Tag: Draft Pick

PFF names Chiefs DB Jaden Hicks one of the 2024 NFL draft’s biggest steals

Pro Football Focus named #Chiefs DB Jaden Hicks one of the 2024 NFL draft’s biggest steals.

The Kansas City Chiefs have an excellent track record of finding talented players in the late rounds of the NFL draft, and the team’s haul last week drew the attention of experts around the league.

Kansas City’s fourth-round pick Jaden Hicks, a Washington State product, was widely regarded as one of the most exciting defensive backs in the 2024 class and somehow managed to fall to the Chiefs on Day 3.

Pro Football Focus named Hicks one of the draft’s biggest steals this week, which could signal that the former Cougar has the potential to develop into a starter for Kansas City in relatively short order.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is among the most respected talent evaluators in the NFL, and after putting together an excellent rookie class in 2024, he seems to have Kansas City in a position to continue competing for Super Bowl championships for years to come.

Hicks is just the latest in a series of young defenders that Veach has found in the late-rounds who can help the Chiefs keep their defense on the cutting edge.

Saints waive wide receiver Kawaan Baker, their former 2021 draft pick

Report: The Saints are waiving wide receiver Kawaan Baker, their former 2021 draft pick. He’s spent time on their practice squad before and could return in that capacity

The hits keep coming: the New Orleans Saints waived third-year wide receiver Kawaan Baker, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett. Baker was a seventh-round pick out of South Alabama in the 2021 NFL draft, and this isn’t a new experience for him. He’s been let go by the Saints and returned to their practice squad before while experiencing brief stops with teams like the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Still, it’s tough to see his efforts go unrewarded. Baker put in a lot of work to develop into an asset on special teams, and he was one of the Saints’ most-consistent players covering punts and kickoffs in the preseason. His punt recovery deep inside enemy territory in the first exhibition matchup stands out as a big positive in his favor. Maybe that will help him draw more attention on the waiver wire and as teams build their practice squads later this week.

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Which Packers rookie draft pick has best chance to contribute in 2023?

Picking Packers rookies with the best chance to contribute during the 2023 season.

The Green Bay Packers added 13 draft picks to Brian Gutekunst’s roster durnig the 2023 draft. All 13 will have a chance to contribute to a increasingly young team transitioning away from the Aaron Rodgers era.

Can a rookie be a difference maker? Just last year, second-round pick Christian Watson led the offense in total touchdowns and first-round pick Quay Walker led the defense in total tackles.

So, which rookie draft pick has the best chance to contribute in 2023? The staff at Packers Wire made their picks:

WATCH: Trenton Simpson’s best highlights from Clemson

Simpson’s highlight reel warranted his selection by the Ravens with the 86th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens invested in their linebacker corps in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft by selecting Clemson product Trenton Simpson with the 86th overall pick. Simpson is something of a work in progress heading into his rookie season but should be served well by the presence of Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith as mentors.

Clemson had two defenders taken in the first round before Simpson was taken by the Ravens. Check out the linebacker’s best plays from his time in South Carolina to get more acquainted with his skillset ahead of the team’s next selection:

 

 

 

 

 

2023 NFL draft: Chargers pick USC EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu with No. 54 overall selection

The Chargers added to their edge defender room with their second-round pick.

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The Chargers have taken former USC edge defender Tuli Tuipulotu with the No. 54 overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Chargers needed more players capable of disrupting opposing quarterbacks behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and Tuipolutu fits that billing, having logged 42 quarterback pressures and 13.5 sacks last season.

Tuipolutu was the 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also had 22 tackles for loss, which was second in the nation.

Instant analysis of the Chargers’ pick of WR Quentin Johnston at No. 21 overall

What the selection of Quentin Johnston means for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers have finally done what we’ve all asked them to do all offseason: add playmaking to the wide receiver room.

While Quentin Johnston only runs a 4.52 40 yard dash, putting him in the range of every other wide receiver on the team, he adds juice after the catch that the rest of the Chargers roster simply does not have. His explosion grades are elite, with higher than 95th percentile marks in both the vertical and broad jumps.

If there’s a player on the Chargers roster to compare Johnston to, it’s likely Mike Williams. That’s an important distinction to make, as one of Williams or Keenan Allen is bound to be off the roster by the start of the 2024 season. Johnston’s selection makes Williams’ departure much more likely, an outcome that was already likelier than Allen’s given the latter’s chemistry with Justin Herbert.

There are some fair concerns when it comes to Johnston, however. While he stands 6’2 ¾”, he jumps to make nearly every catch, a reflection of his rather poor hands. Drops have also been an issue in his career at TCU, but the Chargers will hope that those problems were due more to shoddy accuracy from QB Max Duggan than problems with Johnston.

Down the field, Johnston is a viable option in the same way Williams is: while he’s not a true burner, he can create downfield push with his route-running tempo and big frame that always threatens a contested catch. Johnston does extend outside of his frame to make catches in these situations with some regularity.

With his combination of high-point ability and shake after the catch, Johnston is a three-level playmaker, one of the traits the Chargers have publicly emphasized repeatedly when speaking about the position. His first season requires less impact, which gives him more time to iron out his flaws before blossoming as an electric playmaker in Year 2 and beyond.

Bottom line: this is the player L.A. has been looking for all offseason.

Who are Chiefs’ likeliest first-round draft picks per ESPN’s draft day predictor?

Who is the likeliest player to be taken by the #Chiefs at pick No. 31? Here’s what ESPN Analytics has to say:

The 2023 NFL draft is getting closer which means there are more and more tools at our disposal to predict draft picks. Kansas City currently has just one first-round pick (No. 31), and there have been plenty of mock drafts, meetings and visits over the past month, linking the Chiefs to some of the top wide receivers, defensive linemen and offensive linemen in this class.

ESPN Analytics recently put together a draft day predictor tool that’s quite unique. It scours ESPN’s mock drafts and pre-draft rankings to create charts showing the likeliest prospects to be selected by a team at a given pick.

Below you can find the top 10 players who are most likely to be selected by Kansas City in Round 1. There’s a healthy blend of positions and prospects, but five of those players play on the defensive line.

Check it out:

Brandon Staley on Chargers’ first-round selection: ‘Where we’re picking is wide open’

Brandon Staley said he feels the Chargers will have plenty of good options.

The Chargers are in need of more talent to fill out their roster after facing serious attrition in free agency, and hopes are high that they will be able to find some quality players in April’s draft.

Though they’ll make their first selection in the back half of the opening round with the No. 21 overall selection, head coach Brandon Staley told reporters on Monday that he believes plenty of solid prospects will be available when the Chargers come on the clock.

“This draft, to me, where we’re picking is wide open,” Staley explained. “Certainly with where the quarterbacks are going and how many will go, will certainly push everybody back a little bit. Kind of like last year, the board opened up for us at 17.

But hopefully we’re picking in the late 20s for a long time … [in the] 30s … we just want to board to open up because it creates more options for you. I think this draft, sort of later in the first round or early second round, there will be a lot of good players to draft. I know Tom and I feel that way about this draft.”

Who Los Angeles might target with their initial pick in the coming draft is the object of much speculation, but to hear Staley tell it, the Chargers should have several options who could help the team in many different areas.

Whether they look will look to select a prospect that fell down draft boards or someone who has impressed them in the pre-draft process, Los Angeles can rest assured that Staley and his coaching staff will do everything in their power to ensure that their first-round pick finds success in 2023.

Ravens finalize Chuck Clark trade with Jets on Wednesday

The Ravens finalized their trade with the Jets that will send veteran safety Chuck Clark to New York for the 2023 season

The Baltimore Ravens have plenty of work to do on their roster as they look to improve their team ahead of the 2023 season. They haven’t made many moves yet, but there is still time to add at key positions to strengthen holes at needs across the board.

The Ravens finalized their trade agreement with the New York Jets on Wednesday, officially clearing the way for veteran safety Chuck Clark to play in the Big Apple next season. Baltimore’s official trade announcement says their compensation will be an undisclosed draft pick, but the reports were that the selection will be a 2024 7th-round pick.

Baltimore commemorated the move with a video released on social media that thanked Clark for his time with the Ravens, which is sure to pull at the heartstrings of many fans who are sad to see the veteran safety depart from the Charm City.

Clark was a sixth-round pick by the Ravens in the 2017 draft and served the team well in his six seasons with the team, starting in 63 games and racking up nearly 400 combined tackles. It is unclear who the team might sign to replace him, or if they will opt to give one of the safeties currently on the roster a shot to fill his role in 2023.

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Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ offensive line

The Chargers offensive line was in the bottom 10 of the NFL in sacks allowed this past season.

In their effort to keep quarterback Justin Herbert upright throughout the 2022 season, the Chargers offensive line struggled mightily, giving up the seventh-most sacks of any team in the NFL.

One of the primary factors to their struggles was not having left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed 15 games due to a biceps injury he sustained in Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Slater’s replacement, rookie Jamaree Salyer, took over in Week 4 and remained there for the rest of the season, providing to be a viable pass protector to Herbert’s blindside.

There were more injuries, as center Corey Linsley and right tackle Trey Pipkins each missed three games. Pipkins showed signs of growth as a player, but there were moments when his sprained MCL hindered his play.

Left guard Matt Feiler proved to be a solid signing in 2021. But he regressed this past season significantly, allowing 38 pressures and five sacks.

Rookie Zion Johnson, who manned the starting right guard position, dealt with growing pains. While he was strong as a run blocker, Johnson had his fair share of struggles in pass protection, allowing 40 pressures and seven sacks.

When Pipkins missed time, Foster Sarell got the start at right tackle, and he did not show much to warrant the swing tackle job for the foreseeable future. Sarell allowed 18 pressures and two sacks on 186 pass-block snaps.

For once in a very long time, the Chargers won’t be in the market for starters along the offensive line, assuming that they re-sign Pipkins to remain as the starting right tackle. Feiler could be on the chopping block, but it’s presumed that Salyer is a candidate to be the starting left guard in 2023.

Nonetheless, Los Angeles still needs depth.

At center, Linsley’s backup from this season, Will Clapp, will be a free agent. Brenden Jaimes is the only backup guard. Also, bringing in competition for the swing tackle spot with Storm Norton and Sarell would be beneficial.