Tag: Owen Pappoe

Tank to Dallas? Cowboys take Bigbsy in latest mock draft

Auburn’s former premier back could find a home in Texas according to the latest mock draft from NFL.com.

As talk surrounding the NFL draft heats up, there is one mock draft that is linking a former Tiger to the Lone Star state.

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter recently dropped a four-round mock draft ahead of this month’s event and has listed running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] as the Dallas Cowboy‘s selection with the 129th overall pick.

The Cowboys are looking to replace Ezekiel Elliott at running back this season, and could possibly see Bigsby as an option to pick up production. Before the draft, the Cowboys currently have Tony Pollard and Malik Davis as the top running backs on the depth chart according to ESPN, with Ronald Jones and Rico Dowdle also on the roster.

Bigsby produced a production score of 71 and an athleticism score of 67 during the NFL combine in March. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash and did 21 reps on the bench press.

This year’s NFL draft will take place in Kansas City, Missouri from April 27-29. Along with Bigsby, [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], and [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] are other former Tigers to keep an eye on during the draft.

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Lions 2023 draft: A linebacker for (almost) every round

Here is one linebacker prospect that fits the Lions from (almost) every round of the draft

Off-ball linebacker is an area where the Detroit Lions tend to feel better about their team than fans or national pundits do. It’s a position group the Brad Holmes regime has not emphasized in the draft or prominently in free agency in his two-plus years on the job.

Detroit runs a base 4-2-5 defense and sticks with two LBs on the field the vast majority of the time. The Lions ran more offensive plays with a sixth offensive lineman on the field than they did defensive snaps with more than two off-ball LBs in both 2021 and 2022.

The Lions brought back top tackler Alex Anzalone on a 3-year free agent contract that indicates the team’s level of trust and respect in No. 34. Last year’s rookie, Malcolm Rodriguez, outplayed his sixth-round draft status as the other primary off-ball LB. He shared that role with 2021 fourth-rounder Derrick Barnes. The Lions brought back Jalen Reeves-Maybin after a year in Houston and vet Anthony Pittman, though both are in Detroit more for special teams than defense.

Lions 2023 draft: A defensive tackle for every round

Here is one linebacker prospect that fits the Lions from (almost) every round of the draft. Detroit doesn’t currently have any picks in the fourth or seventh rounds, but players from those ranges are included because trades happen all the time during the draft weekend.

Seahawks double up on DL in Round 1 of this 2023 NFL mock draft

In the case of the Seahawks, they’re clearly 100% focused on improving their defensive front-seven – especially their defensive line.

Free agency is over, so now we have a clearer idea of what each team’s needs are heading into the 2023 NFL draft. In the case of the Seahawks, they’re clearly 100% focused on improving their defensive front-seven – especially their defensive line. In a new three-round mock draft from Curt Popejoy at Draft Wire, the Seahawks double up on a pair of highly-ranked DL prospects in the first round.

Here’s who Seattle selected in the three-round mock.

Vikings land talented class in Jordan Reid’s seven-round mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings land a star wide receiver and QB of the future in Jordan Reid’s seven-round mock draft for ESPN.

The Minnesota Vikings could go a myriad of directions in the NFL draft. There are talks about moving up for a quarterback or moving down to collect more draft capital.

In his seven round mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had the Vikings staying put and taking USC WR Jordan Addison at 23rd overall.

With only five total picks, I would be surprised if the Vikings actually remained here and made a selection. They are a prime trade-back candidate. Still, after the release of Adam Thielen, there’s a gaping hole at the WR2 spot opposite Justin Jefferson. Addison would give the offense another versatile player who can line up inside and outside. A detailed route runner, Addison has physical traits that are similar to those of Calvin Ridley, who was a first-round pick in 2018. Addison’s success in multiple offensive schemes (Pitt and USC) will help his NFL value. Addison could thrive off the attention given to Jefferson by defensive coordinators.

The idea of getting Addison is a great one for the Vikings. He is a dynamic receiver that can get open with both technique and quickness. His size will be a concern

The Vikings also get a developmental quarterback in UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fourth round and Reid called it his favorite fit in round one.

Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and it’s clear the Vikings want to keep their quarterback options open. Thompson-Robinson would provide them with a cheap backup who could be groomed as an eventual successor for Cousins. Thompson-Robinson is viewed as a notch below the top five quarterbacks in this class, but his stock has risen after an impressive pre-draft process.

Here is the full outcome of picks that Reid had the Vikings taking.

  • 23. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
  • 87. Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn
  • 119. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
  • 158. Jalen Redmond, IDL, Oklahoma
  • 211. Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville

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Best photos from Auburn’s Pro Day

The Tigers held their annual pro day and it was well attended.

Auburn held its 2023 Pro Day Tuesday and it was a star-studded event.

Not only were [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag], [autotag]Eku Leota[/autotag], [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag], [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Bragg[/autotag], [autotag]Killian Zierer[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Council[/autotag], [autotag]Marquis Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Caylin Newton[/autotag], [autotag]Morris Joseph[/autotag] in attendance but so was [autotag]Cam Newton[/autotag].

The former Heisman winner and national champion was a late addition and threw for his brother. Cam Newton hasn’t been on an NFL team since 2021 after a brief stint with the New England Patriots.

The event gave Auburn’s draft hopefuls a chance to show what they can do in front of NFL scouts and potentially move up draft boards. Here are the top photos from Auburn’s pro day.

8 players from the Combine who stood out as potential Detroit Lions targets

These eight players stood out in Combine workouts and interviews as players who figure to interest the Lions

It was quite a week in Indianapolis at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Over 200 players auditioned for their upcoming football fates in front of hundreds of media and all 32 NFL teams.

We also got to speak with most NFL coaches and GMs, including Detroit’s Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. But here, the focus is on the players.

From their athletic testing to their interviews, as well as how they played their respective positions in college, these players stood out amongst the Combine participants as players I strongly believe the Lions will rate highly coming out of Indianapolis.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a great quote about evaluating players at the NFL Scouting Combine

Not all of these players are first-rounders. Many are in the Day 2/early Day 3 range of talents. The purpose here isn’t to advocate for any of them, but to shed more light on players who possess the qualities that this Lions regime has said they look for in players, both in words and in their prior two draft histories.

Underwear Olympics: Stock up/down on linebackers after testing

This year’s class has plenty of athleticism in it.

NFL Scouting Combine week is one of the best weeks in the NFL offseason as we get to get more information on the prospects in this year’s class. The linebackers got their turn and there were some really impressive athletic performances this year. The Cleveland Browns have an interesting decision to make with the linebacker position and could be looking for a new starting mike linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft.

It is a good year to look for athletic attacking linebackers that would be good fits in the Browns’ defensive scheme. With the possibility of bringing back a great veteran leader like Anthony Walker to help coach up a young player, it could make a lot of sense for the team to make a move in the draft.

Owen Pappoe’s 2023 NFL combine results

“The Freak” lived up to his nickname Thursday night.

The NFL combine is officially underway and six former Tigers are in Indianapolis to attend the event.

One of the former Tigers is linebacker [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag]. He was one of the first of Auburn’s prospects to compete and as expected he left quite an impression.

Nicknamed “The Freak” he showed why by posting the fastest 40-yard dash time and doing well in several other categories. While performing well in these events is not a perfect correlation to on-field success, his performance certainly caught the attention of people and surely helped his draft stock.

Here is a look at the official numbers from his combine performance.

3 linebackers who improved their stock at day 1 of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The Commanders could use another athletic linebacker. Here are three who had a big opening day at the combine.

The Washington Commanders often play with just two linebackers. Head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio often like to employ the “Buffalo nickel,” which is essentially a hybrid safety on the field.

Heading into 2023, the Commanders need help at linebacker. 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis has one spot locked up after an encouraging 2022 season. At the other spot, Cole Holcomb is a free agent.

And while Holcomb could return, it would be wise for Washington to be looking to add another young linebacker to the mix who could contribute as a rookie and perhaps start somewhere down the line.

 

Vikings draft prospects: 8 players that impressed at the combine on Thursday

The first day of the NFL Scouting Combine is in the books and some players did a lot for their draft stock

The NFL Scouting Combine kicked off with a bang on Thursday afternoon by starting with the defensive lineman and linebackers. There was a lot of intrigue with this group, especially at the top.

Alabama EDGE Will Anderson was the only one of the top pass rushers to participate in drills, but there were other first-round talents that ended up showing out in a big way.

Here are the eight players that impressed in the first day of the combine.