Tag: Zacch Pickens

South Carolina Gamecocks pro day: Cam Smith, Zacch Pickens bulk up

South Carolina Gamecocks pro day: CB Cam Smith and DT Zacch Pickens each added some much-needed weight

South Carolina held its annual pro day for prospective NFL players on Monday. All 32 teams made the trek to Columbia to check out the Gamecocks’ prospects for the 2023 NFL draft.

The Gamecocks have several draft-worthy players who went through testing. Most notable is CB Cam Smith, who projects as a top 50 overall talent.

2023 NFL Draft: Cam Smith scouting report

Smith weighed in three pounds heavier on Monday than he did at the NFL Scouting Combine. The jump from 180 pounds to 183 might not seem like much, but NFL teams wanted Smith to get bigger to become more comfortable with his outlook. Smith didn’t do any of the athletic metric testing but did work with the other DBs in position drills on the field.

Getting bigger is important for Smith, who mostly played the slot CB role at South Carolina.

“A lot of people value that inside position, but I need to get bigger because most of the time you’re more of a linebacker, not really a nickel,” Smith said via Emily Adams of the Greenville News. “I’m eating healthy options, but really a load of it. I do some shakes — I get two shakes a day that are like 1,300 calories so each day I’m getting like a pound off of that.”

Fellow CB Darius Rush also chose to stand on his NFL Scouting Combine testing numbers. Rush clocked a 4.36 40-yard dash time at the combine. He is generally projected in the draft’s middle rounds.

Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, a Senior Bowl standout, also elected not to try and improve upon his combine testing. Pickens weighed in at 298 pounds, up seven from his time in Indianapolis two weeks ago. That’s an important jump for a player who has questions about his ability to anchor on the defensive interior.

2023 NFL draft: Latest Giants Wire mock sees trades, 12 picks

In the latest 7-round mock draft from Giants Wire, the New York Giants trade back and end up making 12 total selections.

The New York Giants received two compensatory draft selections from the league on Thursday, raising their total to 11 for the upcoming NFL draft.

The Giants have settled some pressing issues already this offseason by bringing quarterback Daniel Jones under contract and placing the franchise tag placeholder on running back Saquon Barkley.

General manager Joe Schoen still has plenty of cap room to play with in free agency and will be filling some much-needed holes before he gets to the draft table.

One glaring need likely to be addressed in free agency is wide receiver. We project Schoen will bring in a veteran (perhaps Odell Beckham Jr., Adam Thielen or someone along those lines) and perhaps bring back Sterling Shepard or Darius Slayton.

Taking all of that into account, we decided to try our hand at a pre-free agency mock draft based on the news of the added draft picks.

5 pressure DTs for Cowboys to consider in 2023 draft

The Cowboys seem to love the progress of Odighizuwa, but that doesn’t mean that pass-rushing DTs are off the menu come draft time. @TimLettiero looks at the best of the 2023 bunch.

The Cowboys’ were lucky enough to see serious development in last season’s Most Improved Player, Osa Odighizuwa. However, there is a severe lack of a versatile presence next to him as the coaching staff have shown they are not keen on Neville Gallimore. Dallas plays a hybrid system that use both even and odd fronts, seeing players like Odighizuwa, and previously Gallimore, used in multiple spots. Along the interior, the 3-and-5-technique positions are some of the most vital.

3-techs line up on the outside shoulder of a guard while 5-techs line up on the outside shoulder of the tackle; sharing responsibilities of getting to the QB while also providing two-gap ability versus the run. Since they play further away from the ball, a good first step while still having solid play strength is required.

Although currently out of favor, Gallimore remains on roster and the likes of Demarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston have the ability to kick inside from their edge positions. However, Dallas needs some bodies to supplement the improved play of Odighizuwa. Here are five targets to help bolster the Cowboys iDL.

All-22 from the scouting combine: Defensive linemen detail their favorite plays

Defensive linemen Bryan Bresee, Keeanu Benton, Keondre Coburn, Gervon Dexter, and Zacch Pickens describe their best college plays.

INDIANAPOLIS — What’s your one defining moment?

Every prospect at the scouting combine has that one play which defines them to a degree — the highlight shot they think about over and over when it’s time to think about their collegiate careers.

As the defensive linemen took the podiums in Indianapolis on Wednesday, I thought it would be interesting to ask a bunch of them for the one play they would show anybody if asked for the real highlight shot. Here are Clemson’s Bryan Bresee, Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton, Texas’ Keondre Coburn, Florida’s Gervon Dexter, and South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens describing the plays they most remember, with tape examples and further descriptions.

