Tag: Rasheen Ali

Ravens select Marshall RB Rasheen Ali with pick No. 165 in 2024 NFL draft

The Baltimore Ravens selected Marshall Rasheen Ali with pick No. 165 overall in the NFL draft

The Ravens may have landed their running back of the future after drafting Marshall running back Rasheen Ali with pick No. 165 overall.

A shifty, and sturdy running back, Ali joins Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, and Owen Wright on depth chart in Baltimore.

An Ohio native, Ali rushed for 2831 yards and scored 42 total touchdowns during his time with the Thundering Herd.

When do the RBs and LBs start getting drafted on Day 2?

When do the RBs and LBs start getting drafted on Day 2 after no prospects from either position were selected in the first round?

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft saw six quarterbacks and nine offensive linemen selected, both records for any individual draft. The overload at those positions led to some other positions being overlooked on Day 1.

Namely, running back and linebacker.

There wasn’t a single running back selected in the first 32 picks, nor did any linebackers come off the board. That figures to change on Day 2, but how quickly?

It might take several picks before the first linebacker hears his name called. Whether it’s Edgerrin Cooper from Texas A&M, Payton Wilson of North Carolina State or Michigan’s Junior Colson, the first off-ball LB likely won’t be among the first handful of picks. The shift to a base nickel defense package removed one starting LB spot from most every team, and a recent supply of good draft classes at linebacker has also diminished demand in 2024.

Prediction for LBs

Cooper or Wilson gets the nod in the 40-45 overall range, and then the top grouping will all come off over the span of the next 20 or so picks. That group also includes North Carolina’s Cedric Gray.

There is a separate problem at running back. Several prospects at the position are generally lumped together in the rankings and big boards. Jonathon Brooks from Texas might be No. 1 for one team but sixth on another. The same is true for Trey Benson from Florida State and Jaylen Wright from Tennessee.

That sort of “dealer’s choice” at a well-stocked supply of prospects could mean teams opt to pull the trigger and land their guy. But because of the relative depth of the class, a team that might need another position just a little more might look at (perceived) Day 3 options like Isaac Guerendo from Louisville, Dylan Laube of New Hampshire or Marshall’s Rasheen Ali and not find as much of a dropoff as they would at other positions from Day 2 to Day 3.

Prediction for RBs

Brooks and Benson each come off the board in the 50s, and then there’s a gap into the later realms of the third round. And then we’ll see a relative deluge of RBs in the fourth and fifth rounds as teams work their way down “need” lists to a deep running back class.

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Dolphins to bring in Marshall RB Rasheen Ali for visit, per report

Rasheen Ali led the FBS with 25 touchdowns during a breakout season in 2021.

Former Marshall Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali is set to visit the Miami Dolphins before the 2024 NFL draft, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Ali, 23, broke out during the 2021 season when, as a redshirt freshman, he racked up a nation-leading 25 touchdowns. His 23 rushing touchdowns were tied with current Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier for the FBS lead, but Ali also added a receiving touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown.

While Ali missed most of the 2022 season due to injury, he returned to earn All-Sun Belt honors in 2023 with 1,348 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.

Earlier this year, Ali participated in the 2024 Senior Bowl but suffered a torn biceps tendon during a practice and was unable to participate at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and Marshall pro day.

While the Dolphins have a dynamic duo at running back in Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, Ali isn’t the first back they’ve wanted to take a closer look at this offseason. Miami also reportedly plans to host Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo on a visit.

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Titans to host Marshall RB Rasheen Ali on top-30 visit

The Titans are expected to host Marshall RB Rasheen Ali on a top-30 visit.

The Tennessee Titans addressed their need at running back early on in free agency with the addition of Tony Pollard, but the team is apparently still exploring options at the position in the 2024 NFL draft.

According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, the Titans are hosting Marshall running back Rasheen Ali on a top-30 visit (but evidently not everyone is saying “top-30 visit” in the draft world anymore).

Ali wasn’t able to test at the NFL combine or Marshall’s pro day because of a ruptured biceps tendon suffered during the Senior Bowl but is expected to be cleared in July.

The 6-foot, 209-pound back took a leave of absence from the team in 2022 and ended up missing 10 games because of a knee injury that season.

When healthy, Ali was productive for the Thundering Herd.

In 2021, he rushed for 1,401 yards and 23 scores while adding 334 receiving yards and another touchdown. In 2023, he finished with 1,135 rushing yards, 213 receiving yards and 16 total scores (15 rushing).

When it comes to his fit with the Titans, Ali is similar to Pollard and Tyjae Spears in that he’s an explosive runner who can rip off big plays and contribute in the passing game. He also has a nose for the end zone.

But there are concerns about his durability and pass protection, and he isn’t considered a power runner by any stretch, something the Titans could use more so than another back like Pollard or Spears.

Ali is expected to be a Day 3 pick at best, and it’s conceivable the Titans could take a swing on him to add to the competition for the No. 3 running back role that is currently set to be between Julius Chestnut and Hassan Haskins.

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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 59, Marshall RB Rasheen Ali

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Marshall running back Rasheen Ali.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

In a span of a few hours, the Green Bay Packers agreed to terms with Josh Jacobs and released Aaron Jones.

Instead of having to find Jones a new running mate, Brian Gutekunst will now look to find a running back to pair with the team’s new running back.

A prospect they could target in the 2024 NFL Draft as they look to round out the running back depth chart is Rasheen Ali. The Marshall tailback checks in at No. 59 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A former two-star recruit out of Ohio, Ali broke out in 2021, when he rushed for 1,401 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 45 receptions for 334 yards and one touchdown. The following season, Ali missed a large portion of the season due to a leg injury. 

