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Mark Schofield shares some of the highlights from the offensive line media sessions at the NFL Combine.
Thursday morning at the Indianapolis Convention Center was, for lack of a better word, imposing.
After all, the men who will be tasked with protecting the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and the rest of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the National Football League had their chance to address the media at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Here are some takeaways from what the big men had to say.
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.
In a new 3-round 2022 NFL mock draft, the Bears address two glaring needs on offense.
The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the conclusion of their 2021 season, where big changes await them this offseason.
Chicago doesn’t have a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft after trading it to the New York Giants to move up to select quarterback Justin Fields with the No. 11 pick last year. But there are still opportunities for the Bears to address some needs in the middle rounds, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, Luke Easterling has the Bears giving Fields some help with another weapon in the passing game and protection on the offensive line.
Here’s a look at the two prospects:
The Minnesota Golden Gophers got a huge touchdown in their bowl game
Minnesota got on the board first in a big way — and we mean a big way — against West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday
Daniel Faalele is a 6-foot-9, 380-pound left tackle from Melbourne, Australia. In case you were wondering it is 9,395 miles from Minnesota to Melbourne.
However, in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl he lined up at fullback and blasted through the Mountaineers for a touchdown.
Minnesota brought in the big man to score 🤯
Daniel Faalele is 6'9 380 lbs! pic.twitter.com/hQsye0FAS4
— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2021
It would seem as if Faalele has a future on Sundays if honors mean anything anymore:
HONORS:
All-Big Ten First Team (2021, coaches)
All-Big Ten Third Team (2021, media)
For some background on Faalele went from Down Under to the goal line:
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended IMG Academy in Brandenton, Fla. • wore No. 78 for the Ascenders • helped IMG Academy to an undefeated season in 2017, which was his first season of playing competitive football • anchored an offense that averaged 27.8 points and 177 rushing yards per game • competed in the 2018 Under Armour All-America Game • was at IMG Academy in 2016, but only practiced with the team as he became acclimated to the sport
Do the #Buckeyes have two of the top five offensive tackles in the Big Ten?
The college football season kicks off in less than a month and we have been rolling through the best of the Big Ten at each position. We have already completed our list of top five quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.
The Big Ten has multiple offensive tackles that should hear their name called during the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. I wanted to highlight the top five offensive tackles in the Big Ten heading into 2021.
Ohio State has two exceptional tackles that should be considered as some of the best in the league, but did we include both among our top five in the entire conference?
Let’s get to it.
How the Colts can replace Anthony Castonzo.
Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, just a few days after the 2020 season officially came to a close for his team.
Though it doesn’t seem like a big surprise given he had season-ending ankle surgery and was on a deal that didn’t include any guaranteed money for the final year of his latest extension.
Now, the Colts have to find his replacement for the 2021 season and beyond. Here are six options early in the process to replace Castonzo at left tackle:
A mock draft after Week 14.
As the offseason draws near, we continue to look at potential prospects for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2021 NFL draft.
The Colts are still well in the playoff picture so the focus around the team isn’t on the draft or the upcoming moves in the offseason. It’s seeing how far they can go if they make the playoffs.
Holding the No. 23 pick after Week 14, here’s a look at a mock draft for the Colts with three games remaining in the regular season:
The matchup between Michigan and Minnesota will present a few prospects that could be on the Los Angeles Chargers’ radar.
The Big-10 kicks off their 2020 season today, which means there will be a handful of prospects on display to show their worth to NFL clubs.
Tonight, at 5:25 p.m. PT, Minnesota and Michigan are set to battle in primetime. There will be a few notable players from both teams that could be on the Chargers’ radar.
OT Jalen Mayfield
The Wolverines have done a fine job at producing NFL offensive linemen throughout the years. Next in line is Mayfield, the 6-foot-5 and 320 pounder, mans the right tackle position but he is capable of being a blindside blocker. The redshirt sophomore struggles with speed at times, but he has the length and strength to neutralize power and control the point of attack as well as the athleticism and movement skills to flourish against the run and in motion.
EDGE Kwity Paye
You can never have too many pass rushers in this league, and with Melvin Ingram set to hit free agency after this season, the Chargers could be looking to add another dominate force to pair with Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu. Paye, the 6-foot-3 and 271 pounder, is an explosive and speedy pass-rusher who wreaks havoc in opposing backfields. He needs to add more counters to the bag of tricks and continue to get stronger, but he has the skillset to be productive at the next level.
TE Nick Eubanks
The tight end position could be addressed at some point in the draft because the future of Hunter Henry remains to be seen, Virgil Green is a free agent after this season and the usage of Donald Parham has been minimal this season. Assuming the Chargers keep Henry, Eubanks is an ideal compliment that could develop a role with the team. Eubanks isn’t used in the passing game often, but he has the ability to thrive in one-on-one situations against linebackers as well as the length and understanding of angles to get the job done in the run-blocking department.
WR Ronnie Bell
With Nico Collins, a projected Day 2 pick option out of the 2020 season, Bell will have his opportunity to shine as the No. 1 wideout. Bell, the 6-foot and 184 pounder, finished 2019 with 49 receptions, 758 yards and a touchdown. Bell is an exciting open-field athlete with speed and the twitched-up ability to be elusive. He is outstanding at tracking and going and getting it, but he does have lapses in concentration and dropped passes that need to be cleaned up this season.
WR Rashod Bateman
The Chargers could afford to bring an explosive element to the wide receiver position. Bateman, the 6-foot-2 and 210 pounder, led the Big Ten in receiving yards per catch (20.3) last season. A savvy route runner, Bateman has good play speed, strong balance and reliable hands to be a threat at all levels of the field.
OT Daniel Faalele
Even if Faalele wasn’t a prospect, you wouldn’t go without recognizing this man. Standing at 6-foot-9 and 400 pounds, Faalele is a giant human being. While he has a large stature, he is quite athletic and agile. He has the long arms, strong hands, and the mental and physical toughness that has been profoundly tested. He will have to keep that up against Paye.
OL Conner Olson
The Chargers need more depth along the interior part of the offensive line, and Olson would supply that since he has the versatility to play both center and guard. Olson, the 6-foot-5 and 310 pounder, is the ultimate lunch-pail worker with the competitive grit, base strength and IQ that translates well to the pro game.
CB Benjamin St-Juste
St-Juste is one of the more underrated corners in college football who could see a rise in his draft stock as the season goes on. The 6-foot-2 and 210 pounder has size, length, ball skills and aggressiveness to disrupt and be a playmaker at any given moment. In 2019, he recorded a 26.2% forced incompletion rate in 2019 — the eighth-best mark in the FBS, per Pro Football Focus.
‘A really, really good football team,’ is what Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan football is up against. Here’s what he sees as the problem areas.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It’ll be a tough matchup for Michigan football on Saturday as the Wolverines travel to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota in primetime.
It’s a ranked-on-ranked matchup, with the maize and blue coming in at No. 18 in the AP Top 25, while home team Minnesota is No. 21. There’s something of a misnomer that the Wolverines under Jim Harbaugh can’t win big games of this ilk, but that’s not entirely true.
Yes, Michigan has lost six games in Harbaugh’s tenure where the Wolverines have been the higher-ranked team, with three of those coming on the road (2016 vs. unranked Iowa, 2018 vs. Ohio State and 2019 vs. Wisconsin), two at neutral sites (2016 vs. Florida State and 2018 vs. Florida) and one at home (2017 vs. Michigan State). Of Harbaugh’s 13 ranked-vs-ranked games where Michigan was the lower-ranked team, nine have been losses, but there have been four wins — though all of those were at home.
Additionally, the Wolverines are 1-7 when ESPN College GameDay is on the campus of where Michigan is playing, with the sole win coming in 2018 at home vs. Wisconsin.
That said, there’s a lot of skepticism whether or not the maize and blue can pull this game off, considering the challenge Minnesota presents.
So what does Harbaugh see in the Golden Gophers? Really, their strengths start on the offensive side of the ball.
“Really good, good football team,” Harbaugh said. “So many good players, really well-coached. Rashod Bateman really jumps out to me. He’s so strong, made so many strong, contested catches. I believe he averaged over 20 yards per catch in 2019. He’s terrific. Kind of a real alpha-type of guy and football player. Got a real challenge for us in the secondary – and other playmakers on offense, no question about that.
“Really like their quarterback. Tanner Morgan is a very gifted, a really savvy quarterback. Excellent line. Daniel Faalele, a very big human being, but super athletic as well. Really good running backs.”
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But it’s not just on offense that Minnesota has an opportunity to be formidable.
Last year, the Golden Gophers were No. 10 in the nation in total defense, one spot ahead of Michigan. While the Gophers lose five starters from a year ago on that side of the ball, Harbaugh says that you can tell just how good they are, regardless, by watching the film.
“A defense that really understands their scheme, plays it really well,” Harbaugh said. “They lost some starters on defense, but every time you turn on the film, both sides of the ball are really good at playing the concepts.”
With all of that in mind, realize Michigan isn’t entering this game as the underdog, and it’s no slouch on the playing field either. If it executes, there’s still a good chance the Wolverines emerge with a road victory on Saturday.
“That has to be really important for us to be mentally sharp and playing us as well as we possibly can,” Harbaugh said. “If we play good, I think we’ll be tough to beat as well.”
No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Minnesota kickoff on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. EDT with the game nationally televised on ABC.
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