Panthers 2023 mock draft 3.0: Anthony Richardson hype edition

In our latest mock draft, the Panthers move on up for Anthony Richardson—who will likely strengthen his stock at this week’s combine.

Not too long ago, the Carolina Panthers—with this year’s ninth overall pick—seemed to be right in a sweet spot for quarterback prospect Anthony Richardson. But we all know the NFL draft, especially when we’re this early in the process, can throw perception for a loop.

Given the unmatched upside amongst his peers, the University of Florida standout has recently gained some steam. And if the Panthers want to get their hands on him, they may ultimately have to move to do so.

So, before he likely wows at this week’s combine, here is our latest mock draft—the trade up for Richardson edition.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 60, South Carolina DL Zacch Pickens

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.

Green Bay’s run defense yielded 2,372 yards on the ground, which ranked 26th overall. They gave up five yards per carry, which was tied for 29th in the league. 

The Packers need to improve against the run next season and if past history is any indicator, Brian Gutekunst will pour resources into fixing the leaky run defense.

Last season the Packers needed to vastly improve on special teams. Gutekunst attacked the issue with great vigor. The Packers went out and hired one of the best special teams coordinators in the league. They signed players like Keisean Nixon and Dallin Leavitt. They drafted players with plenty of special teams experience like Tariq Carpenter.

It’s reasonable to expect that Gutekunst will add a player or two up front to help shore up the run defense.

A player that Green Bay’s general manager could target in the 2023 NFL Draft is Zacch Pickens. The South Carolina defensive tackle checks in at No. 60 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

Pickens, a South Carolina native finished his career with 32 career starts for the Gamecocks. During his sophomore season in 2020, Pickens recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. In 2021, Pickens recorded five tackles for loss and four sacks. This past season, Pickens recorded 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three pass deflections.

“Pickens was the heart of a defensive line that went through several changes and lineups due to injury,” David Cloninger, a reporter for The Post and Courier said. “As the bedrock in the middle of the defensive line, he had his most productive and best season at USC. He was one of three players I picked as defensive MVPs.”

Pickens is well-built with long arms (34). He has a lot of power in those long limbs and when he plays with proper leverage he can bullrush with the best of them. He has good initial quickness off the snap to quickly get upfield.

The South Carolina defensive tackle really showcased his potential as an interior pass-rusher during the Gamecocks matchup against Kentucky this past season. Pickens recorded one sack and five pressures against the Wildcats.

“He can really get his hands and arms up quickly, to either get above the offensive lineman’s hands or to get his hands up quickly in a quarterback’s field of vision,” Cloninger said. “He has a lot of just straight raw power.”

Against the run, Pickens controls his gap. He’s strong at the point of attack and is difficult to uproot. Pickens has strong, active hands to help him to poke through gaps. He has the short-area quickness and lateral agility to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage.

The former five-star recruit finished his career with just 11.5 tackles for loss. While not eye-popping, Pickens clogged or blew up running lanes that allowed teammates to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. 

“The Gamecocks were bad against the run last year and he shares some blame,” Cloninger said. “I can’t say he was the cause of it, because that would be inaccurate. I can’t say the rest of the line held him back because that would be inaccurate, too. It was group blame. A lot of teams double-teamed him, as he seemed to be the guy they had to take care of first, and as a result, Pickens would easily get frustrated and perhaps give up too quickly. I don’t think it’s any kind of alarm bell, though; more of a “we’ll get that out of him” once he reaches the NFL.”

Fit with the Packers

Get Kenny Clark help. That’s probably what Gutekunst hears when he walks into Woodman’s Food Market. 

Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed are both set to hit the open market this offseason. That leaves Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and TJ Slaton as the notable defensive lineman on the roster.

With those two veterans on their way out, Gutekunst could look to add a defensive lineman or two in the upcoming NFL Draft. 

Pickens could be a potential day two or early day three target for the Packers. The South Carolina defensive tackle has the size, power, and pass-rush upside to develop into a potential interior force for the Packers. 

“He was plenty effective with what he had, and the potential is limitless,” Cloninger said. “It’s often said that Pickens hasn’t yet reached his full potential, and if he’s doing this now at half or 75 percent of what he could be, imagine what he could do when he doesn’t have to worry about school and such. Just football all the time. He could be a starter in year one.”

Clark has needed help upfront for quite some time. Wyatt played limited snaps during his rookie season and has the tools to develop into a dominant defensive lineman for the Packers.