This past season, Ali rushed for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Ohio native added 28 receptions for 213 yards and one touchdown. 

“The Marshall offense was designed, in large part, for Ali to have success and get the bulk of the touches,” Luke Creasy, the Marshall athletics beat writer for The Herald-Dispatch, said. “The passing attack hasn’t been that strong for the past couple of years and Ali would’ve likely ended his collegiate career with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons had he not been injured in preseason camp causing him to miss ten games in 2022. The Herd relied on running backs to produce and Ali delivered.”

Ali runs with good patience and tempo. The Marshall running back has good vision and an innate ability to find the cutback lane. He makes sharp cuts without gearing down. He clears the hole with burst and can get to top speed quickly. 

“He’s a patient runner,” Creasy said. “If there’s no lane, he’ll wait for space to open up and then try to hit the gaps. He burned several defenders on runs up the middle and by bouncing to the outside last year and if he got in space, there’s an extra burst of speed reserved for when he hits the open field.”

Ali is explosive in short areas and he finds a second gear to destroy pursuit angles. He has home-run ability and finished this past season with 24 runs of 10-plus yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Ali racked up 536 yards after contact this past season. 

‘When he gets in the open field he’s hard to grab,” Creasy said. “He’s shifty at the line of scrimmage and then can turn on the burners. He’s tough to tackle in space unless there’s someone quick enough to catch him from behind.”

Ali looks natural catching passes and running routes. He’s shifty out in space and can turn a simple swing pass into an explosive play. 

“He was more of a factor in the passing game later in his career than he was at the start and that’s a testament to his continued growth while at Marshall,” Creasy said. “He’s elusive in the open field and the Herd ran him out wide plenty last season, connecting on a couple different occasions. He’s got good hands, great awareness and can line up anywhere on the field.”

Fit with the Packers

Jacobs just turned 26 years old in February and is a year removed from leading the league in rushing. It’s now up to Gutekunst to find a running back that will pair nicely with the former Las Vegas Raider.

Ali checks the boxes with his explosiveness, vision and pass-catching potential. With the Packers owning six Day 3 picks, Ali could be a target for the Packers as they aim to round out their running back room behind Jones. 

“He’s a versatile piece in any offensive system and has shown the ability to make value for himself in any offense,” Creasy said. “There was a major shift in offensive scheme between his breakout year in 2021 and final season in 2023 and, in both, he managed to find a way to be the most productive offensive player on the field. Mentally, he’s as tough as they come.”

The signing of Jacobs came as a major surprise. For a few short minutes, Green Bay fans were envisioning a one-two punch of Jones and Jacobs.

Now, it’s up to Gutekunst to add a running back or two in the draft to team with Jacobs to round out the running back room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 4.0: What if they only took positions of need?

Tyler Forness takes a look at what a draft would look like only taking positions of need

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings took players only at position of need?

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0
Mock Draft 3.0

11 takeaways from National team Senior Bowl practice day 1

Vikings Wire Tyler Forness gives insight on day one of practice for the Reese’s Senior Bowl’s National Team

The road to the NFL Draft has started as the Reese’s Senior Bowl is underway in Mobile, Alabama this week. Vikings Wire Managing Editor Tyler Forness has boots on the ground in Hancock-Whitney Stadium, home of the South Alabama Jaguars, giving us a first-hand look at the prospects who hope to live out their dreams as NFL players in April. 

For some, it’s a foregone conclusion that they will hear their names called as the draft rolls around. For others, they will have to earn that right. Forness will give us his insights as this week of practice goes along and highlight names that fans of all teams, not just the Minnesota Vikings, should keep their eye on. 

We start with the National Team, who ended their practice Tuesday morning.

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Blockbuster trade helps Patriots address major needs

The Patriots swing a blockbuster trade early to rebuild their offense the right way in this 2024 NFL mock draft

Everyone is assuming the New England Patriots take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft. That appears to be the most likely scenario, but there’s also the possibility the team goes in the roster building direction before reaching for a new signal-caller.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. Any rookie quarterback is going to have a rough go under center for a Patriots team severely lacking in offensive talent at receiver and on the offensive line.

The Patriots might want to avoid another Mac Jones situation by simply focusing their resources at other positions, while utilizing a bridge quarterback for the time being. Whether that bridge quarterback is Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or an experienced veteran, like Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, is an argument for another day.

But this mock draft explores the possibility of a trade down by New England to accumulate more picks and fix other trouble spots on their roster. Here’s an updated full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots:

List of running backs at 2024 Senior Bowl

A quick list of the running backs in Mobile this week for the Senior Bowl.

Rolling on with taking a look at who will be in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl — a game in which Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be a head coach — here are the running backs that will take part this week.

Coaching the running backs in Mobile will be Cardinals running backs coach Autry Denson and Jamel Mutunga, who spent last season coaching the running backs for the Panthers.

Running back could be a spot the Jets look at late as they look for help behind Breece Hall and Israel Abanikanda. This looks like an interesting group in Mobile, including one of the stars of Missouri’s surprise run to a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

Full 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Patriots go all in on elite offensive weapons

The Patriots prioritize elite offensive weapons in this full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft

Barring any decisions to trade back or trade up on the board, the New England Patriots are officially locked into pick No. 3 in the 2024 NFL draft.

There are reports the team could wait until after the draft to name a new general manager to keep continuity with the scouting department and the work they have already done.

However, one thing is clear: The Patriots need more talent across the board, and it starts in the NFL draft, where they can get the most bang for their buck with low cost, high impact players.

Here is our latest full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots: