Tag: Calvin Austin

Chargers 4-round mock draft: Post-Senior Bowl edition

The Chargers upgrade the defensive line, wide receiver and cornerback position in the latest projections following the 2022 Senior Bowl.

The 2022 Senior Bowl is officially in the books.

With one of the most important legs of the evaluation process a thing of the past, the Chargers draft board continues to take shape.

With that being said, it’s time to take a look at what Los Angeles might do with its first four selections in April’s draft.

Round 1, No. 17, EDGE Travon Walker, Georgia

As it stands, the Chargers edge defender group is rather thin, with Joey Bosa and Chris Rumph being the only ones under contract, with the future of Uchenna Nwosu up in the air. I believe that Nwosu is worthy of a contract extension, but even if he is brought back, the team simply needs more juice at the position that’s capable of getting into the backfield on a consistent basis.

With Walker, Los Angeles would be getting a 6-foot-5 and 275-pounder who wreaks havoc with rare get-off to get around the corner or through gaps and the length and strength to bench press blockers. In addition, Walker is strong against the run, where he flashes anchor to hold his ground at the point of attack and open-field tackling ability.

Further, Walker’s versatility is one of his strong suits as he can play off the edge or along the interior, something that Brandon Staley utilizes with Bosa to create mismatches up front.

Walker is a former five-star recruit that stayed home to play for the Bulldogs, where he shined in his first season as a Freshman All-SEC Team member. Defenses paid attention to him more as a sophomore, which led to a down year, but 2021 saw him ascend, resulting in 32 tackles (5.5 for loss), five sacks, and 25 quarterback hurries.

Round 2, No. 48, CB Kyler Gordon, Washington

Asante Samuel Jr. proved to be the Chargers’ best cornerback in just his first season, but suffering two concussions in his first season is concerning. Michael Davis played well, but nothing to warrant the money he was paid last offseason. Chris Harris Jr. will be a free agent after this season.

Therefore, Los Angeles will be in the market for someone at the position that’s capable of making an impact early on.

At 6-foot and 200 pounds, Gordon boasts impressive size which he couples with impressive agility and quickness to help him stay in phase with receivers in man coverage. In off coverage, he uses his outstanding instincts to see things develop and close in on the football. One of the best-tackling corners, Gordon is good at limiting extra yardage and playing the run.

Beyond that, he has the size to survive along the boundary and the short-area quickness and toughness to play inside the football.

In his Husky career, Gordon intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles and recovered a safety as he also saw limited action against the pass as opponents avoided him. Last season, Gordon was Pro Football Focus’ highest-grading cornerback in man coverage as he notched a 90.9 grade.

Round 3, No. 79, WR Calvin Austin, Memphis

The Chargers are set for the foreseeable future with their No. 1 wideout in Keenan Allen. However, behind him, the room draws some questions. Will Mike Williams be re-signed, franchise-tagged, or let go of altogether? Is Josh Palmer ready to take the leap as the No. 2 guy if Williams walks?

Regardless, one thing is certain: Los Angeles needs a speed/yards-after-the-catch weapon.

Shifty and bursting with energy, Austin is an explosive product that has proved size isn’t everything when playing wide receiver. With track speed, ravishing route running, and a dangerous threat with the ball in his hands, Austin is exactly the play-maker the Bolts would benefit from.

Austin finished his collegiate career with 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns on 156 catches. He also left Memphis tied for second in touchdown receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

Round 4, No. 120, NT Neil Farrell Jr., LSU

The Chargers could address this position as early as the first round or they might have some flexibility to do so later on if they’re aggressive in free agency. In this case, they do and snag Farrell, who provides excellent value here in the fourth round.

Overshadowed by other SEC interior defensive linemen, Farrell did not get as much buzz throughout the season. However, his efforts were always noticed. Farrell finished with the fifth-most run stops (24) and the second-highest run-stop percentage (11.4), per Pro Football Focus.

He reaffirmed himself as one of the nation’s top nose tackles at the Senior Bowl, winning the American Team Defensive Lineman of the Week.