Pickens isn’t as twitchy as the former Georgia Bulldogs. The South Carolina defensive tackle wins with his power. Adding him to the mix with Clark and Wyatt could give Green Bay a potentially strong group up front for Joe Barry. 

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A DT prospect for the Saints in every round of the 2023 NFL draft

A defensive tackle prospect for the Saints in every round of the 2023 NFL draft, from Siaka Ika to Zacch Pickens and Dante Stills:

What is the biggest priority for the New Orleans Saints this offseason — after quarterback, of course? Maybe it’s running back. Maybe it’s defensive tackle. Every player in that position group who got on the field for the Saints last year is headed for free agency, and odds are they won’t able to hold onto everyone. Whether it’s David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street, or Malcolm Roach moving on, the Saints should be looking to pick a defensive tackle at some point in this year’s draft.

And the 2023 draft class runs deep. There are players who have something to offer in all seven rounds of the event. Let’s survey some of those options:

2023 Senior Bowl Preview: Interior Defensive Line

We continue our 2023 Senior Bowl preview with the interior defensive line

One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.

Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.

As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, both managing editor Tyler Forness and columnist Matt Anderson will be there in person to break everything down.

We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. Here is the interior defensive line position.

Previous:

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive tackles
Interior offensive line

Never-too-early 2023 NFL mock draft nets South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens for Saints

Never-too-early 2023 NFL mock draft nets South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens for Saints, addressing a big need with David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle headed for free agency:

Here’s another name to file away on our watch list for the upcoming college football season. Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling put together a two-round mock draft ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, and while the New Orleans Saints don’t have a first-round pick next year they do own a second rounder — when Easterling suggests they should spend on South Carolina prospect Zacch Pickens, one of the top defensive tackles in the nation.

It’s easy to see why defensive tackle could be a priority. New Orleans’ top interior lineman, David Onyemata, is playing out the final year of his contract. So are some other familiar names in the rotation behind him, like Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, Albert Huggins, and Jaleel Johnson. Position-flexible linemen like Tanoh Kpassagnon, Kentavius Street, and Taco Charlton are also playing on expiring contracts. The unit could see a lot of turnover next spring.

So it would be nice to add a splashy rookie like Pickens, who enters his senior year having logged a start in 20 of his 35 appearances with the Gamecocks. He fits New Orleans’ prototype for the position at a listed weight of 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds and has been improving year-over-year in the SEC. Here’s what the Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote of Pickens in his own 2023 mock draft, which saw the South Carolina prospect land inside the first round:

“An athletic big man, Pickens isn’t yet a finished product, but you don’t need to squint to see why NFL scouts are intrigued by his talent. South Carolina has a solid track record of producing defensive linemen, and Pickens is next up in the hopper.”

So there’s a good chance Pickens doesn’t make it to New Orleans in the second round. If he meets his potential as a senior and puts it all together he’ll be an easy pick for teams in the first round. But it’s worth noting that Pickens is the third-ranked defensive tackle for 2023 in Easterling’s two-round mock, with only Georgia’s Jalen Carter and Clemson’s Bryan Bresee going ahead of him, and they were both picked top-7. Easterling has Pickens landing with the Saints at No. 44 overall, ahead of Florida’s Gervon Dexter and LSU’s Jaquelin Roy. It’s a strong group, and it goes to show that New Orleans should have options once they’re on the clock.

Maybe the Saints end up with Pickens after all. Maybe they’ll select Ole Miss running back Zach Evans, another prospect mocked to them recently, instead. Odds are it’ll be a player none of us expect right now. So for now, we’ll just be keeping an eye on them when college football kicks off in the fall. These year-early mock drafts are more useful as fodder for watch lists than any predictive qualities — so much is going to change between now and the event next April, with a full season of college ball to play out and then an arduous pre-draft process of all-star games and workouts adding more smokescreens.

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SKOL Search: Way too early 2023 mock draft

Who did the Vikings land in this way too early 2023 mock draft simulator?

Now that the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books, it’s time to start looking forward to 2023.

The Minnesota Vikings made fixing the defense the entire priority this offseason. How much those pieces will help the issue is another thing entirely.

For this exercise, we will be moving forward like those top pieces filled their requisite holes.

Based on early projections, the class is flush with quarterbacks, wide receivers and pass rushers. Unfortunately, the Vikings are without fourth and seventh-round picks due to trades. Early on, they take full advantage of those positions in this way too early mock draft.