Tag: Senior Bowl

Senior Bowl director says Saints made a ‘slam dunk’ in Round 1

Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy says the Saints made a “slam dunk” in the 2024 draft, picking the right tackle whose opponents said was the toughest player in practice:

Taliese Fuaga has a lot of fans. The New Orleans Saints picked the Oregon State right tackle in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and it wasn’t a decision that shocked some of Fuaga’s biggest supporters. One of those movers and shakers around the NFL is Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, who praised Fuaga in a conference call with local media.

“They drafted a guy who is going to be a Day 1 starter. Slam dunk,” Nagy told Nola.com’s Rod Walker after the Saints announced the pick. He added, “He’s a really nimble, big human being. And he’s a bully.”

Fuaga was voted the National Team practice player of the week at this year’s Senior Bowl — an award chosen by his opponents on the defensive line, who made that decision after clashing with him and every other offensive lineman on the National Team during the week.

His movement skills are obvious. Fuaga excelled in the same wide zone scheme that Klint Kubiak is bringing to New Orleans, having paired light feet with a mean streak at Oregon State. The Beavers enjoyed running behind him, and soon, so will the Saints.

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Texans HC DeMeco Ryans named to Senior Bowl 2024 Hall of Fame class

DeMeco Ryans will forever represent the Houston Texans and Alabama Crimson Tide as a member of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.

DeMeco Ryans is going to the Hall of Fame.

The one in Mobile, Alabama, and not Canton, Ohio, just to clarify.

The second-year Houston Texans coach and former Pro Bowl linebacker was named to the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame. Ryans, a former standout for the University of Alabama, became a sensation down at Ladd-Peebles Stadium during the 2006 Senior Bowl.

“Being from Alabama, it was a huge honor to get the invite and participate in the 2006 Senior Bowl,” Ryans said in a statement. “I’m thankful to have played my last collegiate game in front of my home state fans. This game provided me a pivotal opportunity as a draft prospect to prove myself against the best competition in college football. Now as a coach, I continue to follow the game closely to evaluate the top talent in the draft each year. Now, as a coach, I continue to follow the game closely to evaluate the top talent in the draft each year. This game helped me as a player many years ago, and it is still assisting players in reaching their dream of playing in the NFL.”

Ryans was one of five inductees for the Class of 2024, joining Marty Lyons (1979), Carson Palmer (2003), Eric Weddle (2007) and Roddy White (2005).

A second-round pick for the Texans in 2006, Ryans would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year under first-year coach Gary Kubiak. A year later, he’d earn first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl nomination.

Ryans spent six seasons in Houston before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He retired in 2015 and almost immediately caught the coaching bug, joining the 49ers’ staff in 2017.

Hired by the McNairs last offseason, Ryans was the architect for the team’s turnaround after a woeful three seasons. Houston was on its fourth coach in four years after Bill O’Brien, David Culley and Lovie Smith combined for 11 wins in three years.

Headlined by Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, the Texans coasted to a 10-7 regular-season record and their first division title in four years. Ryans, who finished second in AP Coach of the Year voting, became the seventh coach since 2019 to improve by at least six wins since the previous year.

Houston also secured its first playoff win since 2019 with a victory over the Browns in the wild-card round.

Ryans and the Texans will look to build off their dominant first season in 2024 and should be considered an AFC favorite. Entering next week’s draft, the Texans have the seventh-best odds to win this year’s Super Bowl, according to BetMGM.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby honored by Senior Bowl after stellar rookie season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby is still reaping rewards after his impressive rookie season in 2023

Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was honored Wednesday by the Senior Bowl, the premier all-star game for top NFL prospects, following his stellar rookie season in 2023.

Diaby was named the Senior Bowl’s 2023 Co-Rookie of the Year, along with Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Byron Young.

A third-round pick out of Louisville in last year’s NFL draft, Diaby made an instant impact for the Bucs, leading the team with 7.5 sacks.

Congrats to Diaby on a well-earned award as he prepares to build on last year’s success in 2024.

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Jets great Marty Lyons named to Senior Bowl Hall of Fame

Jets great Marty Lyons named Senior Bowl Hall of Fame

Legendary Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons was announced as a member of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Lyons played his college ball at Alabama from 1975-1978, winning the 1978 national championship and being part of “The Goal Line Stand” fourth-quarter play to help win the title. Lyons also took part in the 1979 edition of the Senior Bowl.

Lyons would go on to be selected No. 14 overall in the 1979 draft and spend his entire 12-season career with the Jets as part of the famed New York Sack Exchange with Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau and Abdul Salaam.

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Lyons was inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor in 2013 following a career that included being named NFL Man of the Year in 1984 and being a two-time Pro Bowl alternate.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the Senior Bowl Committee for this great honor,” said Lyons via the Senior Bowl. “It’s a privilege to represent the University of Alabama, the coaching staff, my teammates, and the great fans of the Crimson Tide. Playing in the Senior Bowl provided me with an invaluable opportunity to showcase my talent against the best players in college football. The experience played a pivotal role in my journey to becoming a first-round pick of the New York Jets, where I spent my entire 11-year NFL career. Thank you and Roll Tide!”

Also going into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame are quarterback Carson Palmer, linebacker and current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, safety Eric Weddle and wide receiver Roddy White.

Broncos met with TE Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl

The Broncos got a close look at Kansas State TE/FB Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl. He’s projected to be a mid-round pick.

The Denver Broncos had “extensive talks” with Kansas State draft prospect Ben Sinnott at the Senior Bowl, the tight end revealed during his media availability at the NFL combine in February.

The Broncos got a close look at all of the tight ends at this year’s Senior Bowl because quality control coaches Logan Kilgore (National team) Zack Grossi (American team) were assigned to coach TEs at the all-star game. Sinnott played for Grossi’s squad.

Sinnott (6-4, 250 pounds) is a tight end/fullback hybrid who ran a 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds and a 10-yard split in 1.59 seconds at the combine. He posted career highs in receptions (49), receiving yards (676) and touchdowns (six) as a senior last fall.

After earning first-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2022 and 2023, Sinnott now projects as a mid-to-late-round prospect. If picked by the Broncos, he would likely get opportunities at both TE and FB, similar to the role that Nate Adkins played last season.

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

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DJ Burns has the attention of the NFL during NC State’s Final Four run

While he leads NC State on their magical run to the Final Four the Senior Bowl Director and NFL general managers are noticing DJ Burns.

When people think of North Carolina State and the Final Four, they usually think of Jim Valvano and his run in 1983. In 2024, there is a new player that has become a star for the Wolfpack while also getting the country’s and even the NFL’s attention.

DJ Burns as been dominating college basketball with his size and footwork and evidently NFL front offices can’t help themselves but wonder.

Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy says the NFL has been watching the NC State star closely. He first suggested this during their Sweet Sixteen game, but after their latest upset over Duke, it appears the madness has left March and entered the NFL.

Burns is listed on the team’s site as being 6’9″ and 295 pounds. Nagy points out that he could be a lot of fun watching kick out and block but maybe he could play inside the defensive line.

The Vikings have needs at both offensive line and defensive line, just throwing it out into the universe.

Panthers 2024 post-combine meetings tracker

Does anybody need a list of 2024 draft prospects the Panthers have spoken with thus far? We got you.

The 2024 scouting combine is now in the books. 40s have been dashed, 20s have been shuttled, benches have been pressed and vertical and broads have been jumped.

Oh, and there were plenty of talks to be had.

Among the annual activities at the combine are the meetings between prospects and potentially interested teams. And as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, we may have to pay a bit more attention to who they’re talking to since their first pick doesn’t pop up until the second round.

So, we’ll help you out.

Here are all the known players—whether they were at the combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even the College Gridiron Showcase—the Panthers have spoken with to this point:

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Saints address some of their top needs in this two-round mock draft

The New Orleans Saints addressed some of their top needs in this post-Super Bowl mock draft:

Here’s a good look at how the New Orleans Saints could address some of their top needs in the 2024 NFL draft. Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy shared a two-round mock draft after the Super Bowl now that the draft order has officially been set. And while the Saints are likelier to check high-priority items off their to-do list in March free agency than wait until April’s draft, their picks here would make a lot of fans happy.

To start out, Popejoy has the Saints picking Florida State defensive end Jared Verse with their first-round pick at No. 14 overall. An accomplished pass rusher from a blue blood program, Verse is someone already hot on our radar. He would bring much-needed speed, agility, and overall athleticism off the edge that the Saints have been lacking. Carl Granderson is their only reliable pass rusher at defensive end.

As for the second round, at No. 45 overall: Popejoy likes the Saints to select Houston left tackle Patrick Paul. He was someone we highlighted as a standout at Senior Bowl practices, where he competed against top-flight competition from around the country. While Paul is a similar high-end athlete like Trevor Penning, he has a ton of experience while playing at a higher level of difficulty and should find more success early on in the NFL.

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Rams land Senior Bowl standout CB Quinyon Mitchell in ESPN mock draft

Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl and would be a great pick by the Rams at No. 19

The Los Angeles Rams still have two-plus months to evaluate the incoming draft class as they prepare to make their first pick in Round 1 since 2016 and there are a lot of different prospects to consider at No. 19 overall. With so many holes to fill across the roster, the Rams could look at a few positions with their first pick.

One is certainly cornerback, which was a weakness last season and with Ahkello Witherspoon set to hit free agency, it’s possible they’ll need two new starters at the position. In Field Yates’ mock draft for ESPN, he has the Rams selecting Senior Bowl standout Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback from Toledo, in the first round.

Mitchell was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl this year and has just about locked himself in as a first-round prospect, putting him in the range of the Rams’ pick at No. 19.

Mitchell was a dominant player at Toledo, and he confirmed at the Senior Bowl what most in the scouting world had suspected: He can flat-out fly, has outstanding ball skills and is extremely disciplined in man-to-man coverage. The Rams are thin in the secondary, and veteran Ahkello Witherspoon — who played a pivotal role this past season — is scheduled to become a free agent. Mitchell could come to L.A. and immediately start breaking up passes, which he did 32 times over the past two seasons at Toledo.

As Yates notes, Mitchell could be a Day 1 starter for the Rams by either replacing Ahkello Witherspoon or pushing Derion Kendrick to the bench. The transition from college to the pros can be tough for a cornerback so expecting a rookie to play at a high level right away can be risky, but Mitchell has excellent ball skills and instincts, which should make him an early contributor.

In this mock, the Rams pass on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, who were the next two picks. Iowa corner Cooper DeJean went a few picks later at No. 25 and would also be a great selection for the Rams, especially given his return skills – something Los Angeles has been lacking in recent years.

Mel Kiper names Georgia Bulldogs WR as NFL draft sleeper

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper identifies a Georgia football wide receiver as a 2024 NFL draft sleeper

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper has named former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint as one of his 2024 NFL draft sleepers. Kiper really likes Rosemy-Jacksaint’s size, hands, and catch radius. Kiper thinks that Rosemy-Jacksaint showed excellent consistency throughout his college career and showed improvement each and every season. Kiper considers the 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver to be a third- or fourth-round draft prospect.

The former Georgia standout aided his NFL draft stock thanks to an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. Rosemy-Jacksaint scored a 29-yard touchdown in the Senior Bowl on a contested catch.

During his final season in Athens, Rosemy-Jacksaint caught 34 passes for 535 yards and four touchdowns. The senior receiver has proved to be a reliable target for Georgia football and rarely dropped passes. Rosemy-Jacksaint is also an excellent run blocker. He finished his four-year Georgia  career with 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School product improved his statistics during every year of his career at Georgia.

At the Senior Bowl, Rosemy-Jacksaint showed to NFL scouts that he is capable of getting separation against opposing defensive backs. Rosemy-Jacksaint may not put up monster numbers in the NFL, but he is someone that can be trusted in any situation and does not have many weaknesses.

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is expected to receive an invitation to the 2024 NFL combine, which will be held Feb. 27-March 3.