Tag: Yetur Gross-Matos

Draft Network’s Mock Draft: Bears target edge rusher, tight end in 2nd round

The Draft Network released a two-round mock draft, where he had the Bears addressing EDGE and TE with their two second-round selections.

With the NFL offseason in full swing, attention has shifted to free agency and the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, where teams like the Bears will be looking to plug some needs on their roster.

The Bears hold the 43rd and 50th picks in the second round of the NFL Draft, as they got the Raiders’ second-round pick (No. 43) in the Khalil Mack trade.

The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid released a two-round mock draft, where he had the Bears addressing the pass rush and tight end with their two second-round selections.

With the 43rd pick, Reid has the Bears selecting Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos has a penchant for getting after the football and making plays, even in pursuit. In 2019, Gross-Matos had 40 total tackles and 9.5 sacks.

Then, with the 50th selection, Reid has Chicago addressing their need at tight end with Washington ‘s Hunter Bryant. Bryant excelled in his role as the “move” tight end, which made him a matchup problem for opposing defenses. Bryant would figure to serve a similar role in Matt Nagy’s “U” tight end role, as the Bears are looking for production from that position. In 2019, Bryant had 52 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns.

Barring any trades, the Bears will have eight picks in this year’s draft, but only two in the top 50 and three in the top 150. Chicago’s selections include a projected fourth-round compensatory pick for safety Adrian Amos, as well as a conditional pick from the Eagles for running back Jordan Howard, which projects to be a sixth rounder.

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6 DEs who could replace Jabaal Sheard for the Colts

Here’s how the Colts can replace DE Jabaal Sheard.

There is still over a month until free agency officially begins for the Indianapolis Colts and one of their pending free agents is veteran defensive end Jabaal Sheard.

The ultimate leader in the locker room and a steady run defender, Sheard was Chris Ballard’s first outside free-agent signing in 2017. But he’s 30 years old now and his production has been far from game-changing at one of the most important defensive positions. The Colts could re-sign him to a short-term deal or they could look to free agency and the draft to replace him.

If they decide to go with the latter, here are six options the Colts could consider to replace Sheard this offseason:

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Yannick Ngakoue | Age: 24 | Free Agency

Turning 25 years old at the end of March, Ngakoue will be one of the most pursued free agents should the Jaguars allow him to hit the market. There is always a chance they franchise tag the former third-round pick but if they don’t, the Colts should be all over this pass rusher.

A steady contributor since being drafted, Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits over the last four seasons. That’s good for the 12th and eighth-most among pass rushers during that stand. He’s also missed just two games since entering the league.

The price range might keep Chris Ballard out of serious bidding but Ngakoue can be a game-changer for the Colts and should be heavily considered if he winds up hitting the market.

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Vikings draft DE Yetur Gross-Matos in CBS Sports mock draft

Gross-Matos has been a stud for Penn State over the last two seasons, combining for 17 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss.

Mock draft season continues.

In the latest mock draft over at CBS Sports by Josh Edwards, Edwards has the Vikings drafting Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos with the 25th overall pick.

Here’s what Edwards wrote about the pick:

Minnesota needs another edge rusher and potentially two before long. Gross-Matos is a long player that can apply some pressure around the edge.

Gross-Matos has been a stud for Penn State over the last two seasons, combining for 17 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss.

This pick makes sense with Everson Griffen set to be a free agent. Even if the Vikings do bring Griffen back, having his replacement would be smart.

What position are the Vikings most-likely to draft in the first round? That’s a great question. Defensive line is certainly an option, as is cornerback and safety. Offensively, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team draft on the offensive line or at wide receiver.

There are a lot of holes to fill for a team that hopes to be a Super Bowl contender.

Draft Wire’s latest mock draft has Lions trading back, landing 2 first-round picks

Draft Wire’s latest mock draft has Lions landing two first-round picks and using both selections on players from the Big Ten conference.

Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling released a post-Super Bowl Mock Draft with trades and the Lions were one of the teams to take advantage.

In Easterling’s mock, he has the moving back and acquiring two first-round selections from the Miami Dolphins — the end result of which is the Lions giving up pick No. 3 and getting back picks No. 5 and No. 26 in return.

The Dolphins used the Lions pick to select Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama, while the Lions used pick No. 5 to select:

Jeffrey Okudah, CB, OSU

“This is a fantastic scenario for the Lions,” Easterling said, “who trade back a couple of spots, get an extra first-round pick, and still land the player they likely would have taken at their original spot. Okudah is by far this year’s top corner prospect, and would team up with Darius Slay to give Detroit one of the league’s best tandems at a premium position. Don’t rule out Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown here, either.”

No surprises here as Okudah continues to be mocked to Detroit — even in trade backs — as he fills both an immediate and long-term need.

With pick No. 26 the Lions select:

Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State

“After moving down and getting a blue-chip corner in the top five,” Easterling said, “the Lions can now use the first-round pick they received in our projected trade to address their desperate need for front-seven help. Gross-Matos is a well-rounded prospect who may not be as flashy as some other defenders in this class, but he’s a pro-ready player who will make an immediate impact.”

I get the concept here as the Lions need pass-rushing help, but there was another EDGE rusher available in this mock draft that I believe would be higher on the Lions draft board: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa.

This is purely just a matter of preference between analysts on which EDGE rusher they prefer, but for me, Epenesa is a bigger version of Trey Flowers and would fit the Lions scheme like a glove.

Currently, the Lions deploy a tandem of Flowers and Romeo Okwara rotating through the down defensive end role. Last year Flowers played on 62-percent of the Lions snaps and Okwara 53-percent, with the overflow of snaps coming from an interior position — often both would be on the field with one at down defensive end and the other at the 3-technique.

Epenesa would immediately challenge for the Okwara role, and because of his versatility to also play at the 3-technique would give the Lions pass-rushing upgrades on the EDGE and on the interior.

At the end of the day, the Lions walk away big winners in this mock draft.

Bills go defense with first 2 picks in NFL.com 3-round mock draft

Buffalo Bills picks in NFL.com’s first three-round 2020 NFL mock draft.

As the way things currently sit for the Bills, NFL.com believes Buffalo won’t sit tight with the way their defense stands when the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around.

In the outlet’s first three-round mock draft of the offseason, the Bills go defense with their first two picks before addressing their offense in Round 3 with a receiver.

Here’s the full breakdown:

No. 22: DE Yetur Gross-Matos

School: Penn State | Year: Junior

With Shaq Lawson heading toward free agency this offseason, the Bills might look to the draft to keep the defense strong on the edge. Gross-Matos possesses the ability to stack his man on the line and beat him around the corner.

So far the popular pick for the Bills during mock draft season has been offense in Round 1… namely receiver. But the Bills pass on the likes of Clemson’s Tee Higgins, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault and LSU’s Justin Jefferson in NFL.com’s mock.

In Gross-Matos the Bills land the fourth edge defender off the board, but depending on the way the Bills attack free agency, he could make plenty of sense. Not only could the Bills lose Lawson, they could stand to use more production overall from the position. Lawson led the Bills’ defensive end group with 6.5 sacks last season. That’s not good enough.

If the Bills do land Gross-Matos, they could land a guy that many draft analysts consider as one of the more underrated edge defenders in the 2020 draft pool. Gross-Matos is praised as a high-motor athlete, but concerns are over his frame. He is 6-foot-5 and 260-plus pounds, but adding more will help him.

 

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Latest NFL mock draft has Seahawks selecting edge rusher

The Seattle Seahawks need some help off the edge, which is why NFL.com has them selecting Yetur Gross-Matos in their latest mock draft.

The Seattle Seahawks desperately need to shore up their pass rush heading into the 2020 season. A unit that featured Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah and Jarran Reed was led in sacks by Rasheem Green, who had just four.

Clowney, Ansah and Reed are all free agents, and while Seattle will certainly try to get at least Clowney back, it’s no secret this team has some serious shopping to do in order to effectively get to opposing quarterbacks in 2020.

The NFL draft is almost certainly going to be an area where Seattle looks to upgrade off the edge, and while this year’s class is not as strong as the 2019 group, there are still a handful of players the Seahawks could look to in the first round, should they keep their pick at No. 27 overall.

One of those is Yetur Gross-Matos, an edge defender out of Penn State University who Bucky Brooks of NFL.com mocked to the Seahawks in his latest first round projections.

Gross-Matos declared for the draft back in December, and is considered one of the five best edge defenders in the class. He had an extremely accomplished career at Penn State, recording 94 tackles, 17 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss in his final two seasons with the Nittany Lions.

He is an explosive athlete off the edge who, with some refinement in his technique, could become an elite NFL pass rusher. Most scouts think he’ll take a year or two to acclimate to the NFL game, which may not be ideal for the Seahawks, but a player with his athleticism and explosiveness off the edge might be just what the doctor ordered for this Seattle squad.

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Titans select Yetur Gross-Matos at No. 29 overall in Mel Kiper’s first 2020 mock draft

It’s officially that time of year.

It’s officially that time of year.

Several mocks have emerged ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s first one ahead of the event.

With the No. 29 overall pick, he has the Titans selecting Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos.

The Titans have seen some flashes from their current edge rushers, but they certainly need more consistent dominance at the position overall.

Here’s what Kiper had to say about the possible selection.

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“The Titans are another team with a few big pending free agents, and their list includes quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota, running back Derrick Henry, cornerback Logan Ryan and offensive tackle Jack Conklin,” he wrote. “But they also have some uncertainty at edge rusher, with Kamalei Correa, who had five sacks, a free agent, and soon-to-be 38-year-old Cameron Wake coming back from a serious injury. Gross-Matos is a pick to help the competition on the other side of Harold Landry, who came into his own this season. Gross-Matos has long arms on his 6-foot-5 frame, and he is stellar against the run. He’s not a quick-twitch pass-rusher like Young or Chaisson, but he’s a solid player and hard worker. General manager Jon Robinson has an eye for talent, and it’s a huge offseason for Tennessee.”

Gross-Matos had a solid 2019 season with the Nittany Lions, recording 40 tackles and 9.5 sacks after finishing out the previous season with 54 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.

It will be interesting to see if the Titans make the move to select Gross-Matos when they hit the clock in April.

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Potential 1st round draft pick Yetur Gross-Matos named in Penn State hazing suit

Find out which players were named in a Penn State hazing lawsuit brought by a former player.

Last week, CBS Sports had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snatching prized pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos in April’s NFL draft with the 14th pick. The Penn State star has both the size and athleticism to make an immediate impact with the Buccaneers, and would be a welcome addition to a growing young core that includes linebackers Devin White and Shaq Barrett (assuming, of course, Barrett and the Bucs reach a long-term deal this offseason).

But, today, Gross-Matos is in the news for a much different reason — one that could ultimately hurt his stock and potential first-round billing.

The suit was brought against Penn State by former defensive back Isaiah Humphries, who now plays for Cal. Gross-Matos was one of several upperclassmen named in the suit, with others being Damion Barber, Micah Parsons and Jesse Luketa.

The allegations, themselves, are pretty disturbing and you can read the entire list over on TMZ.

Suffice it to say, any Penn State player named in this suit, including Gross-Matos, will have to answer the NFL teams in the months leading up to April’s draft. Character issues are major red flags for clubs, and these allegations should not be taken lightly.

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This Penn State superstar could join the Buccaneers’ young defense

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and could opt for this Penn State pass rusher.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in desperate need of a defensive rebuild following the 2018 season, when they finished 27th in overall defense and 31st in scoring, allowing an average of 29.0 points per game.

Enter Todd Bowles, the former New York Jets head coach and defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, who reunited with his good friend Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay this season.

Bowles’ influence helped turn the Bucs into a top-15 defense and he even had them ranked as the best rush defense in the NFL. If Tampa Bay’s D can continue their growth this offseason, they could be one of the best defensive units in the league in 2020.

Which might be why many experts expect the Bucs to stick with defense when the the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around. The Bucs currently hold the 14th pick, and some mock drafts have them going with safety or cornerback.

But, in his latest mock draft, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Bucs selecting Penn State star defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.

Here’s Wilson’s explanation for the pick:

“The Bucs’ 2019 draft class was defense-heavy and the results were immediate; the unit was the No. 5 defense in the league but the D-line could look completely different next season; Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are all soon-to-be free agents. Gross-Matos has the size, strength and quickness to play the edge but he’s still raw. The good news is he’ll only get better with experience.”

Gross-Matos would be a tremendous get for the Bucs, both from a talent standpoint and character standpoint. Here’s a great segment College GameDay did on the Penn State prospect earlier this season, talking about the tragedies he’s overcome in life. It’s certainly worth a watch.

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Todd McShay’s 1st mock draft gives Ravens Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay has the Baltimore Ravens picking Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos in his first 2020 mock draft

The NFL draft has become a really big deal. With teams utilizing the draft to rebuild their teams and stack already impressive rosters with more young talent, it’s become a beacon for many fans and analysts to envision what will happen. Among the best in the business, ESPN’s draft analyst Todd McShay has already begun to peek at the 2020 NFL draft as well.

With the playoff teams just about set and the draft order beginning to get finalized, McShay put together his first mock draft of the season. And with the very last pick in the first round, McShay has Baltimore grabbing Penn State pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos.

“I thought about Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz here, but Baltimore really needs another edge rusher. The Ravens have a middle-of-the-road sack total this season (34), and Matthew Judon will hit free agency. Gross-Matos needs some development, but he is an above-average pass-rusher and closes well.”

There’s good reasoning here for taking an edge rusher here. As McShay noted, outside linebacker Matthew Judon is set to hit free agency. And while the Ravens should have plenty enough cap space to re-sign him, we’ve seen top pass rushers break the bank and push themselves out of the price range Baltimore is willing to spend if they can hit free agency.

Even if Judon is retained, the Ravens desperately need more help at generating a pass rush. Baltimore ranks 17th in sacks-per-pass, getting to the quarterback just 7% of the time. And most of that has been thanks to defensive coordinator Don Martindale, whose aggressive schemes and blitz packages have generated more pass rush than the individual matchups would normally dictate.

Here, Baltimore might end up getting the steal of the draft in the first round. Gross-Matos was already a physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds but he’s really become a consistent defender this season, notching eight sacks for the second consecutive season and adding 13.5 tackles-for-loss. He’s widely considered one of the top pass rushers in the 2020 NFL draft and getting him with the very last pick in the first round would be an amazing get by general manager Eric DeCosta.

Of course, as is the case with every mock draft, things are undoubtedly going to shake out differently come the actual day. Trades, the occasional odd pick and players rising or falling after the combine are all to be expected. But if Baltimore can get lucky in April, they could walk away with a much-needed impact pass rusher.