Tag: defensive back

Broncos host TCU safety Nook Bradford on pre-draft visit

The Broncos brought in TCU safety Nook Bradford for a pre-draft visit last month.

The Denver Broncos hosted TCU safety Millard Bradford on a pre-draft visit last month, according to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler. He goes by “Nook” Bradford.

Bradford (5-10, 191 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the NFL combine, the second-fastest time among safeties (Dadrion Taylor-Demerson ran it in 4.41 seconds).

Bradford spent five seasons with the Horned Frogs, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition in 2023 and 2022. He totaled 231 tackles (16.5 behind the line of scrimmage), 19 pass breakups, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 58 games at TCU.

Despite his impressive speed, Bradford is projected to go undrafted later this month. The Broncos might be considering him as a college free agent candidate. He projects as a backup safety who could contribute on special teams as a rookie.

Denver holds eight picks in the draft, including three selections in the fifth round and a pair of six-round picks. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Trent McDuffie named Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus

DB Trent McDuffie was named the #Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus this week ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ success in 2023 was defined by the progression of their young defense, led by young talent acquired through the NFL draft in recent years.

Among the unit’s most productive members were 2022 first-round picks George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie, who bolstered Kansas City’s pass rush and secondary respectively.

While Karlaftis’ efforts were enough to secure him a top spot on the Chiefs’ regular season sack leaderboard, McDuffie’s performance in 2023 turned the heads of the experts at Pro Football Focus who named the second-year defensive back Kansas City’s most improved player.

McDuffie has been worth every bit of the 21st overall selection the Chiefs spent on him. Without his stellar play against opposing receivers, Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t have been able to put together such a dominant campaign in 2023.

Expect the 23-year-old to continue growing in Steve Spagnuolo’s system as he endeavors to help the Chiefs earn their second-straight Lombardi Trophy against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Alabama DB Malachi Moore announces he will return for 5th year

Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore announced that he will be returning for his fifth and final season.

The Alabama football team received some good news on Tuesday evening. Defensive back Malachi Moore announced that he would be returning for his fifth and final season.

Moore has been a key member of Alabama’s secondary in each of the last four seasons. The Alabama native has played a variety of positions in the secondary including safety, cornerback, and the STAR position. His position versatility is something that Alabama will likely use in a multitude of ways next season.

Regardless of where Moore plays, he finds ways to make plays. Throughout his Alabama career, Moore has tallied 144 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and five interceptions.

His decision to return will be huge for an Alabama secondary that lost starting cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold to the 2024 NFL draft.

Moore will look to further solidify his draft stock while working to help take the Alabama defense to new heights.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama football program.

Alabama DB Malachi Moore expected to return in 2024

Malachi Moore is expected to forgo the 2024 NFL draft and return to Alabama.

According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Alabama’s defense will return a key starter next season. Starting defensive back Malachi Moore is expected to forgo the 2024 NFL draft. Low reports that Moore has informed the Alabama coaching staff that he plans to return next season.

Moore has been a contributor to the Crimson Tide defense since he first stepped foot on campus. He will look to utilize the 2024 season as a boost for the 2025 draft.

He made 13 starts for the Crimson Tide this past season. He also served as one of Alabama’s three permanent team captains in 2023. Moore recorded 52 tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception during his senior season.

Alabama’s defense just got a whole lot better with Moore deciding to return for the 2024-2025 season. He has a lot of starting experience and will be an experienced leader for the Crimson Tide defense next season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama football program.

Key Lawrence among College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 performers from week 2

After a strong performance in the Sooners win over SMU, Oklahoma’s Key Lawrence was selected as College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 defensive back from week 2.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-0 on the season, led by a defense that’s allowing just 5.5 points per game and rank as a top-10 defense early on. The Sooners will face tougher competition as the season goes on, but the SMU Mustangs offense is a good one. Oklahoma held them to their lowest point total since the end of the 2017 season.

There were a number of key contributors to the strong defensive performance, including [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] at linebacker. Another player who had a strong game was, safety [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag].

Lawrence was named one of College Sports Wire’s top Big 12 performers from the Sooners’ win in week 2.

It was actually the defense that helped lead the Sooners to a victory over SMU on Saturday. They held the Mustangs to just 11 points and that allowed a struggling offense to find their footing in the 4th quarterback. Lawrence was part of that unit that kept Preston Stone from lighting up the scoreboard. – Conn, College Sports Wire

Lawrence came up with a heads up play after Jaylan Knighton broke free for a big run in the fourth quarter. As the Mustangs were looking to cut into the Sooners 14-3 lead on Saturday, Knighton broke free down the left side and Key Lawrence tracked him down. Lawrence swatted the ball out, which Danny Stutsman recovered after Woodi Washington kept it from going out of bounds.

The Sooners have a deep safety group in 2023. The additions of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] to [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and Key Lawrence have given them four players who can make plays. But all offseason as the media spoke of Bowen, Pearson, and Bowman all offseason, defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] quickly reminded everyone of Key Lawrence.

On Saturday, Key Lawrence looked like the player who was making plays in the Iowa State game at the end of the 2021 season. He’s been a big part of Oklahoma’s defensive success to start the 2023 season.

His energy and aggressiveness give the Sooners another player who can impact the game in multiple ways. To be a good or even great defense, the Sooners need difference-makers at every level of the defense. At safety, the Sooners are chock-full of playmakers, and Lawrence stood out on Saturday in the win over SMU.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Alabama DB Malachi Moore expected to play against Texas despite ankle injury

Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore is expected play in Alabama’s Week 2 matchup against Texas.

There was a lot of concern regarding the status of Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore heading into Saturday’s matchup against No. 11-ranked Texas. On Friday, ESPN’s Chris Low confirmed that Moore is expected to play.

Low reported the following statement on Moore’s status for the game: “Some good news for (Alabama Football’s) defense. Sources tell ESPN that senior DB/star Malachi Moore is expected to play Saturday against Texas after being injured last week in the opener. Still TBD on safety Jaylen Key.”

Moore’s presence will certainly help on the back end. Moore has played in 40 career games for the Crimson Tide and has the most experience of any defensive back on Alabama’s roster.

There has been no indication of how healthy Moore will be for Saturday’s game. Pregame warmups could indicate how Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele plans to use Moore. If he is 100%, his versatility will greatly impact the game. If not, I would expect other players like Trey Amos and Earl Little Jr. to step up.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama football program throughout the 2023 season.

Justin Reid hopes to help second-year Chiefs DBs avoid sophomore slump

#Chiefs safety Justin Reid intends to do everything he can to keep Kansas City’s second-year defensive backs on track in 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs invested heavily in their defensive backfield last season, going so far as to draft five defensive backs in the 2022 draft.

That investment paid off, with the “fab five” of Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson all playing big roles on Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII squad.

Now, entering year two, four of those five (Johnson not included due to a recent season-ending injury) make up the core of the Chiefs’ secondary unit. McDuffie is the team’s top cornerback option alongside veteran L’Jarius Sneed, while Williams and Watson project to have big roles. Cook, meanwhile, will start at safety next to sixth-year vet Justin Reid.

Reid, who enters his second season with the Chiefs, played a big role last season in making sure those newbies were ready to take on such important roles in year one.

“The biggest priority for me last year was, since we had so much work on the back end, was to make sure those guys were prepared as possible,” Reid said. “Work with them one-on-one, understand what it’s like to be a professional, practice like a professional, understand the differences in speed and alignments – just the minor details make a difference.

“I knew we (needed) them to come up big for us later in the season (and) they did. Those guys made huge plays for us. Jaylen (Watson had) multiple picks … that experience that we had is valuable for them.”

With the Chiefs leaning heavily on those same defensive backs in year two, Reid’s goal is to make sure there’s no fall in productivity.

“I’m going to stay on them to make sure there is no sophomore slump,” Reid said. “It’s easy to want to relax but you’ve got to keep the pedal to the metal in this league. Good teams turn to bad teams quick and bad teams turn to good teams quick … We’re a competitive group, but it’s a healthy competition, and we’re going to keep building.”

WATCH: Chiefs rookie Chamarri Conner comes down with fantastic leaping interception

Rookie defensive back Chamarri Conner came down with an incredible leaping interception at the #Chiefs’ training camp workouts on Friday.

Rookie Chamarri Conner has been making his case for playing time at the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp practices in St. Joseph and helped his cause on Friday with a fantastic leaping interception.

The Chiefs’ official Twitter account posted a video of Conner’s effort shortly after workouts concluded.

While one play will hardly determine his long-term outlook with the team, the incredible athleticism he showed in making this play bodes well for his viability as a potential starter for Kansas City in the coming years.

His ability to come down with the ball cleanly is part of what compelled the Chiefs’ front office to draft him back in April. If he can continue showing the same ball-hawking attributes that have been on display at training camp during the preseason, Conner may put himself in a position to contribute to Kansas City’s defense sooner than some might expect.

Watch for him to get significant playing time on Sunday when the Chiefs face off against the New Orleans Saints for the first game on their preseason exhibition schedule.

USFL interceptions leader Mark Gilbert works out for Broncos

Mark Gilbert, who led the USFL with 4 interceptions this spring, worked out for the Broncos on Monday.

The Denver Broncos worked out USFL defensive back Mark Gilbert on Monday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Gilbert (6-1, 190 pounds) played college football at Duke, earning first-team All-ACC recognition in 2017 before injuries derailed his 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Gilbert went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a college free agent.

He began his rookie season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad before later being signed to the Detroit Lions’ active roster. After being cut by the Lions last October, Gilbert returned to the Steelers’ practice squad.

Gibert’s practice squad contract expired after the 2022 season and he spent this spring playing in the USFL for the Pittsburgh Maulers. He totaled 32 tackles and a league-high four interceptions in the USFL this season.

It’s unclear if the Broncos view Gilbert (26) primarily as a cornerback, safety or slot defensive back. Denver has a deep safety depth chart so Gilbert would make sense as a potential cornerback addition.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos roster series: No. 38, DB Devon Key

Devon Key spent the last two years on the practice squads of the Chiefs, Falcons and Broncos. Now he’ll try to win an active roster spot.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at first-year defensive back Devon Key, No. 38. (During the offseason, players can share a jersey number if they play on different sides of the ball. McLaughlin will wear No. 38 on offense this summer.)

Before the Broncos: Key (6-0, 208 pounds) played college football at Western Kentucky, earning All-Conference USA honors as a senior in 2020. He started 49 of a possible 50 games in four seasons with the Hilltoppers, totaling 350 tackles, a school record in their FBS era. The safety went undrafted in 2021 and joined the Kansas City Chiefs as a college free agent.

After spending his rookie season on KC’s practice squad, Key spent part of the 2022 season on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.

Broncos tenure: Denver signed Key to its own practice squad last December. He is yet to appear in any regular-season games and is considered a “first-year” player because he does not have an accrued season.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: The Broncos have a lot of talented options at cornerback and a deep safety room, so it will be difficult for Key to make the active roster as a defensive back. He might be a top choice for the practice squad, though.

 [vertical-gallery id=620142]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts