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USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bengals' 2011 redraft has them shockingly ignoring A.J. Green
Bengals' 2011 redraft has them shockingly ignoring A.J. Green Flashback to 2011. The NFL was in the midst of a player lockout as the league and the NFL Players Association were moving towards a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Even with the ongoing talks, the league went ahead and held the NFL Draft. The Cincinnati Bengals entered the draft with the No. 4 overall pick following a 4-12 season in 2010. One of the big debates entering the draft was at the wide receiver position. Who would go first between Georgia's A.J. Green and Alabama's Julio Jones? The Bengals would select Green who went on to have a great career with the Bengals. But what if the Bengals had gone the other way? RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Pro Football Focus recently rebuilt the 2011 NFL Draft using grades and data. In this redraft, the Bengals do, in fact, go in the other direction and take Jones, who originally went No. 6 overall after a big trade involving the Atlanta Falcons. "There was a big debate heading into the 2011 NFL Draft over whether A.J. Green or Julio Jones was the top wide receiver prospect. The Bengals ultimately picked Green, who went on to have an excellent career in Cincinnati. However, Jones ended up being the better player. "The two-time first-team All-Pro recorded a career 94.7 PFF overall grade and was the second-most-valuable receiver across his 13 seasons, according to PFF WAR." Green wasn't too far off, recording a 92.2 career grade. In this redraft, Green went with the very next pick, No. 5 overall to the Arizona Cardinals, rather than their original pick of LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. In the end, both Green and Jones became excellent players in the NFL and the Bengals couldn't have gone wrong either way. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF tabs trio of Iowa football NFL stars that need to perform in 2025
PFF tabs trio of Iowa football NFL stars that need to perform in 2025 Since Kirk Ferentz took over as the Iowa head football coach in 1999, 94 Hawkeyes have been drafted into the NFL. Many more have signed to NFL rosters following the draft. Former Hawkeyes have had major success in the NFL like Marshal Yanda, Brandon Scherff and George Kittle to name a few. However, according to Pro Football Focus, some former Hawks are facing make-or-break 2025 NFL seasons. On Tuesday, PFF released its list of one player on each NFL team facing a make-or-break 2025 season. These are players at crossroads in their careers, whose team is relying on them to bounce back or step up this season. The list includes former No. 1 overall picks, Pro Bowlers and three Hawkeyes who need to perform in 2025. Geno Stone, S, Cincinnati Bengals The first former Hawkeye on the list is Bengals safety Geno Stone. Stone signed with the Bengals during the 2024 offseason after a breakout campaign with the Baltimore Ravens. Stone had seven interceptions and nine passes defensed in 2023 with the Ravens before signing a two-year, $14 million deal with the Bengals. He posted a career-worst PFF coverage grade last season and needs to bounce back in the final year of his contract. If anyone on the Bengals' defense can benefit from Al Golden's arrival in Cincinnati, it's Geno Stone. Stone has always been more comfortable as a single-high free safety, owning an 83.3 PFF coverage grade in his career when deployed in a single-high defense. Meanwhile, no FBS team ran more single-high defenses last season than national runner-up Notre Dame with Golden as its defensive coordinator. Stone's career is at a crossroads after he earned a career-low 53.7 PFF coverage grade last season, but Golden's presence could present a bounce-back opportunity. - Dalton Wasserman Stone was a three-year starter at Iowa from 2017-2019. He played in 38 total games, amassing 127 tackles, six interceptions, four tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and a touchdown. He was named to the honorable mention All-Big Ten team in 2018 and was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2019. Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Green Bay Packers Van Ness is entering just his third year in Green Bay, but is already facing huge pressure to perform. Taken 13th overall by the Packers in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, Van Ness has struggled to find consistency in Green Bay. Van Ness has played in every game of his NFL career so far, but has amassed just seven sacks, 14 tackles for loss and one forced fumble across 34 regular season games. The Packers expected more from their recent first-round pick and need Van Ness to perform this season or they could look in another direction along the defensive line. Former 13th-overall pick Lukas Van Ness has yet to prove he is a capable NFL starter. Through his first two seasons, he has posted a 58.4 PFF overall grade and compiled just 42 total pressures. Green Bay ranked just 28th in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade without blitzing last season. If Van Ness and the rest of the defensive line can't win their matchups up front, then the Packers could be looking for new options for that unit next offseason.- Dalton Wasserman Van Ness had a stellar career in Iowa City, despite only playing at Iowa for two seasons. He appeared in 27 total games from 2021-2022 and racked up 13.5 total sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Van Ness was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2021 and was named a second-team All-Big Ten player in 2022. Alaric Jackson, T, Los Angeles Rams The third and final Hawkeye on PFF's list is Alaric Jackson, an offensive tackle with the Rams. Jackson is entering his fifth season with the Rams and his appearance on this list is less about his play and more about his health. Jackson is dealing with blood clot issues, which could threaten his ability to play in 2025. And with an older and less mobile Matthew Stafford at quarterback, the Rams need all the protection they can get along the offensive line. No current starting quarterback needs proficient pass protection as much as Matthew Stafford. That's a huge reason why the Rams re-signed left tackle Alaric Jackson to a three-year contract worth roughly $19 million per year. Unfortunately, Jackson is now dealing with a blood clot issue that puts his status in doubt, at least for the beginning of the 2025 season. The Rams ranked 30th in the NFL in PFF pass-blocking grade last season, and Jackson is arguably the most important part of a turnaround in the department.