Tag: Paulson Adebo

2021 NFL draft: Chargers Day 2 predictions

What might the Los Angeles Chargers do on Day 2? Let’s take a crack at predicting the picks.

The Chargers hit a home run in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, selecting offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. Now with Day 1 in the rearview, the attention has shifted to Rounds 2 and 3.

What might Los Angeles do with their Day 2 picks? Using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, I took a crack at how general manager Tom Telesco could continue his haul.

Round 2, No. 47, S Jevon Holland, Oregon

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, the Chargers need a starting cornerback, but the safety position needs just as much attention considering Derwin James has only played five games in the past two seasons, Nasir Adderley is coming off of a sophomore slump and Alohi Gilman isn’t a scheme fit.

As Staley said: “I don’t think you can have enough DBs just in the current NFL.”

Lining up in the box, the slot and from a two-high safety spot, Holland served as a key piece in the pass and run defense.

Holland’s speed, instincts and strength should bode well in coverages against opposing receivers. Also, he is high effort player who is not afraid to stick his nose in to make a tackle. In addition, he can serve as a punt returner and contributor on coverage units.

Ball skills, you ask? Holland produced 19 passes defensed and nine interceptions for the Ducks in two seasons.

Holland would be an instant contributor for the Bolts where he offers the positional versatility with his ability to play safety or nickel corner at a high level, something that would give the team a lot to work with in the back end of the defense.

Round 3, No. 77, CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford

The Chargers still manage to find a corner who’s capable of starting from Day 1 in the third-round.

Adebo had a phenomenal sophomore year with the Cardinals. He seemed destined to be a first-round pick, but his junior tape was inconsistent, so Adebo wanted to solidify his name as a top corner and returned to school for 2020. However, COVID-19 put things to a halt, forcing him to opt out.

Built with a long and rangy physique, Adebo shows the looseness and fluidity, rarely allows any separation on vertical routes. He shows receiver-like ball tracking abilities when the ball is in flight. He can control the rep and dictate where the receiver goes in press and is always aware in zone.

Like Holland, Adebo is always around the ball. In two seasons, he posted 34 passes defensed and eight interceptions.

Adebo is also very good in run support, diagnosing things develop in the snap of a finger and shooting downhill to make stops in the open field or near the line of scrimmage with textbook technique.

Overall, Adebo’s fluidity, reactive athleticism and his playmaking abilities against the pass and run make him a plug-and-play cornerback for Staley. His effort and play speed would allow him to serve as a gunner on the punt team unit, as well.

Round 3, No. 97, TE Hunter Long, Boston College

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Chargers drafted a tight end with one of their first two selections on Day 2 considering Jared Cook is only a one-year deal, but here we are after taking two impactful players on the defensive side of the ball.

Productive throughout three seasons, Long finished his stint with the Eagles with 89 catches for 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns.

At 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds, Long is a smart, willing blocker who shows athleticism in his routes, has very good speed, and a big catch radius, projecting as a capable tight end in this league with good receiving potential who can fill an inline and slot role.

Prospect for the Pack: Stanford CB Paulson Adebo

Draft profile for Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo, a potential pick for the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers will enter the 2021 NFL draft hoping to find a few more valuable pieces to add to an otherwise talented roster after winning 26 regular-season games and making the NFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons under coach Matt LaFleur.

Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect capable of landing in Green Bay later this month.

Up next is Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo:

What he can do

– Production jumps off the page. Intercepted eight passes and broke up 26 others in just 22 games over two seasons

– The way he fights for the ball in the air must drive receivers crazy. So competitive at the catch point. Pass-catchers better have strong hands when he’s near

– Tested like an elite athlete. Ran 4.4 with explosive jumps and quick agility times. RAS of 9.74

– Length is a plus. Stands 6-1 with a wingspan of nearly 77 inches. Also hit 36.5″ in the vertical

– Finished an insane one-handed interception in the end zone vs. Cal. Makes quarterbacks pay for mistakes with really good hands. Huge hands (10″)

– Elite three-cone time of 6.69 seconds suggests terrific good feet and short-area quickness

– Aggressive, playmaking mentality. Really trusts himself and what he’s seeing. Can be tricked but play style creates big plays

– Length and quickness could make him a really good press corner at the next level. Instincts and read-and-react ability could make him a really good zone corner, too

– NFL coaches will want better tackling and less gambling. Somewhat of a boom or bust player against run and pass

– Opted out of 2020 season. Still only 21 years old

How he fits

Size, athleticism and ball skills. Adebo won’t be for every style of NFL defense, but every defensive coordinator will want his combination of attributes and potential. It’s easy to envision Adebo as the eventual Kevin King replacement as the perimeter cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander. He appears capable – with the right development, of course – of operating as a press and zone corner. The Packers often fall in love with players like Adebo. He’s young, super athletic and plays a premium position.

