Tag: South Carolina

Seahawks select cornerback in Draft Wire’s 2021 mock draft

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire put together a way-too-early 2021 first round mock draft, which has the Seahawks selecting CB Israel Mukuamu.

The Seattle Seahawks have proven, time and time again, that they are not going to make the conventional choice when it comes to their first round pick in the NFL draft.

Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Jordyn Brooks were their three latest first round selections, and all of them came out of left field.

Still, that won’t stop the draft pundits from predicting their picks before the 2021 draft – and some have already gotten started.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire already concocted a first round mock draft for next year, and he has the Seahawks selecting South Carolina cornerback Israel Mukuamu with their first round pick at No. 24 overall.

Cornerback doesn’t appear to be an immediate need on paper for the Seahawks, with Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar both under contract through 2021, and Tre Flowers (2022) and Ugo Amadi (2023) in the mix as well.

Mukuamu does possess incredible length (six-foot-four) and playmaking ability though, and the staff has made it clear they are willing to take the best player available, regardless of positional need.

Whether that’s Mukuamu remains to be seen, but it is worth noting the team has not taken a cornerback in the first round since 2006, and with four under contract in 2021, it seems unlikely that streak will end next year.

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4-star WR JJ Jones includes Georgia football in top-five

Saturday, 2021 4-star receiver JJ Jones took to Twitter to announce his list of top-5 schools and Georgia football made the cut.

Saturday, 2021 4-star wide receiver JJ Jones announced his top-5 schools on Twitter.

North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Georgia made the cut for the Myrtle Beach High School prospect.

247Sports has Jones ranked as the No. 2 player in South Carolina and No. 49 receiver overall in the 2021 recruiting class.

Per the composite rankings, he is ranked as the nation’s No. 414 overall player.

In 2019, as a junior, Jones caught 45 passes for 707 yards and 15 touchdowns while being named to the All-Region team and 3rd-team All State.

Right now, 247 has South Carolina as the favorite to land the home-state prospect.

Jones holds 35 scholarship offers from across the country.

2020 NFL Draft: Jaguars Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) Tracker

It’s been a long time coming but the 2020 NFL Draft has finally come and gone. In the process the Jacksonville Jaguars used all of their 12 selections which means they probably won’t be as active as far as undrafted free agency goes. Still, there …

It’s been a long time coming but the 2020 NFL Draft has finally come and gone. In the process the Jacksonville Jaguars used all of their 12 selections which means they probably won’t be as active as far as undrafted free agency goes.

Still, there could be some gems to be found during the undrafted process which is how the Jags found players like receiver Keelan Cole, cornerback Tre Herndon, and safety Jarrod Wilson. With the Jags looking to start a new youth movement and build a better nucleus the 2020 roster may end up having a few undrafted rookies on it, too.

After searching the web, here are some of the updrafted rookies the Jags have been able to come to terms with from the 2020 class:

(*Note: We’ll be updating this over the next few days)

Josh Hammond, WR, Florida

Luqman Barcoo, CB, San Diego State

Nate Evans, LB, Central Florida

Ben Ellefson, TE, North Dakota State

Tavien Feaster, RB, South Carolina

J.R. Reed, Safety, Georgia

Best case scenario for Jaguars at No. 20: Javon Kinlaw surprisingly slides

With the NFL Draft set to kick off tonight, here’s the best case scenario for the Jaguars when they come back on the clock at 20 overall.

Earlier we took a look at the best-case scenario for the Jacksonville Jaguars at pick No. 9, however, the fun may not stop there for the team who will take the podium again 11 selections afterward (unless they make some moves).

For the Jaguars second pick at No. 20 overall, the best-case scenario would be if Javon Kinlaw is still on the board. The Jaguars have waved goodbye to a metric-ton of defensive line talent this off-season, with Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus already gone and Yannick Ngkoue still looking to force a trade. The front office must use this draft to reinforce the front seven.

The first half of this draft is going to be dominated by offensive prospects, which is beneficial for those picking in the mid-to-late teens as elite defensive talent will still be available toward the back end of the class.

A receiver may not make an appearance in the top-10, and if that happens, four wideouts could be taken between 11-19. Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, and Justin Jefferson are all worth a top-20 pick and could hear their names called between the Cleveland Browns (No. 10) selection and the Jags’ second Day 1 selection. Not only could four receivers go before the Jaguars pick at 20, but there is the potential that other elite defensive prospects such as C.J Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Patrick Queen could push Kinlaw down the order further.

A fall to 20 would be devastating for a top-10 talent in Kinlaw, but for the Jaguars he would be a perfect replacement for the former “Mayor of Sacksonville” Calais Campbell. Kinlaw has shown an elite ability to establish pressure from the interior during his time with South Carolina and would fit in nicely next to a run-stuffer up front like Taven Bryan.

The Jaguars’ success in 2017 came from the team’s ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and suffocating the offense. Adding a dominating presence on the inside will allow standout pass-rusher, Josh Allen, to take the next step in 2020.

Offensive tackle remains a need, but the drop-off in talent after the initial group is substantial enough that they shouldn’t be targeting Austin Jackson, Isaiah Wilson, or Ezra Cleveland in the first round. Therefore if someone of Kinlaw’s talent is on the clock at No. 20, Dave Caldwell will jump at the chance of drafting two top-ten ranked players.

Texas targeting four-star outside linebacker from South Carolina

The Longhorns desperately need depth at the linebacker position, four-star outside linebacker Jaylen Sneed becomes a top target in 2022.

Texas is in desperate need of depth at the linebacker position. Continue reading “Texas targeting four-star outside linebacker from South Carolina”

2020 NFL draft: The best LB for the Ravens in each round

The Baltimore Ravens need serious help at inside linebacker but they have a ton of options available to them in the 2020 NFL Draft.

One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs entering the 2020 NFL Draft is at inside linebacker. After decades of having great play at linebacker with guys like Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley, Baltimore has been trying to find their next star at the position with no luck. After revamping their defensive line this offseason and having a stacked secondary, inside linebacker remains one of the only positions keeping the Ravens from having a truly legendary unit.

Though all the attention will go to prospects in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Baltimore could find key contributors throughout the entire draft. While typical three-down linebackers will go in the first round, the Ravens can find players for niche roles (playing the run or dropping into coverage) all the way to the seventh round if they wish.

With that in mind, I wanted to identify who would be the top target at linebacker in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Some of these players might fall into Baltimore’s lap when they pick and others will require the Ravens to trade up to go get them. But these are the best of the best of each round in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

1st round: LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

You don’t get any better than Simmons in this draft, which is why he’s widely considered the top linebacker prospect and expected to go in the top 10. However, there is a little contention over where Simmons ends up playing in the NFL. As a more athletic player with insane speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine), Simmons might be better suited to playing safety than a traditional three-down linebacker role.

The Ravens love that type of versatility and would be able to do so many things with a player of Simmons’ caliber. Just imagining defensive coordinator Don Martindale moving Simmons all over the field likely has Baltimore drooling. With a ton of upside, Simmons could be a star in the right scheme and it’s easy to see how the Ravens would be the exact right fit for him.

The problem here is that Baltimore is going to have to absolutely love Simmons for him to be even considered an option. In order to have a shot at drafting Simmons, the Ravens will have to move up pretty far. Even if Simmons falls a little bit, the amount Baltimore would have to give up in a trade to go get him makes it extremely unlikely it happens. Still, for an article pointing to the best in each round, Simmons is that guy in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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NFL Draft: A WR in each round for the Philadelphia Eagles

7 wide receivers the Eagles could target in the NFL Draft based on the round.

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The NFL draft is just 11 days away and although the Philadelphia Eagles will look to add some high profile wide receivers with their eight picks.

We all know the big names of Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs, but there talented wide receivers in this draft and the Eagles can find a player from round-one through round-seven.

The Eagles don’t have a pick in every round but in case of some wheeling and dealing, we decided to project one wide receiver from every round that the Eagles could target.

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a fast and elusive playmaker

Round 1. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

If the Eagles stay put at pick No. 21 and Jefferson is available, the birds won’t go wrong with the former LSU star.

Jefferson is a fast and elusive playmaker who caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for the nation’s No. 1 team.

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