Tag: pass rusher

Dolphins select Chop Robinson at pick No. 21 in NFL draft

The Dolphins picked pass rusher Chop Robinson 21st overall in the first round of the NFL draft.

The Miami Dolphins selected Penn State edge defender Demeioun “Chop” Robinson with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday night.

Robinson (6-3, 254 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.54 seconds at the NFL combine earlier this offseason. He started his college career at Maryland in 2021, totaling two sacks as a freshman.

Robinson then transferred to PSU ahead of the 2022 season. He recorded 10 tackles behind the line and 5.5 sacks in his first year with the Nittany Lions.

Last fall, Robinson totaled 7.5 tackles behind the line, four sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery in 12 games.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Robinson to Micah Parsons, a three-time Pro Bowler who was a first-round pick in 2021.

Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire has Robinson ranked as the fifth-best pass rusher in this year’s class behind Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse and Marshawn Kneeland.

Robinson enters the NFL as a 21-year-old rookie.

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Rams select Jared Verse with pick No. 19 in NFL draft

The Rams picked FSU pass rusher Jared Verse in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Los Angeles Rams picked FSU pass rusher Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday evening.

Verse (6-4, 254 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times at the NFL combine earlier this offseason. He spent the first three years of his college career at Albany before transferring to FSU ahead of the 2022 season.

Over the last two years, Verse totaled 29.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 18 sacks with the Seminoles.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Verse to LaMarr Woodley, who was a second-round pick out of Michigan in the 2007 NFL draft.

Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon had Verse ranked as the third-best pass rusher in this year’s class (No. 17 overall), below Alabama’s Dallas Turner (No. 12) and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu (No. 13).

Following five years at the college level, Verse enters the NFL as a 23-year-old rookie set to turn 24 in November.

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Vikings select Dallas Turner at pick No. 17 in NFL draft

The Vikings added pass rusher Dallas Turner in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday evening.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday evening.

Turner (6-3, 247 pounds) was widely considered the best pass rushers in this year’s class. He ran a 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.54 seconds at the NFL combine earlier this offseason.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Turner to Brian Burns, who was a first-round pick out of FSU in the 2019 NFL draft.

Turner made an immediate impact in his first season with the Crimson Tide, totaling 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 8.5 sacks in 2021, earning recognition on the Freshman All-SEC squad.

Turner played in 38 games at Alabama over the last three seasons, recording 120 tackles (32.5 behind the line), 22.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.

After being named a first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, Turner now enters the NFL as a 21-year-old rookie.

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Colts select edge rusher Laiatu Latu with pick No. 15 in NFL draft

The Colts added pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts picked UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday night.

Latu (6-5, 259 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.62 seconds at the NFL combine. He started his career at Washington, playing in 12 games as a freshman in 2019.

After suffering a neck injury, Latu did not play in 2020 or 2021. He transferred to UCLA in 2022 and was cleared to play again and quickly made a big impact for the Bruins.

Latu earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition after recording 10.5 sacks in 2022, then he was named the Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 after recording 13 sacks last fall.

In addition to the DPOY award, Latu also won the Ted Hendricks Award (given to college football’s top defensive end) and he was named a first-team All-American. After five years in college, Latu now enters the NFL as a 23-year-old rookie set to turn 24 in December.

If his injury woes are behind him, Latu could be one of the top pass rushers to emerge from this year’s NFL draft.

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Broncos are ‘always looking’ for cornerbacks and pass rushers

“You’re always looking at those type of positions. They’re hard to find. If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”

There’s been much speculation that the Denver Broncos could trade up for a quarterback during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

If trading up proves to be too costly, Denver could attempt to trade down and acquire more picks. It takes two parties for a trade, though, and there’s no guarantee the Broncos will be able to generate interest in pick No. 12.

If the team ends up staying put, there will be talented options on the board at pick No. 12, including a few notable pass rushers and cornerbacks.

“You’re always looking for corners and edge, value-type positions,” general manager George Paton said during his pre-draft press conference last week. “We like our corner group. We have one of the best corners in the league. We like our nickel in ‘J-Mac’ [Ja’Quan McMillian]. We have two young outside guys, Riley [Moss] and Damarri [Mathis] and Tremon [Smith]. We have a good, young group. They’re younger, so we like the group, [but] you’re always looking to add at those type of positions.

“The outside ’backer group, we have three that are really talented: [Nik] Bonitto, [Baron] Browning and [Jonathon] Cooper. We have a young Drew Sanders, if he stays outside. So we like the group, but you’re always looking at those type of positions. They’re hard to find. If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”

Paton was careful to note that the team “likes” their current corners and pass rushers, but he admitted the team won’t pass on a top CB or OLB if one of the elite prospects in this year’s draft falls to them at the right spot.

The top cornerbacks in this year’s class are Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold. The top pass rushers are Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu and Jared Verse. The first round of the NFL draft will begin tonight in Detroit.

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Broncos host OLB Laiatu Latu on pre-draft visit

The Broncos recently brought in Laiatu Latu for a pre-draft visit. Here is considered one of the top pass rushers in this year’s class.

