Latest news with #NFLScoutingCombine
NBC Sports
4 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Chip Kelly: Not many humans have size and speed like Raiders rookie WR Dont'e Thornton
At the NFL Scouting Combine, former Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. opened a lot of eyes by measuring 6-foot-5 and running his 40-yard dash in 4.30 seconds. He was the tallest player ever to run that fast at the Combine. That led the Raiders to draft Thornton in the fourth round despite minimal production in college: He caught just 65 passes in four seasons of college football, two at Tennessee and two at Oregon. Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly says that a unique talent like Thornton can develop into a productive receiver, even if he hasn't done it yet. 'I think Dont'e is unique in terms of he's just a hair under 6-5 and he ran 4.3. There's not a lot of humans on this planet that do that,' Kelly said, via 'And I think if you had a draw up an outside receiver, you would pick that type of body type, someone that's got length, someone that's got a huge catch radius, but also has speed. Sometimes you can get a big guy like that, but he can't really run, so they can stay with him. So, you add that speed element to him, his ability to sink his hips, his ability to get in and out of cuts.' The Raiders have a long history of valuing physical attributes like size and speed, and General Manager John Spytek said Raiders owner Mark Davis knows his father, Al Davis, would have loved Thornton. 'Mark joked that was the Al Davis pick of this draft,' Spytek said. 'The height, weight, speed, raw traits, athleticism, speed, and I think it's just focusing on what he can do and what he can be. . . . You watch his target tape, I think it's pretty impressive. And we think he hasn't hit his ceiling yet.' The Raiders think they added a uniquely talented receiver when they brought Thornton to Las Vegas.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
A recent Nolan Smith evaluation confirms what fans already know about Eagles pass rusher
A recent Nolan Smith evaluation confirms what fans already know about Eagles pass rusher PFF named Eagles third-year pass rusher Nolan Smith the Eagles' make-or-break player for the 2025 NFL season Most probably won't remember this now. Then again, they might, but if you don't, fear not, it's an incredible story that's worth hearing and retelling. Once upon a time, it seemed impossible that the Philadelphia Eagles might land Jalen Carter or Nolan Smith during the 2023 NFL Draft. Wouldn't you know it? Somehow, they wound up with both of them. Even now, it's still hard to believe that it happened. Philadelphia made two first-round selections during that April's selection meeting. Jalen Carter fell to the Birds at nine. Nolan was still on the board when Howie Roseman and company found themselves on the clock at pick number 30. Truth be told, some mock drafts and theories stated Nolan was a top-15 talent. After all, he had displayed elite athleticism. Just two months earlier, he had run an impressive 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. It was for that reason that some Birds fans would have been satisfied had he been taken with Philadelphia's earlier first-round selection. He sat behind Haason Reddick as a rookie but took a huge step forward in his sophomore NFL season. Now comes the question. Can he take yet another leap? The pressure is a little thicker now, and that's what Philadelphia needs him to do. Pro Football Focus labels Nolan Smith's third NFL season as a 'make-or-break' campaign What a difference a couple of years makes. Nolan Smith has gone from a rookie waiting on his turn to the starting edge rusher on a depth chart harboring some uncertainty at the position. The Bryce Huff experiment didn't work. He's been traded. Brandon Graham retired. Josh Sweat left during the free-agency frenzy. All eyes are on Smith and for good reason. After all, he was a first-round draft choice, so he is expected to be under the microscope all season. The cameras have already zoomed in and are following him. Pro Football Focus named him on their list featuring every NFL team's make-or-break player for the 2025 season. Here's what Dalton Wasserman, the writer of this one, said about Philly's talented pass rusher: "Smith's make-or-break candidacy isn't an indictment of his NFL resumé as much as it is an indication of the Eagles' need for him to be a star. The team lost veteran edge defenders Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham this offseason, making Smith a sure-fire starter for the first time in his career." No lies were told there. Wasserman continued his theory. "He began to take on an expanded role late last season, recording a terrific 78.9 PFF overall grade across his final seven games. If that continues over the duration of the 2025 season, Philadelphia's defensive line will once again be an elite unit." If anyone is worried about some apprehension, don't be. Smith is as cool as they come. Few Eagles carry more swagger. He has the confidence of his coaches. Listening to Nick Sirianni rave about him instills confidence that another breakout is on the horizon. Everyone should hope that Coach is right. Smith really established himself last season, starting ten of 16 regular-season in-game appearances. He notched 42 tackles, including eight that resulted in a loss of yardage. He also racked up 6.5 sacks, 11 additional hits on the opposing quarterback, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He turned it on during the postseason, adding another forced fumble to Philadelphia's cause during the Eagles' four-game run to glory. He forced a fumble. His four sacks and four tackles for loss led every competitor playing during the postseason. Smith played through injury in the Super Bowl, never letting on to most that something was bothering him until the game was over. Wasserman is right. The hope of another leap forward isn't an indictment of what Smith has already done. It's just an attempt to state the obvious. The Eagles don't want him to play at an elite level. They need him to do so. Jalyx Hunt looks ready, but make no mistake. Nolan Smith is Philadelphia's leader on the edge moving forward.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Patriots Insider Expects Rookie Kicker Andy Borregales to Win Starting Job
Patriots Insider Expects Rookie Kicker Andy Borregales to Win Starting Job originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A position that once was a source of stability for the New England Patriots has quickly become one surrounded by question marks. Advertisement Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski were reliable kickers for the Patriots during the team's stretch of six Super Bowl championships in 18 seasons. But since Gostkowski was released in 2020, the Patriots have had three different players start at the position over the last four seasons; after Joey Slye signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason, this year will make it four kickers in five. Two kickers are currently fighting for the team's starting job in 2025: John Parker Romo, a journeyman who made his NFL debut with the Minnesota Vikings last year, and rookie Andy Borregales. From what MassLive's Mark Daniels has seen from the Patriots' practice sessions thus far, the job is Borregales' to lose. Miami place kicker Andy Borregales (PK01) attempts a field goal during workouts at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Lee-Imagn Images "The sixth-round pick shined this spring with an impressive array of accuracy and distance on his kicks. Borregales hit 95% (19-of-20) field goal attempts in five open practices," Daniels wrote. "It's been a tough road for the Patriots since they traded Nick Folk to Tennessee. However, it looks like the team found a good one in Borregales. It'd be shocking if he lost the kicking competition to Parker Romo, who made 14-of-20 (70%) attempts in open practices this spring." Advertisement The Patriots selected Borregales with the No. 182 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the first kicker off the board. Borregales, who served as Miami's starting kicker all four years of his collegiate career, made 86.0% (74-86) of his field goal attempts and 99.5% (183-184) of his extra point attempts with the Hurricanes. He landed on the All-ACC First Team in 2023 and 2024, in addition to being an All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022. Borregales was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the top placekicker in college football, as a junior. Related: Patriots Are 'Light Years Better' Heading Into 2025 NFL Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bleacher Report suggests wild trade package for Bengals disgruntled draft pick
Bleacher Report suggests wild trade package for Bengals disgruntled draft pick During the offseason, trade ideas can be generated every other day with the amount of news from the team's facilities. Whether they prove to be realistic or not is another discussion. For one analyst and his trade idea, it proved to be a very far-out idea, but one that, if Bucs fans saw go down, they would be over the moon. Bengals first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart has been dealing with contract issues over the start of minicamp centered around the guarantees in his deal. The Bengals have been known for being stingy with their deals, and while they negotiate, Stewart has left the team to avoid becoming a distraction for his teammates. On Bleacher Report, one of their analysts broke down seven trade destinations for the Bengals' disgruntled edge rusher. For the Bucs, the deal they suggested is one that we are not sure even Madden would allow to even go through, let alone even suggest. Their trade package was: Bengals send: - Shemar Stewart Bucs send: - Chris Braswell - 2026 3rd Round Pick - 2027 4th Round Pick For the Bucs, this is a deal that if the Bengals were to request it somehow, you would offer to pack Chris Braswell's bags for him and apologize for the eagerness you are displaying in shipping him off. Stewart tested out of his mind at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine and is poised to be a big project for the Bengals as an edge prospect, but his athletic traits are enough for them or any team to bet on. Sadly, Bucs fans shouldn't expect him to be traded anytime soon, especially to Tampa Bay for a package like this.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Portion Of Falcons Schedule Allows Them To Create Space In The NFC South Division
Portion Of Falcons Schedule Allows Them To Create Space In The NFC South Division originally appeared on Athlon Sports. According to NFL schedule experts, since the NFL has experts in every aspect of the game, the Atlanta Falcons have the 20th-ranked strength of schedule for the 2025 NFL season. Advertisement The Falcons are ranked 17th in the league in terms of difficulty alone. However, they will play against seven teams that were over .500 last season. Three of those teams had at least twelve wins, and six had fewer than six wins. Six of Atlanta's games will be against teams that made the playoffs last year. Numbers and math are complex, but a portion of Atlanta's schedule could present them with an opportunity to rattle off a few straight wins and set themselves up for a run at the NFC South division title. Looking at the schedule and eyeing weeks 8 through 17 could give Atlanta just what they need to turn this thing around and make their first playoff appearance since 2017. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot speaks to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images In week 8, the Falcons will take on the Miami Dolphins at home. They will hit the road in week 9 for a date with the New England Patriots, then return home for a week 10 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. During this stretch, Atlanta could be looking at rattling off three wins in a row and propelling the team to a first-place division lead. Advertisement In Week 11, the Falcons will have a home game against the Carolina Panthers. Yes, they will be better across the board, but Atlanta could prove to be too much offensively. Week 12 at the New Orleans Saints is always a toss-up due to the bitter rivalry, but Atlanta could also snag a win here, depending on the Saints' QB situation. Weeks 13 and 14 will feature Atlanta taking on the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks at home. Atlanta could be looking at a six- or seven-game win streak at this point in the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 15 are another division toss-up. Weeks 16 and 17 will bring on the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. All of this is speculation, and the Atlanta Falcons will need to develop the chemistry this summer with all of the new additions on defense. However, the offensive side of the ball can be a very potent weapon for the foreseeable future in the NFL and should propel Atlanta to the top of the NFC South. Related: Falcons Beat Writer Throws Unnecessary Jab At Former RB Devonta Freeman Related: Falcons Safety Jessie Bates' Ready To Ignite A New Atlanta Defensive Scheme This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
