After a handful of days off, the were back on the practice field on Tuesday, but this time around, things were mandatory, as it was the first day of minicamp.And, thanks to the se sion being open to the media, we were able to get the inside scoop on who took part, who didn't, and what went on in practice on both sides of the ball.With Tuesday's se sion in the books, the Lions will have two more practices of mandatory minicamp before another handful of days off ahead of their last three practices of voluntary organized team activities.Once that's completed on June 12, the Lions will get a month-plus off before they begin training camp in late July, when busine s will really pick up. Now, a look at the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice.Participation reportAccording to ,LT Taylor Decker,DT DJ Reader,DT Kyle Peko,
Jordan Bowden Jersey CB Terrion Arnold,CB Emmanuel Moseley,CB Craig James, and DBBrian Branch did not participate.Arnold was the only new addition to the list of non-participants from last week's open practice of OTAs. It isn't clear what he's dealing with, but he was spotted out there, so it must not be serious. Reader and Decker were out there watching, also. Moseley was completely absent due to the birth of his child.Meanwhile, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, C Frank Ragnow, G Kayode Awosika, EDGE Marcus Davenport and S Kerby Joseph did "very minimal walkthrough/trainer work".That was at least an upgrade in participation from last week's OTAs practice for Gibbs, Ragnow, Awosika and Davenport.As far as the limited players were concerned, that group included G Kevin Zeitler, EDGE James Houston and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw. The limited work was an upgrade for Zeitler and Houston. Rakestraw has been
Derrick Coleman Jersey limited all offseason but did get some work in 7-on-7 red zone drills, so that's a step in the right direction.Defense wins the dayAccording to , the defense got the better of the offense on Tuesday, and it was a particularly rough day for Jared Goff, who threw three picks. Here's the details from Twentyman:Defensive day:The team went through a lot of situational periods Tuesday in the first day of mandatory minicamp practice and it was also a heavy red zone day. I thought the defense had a heck of a practice and won the day. This defense wants to get more hands on footballs and generate more turnovers. LinebackerJack Campbellhad two interceptions off quarterbackJared Goff(one tipped), safety Brandon Joseph had a red-zone pick off Goff, and cornerback Khalil Dorsey had a pick-six off backup quarterback Hendon Hooker. How much more of a playmaking defense the Lions are in 2024 is going to determine how much better of a team they can be overall.Making this more impre sive is the fact that the Lions did not have some key starters out there. On top of Campbell, Levi Onwuzurike stood out with a pair of sacks/pre sures, .A big day for Jack CampbellAs was previously stated in Twentyman's write-up, linebacker Jack Campbell had a pair of interceptions off Jared Goff. Reisman notes that Campbell had multiple standout plays on top of the picks and he saw
Julius Erving Jersey the majority of the first-team reps as the MIKE. Derrick Barnes saw first-team reps, also, but most of them came in three-linebacker sets.Backup QB battle heating upThe backup quarterback battle is heating up, according to Twentyman, who said "don't be surprised if the battle for the backup quarterback job in training camp is tighter than people think between Hooker and Sudfeld."Twentyman writes this after noting how Hooker was 4-for-8 during the red-zone period. The second-year signal-caller did throw four touchdown pa ses, but had an interception, a dropped interception, and held onto the ball for too long on some plays. Campbell was not thrilled that Hooker took a sack on one play instead of getting rid of the ball.Meanwhile, Sudfeld threw two touchdown pa ses and had one more completion than Hooker. Reisman says that Hooker is still getting most of the second- and third-team reps.Kalif Raymond shinesSpeaking of the red-zone period, Raymond was a standout, catching a whopping three touchdown pa ses, with two coming from Jared Goff and one from Hooker. Raymond is trying to secure the No. 3 receiver role this offseason and should be considered the favorite for it.Get daily Detroit Lions content on our !Brandon Joseph with the onesKerby Joseph is rehabbing a hip injury that will keep him out until training camp, but in the meantime, Brandon Joseph is getting looks with the first-ream offense, according to Twentyman. Earlier in the day, head coach Dan Campbell praised Joseph for the strides he's made.Campbell says Brandon Joseph noticeably improved during the 2023 season. Says they wish he would have got to play. Says he's continued to improve this spring Mike Payton (@AtoZ_Payton) Joseph also came up with a big play, nabbing an interception on a pa s from Goff.Giovanni Manu has work to doCampbell touched on fourth-round pick
Spencer Dinwiddie Jersey Giovanni Manu, basically saying that the rookie has a lot of work to do to get himself ready to play in the NFL."Yeah, he's swimming. But we expected him to be swimming,". "We fully expected for this to get worse before it ever gets better. He's trying to find his way. I mean, we're back to the basics of just how you get in stance properly, where your weight goes when you get out of the stance, where your help is, certainly the scheme, the working with others, working with the tight end in this combination, working with the guard, pa s and twist.""He's just in the infant stages," Campbell added. "So we're literally working from the ground up and we knew it was going to be that way....You got to break them
Garrett Temple Jersey down and then and build them back up. And that's what Hank (Fraley) is doing right now."Campbell also left the door open for Manu to not contribute this year."I would love to say 'hey, we're gonna get him this year, you know, by middle of the season,' and that would be great. And that's always gonna be the goal, is how fast can we get one of these guys contributing and helping us. But we also knew what we were acquiring and so we're prepared to take this as it comes. Whenever he's ready, he's ready. And that's okay, if that doesn't mean it's this year and its next year, that's great. But certainly we're trying to push to get him ready now...."This really shouldn't be surprising. It was pretty much a sumed that Manu would be a project. What could make his development even more difficult is if the Lions decide to move him to guard, something Manu said might be the back in April. Of course, Manu played tackle in college.
