Tag: Matt Peart

4-round Chargers mock draft, pre-NFL Scouting Combine Edition

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez releases his latest four-round projections for the Los Angeles Chargers.

With the National Scouting Combine kicking off this week, the NFL draft picture has started to come into focus. As big boards become more evident, what might the Chargers do when the big day rolls around come April?

Below is our own four-round mock draft that sees Los Angeles get their future franchise quarterback, a weapon for him, some protection and an impactful cornerback.

Round 1, No. 6, Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This has been the most common pairing to this point, but Herbert to Los Angeles makes a lot of sense on many levels, as the team looks to find Philip Rivers’ replacement.

Herbert is a physical specimen, who has the skillset, traits and tools that coach Anthony Lynn is looking for in a signal-caller. The area of his game that gets scrutinized the most is primarily mental, but he took a leap last month at the Senior Bowl to defy those.

With the weapons around him, headlined by Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Hunter Henry, as well an improvement to the offensive line (which can be addressed in free agency and rounds following the first) Herbert could really reach his full potential.

This week in Indianapolis, the interview process will be the most important part for Herbert. This will be his opportunity to show that he is capable of leading an NFL team and impress the coaching staff when they put him on the whiteboard.

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12 Offensive tackles for Browns fans to watch at the scouting combine

12 Offensive tackles for Browns fans to watch at the scouting combine

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Player workouts begin later in the week, with many of the drills now being performed in prime time for a wider television audience.

The Cleveland Browns and the new coaching staff led by Kevin Stefanski will be very active in scouring Indianapolis for talent that can help the team. With the biggest hole on the roster at offensive tackle, expect a big focus on the top tiers of tackles who can help the Browns immediately.

Here are the consensus top 12 offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft who will be working out at the combine. How they break down in order remains to be seen, but these are the names to watch during the week.

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7 potential Chargers that should blow up NFL Scouting Combine

Chargers Wire lays out who Los Angeles Chargers fans should watch at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine is just around the corner. The event is a useful tool for player evaluation, and some teams put more stock in it than others.

It is a big opportunity for prospects to showcase their athleticism and skillset through a series of tests, including the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and on-field drills.

With that, we have compiled a list of seven prospects all Chargers fans must watch in Indianapolis next weekend, in addition to a handful of others Los Angeles could be targeting in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Below are the players to keep an eye on:

QB Justin Herbert, Oregon

Herbert has been commonly linked to the Chargers since the start of the pre-draft process. The 6-foot-6 and 227 pound quarterback’s tape shows a lot of good things, but two things stand out: arm strength and mobility.

I believe Herbert is going to run a 4.7 second 40-yard dash and his polarizing arm will be on display during the on-field drills, where he will make all the throws to all parts of the field, especially on the deep ball.

The interview process will be the most important for Herbert. This will be his opportunity to show that he can lead a team and impress the coaches when they put him on the whiteboard.

OT Josh Jones, Houston

The offensive tackle position is a glaring need for the Chargers, and Jones should be at the top of their board in the second-round (if he’s already not taken). With his basketball background, the athleticism is evident. He plays with long arms, coordinated feet and lower body movement skills in pass protection. Jones should do really well in the agility drills, but he should light up the on-field drills.

LB/S Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Like safety Derwin James, Simmons is a true chess piece on the defensive side of the ball. He can blitz, play the run, cover in the slot and play special teams. Think about that for a second, two James on the field at the same time.

Everyone is familiar with the 6-foot-4 and 230-pound hybrid defender after putting together such a polished resume for the Tigers. But the Combine is going remind people how much of a freakish athlete he is.

Simmons has a vertical jump of 40 inches and a broad jump of 11-0. He routinely jumps onto a 52-inch box for single-response jump work. He also has run a sub-4.4 40 this off-season, per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.

WR Jalen Reagor, TCU

The Chargers are in need of another deep threat, given the underwhelming production from Travis Benjamin and the guys behind him on the depth chart this past season. If they choose to go that route early on in the draft, Reagor should be on their radar.

Reagor is one of the fastest receivers in this year’s class. The 5-foot-11 and 195-pounder showed breakaway speed to burn corners week in and week out. This past offseason, he clocked a 4.29 40-yard, and his strength numbers are also eye-popping: a 620-pound squat, a 380-pound bench and a 380-pound clean, per Feldman.

CB Troy Pride, Jr., Notre Dame

The Chargers will be in the market for a cornerback. Pride Jr. got on my radar at the Senior Bowl, but it won’t be long until he catches the attention of others that aren’t familiar with him.

At the 2018 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships he ran a personal-best 6.73 seconds in the 60-meter dash. His 10.50 100 time is one of the fastest in school history. This past offseason he ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, per Feldman.

The 5-foot-11 and 193 pounder would be a perfect zone defender for the Chargers since he has a knack for reading and getting a feel for route concepts before making a play on the ball. His speed, mirroring ability and spatial awareness are all plus traits of his.

