Tag: draft prospects

How to watch, listen and stream the 2021 NFL draft from Thursday-Saturday

Here’s how to tune in to the 2021 NFL draft that will take place from Thursday through Saturday.

The 2021 NFL draft will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning on April 29.

The draft will feature some of the city’s most notable venues, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, First Energy Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Center.

Several of this year’s top prospects are expected to be in Cleveland for the event: quarterbacks Mac Jones, Trey Lance and Zach Wilson; wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Kaylen Waddle; tight end Kyle Pitts; offensive lineman Rashawn Slater; defensive lineman Christian Barmore; edge rusher Gregory Rousseau; linebacker Micah Parsons; and cornerbacks Caleb Farley and Patrick Suratin II. On top of those attending, 45 other draft prospects will participate virtually.

The Longhorns have eight prospects in this draft class and pass rusher Joseph Ossai and offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi are widely expected to be the first Texas players take off of the board.

Safety Caden Sterns, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham have a great chance to be selected on Day 3. Wide receivers Tarik Black and Brennan Eagles could be late sixth- or seventh-round selections. Defensive back Chris Brown is likely to become an undrafted free agent.

Here’s how to tune in to the three-day event:

First Round: Thursday, April 29

When: 7 p.m. CDT

TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes

Radio/Audio: ESPN Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One Radio

Stream: ESPN app, NFL Mobile app, Sling TV, fuboTV, or YoutubeTV

Second-Third Rounds: Friday, April 30

When: 6 p.m. CDT

TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes

Radio/Audio: ESPN Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One Radio

Stream: ESPN app, NFL Mobile app, Sling TV, fuboTV, or YoutubeTV

Fourth-Seventh Rounds: Saturday, May 1

When: 11 a.m. CDT

TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes

Radio/Audio: ESPN Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One Radio

Stream: ESPN app, NFL Mobile app, Sling TV, fuboTV, or YoutubeTV

No Longhorns were selected in Bucky Brooks final 2021 NFL mock draft

No Texas Longhorns were taken in the first round of Bucky Brooks’ final 2021 NFL mock draft.

The 2021 NFL draft kicks off on Thursday night, therefore, analysts and writers have began to release their final mock drafts projecting which player(s) each team will pick.

It’s rare that analysts get these right. These projections are based on a combination of team needs, expected players available to fall to those respective teams and just a general feel for the board.

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks released his final first round mock draft for the 2021 draft, but interestingly enough, he didn’t include any Texas Longhorns to be selected in round one.

Offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi and pass rusher Joseph Ossai are both considered fringe first or second round players, but neither ended up in Brooks’ final mock.

In Brook’s top-5 rankings for each position, he mentions two Longhorns: Ossai is his No. 3 outside linebacker and Caden Sterns is listed as his No. 4 safety. There is a notable absence of Cosmi.

This is interesting considering Brooks had picked Ossai to go in the first round of his mock draft 1.0 previously. Obviously, you should take whatever mock draft with a grain of salt, but given Brooks’ connections and respect he has around the league, he might know more than he’s willing to let out.

It’s certainly possible that we will not see a Longhorn taken until day two of the draft.

NFL Draft: Todd McShay’s final top 350 prospects, seven Texas players included

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay released the final edition of his top 350 draft prospects and seven Texas Longhorns were included.

Earlier this month, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projected that a pair of Texas Longhorns would land in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s understandable that most of the attention has been centered around Samuel Cosmi and Joseph Ossai as they have starting potential at the next level.

His partner in the same building, fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, released his final rankings of the top 350 prospects in this draft class.

McShay is a noted draft analyst and has had a good track record of ranking the players properly where they end up going.

There are seven of the eight Texas draft prospects listed and the notable absence is defensive back Chris Brown.

Take a look at where the other former Longhorns rank among their peers according to McShay’s top 350:

NFL Draft Roundtable: Which Longhorn will be selected first?

Although Texas had eight players choose to enter the 2021 NFL draft, it’s unclear which Longhorn will be taken off of the board first.

The 2021 NFL draft is just around the corner. Continue reading “NFL Draft Roundtable: Which Longhorn will be selected first?”

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Three Texas players that improved their draft stock most at pro day

After Texas’ pro day on Thursday, three Longhorns may have increased their draft stock after showcasing impressive numbers.

Due to COVID-19 concerns eliminating the annual NFL combine process,  the best chance for draft hopefuls to display their talents is their respective pro days on campus. On Thursday, Texas held their pro day at the indoor practice facility.

All eight draft prospects from Texas attended, although some didn’t perform particular events. Most of the attention centered around Sam Ehlinger, Joseph Ossai and Samuel Cosmi.

However, the gunslinger wasn’t one of the players that caught my attention most at Texas’ pro day. There are three particular Longhorns that analysts have seemingly liked throughout the draft process, but after Thursday, may have started to fall in love with.

Officials from down highway 35 for the Dallas Cowboys were in charge of measuring players and 31 teams (sans LA Rams) were on display to witness.

Take a look at the three Texas players who improved their draft stock most on Thursday.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

2021 NFL Draft: Ranking the top 10 safety prospects

Shane Carter of Longhorns Wire listed his top safety prospects in the 2021 NFL draft.

When it comes to safeties, they’re not always looked at as a priority position. Every team needs them and would gladly take a great one, but it’s a position that often takes a backseat to cornerbacks in the secondary.

In the 2021 NFL draft, the position is very top heavy and doesn’t have as many names that jump out at you the way the 2017 class did with players such as Jamal Adams, Budda Baker, Marcus Maye, Jabril Peppers or Marcus Williams.

In fact, this draft might not even have one taken in the first round at all, despite there being a few who are deserving.

The best word to describe this crop of safety prospects is ‘underrated’ because there’s likely going to be a handful of these players start for an NFL team next season.

The names at the top have climbed throughout the year, but there’s likely some you may not be familiar with.

With all that in mind, here’s a look at my top 10 safety prospects in the 2021 NFL draft. Where does Texas safety Caden Sterns belong in this group?

NFL Draft: Could Joseph Ossai and Samuel Cosmi slide out of the first round?

Joseph Ossai and Samuel Cosmi are both expected to be taken high in the 2021 NFL draft, but could they fall outside of the first round?

Offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi and edge rusher Joseph Ossai are expected to be the first pair of Texas players taken off of the board in the 2021 NFL draft.

They each rank among the top prospects at their positions and have been selected in the first round of numerous mock drafts. Additionally, they play premium positions that teams are always looking to upgrade and draft higher than other positions.

Cosmi has been lauded for his large frame, long arms, and his pass blocking abilities which were among the best in the country and the highest in the Big 12.

Ossai has been lauded for his position flexibility from a defensive end to outside linebacker and ability to play the run, among the best in the country.

They’re both skilled enough to be first round picks. Unfortunately, not only is the draft impossible to predict, but they’re both in circumstances that could cause them to fall out of the first round.

Cosmi is among a very deep offensive tackle draft. Names such as Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, Christian Darrisaw, Jaylen Mayfield, Alex Leatherwood, Liam Eichenberg and Teven Jenkins are all offensive lineman that have been mentioned as first round worthy.

In drafts that are deep with premium players in a position, it means that the players who would normally get picked higher end up falling in the draft to to the next day. Teams instead will opt to take first round talent at positions that are not nearly as deep.

For example, Texas ex Connor Williams was thought to be among the best overall offensive lineman in the 2017 NFL draft. That draft included other tackle prospects like Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller. Williams fell down to the No. 50 overall selection in the second round.

It benefits Ossai, but also hurts him, to be in a draft class without an elite edge rusher prospect. There’s no Myles Garrett or Chase Young in this draft that teams are confident will be a star.

The most common names that have been talked about at the position are Azeez Ojulari, Gregory Rousseau and Kwity Paye. None of these are being talked about consistently as top 10 overall draft picks and there’s no clear number one edge.

It’s helpful because edge rusher is a premium position that’s continuously getting drafted higher than others. It’s one of the highest regarded in the game.

The issue is that this years draft class of edge rushers reminds me a bit of the 2013 NFL draft. The best edge rusher that year was Ezekiel Ansah in what was overall a disappointing draft for the position.

Ossai could end up taken in the first round, if nothing else, for his position flexibility. It’s not a great draft for teams looking for players to get sacks, but Ossai’s ability to go from playing in a two-point stance to a three-point stance could be enough for a team to take a chance, even if it’s not in the first round.

Cosmi and Ossai are each worthy of first round grades, but it appears the draft may not play out in their favor.

The 10 most realistic 1st-round options for Washington in the 2021 NFL draft

Washington is going to have a lot of options at No. 19, but these 10 players seem to be the most likely to be on Ron Rivera’s draft board.

When it comes to the 2021 NFL draft, Washington’s first-round pick will be pretty important for the future of the franchise. The team has done well in recent years with guys like Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, Montez Sweat, and Kamren Curl, but a need to hit big on your first-round pick is always crucial. We saw it pay dividends with the selection of Chase Young at No. 2 overall last year, and we can hope that Ron Rivera and his team get it done once again this year.

Washington currently holds the No. 19 pick overall and assuming there are no trades, here are the 10 most reasonable guys to consider when they are on the clock. This is based on who the top 10 players were on the board when Washington went on the clock in 25 simulated one-round mock drafts. Unfortunately, none of the top-tier quarterbacks fell that far.

Chargers have had virtual meeting with West Virginia DT Darius Stills

The Los Angeles Chargers are doing their homework on a first-team All-American.

The Chargers could be looking to add more talent on the defensive line this offseason.

According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, Los Angeles had a FaceTime meeting with former West Virginia defensive tackle Darius Stills.

As a junior, Stills earned All-Big 12 first team honors while starting 11 games. He followed that up by becoming WVU’s first consensus All-American in fourteen seasons in 2020.

Stills finished his career the Mountaineers with 85 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks.

Stills, the 6-foot-1 and 285 pounder is a polished pass rusher with the first-step explosion and hands to get in the backfield, but needs to improve his leverage to hold his own in the run game.

Stills currently projects as a third or fourth-round selection.

Which former Longhorn landed in the best situation in the NFL?

Three Longhorns were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, but which one landed in the best situation?

Between safety Brandon Jones and wide receivers Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson, it’s tough to pick which of the three walked into the best situation with their new team. Continue reading “Which former Longhorn landed in the best situation in the NFL?”