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fans are looking to lift the spirits of kicker through charitable donations after he mi sed a pivotal field goal in their season-ending lo
Ivica Zubac Jersey s to the .Ten Lives Club, a Western New York cat rescue and adoption group that Ba s has partnered with, received over $110,000 in donations in the kicker's name as of Tuesday afternoon, .Ba s mi sed a 44-yard field goal in Sunday's game that would've tied the game up 27-27 with under two minutes left. The mi sed field goal was the last time the Bills had the ball in the game.The Bills kicker appeared to deactivate his social media accounts sometime over the last two days after he over the mi sed kick. Ten Lives Club sent its support for Ba s over social media on Monday afternoon, helping to spark the donation campaign.ADVERTISEMENT "WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON'T BULLY OUR FRIEND," the organization . "We just heard the terrible news that Tyler Ba
Danilo Gallinari Jersey s is receiving threats after yesterday's game and our phones are ringing off the hook from people who want to donate $22 to Ten Lives Club in Tyler's name."Tyler doesn't deserve any of the hate he's receiving. He's an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year. Leave our friend alone."The $22 increment donations are likely in reference to Ba s' jersey, which is No. 2. Ba s began his partnership with Ten Lives Club in 2022, . Ten Lives' Kimberly LaRu sa told The Buffalo News that Ba s "loves cats," and everyone in the organization is "all rooting for Tyler.""I hope people rally with him," LaRu sa separately . "It's very unfortunate to hear that he's been given a hard time today. He's human, he's a person, we all have feelings. I know people are very pa sionate about football in Western New York, but you also have to think about him as a person and the human that he is. He happens
Patrick Beverley Jersey to be an excellent football player and is an excellent human as well."Ba s just wrapped up his fourth season in the league, converting 82.8 percent of his kicks during the regular season. He took accountability for the mi sed kick following Sunday's game."Ultimately, you can put it on me," Ba s told reporters. "I got to do a better job of keeping my target. I got to do a better job of playing it a little bit more left to right. I've been playing here long enough to know you got to do that. It just didn't work out. I feel terrible. I love this team and this one hurts bad."Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Bean both came to the support of Ba
Jordan Ford Jersey s on Tuesday."I would just tell you that I am confident in Tyler, and I'll start there and I'll end there, but in between those two is to me, yes, there were some kicks we need to make, no doubt about it," McDermott said. "He knows that, and there's no one that works harder at it than he does and takes more pride in the work that he puts in and his job to perform at the highest levels that he can for the team and his teammates."He's deeply invested in his teammates and this team, and I'm very confident that he's gonna do what's nece sary this offseason to get himself just right.""I gave Ba s a hug after the game and just told him, listen, I know he wants that kick back more than anybody," Beane added. "And he's done a lot of good things. He's won games. He's tied games. He's made big kicks for us. And one kick doesn't change how I view him, how we view him, his teammates view him. ... I don't think there's a player or staff member that I've heard that doubts Tyler Ba s."Beane also voiced his support for Ba s to be the Bills' kicker moving forward."I would hope that fans or
Paul George Jersey whoever, if someone's giving him a hard time, that they would take his career and take how hard he works and how much his teammates and this organization believes in him," Beane said. "He's going to be a big part of what we're doing going forward. There's no wavering of support in this building, or definitely from McDermott or myself."Ba s signed a four-year extension in the 2023 offseason that will keep him under contract through the end of the 2027 season.
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Everything you need to know as kickoff approaches...Harrison: Week 9 predictionsWhile Manning vs. Brady takes center stage, Elliot Harrison eyes other factors in . Check out his Week 9 picks. Key game-time decisionsAll players questionable unle s noted (back) -- OUT -- QB, The quarterback this week, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Media's Desmond Purnell. The team that the signal-caller . (toe) -- ACTIVE -- WR, The wideout was limited all week and appears that he could make his return after mi sing three games.UPDATE:Green will play Sunday against the . (knee, illne s) -- OUT -- LB; (knee) -- OUT -- LB, about the No. 1 overall pick playing Sunday. Cushing returned on a limited basis on Friday.UPDATE:Clowney will not play as he battles illne s, per Rapoport. The team later announced that Clowney is inactive, as is Cushing. (ankle) -- PROBABLE -- QB, Barring an unforeseen setback, will make his return to the starting lineup. (toe) -- OUT -- LB, Willis was limited Thursday and Friday. He could be on a snap count if he makes his return.UPDATE:Willis was ahead of Sunday's game. The team announced that rookie linebacker . (right shoulder) -- OUT -- QB, Smith will likely be 's backup after being full-go Thursday and Friday. The elevated quarterback from the practice squad Saturday, .UPDATE:Smith was ruled out by the team ahead of Sunday's game. (groin) -- QUESTIONABLE -- S; (calf) -- QUESTIONABLE -- OT, Neither player practiced on Friday. (knee) -- QUESTIONABLE -- TE, The tight end was moving well enough on Friday. He could be on a snap count restriction if he is able to go. (concu sion) -- ACTIVE -- CB, The cornerback participated fully on Thursday and Friday after mi sing last week's game and is active for Sunday's game. (ankle) -- OUT -- RB, The struggling running back will mi s his third game of the season.MNF (back/hamstring) -- QUESTIONABLE -- CB, DRC was limited all week. (shoulder) DE -- PROBABLE -- mi sed practice Saturday. He's expected to play, but the injury is something to monitor moving forward.Weather Tracking* doesn't , but we'll tell you what they are saying anyway. at -- 38 degrees / Pre-game snow, winds (Around 18 mph at kickoff) at -- 57 degrees / Winds (Around 19 mph) at -- 53 degrees / Slight chance of scattered showers (20 percent) *Forecasts courtesy of Three
Matthew Dellavedova Jersey matchups to watchBrooks: Must-see matchupsWhat are the most intriguing Week 9 battles in games acro s the NFL? Bucky Brooks provides his scouting eye. / vs. /Ware and Miller have been toying with offensive lines all season. The duo has a combined 16 sacks this season (more than 14 entire teams) and can throw timing offenses completely off-kilter with their constant play in the backfield. Solder and Vollmer have struggled at times this season as part of a rotating Pats O-line. If the two can't hold up against the ' bludgeoning tandem
Brook Lopez Jersey , will be under siege. If the are forced to keep backs and tight ends in to help out in pa s protection, it will handcuff Brady's options against an improved secondary. Brady could attempt to neutralize Miller and Ware with an increased pace as he has displayed in recent weeks. WRs vs. DBs, and jitterbug rookie are a tough trio to clamp down on in ' field-stretching offense. The combination has combined for 71 receptions, 1,112 yards and eight touchdowns. Each po se ses big-play ability that the ' secondary will have to neutralize. , and have been solid in the ' secondary. Scandrick specifically has been a stud this season. However, if the Dallas pa s rush continues to struggle getting to the quarterback, the ' corners will have to stick with the Cards' trio. vs. /Brown has been seemingly unstoppable this season. He's extended his streak of at least five catches and 50 yards to 24 straight games. In the first meeting against the in Week 2, Brown had seven catches for 90 yards in the lo s (he mi sed time while getting tested for a po sible concu sion during the game). The key for the will be sticking with Brown when ad-libs and gets away from pre sure. Baltimore will be without corner (foot) -- who is having a stellar season -- so the duty of slowing down Brown will fall to (who mi sed Week 2) and . Did You Know? could become the first running back to rush for 100-plus yards in three straight games since did it in 2011. Robinson has 40 rushes for 235 yards in the last two weeks. He had 48 carries for 160 yards in his first 15 career games. . is on pace for a career-low 14 touchdown pa ses (he has six through seven games). However, the signal caller is also on pace to set career highs in completion percentage (65.4), yards per attempt (7.6), and pa ser rating (89.7). The Bucs' defense is dead last in points per game allowed (31.9) and yards per game (409.9); 31st in third-down percentage allowed (47.8!); 30th in pa sing yards allowed (286) and opponents' pa ser rating (107); and own the worst percentage of forced three-and-outs (12.3). was a defensive guy, right? Right?!? Your "Everything is still jolly in Cleveland" update (brought to you by, "For Now" stain removers): The are above .500 after seven games for the first time since 2007 (started 5-3, finished 10-6). The Cleveland rushing attack has floundered the past two weeks without center . In the first six weeks of the season the averaged 146.4 yards per game on 33 attempts, for a 4.4 yards-per-rush average with eight touchdown runs. In the last two weeks they've averaged 54 yards on 27.5 totes for a paltry 2.0 average and just one touchdown. The last time were was 1974 (started 7-0, finished 10-4 under Don Coryell). The own the NFL's second-best turnover differential at plus-9. One big reason for that is , who has thrown just one interception in four games. He's on pace for just three interceptions this season. That would be the quarterback's lowest for any season (even 2008 when he only played four games he threw four picks). His current .25 interception rate is by far the lowest of his career. The next closest is the .75 rate in 2005 (12 picks in 16 games). Entering the season Palmer had a career average of 1.1 interceptions per game (152 picks in 138 games played). At the midpoint of the season, already has 1,000-plus rushing yards, 200-plus carries and seven TDs. In 2013, only 10 players reached those numbers for the entire year. Murray would need 272 yards against the to have the most rushing yards by any player through nine team games since 1960. Murray has more rushing yards this season (1,054) than every other TEAM except the and and more rushing yards than (505) and (482) combined. The have converted only one of 11 third downs inside the red zone (9.1 percent), which is worst in NFL. Philadelphia is scoring a touchdown on 34.8 percent of red-zone po se sions, also the worst in NFL. Their three red-zone giveaways ties for the most in the league. with 24 QB hits this season. That number is more than the (22), (21), (19) and (17) have as a team. Watt's 113 QB hits since 2012 are nearly twice as many as anyone else over that timespan -- is second on this list with 61. has 100-plus rushing yards in six of seven games this season. His 31 career 100-yard rushing games are tied with Priest Holmes for most in NFL history by
Marvin Williams Jersey an undrafted player. 's defense isn't exactly playing . Gang Green has only three takeaways this season, fewest in NFL. It's allowed 24-plus points in each game during a seven-game losing streak and allowed multiple TD pa ses in all seven games (20 TDs, one INT in that span). is averaging just 5.6 air yards per pa s attempt this season, lowest in NFL (minimum 75 pa s attempts). Smith averaged 2.0 air yards per attempt last week, lowest in the NFL among players with 20-plus attempts since Mark Brunell (1.9) in Week 3 of 2006 with the . The ' quarterback has not thrown a TD pa s further than five air yards this season. Of the 38 QBs with at least 30 such pa s attempts, Smith is the only one without a TD pa s greater than five air yards. The have not won at Miami since the 1981 AFC Divisional Playoffs (SD beat Miami, 41-38 in OT). Kellen Winslow was helped off field after 13 receptions, 166 yards and a TD in the game. The have lost their last seven games at Miami. ranks in the top six in most pa sing categories: completion percentage, 68.3 (fourth); pa sing yards, 2,213 (sixth); pa sing TDs, 20 (third); and pa ser rating, 109.9 (third). The , thanks to 's emergence as a rusher in recent weeks, have gone over 100 rushing yards in five straight games (the longest such streak under ). However, has only one 100-yard rushing game this season (Week 3 lo s). Washington has allowed only five drives of 10-plus plays this season, fewest in NFL. However, opposing teams have thrown 17 TDs and only three INTs against the with a pa ser rating of 104.0, 5th highest in NFL. 's unit has 14 sacks when bringing the blitz this season, most in the NFL. Meanwhile the Minnesota defense has compiled 15 sacks in the last three games (after getting 10 sacks in the first five) and are tied for second in the NFL with 25 sacks. They are led by "Making the Leap" candidate (8), third most in the NFL. The are allowing just 24.3 percent of 20-plus air yard pa ses to be completed (fourth lowest in the NFL) and are the only
