tristan wirfs – Page 29 – Syndication Server

12 players Giants should watch carefully at 2020 NFL Combine

Workout at the 2020 NFL Combine will begin on Thursday, and here’s a quick look at 12 players the New York Giants should watch carefully.

The 20202 NFL Combine is being held this week in Indianapolis and the New York Giants, holders of the No. 4 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, will be seeking their next class of presumptive stars.

What will they be looking for and what the rest of the football world believes they should be looking for are two distinct and separate things.

If I ran the Giants, I’d be looking specifically for two types of players first: ones that can make plays on defense and ones that can protect my young quarterback.

What is going through general manager Dave Gettleman’s mind is anyone’s guess. Like most, I’m under the assumption he knows what his team in lacking, but you can never tell with him. He falls in love with players and ends up reaching.

Here’s some players the Giants should be interested in this week.

Offensive Tackles

Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama (JR, 6’5″, 320 pounds)
Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia (JR, 6’5″, 320 pounds)
Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville (JR, 6’7″, 369 pounds)
Tristan Wirfs, OT/OG, Iowa (JR, 6’5″, 322 pounds)

You can take them in any order you’d like. They all should be there at No. 4 when the Giants select. The favorite here is Becton, who is just so massive and imposing he’s hard to pass up. The question is can you trade down a few spots and still get one of these guys?

The answer is yes. Gettleman should trade back from No. 4 with a team looking for a quarterback, grab some draft capital and maybe take one of the above and perhaps one from the below list in Round 1:

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson (rJR, 6’4″, 225 pounds)
Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (JR, 6’2″, 234 pounds)
Patrick Queen, LSU (JR, 6’1″, 227 pounds)
Zack Baun, Wisconsin (rSR, 6’3″, 240 pounds)
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (JR, 6’6″, 280 pounds)
K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU (JR, 6’4″, 250 pounds)
Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State (JR, 6’5″, 264 pounds)
Terrell Lewis, Alabama (rJR, 6’5″, 258 pounds)

Any one of the above players would walk right onto the practice field in East Rutherford and take someone’s job Day 1. Simmons would be the optimal choice, but the Giants might have to stay at No. 4 to get him, pending his Combine performance.

I love Epenesa and Baun, but they aren’t Top 5 worthy. The rest could be mid-late first rounders or even second rounders, but I’m putting Becton, Simmons, Baun and Epenesa on my dance card. I’ll also be interested to see how Chaisson fares as well.

For those who are into the best available player theory, Alabama wideout Jerry Jeudy and Ohio State defensive back Jeffrey Okudah are two players to watch.

2020 NFL draft prospect profile: Iowa OL Tristan Wirfs

Let’s take a look at Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs.

The offensive line is a clear cut need for the Panthers in this upcoming draft. Fortunately, there is plenty of OL talent to go around in this draft class. Last week we talked about the possibility of the Panthers drafting a right tackle (Jedrick Wills) and kicking Taylor Moton over to left guard to fill the hole they have there.

This week, we are going to take a look at a player who could potentially fit right in at guard and make an immediate impact Week 1. Let’s take a look at Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs.

Scouting Report:
Wirfs is listed at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 320 pounds. Physically speaking, he checks off all of the boxes and passes the eye test. He uses his tremendous frame and strong hands to bully defenders in the run game and is pretty quick on his feet getting out of his stance. Wirfs even offers versatility as a guard or tackle, as he spent time playing at both spots during his career at Iowa. Along with his incredible athleticism and pure strength, Wirfs plays with excellent balance, body control, hand usage, and anchoring ability in pass protection.

However, edge defenders have exposed his lack of flexibility in his pass sets in the past which has some teams worrying about his ability to play tackle at the next level. In fact, some analysts believe he would be better suited at guard so he can hide the inefficiencies in his pass protection sets against outside edge rushers. By moving inside, Wirfs will be able to stay compact and utilize his strength more to his advantage, all while not having to worry about edge rushers burning him on the outside in his vertical pass sets.

Overall, Wirfs is a tremendous talent but moving him to guard full-time in the NFL will help him tap into his All-Pro potential.

Highlights:

Wirfs vs. USC

Wirfs vs. Rutgers

Wirfs vs. Wisconsin

Wirfs vs. Michigan

Fit with the Panthers:
There are many rumors flying around right now speculating that the Panthers are looking to trade down in the draft. No. 7 overall might be a bit of a reach for Wirfs, but if Marty Hurney makes the move to trade down into the mid-first round, look for them to potentially pounce on a prospect like Wirfs. It would not be a sexy pick, but it would be a big step towards finally fielding a complete offensive line.

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Giants ‘love’ OL prospect Cardinals might covet

The Giants reportedly “love” Iowa tackle prospect Tristan Wirfs.

It is NFL draft season and that means information and misinformation will come from many sources. We will hear reports of teams and their interest in different players.

The Arizona Cardinals have the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft and they could target an offensive lineman. Based on many mock drafts, if they do, they very possibly will be the second team drafting a lineman. The other could be the New York Giants, who pick fourth overall.

A player connected to the Cardinals in many mock drafts is Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs. Most do not rate him as the best tackle in the draft, but according to a report from SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, the Giants are very high on Wirfs.

In fact, the Giants already “love” Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, according to an NFL source familiar with the Giants thinking, and they have expressed similar interest in Alabama’s Jedrick Wills. Both of them are widely considered among the top four offensive line prospects in this year’s class, and they will get a good look from the entire league at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week.

It is far too early to know whether either of them would interest the Giants enough to draft them with the fourth overall pick. Right now, the NFL consensus seems to have Wirfs and Wills in a four-man group at the top of the offensive line charts, with Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton. Which order they will eventually land in depends, for now, on who is asked.

If the Cardinals decide to go with a lineman with the eighth pick overall, if the Giants end up liking Wirfs more than others, there is the potential that the Cardinals could select Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, whom NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah calls “an absolute freak.”

The NFL combine begins this week and so player rankings could change.

Cardinals fans will want to keep an eye on the Giants leading up to the draft because their pick could affect what direction the Cardinals go with the eighth pick.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 258

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Ep. 257

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Check out what Daniel Jeremiah said about 4 top tackle prospects

In a conference call, Jeremiah gave his thoughts on Mekhi Becton, Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs and Austin Jackson.

The Arizona Cardinals could be drafting an offensive tackle in the first round or perhaps in the second round. If they select one with the eighth overall pick, they will be getting one of the top-rated tackles in the draft.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah spoke about four of the top tackle prospects in his recent conference call with the media.

What did he say about each of them?

Louisville OT Mekhi Becton

“To me, Mekhi Becton is a freak, from Louisville, an absolute freak,” said Jeremiah. “He’s a left tackle. He’s a better version of Bryant McKinnie. He’s going to be that guy for the next 10 to 12 years to protect your franchise quarterback. He’s so big, so long, so athletic, even when he is not perfect, it doesn’t matter because nobody can get through him. He’s 6’7”, 370 pounds.

“You just don’t see guys like that come around very often.”

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Cardinals land OT, WR, RB in full mock draft simulation

Check out how things could play out getting a lineman in Round 1 and a receiver in Round 2.

We are officially two months away from the 2020 NFL Draft. Mock drafts come from all over the internet. Today we begin with what will probably be weekly simulations of the full draft for the Arizona Cardinals.

In this first simulation, the scenario I use is how things play out if the Cardinals go with a tackle in the first round. Likewise, it also presumes that the Cardinals are not able to re-sign running back Kenyan Drake.

With those in place, this is how things went in this full mock draft simulation.

Round 1: Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs

Again, the scenario I was going with was taking a tackle in Round 1. In this case, all linemen except for Louisville’s Mekhi Becton are available. The choice was between Wirfs and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas. Wirfs is the pick. He could be the team’s Week 1 starter at right tackle. Now we will see if there are any impact receivers in Round 2.

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Latest NFL mock draft gives Dolphins pair of Iowa Hawkeyes early

USA TODAY’s Draft Wire released a pre-combine mock draft and in it the Dolphins land two Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1st round.

