Tag: NFL Combine

WATCH: Giants meeting with Jayden Daniels at NFL combine

The latest episode of Hard Knocks features Jayden Daniels.

Heading into the 2024 NFL draft, there were rumors that the New York Giants were interested in one of the top quarterbacks. Picking sixth, though, meant New York would likely be on the outside looking in at the top three prospects: Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Drake Maye (North Carolina).

Ultimately, that proved to be correct as Williams went No. 1 (Chicago Bears), Daniels went No. 2 (Washington Commanders) and Maye went third (New England Patriots). The Giants were happy to land LSU star wide receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6.

One year after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a contract worth $40 million annually, the Giants, led by general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, did their homework on all of the quarterbacks.

In the second episode of “Hard Knocks: Offseason With the New York Giants,” we get a behind-the-scenes look at the Giants’ interviews with Daniels and Maye at the NFL combine.

The Giants will see Daniels twice per season with the Commanders. Daboll tested the Heisman Trophy winner’s recall with a play on the whiteboard.

Here it is:

Daniels handled it well, but the best part was his response to the following question: “And then if it’s Cover 1, what do we want you to do?”

Daniels’ response: “Throw a touchdown.”

Perfect.

There was another sequence in which Daboll asked Daniels how he would handle the media if he got off to a rough start and who he would lean on.

“Well, for me, I’ll just say I played in Death Valley (LSU), so I feel like I’m prepared for anything,” Daniels answered. “But, I talk to my family, obviously. That’s a big piece for me.”

Then Daboll interrupts and again asks Danies to recall that previous play for him, which he did.

Daniels handled things perfectly.

It was another must-see episode of “Hard Knocks,” giving a fun behind-the-scenes look at New York’s offseason, which includes the draft and free agency.

A new episode comes out every Tuesday.

Will Stein says Bo Nix will go down as one of the best ever at Oregon

In a docuseries that focused on Bo Nix’s time during the combine leading up to the NFL draft, Will Stein says Nix left quite the legacy.

Oregon needed an experienced quarterback to lead the team as the Ducks were transitioning from Mario Cristobal to Dan Lanning.

But they most likely didn’t think Nix would be one of the best in the program’s history.

According to offensive coordinator Will Stein, who had Nix for just one short season, he will definitely go down among the greats like Marcus Mariota, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith and a whole host of incredible signal callers to call Eugene home.

In the docuseries from Bolt TV called Grit and Glory, Stein says Nix’s name will be synonymous with those other great Duck quarterbacks.

“He’ll go down as one of the greatest. There’s a lot of unreal, unworldly, talented guys that have played quarterback here and I think Bo will be up there with all of them,” Stein said. “His year this year, statistically, is one of the best in the history of Oregon football. The legacy that he left, what he’s done for this program, being Coach Lanning’s first quarterback here, he’s special.”

While at Oregon, Nix guided the Ducks to a 22-5 record with wins in the Holiday and Fiesta Bowl. In 2023, he completed 77.4 percent of his passes with 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Nix was drafted by the Denver Broncos and they hope their new signal caller can be similar to John Elway and Payton Manning. Those are huge shoes to fill, but Oregon quickly found out Nix will be up to the task.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Meet the NFL training guru who makes the fastest prospects in the league even faster | Let’s Talk Sports Biz

Meet Tony Villani — the guy who made your favorite NFL player so much better.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/rKfhBY8B8Jejnw9qpanw/1713791065791_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLmFueWNsaXAuY29tL2FueWNsaXAtd2lkZ2V0L2xyZS13aWRnZXQvcHJvZC92MS9zcmMvbHJlLmpzIiBkYXRhLWFyPSIxNjo5IiBkYXRhLXBsaWQ9Im9qZndtMmNjbGU0ZWVvY2ttdnZnNDV6em9meWdjM3R4IiBwdWJuYW1lPSIxOTk4IiB3aWRnZXRuYW1lPSIwMDE2TTAwMDAyVTBCMWtRQUZfTTEwMzg2Ij4KPC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxzY3JpcHQgdHlwZT0iYXBwbGljYXRpb24vbGQranNvbiIgbmFtZT0iYWMtbHJlLXNjaGVtYSI+CiB7CiAgIkBjb250ZXh0IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zY2hlbWEub3JnIiwKICAiQHR5cGUiOiJWaWRlb09iamVjdCIsCiAgIm5hbWUiOiJNZWV0IHRoZSBORkwgdHJhaW5pbmcgZ3VydSB3aG8gbWFrZXMgdGhlIGZhc3Rlc3QgcHJvc3BlY3RzIGluIHRoZSBsZWFndWUgZXZlbiBmYXN0ZXIgfCBMZXQmIzAzOTtzIFRhbGsgU3BvcnRzIEJpeiIsCiAgImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiVG9ueSBWZWxhbmkgaXMgYSBzcGVlZCB0cmFpbmVyIHdobyBzdGFydGVkIGhpcyBvd24gYnVzaW5lc3MgaW4gMjAwMi4gSGUgZm9jdXNlcyBvbiB0cmFpbmluZyBhdGhsZXRlcyBmb3IgdGhlIE5GTCBjb21iaW5lIGFuZCBhbHNvIG9mZmVycyBwb3N0LWNhcmVlciBhbmQgb2ZmLS4uLiIsCiAgImR1cmF0aW9uIjoiUFQ2TTQ0LjA0MlMiLAogICJ0aHVtYm5haWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3N0cmVhbS5nZW5pdXNwbHVzLmFpL3JLZmhCWThCOEplam53OXFwYW53LzE3MTM3OTEwNjU0ODdfNDgweDI3MF90aHVtYm5haWwuanBnIiwKICAidXBsb2FkRGF0ZSI6IjIwMjQtMDQtMjJUMTI6NTc6MDUuMjY0WiIsCiAgImludGVyYWN0aW9uU3RhdGlzdGljIjp7CiAgICJAdHlwZSI6ICJJbnRlcmFjdGlvbkNvdW50ZXIiLAogICAiaW50ZXJhY3Rpb25UeXBlIjogeyAiQHR5cGUiOiAiaHR0cDovL3NjaGVtYS5vcmcvV2F0Y2hBY3Rpb24iIH0sCiAgICJ1c2VySW50ZXJhY3Rpb25Db3VudCI6IDAKICB9CiB9CiA8L3NjcmlwdD4=”][/anyclip-media]

Think about some of the fastest players you’ve seen in the NFL. Think about all the most skilled guys you’ve ever seen.

Have you ever wondered how they got to be that good?

Of course, some of it comes naturally. These are the best athletes in the world with generational skills. But if everybody who touches that grass is an elite athlete, what sets the best of the best apart from others?

Tony Villani knows.

He’s the founder of XPE Sports — a training facility where some of the best names in the game have come to get better over the last 22 years. Travis Kelce, Tariq Woolen, Anquan Boldin, Mark Ingram and so many more have come through those doors.

It’s all because of Villani’s speed program. He knows how to make the fastest athletes in the world even faster. The key to it all is his ShredMill — a one-of-a-kind training treadmill developed by Villani himself to help him train speed.

We went down to Villani’s facility in Florida to figure out how it all works and how a regular guy like him can make the fastest athletes in the world even faster.

Playing for Broncos would be ‘a dream come true’ for Drake Nugent

Colorado native Drake Nugent would love to play for the Broncos, his favorite NFL team. The center is considered a late-round prospect.

The Denver Broncos had an informal meeting with Michigan center Drake Nugent at the NFL combine earlier this offseason.

Nugent (6-1, 298 pounds) was born in Lone Tree, Colorado and played high school football at Highlands Ranch before going on to play college football at Stanford and Michigan. He’s now entering the NFL draft and would love to return to Denver.

“It would mean the world to play for the Broncos, especially now that they got Sean Payton in there,” Nugent said at the combine, via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. “I love Denver. I love the Broncos. I’ve always been a Broncos fan my whole life. It would be a dream come true.”

Nugent ran a 40-yard dash in 5.23 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times at the combine. He spent four seasons with the Cardinal before transferring to the Wolverines ahead of the 2023 season. Nugent helped Michigan win a national championship last fall he took home first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Nugent is projected to be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent later this month. After losing Lloyd Cushenberry during free agency, the Broncos signed veteran Sam Mustipher. Nugent could give Denver more depth at center behind Mustipher and Alex Forsyth in 2024.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27. We are tracking all of Denver’s pre-draft prospect visits on Broncos Wire.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=642364]

Broncos spoke with Clemson DL Tyler Davis at the NFL combine

The Broncos had an informal meeting with Clemson defensive lineman Tyler Davis at the NFL combine. He’s projected to be a fourth-round pick.

The Denver Broncos had an informal meeting with Clemson’s Tyler Davis at the NFL combine, the defensive lineman revealed during his media availability in Indianapolis in late February.

Davis (6-2, 301 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 5.02 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 29 times at the combine. He spent five years with the Tigers, totaling 145 tackles (30 behind the line of scrimmage), 16 sacks, three pass breakups and three fumble recoveries in 55 games.

The Broncos signed Malcolm Roach during free agency, but the team lost Jonathan Harris, and Mike Purcell remains a free agent. Denver could certainly use more depth on the defensive line going into 2024.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Davis to Akeem Spence, who was a fourth-round pick out of Illinois in 2013. Davis is also projected to be a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.

The Broncos currently hold pick No. 121 in the fourth round and Davis could be a target at that spot. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Seven Longhorns make PFF’s top 150 NFL Draft Big Board

Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy lands at No. 9 overall.

It’s been a strong offseason for Texas draft hopefuls. Several Longhorns dominated the NFL Combine this year to significantly improve their draft stock, a testament to the player development in Austin under head coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff.

Texas could now realistically have 10 players selected in the 2024 NFL draft. Six of those players should hear their name called within the first three rounds.

Trevor Sikkema of PFF recently updated his 2024 NFL Draft Big Board of the top 150 prospects and seven Longhorns were mentioned. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy landed at No. 9 overall and should be the first Texas player off the board on Day 1.

Murphy is a gifted defensive lineman in both the strength and speed categories. He is a versatile three-down player who brings plus abilities as a run defender and a pass rusher, projecting as a first-round impact starter for any front.

Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (No. 30), tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (No. 51), running back Jonathon Brooks (No. 56), wide receiver Xavier Worthy (No. 68), defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (No. 74), and offensive tackle Christian Jones (No. 126) were also included.

The 2024 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

George Paton hinted toward Broncos’ free agency moves at the combine

George Paton said at the combine the Broncos needed to improve their run defense and the secondary’s depth. Malcolm Roach ✅ Brandon Jones ✅

Speaking at the NFL combine last month, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was asked about the state of the team’s defense.

Paton identified a few areas where the squad could improve, notably mentioning the need for a run-stuffer and more depth in the secondary.

“We feel like we need to be better in the run, and we need to stop the run better,” Paton said on Feb. 27. “We were inconsistent, a lot of things we did. Week 1 through [Week] 6 or one through the first six games, we were the worst defense in the league and then the final 11 [games] we were in the Top 10, Top 5 in a lot of metrics so really just be more consistent.

“I think we need to get better inside, stopping the run. Just be more disciplined at times and you saw that earlier. I saw that a little late with some of the busted coverages. You can always use help in the secondary, but I feel good about the young core on defense, and we will just continue to add depth.”

Fans who paid attention to Paton’s remarks at the combine were not surprised by the team’s first two signings during NFL free agency.

Denver added safety Brandon Jones — a key addition after losing Justin Simmons — and defensive lineman Malcolm Roach, who had the best run-stop percentage in the NFL last season.

Paton and Co. set out to improve the run defense and the secondary depth, and they did so early in free agency. There are still remaining positions of need for the Broncos, but the team quickly completed the top two items on Paton’s to-do list this offseason.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Mel Kiper Jr. updates where Texas wide receivers rank at position

Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell are ranked highly in Mel Kiper’s latest draft rankings.

The NFL scouting combine is complete. With that, those that cover the NFL draft are updating their rankings.

In case you weren’t sure, Texas wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell greatly helped their draft cases at the combine. Both receivers excelled in several tests with Worthy setting the NFL combine record for the 40-yard dash running it in 4.21 seconds.

The two receivers’ display has them moving up ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s rankings. Kiper has Xavier Worthy ranked as the No. 5 receiver with Adonai Mitchell right after at No. 6. In a deep receiver class, both players could see their name drafted in the first round.

Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Rome Odunze (Washington) and LSU receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are all seen as top prospects for the upcoming draft. They make up the top four of Kiper’s receiver rankings.

Texas has a chance to have its best receiver draft in a long while. Worthy and Mitchell will hope to have their names called in the first round.

These 4 players helped their chances of being drafted by Chargers at NFL Combine

Here are four players who improved their chances of being a Charger this fall.

The NFL Combine is generally regarded as the event that begins to solidify draft boards, as players rise and fall based on their testing and interview sessions during the week in Indianapolis.

Here are four players who improved their chances of being a Charger this fall.

Fiske was already on many people’s radars after a stellar performance at the Senior Bowl in February, but his draft stock had only jumped from Day 3 to…earlier Day 3. Not so after his performance in Indianapolis, as Fiske posted elite numbers in every testing event except the bench press. His 9.88 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was just outside the top ten for any player present at the Combine.

Fiske is now ranked as the 83rd best player in the draft by Jack Lichtenstein’s consensus big board, which aggregates ranks from 20 of the internet’s most reputable draft coverage sources. That could put him well in play for the Chargers’ third-round pick at 69th overall, especially considering that new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter prefers his interior defenders to be plus athletes.

Wilson blew up the testing portion of the festivities in Indianapolis, leading the linebackers with a 4.43 40 yard dash and testing above the 70th percentile in both the vertical and broad jump. But all of that was expected, to some extent. What was more worth celebrating for Wilson was his medicals, which reportedly came back clean after a college career wrought by shoulder injuries.

If Wilson truly is a green flag on the medical front, the only thing stopping him from being a top 40 pick is the positional value of linebackers. His film is arguably the best of any prospect’s at the position this year. Ranked at #61 on Lichtenstein’s consensus big board, Wilson could slip to 69th overall, but a clean bill of health could also just as well put him in contention at 37th overall.

A Chargers Wire favorite this cycle, Reiman vindicated the staff of this website by testing as the tenth-best tight end ever, per RAS. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at 271 pounds and posted elite agility times for the position despite a 97th percentile weight. Reiman also drew notable crowd reactions for his work in blocking drills once the tight ends hit the field.

That last section will be key for the Chargers, who will be searching for tight ends who can bang as in-line blockers under new offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman’s offense, because of its run-heavy tendencies, also utilizes tight ends in the pass game fairly often. Reiman showed in Indianapolis that he has a bit more to him than draftniks have given him credit for—he’s ranked on only two of the 20 sites used to form the consensus board.

Breaking records at the Combine is generally pretty good. It’s even more notable when the record you’re breaking is Jason Kelce’s, which is exactly what Bortolini did by throwing down a 7.16 3-cone drill in Indianapolis. The rest of his testing was similarly elite, with his shuttle, jumps, and 40-yard dash all ranking at the 95th percentile or higher.

Bortolini isn’t an exceedingly powerful player—his 21 reps on the bench were around the 25th percentile for centers—which may cloud his fit with the Chargers. But Los Angeles needs a center, and Bortolini’s added versatility at guard could prove useful as a swing lineman early in his career while new strength coach Ben Herbert adds power to his frame. Ranked 176th on the consensus board, Bortolini is a name to watch closely on Day 3.

Braelon Allen gives his all-time Wisconsin running back Mount Rushmore

What is your Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin running backs?

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen turned heads at the NFL combine last week. He towered over every other player at the position, prompting NFL fans and NFL draft pundits to ask why he didn’t play middle linebacker.

Badgers fans know Allen’s stature and running style all too well. The three-year starter finished his college career with 597 total carries, 3,494 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. Wisconsin struggled on offense for the majority of his collegiate career, though Allen always seemed to be the steady force propelling the team forward.

Related: Where Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke falls on Fanduel’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds

Naturally, media at the NFL combine were interested in Allen’s place among the program’s greats at the position. The list is extensive, which is why he was asked for his Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin running backs: the four greatest players from the large group of exceptional talents.

Here is who the now-former Wisconsin running back included: