Latest news with #2025NFLScoutingCombine
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan CB Will Johnson suffers another injury, complicating his NFL draft stock
Michigan CB Will Johnson suffers another injury, complicating his NFL draft stock Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is once again raising more questions about his stock in the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson is battling another injury, one that will keep him from participating at Michigan's pro day on March 21. This time, it's a hamstring injury for Johnson. It's an injury suffered after the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, in which Johnson did not work out due to the toe injury he suffered in October. He had also missed time with a shoulder injury suffered making a tackle in Michigan's win over USC in September. At the combine, Johnson indicated that he "tore some ligaments" in the toe, and that had prevented him from running for several months. He had resumed training for Michigan's workout but that has now been shelved due to the hamstring injury. He has now scheduled a private workout for April 14th, just 10 days before the 2025 NFL Draft begins in Green Bay. Johnson remains highly rated at cornerback and is a bona fide playmaker at the position. He recorded two pick-sixes in his six games in 2024 for the Wolverines after notching four in Michigan's 2023 national championship season. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Johnson is still widely expected to be a top-20 overall selection, though this latest injury complicates the projections. Outside of the pick-sixes, Johnson wasn't having a particularly great season for Michigan, notably missing several tackles and not playing as physically in man coverage opportunities as he had in his stellar 2023.
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles reload the trenches in a 7-round post-NFL Combine mock draft
Eagles reload the trenches in a 7-round post-NFL Combine mock draft The Philadelphia Eagles are retooling and we've unveiled are third Eagles Wire 2025 NFL Mock draft of the offseason and after the scouting combine The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is over, and the results could significantly impact April's NFL Draft, which will occur at the end of next month. Like every team in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles closely watched this week's action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as they lock in their draft board. Philadelphia is currently set to have seven selections in this year's draft and could look to move out of Round 1. Here's an updated look at how all seven rounds could turn out for the Eagles via the PFF Mock Draft simulator. Rd 2 pick 35: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina Philadelphia traded out of Round 1, giving the Tennessee Titans pick No. 32 for pick No. 35 in Round 2 and No. 102 in Round 4. The Titans selected an offensive tackle with their pick after selecting quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall. Knight Jr. is rising on the NFL draft boards after an outstanding NFL combine. After transferring to South Carolina for the 2024 season, Knight posted 79 tackles, eight run stops, and a pair of sacks. Rd 2 pick 64: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami Dallas Goedert is 30 years old and has missed 30 games with injuries since 2022. Philadelphia had an exit strategy in place for Zach Ertz, and they did the same with Goedert by drafting a dynamic tight end with run-after-the-catch abilities. A late bloomer at Miami, Arroyo entered 2024 with 11 receptions in three seasons, but after quarterback Cam Ward's arrival the pass catcher blossomed. Arroyo averaged nearly 17 yards per catch in 2024, and is elite after the catch. Rd 3 Pick 96: Kaimon Rucker, Edge Rusher, UNC Rucker played five seasons for the Tar Heels and had 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss over his final two seasons. In only eight games last season, he had six sacks and eight tackles for loss, as injuries hampered him. An intriguing pass rusher, Rucker is 6-foot-1 and 254 pounds with 32 5/8-inch arms. He opted out of all athletic testing except the bench press, totaling 27 reps at 225 pounds. Rd 4 Pick 102: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss Ainias Smith may not be the answer, but at Ole Miss, Harris was a strong red zone target, producing 25 touchdowns in the last three seasons on 179 receptions (13.97% touchdown percentage). In addition, he was explosive in the previous two seasons, producing 1,030 receiving yards on 60 targets in 2024, with seven touchdowns, and averaging 128.8 yards per game. Rd 4 Pick 129: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas Philadelphia's running back roster only includes Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley, Lew Nichols, and Tyrion Davis-Price. However, with Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, the former Texas running back could add more explosiveness to an already dynamic offense. The junior scored 14 touchdowns this season, including five during the College Football Playoff. Rd 5 pick 162: Upton Stout, DB, Western Kentucky Upton Stout is an undersized but physical cornerback from Western Kentucky who brings serious potential at 5'8″ and 178 pounds. His slight frame and limited length make him a slot CB at the next level. Stout attacks everything downhill and will significantly contribute to the run game and against screens. With Cooper DeJean potentially moving to the outside cornerback spot, he could be a starter as a rookie. Rd 5 Pick 166: Connor Colby, OL, Iowa Colby is a quick, agile offensive guard who will improve an NFL team's zone running scheme. Colby started 23 straight games at right guard for the Hawkeyes. Before that stretch, Colby started seven games at left guard, six at right tackle, and 11 at right guard. With 45 career starts under his belt, Colby is among the most seasoned offensive linemen in the 2025 draft class. Colby is agile in space and rarely misses his marks. Rd 5 Pick 169: Cody Simon, LB, Ohio State While at Ohio State, Simon played in 44 games and started in 15. With Ohio State often utilizing just two linebackers at a time, Simon had to take more of a backseat as the No. 3 guy in the rotation. The 6'2", 235-pound linebacker is athletic and can easily translate to the Mike position in a 4-3 or 3-4 base defense. Simon is tough against the run and plays strong while flashing his athleticism as a Blitzer, aka Zack Baun.
Fox Sports
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Eagles release CB Darius Slay, the first of several hard decisions this offseason
The Philadelphia Eagles are releasing six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. He will be a post-June 1 release. Releasing Slay is just the first of what are expected to be several tough decisions this offseason for the Super Bowl champs. The Eagles have notable free agents that include linebacker Zack Baun, edge rusher Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams and guard Mekhi Becton. "We know we're not going to be able to keep everyone. Certainly, we'd like to keep everyone," Howie Roseman told reporters during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine last week. " I would just ask our fans to just have patience throughout the offseason." The Eagles currently have just over $22 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. "Real tears," Slay's wife, Jennifer, wrote on social media. The 34-year-old cornerback spent five seasons with the Eagles and played a key role in helping them win the Super Bowl just three weeks ago. The move was expected to save the Eagles about $4.3 million next season against the salary cap. Slay spent the first seven years of his career with the Detroit Lions before he was traded to the Eagles in March 2020 for third-round and fifth-round picks in that year's draft. He had nine interceptions in the regular season over his career with the Eagles — and had one in this year's postseason against Green Bay. Slay made three Pro Bowls with the Eagles and three with the Lions. He led the NFL with eight interceptions in 2017 and was named a first-team All-Pro. Nicknamed "Big Play" Slay, he seemed to understand the move was possible during an appearance last month on the St. Brown podcast. "I got one more (year left)," Slay said. "You know how that works. So whatever they want to do. I might re-sign back, hopefully. If I ain't, I got to see what we doing because I do want to play one more year, for sure." As for potential landing spots, Slay said he would gladly return to Detroit. There's also a chance he eventually re-signs with the Eagles on a cheaper deal. Slay's $13.7 million cap hit was set to be the fifth-highest on the team in 2025. No matter where he ends up, teams will be interested in Slay. He was an outsized personality in the locker room and widely considered a valuable team leader. He was voted team captain. [Related: Ranking the top 100 free agents of 2025] "Any time you're around Slay, he's got this energy, and this love for his teammates, and this love for football, and this love for life. That's infectious. There is a reason he continues to be voted a captain on this football team," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said this season. "You love having guys like that. We've got a lot of guys like that here and Slay is definitely at the top of the list there, just bringing that positive energy every day regardless of the circumstances." With Slay moving on, the Eagles could start Cooper DeJean or Kelee Ringo at cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell. DeJean is coming off a memorable Super Bowl LIX performance. Both he and Ringo are 22 years old, while Mitchell is 23. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
03-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Browns interested in Cam Ward, Kirk Cousins and more at QB
Browns interested in Cam Ward, Kirk Cousins and more at QB Heading into free agency and the draft, one of the Browns' top priorities remains figuring out the answer at quarterback. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano wrote an article about what they heard from executives, coaches, and agents around the league during the week at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which included insight into the future of the team's plans at quarterback. Starting with the draft, Graziano believes the Browns are planning to remain at No. 2 instead of trading down to take one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft. Graziano believes "there's a strong chance [Deshaun] Watson has played his final game as a Brown" and Cleveland needs to look into where they are going next at the position. "The overwhelming belief of the people I spoke to this week is that the Browns plan to stay put at No. 2 in the draft and take one of the top quarterbacks. Their preference between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders is unclear, but if one goes at No. 1, I believe they'd be OK with taking the other." Moving on to the free agent market, Fowler named Vikings' Daniel Jones, Falcons' Kirk Cousins, and Chiefs' Carson Wentz as inexpensive options due to the significant remaining money owed to Watson. However, Fowler thinks Atlanta is content keeping Cousins as their backup if no team wants to take on his salary in a trade. "The Browns will consider cost when it comes to the quarterback market, given they still owe injured Watson that $92 million over the next two years. People I've talked to expect Daniel Jones to be on their radar, along with Kirk Cousins if he becomes available (though, surprisingly, not every team official is buying that the Falcons will just cut him outright, despite the significant money owed to him). Another name to watch here is Carson Wentz." The belief is the Browns will add a veteran and a rookie to the room this offseason to completely overhaul the position. Keep an eye on those mentioned above as options in these coming months.
USA Today
03-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Kansas City Chiefs held 'formal meeting' with Oklahoma State RB
2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Kansas City Chiefs held 'formal meeting' with Oklahoma State RB 4.61 and 4.62 for Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon !!! — The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) March 1, 2025 According to Ryan Fowler of the Draft Network, the Kansas City Chiefs had a "formal meeting" with Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Chiefs could look for another diamond in the rough at running back, as there is a deep pool of options going into next month's draft. The injuries suffered by Isiah Pacheco affected his performance last season, and rookie Carson Steele struggled with turnovers at the start of the year. The signing of Kareem Hunt was crucial to the team's success and could be an inspiration to select Gordon II if available. "I think that this is a deep running back class, and I think that that's the one position offensively," said Veach during his press conference at the NFL Combine last week. "I think you need more than one. It's a long season, and you have to have a good tandem there. You saw the Niners the last few years when they were operating at their peak. I mean, they had the guys like (Jordan Mason) with (Christian) McCaffrey, McCaffrey with Elijah Mitchell. They've had a ton in there for a while. So I think having multiple running backs is a trend too, that could elevate where guys go." Gordon II showed his value in his second season at Oklahoma State, as his 2024 season was a step back. He had a tremendous 2023 season, rushing for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was named the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and won the Doak Walker Award.
