traded to Cincinnati, to swap No. 21 to No. 12 and that got us within range. But again, we were trying to move up. We couldn’t move to No. 1 — Dorsey wouldn’t trade No. 1, Dave Gettleman wouldn’t trade No. 2, No. 3 was the Jets and they weren’t going to trade with us. They made a move early on with the Colts.

“We were actually literally working out Josh, snapping the ball to Josh at Wyoming and I get this update on my Apple watch and it said the Jets traded with the Colts and I’m just like, ‘ugh’ and they get No. 3. We hadn’t met with the guys yet so we weren’t in a position to move up because we had to make sure there was someone we actually liked.”

As much as people would like to believe Gettleman was not fielding any offers for the second overall pick, it’s important to keep in mind that he may just not have been comfortable enough to move as far back as 12th overall where the Bills were sitting.

Barkley may win Comeback Player of the Year this season but in the minds of many, nothing he does will ever be good enough to warrant the second overall pick being spent on a running back.

The irony, however, is that Schoen now intends on keeping Barkley with the Giants long-term.

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Not shocking: B/R grades Bills’ 2018 draft class an ‘A-plus’

Not shocking: B/R grades #Bills’ 2018 draft class an ‘A’

The Buffalo Bills landed a franchise quarterback at the 2018 NFL draft…and a QB for their defense as well.

Hard to imagine the team getting any other mark than an A-plus for the 2018 NFL draft haul… and that’s exactly what happened via Bleacher Report.

The Bills used their two first rounders at the draft on quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Allen is undoubtedly a top-tier signal caller now. He has been a MVP favorite for the past few years and might have his name on the award in 2022.

Edmunds, like Allen, had the fifth-year option picked up on his rookie deal… and while he waits for his long-term extension, Edmunds was recently named a top-10 linebacker in the NFL by his peers.

Not to mention, the team made numerous other positive selections at that draft, including cornerback Taron Johnson and offensive lineman Wyatt Teller.

Check out what B/R had to say about Buffalo’s 2018 rookie class below:

The Buffalo Bills took the ultimate gamble on Josh Allen and have been rewarded handsomely for their patience.

Allen has flourished into one of the most devastatingly effective offensive weapons of this era with his elite athleticism and incredible arm talent. It took time for Allen to hone his craft, but the Bills’ strong infrastructure helped him take a massive leap in 2020.

What makes this draft close to perfect for Buffalo was its continued ability to unearth quality talent into Day 3. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is a productive and versatile linebacker who has totaled at least 108 tackles in each of his four seasons. He already has two Pro Bowls under his belt and is only 24 years old.

Defensive backs Taron Johnson and Siran Neal are underrated in their roles as well. Johnson is a premier slot defender who emerged in 2019 when given the opportunity to play more. Neal has helped on special teams more than on defense and re-signed on a three-year deal this offseason.

It’s also notable that Buffalo picked guard Wyatt Teller in the fifth round. Teller lasted only one season in Buffalo before being traded to Cleveland and blossoming into a Pro Bowler. Although the Bills whiffed on their decision to trade Teller, they correctly evaluated him as a future starter.

Grade: A+

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