Tag: Alex Forsyth

1 iOL prospect for the Colts in each round of NFL draft

Taking a look at the best C/G prospects for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts are closing in on the 2023 NFL draft where they likely will use a number of their picks to address the offensive line.

One of the biggest needs that remain throughout the offseason is the interior offensive line. While Quenton Nelson holds down the left guard spot, center Ryan Kelly was the subject of trade rumors, and the right guard position currently doesn’t have a projected starter.

There are still some free agents the Colts could target for the right guard position, but we should expect them to dive heavily into the draft class next weekend.

For the purpose of covering both centers and guards, we proposed a “best prospect fit” for each position in each round.

Following this series of articles, we’ve also looked at these positions:

We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.

Here’s a look at one guard and one center prospect who fit the Colts in each round of the draft:

Commanders continue to evaluate interior offensive linemen

Washington uses another top-30 visit on an offensive lineman.

The Washington Commanders continue to evaluate offensive linemen ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

At the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl, assistant offensive line coach Travelle Wharton was one of four Washington coaches to coach a position in the game. That gave Wharton a chance to evaluate several linemen.

Washington used almost half of its 45 formal visits on offensive linemen at the NFL combine. Now, the Commanders are busy using multiple top-30 visits on offensive linemen. Ohio State’s Dawand Jones and Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence have scheduled visits to Ashburn.

We can add another offensive lineman to the top-30 visit list for Washington, per Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network. UCLA Atonio Mafi is the latest name to emerge as a visitor.

Mafi, 6-foot-4, 355 pounds, played in 56 career games for the Bruins. He began his career as a defensive tackle before moving over to offense in 2020. He became a full-time starter in 2021 and an all-Pac-12 performer in 2022.

Mafi is viewed as a sleeper in the upcoming draft. Washington and at least three other teams have scheduled visits with Mafi. In Mafi and Torrence, the Commanders are clearly looking for massive guards. Both stand at least 6-foot-4 and weight at least 330 pounds.

In addition to Mafi, Fowler noted that the Commanders had an informal meeting with Oregon center Alex Forsyth.

The 6-foot-4, 303-pound Forsyth is viewed as a natural fit for a zone-blocking scheme at the next level. Forsyth played five seasons at Oregon and was a three-year starter.

Assessing Alex Forsyth’s performance at the 2023 NFL Combine

Alex Forsyth received strong NFL combine scores despite a hamstring injury limiting his on-field performance on Sunday.

It makes sense that they’re saving the big boys for the final day of the 2023 NFL Combine. While a lot of people like to tune in and watch the quarterbacks and wide receivers work and check out the defensive backs who make the highlight plays, it is often the men up front in the trenches who have some of the biggest impacts on the game.

For the Oregon Ducks, there will be a lot to watch on Sunday in Indianapolis, with three of the six former players taking the field. Alex Forsyth, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, and T.J. Bass are all going through drills and working to up their draft stock ahead of April.

Here is our breakdown of everything that Forsyth was able to do on Sunday at the combine, despite tweaking his hamstring and being limited in a few drills.

Browns Draft: Oregon Alex Forsyth a day three center to watch

The Oregon product would be a good fit in Cleveland.

The center position for the Cleveland Browns went through major changes last season after the team cut veteran J.C. Tretter. They went into training camp with Nick Harris as the starter before he tore his ACL and Ethan Pocic stepped in and played at a high level. The team will try to retain Pocic however even if they do they might turn to the 2023 NFL Draft for depth or a starter down the road.

If they look to the draft on day three a prospect that would be a great fit for the Browns is Oregon center, Alex Forsyth. Forysth checks in at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds and played at both guards spots before settling in at center in 2020 for the Ducks. Andrew Berry has shown he values players like Forsyth that can play multiple positions making him an even better fit.

A center with a high football IQ that is the true quarterback of the offensive line calling out protections and changes at the line. He has great athleticism and moves well in space as a pulling player and climbs to the second level well too. He lacks elite lower strength to block players on the ground but is still an effective run blocker.

Against the great Georgia defensive line to open the 2022 season he held his own and looked great despite the score. Forysth might not go until the later rounds but he is an intriguing prospect that under Bill Callahan may turn into a nice starter in the NFL.

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Browns add dynamic playmakers and future assets in 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The Browns rebuild the defensive line adding playmakers.

The defensive line for the Cleveland Browns needs a massive makeover as well as finding a way to make the offense more of a threat vertically. There are some nice veteran defensive linemen to raise the basement of the roster in free agency though wide receiver talent will need to come in the 2023 NFL Draft or via trade.

The Browns also need to look at the fact that they do not have a ton of draft assets in 2024 when evaluating possible trade-down and up scenarios. Let’s check out how they could fill all the major needs in this Browns mock draft with trades.

 

All the Ducks to be honored at Oregon’s senior night vs. Utah

This senior class has seen it all, both the good and the not-so-good during their time in Eugene. Here’s who is getting honored Saturday night.

It goes by so quickly.

When a 17 or 18-year-old signs on the dotted line and commits to a school, the last thing they’re thinking about is Senior Night. It seems so far away at the time and then before they know it, they’re preparing for one last game inside Autzen Stadium.

