The Green Bay Packers selected Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round (No. 207 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers selected Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round (No. 207 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
Height: 6-5 Weight: 218 Age: 24 From: Colorado Springs, CO
Breakdown: Brother of All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson, who kicked for Rich Bisaccia in Las Vegas. Five years of kicking experience at Auburn. Consistent inside 35 yards but had issues in deeper range, especially over 50. Had injuries in 2021 (ACL) and 2022 (shoulder). Packers think he’s ascending and will improve drastically once injuries are in the rear-view mirror. Handled kickoffs at Auburn. Stands 6-5. Bisaccia’s belief in the player fascilitated pick. Can he beat out Parker White?
Zierlein’s scouting report: “Carlson has made kicks in big moments and appeared to be tracking in a good direction back in 2020. However, he has struggled to establish consistency on mid-range kicks and has been poor on kicks from 50 yards and beyond. He’s had too many kicks blocked during his career and doesn’t sport a booming leg on kickoffs.”
They said it: “He was a kicker that Rich has an extensive experience with…Struggled with some injuries over the last few years after a very promising start, but we felt really good about where he’s headed and I think the relationship there with Rich was a positive factor in picking him there.” — GM Brian Gutekunst
The Green Bay Packers selected Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks in the sixth round (No. 179 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers selected Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks in the sixth round (No. 179 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
Height: 6-3 Weight: 296 Age: 22 From: Lansing, MI
Breakdown: Dominant MAC edge rusher in the 300-pound range who will move inside and play on the interior for Green Bay. Proven disruptor; led Bowling Green in sacks all five seasons. Made 48 starts and tallied 46 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Strong, powerful, contact-seeker who did 28 reps on the bench. Versatile but has tweener traits and needs to find a home along the defensive line. Two-time team captain.
Brugler’s scouting report: “A five-year starter at Bowling Green, Brooks was primarily a defensive end in former defensive coordinator Eric Lewis’ 3-4 base, lining up outside as a 7-technique, head up over the tackle or inside as a 3-technique. Very few college players can say they led their team in sacks five straight seasons, but Brooks is one of them, including a prolific senior campaign as one of only six FBS players to finished with 18-plus tackles for loss and 10-plus sacks. With his initial quickness and effort, Brooks should be Bowling Green’s first defensive draft pick since 2013. His hands are active, but not always efficient and his sawed-off frame makes it difficult for him to control blockers or stay square. Brooks has a unique package of tools, which creates questions about his ideal position fit, but he has the light feet and urgent hands to be a gap disruptor. He projects best as a 3-technique who can be flexed up/down the line.”
Zierlein’s scouting report: “The inclination to shrug off Brooks’ production based on level of competition — or because of questions about his positional fit — might be a mistake. Brooks’ snap quickness, footwork, hand usage and motor are all translatable play qualities. His movement and counters are intuitive, allowing for quick access into the backfield. Against the pass, he frequently beat tackles as a bull rusher off the edge. Brooks has the size of a three-technique but the versatility and athleticism to move around a defensive front. He flashes disruptive, three-down talent as a future starter in a one-gap scheme.”
They said it: “What he was able to display, even against the MAC, you turn on the tape and he was a man amongst boys. When you see players from non-Power 5 or FCS schools, you want to see them dominate, and you can put on the tape and see that kid dominate for stretches.” — director of football ops Milt Hendrickson
The #49ers selected TCU linebacker Dee Winters with their 216th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday
The San Francisco 49ers made a bold move with the 216th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, selecting Texas Christian University linebacker Dee Winters in the sixth round. Winters proved himself to be an impactful starter for the Horned Frogs in the team’s meteoric rise in the college football rankings last season and should be able to work himself into a roster spot in 2023.
Winters stands just under six feet tall and has enough speed to compensate for his lack of height. He is a rangy, rugged linebacker with the ability to wrap up even the most elusive ball carriers in space, especially in key situations.
Scouts value the experience that players like Winters bring to the table, especially at this stage in the draft process. He will likely need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, but as a late-round pick, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Watch for this established stud to make waves in training camp and quickly become a fan-favorite in the bay area.
Get familiar with the newest member of the Chargers, Scott Matlock.
The Los Angeles Chargers continued to stockpile defensive talent by taking
The Chargers needed to continue beefing up their defensive line with low-cost selections in the draft, and Matlock should factor into their depth chart through training camp and the preseason.
Check out some of his best plays as a member of the Boise State football program below to get acquainted with his skillset ahead of the 2023 season:
Good fit for Scott Matlock to land with the Chargers. Can play 3T and 5T. Really tough football player with a great motor. Fantastic athlete. Heavy hands that show up as a pass rusher: pic.twitter.com/VJRDVIdSJm
After every Jonah Dalmas made field goal, #BoiseState defensive lineman Scott Matlock lifts him up above his head. Today after Matlock caught a touchdown pass, they switched roles 😂 pic.twitter.com/oEiOtebGRP
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu seems poised to do big things in the #Ravens offense as a member of the team’s front five
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu put together an excellent 2022 season at the University of Oregon before being selected with the 199th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. He will need to compete for playing time throughout training camp and the preseason but could figure into the Ravens’ plans on offense if he can show some finesse in his game early in his career.
Most fans in Baltimore are unfamiliar with his game, so getting acquainted with his skillset will be necessary before coming to a conclusion on the value of this pick. Check out his best highlights below to get an idea of what this talented lineman brings to the table:
Nothing to see here, just Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu tossing a grown football player pic.twitter.com/3dtHCH4b7Z
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu was a no-star recruit in 2017 who turned himself into a two-time All-Pac 12 honorable mention at Oregon. pic.twitter.com/nRP2FcJc0D
Ravens get a super powerful and massive run blocker in Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. Great fit in Baltimore. Can play OG or OT. Lots of key run blocks on tape: pic.twitter.com/gO8fbnEXS1
The Green Bay Packers selected Auburn kicker Anders Carlson at No. 207 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.
The Green Bay Packers selected Auburn kicker Anders Carlson at No. 207 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.
Carlson is the younger brother of Daniel Carlson, the All-Pro kicker of the Raiders.
Carlson (6-5, 218) connected on 79 of 110 (71.8 percent) field goal attempts and made 173 extra point attempts over 56 games at Auburn. He also kicked off 313 times, producing 183 touchbacks.
Distance control could be an issue; he made just 5-of-17 kicks of 50 or more yards.
Carlson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the 2021 season but returned to make 12 of 17 field goals in 2022. He also missed games to a shoulder injury last season.
Rich Bisaccia and the Packers will open up a competition at kicker between Carlson, now the favorite as the draft pick, and Parker White, an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina.
Carlson is the first Packers draft pick at kicker since 2007 (Mason Crosby).
The Green Bay Packers selected Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks at No. 179 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers selected Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks at No. 179 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Brooks produced 46.0 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks and six forced fumbles over 52 games and 48 starts at Bowling Green. He led the school in sacks during all five seasons and is third in school history in sacks overall.
In 2022, Brooks deliverd 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over 13 games.
Like fourth-round pick Colby Wooden, Brooks played all over the defensive front at Bowling Green.
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Brooks was a two-time team captain and two-time All-MAC pick.
Brooks (6-3, 296) wasn’t invited to the combine, but he did run the 40-yard dash in 5.08 seconds, hit 26.5″ in the vertical leap, cover 8-9 in the broad jump, finish the short shuttle in 5.0 seconds and three cone in 7.63 seconds and complete 28 reps on the bench press at Bowling Green’s pro day. His Relative Athletic Score is 5.87 out of 10.0.
3 things to know about Colts new TE Andrew Ogletree.
As the 2022 NFL draft winds down, the Indianapolis Colts added some much-needed depth at tight end picking up the young player out of Youngstown State in Andrew Ogletree.
It’s not often we see a team draft two tight ends in the same draft, but this position is vital to Frank Reich’s offense and Matt Ryan’s success. The Colts also added Jelani Woods out of Virginia in the third round.
Tale of two tapes with pass protection that is often starter-caliber on the NFL level while the run tape leaves a lot to be desired. He’s a skyscraper, so getting his pad level to an optimal level will always be a challenge, but he has a tendency to lurch forward, allowing defenders to pull him off-balance as a run blocker. He’s an adequate athlete in both phases and can make block adjustments on the second level. Forsythe gets the most from his length in pass protection with a stout punch, firm outside hand and above-average core strength to take early control of pass reps. His hands are strong and he resets them effectively when the rush gets into him early. He’ll get pushed into panic mode from time to time against speed, and he’s just average catching up with inside counters. The name of the game is pass protection and Forsythe’s talent in that area should make him an NFL starter early on.
The Seahawks have no more picks in this year’s draft unless they plan to trade back in for the last round.
Penisini was a two-year starter seeing most of his time out of the three-technique playing both in odd and even man fronts while at Utah. Coaches bragged about his positive attitude, worker mentality, and high character attributes.
Penisini has the perfect nose tackle body and more than likely stay there, but with his experience at playing three-technique, there could be the possibility that he slides over from time to time. He processes physical hands, allowing him to grab hold and control the line of scrimmage. Once he has his feet planted, no force will move him from that spot because of his sturdy mechanics with his upper and lower body. He has excellent gap integrity, and with his relentless motor, run-stopping is his calling card.
Even though he offers fantastic run defense, he doesn’t have much in the pass-rushing aspect because of a lack of burst, flexibility, and pass-rushing moves. He is a big behemoth, but from time to time, he can get swallowed up at the point of attack. Some believe he relies mostly on his strength and effort to make plays than actual instinctual play.
With the departure of Damon Harrison, the Lions were looking for a substantial presence in the middle of the defensive line, and Penisini is the right man for the job. Even though he might not be much of a pass rusher, his run blocking ability is high quality. It is not guaranteed he will make the roster and will likely have to compete against John Atkins for the same spot. That should be a fun battle to watch.
