Projecting the Packers’ post-draft depth chart at defensive line

Projecting the depth chart for the Packers defensive line following the 2020 draft.

The Green Bay Packers’ defensive line was a major point of weakness last season. During a few games, the position group was dominated by opposing offensive lines. Of course, every Packer fan remembers when Green Bay got run over by the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. But struggling to stop the run wasn’t an aberration for the Packers in 2019. Green Bay gave up 128.7 yards per game last season, which ranked 26th in the NFL. If the Packers are to defend their 2019 NFC North championship and make another playoff run, the defensive line will need to improve.

Packers Wire predicts Green Bay’s depth chart at defensive line for the 2020 season:

DL1: Kenny Clark

Clark is one of Green Bay’s best players, regardless of position. Despite facing consistent double teams last season, he was still able to accumulate six sacks and 31 solo tackles. Pro Football Focus gave the UCLA product a 79.9 overall grade in 2019. This 2020 season will be pivotal for the 24-year-old defensive tackle. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign. If Clark has another productive season, he will likely be in line for a sizable payday.

DL2: Dean Lowry

Lowry isn’t the flashiest player on Green Bay’s defensive line, but he does get the job done. In his fourth year in the NFL, the former Northwestern standout tallied 23 solo tackles and two tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Lowry recorded 27 run stops in 2019. In the 2020 season, Lowry will be a key piece on the Packers’ D-line. He won’t be expected to be a star, but the 26-year-old will need to stay consistent and reliable.

DL3: Tyler Lancaster

Lancaster has been a pleasant surprise for the Packers on the defensive line. The former undrafted free agent has started 15 games and tallied 47 total tackles for the Packers in two years. He may be limited as a pass rusher, but Lancaster has proven himself to be a great run stopper. In 2020, the former Northwestern defensive lineman will likely be a vital role player for Green Bay.

DL4: Kingsley Keke

Keke is a player that the Packers need to make major improvements. In his rookie season, the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman didn’t get a ton of playing time, but he did show promise. “He had a long way to go as a very raw player, we saw the talent coming out of Texas A&M, but he was just very raw,” said Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. “Had a pretty good knack as a pass rusher, had some natural ability there. Just as far as his run technique, pad level, playing with his hands and having a good understanding of all the information we gather pre-snap.” If Keke is able to make the leap from role player to consistently productive player, it would be a huge shot in the arm for Green Bay’s defense.

DL5: Montravius Adams

Even before Adams was charged with three different misdemeanor charges, there was a chance that the former third-round draft pick wouldn’t make Green Bay’s roster. Now, the Auburn product’s short term future with the Packers is in question. In his three years in the NFL, Adams just hasn’t developed into the player that the Packers hoped he could be. The 2020 season will be Adams’ last chance to prove his worth.

DL6: Treyvon Hester

Hester will have to work his way up the Packers depth chart, but he will have the opportunity to contribute. The former Toledo Rocket has spent three seasons in the NFL, each with a different team. In his three seasons, Hester has played in 41 games and registered 40 tackles. In Green Bay, the 27-year-old will likely find himself in a backup role.

DL 7: Gerald Willis

An All-American at Miami, Willis went undrafted but signed with the Baltimore Ravens and eventually played in regular season games in 2019 with the Miami Dolphins. The former Hurricane has some athleticism at 300 pounds. He will need to have a big training camp to win a roster spot.

DL8: Willington Previlon

After having a great college career at Rutgers, Previlon was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent. At Rutgers, the 6-foot-5 defensive lineman played in 36 games, recording 71 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. In training camp, Previlon will have a shot to impress and make his way up the depth chart.

Tua Tagovailoa’s trainer offers crucial updates to his health, NFL conditioning

Tua Tagovailoa is set to enter his first season in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, but no one is quite sue if he will be ready to play.

Tua Tagovailoa was one of the most anticipated picks from the 2020 NFL draft. After the Miami Dolphins selected the 2018 Heisman finalist with the No. 5 selection, the talk transitioned from ‘Where will he be drafted?’ to ‘ Will he play?’

While the first question has been answered, the second questions seems to have different answers, depending on who’s asked.

The new Dolphins quarterback has been training with Kevin Wilk in Birmingham, Ala. as he prepares to move to South Florida, reports the Sun Sentinel’s Safid Deen.

Wilk, a well-known physical therapist throughout the realm of professional sports, has delivered high praise for Tagovailoa’s offseason program.

“He’s a little bit ahead as far as where we would like him,” Wilk added. “We’re constantly trying to slow him down just a little bit because an athlete like that is just chomping at the bit just begging to get back out there. He wants to do more and more so we have to hold him back. And really, that was from the beginning. He always wanted to do more.”

Not only is he looking good physically, but Wilk adds that Tagovailoa is constantly trying to learn about the Dolphins scheme and get a better understanding of the playbook.

“You can barely talk to him when he’s at the clinic. He’s either doing exercises or his face is buried in the iPad, learning the system,” Wilk said. “He’s laser focused. One of the most focused I’ve ever seen anybody, to be honest.”

Wilk continues on to explain that while the former Alabama star is in good shape, he’s not in “South Florida football shape.”

“He’s in shape now, but he’s not in South Florida football shape,” Wilk said. “Just that aspect of it, from a cardio standpoint and a recovery standpoint, you don’t want to put him out there when he’s fatigued to not just jeopardize his hip, but his arm or something like that. So, he’s got to get his reps and it’s really how he responds on a week-to-week basis.”

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things tua Tagovailoa as he heads into his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins!

Carlos Hyde understands Chris Carson is Seahawks starting running back

New Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde acknowledged in a video chat with reporters that Chris Carson is the team’s No. 1 RB.

New Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde is excited to be in the Emerald City for the 2020 season but has realized that he will not likely be given the starting role.

Hyde stated in a video interview with reporters on Monday that Chris Carson is the undisputed No. 1 running back in Seattle.

“It’s probably an open competition for that second role,” Hyde said. “Me personally, I don’t think there’s probably an open competition for the starting role. I think everybody knows who the starting running back is for Seattle, and that’s Carson. I knew that before I even signed into Seattle, that he is the guy. Would coach [Pete] Carroll change his mind? Maybe. I don’t really know.”

Hyde stated that although he is unlikely to edge out Carson for the starting role, he will do his best to secure a position on the roster for the 2020 season.

“I know maybe the second spot is open,” he said. “Maybe the first spot. I’m going to come in there and compete for the first spot, make sure I solidify myself and go from there. I’m not really sure what’s the plan.”

This is assuming there will even be a 2020 NFL season with the coronavirus pandemic still active.

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Updated Chiefs depth chart projections for June 2020

Our latest depth chart projections for the players currently on the Kansas City Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs made a pair of roster moves, so it’s time to update our 90-man offseason depth chart ever so slightly.

We still haven’t had an opportunity to see players hit the field as NFL facilities remain closed to players. That means holdovers from the 2019 season will have an advantage in our depth chart projections. Some draft picks will also have an advantage based on draft status and what we’ve learned about them thus far from the players, coaches and staff.

Here are our latest updated projections for the offseason depth chart:

Offense (44)

Pos.	First	Second	Third	Fourth
QB	Patrick Mahomes	Chad Henne	Jordan Ta’amu	Shea Patterson
RB	Damien Williams	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, DeAndre Washington	Eljiah McGuire
FB	Anthony Sherman	John Lovett
WR	Tyreek Hill	Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle	Kalija Lipscomb, Maurice Ffrench	Aleva Hifo, Andre Bacellia
WR	Sammy Watkins	Mecole Hardman, Gehrig Dieter	Jody Fortson, Justice Shelton-Mosley	Cody White
TE	Travis Kelce	Deon Yelder	Ricky Seals-Jones	Nick Keizer
LT	Eric Fisher	Greg Senat	Yasir Durant
LG	Andrew Wylie	Martinas Rankin	Jovahn Fair
C	Austin Reiter	Nick Allegretti	Darryl Williams
RG	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	Lucas Niang	Ryan Hunter
RT	Mitchell Schwartz	Mike Remmers	Jackson Barton

Observations:

WR Felton Davis was placed on waivers with a non-football injury designation. That leaves the offense at 44 players total. His departure is the only change on the offensive side of the ball.
Chiefs RB coach Deland McCullough has made it clear that everyone is competing in his room. Damien Williams won’t win the job by default as the veteran. Until we see these guys on the field, it’s hard to tell who will get the nod.
I keep coming back to the receiver position and one player I’m often thinking about is Gehrig Dieter. He spent the entire 2019 offseason training with Tyreek Hill and pushing himself. A back injury derailed his progress and almost cost him the season with Kansas City. What does his future look like with the Chiefs? Keep in mind, the team brought in six receivers in undrafted free agency.
No changes right now to the projections for the offensive line. I still tend to believe that Lucas Niang will play tackle and not guard, but we can only go on what we’ve been told.

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Vols’ projected 2020 defensive depth chart 5.0

KNOXVILLE — Jeremy Pruitt enters his third season as head coach at Tennessee.

Tennessee ended the 2019 campaign with a six-game winning streak against South Carolina, UAB, Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Indiana.

The Vols held two practices in 2020 before spring football was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tennessee is scheduled to kick off the 2020 season against Charlotte on Sept. 5 at Neyland Stadium.

Vols Wire looks at depth chart projections ahead of the season opener.

Projections are based on current player personnel on roster, including 2020 signees, for Tennessee’s defense.

NEXT: Tennessee’s 2020 defensive depth chart projection 5.0

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Projecting the Packers’ post-draft depth chart at offensive tackle

Breaking down the depth chart for the Packers at offensive tackle following the 2020 draft.

The Packers selected three offensive linemen in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they opted to pass up taking a true offensive tackle. Instead, Green Bay acquired Rick Wagner to replace Bryan Bulaga and bolster the depth at offensive tackle.

Packers Wire predicts Green Bay’s depth chart at offensive tackle for the 2020 season:

LT1: David Bakhtiari

Bakhtiari is the leader of the Packers’ offensive line. The 28-year-old California native has developed into one of the NFL’s best pass blockers over his seven-year career. The 2020 season will be a pivotal year for Bakhtiari, a four-time All-Pro. The Colorado product will be a free agent in the 2021 offseason, and while it is highly likely that the Packers will seek to re-sign their longtime left tackle, having another productive season will increase his value for this campaign and beyond.

RT1: Rick Wagner

Wagner’s play in the 2020 season will be critical for the overall success of Green Bay’s offensive line. If Wagner – a former Detroit Lion and Baltimore Raven – is able to step into the Packers’ lineup and perform at a high level, then Aaron Rodgers should be well protected in 2020. The 6-foot-6 veteran struggled with the Lions in 2019, but Green Bay hopes that the change of scenery and better health helps Wagner play better during his eighth NFL season.

OT3: Alex Light

Coming out of college as an undrafted free agent, Light has worked his way up the Packers’ depth chart at offensive tackle. After improving at a steady rate for two years, the former Richmond standout will have an opportunity to be a major contributor for Green Bay in the 2020 season. Light likely won’t be a Week 1 starter for the Packers, but he is the favorite to be the swing tackle if either Bakhtiari or Wagner goes down with an injury.

OT4: Yosh Nijman

Nijman had a terrific four-year career at Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-7, 314-pound tackle played in 45 games with 32 starts. Nijman’s greatest asset is his tremendous athleticism. His rare combination of speed, size, and explosive movement ability could make him an option at either tackle position if he is able to learn the playbook and get up to speed.

