Tag: Warren McClendon

Charts show how bad Rams’ pass protection has been compared to rest of NFL

Analytics show the Rams’ pass protection has been miles worse than every other team in the NFL

Matthew Stafford enjoyed good protection from his offensive line last season but he’s taken a beating in the first two weeks of the 2024 campaign. With Steve Avila, Rob Havenstein, Alaric Jackson and Joe Noteboom all missing time already, Stafford has been under heavy pressure when dropping back to pass.

It’s not surprising given the constant shuffling up front, but something has to improve before Stafford joins his teammates on injured reserve from the litany of hits he’s been taking.

ESPN and Pro Football Focus’ analytics can give us an idea of just how bad the Rams’ pass protection has been through two games and it’s clear they’ve been the league’s worst in that department. Based on the chart below, they’re in a class of their own – and not in a good way.

PFF’s grading has clearly been harsher on the Rams than ESPN’s pass-blocking win rate metric, but the point still stands: LA has been horrendous at protecting its quarterback.

Another chart using PFF’s pass-blocking grades on true pass sets (excluding play-action, screens and quick passes) shows the Rams are by far the worst in the league with a score of 39. The next-closest team is the Dolphins at 47, while the Colts are No. 1 with a grade of 80.

The good news is that Alaric Jackson will return from his suspension this week, taking over at left tackle for Warren McClendon Jr. That was by far the Rams’ weakest spot in the first two weeks so hopefully Jackson’s return will help.

On the flip side, Jonah Jackson will miss at least four games with a shoulder injury so the Rams’ guard play could take a hit.

Former UGA OL Warren McClendon selected in 2023 NFL draft

McClendon joining Stetson in LA

Former Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

McClendon was picked No. 174 overall and became Georgia’s ninth player to be taken from its back-to-back national championship-winning team.

McClendon was the second Georgia Bulldog to be taken by Los Angeles in this draft. The Rams selected quarterback Stetson Bennett in the fourth round. The two will join former Georgia cornerback Derion Kendrick, safety Richard LeCounte and quarterback Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles.

McClendon was a three-year starter on Georgia’s offensive front that helped lead the Bulldogs to consecutive national titles.

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Secret Superstars of the 2023 NFL draft: The best underrated prospects

Who are the best underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL draft? Doug Farrar runs down the sleepers who could make surprising differences in the NFL.

Several NFL executives have already made it clear that they’re struggling to find as many as 20 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class deserving of a first-round grade.

That may look like a pull quote, but it’s not entirely uncommon. Drafts like the 2023 one, which starts Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST, are wider than they are tall, which means that while there aren’t a ton of obvious first-round guys, there are second- and third-day players who can make a difference on an NFL roster right away.

And that’s why it’s so important to have your scouting go all the way through all seven rounds and beyond. Ask the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who got their eventual starting running back (Rutgers’ Isiah Pacheco) in the seventh round. Or the Seattle Seahawks, who bagged starting cornerback Tariq Woolen out of UTSA in the fifth. And of course, there were few more interesting rookie stories in 2022 than the tale of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the most relevant “Mr. Irrelevant” in pro football history.

Looking ahead to the most talented sleepers in the 2023 draft class, there are prospects who have been pushed down in loaded position groups, those who need a bit of finishing work to fully unlock their NFL potential, and those who don’t have a total skill set, but who do a few things very well. They are all more than worthy of NFL consideration, and just because they’ll probably hear their names called in the late second or early third day of the draft, don’t automatically discount their NFL potential.

That’s a mistake the smartest NFL teams never make. Here are my most gifted sleepers — the “Secret Superstars” of the 2023 NFL draft.

2023 NFL draft mock: Selecting players who have met with the Bills

Our @jdiloro puts together a mock draft for the #Bills consisting only of players we’ve heard the team has met with… a tough task:

The 2023 NFL draft is only a handful of days away. The number of mock drafts floating in cyberspace is too numerous to count.

Here’s another one. 

However, this mock draft will focus on players whom the Bills have reportedly met with over the past three months. These meetings could take place in a variety of ways: in private workouts, at the Senior Bowl, at the combine, via virtual meetings, or at Pro Days.

Special note: We know that the Bills have done their research and scrutinized many more prospects than those who are on this list. Nevertheless, the team must have some level of interest in a player if Buffalo has reportedly visited with specified prospects in some capacity. 

The projected draft round is a general idea of where the player is expected to be selected. As anyone who follows the draft knows, it’s far from an exact science. The prospect pool reflects players who have reportedly met with the Bills as of Tuesday prior to the draft

Without further ado, here is a mock draft focusing on players who have reportedly visited or met with the Bills ahead of the 2023 NFL draft: 

Broncos had a virtual pre-draft visit with OT Warren McClendon

After winning two national championships at Georgia, OT Warren McClendon now projects as a backup swing tackle. He’s a late-round prospect.

