Tag: draft

Report: Chargers to host Florida State DT Braden Fiske on pre-draft visit

The Chargers are interested in an athletic defensive tackle.

Former Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske will be traveling to Los Angeles for a top-30 visit with the Chargers, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Fiske arrived at Florida State this past season from Western Michigan, and he played a big role for the Seminoles. In 13 appearances, he had 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss and six sacks. In 2022 at WMU, he had 59 tackles, 12 TFLs and six sacks before making his way to FSU.

Fiske, the 6-foot-4 and 292-pounder, was a standout at the NFL Scouting Combine. He led all defensive tackles in the vertical (33.5″), broad jump (9’9), and 40-yard dash (4.78 seconds).

That immense athleticism shows up on the football field, as Fiske plays with good movement skills and quickness. While he possesses below-average length, Fiske is crafty with his hands and is strong at the point of attack.

The Chargers signed Poona Ford last week, but they still need to fill out the interior part of the defensive line depth chart.

2006 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

HoopsHype re-drafts the weak 2006 NBA Draft class, a difficult exercise considering its lack of top-end players besides LaMarcus Aldridge, Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry.

The 2006 NBA Draft was nothing to write home about – and that’s putting it kindly. This class has two players who’ll make a case to reach the Hall of Fame, but neither are first-ballot locks.

It’s not like this draft class has a bunch of great role players to talk about either, with the majority of this class being made up of fringe rotation players. Below, check out our 2006 NBA re-draft, in the order they should have gone in.

2005 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been

HoopsHype re-drafts the 2005 class, one that was pretty weak overall but did feature Chris Paul, one of the best point guards ever.

The 2005 NBA draft will not be remembered all that fondly, as it features just one surefire Hall-of-Famer, a few other low-level All-Stars, a whole lot of role players and many more busts.

The only thing preventing the 2005 class from being thought of even more poorly is the fact that many second-round picks that year wound up enjoying solid careers for many years, including some winners of impressive accolades. Still, it’s not a draft class you’ll be blown away by.

Below, check out our re-draft of the 2005 class in the order players should have gone, in our opinion.

Florida State WR Keon Coleman has disappointing combine performance

How far down will Keon Coleman’s combine push him down in the draft.

There is a lot of hype surrounding the depth of talent in the wide receiver class of the 2024 NFL Draft. Coming into draft season there have been as many as seven wide receivers projected to potentially go within the first round. One of those talented pass catchers was Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman, whose chances of hearing his name within the first 32 selections took a hit from his combine performance.

While Coleman was never known as a burner, a 4.64 speed in the 40-yard dash is certainly less than ideal for a number-one receiver in the NFL. Teams may potentially ding Coleman for running under expectations in a league where deep speed is seemingly taking over NFL offenses.

Though Coleman did take a hit from running a poor time, it is unlikely he will fall outside of the second round. On tape, Coleman is one of the best deep ball jumpers in the country and is a monster with the ball in his hands. His game speed on tape clearly trumps his 40 time, and he has more than enough speed to do what he does best on the field. Expect to still hear Coleman’s name called within the first 50 picks.

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NFL draft: Will the 49ers try something other than OL in Round 1?

What if the #49ers don’t draft an offensive lineman in Round 1?

All signs point toward the 49ers taking an offensive lineman with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. It’s a key position of need now and in the future, and the draft class is supposed to be deep enough that even at No. 31 San Francisco should be able to find a starting-caliber offensive tackle. However, a couple different mock drafts have laid out an alternate route where they address a different need in Round 1, and then take advantage of the OL depth in the class by taking one in Round 2.

One example of this came from Draft Wire, which had Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson going to the 49ers at No. 31 overall in a two-round projection. At No. 63 they snagged Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher.

Another example came via ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who mocked Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to the 49ers in the first round, with Houston OT Patrick Paul going to San Francisco in the second round.

This would be a fascinating way for the 49ers to attack this year’s draft. Their need on the offensive line is immediate and it would seem inconceivable that they’d pass up a high-end talent at that spot in the first round. However, they also need upgrades in the secondary and at defensive end so it would be completely justifiable if their best player available is one of those two positions. Bolstering a defense that wobbled a couple times this season and could see a significant exodus of depth this offseason would certainly make a lot of sense in their return to the first round.

On the other hand, there are potential pitfalls with this plan.

The most notable one is that the further down in the draft they go the more likely it is they wind up with an OL who’s not necessarily ready to start right away. While a first-round OL might be a Day 1 starter, a second-round OL may have some flaws that require ongoing development before that player can slot in as a starting offensive lineman. We saw something like this with left guard Aaron Banks. He was a second-round pick in 2021, but didn’t play any kind of significant snaps until he became the starting LG in 2022.

This will be an assessment the 49ers’ front office has to weigh heavily when they’re on the clock in the first round. Can they afford to neglect the offensive line with their most premium draft capital, or can they find an adequate addition at some point on Day 2?

For now we can expect mock drafts to continue heavily leaning toward an offensive lineman going to the 49ers, and that’s they way we’d expect the team to pick on Draft Day.

There are definitely available routes in a different direction though where they can address that top need later on. It just comes with the risk that San Francisco goes into 2024 with some of the same quality and depth issues that has plagued them at times throughout Kyle Shanahan’s tenure as head coach.

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PFF lays out ‘best-case scenario’ for Chargers in 2024 NFL draft

How can Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh hit a home run in their first draft together?

Pro Football Focus laid out the best-case scenario for the Chargers in the draft with the goal of finding players who fit Jim Harbaugh’s vision and selecting Georgia tight end Brock Bowers as their first pick. 

The Chargers need to play physical football in all three phases next season. The Bolts want to draft the most talented players, but there is another factor driving those decisions.

One characteristic that Harbaugh is infamous for is his ability to change a program’s culture, and it could be argued that this is also what Los Angeles needs most. 

PFF believes taking Bowers at No. 5 is worth it because Justin Herbert needs a talented tight end to throw to. Additionally, Harbaugh and Greg Roman have coached several elite tight ends throughout the years. 

They also believe that bringing in players Harbaugh is familiar with from coaching at Michigan, and the son of one of his former players when he was the coach of the 49ers, Frank Gore.

Along the way, Harbaugh could look to bring in Michigan graduates, such as running back Blake Corum, wide receiver Roman Wilson and interior defender Kris Jenkins, who all know his habits firsthand. Another name to watch could be Southern Mississippi’s Frank Gore Jr., whose father was coached by Harbaugh when they were both in San Francisco.

I believe that the best-case scenario for Los Angeles involves trading back a few spots to get more draft ammo in the first few rounds while still being able to draft a player like Bowers or a top tackle or cornerback.

13 NFL Combine standouts who could help the Chiefs in 2024

These 13 combine standouts are players that the #Chiefs should keep their eyes on in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to win their third-consecutive Super Bowl next season and need to bulk up their roster in the coming months to field a team capable of achieving such a difficult task.

While free agency is sure to provide Kansas City with some options later in March, the 2024 NFL Draft in April will be the best opportunity for the Chiefs to find talented players who can help them for years to come.

The NFL Scouting Combine last week gave the team’s scouts plenty to think about as they build Kansas City’s draft board. Several standout players separated themselves from the competition with their standout performances in Indianapolis, Indiana. They may be among the prospects that the Chiefs have their eyes on heading into the most crucial part of the offseason.

Check out which players Kansas City might be interested in after testing particularly well at the combine: