Tag: Keaton Mitchell

Justice Hill says Ravens have the best running back group in the NFL

Veteran ball-carrier Justice Hill says the Baltimore #Ravens have the best running back group in the NFL via @Thacover2NFL

Baltimore is loaded on offense and even after adding Odell Beckham to the passing game, Todd Monken’s bread and butter could be a versatile rushing attack.

The Ravens have six players on the roster capable of carrying the load and after a 20-19 win over the Eagles in the preseason opener, Justice Hill made a pretty bold claim.

“I feel like we have the best running back room in the league,” Hill said. “We all bring a different skillset, and whenever we‘re all out there, we can show that. Whatever number is called, whoever’s number is called, we all just go out there and execute and make plays.”

Against the Eagles, the Ravens rushed for 133 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

Baltimore just got J.K. Dobbins back off the PUP list, and he will attack teams along with Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon, and rookie Keaton Mitchell.

4-Down Territory: Worst NFL owners, biggest schedule beefs, undrafted players to watch

In this week’s “4-Down Teritory,” Doug and Kyle discuss worst owners, best undrafted free agents, and 2023 NFL schedule beefs.

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Kyle Madson of Niners Wire and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire get into a few important items as NFL teams put the first minicamps of the 2023 season in the books.

  1. Who is the worst owner in pro football history, and why might it be Dan Snyder?
  2. Who are the undrafted first-year players to watch as rookie minicamps turn to minicamps to training camps?
  3. Which team has the biggest legitimate beef with the NFL”s schedule-makers?
  4. And which team has the easiest path to success from a schedule perspective?

You can watch this week’s episode of “4-Down Territory” right here:

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Broncos missed out on 2 undrafted free agents

Jack Colletto signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent. David Durden picked the Cowboys over the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos seem to be done (or nearly done) with their undrafted free agent signings, and there are two notable omissions.

The first is West Florida (Division II) wide receiver David Durden, who had a top-30 visit with the Broncos ahead of the draft. Denver attempted to sign Durden after he went undrafted, but the receiver chose to sign with the Dallas Cowboys instead.

The second UDFA that some Broncos fans might be disappointed to miss out on is Oregon State do-everything prospect Jack Colletto. The QB/FB/TE/LB also had a top-30 visit to Denver’s facility before the draft and he’s drawn comparisons to Taysom Hill, which led many to believe he would draw interest from coach Sean Payton.

Colletto ultimately decided to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.

Perhaps also of note — running backs Sean Tucker and Keaton Mitchell, who both met with the Broncos before the draft, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens, respectively.

With those running backs off the UDFA board, Denver signed Fort Valley State’s Emmanuel Wilson. He becomes the sixth RB on the depth chart, joining Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Tony Jones, Damarea Crockett and Tyler Badie.

We are tracking all of the team’s UDFA signings on Broncos Wire.

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Day 3 Cleveland Browns mock draft with first three rounds complete

How will the Browns round out their 2023 draft class?

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft saw the Cleveland Browns finally on the clock with two Day 3 picks at pick no. 74 and pick no. 98. The team addressed depth at wide receiver with the selection of Cedric Tillman at 74 before continuing to build the defensive line by selecting Siaki Ika at pick 98. Could they address defensive end with a name like Isaiah McGuire on Day 3?

The team could still use some help at edge rusher with some really intriguing options still on the board as their next pick will come at pick no. 111. They could also use more depth along the offensive line and in the running back room, let’s look at how the draft’s final day could shape up for the Browns.

Secret Superstars of the 2023 NFL draft: The best underrated prospects

Who are the best underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL draft? Doug Farrar runs down the sleepers who could make surprising differences in the NFL.

Several NFL executives have already made it clear that they’re struggling to find as many as 20 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class deserving of a first-round grade.

That may look like a pull quote, but it’s not entirely uncommon. Drafts like the 2023 one, which starts Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST, are wider than they are tall, which means that while there aren’t a ton of obvious first-round guys, there are second- and third-day players who can make a difference on an NFL roster right away.