At 6-foot-3 and 338 pounds, Farrell shows the ability to control the point of attack to allow second-level defenders to roam freely or get in the backfield with the quickness through gaps, proper leverage, brute strength & powerful limbs to push blockers back, and heavy hands to swat jab attempts.

Report: Colts showing ‘legitimate interest’ in Calvin Austin III

Former Memphis WR Calvin Austin III had the Colts’ attention at the Senior Bowl.

Over the next few months, the Indianapolis Colts will be showing interest in just about every prospect that has entered the 2022 NFL draft pool but it seems former Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III had their attention in Mobile.

Since general manager Chris Ballard took over, we know how much weight the Senior Bowl holds for the scouting department. Ballard loves his seniors and Austin was one of the most electric players throughout the week.

As stated above, the Colts have interest in hundreds of prospects but when it comes to Austin III, Indy was reportedly among the teams showing the most interest, per Frank Bonner II of the Daily Memphian.

The Colts certainly have a need at the wide receiver position so Austin III is likely to be on their radar.

The electric wideout is undersized, having measured in at 5-foot-7 and 173 pounds in Mobile. That’s a concern. What’s not a concern is Austin III’s game. He plays bigger than his size and is extremely shifty.

The Colts had a nice breakout with Michael Pittman Jr. but didn’t get anything else from the rest of the receiving corps in 2021. Not one other Colts player recorded more than 385 receiving yards.

Given his size, Austin III won’t go higher than a Day 2 pick. If the Colts want him, they are likely going to have to use one of their selections in the second or third round.

Regardless of his size, though, it’s hard to ignore the sheer electricity Austin III brings to the field.

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Biggest winners from 2022 Senior Bowl week

Highlighting the NFL draft prospects who made themselves money at the 2022 Senior Bowl.

Another Senior Bowl is officially in the books, and just like every other installment, this year’s week of festivities saw a handful of NFL draft prospects send their stock in the right direction with impressive performances.

Here are my picks for the biggest winners from the 2022 Senior Bowl:

12 Senior Bowl players who stood out as potential Lions draft picks during the week of practices

12 Senior Bowl players who stood out during practices as potential Detroit Lions draft picks in the 2022 NFL draft

The week of Senior Bowl practices wrapped on Thursday, capping off three days of hard-fought competition on the campus of the University of South Alabama. The Detroit Lions had their entire staff in Mobile to check out 130 prospects who are trying to prove they belong in the NFL.

Who were the biggest standouts from a wet week of practices? Which players here look like good fits for the Lions? Here are 12 who stood out from a Detroit eye.

Not all of the players came from the American roster, which the Lions are coaching here. A few are from the National team, which is being coached by the New York Jets.

Tenn-Chatanooga OL Cole Strange wins Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices, full list of week’s standouts

Tyler Browning ( @DiabeticTyler ) dives into day 3 of Senior Bowl practice and gives weekly stock up performers.

Another day of spirited Senior Bowl practices is in the books, allowing for another subset of competition to evaluate a large part of the 2022 NFL draft class. The good news for Dallas Cowboys fans, Day 3 of Senior Bowl practice saw a dramatic increase in the quality of QB play. This matters as any boost to the stock of the position group means better players available to Dallas in the first and second rounds.

The bad news, practice was moved indoors, so that still doesn’t answer a lot of questions about how the throwers can perform in the elements. Also bad news, from a enjoy-the-show element, was that Jermaine Johnson and Devonte Wyatt both sat out Day 3; making it much harder to find some winners. Those players have elevated their stock so much over the first few days. Without the biggest risers, here’s a look at a few others who had a chance to emerge from their shadows.

6 potential draft targets for the Dolphins at the 2022 Senior Bowl

We may see these guys in Dolphins uniforms.

The 2021 NFL season is almost finished with just two teams waiting to match up in the Super Bowl. This weekend, not only will fans be treated with the NFL’s Pro Bowl, but they’ll also get to see Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama where some of this year’s top prospects will compete.

While the Miami Dolphins don’t have a head coach yet, their front office has been paying close attention to the practices this week and will surely be watching the game closely.

These six participants could end up being Dolphins by the time the draft rolls around in April.

Senior Bowl stock up report from first day of practice, sees Florida State’s Johnson shine

Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) dives into day 1 of practice from the Senior Bowl in Mobile and looks at the top performers while providing rep highlights.

The Senior Bowl is a storied event of the NFL offseason. It serves as a landscape for NFL teams and draft media alike to come together to evaluate some of the top seniors in the nation. This year is a very interesting year and a number of options for the Dallas Cowboys are in attendance.

In 2020 the Dallas Cowboys took 3 players who were in attendance including: Neville Gallimore, Reggie Robinson II and Bradlee Anae. Last year we saw the Cowboys take Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston. Recent trends suggest the Cowboys highly value their time down in Mobile especially in the mid rounds. This is a big week, especially for the QBs; and all Cowboys fans need to be hoping they have a fantastic week to push more good player down the board to them…the bad news, it’s not off to a good start for that position group. Outside of QBs,  who saw their stock rise after day 1 of practice? Lets take a look.

Chargers 4-round mock draft: Senior Bowl-only edition

Chargers GM Tom Telesco covets the Senior Bowl as an outlet to find talent

With the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl just days away, this is an appropriate time for a mock draft of what the Chargers could do if they only had players in the annual all-star game to choose from.

This is just an exercise, but keep in mind general manager Tom Telesco does covet the Senior Bowl as an outlet to find talent. 17 players of the last five drafts attended the showcase in Mobile, AL.

Round 1, No. 17, OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

The Chargers made the point to address the offensive line last offseason, and it paid dividends except for the right tackle position after Bryan Bulaga went down with an injury.

Even though Bulaga is still under contract, there are legitimate durability concerns, which is why he is a cut candidate.

If Los Angeles decides to move on from Bulaga, it could choose to solidify that spot either in free agency or early in the draft, as they do here with the selection of Penning.

A three-year starter for the Panthers, Penning was the only lineman named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award this past season, awarded to the best offensive player at the FCS level, after only allowing 13 pressures.

While he needs to clean up his leverage and hand usage, Penning has size at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, awe-inspiring athleticism, movement skills to match, and a mauler’s mentality in the run game to start right away.

Round 2, No. 48, DT Phidarian Mathis, Alabama

The Chargers finished bottom of the league in run defense, which is why bolstering the interior part of the defensive line will be their top priority this offseason.

Arguably one of the most impactful all-around interior defenders in the nation, Mathis amassed 53 total tackles, nine sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two blocked passes in 2021.

With his length, violent hands, lower-body strength, lateral agility, and ability to anchor, Mathis can create interior pressure just as well as he can defend the run at the next level, projecting as a lineman who has the tools to be a three-down starter.

Round 3, No. 79, WR Calvin Austin, Memphis

The Chargers are set for the foreseeable future with their No. 1 wideout in Keenan Allen. However, behind him, the room draws some questions. Will Mike Williams be re-signed, franchise-tagged, or let go of altogether? Is Josh Palmer ready to take the leap as the No. 2 guy if Williams walks?

Regardless, one thing is certain: Los Angeles needs a speed/yards-after-the-catch weapon.

Shifty and bursting with energy, Austin is an explosive product that has proved size isn’t everything when playing wide receiver. With track speed, unpredictable route running, and electric playmaking with the ball in his hands, Austin is exactly the dynamics the Bolts would benefit from.

Austin finished his collegiate career with 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns on 156 catches. He also left Memphis tied for second in touchdown receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

Round 4, No. 120, CB Mario Goodrich, Clemson

Asante Samuel Jr. proved to be the Chargers’ best cornerback in just his first season, but he had two concussions. Michael Davis played well, but nothing to warrant the money he was paid last offseason. Chris Harris Jr. will be a free agent after this season.

Therefore, Los Angeles will be in the market for cornerback depth and someone who’s capable of making an impact early on.

After being overshadowed by the likes of Trayvon Muller and AJ Terrell, Goodrich had a breakout season in 2021. He finished with 42 tackles, nine passes defended, and one interception. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors alongside projected first-rounder, Andrew Booth.

With the instincts, technique, and athleticism in press and zone coverage to working downhill through traffic and laying the wood to boost the run support, Goodrich exhibits a zest to compete in every aspect of the cornerback position.