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The 2023 NFL preseason is entering its final days and these 11 New York Giants players need to finish strong or risk losing a roster spot.
The New York Giants must trim their roster down to 53 players by 4:00 p.m. ET on August 29, so the upcoming preseason game against the New York Jets might be the last time some of these players don a Giants uniform.
There are at least 11 players who need to finish the preseason on an uptick so that they can either a) secure a roster spot or b) a place on the Giants’ 16-man practice squad.
Let’s take a look.
Check out some of the best photos from the NFL preseason of these former Penn State players.
While the college football season is about to get started, the NFL preseason is nearly in the books for 2023. And it has been a busy one for former Penn State Nittany Lions with a mix of veterans in new locations and rookies getting started has been the theme of the preseason, it seems.
Most teams have played at least two games in the preseason at this point, and Penn State fans have not had to look too far to find some of their former fan favorites around the league.
Here is a look at some of the best photos from the NFL preseason so far of some of the former Penn State players around the league.
Players who flashed in Week 1 will be looking to continue their momentum on Sunday.
The Chargers are still currently scheduled to play their second preseason game against the Saints on Sunday despite potential concerns with Hurricane Hilary.
Joint practices seem to have gone well for both teams. Players who flashed in preseason Week 1 will be looking to continue their momentum on Sunday while others will be looking to get their first quality reps up on the scorecard.
Woods had a good week during joint practices with the Saints. Woods recorded multiple PBUs and even got an interception in the two-day meet between the squads.
Woods didn’t have a bad game against the Rams last week either. He had no missed tackles on the day and gave a clean performance on the field for the most part. There have been signs of improvement. But Woods committed an egregious penalty after he hit Ben Skowronek in the helmet after a 3rd down stop near the goal line. Stetson Bennett would go on to throw a touchdown to Puka Nacua just a few plays later.
Derwin James obviously won’t play in this game and Alohi Gilman is currently dealing with a knee contusion. This would be a great opportunity for the Baylor product to put an authoritative stamp on the 3rd safety role if he’s able to turn in a solid performance. He’s shown improvement in his tackling and in coverage so far.
Hopkins has struggled to stay on the field during this preseason and training camp period. Before Hopkins returned to practice this week, Cameron Dicker handled all of the kicking duties in the Chargers’ Week 1 preseason win.
Hopkins returned to practice but wasn’t as efficient as Dicker by any stretch. He also missed a 48-yarder short. Clearly, his injury isn’t behind him and Staley seemed rather uncertain that he would even play on Sunday at yesterday’s presser.
If Hopkins wants any chance of making this team, preserving his trade value, or landing somewhere else after he’s waived, it’s now or never for 2023.
CJ Okoye’s sack was that was seen around the world. He’s been a star this week after his big play, appearing in a Chargers’ media availability session and “The Rich Eisen Show”.
Okoye is such a raw prospect in that he’s still learning techniques and football basics, but his development curve seems to be going well up to this point. He’ll be a free spot for the Chargers on the practice squad this year with the International Player Program.
Considering the Chargers’ need to keep their top defensive tackles healthy throughout the rest of the month, Okoye should get some decent mileage this week. He could see an even larger snap count next week as the Chargers wind down the preseason in San Francisco.
Hightower suffered a minor injury last week in practice that caused him to have to sit out the Rams’ game. Assuming the game is played Sunday, this will be Hightower’s first chance to do some damage this preseason.
Hightower burst onto the scene early in training camp with a number of touchdowns and big catches. Staley has talked quite a bit about his performances and the overall depth of the receiver room. When asked about keeping five or six wide receivers yesterday, the Chargers’ head coach did say that this wide receiver room is the deepest they’ve had since he’s been with the team.
Jalen Guyton is still on the PUP list and there wasn’t a non-53-man roster receiver who really made his presence felt last week. WR6 is still out there for the taking and Hightower will be able to play Sunday.
Dotson finds himself in the driver’s seat for RB4 if the team does indeed decide to go in that direction on the roster. If not, he’ll likely at the very least have earned a practice squad spot when the time comes.
However, that’s contingent on Dotson staying healthy and finishing out the preseason strong. He doesn’t need to have nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns every week, but the team will still need him to back his Week 1 performance up.
The Chargers waived former 2021 draft pick Larry Rountree earlier in the week. The door is wide open if Dotson wants to run through it.
Brown’s preseason debut did not include flashy highlight reel material, but he kept it simple and efficient. Brown had three tackles, two pass breakups and a run stop while also contributing on special teams.
Kemon Hall was waived earlier in the week with an injury designation after he had surgery. Hall contributed quite a bit on special teams as a practice squad member and rostered player over the years with the Chargers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Brown will be the next man up, but he’s certainly competing for a practice squad role. Of note, the Chargers signed Matt Hankins earlier this week at cornerback as well.
Kemp flashed last week against the Rams with five quality pass rush pressures. His speed and bend on the outside were certainly more than most expected to see.
Another good effort from Kemp could earn him some more potential practice squad consideration.
The Chargers’ win over the Rams in Week 1 of the preseason had standout performances from bubble breakouts trying to make the roster.
The Chargers’ 34-17 win over the Rams in Week 1 of the preseason had several standout performances from bubble breakouts trying to make the roster.
There’s still a long way to go for the players toward the end of the roster in this preseason process, but the Rams game could serve as a springboard for some of them.
The New York Giants have activated DT D.J. Davidson from PUP and offered updates on several other injured players, including Collin Johnson.
Prior to practice on Monday, New York Giants defensive lineman D.J. Davidson passed his physical and was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Davidson joins a suddenly deep group of interior defensive linemen, including rookie Jordon Riley, who played well in his NFL preseason debut.
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) and cornerback Aaron Robinson (knee) remain on PUP with no timetable for return, although general manager Joe Schoen previously implied that Robinson could be activated this week.
The news on wide receiver Collin Johnson, who suffered a knee injury against the Detroit Lions, was also somewhat positive. His issue does not appear to be long-term.
“I don’t think it’s long-term, but I’m not a doctor, either,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters.
Johnson will not practice on Monday but right tackle Evan Neal (concussion) will take a step forward. He will participate in the non-contact portion of practice as he works his way back. However, Neal remains in concussion protocol.
Meanwhile, offensive linemen Devery Hamilton (leg) and Tyre Phillips (unknown), running back Gary Brightwell (ankle), linebacker Cam Crown (unknown), defensive lineman Ryder Anderson (triceps), and defensive back Nick McCloud (stomach) will not practice.
Finally, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (abdominal) will practice after leaving Friday night’s preseason game against the Lions early. Nose tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (groin) will also practice.
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A crowded cornerback room awaits Cam Brown in Los Angeles.
A former four-star recruit at wide receiver, Cam Brown switched to cornerback before even arriving on Ohio State’s campus. Stuck behind former first-round picks Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette for much of his Buckeye tenure, Brown didn’t get his own chance to shine until 2021.
While a leg injury in 2018 and torn Achilles in 2020 threatened to cap Brown’s potential, that 2021 season resulted in an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection. Those same results didn’t persist into 2022, however, and Brown became one of the few Buckeye corners in the modern era to go undrafted.
A crowded cornerback room awaits Brown in Los Angeles, with JC Jackson, Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr., Ja’Sir Taylor, and Deane Leonard set at the position. The Chargers were also active in signing undrafted free defensive backs, signing four others alongside Brown.
There are worse bets to make than gifted athletes from NFL factory programs, so it’s hard to immediately write Brown off as an afterthought. But with the way the depth chart stacks up in front of him, he’s likely fighting for a practice squad at best.
Contract: 3 years, $2.7 million with a $5,000 signing bonus, signed this offseason. Base salary of $750,000 with a $1,666 prorated bonus. $751,666 cap hit.
Acquired: After going undrafted in the draft, Brown signed with the Chargers as part of the 2023 UDFA class.
Quote: Former Ohio State teammate and current Rams safety Jordan Fuller on Brown’s growth as a corner in 2019:
“He’s always been a great athlete — a freak, basically. He’s super fast. He was kind of raw when he came in — new to the position at corner. His work ethic and focus have propelled him into a great position right now. If he keeps going he’ll be the next name you’re talking about.”
Highlight:
I 👀 you Ohio State CB Cam Brown pic.twitter.com/7au19g9eQh
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 28, 2023
Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and every other NFL draft pick who played for James Franklin.
[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] got his first head coaching opportunity with Vanderbilt after the 2010 season despite previously being the head coach-in-waiting at Maryland. The Commodores are not necessarily known for producing a tremendous amount of NFL talent, but Vanderbilt managed to send a few players off to the next level by way of the NFL draft under the guidance of Franklin, who has experience as an assistant coach in the NFL.
In the years Franklin was the head coach at Vanderbilt, from 2011 through 2013, Vanderbilt had seven players drafted. And a few more who would go on to be drafted later on out of Vanderbilt were brought into the program initially by Franklin and his staff. The seven players drafted from Vanderbilt from Franklin’s three seasons with the program is the most draft picks from Vanderbilt in a three-year span in school history since 1957-1969 saw 11 players selected by NFL teams, in the days of a draft lasting at least 20 rounds.
Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, Franklin has seen a growing number of his players go on to be drafted by NFL franchises, including an offensive rookie of the year in running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in 2018 and a defensive rookie of the year in linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] in 2021.
Here is a look at every player drafted by an NFL team that had James Franklin as a head coach in their last game before being drafted, beginning with Franklin’s time at Vanderbilt.
And once you are done checking out this list, here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State joined the Big Ten.
Since 2017, the New York Giants have drafted 19 players who had practiced during Senior Bowl week or played in the Senior Bowl itself.
The NFL draft run-up begins this week with the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The New York Giants have always had a presence at the game and have drafted many a player who has participated in the game over the years.
Here are some players the Giants met and scouted at the game and then drafted going back to 2017.
What Penn State players are on the rosters for teams in this season’s NFL playoffs?
The NFL’s regular season is now officially in the books and the field for this year’s playoff is set. And once again, this NFL postseason will be seeing Penn State well represented throughout the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the most former Nittany Lions on their roster as the battle for the Super Bowl is about to get underway. In all, there are 18 players from Penn State in this year’s NFL playoffs.
The only teams in the NFL playoffs with no Penn State ties are the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
Here is a look at every Penn State player on a roster for a team in the NFL playoffs.
So many thoughts but these stuck out in my mind the most. How about yours Buckeye fans? #GoBucks
If you were like me, it was hard to sleep Saturday night.
For more than three quarters of the [autotag]Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl[/autotag], it looked like [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] would face [autotag]TCU[/autotag] with a national championship on the line. Georgia had different plans. It mounted a massive comeback during the fourth quarter and sent the Buckeyes back to Columbus with a disappointing loss.
Since the game ended, many thoughts have passed through my head, some good, some bad and a great many pondering what the future for [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and his program will look like. Here are my thoughts the day after Ohio State’s 42-41 loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal. (Also, happy New Year’s everyone, even if it wasn’t what many of us wanted).
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.
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