Tag: Taco Charlton

Cowboys shouldn’t let recent draft busts cloud eval of Michigan prospects

Two of the best DTs in the 2025 NFL draft class come from Michigan so the Cowboys must put bias aside. | From @ReidDHanson

Michigan draft prospects haven’t exactly panned out for the Cowboys in recent years. Two draft cycles ago the Cowboys double-dipped from the Ann Arbor powerhouse, using their first two draft picks on Michigan players.

In 2023’s first round, the Cowboys selected defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The 337-pound interior lineman didn’t have many skins on the wall, but he had a physical skillset that couldn’t be matched. One round later Dallas went back to Michigan to snag a tight end. Unconvinced Jake Ferguson was the long-term answer, the Cowboys pounced on the experienced Luke Schoonmaker at No. 58.

Schoonmaker didn’t have a very inspiring highlight reel playing in Michigan’s run-heavy offense, but he was an accomplished run blocker and represented one of the safer picks in the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class.

Neither has worked out for Dallas.

Smith’s rookie season delivered the lowest defensive snap count from a first rounder in over a decade. His sophomore season has been decidedly worse with Smith grading 124th of 124 interior linemen in 2024.

Schoonmaker hasn’t been much better.

The second-year tight end hasn’t just been playing behind Ferguson, but he’s working behind rookie undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford as well. The 26-year-old hasn’t seen a target in four weeks and has been hit or miss in many of his blocking assignments.

Both players have fallen considerably short of expectations, and both are on the path to becoming certified busts.

Dallas, an organization known for their draft prowess, hasn’t had a first-round pick struggle like Smith since they selected Taco Charlton in 2017. Charlton, a defensive end from (you guessed it) Michigan, flamed out in spectacular fashion. He only lasted two seasons in Dallas and hasn’t played a down of football since the 2022 season.

It’s not lost on the Cowboys fanbase some of the organization’s biggest draft mistakes have come from the University of Michigan. So, it’s only natural many of those fans balk at the idea of selecting another Michigan player in the 2025 NFL draft. While this is an understandable posture, it’s a mistake to give such bias legs to stand on.

Based on the Cowboys’ current trajectory, Dallas will be picking in the top 10 of the draft next April. Picking inside the top 10 will position them well for blue chip talent. A player the Cowboys could be looking at when they go on the clock in the first round might just be another player from the University of Michigan.

Mason Graham, 6-foot-3, 320-pounds, is widely regarded as the top defensive lineman in the draft class. The well-rounded DT is a model prospect who comes with a Pro Bowl profile. He’s versatile and he’s experienced. He doesn’t come with the same degree of projection as Smith and Charlton, and as an accomplished pressure player, he offers value that goes beyond the typical run-stuffing often associated with the DT position.

Right behind Graham on the prospect list is fellow Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. Grant, 6-foot-3, 339-pounds, is a physical marvel at the DT position. Like Smith before him, Grant makes Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. He’s stout enough to play nose tackle but explosive enough to penetrate as a pass rusher. Grant has conditioning concerns as a man his size often does, but he should not be passed over simply because there are similarities between him and Smith. He’s a different player.

The Cowboys weakest position on the field is generally believed to be their interior defensive line. Given development time and bust potential associated with the DT position in Dallas, it’s recommended the Cowboys use free agency to bring in a top flight DT this spring. But if the Cowboys don’t want to spend big on a veteran, Michigan has a couple intriguing talents who need to be considered. They shouldn’t be disregarded simply because of the school they come from.

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49ers reach injury settlement with DE Taco Charlton

The #49ers reached an injury settlement with DL Taco Charlton.

The 49ers on Sunday released a player, but not one from their 90-man roster. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported defensive end Taco Charlton reached an injury settlement with the team and was released. Charlton is now an unrestricted free agent.

San Francisco placed Charlton on injured reserve in mid-August. That ended his chances to play for the 49ers. Since he went on IR during the preseason he no longer counted toward the team’s 90-man roster.

Charlton didn’t play in any preseason games for the 49ers.

