Tag: Cornell Powell

Chiefs’ Cornell Powell gaining trust of Patrick Mahomes at training camp

Before the veterans arrive at training camp, #Chiefs rookie WR Cornell Powell is looking to gain QB Patrick Mahomes’ trust and confidence.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a crowded receiver room this offseason, with over a dozen players at the position on the 90-man offseason roster. One rookie from that group is doing his best to stand out amongst the crowd.

The rookies have a few days with starting QB Patrick Mahomes before the veteran players arrive at training camp. Fifth-round draft pick Cornell Powell is looking to take advantage of this period by building up some more chemistry with the Chiefs’ star quarterback.

“It’s extremely important. We try to show him that we can come out and make plays Year 1,” Powell explained. “You want to gain his confidence, gain his trust and you do it by making plays in practice and in the preseason. When it comes to game time, he can look out there and he’s like ‘oh I trust that guy’ and go out there and keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

Mahomes won’t shy away from players just because they’re rookies, so it’s wise for Powell to seek to earn his trust. In 2019, Mahomes targeted then-rookie wideout Mecole Hardman 41 times. Still, Powell is experiencing his first NFL training camp and he’s jumping in head-first. He received some good advice ahead of camp on how he should carry himself during camp.

“I learned there’s nothing you can really do to get ready for training camp besides doing it and learning from experience,” Powell said. “So just coming out here, make sure your conditioning is up, making sure that you know the plays, knowing and being knowledgeable of the game and your assignment and your alignment will take you far. The rest of it is just football at the end of the day. You got to go out there and be a dog and make plays.”

For those hoping that Powell’s size and ability make him a replacement candidate for the departed Sammy Watkins, think again.

“Sammy (Watkins) is such a special talent; you can’t replace what he did,” Powell said. “You just got to go out there and fill your own shoes and try to make your own name for yourself.”

Despite wearing the same number as Watkins and going to the same college, Powell is out to make his own name for himself. He’s not interested in standing in Watkins’ shadow. If he can gain Mahomes’ trust and confidence ahead of the season, he’ll be well on his way to blazing his own trail in Kansas City.

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Chiefs rookie WR Cornell Powell reveals jersey number

Former Clemson WR Cornell Powell has revealed his jersey number with the Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs rookies have made their way to Arrowhead Stadium for rookie minicamp, which is set to begin tomorrow.

With players finally in the building, that means a few things will begin happening for the Chiefs’ newest players. Rookie contracts will be signed, they’ll take physical examinations, be fitted for gear and jersey numbers will officially be assigned. The team will likely begin to reveal rookie jersey numbers tomorrow, but one player has already informed fans of his jersey number.

Fifth-round draft pick, former Clemson WR Cornell Powell, actually shared his number last Thursday. He debuted some new gear that all feature the No. 14. He has also since changed his social media handles to feature the No. 14.

Arriving at the Chiefs’ facilities this week, Powell got the first glimpse at his locker and recorded it for his Instagram story. That video revealed the nameplate with his jersey number on his locker, No. 14.

via cornellpowell14 on Instagram

Powell wore the No. 17 jersey at Clemson for five very accomplished seasons, becoming a five-time ACC title winner and a two-time national champion with the Tigers. Mecole Hardman currently wears the No. 17 jersey in Kansas City, but the No. 14 jersey was recently vacated by former Clemson WR Sammy Watkins. At the Senior Bowl, Powell first wore the No. 14 jersey, so it’s rather fitting that he’d carry that on with the Chiefs.

Powell’s high school jersey, No. 3, wasn’t an option in Kansas City. The new rules would allow him to wear it, but that’s the only single-digit number that is retired, belonging to Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud.

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Chiefs WR Cornell Powell talks building chemistry with Patrick Mahomes

Powell spoke about building chemistry with Patrick Mahomes and the success he had with Trevor Lawrence at Clemson.

The 2021 NFL draft was filled with plenty of surprise selections, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence was assumed to be the top overall pick for months. One of Lawrence’s top targets at Clemson this past season was wide receiver, Cornell Powell. He had to wait a little longer to be drafted, going 181st overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Powell’s only season as a starter at Clemson came during his Redshirt Senior year, and he made quite the impression on scouts. Playing with Lawrence, a top college quarterback, and now with Patrick Mahomes is a rare occurrence. Powell won’t be making any comparisons between the two quarterbacks, as he told reporters on Saturday.