The Denver Broncos recently had a virtual pre-draft visit with Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

McClendon (6-4, 306 pounds) won back-to-back national championships with the Bulldogs, starting 29-straight games at right tackle from 2021-2022. Before that, he started nine games at right tackle in 2020.

Although he played almost exclusively as a tackle at the college level, some draft pundits believe McClendon could transition to guard as a pro. He might be a candidate to serve as a backup swing tackle/guard in the NFL.

McClendon is now projected to be a sixth-round pick in the NFL draft. The Broncos currently hold No. 195 overall in the sixth round (view the team’s full order of picks here).

If selected by Denver, McClendon’s competition for a backup swing tackle job would include Quinn Bailey and Isaiah Prince. The Broncos will likely add multiple offensive linemen through the draft and college free agency.

The 2023 NFL draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29.

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Bengals met virtually with Georgia OT Warren McClendon before draft

The Bengals met with another high-profile OT prospect before the draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals met with Georgia offensive tackle Warren McClendon virtually before the 2023 NFL draft.

The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reported the Bengals were one of a handful of recent virtual meetings for the Bulldogs star, who won two national championships and started in the SEC for three seasons.

That resume alone will make McClendon attractive to the Bengals on draft day. But it doesn’t hurt that he’s a 6’4″, 304-pound tackle who has multi-position potential as a backup.

Given some of the line issues in Cincinnati, topped by a starter and long-term backup need at right tackle, McClendon makes a lot of sense as a target.

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Patriots met with this under-the-radar tackle prospect

The New England Patriots could be eyeing a national champion offensive lineman.

The New England Patriots have always had a unique approach to finding diamonds in the rough, and they could be attempting to do so again in a recent Zoom call with Georgia offensive tackle Warren McClendon.

McClendon was a part of the Georgia Bulldogs’ success, as he started 38 consecutive games and won two national championships in the process. He did not allow a sack in the 2021 or 2022 seasons.

This is certainly an intriguing name, as New England could use more depth at the tackle position. Trent Brown headlines the group, and the Patriots were able to get more help with the signing of Riley Reiff. Nevertheless, New England needs more youth and depth in the room, and McClendon could provide that, in addition to consistency.

New England holds the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft. They currently have 11 draft picks in total heading into the first round next Thursday.

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10 offensive tackles for the Eagles in 2023 NFL draft

We’re looking at ten offensive line prospects to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft

The Eagles are a gold standard franchise in the NFL, and a significant reason for the yearly success centers around one of the top offensive lines in football.

Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson are both all-time greats and have been with Philadelphia throughout Howie Roseman’s tenure.

The Eagles GM drafted Jordan Mailata in 2018, and he made significant decisions by previously acquiring Brandon Brooks and Isaac Seumalo.

Landon Dickerson was a second-round risk, and he’s a Pro Bowl left guard and potential All-Pro who has transitioned from the center position.

Cam Jurgens was drafted to replace Jason Kelce at the center position, but the former Nebraska All-American could slide to right guard in 2023.

Philadelphia builds from the inside out, and the Eagles’ GM will indeed begin preparing to replace Johnson and possibly Mailata at some point.

With the NFL draft fast approaching, here are ten offensive tackles to watch.

One offensive tackle for the Eagles in every round of the 2023 NFL draft

We’re looking at one offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles in every round of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Eagles are set to retool the offensive line after losing a key contributor and a Pro Bowl-caliber starter in Isaac Suemalo.

The expectation is that former Nebraska center and 2021 second-round pick Cam Jurgens will slide to right guard.

Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman could decide to draft a more natural fit for the position to compete against Jurgens while adding more depth to the NFL’s most talented position group.

The Eagles have studs at the offensive tackle position, with Lane Johnson (RT) as the best at his job.

Jordan Mailata has Pro Bowl potential at left tackle and is a mauler and Jalen Hurts’ personal protector.

With the NFL draft quickly approaching, we’re looking at one offensive tackle in every round of the selection process.

7-round NFL mock draft for the Denver Broncos

It’s that time of year! Here is our first seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Broncos.

It’s that time of year!

With the 2023 NFL draft now just two weeks away, it’s time for Broncos Wire‘s first seven-round mock draft for the Denver Broncos.

It’s a seven-round mock for Denver but it only includes five picks because the Broncos do not own first- or second-round picks following the Russell Wilson trade last year.

Because draft-day trades are just about impossible to predict, our seven-round prediction only includes the picks Denver currently owns, including back-to-back selections early in the third round.

The Broncos patched up most of their biggest roster needs during NFL free agency, but Denver still has a few holes to fill through the draft. Here is our seven-round mock draft for the Broncos with those roster needs in mind.