Khris Middleton Jersey team to not allow a completion of 20-plus air yards on third down. However, opponents have an 81.3 completion percentage and 134.1 pa ser rating in the red zone (both highest in the NFL). The ' offense has been much le s productive over the last three weeks compared to the first five weeks of the season (not counting their Week 4 bye). Through Weeks 6 through 8 St. Louis is averaging 3.7 fewer points on 131.5 fewer total yards (115.2 fewer pa sing yards and 16.3 fewer rushing yards). According to Pro Football Focus, has a completion percentage of 50.0 in play-action, which ranks 34th out of 36 QBs. His 66.7 completion percentage without play-action ranks tied for seventh out of 36 QBs. has five 100-yard rushing games versus St. Louis (T-most versus single opponent -- five vs. SEA) and the have allowed 100-plus yards rushing in six of seven games this season. However, Gore is averaging a mere 29 rushing yards in the past two Niners games. and each threw 14 TD pa ses in October. It was the first calendar month in NFL history in which two players threw for at least 14 TDs (courtesy: Elias Sports Bureau). and have 1,401 receiving yards combined, the most in the NFL for any receiving duo (86 yards more than and ). The ' defense in the NFL in both total defense and scoring D. Total defense: 315.3 YPG allowed (fourth); Scoring defense: 20.3 PPG allowed (sixth). They also boast the NFL's best rushing defense (72.4 YPG allowed) and have forced three-and-outs on 29.4 percent of opponents drives, the second-most in the NFL. The flaunt the NFL's third-ranked scoring offense (29.8 points per game), scoring on 47.8 percent of drives this season (second-most in NFL). Brady's unit has scored 158 points in their last four games combined (4-0 record) after scoring 80 points in the first four games combined (2-2). The Oakland ground game has been nonexistent. Since took over as head coach, only the (32 percent) and (33 percent) have rushed the ball le s than the (34 percent). However, the were rushing the ball only 32 percent of the time under , fewest in the NFL. as well or as often as last season when you compare 20-plus air yard pa ses in the first seven games of each season -- 2013: 13-of-29, 44.8 completion percentage, four touchdowns for a 102.9 pa ser rating. 2014: seven-of-18 pa sing, 38.9 completion percent, one touchdown and a 81.7 pa ser rating. and , which is the second-most meetings between active -winning QBs. Roethlisberger leads Flacco 7-4 in these matchups (regular and postseason). Only and have met more often among active -winning QBs. The ' offense ranks in the top 10 in scoring (seventh, 27.1) and total offense (ninth, 375.5 YPG). It has scored on 47.1 percent of drives this season (third in the NFL), gone three-and-out on only 11.5 percent of drives (second-best percentage in NFL) and boasts 10 rushes of 20-plus yards this season (T-most in NFL with Dallas). is on pace to set career highs in completion percentage (68.4), pa sing yards (4,760) and pa ser rating (105.9). He'd also tie his career high of 32
Christian Wood Jersey pa sing touchdowns on his current pace (set in 2007). Of course, a lot of that is thanks to who leads the NFL in targets (87) and receptions (60). is on pace for 5,462 pa sing yards, which would leave him just 16 yards short of breaking the record set by in 2013 with 5,477. Luck has more pa sing yards (2,731) than 18 teams have total yards this season. Sixty-one of ' 89 (68.5 percent) rush attempts this season have been for le s than four yards. (who is out) hasn't been much better -- 47 of his 91 (51.6 percent) rush attempts this season went for le s than four yards.The latest Around The NFL Podcast and recaps the ' one-sided *TNF win over the . Find more Around The NFL content on .*
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NFL Network's with The Merger, a retrospective on how the AFL and NFL went from bitter rivals to nece sary busine s partners in the 1960s. Here are five
Alexander Wennberg Jersey takeaways from the NFL Films-produced special, narrated by Rich Eisen: The merger had many fathers: From Pete Rozelle, to Joe Namath, to Lamar Hunt. The list goes on. But did you know that one of the most important figures in the formation of the modern NFL was a kicker from the named Pete Gogalak? The broke an unwritten pact between the two leagues when they signed Gogalak -- the AFL's best kicker -- away from Buffalo in 1966. The AFL responded by taking
Gabriel Carlsson Men Jersey out their checkbooks to raid NFL rosters. The gentlemen's agreement was cooked. Change was coming. owner Art Modell cited the AFL's five-year, $36 million television contract signed with NBC in 1964 as a major turning point in the battle between the two competing leagues. "When that came out I said, 'This is the beginning of the end.' I knew they were for real when NBC signed them. It gave them credibility. The money is one thing, but credibility is more important." When the next major television deal was signed, the two leagues were one. How can you talk about the rise of the AFL and the merger with the NFL without mentioning Joe Namath? The iconic quarterback's flashy style, star power and big arm gave the AFL unimpeachable cred.
Liam Foudy Jersey Namath explained to Jeremy Schapp that his iconic finger point to the sky after III victory in 1969 described not just the ' rise, but of the AFL's new place in the profe sional football pecking order. The league's merged one year later.Love some of the old stories that have become folktales for the league. The original owners of the AFL nicknaming themselves "The Foolish Club" because they were crazy to
Zach Werenski Jersey take on the big, bad NFL. owner Lamar Hunt getting the idea to name the NFL-AFL Championship Game the "" based on a toy his children played with (the Super Ball). The merger seemed inevitable with the benefit of hindsight, but at the time this was a legal corn maze with bad blood galore. Said Rozelle: "
Zac Dalpe Women Jersey How do you bring about peace when people are committed to war?" They figured it out, then built the unified NFL into America's pro sports mecca."Timeline: The Merger" will premiere on Christmas Eve following the conclusion of "Thursday Night Football" coverage on NFL Network.
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A year ago, the NFL was ble sed with one of the richest running-back cla ses in years with () and () each being selected in the top 12. To put that in perspective, only five other running backs have been selected that high in the past decade.This year's running back cla s reminds me of a group from 10 years ago. The 2014 NFL draft didn't have a running back come off the board until the 54th overall selection, when the selected Bishop Sankey out of Washington. That's the latest the NFL draft has ever gone before the first running back was selected.Just like the Cla s of 2014, this running back cla s lacks blue-chip talent. It does, however, offer future NFL starters, with a three-headed monster vying to be the first back off the board. It also boasts quality depth extending into the final rounds. A decade ago, four more backs were selected among the next 20 picks following Sankey. Expect a similar run on runners throughout Day 2 and early Day 3 this year, as well.Each week leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, we will break down the top 10 prospects at a different position. The positional group will be a signed an overall grade, with scouting reports on each individual player, noting specific areas of strength and concern, as well as their projected round.ADVERTISEMENT 2024 NFL Draft RB Rankings1. ', Notre Dame 5-foot-11, 227 pounds, JuniorOverview: The Player of the Year for the state of New Jersey, Estime' signed with Notre Dame as a celebrated prep recruit but didn't see consistent playing time until his sophomore campaign. Once he saw the field for the Irish, however, Estime' seemingly never left it, emerging as a true bellcow, generating 2,538 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns over the past two years before opting to enter the 2024 NFL draft with two more years of eligibility remaining.Strengths: If one were to design a running back out of clay, it might look a bit like the powerfully built Estime', who boasts a relatively stubby upper body with long, strong legs and lightning-quick feet. Estime' was fortunate to run behind one of the better offensive lines in the country but he shows good vision, patience, balance through contact and burst to create movement on his own, slicing through small spaces and exploding into daylight.For a back of his size, Estime' shows rare breakaway burst. Further, while he wasn't featured as a receiver, he has reliable hands including the ability to pluck outside of his frame as well as the size and mentality needed to ultimately be a quality pa s protector. At just 20 years old, he should be just scratching the surface of his potential.Concern: Occasionally is too eager to attack holes, pushing the backs of his blockers and leaving himself vulnerable to be la soed at the line of scrimmage. Proved to be a capable receiver for the Irish but was only asked to execute simple dump-offs in this offense. Further, while burly, Estime' needs to show more of a finishing mentality on blitz pickups, working the block rather than just delivering one big hit.Summary: No back played better down the stretch this past season than Estime', who seemed to get stronger as the
Cody Franson Women Jersey year went on, generating 11 of his 18 rushing touchdowns as the Irish won four of their final five games. Teams will be cautious with Estime' who, as noted, ran behind terrific blocking at Notre Dame but his combination of size, strength and speed stands out in this cla s. Notre Dame hasn't had a running back drafted in the first round since Jerome Bettis in 1993 and only two backs cracked the top 50 since then (Ray Zellars in 1995 and Julius Jones in 2004). Estime' has the upside to warrant that type of consideration.Grade: Top 50Tom Rinaldi shares the emotional story of Notre Dame RB Audric Estime 2. , Tenne see 5-10, 210, JuniorOverview: In the long and storied history of the , no running back has ever reached 1,000 rushing yards faster than Wright did in 2023, eclipsing this mark in just 136 attempts. Wright's 7.39 yard-per-carry average led all FBS running backs. NFL teams will debate how much of Wright's succe s was due to his own talent and how much credit others in Knoxville should receive. Clearly, Wright set the table for Tenne see this season, but he was just one of four runners to notch at least 78 carries, including quarterback , who checks in seventh Strengths: A darting, dynamic runner who alternates between patience and aggre sion at the line of scrimmage, Wright runs with a frenetic style similar to standout Isaiah Pacheco, offering opponents little to target but shoulders and knees. He shifts gears like a NASCAR driver, stopping and starting, ducking and darting to weave through traffic.Wright complements his slashing running style with patience to allow holes to develop, pre sing the hole and getting skinny to slip through small cracks before hitting the accelerator. He can elude laterally showing an impre sive jump cut to either side, as well as spinning through contact and yielding an impre sive stiff arm. Wright had four touchdown runs of 40-plus yards in 2023 (South Carolina, Kentucky, Connecticut and Georgia) with all of them coming on the Vols' first drive of the game.Concerns: While Wright's explosive TD runs in 2023 were highlight-reel-worthy, they were his only scores last season and he actually saw fewer rushing attempts as a junior (137) than he did in 2022 (146), raising questions about his ability to be a true bellcow in the NFL. At times, Wright swings his arms to keep balance, exposing the ball unnece sarily. Further, for all of his dynamic flashes as a runner, he's relatively inexperienced in the pa sing game, catching just 30 pa ses over his career, with most of those being simple dump-offs and screens. Further, he's more flash than finish on blitz pickup, delivering a good pop initially but struggling to maintain blocks for long.Summary: The NFL is the ultimate copy-cat league and with teams hoping to replicate the succe s the enjoyed with their speedy offense, Wright could surprise as the first back off the board. Expect his stock to continue to ascend through the NFL Combine, where he should be one of the fastest players tested this year.Grade: Second round3. , Florida State 6-1, 223, Redshirt JuniorOverview: A Mi si sippi native, Benson began his college career acro s the country at Oregon, but after barely seeing the field as a true freshman and mi sing the 2021 campaign with an injury, he elected to go back east, transferring to Florida State. Once in Tallaha see, Benson's skills rose to the forefront. He produced 25 touchdowns and 2,228 all-purpose yards on "just" 349 total touches the past two seasons with the , opting to give up his final year of eligibility to enter the draft.Strength: At the snap, Benson sniffs out running lanes like a