Tag: Curtis Weaver

2020 NFL Scouting Combine: List of linebackers expected to attend

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL, but could still be looking at the scouting combine prospect list.

There’s no denying the Seattle Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in the league but there’s no harm in adding a little extra depth or some youth at the position.

Ahead of April’s NFL draft, the following linebackers are slated to participate in the scouting combine at the end of the month.

LINEBACKERS
Joe Bachie, LB, Michigan State
Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue
Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin
Francis Bernard, LB, Utah
Daniel Bituli, LB, Tennessee
Shaun Bradley, LB, Temple
Jordan Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
Cameron Brown, LB, Penn State
K’Lavon Chaisson, LB, LSU
Nick Coe, LB, Auburn
Carter Coughlin, LB, Minnesota
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
Michael Divinity, LB, LSU
Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
Tipa Galeai, LB, Utah State
Cale Garrett, LB, Missouri
Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State
Scoota Harris, LB, Arkansas
Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
Khaleke Hudson, LB, Michigan
Anfernee Jennings, LB, Alabama
Clay Johnston, LB, Baylor
Azur Kamara, LB, Kansas
Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama
Jordan Mack, LB, Virginia
Kamal Martin, LB, Minnesota
Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Dante Olson, LB, Montana
Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU
Michael Pinckney, LB, Miami
Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami
Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
Chapelle Russell, LB, Temple
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Justin Strnad, LB, Wake Forest
Darrell Taylor, LB, Tennessee
Davion Taylor, LB, Colorado
Casey Toohill, LB, Stanford
Josh Uche, LB, Michigan
Mykal Walker, LB, Fresno State
Curtis Weaver, LB, Boise State
Evan Weaver, LB, California
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
David Woodward, LB, Utah State

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NFL.com: Texans draft edge rusher, RB in latest three-round mock

The Houston Texans need help at running back and edge rusher, and that is what NFL.com’s latest three-round mock has the AFC South champs addressing.

The Houston Texans do not pick for the first time until No. 57 overall in Round 2 of the NFL Draft, but they can still fix pressing needs on the roster.

In the latest three-round mock at NFL.com, the AFC South champions address their pass rush first by taking edge rusher Curtis Weaver, a redshirt junior from Boise State. The 6-3, 265-pounder played outside linebacker his last two seasons at Boise State. Weaver produced 13.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, 52 tackles, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and an interception in his 14 games in 2019. If the Texans can get that level of production from Weaver, he could become a decent successor to Whitney Mercilus.

In the third round, the Texans end up with a compensatory pick at 102nd overall. Houston then drafts running back Joshua Kelley, a redshirt senior, from UCLA.

Kelley carried 229 times for 1,060 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Bruins last season, and also caught 11 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in his 11 games. Going the route of Kelley would indicate the Texans have decided to move on from running backs Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde, both of whom are 29 years old and also without a contract. In the Bill O’Brien era, the coach has shown the propensity to go with an established, veteran runner atop the running back stable, whether it was Arian Foster, Miller, or Hyde, who came in an Aug. 31 trade to replace Miller, who had torn his ACL in the third preseason game.

Weaver would be a pick that could contribute immediately, and it would help the Texans’ cause if he could. The club finished 2019 tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 31. If Houston can get their pass rush back to a formidable level, it would help maintain their reputation as a stingy defense and also help their own quarterback, Deshaun Watson, have easier games to manage.

Seahawks select EDGE defender in latest Sporting News mock draft

The Seattle Seahawks select Boise State EDGE defender Curtis Weaver in the Sporting News’ latest 2020 mock draft.

The Seattle Seahawks have large holes to fill on their 2020 roster, and 19 unrestricted free agents make it even harder to tell just how sizeable some of this team’s needs will be heading into the NFL draft.

However, regardless of what happens with pending free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed, the Seahawks will need to find more pass rushing off the edge this offseason, as it was a glaring weakness all season long.

The 2020 draft is not nearly as ripe with edge rushers as last year’s talent pool, but the Seahawks could still find a nice piece in the late first round.

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News has them doing exactly that, projecting them to select Boise State edge defender Curtis Weaver in his latest first round mock draft.

“The Seahawks will have a hard time keeping pending free agent Jadeveon Clowney, who seems intent on breaking the bank with any contender,” Iyer wrote. “Weaver (6-3, 265 pounds) was an absolute beast on the blue turf with 13.5 sacks in 14 games in his final college season.”

I don’t necessarily believe that Clowney will be as hard to keep as Iyer does, considering the massive amount of cap space Seattle has, but regardless Weaver does seem to check a lot of the boxes Pete Carroll looks for.

He’s a big, powerful, explosive rusher who has shown proficiency in the run game and passing game, and probably projects as an oversized five-tech at the next level.

Rasheem Green and Quinton Jefferson have both taken to that role well in the NFL, and Weaver could be the next big piece at that spot for a Seattle team that is desperate for someone to come in and record big sack numbers in 2020.

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2020 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: January 12

Jordan Love and Curtis Weaver are expected to go in the first round for their respective schools. Where else do they stack up in the 2020 draft?

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2020 NFL Mock Draft Roundup January 12th

Where are the Mountain West player going in mock drafts?

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

First in a series of mocks.

With the college football season over for the Mountain West, it’s time now to look at where some of the conference’s most well-known entities could go. This week, we’ll be taking a look at QB Jordan Love from Utah State and DE Curtis Weaver from Boise State. Going forward we will mix in other players if they get consideration.

Jordan Love

By now, it’s well known that Jordan Love had some struggles this past season. After a brilliant sophomore campaign where he threw for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns to just six picks, Love had serious trouble matching his production from the record-setting season USU had in 2018.

In 2019, Love threw for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. Though a few of those picks were not his fault, there were other times where Love tried doing too much and committed sloppy turnovers. While he still has plenty of talent and potential, he needs to clean up his decision making and not force plays that aren’t there moving into the NFL draft process.

Numerous sites have Jordan Love going to different teams in different rounds. Though he had the hype for a while of being a potential first round pick, his inconsistent performance in 2019 realistically knocked him down a couple rounds.

WalterFootball.com: Projects Love going between the third and fifth round. Analysis praises his arm strength and touch on deep passes, but admonishes that his field vision and decision making needs to improve.

CBS Sports: Projects Love as a first rounder (20th pick overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Draft Network: This projection has Love going to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 13.

USA TODAY Draftwire: Projects Love as a first-rounder (13th pick overall) to the Indianapolis Colts.

Curtis Weaver

Everyone in the Mountain West knows how good of a defensive player Curtis Weaver is. Year over year, the DE has gotten better and more disruptive to opposing offenses’ game plans. In 2019 Weaver had his best season yet with the Broncos, racking up 52 total tackles and a gaudy 13.5 sacks, good for 6th highest in the NCAA. The Broncos’ opponents struggled mightily to stop him from wreaking havoc in their backfields, and Weaver will no doubt find himself a good home in the NFL sooner rather than later.

WalterFootball.com: Projects Weaver to go between the second and fourth rounds.

CBS Sports: Projects Weaver to go in the first round (27th pick overall) to the Miami Dolphins.

Draftwire: Projects Weaver as a second rounder (48th pick overall) to the New York Jets.

ESPN+: Todd McShay projects Weaver to go the Miami Dolphins with the 20th pick overall.

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Boise State EDGE Curtis Weaver declares for 2020 NFL draft

Boise State edge defender Curtis Weaver is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft

You can add Curtis Weaver to the list of prospects getting ready to chase their dream at the NFL level. The Boise State defensive end went to Twitter to announce he would be chasing his dream as part of the 2020 NFL Draft class.

