Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
ESPN’s Matt Miller shared rave reviews on Texas running back Jonathon Brooks on Wednesday.
Prior to suffering an ACL injury in November, Texas running back Jonathon Brooks was on the path to taking home the Doak Walker Award for the 2023 season. Continue reading “Despite injury, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks still No. 1 RB for 2024 NFL draft”
The New Orleans Saints got Derek Carr more weapons in ESPN’s two-round mock draft after the Senior Bowl:
We’re only going to see more mock drafts as the 2024 NFL draft draws closer, so it’s important to remember why these are valuable: accuracy isn’t necessarily the point. Exploring different scenarios and considering different players is the focus in these thought exercises. Still, they sometimes have a nugget of truth in them — draft experts keyed in quickly on the New Orleans Saints’ interest in Bryan Bresee, Chris Olave, and Trevor Penning in recent years.
The latest projection comes from ESPN’s Matt Miller, who broke down two rounds of picks after spending a week catching up with NFL scouts and team personnel at Senior Bowl practices. And his vision for the Saints is clear: get Derek Carr more weapons. That starts in the first round by picking Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 14 overall. Miller writes:
The Saints miss out on the quarterbacks and top wide receivers in this scenario, but they land a legitimate top-10 talent in Bowers. Built in the mold of George Kittle or Sam LaPorta, Bowers had 56 catches and six scores in 2023, and he left college with 26 career receiving touchdowns to go along with five rushing scores. The 6-foot-4 240-pounder shows great strength when asked to block, but his real value is as a middle-of-the-field receiver, where he can post up safeties and run past linebackers.
Both of the Saints’ top tight ends, Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, underperformed last season. They’re each under contract for 2024 but it wouldn’t hurt to invest in a long-term plan at the position. Tight ends are notoriously slow to develop but the thinking is Bowers has enough athleticism to help out right away as a receiver while working on his blocking. He has averaged an impressed 8.5 yards after the catch per reception in his career while going 23-of-39 on contested catches (59%), per Pro Football Focus charting.
What about the second round? Miller has the Saints spending their second pick (at No. 45, coming from the Denver Broncos) on South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette. He weighed in a little shorter than his listed size at the Senior Bowl but he still has plenty to work with, having broken out in his fifth season with the Gamecocks. Miller sees him as a good fit in New Orleans:
Veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to hit free agency and might not return, leaving the Saints with a hole opposite Chris Olave. Legette is powerful at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds and has an ability to play inside or outside. He’s a master on crossing routes and averaged 17.6 yards per reception in 2023.
Hopefully Carr can have more success targeting those routes over the middle with Legette than he did with Thomas; Carr’s hesitancy on those timing routes attacking the middle of the field were a problem throughout the season. He’s more comfortable targeting the boundary and going outside the numbers than throwing into traffic. Legette would need to help build Carr’s confidence in those passes to bring crossers, slants, and other in-breaking routes back to the offense.
But having multiple high-upside receivers under contract for the foreseeable future would be big. The Saints will retain Rashid Shaheed on an exclusive-rights free agent tender this season (it’s their only option, according to the CBA) and they have both Chris Olave and A.T. Perry playing on rookie contracts. Adding Legette and Bowers to the mix could help prop up Carr and establish a strong supporting cast for the next Saints quarterback if his stay in New Orleans ends up being only temporary.
[lawrence-auto-related count=4]
The Chargers select the two-time John Mackey Award winner.
ESPN’s Matt Miller revealed his latest mock draft on Wednesday, and with the Chargers selection at No. 10 overall, he has them picking Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
Here is what Miller said about sending Bowers to Los Angeles:
Bowers is my No. 6 overall player, but I couldn’t find a value/need fit for him earlier than No. 10. Los Angeles wouldn’t complain. The Chargers could luck out and get an awesome middle-of-the-field target who has similarities to George Kittle as a route runner, pass-catcher and after-the-catch playmaker. Bowers has 26 receiving touchdowns in the past three seasons and would immediately give quarterback Justin Herbert a chain-mover.
With Gerald Everett set to be a free agent at the end of the season, the Bolts will be in the market for a starting tight end. Bowers would be a homerun pick as he’s not just the best tight end in this year’s class, but you could make the argument that he’s the best in previous classes, too.
Bowers, who is the only player to win the John Mackey Award twice, leads the Bulldogs with 56 catches for 714 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Along with his ability to be a mismatch for any defender in the passing game, Bowers is really good as a run blocker, which is something that the Chargers have struggled to get from their tight ends in recent seasons.
So not only could Bowers come in and quickly develop a rapport with Justin Herbert, but he could boost the run game and help in pass protection.
BROCK BOWERS!pic.twitter.com/9cHpwLYSVZ https://t.co/FhFuUEQpyE
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 30, 2023
Two Texas A&M defenders have made ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller’s recent prospect big board ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Earlier this week, ESPN analyst Matt Miller released his midseason NFL Draft rankings ahead of next year’s Draft, as two emerging Texas A&M defenders have continued to climb up their respective position groups amid the Aggies’ defensive dominance nine games into the 2023 college football season.
According to Miller, Junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and senior defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson are both rated 5th in their respective positions, as both players will only continue to rise in nearly every Draft-related ranking heading into 2024.
This season, Cooper leads the team in tackles (59) and sacks (7) and is second in the country with 16.5 tackles for loss. In contrast, Jackson’s 20 tackles and three sacks have elevated his Draft stock after taking on a leadership postion among a talented but still young defensive line this season, which has been the predominant strength of the team for the entire SEC slate, despite the four losses.
Even in the Aggies’ recent 38-35 loss to Ole Miss, both players did their part, while Cooper tied for second in tackles (7) with senior strong safety Demani Richardson. While much of the outside focus will revolve around head coach Jimbo Fisher’s job security, Edgerrin Cooper and McKinnley Jackson are future NFL stars in the making and deserve the coverage.
Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.
The Buckeye defensive line dominated against the potential first round pick #GoBucks
We all know how well this [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] defense played against Penn State this past Saturday, but now there are some stats to back up its play.
The Buckeye defensive line had a big task in facing off against PSU offensive tackle, [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], but it didn’t seem like it when the game concluded. Multiple Ohio State players faced off against the potential first-round NFL draft pick, and they did extremely well.
How well you ask? [autotag]Matt Miller[/autotag] of ESPN shared this info today, that Fashanu gave up five hurries and a sack, something that was out of the ordinary for him.
In two games against Penn State, Ohio State pass-rusher J.T. Tuimoloau has 10 hurries and three sacks.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) October 24, 2023
[autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag] was the main culprit of Fashanu’s struggles, but it wasn’t only him. This Ohio State defensive line may not put up the sexy stats, but it sure does get the job done.
Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.
The Buckeyes are predicted to once again dominate the NFL draft’s first round #GoBucks
The college football season starts this weekend and [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] once again will reload with many NFL teams licking their chops to see what some of the current Buckeyes do on the gridiron.
Last year the Buckeyes had three picks in the first round and ESPN believes that the 2024 version (subscription required) will have two more for a total of five. We all know that wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to be an early selection, but how how is the question.
The other four are names that we have seen pop up on various other mock drafts, but their question remains the same as Harrison Jr.’s. Find out below where [autotag]Matt Miller[/autotag] believes who the five Buckeyes are, and where they will get taken.
ESPN will have a massive gap in its NFL Draft coverage with Todd McShay gone. Who will fill his shoes?
NFL Draft fans saw a jarring shift in ESPN’s coverage on Friday as longtime draft analyst Todd McShay was laid off amid a series of staffing cuts at the network.
The New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand shared the news on Friday of McShay’s departure.
McShay had been with ESPN since 2006 and been primarily associated with the network’s NFL Draft coverage alongside Mel Kiper Jr.
His layoff puts the network’s NFL Draft coverage in a different space, as new faces could ascend to a more prominent role during the year and especially on draft weekend.
While McShay will be a popular free agent for other sports media companies looking for one of the sharpest minds in the business on the NFL Draft, it’s worth wondering how things will look at ESPN in his absence.
NEWS: Todd McShay let go by ESPN, The Post has learned.https://t.co/l4NSdi5mau
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) June 30, 2023
Kiper will most likely continue his role with ESPN until he decides to retire, while a few other names will likely take on expanded roles.
You can likely count on seeing ESPN guys like Mike Greenberg, Booger McFarland and Rece Davis during draft weekend, but who will you hear from year-round?
These three people figure to have expanded roles at the network on broadcast and online.
Three Saints rookies made ESPN’s list of the top 100 draft picks. What can you expect from each player in 2023? via @southexclusives:
The New Orleans Saints had a solid 2023 NFL draft, depending on who you ask. ESPN analyst Matt Miller would agree with this sentiment. Miller recently made a list of the 100 best selections in this year’s draft andthree Saints rookie made an appearance on this list. Most interestingly, the only one of the three that was a top selection was running back Kendre Miller. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and defensive end Isaiah Foskey were absent from the list. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The back half of the draft being highlighted should create optimism around the depth of this class. If Bresee and Foskey can play up to, or close to, their draft position, the 2023 Saints draft class will be looked at fondly for years to come.
Miller highlighted each of the three Saints players on his list:
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller joined Seattle Sports radio to break down the Seahawks 2023 NFL draft efforts, “checking every need.”
ESPN analyst Matt Miller joined Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports radio this week and had nothing but high praise for the Seattle Seahawks and their 2023 NFL draft efforts.
“Freaking killed it,” Miller said. “Got my No. 1 corner, my No. 1 wide receiver, a pass rusher that a lot of people thought could have gone first round, and then I really thought some of the Day 3 picks were really good from a scheme fit, from a value, from a need.”
Of course, Miller is talking about first-rounders CB Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20. But Seattle also founds great success outside of Round 1, selecting Edge Derick Hall, RB Zach Charbonnet, G Anthony Bradford, DT Cameron Young, DL Mike Morris, C Olu Oluwatimi, S Jerrick Reed II, and RB Kenny McIntosh.
“This team checked every need that they have,” Miller continued. “For a playoff team to be able to do that says a lot when you could go in and check off needs. It’s just really smart team-building.
“It was it was an ‘A’ draft, in my opinion.”
[lawrence-related id=104775]
Matt Miller of ESPN recaps the top picks from the 2023 NFL draft
Even though none of the 2023 NFL draftees have played a snap of professional football, Matt Miller of ESPN ranked the 100 best 2023 NFL draft picks and steals. His list includes a compilation of the players’ ability as well as the value of where they were taken in the draft.
For example, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was selected No. 20 overall, but he was No. 5 on Miller’s big board. So his draft spot combined with his talent makes for the No. 1 pick on his list.
Alabama football was strongly represented on this list with seven players on the top 100. The only three drafted Alabama players to not make this list were DeMarcco Hellams, Cameron Latu and Tyler Steen.