And that’s why it’s so important to have your scouting go all the way through all seven rounds and beyond. Ask the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who got their eventual starting running back (Rutgers’ Isiah Pacheco) in the seventh round. Or the Seattle Seahawks, who bagged starting cornerback Tariq Woolen out of UTSA in the fifth. And of course, there were few more interesting rookie stories in 2022 than the tale of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the most relevant “Mr. Irrelevant” in pro football history.

Looking ahead to the most talented sleepers in the 2023 draft class, there are prospects who have been pushed down in loaded position groups, those who need a bit of finishing work to fully unlock their NFL potential, and those who don’t have a total skill set, but who do a few things very well. They are all more than worthy of NFL consideration, and just because they’ll probably hear their names called in the late second or early third day of the draft, don’t automatically discount their NFL potential.

That’s a mistake the smartest NFL teams never make. Here are my most gifted sleepers — the “Secret Superstars” of the 2023 NFL draft.

16 running backs Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

The Broncos should consider these 16 running backs during the NFL draft this week.

The Denver Broncos will have a great running back duo in Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine when Williams recovers from the ACL/LCL injury he suffered last season.

Williams is facing an uncertain recovery timeline, though, putting his early-season availability in doubt. Perhine proved with the Cincinnati Bengals that he is a capable fill-in starter, but the Broncos will need another running back to pair with him if Williams is sidelined early in the season.

With the possibility of Williams missing time in 2023, Denver seems likely to draft a running back this week. Here’s a quick list of 16 names to watch for during the NFL draft.

One RB target for every round of the 2023 NFL draft

The Browns will likely draft a running back in the 2023 NFL draft. Here is one per round they could target.

While the Cleveland Browns made great strides in NFL free agency, especially along their defensive line, they did lose two running backs (well, not necessarily Kareem Hunt, but it is unlikely he returns). With D’Ernest Johnson heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns will likely select a running back in the 2023 NFL draft. There have been rumors they could even take one in the third round.

The good news for the Brown, however, is that it is a deep crop of running backs in this year’s class. While names like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs will be well out of their range, we take a look at one running back per round they could target later this week.

15 late-round prospects Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

Here’s a quick look at 15 late-round prospects the Broncos could target in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos do not have first- or second-round picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft, so in order to have a great class (barring a trade up), general manager George Paton will have to find gems in the mid and late rounds of the draft.

The Broncos currently have five draft picks: Nos. 67 and 68 overall in the third round, No. 108 in the fourth, No. 139 in the fifth and No. 195 in the sixth. Denver does not currently hold a pick in the seventh round, but the club might acquire additional picks through draft-day trades.

Paton has made six trades through his first two drafts with the Broncos, trading down four times. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him trade down again this year to add more picks.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at 15 prospects that Denver could target in the fifth, sixth and seventh (late rounds) of the 2023 NFL draft.

Breaking down Dane Brugler’s 7-round haul for the Browns

Who did Dane Brugler mock to the Browns?

With the 2023 NFL draft now just eight days away, mock drafts are getting last-minute pushes to prepare for what kind of hauls could be on the board. One of those mock drafts was completed by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who completed a full seven-round simulation. Even though the Cleveland Browns do not have a first or second round pick, they do have six picks in the middle rounds of the draft to play around with.

With defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, and wide receiver still lingering, who did the Browns land in Brugler’s simulation? We take a look there next to see who the draft expert mocked to Cleveland.

Broncos met with RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of NFL draft

The Broncos recently had a pre-draft visit with ECU RB Keaton Mitchell. He’s projected to be a sixth-round pick.

The Denver Broncos recently had a pre-draft meeting with East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Mitchell (5-8, 179 pounds) turned heads at the NFL combine when he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds and posted a 10-foot, six-inch broad jump. The small, speedy running back rushed for 1,452 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games last season while adding 27 receptions for 252 receiving yards and another score.

Before that, Mitchell totaled 1,385 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in 2021 (12 games) and 518 yards from scrimmage and three scores in 2020 (nine games). He is now projected to be a sixth-round pick in this month’s draft.

The Broncos currently hold pick No. 195 in the sixth round (view Denver’s complete order of draft picks). If selected by the Broncos, Mitchell will join Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine as a third-choice option in the team’s backfield rotation.

The 2023 NFL draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29.

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