Tag: Devin Lloyd

How the Panthers’ potential 1st-round draft targets fared this weekend

Although the Panthers are more inclined to draft offense in the first round, the franchise pillar GM Scott Fitterer alluded to may have been on the field this weekend.

The Carolina Panthers seem much more inclined to end up using their first-round pick on one of the prospects we saw on Thursday or Friday. But as general manager Scott Fitterer stated in Indianapolis, he won’t pass up a franchise-type player—regardless of need.

So, did a franchise-type player take the field at the combine this weekend? Oh, you bet.

With defensive linemen, linebackers and cornerbacks now having hit the turf, let’s take a look at how each possible sixth overall selection did in their showings from Saturday and Sunday.

10 takeaways from the top DL, edge rusher, LB performances at NFL Combine

10 takeaways from the top DL, edge rusher, LB performances at #NFLCombine #NFLDraft2022 #Georgia #Bulldogs #SEC #NakobeDean #TravonWalker #JordanDavis

Day three of the NFL combine saw the biggest stars shine bright as the Georgia Bulldog defenders once again descended onto Lucas Oil Stadium to perform.

In January, Georgia dominated Alabama in the College Football Championship game to win that vaunted National title, and those high-profile defenders returned to the scene to stake their claim to NFL stardom.

The SEC stars weren’t the only players to shine bright, and Philadelphia could have their pick of pass rushers in April’s NFL draft.

Here are 10 takeaways from Saturday’s workouts.

Seven round Browns mock draft from Mock Draft Database

What happens when the computer and @joshkeatley16 seemingly merge for a mock draft simulator? A very different kind of Browns mock draft:

This week the NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing and like most NFL fanatics it is always a bright spot in the off-season to get the testing results, but we have to make do with what we currently have. We have been using mock draft simulators from The Draft Network, but I wanted to mix it up this week and try out the interesting mock on NFL Mock Draft Database.

Just like in previous versions, I did an automated simulation without my opinion. In the following slides, I will provide the simulation’s selection and then my choice instead in the next slide. To be honest, I was actually shocked I agreed with so many of the selections.

Howie Roseman on how Eagles evaluate the LB position; Already having young players on roster

Howie #Roseman on how #Philadelphia #Eagles evaluate the LB position; Already having young players on the roster

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman did his best on Wednesday to provide some insight into the value system Philadelphia places into investing in the linebacker position.

The Eagles have been shredding by opposing offenses over the past two years, and the crux of the problem can be found in the lack of overall talent at the linebacker position. Jonathan Gannon waited almost eight weeks to insert T.J. Edwards into the lineup, and Alex Singleton offers little outside of his penchant for being a volume tackler.

With three first-round picks in April’s NFL draft, there has been some debate centered around whether Philadelphia should utilize assets to acquire a dynamic outside or middle linebacker.

Roseman gave some insight into his thinking on Wednesday.

Mel Kiper 2.0 mock draft selects QB for Commanders

Who does Mel Kiper have Washington selecting in his second mock draft ahead of the NFL combine?

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Mel Kiper has produced his 2022 NFL Mock Draft 2.0, which includes a new first overall selection and two trades in the first round.

Going first overall is OT Ikem Ekwonu to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for the Commanders, Kiper does not have Washington trading up for a quarterback but remaining at the No. 11 overall position.

If Washington fans are hoping for inside linebacker Devin Lloyd (Utah), Kiper believes the NY Giants will take him at No. 7.

Personally, I have been hoping cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (U Cincinnati) who might be available at No.11 for the Commanders. However, Kiper feels Gardner will also be gone, taken at No. 8 by Atlanta.

At No. 9 Kiper foresees Cleveland trading up with Denver, and then taking what he feels is the top receiver this class, Drake London (USC).

Center, Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa) is taken in the No.10 spot immediately ahead of Washington, which means if this scenario were to hold up, not only would Washington be able to select a quarterback, but they could have whichever one they desired.

With the No 11 overall selection in the draft, Kiper has Washington taking the first quarterback off of the board in Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh).

“Taylor Heinicke hasn’t shown he can be a consistent, NFL-level starter; Pickett could be an upgrade,” wrote Kiper.

“This is still a little high for a quarterback based on my big board. I have Pickett and Malik Willis 19 and 20 respectively. But the 24-year old Pickett is ready to play in the NFL right now. I don’t think he will have to have the developmental time that Willis will need.”

“Ron Rivera’s team could compete in the NFC East with competent quarterback play and Pickett could give them a chance. He’s going to be under the microscope at the combine, as we still don’t have an official hand-size for him. He’s expected to have below 9-inch hands, which has been one of the benchmarks for quarterbacks. I’m curious to hear how he does in interviews with teams as well.”

Who are the other quarterbacks drafted in the first round?

Kiper sees the Steelers taking Malik Willis (Liberty U) at the No. 19 selection and the Lions with the Rams’ pick (via the Stafford trade) selecting Matt Corral (Ole Miss) with the final pick of the first round at No. 32.

 

Could Panthers go LB with 2022’s 6th overall pick?

He isn’t a QB or an OT, but Utah LB Devin Lloyd could give the Panthers exactly what they need on defense.

You haven’t heard about the Carolina Panthers’ lack of linebackers because, well, it’s just not as sexy as their needs at quarterback and on their offensive line. But there’s nothing sexy about a defense without a beating heart in the middle of it.

That’s why our friends over at Draft Wire and Touchdown Wire have paired the Panthers up with this year’s top backer in Devin Lloyd. Both Luke Easterling and Doug Farrar, while also weighing the team’s other obvious holes, believe the University of Utah defender can bring some much needed edge and flexibility to Carolina.

“Quarterback and offensive line are obviously huge needs, but the value just isn’t there in this scenario,” notes Easterling, who had already mocked two offensive linemen away prior to the sixth overall selection. “Instead, the Panthers would be wise to address their need at linebacker with Lloyd, who has a combination of size, athleticism and versatility similar to what Micah Parsons brought last year.”

Although Lloyd may not end up being Parsons right away (because who would be?), he could present an appealing instance of need meeting value for head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer. And that’s just what Farrar ponders.

“Another issue facing this team is Haason Reddick’s impending free-agent status, which leaves the Panthers without an able bookend for Brian Burns,” he writes. “Carolina’s true linebacker situation isn’t great either outside of Shaq Thompson, and Lloyd would be able to help in both areas. The Utah alum, who head coach Kyle Whittingham has called the best player he’s ever coached, proved that out in 2021 with 90 tackles and 56 stops, 31 catches allowed on 44 targets for 247 yards, 196 yards after the catch, one touchdown, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 53.9. As an edge-rusher, Lloyd racked up eight sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 16 quarterback hurries.

“We’re going to stop short of the whole “Next Micah Parsons” thing, because Parsons is an alien, but the more you watch Lloyd, the more the potential comes alive. The Panthers have needs all over the place, and it’s entirely possible that Lloyd is the best player available at this spot.”

Their need at the position will become even greater if Jermaine Carter Jr., an impending unrestricted free agent like Reddick, does not return either. Not to mention, the potential losses of cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Donte Jackson pose even more of a threat to the future of the unit.

With so many question marks on that side of the ball, it doesn’t hurt to have some glue—Lloyd, in this case—to eventually keep together whatever may be left.

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Giants ignore offensive line, go all defense in latest Mel Kiper Jr. mock

In the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the New York Giants go all defense in Round 1.

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The New York Giants will enter the 2022 NFL draft in need of several offensive linemen and a pretty stacked group to choose from. However, mock draft trends have begun to sway leading up to the NFL Combine with many prognosticators suggesting Big Blue will ignore the O-line outright in Round 1.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is now one of those people.

In Kiper’s first mock draft of the year, he had the Giants selecting NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu at No. 5 overall and Michigan linebacker David Ojabo at No. 7 overall. But in his updated mock, released on Tuesday morning, Kiper now has the Giants going all defense.

5. New York Giants

Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

If the draft plays out like this and both of the top offensive tackles are off the board before the Giants pick, taking a defender makes the most sense. And if Thibodeaux is available, he’d be a perfect fit for a New York defense that needs to pair a true edge rusher with rookie Azeez Ojulari, who led the team with eight sacks last season. Thibodeaux has to improve his all-around game, but he has outstanding physical tools as a pass-rusher. He had seven sacks last season and put up the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%). If he comes close to his ceiling, he’ll make multiple All-Pro teams.

The Giants have some nice pieces to build around for new general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, but they’re not going to be able to acquire an edge rusher like Thibodeaux anywhere other than the draft. We could look back at this pick in five years and consider it a steal.

As Kiper alludes, the selection of Thibodeaux comes with both Ekwonu and Evan Neal already off the board at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. Charles Cross remains available, but Kiper found it too difficult to pass on the much-needed edge rusher.

The problem? By passing on Cross, the Giants miss the chance to select him. He goes off the board at No. 7, leaving New York emptyhanded. As a result, they go back to the defensive side of the ball.

7. New York Giants (via CHI)

Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah

With the Giants’ second top-10 pick, I’m going all-in on improving the front seven of the defense. Lloyd is a middle linebacker, yes, but he does so much more. He had 111 total tackles, eight sacks, 20 tackles for loss, four interceptions and a forced fumble last season. He had 16.5 total sacks over the past three seasons. Lloyd (and No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux) can add some pass-rush upside to a team that desperately needs it. If New York does take Lloyd here, that probably means Blake Martinez, who tore his ACL in September, will be a salary-cap casualty.

The Giants are going to have to address their offensive line at some point this offseason, and I also thought about center Tyler Linderbaum here.

In this scenario, the Giants are left hoping to land an offensive line gem (or four) on Day 2 and Day 3. And while that’s certainly feasible, any miss would leave them dead in the water once again.

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3-round mock draft for Broncos before the NFL combine

Draft Wire’s latest NFL mock draft has the Broncos going LB, DL, OLB, OT and RB in the first three rounds.

Before on-field workouts begin at the NFL combine later this week, Luke Easterling of Draft Wire released a new three-round mock draft.

In the first round, Easterling has the Denver Broncos selecting Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with the ninth overall pick. It’s worth noting that Easterling’s mock was published before news broke that the Broncos hope to re-sign LB Josey Jewell before the start of NFL free agency.

In the second round, Easterling has Denver beefing up the defensive line with Texas A&M’s DeMarvin Leal (No. 40) before using a pick from the Von Miller trade (No. 64) to add a Miller replacement in Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto.

In the third round of Easterling’s mock, the Broncos add a long-term solution at right tackle with Washington State’s Abraham Lucas (No. 75) and a Javonte Williams backfield partner in Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III (No. 96).

Easterling’s mock seems to assume that Denver will address the QB situation outside the draft (perhaps via trade?), and drafting a running back in the third round would likely only happen if Melvin Gordon is not re-signed.

To view Easterling’s complete three-round mock, visit Draft Wire.

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Daniel Jeremiah identifies first-round prospects to land with Patriots

The list includes a top-tier linebacker and multiple highly-touted receivers for the Patriots to consider in the draft.

The New England Patriots will have to use the 2022 NFL Draft with precision and efficiency.

Bill Belichick doesn’t have the money to toss around like he did last offseason and the Patriots have some dire needs. Fortunately for the Patriots, Belichick had a great draft after selecting Mac Jones, Christian Barmore and Rhamondre Stevenson. He has the opportunity to build on that momentum with a draft that carries many players who would fit perfectly with the Patriots.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah discusses the draft and details the depth of really good players this year.

“I think this is a really good depth draft, especially when you get into the second, third, fourth round,” Jeremiah said. “There’s a lot of quality there, a lot of starters. I mean, I’ve said similar things in years past, but this year especially, the difference between the 15th player and the 60th player in this draft is very small, and teams are going to have these guys in all different orders.”

Jeremiah dives specifically into players that would fit with the Patriots.

“You can kind of identify — the teams I worked with, you kind of look at, okay, this is a Patriots’ type player,” he said. “What does that look like? Usually, it’s somebody that’s got some versatility, they’ve got outstanding football intelligence so they can be able to do different things, and they can handle volume because it’s an offense and a defense that morphs and changes all the time. Those types of players I think you can try and identify them in that way.”

Jeremiah’s first option to consider is Devin Lloyd, a versatile linebacker out of Utah. He has athleticism, quickness and agility that the Patriots desperately need.

“In terms of like the do-everything guys off the ball, on the edge, Devin Lloyd is my first choice there,” Jeremiah said. “He’s explosive. He’s not going to run as fast as Micah [Parsons] did, but he’s got length, he’s got instincts, he’s outstanding in pass coverage. Like if you watch the Stanford game, he’s got a pick six in that game that’s pretty cool.”

When it comes to receivers, Jeremiah pointed out two players who had excellent seasons in 2021.

“The two guys I would keep an eye on with that first-round pick who I think are going to probably come off the board right around there — now, I say that going into the combine know that — I’m talking about Chris Olave from Ohio State and Jahan Dotson from Penn State,” Jeremiah said. “Both these guys are going to run in the 4.3s, so they’re going to fly around in Indy, and maybe that helps elevate them up the board a little bit. But both those guys are pristine route runners with big time speed, and I think that would give them some play-making ability.

“Talk about Mac and the deep ball he was able to throw in college. He throws a beautiful touch deep ball. When you got guys that can get over the top, takeoffs, posts, double moves, things like that, that what’s Olave and Jahan Dotson can do.”

Jameson Willams is potentially the best receiver in the draft, but he tore his ACL in the National Championship Game. He still needs some time to recover, but he could be a steal in the draft position due to the injury.

“The other one in the first round, we’ll see what happens with Jameson Williams from Alabama, because in a world where he doesn’t get hurt, he’s a top-10 pick,” Jeremiah said. “But coming off of an ACL you would think there would be a full recovery there, and that could end up being — man, it could end up being a tremendous value for towards the bottom of the first round if he ends up sliding down there.”

A player who truly resembles a Patriots slot receiver is Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan.

“A couple other guys that I think are kind of like Patriot-type players, Skyy Moore from Western Michigan,” Jeremiah said. “Probably going to go in the second or third round, but he’s got some– maybe it’s just the Mac thing, but I saw some Antonio Brown traits from him when you studied him, minus some of the newer Antonio Brown info. But that dude with just eat cushion, he’s really dynamic and crisp. The Patriots love guys like that.”

Jeremiah went deep in the receiver class — which is necessary for a team with out a clearcut star at the position.

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7 dynamic players the Eagles should consider trading up for in 1st-round of NFL draft

With assets to use, here are 7 difference-makers the #Philadelphia #Eagles should consider trading up for in 1st-round of the #NFLDraft2022

The NFL’s scouting combine is just days away and as all 32 teams around the league start to ramp up their draft evaluations, we’ll take a look at players the Eagles could potentially trade up for.

Philadelphia has three first-round picks in April’s draft and several pressing needs at edge rusher, cornerback, and safety.

Depending on how the first six or seven picks of the draft develop, the Eagles could see a scenario where the organization is able to package some picks and trade up with hopes of acquiring the player Howie Roseman covets.

We’ve highlighted seven difference makers that fit that scenario.