Tag: Brady Christensen

Panthers coach Matt Rhule: Brady Christensen has ‘four-position flexibility’

According to Joe Person at the Athletic, coach Matt Rhule says the team believes that Christensen can play up to four spots.

The most important pick the Panthers made in the 2021 NFL draft may have come in the third round when they moved up a few spots to pick BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen. Christensen is coming off a magnificent junior season that earned him the highest Pro Football Focus grade for an offensive tackle ever after he allowed only three pressures all year.

If Christensen turns out to be Carolina’s franchise left tackle, he may help the Panthers compete in the long run more than any other rookie. That’s far from a guarantee though, especially given the concerns about Christensen’s size compared to most pros at the position. Even if it doesn’t work out on the blindside, Christensen should be able settle in somewhere. The Panthers certainly believe that he will, anyway.

According to Joe Person at the Athletic, coach Matt Rhule says the team believes that Christensen can play up to four spots.

“We thought he was a guy who could play tackle but also would be an elite guard. Whether he can snap or not and has the ability to make those calls, that’s what these camps are for. But we saw him as a guy that had four-position flexibility.”

Person reports that Christensen will get a look at every position up front with the possible exception of center.

If this sounds a little familiar, it’s because the Panthers tried something similar with Greg Little after the team traded up for him in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. So far, Little has appeared in just 14 games due to injuries and has not impressed either at tackle or guard. PFF gave Little a 44.1 overall grade last season.

Hopefully things go better for Christensen. Until the Panthers have a proven option at this spot, they’ll need to keep looking.

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Watch: Panthers 2021 draft class get their life-changing calls

Panthers: Watch 2021 NFL draft class get their life-changing calls

Between their franchise-record five trades and 11 total draft picks, the Carolina Panthers might’ve had the busiest phone lines in the NFL this past weekend. They also might’ve had the most entertaining ones as well.

After ringing up their first selection Jaycee Horn, someone who should be particularly familiar with cell-phone usage, on Thursday night, the team’s brass had 10 more calls to make. And although we haven’t gone through each of the 31 other clubs’ conversations with their newest players, we’re willing to bet they pale in comparison to the banter head coach Matt Rhule, general manager Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper got throughout the process.

Like, did anyone else’s coach’s wife demand the team take a certain player? Well, Mrs. Rhule got her wish with Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard:

And did any other team take a long snapper who was willing to walk over to their new digs? Sixth-round selection Thomas Fletcher was ready to make the trek by foot from Alabama to Charlotte:

How about the raw emotion? Second-rounder Terrace Marshall Jr. was audibly overcome when the Panthers rang him up, making for a warm, feel-good moment:

Tepper couldn’t contain his emotion either. He let BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen know he was more than elated his team was able to land him in the third round:

We can’t forget the family either. Sixth-round wide receiver Shi Smith had the cameras on while he shared the news with his loved ones:

While the phone bill at Bank of America Stadium may be a tad higher this month, it’s all worth it for the moments like these.

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2021 NFL draft: Panthers get A+ grade for Day 2 picks from NFL.com

2021 NFL draft: Panthers get A+ grade for Day 2 picks from NFL.com.

The Carolina Panthers will be on the clock again soon as Day 3 of the 2021 NFL draft begins in a few moments. So far, the reviews for GM Scott Fitterer’s work have been overwhelmingly positive.

Chad Reuter at NFL.com gave Carolina an A- grade for the Jaycee Horn pick and an A+ grade for their Day 2 picks. The big prize was getting BYU offensive lineman Brady Christensen at No. 70 overall after a short jump up three spots. The draft may turn on whether or not he’s their long-term answer at left tackle. Here’s what Reuter had to say about the pick.

“Carolina was expected to find an offensive tackle at some point in the first three rounds; Christensen isn’t flashy but is consistent and simply difficult to beat off the edge. His excellent pro day cinched this draft position. Carolina gave up a sixth-rounder to trade up to land him, but he’s worth the investment.”

While there’s some concern about Christensen’s arm length, it certainly wasn’t a problem for him at BYU. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed three pressures last season and three sacks for his entire college career.

Nobody knows how these prospects will work out in the long run, but it sure looks like the Panthers are setting up Sam Darnold for success.

Day 3 begins now.

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3 biggest needs for Ravens entering 2021 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens have a very competitive roster already, but they have a few needs that need to be filled. Which needs are most glaring?

The Baltimore Ravens have put together a very competitive roster. They have a plethora of stars surrounded by depth all around, which makes the team not only good at the top, but good all the way to the last man. There is a nice foundation already in place for the Ravens, as young studs such as Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley, and Marlon Humphrey will carry the torch for a long time in Baltimore.

Despite having such a talented roster already, the Ravens now have the opportunity to get even better by drafting immediate impact contributors at positions of need in the 2021 NFL draft. Rounding out their roster should be a top priority for the team, so what needs are their most glaring heading into the draft?

Chargers get best player available, fill holes in Chad Reuter’s latest 4-round mock draft

The Los Angeles Chargers take the best player available in Round 1. Then what?

The Chargers have some leeway heading into the NFL draft after addressing a few positional needs in free agency, but there are still some spots that need to be filled next month.

In NFL Media’s Chad Reuter’s latest four-round mock draft, he sees Los Angeles going the route of best player available in the first-round and solidifying their positions of need after.

In Round 1, L.A. takes former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

The selection of Smith would certainly be a luxury pick, given the fact that wide receiver isn’t as pressing of a need compared to the left tackle and cornerback positions. However, the thought of giving quarterback Justin Herbert a premiere play-maker might be too enticing to pass up on.

In Round 2, the Bolts take former Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell.

Even after re-signing Michael Davis, the team needs an outside corner opposite of him. Campbell, the 6-foot-2 and 185 pounder, is a physically gifted and reactive athlete with great length who possesses speed, excellent closing speed and instincts.

With their first selection in Round 3, the Chargers take former BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen.

Christensen, Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked left tackle from 2020, has the pass blocking chops, run blocking prowess, athleticism and experience, which are all traits you want in a franchise player at the position.

With their second selection in Round 3, Los Angeles takes former Duke outside linebacker Chris Rumph II – finding a compliment to Uchenna Nwosu.

While he is undersized to NFL standards, Rumph is a naturally gifted pass rusher, with an excellent first step and great ability to get up the arc and out-leverage tackles, while also showing recognition skills against the run.

In Round 4, L.A. selects former Texas A&M defensive tackle Bobby Brown – adding more beef up front in the trenches.

Linval Joseph had a great season in 2020, but the Chargers could afford to add more pieces at the nose tackle position. Brown has quick hands and plenty of explosiveness and athleticism to make an impact as a key rotational interior pass rusher at the next level.

Colts’ 7-round mock draft: Trading up for a QB

A full mock with a trade up.

The Indianapolis Colts are still a few months away from the 2021 NFL draft, which is currently scheduled to take place at the end of April. Until then, the mock drafts will be seen early and often.

While free agency—an aspect that will change draft plans—has yet to arrive, we can still take a look at what avenues the Colts can take. In our last mock draft, we did the traditional simulation without any trades. That isn’t the case here.

In this mock draft, using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, we traded up from the No. 21 pick to the No. 7 pick with the Detroit Lions. This is a popular choice for the Colts so it was interesting to see what the rest of the draft looked like when moving up to get a potential franchise quarterback.

Without further ado, here is our latest seven-round mock draft for the Colts:

Jags Wire 2021 NFL mock draft: Post-Super Bowl LV edition

With Super Bowl LV over, the Jags are now on the clock and Trevon Moehrig is an option they should consider after the No. 1 overall pick.

The 2020 NFL season is officially over as the Tampa Bay Bucs became Super Bowl champions this past Sunday. That means the Jacksonville Jaguars are officially on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick.