bird dog in the field, actively probing and racing to and through the hole once it flushes. He accelerates quickly for a big man and has a deceptive, gliding gait that makes him faster than he looks, throwing off pursuit angles. The physically imposing Benson lowers his shoulders into contact, running with good leverage, leg drive and determination to play the role of bulldozer. He is a capable and experienced pa s-catcher and pa s-protector.Concern: More of a one-speed runner than a true blazer, despite the impre sive statistics. Had an ugly case of the dropsies against Syracuse in 2023, dropping two po sible TDs and three pa ses, overall. In all fairne s, these were his only drops on the year and each came while he was looking back into a bright Tallaha see sun. He has a relatively high-cut frame for a running back, which will raise concerns for some about Benson's long-term durability, especially given that he suffered a major knee injury in 2020 already.Summary: In size and style, Benson profiles similarly to of the , offering a potential workhorse combination of size, speed, power and pro-readine s. With all due respect, both backs are more jacks-of-all-trades, master-of-none types who should prove solid NFL starters but are a step behind the league's elite.Grade: Second-to-third round4. , Southern Cal 5-9, 217, Redshirt JuniorOverview: Lloyd might as well have shared travel agents with the aforementioned Benson, taking the same approach but going in opposite directions. A Delaware native, Lloyd graduated early to enroll at South Carolina, but his efforts were abruptly disrupted when he suffered an ACL tear in his second practice with the . After mi
Michal Rozsival Jersey sing the 2020 season, Lloyd steadily rose in the South Carolina backfield, leading the team with 749 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. He opted to transfer to the "other" in 2023, uniting with head coach Lincoln Riley and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Lloyd enjoyed the best season of his college career, averaging an eye-popping 7.1 yards per carry and rushing for 820 yards and nine touchdowns before making an early leap to the NFL.Strengths: Lloyd is a uniquely built back who looks like a tank but moves like a go-kart. He po se ses good stop-start quickne s and the lateral agility to elude in tight spaces but also knows to get downhill quickly. He is quick to and through the line of scrimmage and shifts gears nicely, throwing off pursuit angles. He wasn't featured as a receiver catching just 34 pa ses over his career (including 13 last season) but caught everything thrown to him on tape and made a marvelous twirling adjustment on a deep play-action pa s down the
Cam Ward Jersey seam vs Nevada that showed untapped potential in this area. Lloyd's unique frame and soft hands also turned heads during Senior Bowl practices.Concerns: A determined runner, but he doesn't wow you with the leg drive and balance through contact one might expect given his stubby, powerful frame. For a short back, Lloyd neverthele s runs with a high pad level and is driven back nearly as often as he falls forward. Similarly, pa s protection is not currently a strong suit, with Lloyd relying on his initial pop and too often getting swept aside. Ball security can also be an i sue, as was the case against Utah this season, when he fumbled twice in a narrow 34-32 lo s.Summary: Succe sful for two very different USCs and the Senior Bowl, as well, Lloyd feels like one of the relatively "safe" backs of this cla s and one with future starting potential. If plugged into the right system, he could be one of the real values of the 2024 NFL draft.Grade: Third roundUSC's MarShawn Lloyd turns on the jets for a 44-yard touchdown to tie the game vs. Utah 5. , Michigan 5-8, 213, SeniorOverview: With a staggering 61 touchdowns scored over four seasons at Michigan, Corum certainly checks boxes for production. He was the epitome of consistency for the national champs in 2023, running for at least one touchdown in all 15 of Michigan's games and leading the country with 28 scores (27 on the ground).Strengths: It is appropriate that Corum starred for the , as few backs run with his combination of quickne s and ferocity. Corum attacks the line of scrimmage and dictates the action at the second level, making strong lateral cuts and explosively surging forward. While shorter than some would prefer, Corum's stubby frame is a strength of his game as he maintains his balance through contact, vaulting off of would-be defenders to consistently generate yardage in chunks. Though Michigan didn't ask him to play much of a role in the pa sing game, Corum shows awarene s and soft hands including kick return ability and he's stout in pa s protection. Nationally recognized for his efforts off the field as well, earning the role of captain for the 2023 Allstate AFCA Good Works team.Concerns: Corum's highlight reel is impre sive, but critics will point out that it is easier to attack holes with conviction when they are already there and Jim Harbaugh didn't earn his reputation as a running-game aficionado for nothing. Corum feasted off of gaping holes throughout his time at Michigan and wasn't the dynamic threat as a receiver (three career touchdowns) that most backs of his size are asked to be at the next level.Summary: Corum leaves Michigan as an accomplished runner, receiver and returner with 731 touches, generating 4,148 yards against hard-hitting Big Ten competition. Corum is as proven as it gets but he's more gritty than gifted, projecting as a middle-round selection and complementary piece who will struggle to replicate his collegiate succe s in the NFL.Grade: Third roundMichigan's Blake Corum rushes for a 22-yard TD to take the lead over Ohio State 6. , Oregon 5-10, 195, JuniorOverview: With all due respect to the other backs in this article, no one entered college with more fanfare than Irving, a consensus four-star recruit who initially signed and starred at Minnesota, leading the with 966 all-purpose yards as a true freshman before transferring to Oregon in 2022. Irving immediately took flight for the , with his gaudy 6.78 YPC ranking third in school history. He registered 1,357 all-purpose yards in 2022 with eight touchdowns and boosted those numbers in 2023 with 1,593 yards and 13 scores before vaulting for the NFL draft.Strengths: Irving boasts the electric feet and slippery shoulders to slip and slide past defenders with remarkable consistency. He is quick enough to shake opponents riding with him in an elevator and in the open field, he's downright lethal. Irving is also a nightmare to defend in the pa sing game, showing soft hands and awarene s of oncoming defenders with 95 grabs (and an 8.3 yard-per-catch average) over just three years.Concerns: Irving can fly but too often he's rocked by turbulence. He has a disproportionate build with a relatively slim lower body that lacks the leg drive to bounce and burrow through would-be tacklers for "tough" yards. Frankly, there are plenty of reps on tape in which defenders are able to square him up and knock him into next week, suggesting that Irving is best suited as more of a complementary piece.Summary: Cat-quick and lethal as a receiver out of the backfield, as well, Irving is one of the better "air backs" of this cla s.Grade: Third-to-fourth roundBucky Irving rushes for a TOUGH 19-yard TD to extend Oregon's lead vs. USC 7. Ray Davis, Kentucky 5-09, 220, Redshirt SeniorOverview: Expectations were high when Davis transferred to Kentucky for the 2023 season, as he previously had accumulated 1,000+ all-purpose yards at both (2019) and Vanderbilt (2022). To say that he exceeded them is an understatement, with Davis earning First Team All-SEC accolades by the AP (Second Team by coaches) with 1,452 all-purpose yards (1,129 rushing and 323 receiving) and leading the power conference with 21 combined touchdowns, setting a new school record in both overall scoring for a running back at Kentucky as well as receiving touchdowns (seven).Strengths: Davis is powerfully built and runs angry, barreling into defenders and showing impre sive contact balance and a late wiggle to break tackles consistently. Smooth accelerator to and through the hole, setting up opponents with subtle shoulder fakes and staggered steps. Experience shows with his recognition of leaning defenders, consistently surprising opponents by spurting past or cutting back to leave them off-balance and grasping at him with ineffective arm tackles. May not time well in workouts but plays fast, rarely being caught from behind. Excellent ball security with just one fumble lost (according to PFF) in 759 rushing attempts dating back to 2019. Dependable receiver with the grit and build to ultimately be a quality pa s-blocker.Concerns: If Davis runs like a man among boys, that's because he is. He'll turn 25 midway through his rookie season in the NFL and some will be concerned that the tread is already wearing thin given his 840 career touches. Davis is already more subtle than sudden, lacking the juice to beat NFL defenders with his speed alone. He is unlikely to produce a blazing 40-yard dash time. Benefited from strong blocking at Kentucky, confidently attacking rushing lanes and not needing to shake opponents at the line of scrimmage. Capable and courageous on blitz pickups but could do a better job of maintaining the block.Summary: A battle-tested brawler who has excelled in three different programs (as well as at the Senior Bowl), Davis isn't the flashiest athlete in this cla s of running backs, but his vision and contact balance are starter-caliber.Grade
Jordan Schroeder Men Jersey : Third-to-fourth round Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. 8. , 5-7, 203, Redshirt JuniorOverview: Bailey began his college career at Louisiana, transferring to TCU following an impre sive second season in the Bayou with 642 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a part-time starter before leading the Big 12 a year ago with a gaudy 8.1 yards-per-carry average in TCU's run to the national championship game. With star quarterback and wide receiver off to the NFL, TCU relied on Bailey in 2023 and while the struggled, as a whole, Bailey excelled, eclipsing his previous career totals with 1,209 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.Strengths: Bailey's burst suggests he has nitrous strapped to his legs, zipping explosively past would-be tacklers at the line of scrimmage and into the second level. He shows good vision to attack holes when they are there with the juice to bounce it outside to create on his own or cut back against the grain. He is rarely tackled by the first defender. Bailey is also among the more gifted receivers of this running back cla s, showing soft hands, awarene s, and body control to make contested grabs down the seam as well as on screens and on the perimeter.Concerns: The undersized Bailey is more of an "air back," who might be able to make defenders mi s in the open field, but also can be knocked to the turf by a stiff breeze. There are multiple occasions on tape where he is tripped from behind or knocked off balance and fails to regain his footing. That fact is especially concerning given that Bailey was e sentially a one-year wonder, exploding for nearly double his production (1,209 rushing yards) in 2023 as his previous career high (642 yards in 2021).Summary: A similarly explosive dual-threat out of the backfield as Oregon's Irving, Bailey projects best as a complementary third-down specialist.Grade: Third-to-fourth roundEmani Bailey rushes for a 24-yard touchdown to extend TCU's lead over SMU 9. , Wisconsin 6-2, 245, JuniorOverview: The burly Allen appears well-suited to follow former bludgeoning their way into the NFL. The former four-star recruit immediately excelled against formidable Big Ten competition in 2021, rushing for 1,268 yards as a true freshman, joining former Badgers Ron Dayne (1996), James White (2010) and (2017) as the only backs at Wisconsin to gain more than 1,000 yards in their first seasons on campus. Though Allen was quite obviously the Badgers' primary weapon on offense, he steadily produced, averaging at least 5.4 yards per carry each of his three seasons in Madison, generating 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground before leaving early for the NFL.Strengths: A physically imposing back with broad shoulders and veritable tree trunks for thighs, Allen routinely bulldozes through defenders to create yards after contact. He has a deceptive gait, using a very effective hesitation move to get would-be tacklers "powering up" to hit him off-balance and slipping by them to get into the open field, where Allen shows vision and better burst than his size suggests. Allen shows good coordination and surprisingly light feet, high-stepping his way out of ankle tackles. He is also an underrated receiver, working hard