This group of seniors has seen it all in Eugene with several ups and downs. Some have played in Oregon’s last Rose Bowl, most have gone through the pandemic season and played for a couple of Pac-12 titles.

The Ducks are hoping there’s one more possible conference championship in them. Oregon needs to win out in order to pull it off, but with the adversity they’ve gone through, one shouldn’t put anything past these Ducks.

Here is the senior class that will be making their last appearance on the Oregon sideline in front of 56,000 of their biggest fans.

Injury Report: Updated news for Oregon Ducks ahead of game vs Utah

The Ducks got banged up against Washington on Saturday, and could potentially be without a few key pieces this weekend against Utah.

Obviously, no one wants to see a player go down with an injury, but when Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was being helped off the field after a hit to the knee, you could hear a pin drop inside Autzen Stadium.

The fate of the Oregon Ducks football season could rest on Nix’s knee. They need him to play. It would be the difference between a possible Pac-12 title with a trip to the Rose Bowl and an appearance in the Sun Bowl.

When asked in his Monday press conference, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning didn’t give specifics, but he said he felt better about the situation than he did Saturday night.

Besides Nix, a few other Ducks were banged up during the 37-34 loss to Washington. The Ducks don’t offer an official injury report each and every week, so we tried to compile some information from what we’ve seen and heard this week at practice and interviews.

Dan Lanning offers cryptic injury update for QB Bo Nix, multiple starting offensive linemen

Lanning was asked about the health of QB Bo Nix. He gave a guarded answer, but hinted at some positive news that was received on that front.

The potential high ceiling for the Oregon Ducks’ 2022 season was thrown into question on Saturday night when quarterback Bo Nix went down with an apparent knee injury in the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies.

Nix sat out a drive while getting checked out by trainers in the medical tent, but he went back in for the Ducks’ final drive, though it was too late for a comeback victory.

Nix did not meet with media members after the game, so it wasn’t until Monday night that we gained any clarity on his injury. If that’s what you call what head coach Dan Lanning gave us during his weekly press conference.

“I’m not going to share really any update with anyone,” Lanning said. “We came away dinged in that game. I will say that I feel lot more positive today getting to hear some news on where things are at right now.”

Of course, the question was about updates for Nix as well as starting center Alex Forsyth, and starting right guard Ryan Walk. It’s impossible to say whether or not supposed positive news was or any individual in particular, or the group at large.

“I’m feeling better about our health this week,” Lanning again stated later in the interview.

Whether that means that all three starters are good to go and will play vs. No. 10 Utah on Saturday or not is up for question, but we will learn more on Tuesday when media members get a chance to see a portion of practice.

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Total of 5 Oregon Ducks named to Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

A total of five Oregon Ducks have been placed on the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list ahead of the season.

With less than a week until the 2022 college football season getting off the ground, one of the more anticipated watch lists for the nation’s veteran players has been released.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list features 484 players who deserve to be focused on ahead of next year’s 2023 NFL Draft. It is a compilation of the “best of the best” draft prospects who will be eligible to play in the annual Senior Bowl after the season is over, giving them arguably the biggest stage — aside from the NFL Combine — to showcase their skills and offer NFL teams a chance to evaluate them.

While the Oregon Ducks are a young team, there is a handful of guys who made the list, five in total. Here’s who is on the watch list.

Adrian Klemm describes ‘comfort’ that positional flexibility brings the offensive line

The Ducks’ offensive line is experienced and versatile. That brings comfort and flexibility for the offense, says Adrian Klemm.

On a roster filled with newcomers at several key positions, including quarterback, a big saving grace for the 2022 Oregon Ducks is the experience on the offensive line.

Alex Forsyth returns at the pivot position in the middle, ready to once again compete for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.

The rest of the (projected) starting line includes redshirt junior Steven Jones, senior transfer T.J. Bass, redshirt senior Ryan Walk, and redshirt transfer senior Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.

So while experience (and to some degree continuity) is a big benefit for this group of linemen, the unit also features a ton of positional flexibility which should help them in the short and long term.

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“We have a good idea on what position best suits them,” new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said. “But there’s always a positive outcome when you have position flexibility, when you have some mobility. It’s not something I like to do within a game, but it’s comforting, especially for the offense coordinator to know that guys are capable of doing certain things.”

Oregon is heading into the season with a new head coach and new coordinators on offense and defense, so versatility and flexibility are no doubt crucial elements for everyone on the roster as they try to put the pieces together to get the most successful results in year one.

However, Klemm is weary of trying to push these guys without giving them the proper opportunity to work on the nuances of each different spot along the offensive line in practice first.

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“You never want to throw a guy in there during the game that hasn’t taken any reps at that position,” Klemm stated. “They kind of blame the kid and say, ‘Oh, he’s not doing a good job.’ If you haven’t given him an opportunity to kind of hone his craft, and to do that in practice, then you can’t expect them to have success in the game.”

With just a few weeks until the season opener against Georgia, Klemm will be working hard to have each of the guys ready to work at least at one spot up front. However, the more spots each guy can contribute the more dynamic this offensive unit will be this season.

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