Tag: Omar Speights

Where Jayden Daniels ranks among quarterbacks on Mel Kiper Jr.’s final draft board

Here’s where Jayden Daniels and other Tigers rank on Mel Kiper Jr.’s final draft board.

We’re just over 48 hours away from the start of the 2024 NFL draft, and that means it’s time for analysts and prognosticators to put forth their final predictions.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his final big board on Tuesday ahead of the draft, and when it came to LSU players, there weren’t a lot of changes from what we’ve seen over the past few months.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner — is still ranked second overall and among quarterbacks behind only Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, Daniels’ favorite college targets [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] rank fifth and 17th, respectively, as well as third and fourth among receivers.

The Tigers don’t have as many mid-round prospects as we’ve seen in past years. That trio comprises the only LSU players in the top 75 with [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] coming in at 78th overall followed by [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] at 92.

Those were the only players Kiper had in his top 150, though [autotag]Charles Turner III[/autotag] (No. 11 center), [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] (No. 12 defensive tackle), [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] (No. 32 inside linebacker), [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] (No. 28 outside linebacker) and [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] (No. 30 safety) all cracked the positional rankings.

It likely won’t be as many players as LSU has seen drafted overall in some recent years, but it’s a top-heavy class for the Tigers, and Thursday’s Round 1 should be an eventful one.

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2024 NFL draft: Saints coach works one-on-one with LSU linebacker

New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges spent some one-on-one time with Omar Speights at LSU’s pro day ahead of the 2024 NFL draft:

The New Orleans Saints had a heavy presence in Baton Rouge on Wednesday for the LSU pro day. Some coaches even got the chance to work one-on-one with prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. One Saints assistant who took advantage of the time was linebackers coach Mike Hodges, who put Omar Speights through his paces.

Speights did not have the best season at LSU, but it’s almost hard to hold it against him with how much everyone regressed last season for the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball. Coming into 2023, he was an All-Pac-12 linebacker at Oregon State and had some hype around him. Now, he projects as a late-round flier or undrafted free agent in hopes that he can become a solid special teamer.

Speights does have some upside to his game, showcasing his strength at the pro day with 30 reps of 225 on the bench. That would have been the sixth-most for anyone at the combine and most of any linebacker. He ran a 4.62-second time in the 40-yard dash as well. He’s seen as a Day 3 prospect in the 2024 draft class.

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7-round mock draft 1.0 as we kick off the Ravens 2024 NFL offseason

The Baltimore Ravens are retooling and we’ve unveiled are first 2024 NFL Mock draft of the offseason and after the Senior Bowl

The Ravens are looking to regroup after exiting the playoffs via a disastrous 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Baltimore is currently 20th in the NFL in cap space, with $7.3 million available, and there will be critical decisions regarding several vital contributors and two All-Pros. And they’re spending about $120+ million plus on the offensive side of the football.

Baltimore also has 29 players scheduled to hit free agency, and some tough decisions will be made regarding who returns to Baltimore.

With the Reese’s Senior Bowl complete and draft coverage set to begin, we’re looking at the Ravens Wire’s first seven-round mock draft of the offseason via PFF. 

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots land Senior Bowl standout QB to pair with elite weapon

The Patriots get arguably the best player on the board at No. 3 in this full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft

The New England Patriots are less than three months away from one of the most important decisions in the past 30 years.

A brand new head coach is in the building in Jerod Mayo, and Eliot Wolf is working through the personnel decisions. This is an opportunity for both men to stamp their names on the Patriots.

For better or worse, the team will have a different philosophy heading into the offseason. It’s a breath of fresh air for Patriots fans who grew impatient with the lack of offensive success since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020.

In this mock draft, we’re taking a look at one scenario that could shake up on draft night, netting the Patriots a generational cornerstone receiver and some developmental tackles.

Where was LB Whit Weeks in LSU’s win over Georgia State?

Whit Weeks missed Saturday’s game with an injury but should be back against Texas A&M.

I have been seeing the question pop up a lot on my timeline recently, “Where in the world is [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag]?”

The freshman from Watkinsville, Georgia, burst onto the scene this season against Mississippi State when he made eight tackles. That started a stretch of games for Weeks where he had 30 tackles in a four-game stretch (Mississippi State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Missouri). Since then, we haven’t seen much out of the talented linebacker.

It’s not like the defense couldn’t use his productivity. Weeks has been one of the most consistent players on the team. When [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] was out with an injury, Weeks stepped up in a big way. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked about where Weeks has been this month and his answer was that Weeks actually suffered an injury that required stitches.

That injury kept him out of the game against Georgia State last weekend. Kelly said Weeks will definitely be needed against Texas A&M this weekend.

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Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU puts a beatdown on Auburn

LSU welcomed the Auburn Tigers into Baton Rouge and sent them home with their tails tucked between their legs.

LSU welcomed the Auburn Tigers into Baton Rouge and sent them home with their tails tucked between their legs.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and the LSU offense racked up 563 yards of offense as LSU ran away with a 48-18 victory over Hugh Freeze and his Tigers. LSU’s defense did a great job of stopping Auburn for most of the night and we got a full game worth of [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] at linebacker.

Kyren Lacy is making his first appearance on the stock up, stock down series as he led the Tigers with four receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown tonight. The biggest drawback of the night is that LSU is still struggling with penalties.

LSU WR Chris Hilton Jr. out vs. Auburn, no other injuries reported Thursday

Chris Hilton will miss Saturday’s game as expected, but everyone else listed on Monday’s report will be available.

The Tigers got an overall encouraging injury report from coach Brian Kelly on Thursday.

Though receiver [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], who was listed as doubtful entering the week with a high ankle sprain, will indeed miss the game against Auburn on Saturday in Week 7, the team is otherwise healthy.

Kelly listed receiver [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and center [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] as probable for Saturday’s game entering the week, and he confirmed Thursday that all three will be available with no other injuries to report.

LSU will hope that it’s able to figure some things out against a struggling Auburn team that has lost two in a row as it’s now getting back closer to full health ahead of a home SEC West contest.

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Brian Kelly updates injury report ahead of LSU’s Week 7 contest against Auburn

The Tigers are getting closer to full health as they return home to face Auburn.

LSU was without some key players on Saturday, but it was ultimately able to overcome that in a 49-39 road win against Missouri. Now, as the team prepares to return home and face another SEC opponent in Auburn, it’s getting closer to full health.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] updated the injury report on Monday, and while [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] is expected to miss some more time with a high ankle sprain, receiver [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] — who both missed the Missouri game — are listed as probable.

Center [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag], who suffered an injury during the game, is also considered probable.

According to Kelly, the staff was worried about a meniscus injury for Turner, but an MRI came back negative.

Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who injured his ribs on Saturday, is expected to be a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.

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Brian Kelly updates injury report on Thursday leading up to Missouri game in Week 6

The Tigers could be without several contributors against Missouri on Saturday.

As LSU prepares for what feels like a must-win game on the road in Columbia, Missouri, to keep the team’s SEC West hopes alive, it could be without several key players when it faces the unbeaten Missouri Tigers.

Coach Brian Kelly listed three primary contributors as doubtful: receiver [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], receiver/returner [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag].

Hilton and Anderson are rotational receivers, though the latter sees expanded action on special teams in the return game. If neither are able to suit up, it could open the door for [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] to see even more targets.

Speights, an All-Pac-12 transfer from Oregon State, could be set to miss his third game of the season. After suffering a hip flexor against Grambling, he missed the wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas before returning last week.

However, he found himself back on the injury report this week, and that could mean that true freshman linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] will make his third start of the season against Mizzou.

The Tigers will look to get back in the win column against Missouri on Saturday morning in a game that kicks at 11 a.m. CT.

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What happened to LSU’s defense?

LSU’s defense should never be this bad.

LSU’s defense shouldn’t be this bad. It doesn’t make sense.

The unit reached a new low on Saturday night, allowing over 700 yards and 55 points to Ole Miss.

The Rebel offense is good, and Lane Kiffin is one of the best playcallers in the country. But it’s an offense that only scored 10 points the week prior. Not unstoppable by any means.

So, how did LSU, a defense filled with four and five-star recruits, allow 700 yards?

This is a unit that finished last year ranked as the 26th-best defense in the nation, according to ESPN’s SP+ metric.

Plenty of the guys that made that happen returned.[autotag] Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] was an All-American, and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] was talked about with the best defenders in America.

Talented transfers were added too, from linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] to cornerback [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag].

Sure, there were losses. LSU lost both starting defensive ends and its top corners. But the returning talent was supposed to overshadow the losses.

Through five games, LSU’s 115th in scoring defense and 116th in yards/play. The Tigers rank outside the top 115 in late down and red zone defense too. It’s hard to imagine it getting any worse.

Defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was being considered for head coaching jobs last year. Now LSU fans are calling for his job.

While the offense has taken off, the defense has regressed.

It doesn’t get any easier this week. LSU’s set to face Missouri and the SEC’s leading receiver, Luther Burden. Missouri ranks 20th in yards per play and fourth in yards per pass.

If LSU doesn’t figure things out this week, what happened in Oxford could happen in Missouri.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] reaffirmed his trust in House and offered a reminder that nobody else is walking through that door. LSU has to work with what they have now.

You would think that should be enough. Again, this is the same talent that led LSU to a top-30 defense last year.

Maybe this defense hears all the noise and decides to come out and play the best game of its life. Who knows at this point?

Kelly and House know what the expectation is. Kelly said it himself on Monday.

LSU reaching a NY6 at this point isn’t out of the question even if its playoff hopes are all but dead.

If the defense figures it out, LSU can reenter the national discussion, but it needs to be figured out soon or Kelly’s going to feel the pressure to make a change at DC.

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