Tag: NFL Rookies

Buccaneers might have another rookie pass rushing gem in Chris Braswell

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have another Day 2 rookie pass rushing gem in Chris Braswell a year after Yaya Diaby led them in sacks

A year ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers media was very excited about a rookie pass rusher. That player, third-rounder Yaya Diaby, went on to lead the Bucs in sacks as a rookie and establish himself as an impressive draft value.

This year, it’s another Day 2 pass rusher who is gaining a lot of praise in the early offseason. Second-round EDGE Chris Braswell has been one of the standouts in OTAs and the recent minicamp. Even Diaby has taken notice of his new running mate.

Braswell flew under the radar for an Alabama defender after playing in the shadows of 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson and 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner on the Crimson Tide defense. While it’s still very early, the speedy Braswell is looking like he’s ready for the bigger spotlight.

Why Ricky Pearsall’s strong OTA showing matters

Ricky Pearsall stood out in OTAs for all the right reasons. Here’s why that matters:

Typically a strong performance in OTAs isn’t particularly notable. There are no pads on, not every player is participating, and the general environment has significantly less urgency than training camp or the regular season. However, there’s at least some significance to rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall standing out in those early sessions.

Pearsall’s performance in the voluntary and mandatory portions of the offseason program was noted by several reporters on site at the 49ers practice facility. Matt Barrows of the Athletic wrote an entire piece about how the first-round pick has made a mark in those sessions.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan also spoke highly of Pearsall’s early work with the club and quarterback Brock Purdy.

“It’s been fun to watch both of them,” Shanahan said in a June 4 press conference. “I know Brock doesn’t always get to watch how the route gets there, but he knows when guys end up in the right spot and they catch it. That’s where quarterbacks get comfortable and I think he can fill that with Ricky right away. I mean, he’s been getting to the right spot and when he has made mistakes, he understands it and corrects it. I think that’s why those guys are gonna have a lot of fun working together.”

This is at least a minor deal because it puts Pearsall on a good trajectory heading into camp.

It wouldn’t have been a bad thing if Pearsall hadn’t stood out in any meaningful way. It would have been a bad thing if he stood out for being actively bad. But if he’d just been another WR there’d still be chances for him to make his mark in training camp and beyond.

That he stood out for his strong outings with expanded reps because of absences from other receivers is a great sign for the 49ers. Pearsall performing well in his first ever OTAs gives optimism that he’ll be able to hit the ground running once camp starts, pads come on, hitting begins and the competitions get more real.

The 49ers need their first-round pick to be a high-quality player and so far he’s checked every box and then some.

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Texans top pick Kamari Lassiter is thriving in minicamp

Lassiter fell out of the first round after a rough pro day, but he’s shown plenty of talent and athleticism in Houston thus far

The Houston Texans waited until the second round to make their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The early returns on that draftee, Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter, have shown that he might prove to be very much worth the wait.

Lassiter has had a very impressive start to his Houston career. He’s been the talk of Texans minicamp for his pass breakups and confidence in coverage.

Texans head coach Demeco Ryans recently hyped up Lassiter for his strong play this spring.

“What I have seen from Kamari is a guy that has been locked in since day one that he has gotten here he has been locked in,” Ryans said. “He has done everything we have asked him to do. Kamari is a guy that doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He is very competitive, he is making plays, he is an instinctive player, and I think a lot of guys have been fired up to see what he has been able to do over the past couple of weeks.”

Lassiter showed off the instincts and quick reactions in breaking up this C.J. Stroud pass to new Texans wideout Stefon Diggs,

Lassiter was a player who got a lot of first-round projections until a subpar pro day workout dropped his stock a little. At least in the early-going, Lassiter is showing that having just average speed and athleticism isn’t going to stop him from making a dent in Houston.

Position change could give 49ers rookie CB Renardo Green chance to start in Year 1

Versatility could be the key for #49ers rookie CB Renardo Green earning a starting job right away.

One of the few question marks on the 49ers depth chart sits at the cornerback position where the third spot alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir remains wide open. Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen on Wednesday had some strong praise for rookie Renardo Green, who is trying out a new position with San Francisco.

The 49ers selected Green in the second round – the earliest they’ve picked a CB in the Kyle Shanahan era and it sounds like he may have a chance to earn a starting job in Year 1 thanks to his willingness to compete in the slot and outside.

“I’ve been really happy with Renardo,” Sorensen told reporters in his post-practice press conference. “The cool thing is he’s been doing both nickel and corner and it’s not a lot of time right? It’s a certain amount of practices and hasn’t fully been a nickel. So, he’s really embraced the challenge of it. That’s the best part. Like it’s never perfect because now all of a sudden we’re teaching you all these different coverages, but there’s also run fits too and then that changes. And guess what? You can’t like fully trigger and feel the physicality of the line because there’s rules and those guys aren’t playing the same. But just with him, it’s just the mentality and the competitiveness that I love. We knew the movement skill was there and you see it in man-to-man stuff and he gets those too. But just like he’s embraced any challenge that’s anything that’s hard I think he’s embraced and he’s kind of attacked it and willingly been like, ‘no man, I want more of that.’ And that’s really been awesome.”

There’s some flexibility at that third starting spot because of Lenoir’s versatility. He can play both in the slot and outside, so the 49ers don’t have to be picky about exactly what position the third CB will play.

Green primarily played outside in college, but the 49ers are getting him work at both spots during his transition to the NFL. How he handles that transition once pads come on will determine where he competes as a rookie and if he can earn a starting job out of training camp.

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Texans C.J. Stroud wins AP 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Texans C.J. Stroud wins AP 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

In what was ultimately little surprise in NFL circles the number two overall pick in the 2023 draft C.J. Stroud took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award during last nights awards ceremony.

Stroud won the award in an apparent blowout as he received 48 of 50 first-place votes with Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua getting the other two. Stroud had a historic season with the Texans as he compiled one of the best rookie quarterback performances in NFL history with 4,108 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. Stroud helped take what was an awful team the year prior and turn them into legitimate playoff contenders.

We will see if Stroud can build upon this historic season as the only Texan to ever win the award and continue to make the Houston Texans a force within an already stacked AFC conference.

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C.J. Stroud says fellow rookie QB Bryce Young dealt with issues ‘out of his control’

Texans QB C.J. Stroud says fellow rookie QB Bryce Young dealt with issues ‘out of his control’ in Carolina

The top two picks from the 2023 draft in C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are two quarterbacks who have been and will continue to be attached at the hip for the entirety of their careers. They are familiar with each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and apparently what they dealt with during the season.

Stroud who experienced a breakout rookie performance as he marched his way to one of the greatest first year quarterback seasons of all time, didn’t hesitate for a moment to provide empathy towards his fellow rookie.

“In his shoes, I feel a lot of stuff didn’t go his way that was out of his control,” Stroud said on ‘The Pivot’ podcast. “You know, like, you can’t make a play if someone didn’t make a block. You can’t make a play if someone (doesn’t) catch the ball.

“When you watch the tape, Bryce did a lot of great things, you know what I’m saying? He’s gonna be a great player, but it takes time.”

Later, going on to expand on his comments, Stroud laid out a ton of confidence in his rookie running mate. It goes to show that these players are aware of the narrative surrounding each other, and see the faults within other teams. Time will tell if Bryce Young will succeed to the level of what Stroud put forward, but it will be fun to see how these two quarterback’s careers progress moving forward.

Puka Nacua put exclamation point on season with monster game in postseason loss

Rookie Puka Nacua put exclamation point on season with monster game in the Rams’ postseason loss

Although the Los Angeles Rams season didn’t ultimately play out the way they had hoped given their wild card exit this last weekend, they can’t help but at least view their rookie class and future of their offense as a smashing success.

Fifth-round rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua once again proved to be an invaluable piece to this offense in his first playoff game in the league putting together an incredible stat line versus the Detroit Lions. With nine catches, for 181 yards, and capping it off with a touchdown Nacua expanded on what was one of the most dominant rookie seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history.

With an incredible 105 catches for 1,486 yards during the regular season Nacua secured his place as one of the pieces of the top receiving duos in the league opposite Cooper Kupp. The consistent performances and his dominance in the playoffs prove Nacua is here to stay and that the Los Angeles Rams absolutely nailed yet another late round pick for this ever explosive offense.

C.J. Stroud makes NFL history in playoff win over Browns

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud makes history in the Texans’ playoff win over the Browns

It is fair to say at this point that the Houston Texans nailed their 2023 draft picks. With yet another stellar performance, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud gave Houston its first playoff win since the 2019 season.

There was little surprise to see Stroud perform the way he did given his track record on the season as one of the top quarterbacks across the league, not just among rookies. Against an elite Cleveland defense, Stroud threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for three touchdowns in the first half of a playoff game, an incredible stat in a huge win.

The story of C.J. Stroud gets bigger and bigger with each win, especially as we crawl deeper into the playoffs. At this point, Stroud has already shoved himself into the conversation for the greatest rookie season by a quarterback ever, and the sky truly is the limit for the young signal-caller. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans have flipped this franchise around and look ready to compete in the playoffs for years to come.

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C.J. Stroud to return from injury to try and save the Texans season

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud to return from injury to try and save the Houston Texans season

It was heartbreak across the league when Houston Texans rookie quarterback phenom C.J. Stroud went down in Week 14 with a concussion and this whole Texans offense has not been the same since, truly highlighting his importance to this offense and as a team as a whole.

With the race for the AFC South sitting at a three way tie with each of those teams having a record of 8-7 Stroud is in perfect striking position to return this Houston team to form and shock the world by potentially winning the division. What’s even more surprising is Stroud still firmly has a choke hold on the offensive rookie of the year trophy despite missing multiple games. If Stroud handles business and guides his team to the playoffs he will be a lock to win that award despite the odds against him and the missed games.

It’s clear Houston landed multiple superstars in the 2023 NFL Draft, the biggest of which being at the most important position in football. Stroud has already shown he has all the potential in the world to a a franchise savior, and to lead the Texans to the playoffs despite everything will cement him as having one of the best rookie seasons of all time.

Ranking the Week 16 rookie quarterback performances

Ranking the Week 16 rookie quarterback performances

Another week down, another week to evaluate the performances of the multiple rookie starting quarterbacks in the league. We once again saw a mixed bag from all the rookies.

Let’s take a look at each rookie and rank their Week 16 performances from best to worst: