Tag: Combine

5 Chargers targets who stood out on Day 1 of 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Here are five players who could be on the Chargers’ radar who increased their draft stock.

The first day of on-field workouts at the Scouting Combine did not disappoint. A handful of edge defenders, defensive tackles and linebackers put on a show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

Here are five players who could be on the Chargers’ radar who increased their stock with eye-opening demonstrations of athleticism.

NC State’s Payton Wilson could be a great Demario Davis understudy

NC State linebacker Payton Wilson could be a great fit for the Saints. He’s hoping to learn from a veteran in the NFL, and there isn’t one better than Demario Davis:

How important is it for the New Orleans Saints to spend a high draft pick on a linebacker this year? With Demario Davis being the oldest linebacker in the NFL and Pete Werner’s development stalling out — while Zack Baun has a good chance at leaving for a better scheme fit in free agency — you could rank it pretty high among the team’s needs. Davis is entering a contract year, too.

Enter Payton Wilson: arguably the most experienced linebacker in the draft, who is confident he’s this year’s best athlete, too. He’ll have an opportunity to prove it when the linebackers go through speed and agility drills on Thursday night at the NFL Scouting Combine.

But Wilson credits his college success to developing his understanding of the game, and he knows there’s still plenty he needs to learn. When he turns pro, he hopes to find a mentor and soak up every lesson he can like a sponge. We’ll let him tell it.

“I’m going into a whole different world where I’m going to play against literally the smartest players to ever play the game,” Wilson said Wednesday during his media availability session. “Whenever I get to an NFL team I’m going to find the closest vet that I can to me, I’m going to model my routine after them. I’m going to get in the film room with them every single day. I don’t believe you can play fast until you know what’s going on. I personally believe once I know the defense like the back of my hand and my football IQ is where it needs to be, I can be one of the best.”

And there are few better veterans to learn from than Davis. The two-time Pro Bowler and frequent All-Pro linebacker has enjoyed more success in the back half of his career after coming to New Orleans and thriving in Dennis Allen’s defense. Wilson, who weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, sure sounds like a worthy protege after overcoming adversity with a couple of injuries.

Wilson persevered through two ACL tears (one in high school, another at NC State) and shoulder surgery (in 2022), but his medical checks at the combine came back clean and he says feedback from NFL teams was positive. He’s currently seen as someone who could be picked in the second round but his stock could rise through the pre-draft process.

In his career, Wilson has logged more than 2,400 snaps across 47 games for the Wolfpack while recording 48 tackles for loss and intercepting seven passes. And he was recognized as the recipient of the Butkus Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award after his 2023 senior season. He has all the ability in the world, and he’s hoping to land in the right situation to cultivate it in the NFL. Learning from Davis might be the best fit for him.

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Saints met with Washington DE Bralen Trice at NFL combine

The New Orleans Saints met with Washington DE Bralen Trice at the NFL combine, who is working out at 30 pounds beneath his listed weight:

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway for the 2024 draft cycle and the New Orleans Saints have started their formal meetings with prospects in Indinapolis. Recently, the Saints met with Washington defensive end Bralen Trice per The Philly Inquirer’s Devin Jackson.

He could be a good fit for the Saints. The pass rusher is coming off of back-to-back impressive seasons at Washington, finishing his career with 18 sacks and 28.5 total tackles for a loss. He’s known for his strength at the line of scrimmage and reliability in defending the run as well as getting after the quarterback.

But Trice has either shed a lot of weight or had a wildly incorrect profile at Washington, as he was listed at 274 pounds on their roster but checked into the combine all the way down at 245 pounds. Those two weights project to two very different types of players so clearing that up will be a big part of team interviews and evaluations.

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Dennis Allen shares Marshon Lattimore update amid trade speculation

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared an update on Marshon Lattimore amid trade speculation:

Will Marshon Lattimore be playing for the New Orleans Saints in 2024? The Saints reworked their contract with the cornerback so that they could trade him, if they choose, back in the final weeks of the 2023 season.

Don’t get it twisted: trading Lattimore would still be expensive. Prohibitively so before June 1 (costing an extra $16 million against the salary cap). If Lattimore is going to be dealt it will be after the 2024 draft, and after June 1. The deadline: one week before the first game of the 2024 season in September.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked about Lattimore’s future with the team this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. He wants to keep things focused on Lattimore’s health after injuries caused him to miss 17 games over the last two years.

“Look, Lattimore is on our football team,” Allen said when asked about Lattimore’s status. “He’s a good football player. He’s been a good football player for us. Obviously, there’s a lot of things that happen throughout the offseason, but Latt’s a big part of our team right now.”

Lattimore suffered a high ankle sprain when a teammate rolled up on him late in a midseason game with the Minnesota Vikings while he was trying to assist with a tackle; his cleat caught in the turf and twisted his leg awkwardly. The year before he suffered a lacerated kidney and other internal organ injuries after colliding with a teammate to defend a big pass over the top of the defense. Both times he was injured on, essentially, freak accidents while trying to help the team win the day.

A lot of discourse in Saints fan groups on social media has centered on perceived culture problems in New Orleans. When asked about that topic and Lattimore’s role in the locker room, Allen said: “I think it’s about guys we think can help us win football games. Guys who can continue to develop the right kind of culture here, and guys that are willing to do the things that are necessary to succeed. Marshon’s a part of our football team, he has been a big part of our football team. Unfortunately the last couple of years health has been a big factor.”

Hopefully those health issues are behind him. There aren’t many cornerbacks who can run like Lattimore and make plays on the football when he’s in good health. The team is better with him on the field and it’s in everyone’s interests to cross whatever divides have opened up. But the speculation about trading him isn’t going to go away until that September deadline passes us by.

“I think the biggest thing is, let’s get Marshon healthy and let’s see where we’re at as a football team, we’ll get the right guys out there that give us a chance to win,” Allen finished.

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ESPN NFL Draft expert releases new first-round mock draft

ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. projects three Alabama players to be drafted in the first round

When it comes time to talk about the NFL draft, there is nobody better in the business than ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. Kiper has been a draft analyst for ESPN since 1984 and knows the entire process as well as anyone in the world. From the film study aspect of the draft from trying to find potential red flags, he has seen everything under the sun.

The draft is still two months away, however, the NFL Combine is set to start later today. Before the combine testing begins, Kiper released a new first-round draft that featured three former Alabama players. It will be the final batch of Nick Saban-produced players after his shocking decision to retire after the 2023 season.

The first Alabama player that Kiper projects to come off the board is OT [autotag]JC Latham[/autotag]. He projects the Los Angeles Chargers to take Latham at No. 5 overall saying, “The 360-pound Latham started 27 games at right tackle in college, which is where he would slot in for L.A. This is a little bit of a reach in my rankings — Latham is No. 22 on my Big Board.– but he’s a nasty run blocker, which is why I see a fit for him in this offense. He’d form a great pair of bookend tackles with Rashawn Slater.”

Kiper then projects OLB [autotag]Dallas Turner[/autotag] also to come off the board in the first ten picks to the Atlanta Falcons saying, “I’ll stick with the top edge rusher in the class to the Falcons, who ranked 32nd in pass rush win rate (30.9%) last season. Turner has 10 sacks last season, taking his game to a new level as the Crimson Tide’s top defender. He has a really high ceiling.”

The final former member of the Crimson Tide expected to go in the first-round is lockdown CB [autotag]Terrion Arnold[/autotag]. Arnold is projected to come off the board at No. 15 overall to the Indianapolis Colts as they are in major need of an infusion of you defensive talent saying, “Frankly, the Colts need a talent injection on their entire defense, which is why I could see them picking the best available defender here. Six-foot Arnold picked off five passes and allowed just four catches of 20-plus yards as the nearest defender in coverage last season. Indianapolis has a clear void at the position, and he could be a day one starter.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

New Orleans Saints mock offseason 1.0: Pre-combine edition

Here is our first New Orleans Saints mock offseason. With the combine starting soon, we’re making early predictions for free agency and the team’s 2024 draft haul:

We’re just a few days away from the NFL Scouting Combine starting at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, so it’s a good time to break out our first New Orleans Saints mock offseason.

In this exercise we’re simulating the Saints’ remaining salary cap decisions before exploring possibilities in free agency, all leading up to a seven-round mock draft — complete with a few trades.

This is the first of a couple different mock offseasons we’ll run in the weeks leading up to free agency, each time trying different scenarios to get an idea of how the Saints can make their team better. We’re endeavoring to represent what Mickey Loomis, Dennis Allen, and Saints leadership would do, not necessarily what we would do, so keep that in mind.

Let’s get to it:

When Chargers’ Joe Hortiz will speak to media during NFL Combine

Joe Hortiz is set to give some insight on how the Chargers’ offseason might look.

The 2024 National Scouting Combine is days away. General manager Joe Hortiz will be available to the media on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh was not on the schedule to speak, but he will still likely be at the combine.

Hortiz is scheduled to be at the podium at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis at 10 a.m. ET.

It will mark the first time he has spoken to the media in a formal setting since his introductory press conference that came earlier this month.

Before all the prospect drills occur, his media availability could give insight into how the franchise will approach this offseason.

There are questions regarding the moves the Chargers will make to be cap-compliant and how they will build their roster in free agency and the draft.

The Bolts have all seven draft selections and are $20 million over the salary cap.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to speak at NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday morning

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is scheduled to answer questions from the NFL Scouting Combine at 9:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday morning.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst will be made available to the assembled media at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday morning.

Gutekunst is scheduled to speak at 9:00 a.m. CT at Podium 4 from the Indianapolis Convention Center. He is one of five decision makers who will kick off the media availability on Tuesday morning.

The sessions typically last around 15 minutes at the combine.

Gutekunst, who is preparing for the 2024 NFL draft, will be answering questions for the first time since his end-of-year press conference in January. He will also speak with local media from Green Bay before the appearance.

The Packers have five picks in the top 100 of the 2024 draft and may need one more terrific draft class to go from good to great among NFL contenders.

As was the case last year, coach Matt LaFleur will not be attending the combine. More and more, NFL coaches are deciding to skip the combine.

Top DB prospect Cooper DeJean won’t test at NFL Scouting Combine

Iowa DB Cooper DeJean, a top prospect in the 2024 draft, won’t participate at the combine while recovering from an injury.

The Green Bay Packers won’t get a chance to see one of the top defensive back prospects participate in the athletic testing drills at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Iowa cornerback/safety Cooper DeJean is still recovering from a leg injury suffered during the season and won’t test in Indianapolis next week.

DeJean, a potential first-round pick, was expected by many to be among the best testers at the combine.

The Packers own the 25th overall pick in the first round and have big needs at cornerback and safety entering the offseason.

Per Brugler, DeJean will work out for teams later on the in draft process. His invite to Indianapolis means he’ll still get a chance to interview with teams at the combine.

DeJean injured his lower leg during a practice in November and missed the rest of the season. The injury required surgery. In terms of the mechanics of the injury, DeJean said he planted wrong and something broke in his lower leg.

DeJean, a first-team All-American in 2023, has been one of the most common players mocked to the Packers during the draft process.

Iowa will hold a pro day at a later date. Teams can also bring up to 30 players to their facility for a top-30 visit.