After going 1-15, there clearly will need to be a significant addition of talent to the roster if new coach Urban Meyer wants to put together respectable results out of the gate. Of course, they will be able to add several veterans in March through free agency, but long-term answers could come from April’s draft.

With draft season officially starting late Sunday night, now is as good a time as any for our first 2021 NFL mock draft for the Jags. With the help of Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, here’s a look at a full seven-round mock we completed for the Jags:

Colts select OT Brady Christensen in latest PFF mock draft

Colts grab an OT in PFF’s latest mock.

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How the Indianapolis Colts will go about using their first pick in the 2021 NFL draft is one of the biggest questions surrounding their offseason.

Of course, what they do in free agency before that will determine much of what they do in the draft. Among their top priorities this offseason, the Colts must find a viable replacement for left tackle Anthony Castonzo.

In the latest Pro Football Focus mock draft, the Colts take a swing a drafting BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen with the No. 21 overall pick.

We’re living in a world where Philip Rivers gives it one more go before retiring, so with the retirement of longtime tackle Anthony Castonzo, a tackle replacement is in order. Christensen was a monster this past season, allowing only four pressures the whole season while mauling in the run game. I believe someone will fall in love with this kid and take him a bit early, especially with there being a bit of a gap between the top two tackles and the rest.

Finding Castonzo’s replacement is certainly at the top of the list for the Colts when it comes to how they might use that first pick. They could also trade up for a quarterback if the right one falls far enough down the order.

With the line already solidified everywhere but the blindside, this could make the position the top priority for Chris Ballard in the draft. We also know how much he loves to build the trenches, which is another reason Indy could use the No. 21 pick on a tackle.

We are still far away from where we get an idea of what direction the Colts will be heading in, but an offensive tackle is certainly on the board for their first pick.

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BYU at Navy: Prospect preview and betting breakdown

BYU at Navy: Prospect preview and betting breakdown

We lost another one as Texas State appears to have made some drastic improvements from last season, but we are onto our Labor Day contest with the BYU Cougars and the Navy Midshipmen facing off. We’ll try to nail this nonconference matchup with another breakdown of the best prospects and a breakdown of the betting odds.

Top Prospects:

Matt Bushman, TE, BYU, 6-5, 240 pounds, Sr.: Unfortunately we will not get to see Bushman play as he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last week, but he is still a prospect to remember. He is one of the best tight ends in the school’s history with three years of starting experience under his belt. Bushman would have been an early draft pick had he decided to declare last year. He was on track to demolish multiple school records before the injury, but his impressive career stat line of 125 receptions for 1,719 yards and nine touchdowns should warrant attention.

Brady Christensen, OT, BYU, 6-6, 300 pounds, Jr.: Only a junior and unlikely to declare, but Christensen is an excellent tackle who is a dark-horse Outland Trophy candidate. He’s already got an impressive 26 starts under his belt.

Khyiris Tonga, DT, BYU, 6-4, 321 pounds, Sr.: A playmaker at nose tackle for the Cougars, Tonga is a physical run-stuffer that will have plenty of opportunities to shine against a triple-option attack. He was another player that would have gotten some early-round attention has he declared, but if he wants to see his stock soar, his effectiveness as a pass rusher must show.

Betting Line: BYU -1.5 Navy

This was a much harder bet to make with Bushman being out, but that’s also why the line is so low. Even with the Bushman injury, this offense has a competitive experienced quarterback and an extremely impressive offensive line that has a ton of experience as well. This is a team that can be explosive and move the ball.

Navy should be coming back down to reality after completing one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football history going from 3-10 in 2018 to 10-2 in 2019, but the biggest reason for that turnaround was Malcolm Perry. Perry is gone now and he was one of the best ever to run that offense. The drop off from him is unknown, but I would be willing to bet its fairly dramatic. Prediction: BYU -1.5