- Dalton Wasserman Jackson spent five seasons at Iowa. He redshirted his freshman year in 2016 before exploding onto the scene in 2017. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2017 after starting all 12 games. Jackson was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2018, third-team All-Big Ten in 2019 and first-team All-Big Ten in the shortened 2020 season. After going undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft, Jackson was signed by the Rams as a UDFA, where's he been ever since. Jackson signed a three-year, $56.3 million extension with the Rams in February. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
James Cook's Bills RB Room Given Top-10 Ranking
James Cook's Bills RB Room Given Top-10 Ranking originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Is the development of James Cook and the arrival of Ray Davis enough to make the Buffalo Bills' running back room one of the best in the league? Advertisement According to Pro Football Focus, the answer is a resounding yes. PFF's Dalton Wasserman placed Buffalo's running back unit eighth overall in his 2025 NFL running back unit rankings. "Buffalo has put together a solid group of running backs who fill a variety of roles," Wasserman said. "The workhorse is James Cook, who earned an outstanding 88.6 PFF rushing grade last season while leading the league in rushing touchdowns. "Rookie Ray Davis got 120 carries of his own and earned a solid 73.1 PFF rushing grade while breaking 30 tackles. Ty Johnson serves as a reliable pass catcher, ranking 10th among qualifiers in PFF receiving grade in 2024." Advertisement Plenty of teams around the league employ a "by-committee" approach to their running backs. Buffalo's ability to do so - while still somehow showcasing Cook - shows the organization's depth. Cook - under contract but involved in a contract dispute - is running as the lead back in 2025. He led the league in rushing touchdowns last season to go along with his second straight 1,000-yard season. Davis and Johnson are nowhere near as talented as Cook, but each adds a skill set that can bolster Buffalo's offense. The organization may not have a top player like Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey, but their trio can be just as devastating to opposing defenses. Advertisement It's why PFF is so high on Buffalo's running back room. Related: Veteran Bills Receiver Predicted to Be Cut Related: Bills' 2025 'To-Do List' Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season The hopes for this year's Carolina Panthers might hinge on a big return. Pro Football Focus contributor Dalton Wasserman recently named each NFL team's "make-or-break" player for the upcoming campaign. To qualify as such, a player would have to have the power to single-handedly make or break the success of his team in 2025. Wasserman tabs defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who was one-and-done in 2024, for the Panthers: Carolina's defense was futile last season in many facets, but the unit played at a historically poor level against the run. Part of that stemmed from star defensive tackle Derrick Brown suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1. Brown placed second among all interior defenders in 2023 with an elite 90.0 PFF run-defense grade. His presence in the middle makes the entire unit better. The Panthers acquired several pieces on the defensive line to improve their run defense, but Brown's return to his 2023 form would make the biggest impact. Along with that 90.0 run-defense grade, Brown amassed a whopping 103 tackles—an NFL single-season record for a defensive lineman. Those results, which also included 2.0 sacks and an interception, help send the former first-round pick to his first career Pro Bowl. This past year, however, wasn't as kind to Brown—who missed 16 of Carolina's 17 games after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in their opener. The Panthers went on to allow the most points ever as well as a league-worst 179.8 rushing yards per game. Brown, who has yet to fully participate in offseason workouts, was asked when he hopes to get back on the practice field. "Hopefully, very close," he replied. "I expect to be out there in training camp. Load management, and hopefully in the next few weeks, I get cleared. So that's the goal and then at that point, it's just getting back in football shape and being able to go out there and play with the team." Panthers veterans are set to report to training camp on Tuesday, July 22. So hopefully for Carolina and their defense, their 6-foot-5, 320-pound wrecking ball is back in working order by then. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF names Steelers' T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith NFL's best edge duo in 2025
Pro Football Focus has given the Steelers defense some well-deserved respect — more specifically, OLBs T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. PFF's Zoltán Buday recently named the best duos for every position ahead of the 2025 season — with Watt and Highsmith taking the edge defenders spot: "While Highsmith was hindered by injuries last season, he was still among the most effective pass rushers in the league when on the field. His 89.3 PFF pass-rushing grade ranked seventh among 109 edge defenders. On the other hand, Watt led the position with a 90.3 PFF run-defense grade and ranked sixth in PFF pass-rushing grade (90.1), one spot ahead of Highsmith." Highsmith has been working with Nick Herbig so far this offseason — as Watt's contract holdout caused him to miss Steelers OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Watt's presence is sorely missed, and whenever (if at all) a deal gets done, he will look to pick up right where he left off opposite Highsmith. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