Martin Havlat Kids Jersey to improve his hands and awarene s out of the backfield, more than doubling his previous career-high with 28 receptions in 2023.Concerns: Like most big backs, Allen is much better going North and South than attempting to shake defenders laterally, requiring lanes to efficiently accelerate to the second level. He can lower his shoulder into defenders for highlight-reel tackle-breaking plays but is such a tall back that he often loses the leverage battle and is too often stood up and driven back, despite his size and strength. As a result, defenders are too often able to rip the ball free, with Allen fumbling nine times at Wisconsin, including four times in 2023.Summary: The polar opposite of most of the top backs in this cla s, Allen capably moves piles with sheer leg drive and determination. He lacks ideal lateral agility to elude suggesting more of a complementary "Thunder" role in the NFL but can provide the physical presence many clubs currently lack.Grade: Fourth roundBraelon Allen's rushing touchdown gives Wisconsin a 28-10 lead vs. Buffalo 10. , Texas 6-0, 207, Redshirt SophomoreOverview: With both Bijan Robinson and stampeding to the NFL, the desperately needed a runner to step up in 2023 and Brooks did precisely that, averaging 142.5 all-purpose yards over the first 10 games of the season (sixth in the nation) before suffering a torn ACL in Week 10 against Oklahoma State. Despite the serious injury requiring a season-ending surgery, Brooks surprised many with his decision to neverthele s give up his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2024 NFL draft.Strengths: Quick to and through the hole, showing a different degree of burst than most of the other backs in this cla s over 200 pounds. Can outrace defenders to the perimeter and dash to the second level, consistently gaining yardage in chunks. Is just as quick stopping as he is starting, throwing off would-be tacklers and forcing lots of flailing arm tackle attempts that he can easily run through. Keeps his legs driving through contact and though he runs a tad high (more on that later), he shows impre sive "dead-leg" balance, regaining his footing when defenders can swipe one of his legs, leaving him hopping momentarily.Brooks has good lateral balance to tightrope the sideline, as well. Caught 25 pa ses in 2023 and showed soft hands while doing so, with impre sive hand-eye coordination to pluck outside of his frame. Enters the NFL with just 266 career touches and should be just scratching the surface of his ability.Concerns: Runs tall and is relatively long. He has narrow legs which give opponents a large tackle target and leave him le s downhill power than some of the stubbier backs of this cla s. Fights for additional yardage but too often gets stood up and knocked back, failing to fall forward often enough. Wasn't asked to pa s protect much for Texas and lacks the weight and physical nature to project as a plug-and-play option in this area.Summary: Brooks will be a fascinating evaluation for NFL scouts. He is a cla sic one-year wonder who, depending on your perspective, could either be just scratching the surface of his potential or be the beneficiary from a gifted supporting cast, including the play-caller. He has a slashing big-play style to him that will draw plenty of excitement but his recovery from surgery and relative inexperience will require plenty of patience.Grade: Fourth-to-fifth roundQuinn Ewers links up with Jonathon Brooks for a 37-yard touchdown to give Texas the lead against Rice Other NFL Draft Positional RankingsTop NFL Draft ProspectsQB ProspectsWR ProspectsTE ProspectsOT ProspectsIOL ProspectsDT ProspectsEdge Rusher ProspectsRob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.
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There are plenty of honors that an NFL team gets after winning a Super Bowl. Championship clubs receive a ring, get to throw a parade in their city and enjoy bragging rights for the entirety of the offseason.One of the most prestigious privileges for a title team is getting the chance to go to Washington, D.C. and meet with the President of the United States. In the case of this year, that means a ceremony with Joe Biden.The Chiefs are no strangers to visiting the nation's capital. It was just a year ago that the team made it to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave,
Arsenal FC Jersey fresh off winning Super Bowl 57. Now, the organization is back again in 2024, after the Chiefs succe sfully defended their championship with a win over the 49ers in Super Bowl 58 just four months ago.While it marks the third ring in the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City, this is only the second time he and his current teammates will be at the White House. The team did not get to go in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.But the club is back this year, with Mahomes, Andy Reid and the rest of the champions set to take center stage alongside the U.S. President. Of course, we would be remi s not to
England National Team Jersey mention Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce, who went viral last year at the event.Will Kelce be at the White House ceremony this year? Here is what you need to know.MORE: Will Travis Kelce be at the White House celebration?Kelce is expected to be with the Chiefs on Friday for their celebration at the White House. There have been no rumors that the tight end would not attend the prestigious event.This marks the second time that Kelce and Kansas City are visiting Biden at the White House.Last year at the White House ceremony for Kansas City, it appeared for a brief moment that fans would be treated to a Kelce speech. After Kelce posed for a picture with Biden and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, the tight end stepped up to the microphone, starting with, "So I've been waiting for
Juventus Jersey this " before he was cut off by his teammate, who quickly apologized to the crowd.For one second .. President Travis Kelce addre sed the nation. Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) Kelce revealed what his intent was during an episode of "New Heights", his podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce. Turns out, all that the Chiefs star wanted to say were four famous words a sociated with the President of the United States.MORE:"Obviously, the president at the
A.S. Roma Jersey podium, it's iconic, right?" Kelce said. "It's iconic, and how he usually addre ses the nation is, 'To my fellow Americans.' That's all I wanted to say, dude ... I shouldn't have started off with, 'I've always wanted to do this.'"Shoutout to Pat, man, for keeping me from embarra sing myself at that podium in front of the world."We will see if Kelce tries again to utter the iconic phrase this time around.Will Taylor Swift be at the White House celebration?With Kelce now in a
Inter Miami CF Jersey relationship with international music sensation Taylor Swift, it constantly begs the question if she will be by his side at prominent events. In this case, it has people wondering if Swift will make an appearance in the nation's capital.So far, there have been no updates or rumors on a potential showing by the 14-time Grammy winner.In the past, the White House limited invites solely to team personnel following a Super Bowl win, so it's highly unlikely Swift will be there.Of course, Taylor Swift is not just anyone.The singer-songwriter is currently on the European leg of her Eras Tour. She had a show Thursday night in Madrid, Spain, but does not have another performance until Sunday, which is set to take place in Lyon, France.
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