OT Matt Peart, UConn

Peart, a four-year starter at UConn, is a good athlete that boasts terrific length. The 6-foot-5 and 310 pound tackle doesn’t have overwhelming power to dominate his opponents, but he quickly finds his landmarks and uses his natural movement skills, base and length to keep rushers busy. His quick feet will be evident during the on-field drills.

OT Ben Bartch, St. John’s

The 6-6, 308-pound Bartch is coming off a stellar Senior Bowl week, where he showed that he could hang with some of the best pass-rushers in the nation. Now, he is bound to stamp himself as the first Division III player to be drafted since Buccaneers’ Ali Marpet, who has turned into a quality starter.

Bartch, the former tight end, is likely to run under five seconds in the 40-yard dash. But the on-field drills will be a major plus for him because on tape he showcases a silky smooth set in pass protection with beautiful footwork, lateral range and quickness in his kick slide to protect the edge.

Who and what to watch at the 2020 NFL Combine: Offensive line

The Lions Wire staff has identified which offensive linemen Detroit Lions fans should be watching at the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine on-field workouts begin Thursday, February 27th in Indianapolis but the offensive linemen won’t take the field until Friday, February 28th.

This is the latest in a series of articles leading up to this year’s NFL Combine, where the Lions Wire team has identified players they will be tracking in order to determine potential fits within the organization.

If you missed the previous articles in this series, be sure to check out our quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends previews.

Offensive line traits to evaluate

There are several on-field drills that emphasize a player’s abilities and the main areas Lions’ scouts will likely be focusing for the offensive line are:

  • Balance through the player’s hips
  • Knee bend, bending at the waist is a red flag
  • Kick slide: Is it smooth? Do they cross their feet when shuffling?
  • Mental processing: Do they react/respond to coaching or are they guessing and trying to anticipate? Do they follow directions?

Mekhi Becton, Louisville

Suggested by: Max Gerber and Bryce Rossler

Becton has been one of the biggest “risers” throughout the draft process, working his way up to be considered among the top offensive linemen in this class. He is a massive human being (est. 6-7, 365 pounds) but is surprisingly light on his feet. He has three year’s starting experience and looks comfortable playing at right or left tackle (he’s played both). If he gets a hold of a defender it’s over, but intelligent EDGE rushers will use his overaggressiveness against him.

Austin Jackson, USC

Suggested by: Erik Schlitt

An upside left tackle, who if he returned to college would have been in the top-of-the-first-round conversation. He needs to be more consistent in his technique — especially in the run game — but he has NFL traits and his upside is going to get him drafted, likely early on Day 2. He’s athletic enough to play guard, but for teams willing to give him a season to develop, he could be a longtime starter at left tackle with proper coaching.

Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU

Suggested by: Jeff Risdon

Cushenberry will battle Michigan’s Ceasar Ruiz for the title of top interior offensive line spot in this year’s class. Cushenberry’s game is drenched in power and he will be able to handle his own against NFL nose tackles. LSU scheme asks its center to be able to work on their own, which should help him if a team wants to switch him from his natural position over to guard. His experience playing in the middle should afford him the opportunity to play on both left and right guard.

Matt Hennessy, Temple

Suggested by: Matt Urben

A technique technician from the middle, Hennessy uses his intelligence and hand placement to put himself in the correct position to execute his assignment. He will get knocked for his struggles against power, but his balance and movement skills will help him find success at all three interior offensive line spots, especially in a zone-blocking scheme — which the Lions lean on more often than not.

Ben Bredeson, Michigan

Suggested by: Scott Warheit

A 51 game starter at left guard for the Wolverines, Bredeson was a rare 2-time team captain in Ann Arbor. For a team looking for experience and leadership, he will be near the top of their list. He loves to compete, showing a mean streak and toughness when squaring up against power rushers. He is well-balanced as a blocker but isn’t as athletic as some of the other interior offensive linemen in this class, which will limit his scheme flexibility.

Jonah Jackson, Ohio State

Suggested by: Zack Moran and Sonja Greenfield

Between his time at Maryland and Ohio State, Jackson started five games at center, 11 at right guard, and 13 at left guard, giving him multi-positional appeal. He is significantly more polished as a pass protector, handling one-on-ones and switches easily, but his lack of impact as a run blocker could cause him to start his career as a position flexible reserve.

Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin

Suggested by: Ty Finch and Derek Okrie

Yet another experienced Big Ten interior offensive lineman, Biadasz is highly intelligent and technique sound, which makes him more NFL ready than other linemen who will be drafted around the same time. He plays with good balance overall, but can overextend at times, and will struggle with elite power and speed rushers.

Matt Peart, UConn

Suggested by: Scott Bischoff

A swing tackle who could potentially push inside in a pinch, Peart played right tackle on the Lions coached North squad at the Senior Bowl. Strength is an issue but he has the frame to add muscle, and showed lots of promise as a run blocker this past season. Peart would fit in the Lions scheme in a very similar way to Tyrell Crosby, and like Crosby, he could spot start early in his career and potentially develop into a starter.

Chargers 2020 NFL Draft Target: UConn OT Matt Peart

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez puts UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart, a potential draft target, under the microscope.

Over the next few months, we are going to be taking a look at a handful of draft prospects leading up into the 2020 NFL Draft. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.