The Denver Broncos recently hosted UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu on a pre-draft visit, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Latu (6-5, 259 pounds) was a defensive end with the Bruins last fall, but he would likely transition to outside linebacker if drafted by a team that runs a base 3-4 defense like the Broncos.

Latu started his college career at Washington, totaling 15 tackles and a half sack as a freshman in 2019. Latu then suffered a career-threatening neck injury and sat out the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He later transferred to UCLA and was cleared to play ahead of the 2022 season.

In two years with the Bruins, Latu recorded 85 tackles (34 behind the line of scrimmage), 23.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, three pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 25 games.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Latu to T.J. Watt, who was a first-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2017. Latu is also projected as a first-round prospect this year and he might be in play for the Broncos at pick No. 12.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Broncos select pass rusher Laiatu Latu in 2024 NFL mock draft

Draft Wire’s recent three-round NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 12.

With the NFL draft season entering the home stretch, ridiculous takes are flying in to pass the time. Luckily, some draft boards are continuing to remain consistent.

In his recent NFL mock draft, Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire has the Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu. 

“Latu instantly becomes the best pass rusher on the roster with his craftiness and technical savvy, plus his pretty impressive athletic prowess,” Risdon wrote on Draft Wire. 

While Denver’s pass rush does need help, it’s worth noting that this is one of the most talented quarterback draft classes in recent memory. Some quarterbacks who Risdon has teams selecting before Denver’s 12th pick: Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears at No. 1, Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders at No. 2 and J.J. McCarthy to the New England Patriots at No. 3. 

Notable quarterbacks selected after Risdon’s belief that the Broncos will select Latu are Bo Nix to the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 44) and Michael Penix Jr. (No. 47) to the New York Giants in the second round.

Fans in Denver want a QB, but Latu is still a solid pick. At 6-5, 265 pounds, his size enabled him to lead the nation in tackles for loss average (1.8 per game) while also nabbing 13 sacks for the 2023 season. Adding another talented defensive playmaker would only elevate the Broncos’ defense.

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Ex-Broncos pass rusher Randy Gregory signs with Buccaneers

Former Broncos free agent bust Randy Gregory has landed with the Bucs.

Former Denver Bronco Randy Gregory has joined his third team in three years after signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The one-year contract has a base salary of $3 million.

Gregory played for the Broncos at the beginning of 2023 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2024 sixth-round pick in the middle of the season. Gregory ended up being a better fit for the 49ers’ defense, helping them to the Super Bowl, where they eventually lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gregory was thought to have been a marquee free agent signee when he came over from the Dallas Cowboys under the leadership of Denver general manager George Paton. Gregory initially signed a five-year, $70 million contract, with the hopes of becoming a defensive cornerstone. Instead, Gregory never found his footing as a member of the Broncos.

Gregory finished his time in Denver with only 21 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles after only starting six games in 1.5 seasons.

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2 Broncos among highest performance-based pay earners

Broncos G Quinn Meinerz ($747,505) and OLB Jonathon Cooper ($940,000) received some of the largest performance-based pay bonuses in the NFL.

Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper were among the top 25 earners in 2023 as part of the NFL’s performance-based pay program.

“The Performance-Based Pay program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based upon their playing time and salary levels,” according to the NFL. Put simply, the program rewards players on low salaries who play significant snaps.

Meinerz and Cooper are still on team-friendly rookie contracts and they both started all 17 games last season. Meinerz received $747,505 in performance-based pay, a nice increase from his $1,095,078 salary last season.

Cooper received $738,916 in performance-based pay, which is not far away from his $940,000 base salary in 2023. The two players were rewarded for essentially outperforming their contracts.

Meinerz and Cooper weren’t the only Broncos players who received performance-based pay for the 2023 season.

The following players also got a boost to their salaries, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis: cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian ($625,000), cornerback Fabian Moreau ($526,000), defensive lineman Jonathan Harris ($485,000), safety Delarrin Turner-Yell ($387,000), cornerback Damarri Mathis ($376,000), tight end Adam Trautman ($368,000), center Lloyd Cushenberry ($357,000), linebacker Drew Sanders ($356), safety P.J. Locke Locke ($343,000), wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey ($342,000) and fullback Mike Burton ($339,000) also received performance-based bonuses.

View the full list of Denver’s bonuses on 9News.

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Broncos select OLB Jared Verse in 2024 NFL mock draft

ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Broncos selecting FSU pass rusher Jared Verse in his latest 2024 NFL mock draft.

In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Denver Broncos selecting FSU pass rusher Jared Verse. Reid believes that if the top four quarterbacks are off the board, Verse would be the ideal pick. 

“The Broncos have holes throughout the roster, and if the top four quarterbacks are already off the board, the next-best option has to be adding an edge rusher,” Reid wrote on ESPN.com.

J.J. McCarthy (No. 11), Jayden Daniels (No. 3), Drake May (No. 2), and Caleb Williams (No. 1) were picked before Denver went on the clock with pick No. 12. If the Broncos draft Verse, he would join an already talented defense.

Verse spent three years at Albany before transferring to Florida State, recording 38.5 tackles for loss and 31.5 sacks, 18 of which came in his last two years at FSU. Verse has all the intangibles to be a first-round draft pick in April.

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