Tag: Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Latest Colts’ 7-round mock draft goes in different direction

Breaking down the latest 7-round mock draft from CBS Sports, which had the Colts going in a different direction.

With the 2023 NFL draft quickly approaching, analysts are all doing their best work to predict how the big weekend will unfold, and that includes projecting how the Indianapolis Colts will go about their selections.

The Colts have done an admirable job keeping their information close to the vest when it comes to who they want to target—contrary to some national reports.

And while we know the Colts won’t draft solely based on need, there’s a slight blueprint to how we think their picks will go.

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But in their latest seven-round mock draft (a feat within itself), CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso had the Colts going in a differnt direction.

Here’s a quick look and breakdown of how that mock draft went for Indy:

Breaking down Chiefs’ picks in Touchdown Wire’s latest 3-round mock draft

Our @goldmctNFL breaks down @TheNFLWire’s picks for the #Chiefs in their latest three-round mock draft.

It won’t be long now, Chiefs Kingdom.

The 2023 NFL draft is just around the bend and we’re seeing plenty of intriguing mock draft scenarios for the Kansas City Chiefs as a result.

Our friend Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire released a brand-new mock draft that covers the first three rounds. He hits what are considered the three biggest needs for the Chiefs with his picks made and even provided a little fanfare by sending the team a Kansas City local in his mock draft.

Here’s a quick reaction to the players sent to the Chiefs in this mock draft:

One edge rusher for the Eagles in every round of 2023 NFL Draft

We’re looking at one edge rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles in every round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The NFL draft will kick off in less than a week, and as the world descends on Kansas City, the Eagles will look to reload at critical positions.

Philadelphia had one of the NFL’s defensive lines in 2022. Still, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham return, but Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Robert Quinn, and Javon Hargrave all exited via free agency.

With the NFL’s top offense returning with a few new additions, Howie Roseman will undoubtedly look to upgrade the defensive line via the NFL Draft.

With the draft just six days away, here’s one edge rusher the Eagles in every round.

NFL draft expert names 2 edge rushers to watch for the Rams at No. 36

NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah named two edge rushers to watch for the Rams when they go on the clock at No. 36 overall

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t made a first-round pick since 2016 and that won’t change this year unless they trade up. However, they are slated to pick the earliest they ever have in the Sean McVay era, sitting there at No. 36 overall in the second round.

There are a number of different ways they could go at that spot, including cornerback, edge rusher, O-line and wide receiver. Really, only kicker and punter can be ruled out. But given their roster needs, edge rusher is widely viewed as their biggest priority position.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, a veteran draft expert, sees the defensive front seven as a spot the Rams could address early on, specifically edge rusher. And luckily for them, this is a deep edge-rusher class and the Rams should be able to get a first-round talent at No. 36.

“Picking at 36, I look at their defensive line as an area they could address,” Jeremiah said on Ricky’s Ram Jam podcast. “It happens to be a really deep edge-rusher group so you might be getting a first-round player – a very good chance you’re getting a first-round-caliber player at edge rusher there at 36. That’d be some place they could go. And I think as they go throughout the draft, I think you add another defensive lineman, you could add a linebacker, you can look in the secondary and add some pieces. It feels like this could be a pretty defensive-centric draft.”

So which players might the Rams look at when they go on the clock in Round 2? Jeremiah mentioned two pass rushers who would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles: Will McDonald IV and Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

“I’d keep an eye out for Will McDonald as an edge rusher,” Jeremiah said. “Someone I think is just a really, really good football player and would fit with what they do. If you think of Leonard Floyd and kind of his skill set and the things he was able to provide, I think Will McDonald out of Iowa State can do a lot of those same things. He’s real loose and bendy and can do a lot of things as a rusher. I think he’d be a great fit. That’s probably right about where he will go off the board, so I’d keep an eye on that name.

“Another defensive lineman … Felix Anudike-Uzomah is the edge rusher from Kansas State. … That would be another name that I’d keep an eye on as an edge rusher.”

The Rams moved on from Floyd this offseason, outright cutting him and making him a free agent. Floyd is still available but there’s no chance the Rams bring him back. That leaves Michael Hoecht, Daniel Hardy and Keir Thomas as the top three edge rushers on the depth chart.

The Rams like tall, long edge rushers like Floyd, Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins, which is what McDonald brings, too; he’s 6-foot-4 with almost 35-inch arms. Anudike-Uzomah is slightly smaller (6-3, 33.5-inch arms), but he’s a good athlete and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to Dante Fowler Jr., formerly of the Rams.

Los Angeles can’t go wrong with either prospect and hopefully at least one of them is on the board at No. 36.

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Packers host Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah on official pre-draft visit

The Green Bay Packers hosted Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah on an official top-30 visit ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers hosted Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah on an official top-30 visit ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, according to Bill Huber of SI.com.

Anudike-Uzomah, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, posted video from his visit in Green Bay on his official Instagram page on Tuesday.

Anudike-Uzomah (6-2, 255) produced 20.5 sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles over 33 games (27 starts) and three seasons at Kansas State. He was an All-Big 12 selection during both the 2021 and 2022 seasons and an All-American in 2022.

A foot injury kept Anudike-Uzomah from participating during the NFL Scouting Combine. At Kansas State’s pro day, he hit 34″ in the vertical leap, covered 10-4 in the broad jump and finished the three-cone drill in 6.94 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.34 seconds.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Anudike-Uzomah as the seventh-best edge rusher in the class and the No. 44 player overall.

The Packers could help solve a long-term need at edge rusher with a pick from this year’s deep class. Green Bay currently holds the No. 45 overall pick in the second round and could possibly add the No. 42 or No. 43 pick from the Jets, providing multiple opportunities to select an edge rusher like Anudike-Uzomah on Day 2.

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2023 NFL Draft: Eagles reload with multiple dynamic defenders in a Full 7-round mock

Philadelphia reloads with multiple dynamic defenders and two explosive skill players in a Full 7-round Eagles Wire 2023 mock draft

The NFL draft provides a yearly influx of talent, and the teams that can find immediate contributors in any round usually have the most success.

Only a tiny percentage of this incoming class will make their mark on the league as a rookie.

With Philadelphia set to sign Jalen Hurts to a massive deal, GM Howie Roseman needs all his picks to deliver the goods immediately.

That means the Birds will likely trade down at some point to accrue assets, and Roseman needs to hit big on all three nights.

In the latest Eagles Wire seven-round mock draft, we finally make a trade, swapping picks with the NFC North Detroit Lions.

The Eagles give the Lions the 10th and 62nd picks in exchange for No. 18 overall, No. 48, and No. 55 in the second round.

Using a mock draft simulator, Philadelphia reloads with dynamic and versatile playmakers on both sides of the football.

ESPN projects Michael Mayer as most likely pick for Saints at No. 29

An ESPN analytical model projects Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer as the most likely pick for the New Orleans Saints at No. 29 in the 2023 draft:

Everyone seems to have a take on the 2023 NFL draft, and now the computers are getting involved. According to this ESPN analytical model, the likeliest pick for the New Orleans Saints at No. 29 is Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. Here is how ESPN describes its model:

The underlying model is based on prospect grades from Scouts Inc, expert mock drafts, and team needs along with a few other factors. The Predictor considers these factors in proportion to how accurate they have been in the past.

Mayer would make a lot of sense for the Saints, even if he doesn’t boast an elite Relative Athletic Score and would expect Juwan Johnson to remain ahead of him on the depth chart. He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in this draft class with experience handling a wide variety of assignments, but he’s also a serious receiving threat who posted some of college football’s best numbers on contested catches. He could help the Saints in multiple phases offensively.

ESPN’s model approximates a 48% chance of Mayer being available when the Saints are on the clock, and a 7% chance that New Orleans would actually pick him. But he isn’t their only option. Here are the other names to watch according to ESPN’s mathematicians:

Bucs continue to look at pass rushers, schedule Kansas State EDGE for visit

The Bucs are set to host potential first-round riser Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hosted Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness and are set to bring in LSU’s B.J. Ojulari, but they aren’t done hosting edge rushers as the draft draws closer.

NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Tampa Bay intends to host Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah on a visit. The visit continues what seems to be a point of emphasis for Tampa Bay.

Anudike-Uzomah’s standing as a draft prospect has been the subject of much debate. Some believe him to be a first-round sleeper, as Pelissero referred to him in his original tweet, but others aren’t convinced – The Draft Network, for example, currently holds him at a third-round value. PFF currently has him as the seventh-best EDGE prospect in the class and No. 32 on their overall big board, which would imply he’s an end-of-the-first talent.

Tampa Bay picks at No. 19 and then No. 50, so it seems to be in flux in regard to Anudike-Uzomah. The Bucs appear to be drafting a little too high to pick him at No. 19, but there’s a very good chance he’ll be gone by the time they pick at No. 50. Whether the team is just doing due diligence or whether it has a serious interest in Anudike-Uzomah will remain to be seen.

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Breaking down Chargers’ selections in The Athletic’s latest 3-round mock draft

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner released his latest three-round projections, which have the Chargers addressing their biggest needs.

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner released his latest three-round projections, which have the Chargers addressing their biggest needs.

In Round 1, Los Angeles selects Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Kincaid has been pegged as a top target for L.A. throughout the draft cycle, given their need to address the position as they search for a bonafide No. 1 TE since Hunter Henry.

Kincaid is a prolific receiver with great hands who can win all over the field with his athleticism and play speed and can create yards after the catch, projecting as a passing game playmaker for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore from Day 1.

Kincaid amassed 103 receptions for 1375 yards and 16 touchdowns in his four years as a starter for the Utes, with his best season coming in 2022. He racked up an impressive 890 yards on 70 catches. Additionally, Kincaid had the lowest drop rate percentage among TEs (2.8%).

In Round 2, the Bolts take Kansas State edge defender Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

The Chargers need more players capable of disrupting opposing quarterbacks behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, and Anudike-Uzomah has shown plenty to fit that billing.

At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Anudiki-Uzomah is a high-motored player with an excellent first step with the hips to bend the edge and flexibility to drop his shoulder to get under blockers, an array of pass rush moves and the functional strength to set the edge.

Arguably one of the most productive pass rushers in the nation, Adudike-Uzomah finished among Pro Football Focus’ top ten in overall grade, pass-rush grade, and defensive stops in 2022. He also had a 16.2% pressure rate (16th).

In Round 3, Los Angeles fulfills their need for speed at wide receiver by selecting Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo.

Mingo is a big-framed receiver at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds who possesses speed in catch-and-run situations and down the field, explosiveness, good hands, leaping ability on 50/50 balls and physicality as a blocker.

Mingo caught 51 passes for 861 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games last season, marking the most productive season of his college career.

Mingo had an impressive showing at the combine, where he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and tested well in the vertical (39.5 inches) and broad jumps (10-foot-9).

15 NFL draft prospects who are perfect fits for the Eagles’ offensive scheme

We’re looking at 15 2023 NFL Draft prospects that perfectly fit Brian Johnson and Nick Sirianni’s offense with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL draft is full of elite and dynamic offensive talent, but the biggest key to building the perfect roster is selecting players that fit an urgent need.

Brian Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in a move that was expected after Steichen accepted the Colts’ head coaching job.

Sirianni hired Johnson in 2021 when he became the Eagles’ head coach. Johnson was the University of Florida’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Johnson began coaching in 2011 at Utah, where he was a star quarterback under Urban Meyer. Johnson rose and played a crucial role in Dak Prescott earning All-SEC honors at Mississippi State.

His most important job will be to ensure the NFL’s most dominant offense keeps its identity while taking the next step in efficiency and innovation.

We’re looking at ten prospects who’ll fit his scheme with the fast-approaching NFL draft just three weeks away.