Tag: Jaxson Kirkland

Bengals’ underrated OL manned LT, RT while fighting for final roster

One of the most overlooked stories of Bengals training camp might be its best.

The story of  Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland has gone overlooked at training camp.

No wonder, with names like Ja’Marr Chase in the headlines, the odd Jermaine Burton saga and rookie breakouts all over the place.

But Kirkland’s story is one of the best — and it might be critically important, too.

For attentive fans, Kirkland was the exciting undrafted free agent from 2023 out of Washington who fell out of the draft seemingly for medical reasons, so there was hope he could slow-burn his way into being a contributor.

It appears that time has arrived.

Kirkland spent his first pro year on the practice squad and this summer has been all over the place for the Bengals — literally.

As Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com noted, Kirkland played both guard and tackle spots this summer for line coach Frank Pollack:

Kirkland not only threw around his physicality and mean streak at both guard spots, but he moved out to both tackles at a moment’s notice in the last two games and held up well both times.

Pollack and Co. apparently gave Kirkland little notice before his start at left tackle and playing time at right tackle in different preseason games this summer.

It seems pretty obvious that the Bengals liked what they saw. Former second-round pick Jackson Carman was named in the first wave of cuts and he was a presence at the tackle spots. D’Ante Smith is out for the year, so that leaves Kirkland as a primary backup, barring a shocker.

And when a guy who fell out of the draft can play at least four spots on the line, he’s pretty valuable to a team. Kirkland will probably make the final roster by Tuesday’s deadline, keeping him right on track for what fans and media hoped when he chose the  Bengals after last year’s draft.

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Bengals announce roster moves, including adding a QB

The Bengals make roster moves, including bringing on a QB.

The Cincinnati Bengals announced a handful of roster moves on Monday in the wake of Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury.

On the quarterback front, the Bengals signed Drew Plitt to the practice squad, reuniting with the former undrafted free agent from 2022.

Plitt will be the new emergency third quarterback behind new starter Jake Browning and backup AJ McCarron. He spent time with the team out of college during the preseason and also had stints with other teams and the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.

The Bengals also cleared rookie running back Chase Brown to return from IR, opening his 21-day window to practice. He can be activated to the 53-man roster at any time during that span. The fourth-rounder suffered a hamstring injury before Week 8 and has missed the mandatory four games being being eligible to return.

Cincinnati also shifted rookie guard Jaxson Kirkland to the Practice Squad/Injured list due to a wrist injury.

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Bengals UDFA Jaxson Kirkland already scrapping for final 53 spot in camp

A big-name UDFA is living up to the hype at Bengals training camp.

Back in May, we suggested Cincinnati Bengals undrafted free agent offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland might make some noise and push for the final roster this summer.

So far, so good for Kirkland, who has looked the part in training camp and has the attention of all the right people on the team.

“That kid is so much fun to coach,” offensive line coach Frank Pollack said, according to Dan Hoard. “I get on his ass and he doesn’t bat an eye. He immediately goes out to apply the correction.”

There was a point in time when Kirkland was considered a top-50 pick by some before injuries took their toll on his stock. But that has always created a sense of wait and see when it comes to Pollack and Co.’s ability to get him to realize some of that versatile upside.

At the start of August, this is certainly what fans should want to hear about an undrafted free agent who could push for the final 53 while improving depth at a key area.

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Bengals 2023 player profile for OL Jaxson Kirkland

A 2023 profile for Bengals OL Jaxson Kirkland

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The Cincinnati Bengals kick of the 2023 regular season in roughly 70 days, so now is a good time to break down the most important names on the roster.

First up in a daily series is Jaxson Kirkland, one of the team’s more important undrafted free agents this summer.

 

Experience: Rookie (Undrafted)

Age: 24

College: Washington

2022 PFF Grade: n/a

Numbers to Know: 2022 All-Pac-12 First Team, 2022 Team Captain

Resume and Outlook: The 6’7″ Kirkland had injuries veer him off a top-50 draft course, but he’s got experience at both guard spots and tackle. That sort of versatility as a backup makes him the most likely UDFA to steal a final roster spot and a name to watch all summer.

 

Other 2023 Bengals player profiles: 

Position Name
OL Jaxson Kirkland

 

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Bengals UDFA Jaxson Kirkland a breakout candidate to watch

Can UDFA Jaxson Kirkland crack the final roster for the Bengals?

For the Cincinnati Bengals, Jaxson Kirkland stands out the most among the team’s list of undrafted free agents in the wake of the NFL draft.

Kirkland has a few things going for him, which would explain his choosing the team in undrafted free agency in the first place.

For one, he was at one point considered a mid-round pick during the draft process, which suggests a bit of value for the Bengals if coaches can unlock some of that once he arrives in training camp.

Given his pass-protection background and ability to play inside and out, he’s just the type of versatile lineman Bengals coaches like to pursue.

And two, the Bengals didn’t use even one of their eight picks in the draft on the offensive line, signaling loud and clear that they’re comfortable with the starting positions — but open to depth competition shaking up the roster.

Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon would agree, spotlighting Kirkland as the team’s undrafted free agent to watch:

Once viewed as a potential top-50 prospect before injuries derailed his Huskies career, Kirkland is an experienced, physical blocker who can play either guard spot or right tackle. The Bengals were a smart choice for Kirkland, who is not a developmental-type of talent. They need help now, and the 25-year-old could offer it.

Kirkland even showed well at pre-draft activities against level competition, with some AFC North-styled feistiness to boot:

It’s going to be hard for a rookie undrafted lineman to make a roster spot on the Bengals considering, for better or worse, some of the team’s backups have extensive playoff and even Super Bowl starting experience.

But of the team’s undrafted free agents so far, Kirkland has to be considered the favorite to crack a spot on the final 53 if he can put up a strong summer.

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Bengals to sign UDFA OL Jaxson Kirkland

The first UDFA for the Bengals is Jaxson Kirkland.

The Cincinnati Bengals got their trip to undrafted free agency after the 2023 draft started with Washington guard Jaxson Kirkland.

The move, reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, might just have big upside. At one point, Kirkland was a prospect being mocked in the mid-rounds and his versatility and experience all over lines are traits the team will like.

Here’s a writeup from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Kirkland is likely to ply his trade as a guard, but he might be able to step in at tackle in a pinch. His barrel-chested, high-cut frame looks out of place at guard. He is unable to generate the leverage or power needed as a downhill blocker but does a decent job on positional blocks on the move. In protection, bull rushers can get under him and drive him into the pocket, but he’s quick with his hands and can get on top of rushers quickly when he needs to. His pass protection background could bolster his chances as a Day 3 pick and future backup.

In a move that says a lot about how the team feels about the offensive line, the Bengals didn’t use even one of their eight picks on the positional unit.

That doesn’t mean the 6’7″ Kirkland doesn’t have a shot though, as he’ll compete with the likes of backups Max Scharping and Hakeem Adeniji for work on the interior.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bucs 2023 draft targets: Guards/Centers

Here are a few prospects on the interior of the o-line the Bucs could do well to target:

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent the past few years stockpiling interior offensive linemen, they have yet to settle on a direction to take the group. Their logjam at the position may keep the Bucs from prioritizing guards and centers in this year’s draft, but it should not keep them from drafting any at all.

In the nine drafts that Jason Licht has been the Bucs’ general manager, he has drafted an offensive lineman in seven of them, taking six players between the tackles. It is likely not an accident that over time Licht has used higher and higher picks on interior linemen, indicating his growing appreciation for the return on talent at the position.

Since 2021, he has used picks in rounds two and three to take Luke Goedeke and Robert Hainsey in an effort to inject youth and plan ahead for losses at the position. The retirement of Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa’s departure in free agency last year dramatically diminished the Bucs’ quality of play along the interior of the offensive line.

Hainsey was a serviceable center when starter Ryan Jensen missed the entire regular season with a knee injury, but Goedeke looked completely overwhelmed at left guard. The position was only stabilized when Nick Leverett took over for Goedeke following an injury.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Bucs are primed for a battle at both guard spots after trading veteran Shaq Mason to the Texans. Hainsey, Goedeke, Leverett and veteran Aaron Stinnie are all in the running, but none of them have proven that they can be stalwarts on the line.

The Bucs also have to plan for the future. Ryan Jensen is 31 years-old and is signed only through 2024. His chief backup Robert Hainsey is also due to be a free agent in 2024. Leverett and Stinnie are playing on one-year deals. The Bucs interior offensive line is on a two-year timeframe at best.

That is why another pick spent on the interior line is well within the realm of possibility. The Bucs have too many other needs to spend more than a Day 3 pick on guard or center, but with five picks over rounds five and six, there is opportunity to take a shot on the interior offensive line.

Here are the interior offensive linemen the Bucs could target in the 2023 NFL Draft:

6 underrated prospects to watch for the Saints in 2023 NFL draft

Penn State TE Brendon Strange and San Jose State DE Viliami Fehoko are among 6 underrated prospects to watch for the Saints in the 2023 NFL draft’s third day:

Everyone knows the big names in the 2023 NFL draft: the first-round prospects who get fans excited and who draw swarms of scouts and coaches to their pro day workouts. But the New Orleans Saints have done well in the later rounds of the draft, and it’s important to identify players they could be looking at in rounds four, five, six, and seven — as well as undrafted free agency. They always seem to find some diamonds in the rough.

So who qualifies as a sleeper? Draft coverage is so oversaturated these days that even casual fans can recognize dozens of names, and some dedicated draftniks even have their own top-100 rankings (with the real sickos among them ranking hundreds of prospects).

To help thin out the herd, we’re only considering prospects who were ranked outside the top 150 at both NFL Mock Draft Database and Pro Football Network’s industry consensus big board. That gives us an opportunity to highlight some undersung players who should be available on Day 3 of this year’s event. These aren’t going to be perfect prospects, or even players who can step into a big role right away. The goal is to find guys with enough traits that can give them a shot at making the roster as a backup or on special teams, buying them time to develop into better pros.

Here are six underrated prospects we could see the Saints targeting on the draft’s third day:

Browns add depth and upside all over roster in 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The Browns round out their roster in this mock draft.

So far, the Cleveland Browns have upgraded several position groups with a successful and productive free agency period. The defensive line outside of Myles Garrett was a mess and the team has improved that group with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Dalvin Tomlinson.

The team attacked the wide receiver room adding a dynamic playmaker in Elijah Moore and signing veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin. These moves have given the team tremendous flexibility in the draft allowing them to take the best player available for a majority of the rounds. The team could use some rotational pieces here and there but this year’s draft should be about the future.

Let’s take a look at what I think the team could do using this drafting philosophy at the end of the month.

Patriots’ full 7-round 2023 mock draft 6.0

A full seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Patriots after free agency.

The first wave of the NFL free agency period has come and gone, and the New England Patriots have seemingly dialed down the activity of moves. So it’s a perfect time for another mock draft.

As with the previous mock drafts, we have shifted to a what the Patriots will do, rather than what we would do approach. For anyone that has followed the team over the years, they typically have some surprises in store when the draft board goes live.

It’ll be fun to see how the real thing goes down in April. Until then, here is our latest seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Patriots.