Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Not every TE has started fast, but a quartet of highly-drafted TEs are making huge marks as rookies
Tight end is typically one of the most difficult positions for players to transition from college to the NFL. From the increased receiving responsibilities to the different hashes and line splits, to the bigger/stronger defenders they’re required to block, it’s often a slow burn for even the top tight ends.
The draft class of 2023 has been a little different. Four rookie TEs, all drafted in a cluster between No. 25 and 42 overall, are off to flying starts in the NFL.
Ranking our 9 best rookies at the midway point of the season
As we review the first half of the season, we hand out midseason awards for the Commanders.
The 2023 NFL season is far from over, but last week was the midway point for the Washington Commanders. The Commanders improved to 4-5 after a 2-0 start, with a 20-17 win over the New England Patriots.
So, while it’s been a disappointing season overall for the Commanders, there have been bright spots. After Washington traded away starting edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young last week, the Commanders were clear the remainder of this season was about quarterback Sam Howell’s development.
As disappointing as the first half of this season has been, Washington remains only one game out of the NFC’s final wild-card spot.
Since we are at the midseason point, let’s review the first half and hand out our midseason awards.
Bryan Bresee’s midseason grade ranks high among 2023 first-round draft picks. The rookie defensive tackle has been exactly what the Saints hoped for:
This is good to see. Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon shared his midseason grades for every rookie picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and he’s got a positive review for New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.
Based off the first-year pro’s work so far, Risdon graded Bresee with a B, writing that:
“Bresee brings a lot of energy and activity to the Saints defensive front, though it’s not always pointed in the right direction. The pass rushing has been solid and ever-improving. If he learns to stay disciplined in the run game, Bresee is going to be a very useful player for a long time.”
Better harnessing that energy is something Allen has talked about with Bresee — emphasizing that the rookie needs to maintain a lower pad level and hold up stronger in run defense. Too often he gets moved off the line of scrimmage or pushed aside to open a running lane. But when Bresee is given the green light to get after the passer, he does a great job, and that’s largely why the Saints drafted him.
Just look at his stat line going into Week 10: 11 tackles (7 solo, 3 tackles for loss), 17 pressures (at Pro Football Focus) and 1.5 sacks, plus 5 passes defensed, which are the second-most by a rookie defensive lineman in Saints franchise history. Bresee is impacting passing plays even when he isn’t getting home to the quarterback.
He’s been exactly as impactful a defender as the Saints expected when they called his name on draft day. Let’s see if Bresee can keep this momentum going into the second half of his rookie season.
[lawrence-auto-related count=4]
Emmanuel Forbes was one of the NFL’s top defenders in Week 9.
Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes was not only back Sunday, but he also made a top-10 NFL list.
Forbes, you recall, struggled mightily against A.J. Brown and the Eagles in Week 4 and the Bears in Week 5. Thus, Forbes was forced to sit out vs the N.Y. Giants and learn through observation.
Sunday, the Commanders narrowly defeated the Patriots in New England, and it was Forbes who made some nice plays.
Forbes collected three solo tackles and, more importantly, defended two passes against the Patriots. They were the first official passes defended by Forbes since the Week 4 contest in Philadelphia against the Eagles.
The rookie from Mississippi State also jumped a route and nearly came up with an interception, but the offensive receiver appeared to commit pass interference on Forbes but was not flagged for the pass interference.
According to PFF, Forbes had such a good showing in the Week 9 contest that he graded out as the fifth-highest defender with an impressive 91.3 grade.
Here is the PFF Week 9 Top Ten Defenders List.
How are the first-round rookies doing at the halfway mark of their first seasons?
Every NFL team has now played eight games. While that’s technically not quite halfway through the 17-game schedule, it’s close enough to have a solid initial impression on the rookie class. Mid-term grade time!
It’s been an interesting ride for the first-rounders in the 2023 NFL draft through Week 9. Some have excelled, while others have struggled to transition from the college game for a variety of reasons.
The grade here is based on the performance of the player so far in the given circumstances, not the merit of the draft selection.
[lawrence-related id=648301]
4-Down Territory: Stroud vs. Young, Ravens at the top, coaches on the edge, Worst of the Week
The Panthers have signed CB Mark Milton to their practice squad.
The Carolina Panthers filled the remaining vacancy on their practice squad this morning.
As first reported by Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, the team has signed cornerback Mark Milton to the group. Milton now rounds out the current squad, accounting as the 16th player of the bunch.
The 6-foot-1, 186-pound defender first joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor University this past spring. He played four seasons in Waco for the Bears, totaling 97 combined tackles, eight passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble over 35 games.
Milton lasted through the summer in Charlotte and appeared in all three preseason games for the Panthers. He was in on 102 defensive snaps and 12 special teams snaps.
After getting lost in the shuffle during Carolina’s cutdown to their initial 53-man roster, Milton would eventually land with the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 3. He was then released this past Monday to make room for cornerback Parry Nickerson.
[lawrence-related id=684213,684208,684204]
Social media agrees this is a good trade for the Commanders.
The Washington Commanders traded defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears Tuesday, ahead of the NFL trade deadline. In return, Washington receives Chicago’s second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which, if the season ended today, would be No. 35 overall.
The Commanders long wanted to retain Sweat, but the change in ownership delayed any chances at a potential long-term deal. Rather than losing Sweat for a compensatory third-round selection in 2025, Washington agreed to trade Sweat, guaranteeing compensation in 2024.
Compensatory selections are not guaranteed. If the Commanders spent a specific amount in free agency in 2024, it could cancel any compensatory pick Washington would receive in 2025, making this an excellent move for the Commanders and new owner Josh Harris.
What did social media think of the trade? Here are some of the best reactions to the Sweat trade.
In a re-draft at DraftWire, the Jaguars went a different direction with the No. 27 overall pick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars moved down twice in April and still landed their guy, Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison, with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But would they do it again?
At DraftWire, they did a do-over of the first round after the first eight weeks of the 2023 season. With the Jaguars still picking 27th (they were originally set to pick 24th), they landed Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright instead in the re-draft. Harrison wasn’t selected at all in the first round.
In the real draft, Wright was selected 10th overall by the Chicago Bears. His 66.1 grade on Pro Football Focus is No. 1 among rookie linemen who have played at least half their team’s offensive snaps so far. Harrison has a 56.9 grade.
It’s not exactly a whiff for the Jaguars, though, as Wright was never on the board for them in the first place. However, Jacksonville passed on Ohio State’s Dawand Jones a few times before he was picked by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 111 selection in the fourth round.
In the DraftWire re-draft, Jones was taken sixth overall by the Arizona Cardinals. In his first seven career games, Jones has allowed two sacks and 12 pressures.
With the power of hindsight, the Jaguars probably could’ve waited a bit to get a quality right tackle a bit later. The quick improvements Harrison is making as a rookie should give them plenty of confidence they didn’t make a bad choice, though.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