”What I have learned is that you can’t compare greatness,” said Powell. “Trevor is great. Patrick is great. I’m just blessed to go from one great quarterback to the next. As soon as I get to Kansas City, I’ll get to work with Patrick. Just try to get on the same page as him, try to get something to happen for the team. The ultimate goal is to win Super Bowls, so I’m ready to do that.”

At Clemson, Powell produced an impressive 882 yards, and seven touchdowns on 53 receptions in 12 games played last season. The 6-foot, 204-pound receiver reflected on his tenure at the university and the lessons learned regarding growth.

”Being at Clemson, you have great players around you,” Powell explained. “You just have to learn how to prove yourself every day. I had so much more to show to everyone. What I displayed this season was not even scratching the surface yet. I’m ready to come to Kansas City and just grind. Many of my brothers are in the NFL that I played with in that wide receiver room and I’m so proud of them. I learned a lot from them at Clemson. We just had this Clemson mindset to dominate everything, every play, every possession. I’m looking to continue that and just bring this winning attitude to Kansas City, which they already have, so it’s the perfect fit for me.”

Powell should fit in nicely with the Chiefs’ talented receiver room and eventually fill the role left by Sammy Watkins, another former Clemson wideout. The experience of playing in a winning program in college cannot be mitigated as he looks to build more success in Kansas City.

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6 Chargers offensive free agent, draft ‘crushes’

With Valentine’s Day here, Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez shares his 2021 NFL draft and free agent crushes for Los Angeles.

‘Tis the season for finding or celebrating your perfect match, and the Chargers will be searching for their own when the 2021 offseason begins.

With the hopes of making a run next season, Los Angeles should push really hard to land six of these offensive players to compliment Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert.

Let’s take a look at which players the Bolts should love:

OT Trent Williams, 49ers

While Sam Tevi had a decent 2020 season, he will be a free agent this offseason. Williams was one the best offensive players for the 49ers in a injury-ravaged season. The 32-year old, who sat our all of 2019 due to a dispute with The Football Team, regained his All-Pro form with San Francisco. Williams earned a 91.9-grade this past season, the highest of any tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Even though he’s getting up there in age, he’s still proven to play the position at a high level, and he would serve well as a stop-gap option.

OL Brandon Scherff, Redskins

Scherff, the four-time Pro Bowler, allowed only one sack and was flagged for just one penalty in 13 games in 2020. A wall in pass protection, Scherff graded as the seventh-best guard in the league this year, per Pro Football Focus. The 29-year old was voted All-Pro in 2020, marking the first of his career. The former Iowa product has battled through some injuries, but he has overcame them and has managed to continue to still play at a high level. With Forrest Lamp and Trai Turner’s future up in the air, Scherff would be an immediate upgrade.

OL Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

The Chargers should use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman and if Slater’s available at No. 13 overall, it should be a no-brainer. Slater’s production in his final season at Northwestern was eyebrow-raising as he only gave up five pressures in 787 total snaps. Slater opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the draft, but the year before that he stymied Chase Young, No. 2 overall selection of the 2020 NFL draft en route to receiving a 90.1 grade, per PFF. Slater doesn’t possess ideal height or length and could be moved inside, but his athletic skill set and overall technique project well as a premiere blind-side protector.

OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State

Radunz only played in one game this past season, but he made 32 consecutive starts at left tackle to close out his collegiate career and the Bison went 32-0 in those games. While he needs to get better at finishing blocks, Radunz has the athleticism, range, foot quickness and run-blocking temperament needed for the NFL. With Los Angeles, Radunz is capable of playing either tackle or guard. While he develops more mass and add bulk to his frame, his skillset suggests a high ceiling. If he’s available when Los Angeles is on the clock in the second-round, it would be a home run selection.

OL Quinn Meinerz, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Projected as a sixth/seventh-round pick coming into the Senior Bowl, the Division III product made his case to be selected within the top-100 picks. Against the nation’s top defensive linemen, Meinerz was a wall in pass protection and a road-grader in the run game, putting defenders on the turf. On film, Meinerz is a strong, mauling linemen who shows the awareness and power to deliver a blow to defenders. He projects as a center at the next level, but he has the versatility to fill in at every spot along the interior part of the offensive line.

WR Cornell Powell, Clemson

The Chargers could afford to add another target for Herbert this offseason and a player like Powell could a long way. Powell, the 6-foot and 210 pounder, is coming off the best season of his career in 2020 as a redshirt senior. In 12 games, Powell recorded 53 receptions for 882 yards and seven touchdowns. Powell is a well-built receiver who has the route savvy and suddenness in his breaks to separate along with the good body control, awareness and solid hands along the sidelines.

Titans among teams in attendance at Trevor Lawrence’s Pro Day

So, what were the Titans doing at Trevor Lawrence’s Pro Day?

The Tennessee Titans were one of 17 teams who made it out to the Pro Day of Clemson quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who is the assumed future No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

This was confirmed by MMQB’s Albert Breer, who notes the Titans weren’t one of the teams to send any coaches, but did send a scout.

Of course, the Titans have no shot at Lawrence being that they’re selecting at No. 22 overall in the first round, so why exactly would they send representation there?

While it’s possible Tennessee is just scouting a player they’ll be seeing twice a year for several years to come being that the Jacksonville Jaguars own the No. 1 overall pick, the team’s interest could be in the only other draft prospect to work out with Lawrence, wide receiver Cornell Powell.

Powell has been moving up draft boards in recent weeks after his impressive showing during Senior Bowl week. The 6-foot, 210-pound receiver finished the 2020 campaign with 882 receiving yards and seven scores.

The Titans will be in the market for a wide receiver no matter what happens with pending free agent Corey Davis, as the team desperately needs depth behind their top-two wideouts.

Here’s a bit more on Powell, courtesy of Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network:

“Off of physical traits alone, Cornell Powell is extremely intriguing. He stands at 6-foot-0, 210 pounds, which is a solid frame for the NFL level. That size allows him to compete in contested situations, in conjunction with good body control. It also implies more capacity to withstand contact, although Powell hasn’t explicitly displayed that ability consistently.

“What Powell has displayed consistently is his speed. It’s not elite deep speed, but Powell has a healthy pace to fall back on. He also has fairly solid explosiveness. The Clemson wide receiver gears up nicely in open space, and he also shows flashes of short-area burst when taking short RAC receptions. Again, it’s not elite, but it’s enough to make plays and create against defensive backs.”

Where Powell ends up going in the draft remains to be seen, but he should certainly be on Tennessee’s radar.

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3 offensive Clemson players the Jags could draft with Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence isn’t the only Clemson player the Jags could use on offense as they have needs all over the place.

If there is one thing NFL fans have learned this offseason, it’s that there seems to be a lot of quarterback shakeup on the horizon. However, one team who will probably have the luxury of not having to get involved are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a direct path to Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.

As talented as he is, however, Lawrence wasn’t the only standout from Clemson’s 2020 offensive unit to enter the draft as a few others did. With the Jags going 1-15, they have a lot of needs and could use some of Lawrence’s teammates, too, as many of them have draftable grades.

Here are three Tigers the Jags could snag with Lawrence this April:

ACC Championship Game: Second-Quarter Analysis

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan.

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan. If it doesn’t, Clemson could pull away en route to an easy win the ACC Championship Game. Many hoped that the second quarter would be a rebound to a disappointing end to the first. Instead, things got worse, and the Irish trail, 24-3, at halftime.

Deep in Tigers territory, the Irish realized they would have to take chances early if it wanted to take back control. On fourth-and-3, Avery Davis couldn’t hold onto an Ian Book pass that he should have. The Tigers took the ball over, and Trevor Lawrence immediately completed a 21-yard pass to Cornell Powell. He only needed a few more plays to hit E.J. Williams for a 33-yard touchdown.

When Book returned to the field, he had as miserable a time on a football field as he has all season. On what turned out to be the Irish’s only series, he took back-to-back sacks from K.J. Henry and Derion Kendrick. Although Jay Bramblett had a 51-yard punt, it meant little to Lawrence, who led another solid drive and got to the Irish’s 10-yard line. The Notre Dame defense didn’t let him advance the ball any further, and it was happy to only allow a 27-yard field goal from B.T. Potter.

After another offensive drive that stalled out quickly, Bramblett punted it 47 yards to the Clemson 12. With time running out on the half, the Tigers used a series of runs and short passes to at least get into field-goal range before the half. The drive ended with a 44-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne. It all happened in 1:49, putting the Irish in a deeper halftime hole than they might have anticipated.

Don’t lose faith yet, Irish fans. So many times this season, we’ve seen this team fall down and pick itself back up, making it stronger than it was before. If that holds true now, we’re about to see the best half of football it’s played all year. As the old saying goes, setbacks are setups for comebacks.

ACC Championship Game: Second-Quarter Analysis

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan.

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan. If it doesn’t, Clemson could pull away en route to an easy win the ACC Championship Game. Many hoped that the second quarter would be a rebound to a disappointing end to the first. Instead, things got worse, and the Irish trail, 24-3, at halftime.

Deep in Tigers territory, the Irish realized they would have to take chances early if it wanted to take back control. On fourth-and-3, Avery Davis couldn’t hold onto an Ian Book pass that he should have. The Tigers took the ball over, and Trevor Lawrence immediately completed a 21-yard pass to Cornell Powell. He only needed a few more plays to hit E.J. Williams for a 33-yard touchdown.

When Book returned to the field, he had as miserable a time on a football field as he has all season. On what turned out to be the Irish’s only series, he took back-to-back sacks from K.J. Henry and Derion Kendrick. Although Jay Bramblett had a 51-yard punt, it meant little to Lawrence, who led another solid drive and got to the Irish’s 10-yard line. The Notre Dame defense didn’t let him advance the ball any further, and it was happy to only allow a 27-yard field goal from B.T. Potter.

After another offensive drive that stalled out quickly, Bramblett punted it 47 yards to the Clemson 12. With time running out on the half, the Tigers used a series of runs and short passes to at least get into field-goal range before the half. The drive ended with a 44-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne. It all happened in 1:49, putting the Irish in a deeper halftime hole than they might have anticipated.

Don’t lose faith yet, Irish fans. So many times this season, we’ve seen this team fall down and pick itself back up, making it stronger than it was before. If that holds true now, we’re about to see the best half of football it’s played all year. As the old saying goes, setbacks are setups for comebacks.

Notre Dame vs. Clemson: Overtime Analysis

When you root for a team, there are moments when it does the unthinkable, and you have no choice but to participate in the exhilaration.

When you root for a team, there are moments when it does the unthinkable, and you have no choice but to participate in the exhilaration. Saturday was one of those moments as Notre Dame upset top-ranked Clemson, 47-40, in double overtime. It’s possible the Irish (7-0, 6-0) will face the Tigers (7-1, 6-1) again in the ACC title game next month, and Trevor Lawrence surely will be suiting up this time. But this time of celebration is not the time to think about that.

At the start of the first overtime, the Tigers decided giving the Irish any breathing room was a chance they couldn’t take. On the very first play, D.J. Uiagalelei successfully executed a play-action pass and found Cornell Powell for what appeared to be a 25-yard touchdown. A lengthy replay review (and there were a lot of them in this game) ruled Powell down at the half-yard line, but it didn’t matter because Uiagalelei promptly took the ball into the end zone himself.

When the Irish got their turn with the ball, Ian Book found Michael Mayer for a 15-yard completion, putting them in good position. Two plays later, Kyren Williams ran 3 yards for the game-tying touchdown. To a second overtime we went.

The Irish got the ball first this time and had a little bit of difficulty at first. But Book’s 10-yard completion to Ben Skowronek set the Irish up at the Tigers’ 3-yard line. Williams was in the end zone two plays later, so the defense needed to do its part.

What followed ensured that Adetokunbo Ogundeji will be a legend in South Bend forevermore. He sacked Uiagalelei on back-to-back plays, getting help from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah the first time around. The moment Nick McCloud recovered a fumble when the Tigers absolutely needed a first down to stay alive, bedlam erupted at Notre Dame Stadium. There’s no reason it shouldn’t have either.

This is a moment to celebrate. The criticism that Notre Dame can’t show up when the stakes are raised has been vanquished. It took long enough, but we’ve finally arrived. The future has arrived, and it’s a bright one.

Notre Dame vs. Clemson: First-Quarter Analysis

If Notre Dame wanted to get off to a fast start against Clemson, mission accomplished.

If Notre Dame wanted to get off to a fast start against Clemson, mission accomplished. Almost before the crowd at Notre Dame Stadium had settled in, the Irish already had the lead. Then, they were up by more than one score. We don’t know if they’ll win this game, but at least we can say they had a 10-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Irish took the ball first and immediately benefited from a Tigers holding penalty. Just as quickly, Kyren Williams found an opening and was off to the end zone from 65 yards out. The defense then came out for its first series and forced a three-and-out. The offense started its next possession on the 44-yard line and, on a drive highlighted by a 28-yard pass from Ian Book to Javon McKinley, got agonizingly close to another touchdown before settling for a 24-yard field goal from Jonathan Doerer.

Scoring on its first two possessions turned out to be necessary for Notre Dame. Clemson wasted no time march downfield when it got the ball next, needing only four plays to score its first touchdown of the contest. That came on a 53-yard pass from D.J. Uiagalelei to Cornell Powell. With all of the weapons they have, look for the Tigers’ offense to do that a lot throughout.