Weaver finished his three-year collegiate career for the Broncos with 128 total tackles, 34 sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

Weaver looks to follow in the footsteps of former Bronco DeMarcus Lawrence and be a force at the NFL level on the edges. Weaver has the talent to be a top 50 selection in the upcoming draft.

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Dallas Cowboys: Top 2020 NFL draft needs

The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes in their roster on both sides of the ball, so we break down the biggest ones

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 NFL season has been one of disappointment and inconsistency.

They are currently on pace to finish what should be the final season of the Jason Garrett era the way it started, with a 8-8 record. Sunday’s debacle proved that the Cowboys team is in desperate need of a few playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Offense

Tight End

Drops seem to have been the theme of the season, in fact Dallas’ top four receivers on the team have accounted for 24 total drops. It wasn’t just Amari Cooper who has been listed as the player who has led the league in drops since 2015. Cooper has the least amount of drops of the top four.

Michael Gallup (8), Randall Cobb (7) and Jason Witten (5) have been worse. The Cowboys need to find some reliability at the position.

For what feels like the fifth or sixth draft in a row the Cowboys need to find a tight end who can stretch the field. Hunter Bryant of Washington should be a player of interest.

The Cowboys do have Blake Jarwin but for whatever reason the Cowboys staff doesn’t seem to trust him in the passing game despite the fact that he averages more than a first down every two catches. He was targeted just once against Philadelphia which was a catch and first down.

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Latest 2020 NFL mock draft has Bears addressing defensive needs in 2nd round

In a new 2020 NFL Mock Draft, the Bears address two needs on defense: cornerback and edge rusher.

The Chicago Bears will have plenty of needs to address this offseason, both on offense and defense — and one could argue special teams.

General manager Ryan Pace will have a lot of work to do to free up salary cap space in the offseason — to resign free agents in-house and look elsewhere for assistance. But it’ll also be what he does in the NFL Draft that will be important for the future of this team.

The Bears currently hold the 47th and 49th picks in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, as they got Oakland’s second-round pick (No. 47) in the Khalil Mack trade.

In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, they have the Bears addressing two needs on defense: cornerback and edge rusher.

With the 47th pick, they have the Bears selecting Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade. In 12 games with the Buckeyes, Wade has 26 total tackles, including 4 tackles for loss, as well as one interception and two forced fumbles. With Prince Amukamara’s status in question heading into the offseason, the Bears will need to address the cornerback position. Second-year player Kevin Toliver has been getting playing time in place of Amukamara as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Then with the 49th pick, they have Chicago taking Boise State edge rusher Curtis Weaver. In 13 games, Weaver has 13.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and 50 total tackles. While the Bears picked up Leonard Floyd’s fifth-year option, Floyd hasn’t been able to capitalize opposite one of the league’s best edge rushers in Khalil Mack. Since notching two sacks against the Packers in the season opener, Floyd has just one sack. The Bears need some more quality pass rushers to pair with Mack.

While there are certainly other needs Chicago needs to address this offseason — tight end, offensive line and quarterback depth — there are going to be some holes for Pace to plug in on defense.

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Ideal early four-round draft for Cardinals in 2020

The Cardinals have lots of needs to fill in the 2020 NFL draft – here’s a mock that fills four of them.

The Arizona Cardinals only have two games remaining on their 2019 schedule and many fans have begun thinking about 2020. A big part of that is the NFL draft.

Free agency will play a big impact in which direction the Cardinals go in with their first several picks, but since they have several needs, they could go in many directions.

Looking at the current roster, there is a need either outright or for depth at any position outside of RB and specialists. The four likely biggest needs would be at receiver, offensive line, defensive line and, now with the release Terrell Suggs, edge defender. One could also make an argument that they need help at tight end, linebacker, cornerback and safety.

So this four-round mock draft will focus on those four positions and addressing those large needs for the Cardinals.