NFL comp

His absolute ceiling might be Stephon Gilmore. It’s just hard to find corners with his combination of length, foot quickness and ability to make plays on the football. Worst case scenario is he’s too similar to Josh Jackson and the ball skills struggle to translate to the next level. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Adebo to Sean Murphy-Bunting of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Where Packers could get him

His range appears to be nearly impossible to predict. Some believe he could be a late first-round pick. Others aren’t sure if he’s even in the top 100. The Packers might fall in love with his potential in the scheme and pick him at 29. They might also get a chance to take him on Day 2. A boom or bust player has a huge range of outcomes available during the draft.

[lawrence-related id=57576]

Chargers trade back, stockpile both sides of ball in latest four-round mock draft

Chargers WIre’s Gavino Borquez releases his latest four-round mock for Los Angeles.

The Chargers have the No. 13 overall selection in this year’s draft, but there’s the possibility of the thought of moving back and acquiring more picks via trade with a quarterback-needy team could intrigue.

In this case, the Bears, who could be looking to take their quarterback of the future, choose to move up seven spots to get their guy. In return, Los Angeles gets their first, third and fifth-round picks.

Let’s take a look at how the Bolts’ draft shakes up after trading back in my latest four-round projection.

Lions mock draft watch: CBS makes questionable moves in 7-round mock

CBS has released their latest 7-round mock draft, but left many holes and questions surrounding the Detroit Lions selections.

Mock drafts are a fun way to get accustomed to players that may have flown under the radar or look at possible scenarios that you may not have thought of, and this one is no different.

CBS’ Josh Edwards constructed his 7-round mock draft on how he visions how the draft could go and the haul and direction the Lions could go heading into the draft.

1st round (9, trade with Denver)- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

2nd round (41)- Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

3rd round (72)- Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

3rd round (101)- Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State

4th round (112)- Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse

5th round (154)- Daelin Hayes, Edge, Notre Dame

To kick off the draft, the Denver Broncos get aggressive and trade with the Lions to select Justin Fields, but the major problem with this trade is the compensation. As you can see, the mock draft kept with all the Lions’ original picks without any from Denver coming back in the trade this year. It could be future picks, but it’s highly doubtful the Lions don’t receive some compensation from this year.

Either way, Edwards makes a curious move by doubling down on receiver with consecutive picks for the Lions, going with Waddle and Moore, who stylistically are similar players. Selecting these two receivers instantly turns the receiving corps from a weakness to a strength overnight.

If it was one of the picks from Denver, it could be realistic, considering these two receivers are playmakers the Lions desperately need. Not knowing how the compensation went and the limited number of picks in the trade, this is a luxury the Lions can’t afford, especially when Jabril Cox, Landon Dickerson, and Richie Grant still on the board who can instantly upgrade positions of need.

Next, Edwards turns all his focus to the secondary by selecting two cornerbacks and safety, which is also a curious move.

Safety is a big concern for the Lions, and you could do worse than Nasirildeen. He comes with questions concerning his position fit as a safety/linebacker tweener, but he brings athleticism and physicality to bring the hammer down on the ball carrier.

Cornerback is a sneaky need, but like mentioned before, with the limited amount of picks, selecting two cornerbacks feels like overkill considering the amount of quality free agents the Lions could go after. Adebo relies more on his instincts, whereas Melifonwu is a reactive player, but both player’s skill-sets and traits translate best to a press-man/Cover 3 scheme. Like with the Waddle/Moore selection, it feels like they are selecting very similar players.

Hayes is one of those types of players who might be a better pro than a college player with his agility and explosiveness to win off the edges with superb burst. His pass-rushing moves need refinement and has had shoulder issues dating back to high school, but he has the intangibles you can’t teach that allow him to be an effective rusher, either standing up or hands in the ground.

Without knowing what the Lions received from the trade, it’s hard to get a feel for this draft, especially when they kept all the Lions original picks and just essentially moved the Lions down from seven to nine in the mock. Also, the selection of two players in the same position and who are quite similar not just once but twice makes it cloudy as to what direction this mock was heading.

Now the selected players are fine players and could make a solid impact, it just felt like the majority were luxury picks, and resources could’ve been used more wisely than what was executed.

[lawrence-related id=60882]

Breaking down Chargers’ picks in The Athletic’s latest 7-round mock draft

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down every pick made by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his new seven-round mock draft on Wednesday.

Brugler pays close attention to fit (scheme and culture), draft trends, meetings, etc rather than his own personal opinion.

The highly-touted draft analyst kicks off the Chargers draft with the selection of former Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

“The Chargers don’t need another wide receiver to be an explosive offense – they already are with Justin Herbert at quarterback. But the idea of dropping Waddle’s special athleticism into that scheme (with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams) would be tough to pass up,” Brugler said.

In a piece I recently wrote that lays out three bold predictions, the first thing jotted down was that Los Angeles would take a pass-catcher in the first-round as opposed to an offensive tackle or cornerback.

I said that general manager Tom Telesco could roll the dice on one, knowing that Mike Williams will be in the final year of his contract and Jalen Guyton didn’t do enough to warrant himself as a starter after a slew of drops.

If Waddle was the pick, he would give quarterback Justin Herbert a dynamic weapon who can win with speed, quickness and route running ability to consistently separate and win with the ball in his hands, as well as a player who can return kicks and punts at a high level.

In the following round, that’s where L.A. finds their left tackle of the future, taking former Texas OT Samuel Cosmi.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Cosmi gone by the time the Bolts are picking at No. 47, especially after blowing it up at his pro day. However, if he’s still on the board, it should be a no-brainer.

Cosmi’s pass-blocking technique will need to improve and he will need to get stronger, but due to his length, natural balance, athleticism, and movement skills, he has a high ceiling in the NFL.

With their first pick in the third-round, the Chargers find their boundary corner opposite Michael Davis in former Stanford CB Paulson Adebo.

Adebo hasn’t played in over a year after a season-ending injury and the pandemic caused him to opt out of his senior season. When he is on the field, Adebo’s fluid body control, reactive athleticism and play-making abilities make him a plug-and-play corner.

To round out Day 2, Los Angeles addresses the offensive line again with the selection of former Clemson OL Jackson Carman.

Due to his skillset, Carman projects as a right guard, where he could compete for a starting job with Oday Aboushi. Given his strength, sufficient length and power, he could kick out to right tackle, where he could handle a role as a long-term starter.

To start Day 3, L.A. bolsters the interior part of the defensive line with the pick of former Ohio State defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.

Togiai is an undersized interior defender with good power, hand usage and agility, projecting as valuable piece to the rotation from Day 1 and eventual starter.

In Round 5, the Bolts address the safety position, taking former Texas SAF Caden Sterns.

While his tackling is maddening, Sterns is a rangy playmaker who has fluid athleticism, high football intelligence and impressive ball skills who is capable of playing either safety position, in the slot and in the box.

To kick off Round 6, the Chargers add more depth at the outside linebacker position, selecting former Oregon State OLB Hamilcar Rashed.

His pass-rush arsenal lacks variety, and his production is based more on effort and athleticism than technique. However, Rashed is only scratching the surface of his ability and shows the athleticism, competitive toughness and physical traits to be a productive NFL pass rusher.

With their second pick in the sixth-round, Los Angeles add another cornerback, taking former LSU CB Kary Vincent, Jr.

Vincent Jr. is a speedy and versatile defensive back who played inside at nickel and some safety. His quickness in his movements, elite top end speed and ball skills could help him carve up a significant role inside at the next level.

To conclude the draft, L.A. takes former SMU tight end Kylen Granson.

While he lacks strength to be an effective run-blocker, Granson can create mismatches with his physicality, speed and explosiveness as a receiver, projecting as a receiving tight end or big slot receiver.

Pro Day preview for March 18: Potential Giants targets

A quick breakdown of the Pro Days being held on March 18 and who the New York Giants may be scouting at each.

The college pro days continue on Thursday with eight schools holding workouts featuring their draft-eligible players. One school – Louisiana-Monroe – did not have any players rated by any of the top draft sites although they had one invited to the Combine in RB Josh Johnson.

Here’s the schedule and some possible players the New York Giants could be targeting.

Colts’ 7-round mock draft following Super Bowl LV

A full 7-round mock draft.

As the Super Bowl concluded the 2020 season with Tom Brady winning yet another championship, the Indianapolis Colts can dive straight into preparing for free agency and the 2021 NFL draft.

Though free agency will help determine what path the Colts take during April’s draft, we can still take a look at what that haul might look like. In this mock draft, we won’t be conducting trades—even though I’m a firm believer in the Colts trading up for a quarterback. Those mock drafts will come later.

In this mock draft, we are assuming the Colts don’t trade up for a quarterback and instead have found a bridge piece in free agency and/or have re-signed Jacoby Brissett.

Using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine, here’s a look at a seven-round mock draft following the Super Bowl:

Stanford CB Paulson Adebo opts out of 2020 college football season

Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo is opting out of the 2020 college football season and will start his preparations for the 2021 NFL Draft

One of the top cornerback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft is opting out of the 2020 college football season.

Stanford’s Paulson Adebo won’t be playing in the Pac-12’s truncated season this fall, choosing instead to get an early start on his preparations for next year’s draft.

A talented cover man who could have been a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Adebo returned to school likely hoping to refine his game and boost his stock even further with NFL scouts. Instead, he’ll have to hope his film up to this point speaks for itself, and that his performance in predraft workouts will convince team’s he’s worthy of first-round consideration.

[vertical-gallery id=623458]

Players we’ll miss most from the Big 10 and Pac-12: Stanford CB Paulson Adebo

Ranking the 10 football players we will miss watching the most from the Big 10 and Pac-12: No. 8 Stanford CB Paulson Adebo.

[jwplayer AglR9Iv3-er0jUifI]

The Big Ten announced its decision Tuesday to postpone fall sports. Minutes after, the Pac-12 made the decision to postpone its season as well.

With two of the Power Five conferences not playing, the entire college football season is up in the air. The SEC, ACC and Big 12 still have plans to have their conference-only seasons, but there are a number of players, coaches and teams that college football fans will miss watching dearly.

The No. 8 player we will miss watching most this year from the Big Ten and Pac-12 is Stanford senior cornerback Paulson Adebo.

Adebo set a school record at Stanford with 24 passes defended (20 pass breakups and four interceptions) and was also named a second-team FWAA All-American in 2018.

Adebo is long-limbed with a muscular frame, playing well at the line of scrimmage. He showed flashes of greatness in 2019, but also showed some inconsistencies. He often snapped his head back to the quarterback in man coverage which is something an NFL scout doesn’t want to see in a cornerback.

Adebo’s aggressive play is something that is highlighted in his game, but can also cause him trouble. He decided to return for his senior year to try and bump his draft stock back up, but now will not get that chance in 2020.

Eagles land Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley in Todd McShay’s early 2021 NFL mock draft

Eagles select Caleb Farley in Todd McShay’s 2021 NFL mock draft
The

[jwplayer V5SaXD1F]

With the Big Ten and Pac 12 conferences officially canceling their 2020 college football seasons, several big-time names in the world of college football will now look towards taking their skills to the NFL.

ESPN and Todd McShay decided to get a jump on the mock draft season, dropping his way too early 2021 NFL Draft projection.

Even after a long playoff run by the Birds, the Eagles land one of the NFL draft’s most coveted players in Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

27. Philadelphia Eagles
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech*

He was the first player to opt-out of the college football season, but regardless, Farley registers as my third-ranked cornerback for the 2021 class (behind Surtain and Wade). He has the frame and speed to be a problem for opposing receivers, and he closes in a flash. A former wide receiver, Farley also has the ball skills and instincts to make plays, evidenced by his 12 passes broken up and four interceptions last season. Four Eagles cornerbacks, including Sidney Jones and Nickell Robey-Coleman, could hit the open market next spring. Trading for Darius Slay gives Philadelphia a top-tier CB, but the team still has to address the spot opposite him.

Farley originally intended to play wide receiver upon his arrival to Virginia Tech in 2017 but missed his freshman season due to a knee injury.

As a redshirt freshman, Farley was converted to cornerback, where He finished the season with 36 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. Farley had a breakout campaign as a sophomore in 2019, earning first-team All-ACC honors after recording 20 tackles, four interceptions, and one touchdown.

A preseason All-American in 2020, Farley returned to Virginia Tech for his redshirt junior season but he then became the first high-profile player to skip the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, announcing that he would instead focus on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Landing with the Eagles, Farley could learn from a crafty veteran, while preparing to take over when Darius Slay is ready to move on.