Tag: jonathan greenard

Lions had formal meeting with Florida EDGE Jonathan Greenard

Greenard was also at the Senior Bowl

We now know the identity of another one of the prospects who formally interviewed with the Detroit Lions at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month. Florida EDGE Jonathan Greenard acknowledged to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo that he met with the Lions.

Greenard is an interesting potential fit with the Lions. At 6-3 and 263 pounds and blessed with long arms and big, strong hands, he definitely has the physical traits the Lions covet at the EDGE or JACK position. He showed some outside pass rush moves and off-ball awareness in his one season with the Gators after transferring from Louisville.

The Lions had some familiarity with Greenard from the Senior Bowl. He played on the South roster while the Lions staff coached the North. During his one year in Gainesville, Greenard racked up 9.5 sacks and 15.5 TFLs while earning first-ream All-SEC honors.

He does carry some legit knocks. Greenard suffered a major wrist injury in 2018 and did not look confident in using his right hand in 2019. He does have some twitch but is more of a power-to-speed rusher, and his long legs do leave him vulnerable to tackles with good base leverage.

Greenard is generally regarded as a third-to-fifth-round pick. He will work out at Florida’s pro day in late March.

Former Florida OLB Jonathan Greenard to have private workout with Texans

The Houston Texans will hold a private workout for former Florida Gators outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard.

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The Houston Texans aren’t going to let an offseason pass without adding talent off the edge.

According to Justin Melo of the Draft Wire, former Florida Gators outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard will have a private workout with the Texans.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Texans Wire reported that Greenard had an informal meeting with the Texans and possibly a formal. Now, it appears the interest in Greenard is growing in Houston.

The Texans finished the 2019 campaign tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 31. Some of that drop in production was due to defensive end J.J. Watt tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 8 and missing the rest of the regular season. Some of it was due to trading away edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney on Aug. 31, 2019, to the Seattle Seahawks. Whatever the case, the Texans appear committed to addressing pass rush.

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8 NFL draft prospects 49ers could target in trade back

The 49ers need to get creative with their use of picks in the 2020 draft.

The 2020 draft will be a new experience for 49ers general manager John Lynch. For the first time since he took over in 2017, the team won’t have a top 10 pick. They pick No. 31, and then they’re off the clock until early in the fifth round. Lynch and the 49ers are slated to go another 108 picks without a selection.

While Lynch has been aggressive moving up in drafts, including a trade up into the back end of the first round to select linebacker Reuben Foster in 2017, it stands to reason they’ll be aggressive in the opposite direction this year.

Scooping up additional draft capital is going to be essential, which likely means a move backward instead of picking 31st overall.

Moving back in the draft doesn’t necessarily mean the 49ers won’t find a quality player with their first selection, especially if their first pick is in the second round. Here are eight players who may be available early on Day 2 of the draft that San Francisco might target.

RB JK Dobbins, Ohio State

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan have had a lot of success finding running backs late in free agency and in the undrafted free agent pool. With other needs lingering, it’s easy to see them passing on a running back until later in the draft, but a trade back into the middle of the second round where Dobbins falls to them might be too good of a value to pass up. Dobbins was a monster for all three years with the Buckeyes. He racked up 4,459 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 645 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He also has the athleticism, vision and versatility to be effective in Shanahan’s scheme. Running backs are losing value in the NFL, and the 49ers could take advantage with a very good player falling to them.

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Bears have met with several edge rushers at NFL Combine

The Bears are doing their due diligence when it comes to edge rushers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Bears have a few needs to address on defense this offseason, among them edge rusher. While Khalil Mack saw a decline in production in an injury-riddled season for Chicago’s defense, he remains one of the best pass rushers in the league.

One of the things that general manager Ryan Pace hasn’t managed to do is find a productive edge rusher opposite Mack. Pace has a decision to make regarding Leonard Floyd, who is entering his fifth season with the Bears. He’s slated to make $13 million, but his production hasn’t been up-to-par with what was expected out of the former No. 9 overall pick.

Floyd’s sack production has dipped every season since he joined the NFL. Only, injuries weren’t to blame for his lack of production in 2019. Floyd had two sacks in the season opener against the Packers, but he managed just one sack in the final 15 games.

The Bears are doing their due diligence when it comes to edge rushers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. Chicago met with several edge rushers at the NFL Scouting Combine.

K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU)

Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State)

Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga (Florida)

Considering Floyd’s future with the Bears remains murky — they have until March 18 to release him to avoid paying his fifth-year option — there are several alluring options at edge rusher, including some of the ones they’ve met with above.

While it sounds like Pace is content with Floyd, that’s not stopping him from doing his homework on potential replacements. Even if Pace decides to keep Floyd under the fifth-year option, his future beyond that isn’t guaranteed.

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12 defensive combine standouts for the Bills to consider

12 defensive standouts at the 2020 NFL combine for the Buffalo Bills to consider at the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up in Indianapolis over the weekend. Potential rookie prospects took center stage while every team in the league watched. The Bills among them.

At the event, there were several defensive prospects who stood out. Could the Bills bring some of them in to fortify their stout defense?

Here are 12 defensive prospects who impressed at the combine that the Bills could consider adding at the upcoming draft:

Boise State linebacker Curtis Weaver. Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

DE Curtis Weaver | Boise State

Curtis Weaver is a bit of a hybrid player like Lorenzo Alexander was for the Bills. His scouting reports say the defender can lineup as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt or as a standup linebacker. That’s some of what Alexander did for the Bills. Over the past three seasons, Weaver recorded 34.5 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss. At the combine, he posted a 7.0 time in the 3-cone drill and a 4.27 second short shuttle time.

DE Alton Robinson | Syracuse

Syracuse isn’t exactly the powerhouse type of football program a team will find an immediate impact-maker, but Alton Robinson could become a solid edge addition. With the pending loss of Shaq Lawson via free agency and the rotation the Bills play at the defensive end position in mind, Robinson put up positive combine numbers that the Bills could like. His 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash was the third best among all defensive linemen in the draft. Robinson also posted 25 bench press reps and a 35.5-inch vertical jump, making him Cuse’s best defensive prospect since Chandler Jones.

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Texans have strong interest in Florida OLB Jonathan Greenard

The Houston Texans have met informally with Florida OLB Jonathan Greenard and also have a formal meeting setup with him at the NFL Scouting Combine.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Houston Texans know they need to beef up their edge defense, and they could be looking to an SEC East school to help them out.

According to former Florida Gators outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, the Texans have spoken to him informally at the NFL Scouting Combine and also plan to hold a formal interview with him on Friday.

Teams can have as many informal interviews as they like among the 337 attendees in Indianapolis. However, clubs are limited to the number of formal interviews they can have — up to 45. That the Texans want to hold a formal with Greenard indicates he has more than piqued their interest.

The 6-4, 263-pound edge defender, who was listed among the defensive line prospects at the combine, had an impactful final season with Florida, producing 53 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, an interception, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and returned his lone recovery for a touchdown.

Prior to playing for the Gators, Greenard spent three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals.

“Basically I came into Louisville 2015 — obviously I still stayed there, I loved my teammates, I loved the atmosphere and everything but once I got hurt I kind of put the ball in my court,” Greenard told reporters Thursday.

Greenard doubled up his course work in 2018 so that he would not have to sit out a season and followed Todd Grantham, who was his former defensive coordinator for two seasons at Louisville, to Florida where he had held the same job since 2018.

“I felt like I could kind of be that missing piece that was missing so what better way to test my talents than moving on to the SEC,” Greenard said.

Now, it appears the Texans want to add his talents to help a pass rush that finished tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the NFL last season with 31.

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Steelers land edge rusher in new 2020 NFL mock draft

We check out a new mock draft from Draft Wire for the Steelers.

As the 2019 NFL season winds to a close, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to cling to the slimmest of playoff hopes. Nevertheless, the NFL draft needs of this team are fairly clear for next year. Even if the Steelers are able to find a way to keep outside linebacker Bud Dupree, the need for quality depth behind him and T.J. Watt is a top priority.

Our friends over at Draft Wire have put out a new two-round mock draft heading into the final week of the regular season. And we appreciate this since the Steelers no longer have a first-round pick after the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade.

In the second round, they have the Steelers landing Florida edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Greenard played his first three seasons at Louisville and after a strong 2017 chose to transfer to the Gators and sit out the 2018 season. He has nine sacks in 10 games this season as well as 15 tackles for loss.

Greenard is a strong, thick built linebacker who shows a nice first step and a relentless motor. He plays at around 263 pounds and this is something to track as we head into the offseason. How well Greenard tests could have a huge impact on his draft stock so don’t be shocked if he trims down for workouts.

In terms of value, this could be a strong pick for the Steelers. In looking at the other players on the board in this scenario, the Steelers could have several options at positions of need including running back and offensive tackle as well.

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