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New 49ers DE Taco Charlton making quick impact in crowded DE room

Taco Charlton immediately impressed #49ers DC Steve Wilks, and he hasn’t stopped.

New 49ers defensive end Taco Charlton didn’t need long to make an impact. In just three days of practice the former Cowboys first-round pick is already standing out to defensive coordinator Steve Wilks at a position where a heavy competition is brewing.

Wilks after Friday’s elongated session told reporters in his press conference that Charlton started making plays right away and hasn’t stopped.

“Well, I’ll tell you this, Taco came off the plane and he just like made play after play after play the other day,” Wilks said. “And I was very impressed with that because, number one, we needed the reps, but he got in and made it seem like he had been here for a week. So, he’s still learning the defense, it still is going to take him some time, but when he’s in there he goes full speed, which I love. And most important, he’s just continued trying to work on just the fundamentals that we talk about at that position.”

Typically a defensive lineman who gets added in early August is going to be something of an afterthought where a strong camp might allow him to push for a spot on the back end of the roster.

At defensive end though San Francisco is exceedingly thin behind Nick Bosa, who still hasn’t reported for camp while he and the club work on a long-term extension. Bosa’s absence has opened the door for other DEs to get reps in and generate competition for the spot opposite the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Second-year DE Drake Jackson is presumed to have the inside track for that starting DE spot, but Wilks said there’s a close battle happening at a key position for San Francisco.

“I think that’s exactly what it is, it’s competition, it’s tight,” Wilks said. “And I would say this really for the whole group, and I mentioned this with the staff last night, we’re not going to see a separation or a change until we go against someone else. So, I’m excited about here in a week, I believe it is that we go up to Vegas and play the Raiders. So, we’ll see exactly where we’re at that point and hopefully guys can separate themselves.”

So far Jackson, Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell have been in the mix while the team sorts out the second DE spot. Charlton may not be there yet after just three days, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he finds himself in the rotation vying for a starting job if his arrow continues pointing upward over the next few practices.

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Taco Tuesday: 49ers sign former Saints defensive end

Taco Tuesday: San Francisco 49ers sign former New Orleans Saints defensive end Taco Charlton

One former New Orleans Saints player landed a new gig this week, with defensive end Taco Charlton signing onto the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp roster. His arrival coincides with a holdout by 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa, bringing the 49ers some added pass-rush potential as they prepare for their preseason games.

Charlton spent last summer with the Saints and initially started the regular season on their practice squad, but he was poached by the Chicago Bears in November. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in time for their January playoff run but had to wait through the first week of training camp practices before finding his next opportunity.

Originally a first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2017 NFL draft, Charlton has appeared in 60 games on seven different teams in his six-year career, including stints on practice squads around the league. The former Michigan Wolverine has totaled 11.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in his pro career.

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Former Michigan football EDGE finds new NFL home

He’s joining a team with a lot of former Wolverines! #GoBlue

Once a hot commodity in the NFL, Taco Charlton hasn’t had quite the career he had expected.

Selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Charlton battled injuries and never quite lived up to the potential he flashed in his senior season with Michigan football, when he had 10 sacks. Charlton has bounced around, having seen time with the Miami Dolphins before becoming a role player with the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s also played for the Steelers and Bears while also seeing time on the Saints and Jaguars practice squads.

Now Charlton is getting a new opportunity. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, he’ll be joining several former Wolverines in San Francisco, as the 49ers are picking him up as a free agent on a one-year deal.

In San Francisco, Charlton will join cornerback Ambry Thomas, wide receiver Ronnie Bell, and kicker Jake Moody, who all came aboard to the Bay Area via the NFL draft.

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49ers sign DE Taco Charlton, waive UDFA S Avery Young

The #49ers signed former 1st-round pick DE Taco Charlton.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced the signing of defensive end Taco Charlton. In a corresponding move they released undrafted rookie safety Avery Young.

Charlton was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2017 draft. In six seasons he’s been with five teams including Dallas, Miami, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Charlton has played in 60 games with 13 starts, posting 11.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

He joins a DE room that’s a little thin due to Nick Bosa’s ongoing holdout. DE Austin Bryant has missed a couple sessions so the team may need a player to take some reps at that spot.

Young was part of the first wave of UDFA signings for the 49ers after the draft. He played his college football at Rutgers. If he clears waivers he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

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Jaguars sign former 1st round pick Taco Charlton

The Jaguars announced they added former Cowboys first-round pick Taco Charlton.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added former first-round pick Taco Charlton to the practice squad, the team announced Monday.

Charlton, 28, was the 28th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but he spent only two seasons with the team. After the defensive end only recorded four sacks in Dallas, Charlton was released in 2019 and picked up by the Miami Dolphins.

Since then, Charlton has spent time with the Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears. He was waived by the Bears last week after a little over a month on the team’s active roster.

In 60 career games and 13 starts, Charlton has 11.5 career sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

The Jaguars rank 28th in the NFL in sacks this season with only 31 through 16 games. While the team got No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker back from injury in Week 17, the team lost veteran Dawuane Smoot to an Achilles tear in Week 16.

Bears claim CB Michael Ojemudia, waive DL Taco Charlton

Bears claim former Denver Broncos CB Michael Ojemudia, waive DL Taco Charlton.

The Chicago Bears made a move to bolster their secondary for the final few games, claiming cornerback Michael Ojemudia off waivers from the Denver Broncos and waiving defensive end Taco Charlton on Wednesday afternoon.

Ojemudia was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa by the Broncos. He played in all 16 games his rookie year, starting 11 of them, and forced four fumbles. He played sparingly in 2021 and 2022, though, in part due to injuries. Over the course of those two seasons, Ojemudia appeared in just five games total. He was placed on waivers on Tuesday. He joins a Bears secondary that has been decimated with injuries to players such as Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor.

To make room for Ojemudia, the Bears waived Charlton, who had joined the team halfway through the season after spending the first half on the New Orleans Saints practice squad. The former first-round pick out of Michigan appeared in five games for the Bears, notching just three total tackles.

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Bears poach backup DE Taco Charlton from the Saints practice squad

The Bears poached backup defensive end Taco Charlton from the Saints practice squad. Will they make a new addition?

Well that’s unexpected. The New Orleans Saints practice squad lost backup defensive end Taco Charlton on Wednesday to the Chicago Bears, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports, who are signing Charlton to their 53-man roster. The former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick played well for the Saints in their preseason games but hadn’t been activated during the regular season with Cameron Jordan (72.4% of snaps), Marcus Davenport (51.3%), Tanoh Kpassagnon (29.5%), and Carl Granderson (29.3%) seeing the majority of time at defensive end.

Charlton was one of several players listed at defensive end on the practice squad, along with 2022 draft pick Jordan Jackson and early-season free agent pickup Jabari Zuniga. He’ll have an opportunity to hit the field on Sundays with Chicago, whereas in New Orleans he was buried on the depth chart behind the aforementioned players and 2021 first rounder Payton Turner (22.4% of snaps played).

So will the Saints make an addition after losing Charlton? Maybe, maybe not. They have the numbers at defensive end to absorb the loss, and there are other position groups that might be a higher priority (like the offensive line). We’ll keep an eye out for movement in case they do want to restock the depth chart.

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Bears sign DL Taco Charlton to active roster, activate Matt Adams off IR

The Bears made a couple of roster moves ahead of Week 11, signing Taco Charlton and activating Matt Adams off IR.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced a couple of roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

Chicago has signed defensive lineman Taco Charlton off the Saints’ practice squad and activated linebacker Matt Adams off injured reserve.

Adams suffered a calf injury in a Week 5 loss to the Vikings, and he missed the required four games after landing on IR. Adams returned to practice last week, opening his 21-day window to return.

After releasing defensive end Kingsley Jonathan, the Bears signed Charlton to fill his roster spot. Eberflus is familiar with Charlton back during their time with the Cowboys.

Charlton, a former first-round pick by Dallas in the 2017 NFL draft, has had five stops in his six-year career. He played two years with the Cowboys from 2017-18 before spending time with the Dolphins (2019), Chiefs (2020) and Steelers (2021).

In 55 NFL games, Charlton 92 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, three pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

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