OT5: John Leglue

Leglue is a versatile offensive lineman who could play multiple positions on the line for the Packers. In college, the 6-foot-6 lineman started 15 games at right tackle, 13 at right guard, nine at center, and one at left tackle. While he is best suited for a tackle position, his experience at multiple positions makes him a valuable backup if injuries hit the Packers’ offensive line hard in the 2020 season.

OT6: Cody Conway

Conway was signed to the Packers’ practice squad on Nov. 26 of last year. In his second season with Green Bay, Conway will look to make the 53-man roster. The 6-foot-6, 307-pound tackle out of Syracuse was originally signed by the Titans before suffering an injury in training camp that spoiled his shot at making the roster. Making the original 53-man roster might be unlikely for Conway, but he could be called on if players above him on the depth chart suffer injuries.

OT7: Travis Bruffy

For the last four years, Bruffy was Texas Tech’s most reliable offensive lineman. In his career, the 6-foot-6 tackle participated in 46 games, was named a team captain, and earned All-Big 12 second-team laurels in 2019. To start his NFL career, Bruffy will find himself at the bottom of Green Bay’s depth chart. However, the undrafted free agent will have an opportunity to work his way up if he impresses in training camp.

Denver Broncos depth chart: Offense, defense and special teams predictions

Here are depth chart predictions for the Broncos’ offense, defense and special teams.

Over the last few weeks, we have published QB, RB, TE, WR, OL, DL, LB, CB, S and special teams depth chart predictions for the Denver Broncos. Today, we’re recapping those projections.

The quarterback room is pretty easy to predict. Drew Lock will be the starter and Jeff Driskel is the backup. Here’s our running back prediction:

Melvin Gordon

Phillip Lindsay

Royce Freeman

And here’s a look at the projected tight ends:

Noah Fant

Nick Vannett

Albert Okwuegbunam

Andrew Beck

There will be a fierce battle wide receiver this offseason. Here’s our projection:

Courtland Sutton	KJ Hamler	Jerry Jeudy
Tim Patrick	Diontae Spencer	DaeSean Hamilton

And here’s a projected starting offensive line:

Garett Bolles

Dalton Risner

Lloyd Cushenberry

Graham Glasgow

Ja’Wuan James

And here’s the projected starting defensive line:

Shelby Harris

Mike Purcell

Jurrell Casey

Followed by our predicted starting linebackers:

Von Miller

Alexander Johnson

Todd Davis

Bradley Chubb

And here’s the projected secondary lineup:

A.J. Bouye

Justin Simmons

Kareem Jackson

Bryce Callahan

To wrap it up, here are the projected special teams specialists:

Kicker	Punter	Long Snapper	Returner
Brandon McManus	Sam Martin	Jacob Bobenmoyer	Diontae Spencer

Do you agree with our depth chart predictions? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter: @TheBroncosWire.

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Broncos depth chart prediction: Special teams

Who will be the Broncos’ long snapper this season?

Over the past few weeks, we have published QB, RB, TE, WR, OL, DL, LB, CB and S depth chart predictions for the Denver Broncos. That leaves special teams as the last position group to be previewed.

There won’t be much competition for the team’s specialist jobs this summer because Brandon McManus is the only kicker on the roster and Sam Martin is the only punter with the team. There are two long snappers (Jacob Bobenmoyer and Wes Farnsworth) but there might be a clear favorite in that competition, too.

Bobenmoyer has spent time with the team in two camps — Farnsworth signed a future contract with Denver in December and he’s yet to snap a football in practice. The Broncos were keeping an eye on Bobenmoyer even while Casey Kreiter was still under contract so he seems to be the favorite to win the job.

NFL teams might begin holding minicamps later this month and Denver is hoping to start training camp on time in late July. The team’s depth chart battles will be sorted out during training camp and preseason.

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Vols’ projected 2020 offensive depth chart 5.0

Vols’ projected 2020 offensive depth chart 5.0.

KNOXVILLE — Jeremy Pruitt enters his third season as head coach at Tennessee.

Tennessee ended the 2019 campaign with a six-game winning streak that included victories over South Carolina, UAB, Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Indiana.

The Vols held two practices in 2020 before spring football was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SEC to resume voluntary in-person athletics activities beginning June 8

Tennessee is scheduled to kickoff the 2020 season against Charlotte on Sept. 5 at Neyland Stadium.

Vols Wire looks at depth chart projections ahead of the season opener.

Projections are based on current player personnel on roster, including 2020 signees, for Tennessee’s offense.

NEXT: Tennessee’s 2020 offensive depth chart projection 5.0

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Anthony Chickillo expects a smooth transition to Saints’ scheme

The New Orleans Saints signed Anthony Chickillo, a career backup and special teams ace with the Pittsburgh Steelers who likes his chances.

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The New Orleans Saints got deeper at linebacker by signing Anthony Chickillo, a backup and special teams ace for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And Chickillo immediately faced questions about how he’d adapt to live in the Saints defense — largely built around four-man fronts — after a career in the Steelers’ 3-4, where he often played with a hand in the dirt.

Fortunately, the Saints are one of many modern defenses embracing versatility in today’s NFL. They don’t limit themselves to a 3-4 or 4-3 on every snap, or even ask the big men up front to always play with a hand in the dirt. There’s room for a variety of skills sets in their scheme. And that appealed to Chickillo when he was weighing his options in free agency.

“I’m not entirely sure (where he’ll be lining up), but I know I’m putting my hand back down in the dirt,” Chickillo said in a recent conference call with local media. “In Pittsburgh, we were in a two-point stance. We were in a 3-4 and still on some passing situations I was able to put my hand down, so it’s not like I haven’t done in the past five years.”

Chickillo added that he’s looking forward to rushing against blockers from a three-point stance, which he did often in college at defensive end for the Miami Hurricanes. The added leverage and burst off the snap he enjoys from that stance is, in his words, “a lot of fun.”

He’s not the only new addition with that background. Zack Baun, one of the four Saints draft picks, often played up on the line of scrimmage at Wisconsin. Like Chickillo, Baun was sometimes asked to rush upfield out of a three-point stance, though the rookie did his best work from a stand-up look. Having two comparable skills sets should push both players to give it their all, making sure that every opportunity is fully earned.

However, it shouldn’t be a shock if both Baun and Chickillo end up getting looks at defensive end. The Saints lost veteran reserve Noah Spence to a torn ACL while he was working out privately, and could use any boost they can get. The mix-and-match personnel alignments the Saints feature up front would have probably seen the two linebackers slide over anyway, but the Saints are incentivized even more now to try them out in different spots.

When asked whether he anticipates an adjustment to his new team, Chickillo anticipated some sort of learning curve, but nothing he couldn’t handle: “Like I said in Pittsburgh, I was rushing out of a three-point stance, really whenever we ran our nickel package.”

And Chickillo doesn’t think that it’s an accident that the Saints came calling with this role in mind. He recalled two games against New Orleans in which he showed the Saints coaching staff what they may have been looking for.

He continued, “I got to (play in a three-point stance) a whole bunch and when we played New Orleans in the (2016) preseason, I was rushing out of a three-point stance in the Superdome and when we played in the (2018) regular season I was rushing off a three-point stance. I’m sure the coaches saw that I was able to do that.”

Chickillo also said that his background in special teams — where he’s taken more career snaps than on defense — should help his chances of making the roster in New Orleans. The Saints have several linebackers competing for a handful of roster spots, and any edge they can provide in the game’s third phase could be what decides who makes it through roster cuts in September.

Now, whether Chickillo ends up being a better option than Craig Robertson, Kaden Elliss, Joe Bachie, or even Kiko Alonso remains to be seen. But he’s not lacking for confidence, and there’s a lot to be said for that. It’s just another fun training camp battle for fans to watch later this summer.

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