NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Seven college football QBs who could emerge as potential first-round draft picks with standout 2023 seasons

    Seven college football QBs who could emerge as potential first-round draft picks with standout 2023 seasons

    Only three quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft: Alabama’s Bryce Young at No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud at No. 2 to the Houston Texans and Florida’s Anthony Richardson at No. 4 to the Indianapolis Colts. Kentucky’s Will Levis and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker both were drafted on Day 2, demonstrating how quickly even the most gifted players can fall from first-round consideration. 

    In CBS Sports draft expert Ryan Wilson’s early 2024 NFL Mock Draft, five quarterbacks are projected to go in the first round. Headlining the group are USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, the most well-known at their position heading into the fall. Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. highlight the other projected first-round picks according to Wilson. 

    There are many players at the position who could see their stock rise this fall with strong performances, but these seven quarterbacks have a chance to boost their stock the most and jump into the conversation with the other five quarterbacks as potential first-round picks.

    Daniels started his college career at Arizona State and began receiving some draft buzz after a standout freshman season in which he passed for 2,942 yards with 17 touchdowns to only two interceptions. He started four games in a sophomore season derailed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the following season he showed his versatility as a dual threat and rushed for 710 yards on top of his 2,381 yards passing. After transferring to LSU, his 885 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season were the most by a Tigers QB in program history. Daniels showed promise in his first season under Brian Kelly and elected to come back to school for a final season…

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  • Ranking top 10 most impactful 2023 NFL Draft classes for the upcoming season: Colts rookies ready to rock

    Ranking top 10 most impactful 2023 NFL Draft classes for the upcoming season: Colts rookies ready to rock

    I’ve already picked instant impact rookies. Let’s go further than that. How about instant-impact entire draft classes? Sounds fun. 

    Getting valuable contributions from multiple rookies can transform a team in a given year, as those players are as cheap as they come in the NFL. Let’s rank the top 10 instant impact classes from the 2023 draft. 

    Impactful rookies: WR Quentin Johnston, LB Daiyan Henley, EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, WR Derius Davis

    Johnston is the YAC weapon the Chargers needed offensively. And to not ask him to be the de facto No. 1 out of the gate will work wonders for his development and allow him to work at optimal efficiency as a rookie. Henley was one of the older prospects at the linebacker spot in the 2023 class, and he plays with knowledge that only comes with more time on the field. Super intelligent diagnosing play designs, and he’s a blur in coverage. 

    Tuipulotu is a flexible inside-out rusher with karate-master hand work and adequate power. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack could use another capable rusher to take some attention away from them, or at least the Chargers defense would benefit from someone taking advantage of all the offensive-line attention Bosa and Mack get every week. Davis’ ridiculous feet and return ability make him feel like a rookie who’ll hit some splash plays in Year 1 in the NFL. 

    Impactful rookies: WR Marvin Mims, EDGE/LB Drew Sanders, CB Riley Moss, S JL Skinner

    Tiny class, don’t care. Those first four picks were dy-na-mite and can all slot into needed roles on the Broncos in 2023. Mims will take the lid off most defenses with his speed, and he’s a roadrunner after the catch. Don’t sleep on the Sanders, Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning hybrid outside rushing tandem. All three have JUICE and a diverse collection of pass-rush moves. 

    Moss was one of the most pro-ready cornerbacks in the class because of his twitch, developed mirroring skill…

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  • Former Fresno State Quarterback Jaylen Henderson commits to Texas A&M

    Former Fresno State Quarterback Jaylen Henderson commits to Texas A&M

    BOOM! Texas A&M has reportedly landed former Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson through the transfer portal on Sunday, May 7, as head coach Jimbo Fisher will now have four scholarship quarterbacks including Conner Weigman, Max Johnson, and Marcel Reed for the 2023 season.

    In late April, Henderson discussed his relationship with the Aggies coaching staff with GigEm247’s Carter Karels, specifically detailing his one-on-one conversations with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.

    “I loved coach Petrino’s conversation with me,” Henderson stated. “He has a great background. Just to have his interest in me is a blessing. He is confident in the abilities he saw from me, and I am also confident in my abilities. So if I end up going there, I feel like he will be able to truly utilize my ability. I am going to show the world what I can do.”

    During his brief two-year stint with the Bulldogs, Henderson received little playing time totaling 49 passing yards and 66 rushing yards after competing with five other quarterbacks on the roster, knowing that his abilities were being vastly underutilized.

    Rated as a three-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle, the West Hills, California native will have a fresh start with the Maroon and White, and with three years of eligibility remaining, his development can truly begin under Fisher and Petrino’s tutelage.

    Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

    More Football!

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    What are the betting odds for Texas A&M to win the 2023 college football national…

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  • Unsigned Saints free agents after the NFL draft

    Unsigned Saints free agents after the NFL draft

    The 2023 NFL draft has come and gone, which led to a new wave of free agent signings around the league as teams finish crossing off items on their to-do list. And there are still a number of unsigned New Orleans Saints free agents looking for work. Some of them may get tryout opportunities at rookie minicamps around the league, but others will have to wait until summer practice sessions ramp up. It’s unfortunate, but a few players likely won’t hear from teams at all.

    It’s been a busy offseason for the Saints free agents. They’ve signed extensions with many of their own players, including tight end Juwan Johnson, punter Blake Gillikin, defensive linemen Tanoh Kpassagnon and Malcolm Roach, as well as linebackers Ty Summers and Andrew Dowell, plus safety J.T. Gray and cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

    But they’ve taken a lot of losses, too: defensive linemen David Onyemata (Atlanta Falcons), Marcus Davenport (Minnesota Vikings), Shy Tuttle (Carolina Panthers), and Kentavius Street (Philadelphia Eagles); linebacker Kaden Elliss (Falcons), safety Justin Evans (Eagles), offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge (Falcons), and wide receivers Marquez Callaway (Denver Broncos) and Deonte Harty (Buffalo Bills) are also playing elsewhere. So is quarterback Andy Dalton (Panthers).

    So who else still has their status up in the air? Let’s recap the list of remaining Saints free agents after the draft:

    WR Jarvis Landry

    Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

    RB Mark Ingram II

    Chris Graythen/Getty Images

    RB Dwayne Washington

    Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

    RB David Johnson

    Chris Graythen/Getty Images

    DT Albert Huggins

    AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

    LB Chase Hansen

    AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

    S Daniel Sorensen

    Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

    DB P.J. Williams

    James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

    CB Chris Harris Jr.

    Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

    Story originally appeared on Saints Wire

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  • Payton Thorne transfers to Auburn: Ex-Michigan State starting QB adds intrigue to battle entering summer

    Payton Thorne transfers to Auburn: Ex-Michigan State starting QB adds intrigue to battle entering summer

    Auburn landed a huge commitment on Friday when former Michigan State starting quarterback Payton Thorne announced he will be joining the Tigers and first-year coach Hugh Freeze for the 2023 season. Thorne entered the transfer portal earlier this week as the spring window closed, and he joins a heated quarterback battle at Auburn that includes returning starter and dual-threat weapon Robby Ashford. 

    Thorne signed with Michigan State in 2018 and started parts of the last three seasons for the Spartans. He has 6,493 career passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns and 24 interceptions from 2020-22. He also added 270 yards rushing and scored six times on the ground. He started all 12 of Michigan State’s games last season, throwing for 2,679 yards with 19 touchdown passes and one rushing score.

    Thorne’s best season at Michigan State came in 2021 when he led the Spartans to a New Year’s Six bowl win over Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl. He threw for 354 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Panthers, which capped off an 11-2 season for Sparty. He finished that breakout season with 3,232 yards passing and 27 touchdown passes. 

    The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2019 out of Naperville, Illinois.

    What does Thorne’s commitment mean for the Tigers and Spartans?

    Freeze sets up a battle

    It was no secret that Freeze has been interested in the transfer quarterback market not only during the most recent portal window, but the fall window that opened shortly after the end of the regular season. That became even more apparent when T.J. Finley, who started six games in two seasons, announced that he is leaving the program earlier this week. Finley’s move opened the door for a more experience signal caller to come in and…

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  • Aaron Rodgers admits he’ll be skipping some of the Jets’ remaining offseason practices

    Aaron Rodgers admits he’ll be skipping some of the Jets’ remaining offseason practices

    During his first week in New York, Aaron Rodgers attended more offseason workouts with the Jets than he did during his entire 2022 offseason with the Packers. 

    The four-time MVP has had perfect attendance at practice during his first full week with the Jets, but don’t look for that to continue. During an interview with Pat McAfee this week, Rodgers admitted that he’ll definitely be skipping out on a few practices over the next month, but he is planning to attend quite a few. 

    “I’ll definitely be here for probably more than half of the remaining days,” Rodgers said. 

    The former Packers quarterback showed up to offseason workouts this week because he wanted to get to know his new teammates after spending the first 18 years of his career in Green Bay. 

    “I really wanted to be here the first week to get to know the guys and to go through the workouts and be around,” Rodgers said. “I have some things planned, I got to miss a few days, but it’s been good to be out here with all the guys. I think guys feel the energy that I’ve been bringing and that I kind of bring on a daily basis and I think there’s a lot of excitement around here.”

    All practices and workouts during the offseason are voluntary, except for mandatory minicamp, which the Jets will be holding from June 13-15. Until then, Rodgers doesn’t technically have to show up for anything, as Packers fans know well. During his final season in Green Bay, Rodgers skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason before showing up to mandatory minicamp. 

    There are three phases to the offseason for each NFL team. The Jets started Phase II on Monday with Rodgers. During that phase, “On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as ‘perfect play drills,’ and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted…

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  • Ohio State basketball offers instate 2026 rising star point guard

    Ohio State basketball offers instate 2026 rising star point guard

    It will be more than a few years until Garfield Heights, Ohio’s, Marcus Johnson, will be able to sign with a collegiate team, but that didn’t stop Ohio State from offering the talented point guard.

    Head coach, Chris Holtmann, didn’t need much high school tape to be impressed by Johnson’s game. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because his father Sonny, was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 1998 and went on to play at Cleveland State.

    Marcus is widely regarded as one of the best players in the country, ranking as the 16th overall play in the 2026 class via ESPN’s top 25 of that class.

    For the best local Columbus news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to The Columbus Dispatch.

    With Ohio State getting an offer out so early in Johnson’s recruitment, you have to think that he’s an extremely high-priority recruit for Holtmann.

    More!

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    Ohio State gets a commit from 2023 instate preferred walk-on defensive lineman

    247Sports thinks this Ohio State player created buzz during the spring

    Ohio State makes cut for IMG Academy defensive tackle

    Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

    Story originally appeared on Buckeye Wire

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  • Former Texas DT Poona Ford agrees to one-year deal with Buffalo Bills

    Former Texas DT Poona Ford agrees to one-year deal with Buffalo Bills

    Former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford is heading to a new NFL team. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Ford has agreed to a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

    Pelissero had the following thoughts on what Ford’s signing means to the Bills franchise and its 2023 prospects for contention.

    “One of the top free agents still available, Ford turned down more money elsewhere to try to win a ring in Buffalo. A big (literally) post-draft addition for Sean McDermott’s defense.”

    McDermott earned the head coaching position with the Bills after coaching a dominant Carolina Panthers defense in 2015. Now he has a chance to field a strong defense in Buffalo for his high scoring offense led by quarterback Josh Allen.

    In the case of Poona Ford, the undersized defender has a chance to shut down the inside of the line of scrimmage for a championship contending team. He could be a piece that helps catapult the Bills past the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason.

    Story originally appeared on Longhorns Wire

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