Tag: under 25

Cowboys place 2 on PFN’s Top 25 Under 25; Parsons just misses cut

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland make this list of the league’s brightest young stars; Micah Parsons missed the age cutoff by 3 weeks.

The Cowboys always pride themselves on developing their youngest players, and they’ve historically shown a knack for turning players with little experience into some of the league’s biggest performers.

Pro Football Network has put out its list of the league’s brightest young talents for the 2024 season, with the Cowboys making up a full eight percent of those honored.

Both cornerback DaRon Bland and offensive lineman Tyler Smith can be found on the outlet’s Top 25 Under 25, with one other Cowboy superstar just missing the cut based on his recent birthday.

Edge rusher Micah Parsons turned 25 over Memorial Day Weekend, officially excluding him from this list. Otherwise, PFN points out, the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro would have ranked No. 2 overall.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb blew out 25 candles in April, tight end Jake Ferguson celebrated the big 2-5 in January, and cornerback Trevon Diggs will be 25 for three more months, so the Cowboys clearly boast plenty of premier skill players who are on the younger side.

But PFN’s list is just for players currently under 25, leaving a much smaller pool to draw from.

Of Smith, who takes 23rd place on the list, PFN points out that the Tulsa product played two different O-line positions over his first two seasons “and improved every phase of his game.” Now slated to be the starting left guard with a rookie playing on either side of him, Smith’s continued dominance “will be critical” in 2024. Perhaps best of all, the first-round pick just turned 23 in April (he was barely 21 the night he was drafted), meaning there’s no reason he shouldn’t appear on this list- and hopefully rank even higher- in 2025.

Bland takes the 17th spot on PFN’s countdown, but if the outlet had waited a month, Bland would have been ineligible. (He’ll turn 25 in mid-July.) The Fresno State alum “can be beaten at times,” but nine interceptions and a league-record five pick-sixes last season earned him not only an All-Pro nod but a spot “among the most dangerous defensive backs in the game.” Paired with Diggs this fall, he’ll make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and receivers, with PFN calling him “a turnover waiting to happen.”

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Detroit lineman Penei Sewell occupies the top spot on the list, with Sauce Gardner and Ja’Marr Chase rounding out the top three. (Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson would have been No. 1 had he not turned 25 earlier this week.)

The Lions have the most players in the top 25, with four. The Houston Texans feature three players, while the Chiefs and Jets join the Cowboys with two entries apiece.

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Zero Packers make NFL’s All-Under 25 team entering 2023

No Packers players made NFL.com’s All-Under 25 team entering 2023. Will they have a legit candidate for 2024? It’s hard to tell.

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The Green Bay Packers are in the early stages of a youth movement, and Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur needs a few of their best young players to take big steps in 2023.

Zero Packers players made NFL.com’s “All-Under 25 Team” entering 2023.

Young talent is the lifeblood of an NFL roster. Elite, recently-drafted players quickly become foundational players.

So, where do the Packers stand in under-25-year-old talent?

Jaire Alexander is 26, while Rashan Gary turned 25 last December.

Christian Watson (24) might have been the best (and only?) candidate this year. He was blocked by Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, so no argument there. By next May, Watson will be 25.

Jordan Love turns 25 in November. Devonte Wyatt and A.J. Dillon are already 25. Eric Stokes, Josh Myers and Zach Tom all turn 25 within the first part of next year.

It’s tough to determine if the Packers will have a player on the list come this time next year.

Will Quay Walker (23) emerge as a top off-ball linebacker in Year 2?

Can first-round pick Lukas Van Ness (21) become an instant difference-maker?

Will Tucker Kraft (22) or Luke Musgrave (22) emerge early on as weapons at tight end?

Is Romeo Doubs (23) or Jayden Reed (23) capable of emerging as a legit No. 1 receiver?

The majority of the picks on the 2023 All-Under 25 team came from the 2022 draft. More than likely, if the Packers are going to get a player on next year’s list, one of the top picks from the 2023 class will have to break out as a first-year star.

Which Cowboys made NFL.com’s All-Under-25 Team? Who was left out?

From @ToddBrock24f7: Two young Cowboys stars made the U25 squad, while one was left out in the cold. At least one other has multiple chances remaining.

Football is a young man’s game, but it generally takes a little while for a player to really come into his own once he hits the NFL. To achieve star-level status before even turning 25 years old is a rare thing, and the list of those who have done it is a little like looking at a best-guess roster of some ultimate Pro Bowl squad of the near future.

NFL.com’s Nick Shook has put together a lineup of the best players under the age of 25 for the 2023 season, one at each offensive and defensive position. A quick scan through the Cowboys depth chart shows four players who might have had a legitimate argument of being in the conversation, but only two of them actually made the list.

Here’s which Dallas youngsters made the under-25 squad, and which ones just missed the cut.

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