Tag: draft summary

Twitter reacts to the Bengals’ selection of Tee Higgins

The Cincinnati Bengals caused quite an uproar by selecting Clemson WR Tee Higgins in Round 2.

[jwplayer 4wQo5mCQ-ThvAeFxT]

Picking first to start an entire draft day happens to create a ton of reactions.

That’s the seat the Cincinnati Bengals sat in Friday to start Round 2. Zac Taylor and Co. went with the surround-Joe-Burrow approach with Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.

Higgins, a big-play threat, joins a big cast of weapons around Joe Burrow including A.J. Green, Joe Mixon, John Ross and Tyler Boyd. That’s where most of the reaction centered around — Cincinnati’s pursuit of a great developmental environment for Burrow.

Reactions from NFL players, analysts and some must-known stats were the prominent things to track after Taylor and Burrow got a new top option for the offense:

Oh, and one for the road Bengals fans might really enjoy:

[vertical-gallery id=31147]

Instant analysis of Bengals’ picking Tee Higgins in second round

Some quick thoughts on the Bengals taking Clemson WR Tee Higgins.

[jwplayer 4wQo5mCQ-ThvAeFxT]

The Cincinnati Bengals made a point to quickly get Joe Burrow some additional help to start Friday’s Round 2 with Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.

And it’s nearly impossible to complain about the pick.

Higgins stands as one of the draft’s most exciting prospects, which is saying something given the depth of the class this year. He’s a massive 6’4″ target with a big catch radius and a huge success rate on contested throws.

Look at it this way: Higgins has a notable comp to A.J. Green.

While Higgins wasn’t the biggest name at wideout on the board, we’re still talking about a guy who scored 25 times over the last two seasons alone.

One could argue offensive line or defense was a bigger need. But wideout was quietly a big long-term problem too. Before Higgins, nothing was guaranteed about the wideout room besides Tyler Boyd. A.J. Green has health questions and is on the franchise tag. John Ross remains an unknown. Etc.

Put simply, the Bengals probably had a first-round grade on Higgins to take him here over others like offensive tackle Josh Jones. They also liked him enough to ignore trade offers.

There is a reality where Higgins takes a long time to get on the field given the current depth chart. But even then, it’s easy to think Zac Taylor will at least get creative for his new big target in move-the-chains and redzone situations.

Higgins probably wasn’t the first name that came to mind for Bengals fans going into Friday night. But the traits and upside as he grows alongside Burrow could end up meaning they’ll have him on the mind often for the foreseeable future.

[vertical-gallery id=31147]

Bengals select Clemson WR Tee Higgins in second round

The Cincinnati Bengals made a big move in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals opted for no trade and stuck with the first pick in Round 2 on Friday, selecting Clemson wideout Tee Higgins at No. 33.

Higgins is a big-bodied weapon for Joe Burrow and was clearly the top name on Cincinnati’s board above others like Denzel Mims.

On his way to the title game where he faced off against Burrow’s LSU Tigers, Higgins put up 1,100-plus yards and 13 scores. He’s been compared to a guy named…A.J. Green.

Speaking of Green, the Bengals have a question mark with their franchise player and No. 1 wideout, as well as minimal wideouts under contract beyond next season. Higgins’ arrival tackles multiple problems.

This comes on the heels of the team predictably staying put at No. 1 overall and taking Joe Burrow. Prior reporting had said the Bengals were open to moving down from No. 33.

[vertical-gallery id=31147]

Best available prospects for the Redskins for day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft

The Redskins again only have one pick in the NFL draft on Friday, so here are some of the best available players they should look at.

The Washington Redskins made an early splash in the 2020 NFL Draft with the selection of DE Chase Young out of Ohio State with the second overall pick. This was the easy choice, and one that has Redskins’ fans fired up for the season to come, knowing that they have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, on paper at least.

After Washington made their pick, there was nothing left to do but sit and wait while the rest of the league got their chance.

There will be a bit more sitting and waiting on Friday unless a potential trade for Trent Williams shakes out between now and the start of the draft at 7 p.m. ET. As of now, the Redskins are without a second-round pick, and they have just one selection in the third round, at No. 66. Because of this lack of draft capital, Washington will have to try and make sure they are able to get value with their only Friday pick. Here are the best available players that they might take a look at with No. 66.

CB Bryce Hall — Virginia

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

WR Tee Higgins — Clemson

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

CB Amik Robertson — Louisiana Tech

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

TE Cole Kmet — Notre Dame

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones — Michigan

Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

TE Hunter Bryant — Washington

Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

OT Lucas Niang — TCU

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

CB Michael Ojemudia — Iowa

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

[vertical-gallery id=33706]

Bucs trade up to 13, select Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs

Wirfs was the fourth tackle off the board by the time the Bucs made the pick.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struck a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to move up one spot to No. 13 in the first round of tonight’s NFL draft, where they selected Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Wirfs was the fourth tackle off the board by the time the Bucs made the pick, as Andrew Thomas went No. 4 to the Giants, Jedrick Wills No. 10 to the Browns and Mekhi Becton No. 11 to the Jets. The Bucs clearly didn’t want to run the risk of losing out on one of this year’s top-ranked tackles, so swapped positions with the Niners after the Las Vegas Raiders selected Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III with the 12th pick.

Protection for Tom Brady was Tampa Bay’s top priority entering tonight, so getting a guy like Wirfs, who some mock drafts had pegged as a top-10 pick, is a big win for the Bucs and a great way to kick off Day 1 of the draft.

Let’s see if the Bucs will add some backfield help in round two tomorrow.

[lawrence-related id=31391,31388,31383,31367]

Redskins receive ‘A’ grade for drafting Chase Young

As was expected, the Redskins drafted Chase Young with the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, which was hard to argue with.

As expected, the Washington Redskins used their No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select defensive end Chase Young, from Ohio State. Celebrate accordingly, Redskins fans.

While nearly 100 percent of the football population knew that the Redskins were going to take Young, it is still a great pick that will have a huge impact on the Redskins near and distant future. Young is a dynamic edge rusher who had 16.5 sacks in 14 games during his final season with the Buckeyes, and many believe that he is the best defensive prospect to come out of college in years.

To help decipher just how great of a pick this was, our friends over at USA TODAY’s Draft Wire gave it an ‘A’ grade, noting that it was the easy choice, but one that will prove highly valuable in the years to come.

“A no-brainer pick for Washington,” Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling wrote. “Ron Rivera starts his era with a dynamic pass rusher with Hall of Fame potential.”

With such a high pick in the draft, receiving anything other than an A grade is a massive failure, especially when you’ve had as much time to think about the pick as the Redskins have. Still, with the talent that Young possesses, this pick has a chance to turn into a A+ by the end of his rookie season.

[vertical-gallery id=34166]

5 things to know about Bengals first-round pick Joe Burrow

Here are some interesting things to know about new Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

The Cincinnati Bengals landed a special prospect at No. 1 with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

And that applies to on and off the field.

Burrow, the record-setting passer who just had one of the best-ever seasons by a quarterback, joins the Bengals as the hometown hope for a revival.

Here are some fun, quick tidbits and notes to know about the new starter under center.

 

He calls Ohio home

While Joe was technically born in Iowa, his father, Jimmy, coached at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. That’s about 2.5 hours from Cincinnati. He grew up and went to high school in Athens before going to Ohio State, then LSU.

Burrow returned home after his stint at LSU and partook in Thursday’s draft from his home in Athens — now he’s the hometown kid tasked with turning around the Bengals.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Twitter reacts to the Bengals selection of Joe Burrow

Bengals fans and Twitter in general erupted when Cincinnati picked Joe Burrow.

[jwplayer A29mqDLD-ThvAeFxT]

One of the best times of the year is finally upon us, Christmas for football junkies. The Cincinnati Bengals, of course, procured their franchise quarterback tonight and are fully prepared to enter into their next era of football. The writing was on the wall of course, but let’s look around the internet as the presumed became official: Joe Burrow.

 

The calm before the storm:

A former legend hoping to warmly welcome the new face of the franchise:

The moment it became official online:

Chronicling his circuitous path to this point:

Florio’s concession:

Coach O with the fire!

From the Mothership:

PFF checking in:

LSU showing love!

Calais Campbell quaking in his boots

Historical anomaly via THE Ohio State University

The Franchise with the last word!

[vertical-gallery id=30975]

Twitter reacts to the Redskins selection of Chase Young

Social media was abuzz in Redskins circles as the Redskins used the No. 2 pick to draft Chase Young.

Chase Young is now packing his bags and heading to the District of Columbia where he will be the newest star on the Washington Redskins roster. This comes as no surprise, as the Redskins have been keen on drafting Young for months now. But with the pick officially made, it feels good to celebrate if you root for the Redskins.

Celebrate is exactly what fans and players did on Twitter Thursday nights after the pick was announced. While some players and coaches were involved in the Redskins’ Virtual Draft live stream, others took to social media to express their approval of the pick. Here are some of the best reactions:

Instant analysis of Redskins picking Chase Young in first round

With the 2nd overall pick, the Redskins drafted for talent over need, which is the right call with a player like Chase Young available.

The Washington Redskins drafted former Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Your opinion of this pick can be boiled down to your basic philosophy on the following debate — should you draft for talent or need in the first round?

The Redskins don’t necessarily have a major need at the defensive end position, but it’s hard to pass up on the talent that Young possesses. With 16.5 sacks in his senior season with the Buckeyes, Young presents the ability to become an instant impact player who can play right away and help the Redskins defense stir some things up. Drafting for need might have led the Redskins to trade the No. 2 pick, allowing them to grab several first-round picks and fill needs at the LT, LB, CB, or WR position. In the end, the skill that Young possesses led Washington to grab him and run.

So how will he fit in with the Redskins defense? Well, he will instantly slot in as the starting defensive end in Jack Del Rio’s 4-3 scheme, playing alongside Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and either Daron Payne or Matt Ioannidis. While the interior linemen are hopefully able to crash gaps and disrupt the running game, both Young and Sweat will be able to focus on getting off the ball and finding a way to get to the QB. The Redskins group of established linebackers will also provide support up the middle should anything break down.

While Young is likely to take the starting spot from veteran DE Ryan Kerrigan, don’t expect Washinton’s iron man to be useless going forward. Kerrigan will slot perfectly into a situational edge-rushing role — much like a Chris Long type — and be able to provide a change-up in the attack when needed.

No matter how the depth chart ends up, you can bet that Young will be featured early and often. When passing up on major needs in the first round for a player like Young, you don’t pencil him in to ride the pine. Get ready for a heavy dose of Chase in 2020.

[vertical-gallery id=33605]