The Miami Dolphins’ mock draft hauls have more variety than the Powerball. With three first round picks and five in the first two rounds, the Dolphins are stocked to the brim — and each scenario seems to bring a different haul for Miami. It’s a great problem to have. But there’s enough scenarios to make your head spin and a plethora of prospects to try to keep straight.

The latest effort from USA TODAY’s Draft Wire should have Dolphins fans pretty fired up, however. The Dolphins have openly stated that they’d like to play a physical, intelligent brand of football. Head coach Brian Flores preaches physicality and intelligence. The Dolphins’ 1st-round haul in this scenario gives Miami three talents who comfortably check the boxes.

5th overall – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

The connection between the Dolphins and Tagovailoa will persist until someone explicitly tell us it isn’t going to happen. Or until when the Dolphins turn in the card.

18th overall – OL Tristan Wirfs, Iowa

It is a bit of a surprise to see Wirfs available at 18, but the emergence of other offensive line talents like Louisville’s Mekhi Becton and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills have put Wirfs’ status as a top prospect at the tackle position in question. Additionally, some people will inevitably feel as though he’s better suited inside at guard. Whether he plays inside or outside, he’d immediately be the Dolphins’ best lineman.

26th overall – DL A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

Epenesa is a bit more of a scheme specific fit and for him to make it to the Dolphins at 26, he’s going to have to survive a selection by the New England Patriots — who could also use his services. But if New England is resided to adding offensive weapons for Tom Brady, then the Dolphins may reap the benefits and land this heavy handed standout.

The remainder of Draft Wire’s mock gives the Dolphins a running back (Georgia’s D’Andre Swift) at 39, a center (LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry) and a slot receiver (Penn State’s K.J. Hamler) in the top-100.

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12 Offensive tackles for Browns fans to watch at the scouting combine

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Player workouts begin later in the week, with many of the drills now being performed in prime time for a wider television audience.

The Cleveland Browns and the new coaching staff led by Kevin Stefanski will be very active in scouring Indianapolis for talent that can help the team. With the biggest hole on the roster at offensive tackle, expect a big focus on the top tiers of tackles who can help the Browns immediately.

Here are the consensus top 12 offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft who will be working out at the combine. How they break down in order remains to be seen, but these are the names to watch during the week.

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Report: Giants ‘love’ Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs

The New York Giants reportedly “love” Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, and are keeping an eye on Alabama’s Jedrick Wills as well.

The 2020 NFL Combine in Indianapolis is just around the corner and the 2020 NFL Draft is soon to follow. That’s good news for the New York Giants, who are in desperate need of an influx of more young talent.

With the No. 4 overall pick, there is no real consensus in what direction the Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman will go.

Will the Giants target a pass rusher at No. 4? An offensive tackle? A cornerback? A rare trade down?

All are potential scenarios, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports that Big Blue is in full bloom “love” with Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Oh yeah, they’re also reportedly transfixed by Alabama’s Jedrick Wills as well.

In fact, the Giants already “love” Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, according to an NFL source familiar with the Giants thinking, and they have expressed similar interest in Alabama’s Jedrick Wills. Both of them are widely considered among the top four offensive line prospects in this year’s class, and they will get a good look from the entire league at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week.

It is far too early to know whether either of them would interest the Giants enough to draft them with the fourth overall pick. Right now, the NFL consensus seems to have Wirfs and Wills in a four-man group at the top of the offensive line charts, with Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton. Which order they will eventually land in depends, for now, on who is asked.

It should come as absolutely no surprise that the Giants are taking a deep look at offensive tackles given that it’s one of their two primary needs entering the new league year. The other, of course, coming along the edge where they are in desperate need of a game-changing pass rusher.

Given that free agency has a slew of dominant pass rushers and cornerbacks poised to become available, selecting an offensive tackle at No. 4 overall (or trading down and then doing it) seems to make the most sense for Gettleman & Co. But no one has ever accused them of acting sensibly, so we’ll see how things play out over the next two months.

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Charley Casserly’s 2020 NFL mock draft has Bucs addressing their need at right tackle

Take a look at Charley Casserly’s first mock draft to see who he has the Bucs selecting at 14.

When free agency hits next month, you can expect the Buccaneers to be active participants, given the number of players they have hitting the open market along with other pressing needs that need to be addressed on both sides of the ball.

On offense, the story is of course quarterback Jameis Winston and whether or not he’ll be retained by the Bucs, whether on a short-term deal or by getting the franchise or transition tag. But the Bucs also have a glaring need along the offensive line, which is why NFL.com’s Charley Casserly likes Tampa Bay going with Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs at the 14th spot in his first mock draft.

Per Casserly:

“I believe the QB question will be solved before the draft, either by retaining Jameis Winston or bringing in another veteran signal-caller in free agency. Regardless of who ends up under center, the Bucs need help at right tackle.”

I agree with Casserly that the QB situation for the Bucs should be solved by the time the draft rolls around. That would probably eliminate the need for some of these earlier mock drafts who have the Bucs drafting a quarterback at 14. I don’t think the Bucs will invest in one in this year’s draft, at least not in the first round.

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How D.J. Humphries’ extension with Cardinals helps the Jets

With D.J. Humphries signing a three-year, $45 million extension, it could take the Cardinals out of the market for a OT come draft day.

If the Jets want to draft a tackle in the first round of the NFL draft, an obstacle was just removed from their path there.

D.J. Humphries signed a three-year, $45 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The new contract will pay Humphries $30 million over the first two years and $29 million guaranteed. It comes in the aftermath of the first 16-game season of his career.

The move to extend the 26-year-old tackle out of the University of Florida not only telegraphs Arizona’s draft plans, but it also helps out tackle-needy teams like the Jets that need the first 10 picks of April’s draft to bounce in their favor.

Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton are the four best offensive tackles in the draft, but there will be other interested teams before the Jets pick at No. 11. The Giants, Chargers, Panthers, Jaguars and Browns could all be in the market for the position. However, a run on quarterbacks and Humphries’ extension could pay dividends for New York, who has to rely on a little bit of luck for an offensive lineman to fall into their laps at 11.

Humphries was set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. While the Cardinals have re-upped their starting left tackle, who helped Arizona’s running game finish with a franchise-record 5.0 yards per carry last season, they still have multiple offensive lineman hitting the free agent market.

Veteran offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert is set to hit free agency, while Justin Murray, who ended the season as the starter, is a former undrafted free agent who has bounced around the league. With that, ESPN’s Mel Kiper still has Arizona taking Wirfs in his latest mock draft, citing Wirfs’ history on the right side and Gilbert’s impending free agency.

Still, it’s unknown whether Gilbert is also part of Arizona’ retention plan. According to Spotrac.com, Arizona had roughly $51.5 million in salary cap space, which was the 15th most across the league, prior to the Humphries’ extension.

With Humphries extended for the next three seasons, it could take Arizona out of the tackle market in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Players like Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Alabama wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown all make sense for the Cardinals, who pick eighth overall.

While Arizona spent three of its draft picks in 2019 on receivers Hakeem Butler, Andy Isabella and KeSean Johnson, they are still seemingly in the market for a top-tier wideout. Larry Fitzgerald is signed back for his 17th season, while Christian Kirk has emerged as a legitimate No. 2. Still, there can never be enough wideouts in Kliff Kingsbury’s wide open attack, especially when developing a young quarterback.

This past season Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year, so the franchise seems bent on providing him with the best protection possible, something the Jets hope on supplementing Sam Darnold with this offseason.

The market for offensive tackles is expected to be competitive, with the Jets being one of several teams to throw their hats in the ring. Of course, Humphries helps set the market for similar offensive tackles, but it also takes one off the board as well. When the draft rolls around, there are no certainties that the Jets will still be in the market for a tackle; anything between now and the draft is in the cards for Gang Green.

For now, the Humphries extension and a potential run on quarterbacks projects well for Gang Green’s hopes of getting one of the draft’s top-four tackles.