Today, we are taking a look at UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart.

Honors and Awards

  • First-team All-American Athletic Conference (2019)

Highlights

Strengths

  • NFL frame with outstanding arm length to initiate contact.

  • Quick initial set-up to cut off speed. Resets quickly to recover-and-counter after a rusher’s first punch/move.

  • Displays bounce in his feet to stay coordinated mid-shuffle – his hoops background is evident, rarely giving up the corner.

  • Good lateral quickness and able to race ahead of the pack on pull blocks and screens.
  • Good reactive athleticism to recover when beaten around the edge

  • Keeps his balance through contact and stays off the ground.

  • Rolls hips and drives his legs to uproot defenders as a run blocker.

  • Four years as starter at both left and right tackle.

Weaknesses

  • Play strength needs continued development. Not a powerful tackle and won’t generate much push as in-line blocker.

  • Technique is a work-in-progress.

  • Not a natural knee-bender, leading to pads and hips tending to rise off the snap.

  • Inconsistent hands, creating awkward positioning and allowing rushers to get inside his frame and bully him backwards. Shoots hands too soon.

  • Needs to do a better job locking out and sitting in his stance to maintain spacing.

  • Allows defenders to rip through his edge.

Summary

Peart, a four-year starter at UConn, is a good athlete that boasts terrific length. The 6-foot-5 and 310 pound tackle doesn’t have overwhelming power to dominate his opponents, but he quickly finds his landmarks and uses his natural movement skills, base and length to keep rushers busy. He is a plus run blocker, especially on stretch plays. The bottom line is that Peart isn’t an overpowering blocker, but he gets in the way and finds ways to keep defenders occupied, projecting as an eventual starter once his hand technique and functional strength improve.

Chargers Fit

Peart needs to add strength and work on his technique if he wishes to reach his play potential. But once he gets stronger and develops more of a mean streak, which shouldn’t take long, he has the physical traits to slide in at right tackle and start. That could come as soon as Week 1, Week 9 in his first year as a pro or Year 2.

Projection: Early-Mid 3rd

7 Senior Bowl players who would look good with the Cardinals

It is still early in the draft evaluation period, but these players already look like a fit for the Cardinals.

The NFL draft is still months away but because of the Senior Bowl, many draft prospects are fresh on the mind of NFL fans everywhere. Several players who participated in the Senior Bowl look like they would fit nicely with the Arizona Cardinals.

There is still much evaluation to do, but just what we know from how they played last season and what they did the week of the Senior Bowl, here are some players would would look great in Cardinal red.

South Carolina Javon Kinlaw

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Kinlaw was the talk of the Senior Bowl during the week. He created some buzz with his practice and some with what he said. He didn’t end up playing in the game but is expected to be a top-16 pick. He could land on the Cardinals’ radar and they desperately need more talent on the defensive line.

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2020 Senior Bowl: 7 players Giants should keep an eye on

The 2020 Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, and here are seven players the New York Giants should keep an eye on.

If we learned anything from the 2019 Senior Bowl, it’s that New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman certainly puts stock into it.

Big Blue’s first-round pick, Daniel Jones, was the Most Valuable Player in the game last season and his performance might have put Gettleman over the top to take the Duke product at No. 6.

The Giants have several needs to address in what is a rebuilding project at this point. Jones could use help along the offensive line for both now and in the future, and a weapon at wide receiver wouldn’t hurt, also.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants were a mess in the secondary, and creating pressure with a consistent pass-rush was once again an issue for Big Blue.

If the Giants are going to successfully rebuild this team, Gettleman has got to make the most of his seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and there’s a good chance some of those picks will be made based on what he sees in this year’s Senior Bowl.

Here are some players to watch on Saturday.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

Getting pressure was once again an issue for the Giants in 2019, as their 36 sacks ranked No. 22 in the NFL. On the bright side, Big Blue improved upon its 30 sacks from the 2018 campaign.

Adding to the Giants’ overall sack woes, the team’s sack leader, Markus Golden, is a free agent this offseason and there’s no guarantee he returns.

With New York in the market for an EDGE once again, Terrell Lewis out of Alabama is a Senior to watch. In 10 games last season, the 6-foot-5, 252-pound linebacker totaled 31 tackles (11.5 for loss) and six sacks.

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4 potential Chargers who stood out during Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four potential Los Angeles Chargers who stood out during Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices.

The third and final day of Senior Bowl practices concluded on Thursday.

Here are four potential Chargers who stood out on Day 3:

Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

Herbert finished practices with a very productive day for the South Team on Thursday. During the red zone drills, he was dropping dimes in the corner of end zone. In the two-minute drill, Herbert looked composed, he was accurate with nearly all of his throws and each one had pop, displaying his arm talent that he is coveted for. Even when facing pressure, he was quick to diagnose  it, never panicked, rolled out and found his targets each time. He didn’t really take any shots downfield, but his decision-making was precise and he showed great vision to efficiently work through his reads, which is something that he needs to do a better job at. For his phenomenal week, Herbert was named Practice Player of the Week.

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