Round 1: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The first round is the toughest call in any draft. With the Cardinals drafting likely in the top 10, there will be a lot of talented players to choose from, including what many fans call the perfect fit in Kyler Murray’s old college teammate.

Lamb can already do one thing better than any other receiver the Cardinals have and that is separate from the defense. His experience with Murray is a plus, as he would likely know what to do when Murray scrambles – not to mention how good he is after the catch.

Others considered: Auburn DL Derrick Brown, Georgia OT Andrew Thomas, Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa DE A.J Epenesa, Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons

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Utah State QB Henry Colombi Will Most Likely Start Against Boise State

Aggies pit their new starting QB against Boise State in pivotal divisional clash

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Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

With Jordan Love most likely out, it’s Henry Colombi‘s show

Utah State had given its season new life with a close win over a tough Wyoming squad. Now, the balance seems to be in doubt again with the unknown status of Jordan Love.

Late in the game, USU went on a drive deep into Wyoming territory. Jordan Love kept the ball himself and ran inside the Wyoming five-yard line. Love took a vicious hit and USU ended up settling for a field goal on the next play. It seemed about right for the type of the day the Aggies had in the red zone.

After the Aggies went on offense again, sophomore QB Henry Colombi stepped in. He mounted a decent drive, but Eberle missed a field goal try. In the fourth quarter, Colombi would get the Aggies in scoring position again, with Eberle making his last field goal attempt on the day.

The offense didn’t look drastically different and the receivers still seemed to respond well to Colombi. He did just enough to finish the game and get the win and he committed no turnovers. Pedestrian stats against a strong defense are to be expected of a new QB when coming into a game late, after all.

What Colombi can reasonably do for USU

The newly minted starter is going to have a sizable challenge on his hands when the Aggies take the field against the Boise State Broncos on Saturday night. Colombi’s playing time has been substantially limited this year as compared to last, so his inexperience with this team will show at points. Nonetheless, he can manage the game and not turn the ball over against the Broncos.

The good news for Aggie fans is that Colombi isn’t being thrown into this game with cold feet. As mentioned before, due to the number of teams the Aggies were blowing out last year, Colombi got to play a lot of minutes in his backup role. It wasn’t uncommon at all for him to play entire halves of games against lesser competition. These scenarios allowed him to continue learning the offense and become mentally prepared for when his number would be called.

Against the five teams he played in 2018, Colombi racked up 239 passing yards on 33 passes in 40 attempts. On top of that, he rushed for 108 yards and on just 13 attempts. His lone rushing touchdown came on a long scamper against UNLV near the end of that game. An already beaten Rebels squad didn’t have an answer for him.

It’s hard to say how effective of a passer Colombi is since he mostly managed games, but his running ability is definitely a major plus for this offense. USU’s running game has been hit or miss this season, so adding an extra set of wheels to the mix will make the play-calling for Mike Sanford easier. Utah State is going to need every advantage they can get on the ground against a Broncos defense that is giving up only 117 yards per game, good for 23rd best in the nation.

A nice break for the new starter

Henry Colombi is also catching another break: he most likely won’t need to worry about Curtis Weaver living in USU’s backfield. Weaver limped off the field last week against New Mexico up in Boise and was later seen in a boot. Though the Bronco’s easily won that game, the loss of Weaver cannot be understated.

At his peak, Weaver has absolutely terrorized opposing quarterbacks in this league. His sack rate is third best in the country! Teams game-plan specifically to stop him, and that doesn’t work a decent chunk of the time. Whoever replaces him at DE, there will almost certainly be a noticeable drop-off in production.

Boise’s pass rush against USU’s offensive line is going to be key in this game. On the season, USU’s offensive line has acquitted itself nicely, only allowing 15 sacks on the year. We won’t know how good of a passer Colombi can be if he can’t stay upright against the Broncos, so USU’s line must continue playing well. The absence of Weaver may just give USU’s QB a level playing field in what would otherwise be an extremely difficult positional match-up.

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