Latest news with #All-RookieTeam
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nate Wiggins garners respect from one of the NFL's sharpest minds
One of the NFL's brightest offers some high praise for Ravens star Nate Wiggins. Whether you're a fan of the Clemson Tigers or not, it's hard to imagine that there can be a ton of ways to make 25 seconds more exciting. Before every home game, the guys in orange and purple touch Howard's Rock for luck and run down the hill to begin play in Memorial Stadium a.k.a. 'Death Valley'. It's a scene that Baltimore Ravens star Nate Wiggins knows very well. Drafted by Baltimore as the 30th overall selection in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wiggins came highly recommended. Three years at Clemson culminated in a First-team All-ACC mention to close the 2023 college football season. No one denies Wiggins' talent, but he has flown under the radar nationally. Fellow rookie cornerbacks stole the spotlight. Beanie Bishop Jr. of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers picked off four passes. Quinyon Mitchell earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors, as did Mitchell's teammate, Cooper DeJean. The latter also intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Sometimes consistency can be ignored for flashier moments. That isn't to say the other guys mentioned weren't consistent. It's just intended to state that Wiggins was as well, and we don't mention him as often as we should. That can happen on a roster as loaded as Baltimore's. Think about it. He shares the secondary with an All-Pro (Kyle Hamilton) and the most exciting safety of the current rookie class (Malaki Starks). All were first-round draftees. All are worth getting excited about. Wiggins has gotten a lot of burn this offseason. He's been mentioned as a breakout candidate. Marc Ross made this claim three months ago. His colleague at Bucky Brooks, did so as the Ravens open training camp. His 2025 All-Breakout Team features the Ravens star as one of the two cornerbacks. "The feisty cover corner held his own on the island in a blitz-happy scheme that puts immense pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups. Wiggins finished his rookie campaign with an interception, 13 passes defensed and a 47.8 percent completion rate allowed, per NGS. Most importantly, the ultra-competitive defender displayed the skill, confidence and grittiness to shadow WR1s with minimal help from deep defenders. As the Ravens look to take the next step as a title contender, they will need Wiggins and free-agent signee Jaire Alexander to flourish as lockdown defenders." Rounding out the rest of Brooks' secondary are fellow cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions) and Tarheeb Hill (Los Angeles Chargers). Cole Bishop (Buffalo Bills) and Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are the safeties. Year two is a big one for Mr. Wiggins. Another season and the experience gained from his rookie campaign should fuel another successful run. He could step into the spotlight as one of the game's best and brightest, a title that we expect him to carry for a while.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Recent NFL projection may have gifted every Eagles rookie with extra motivation
Recent NFL projection may have gifted every Eagles rookie with extra motivation An NFL rookie projection speaks loudly, but the Eagles will speak even louder. Five years after Kobe Bryant's untimely passing, his 'Mamba Mentality' still provides quite the intriguing study. It has shifted from attitude to philosophy, a theory shared by Philadelphia Eagles, NBA stars, and even the hardworking men or women at the office. Most of the general public won't ever drop 81 points in a single professional basketball game. Heck, most NBA stars won't do that. They'll have to find contentment in the building blocks, an unquenchable thirst to be the best at something. What does that have to do with football, you ask? Well, thank you for asking the question. Though they're young, there may be some baby 'mambas' growing at the NovaCare Complex, and if they're anything like Kobe, they'll do anything to find some added motivation. They won't have to look too hard. just gifted them with a heavy dosage. An NFL All-Rookie Team projection is embarrassingly void of any Eagles Gennaro Filice is a deputy editor at He doesn't pick up the pen or pluck keys on the keyboard very often, but when he does, what he offers isn't to be missed. Recently, he tried his hand at projecting the members of the 2025 NFL All-Rookie Team. Not a single Eagle was mentioned. Call it an embarrassment. Call it an oversight. Whatever you call it, if this draft class is what we think it is, it can certainly be viewed as motivation. Now, everyone could play the devil's advocate. Maybe the theory is that Jihaad Campbell won't be healthy early. Maybe he'll miss too many important snaps. Then again, the thinking could be something else. How about another theory while the wheels are turning? This is Zack Baun, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, and Quinyon Mitchell's defense. They'll be the young leaders Vic Fangio relies upon. Maybe the theory is that Andrew Mukuba and Ty Robinson will be part of a heavy rotation at their respective positions. That being said, there may not be enough snaps for them to make a case to be placed ahead of early favorites to make the all-rookie team. The argument makes sense. Still, that isn't exciting enough. Most would prefer the more emotion-filled response to projection. This list is disrespectful. It should be viewed as fuel for the rookie's fire, and this entire season should be treated like a revenge tour. Perhaps, it's off-base, but that's how Mamba Mentality works. Find motivation in everything, even if you have to make up your own. After all, that's exactly the strategy Kobe used sometimes.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Giants' Abdul Carter lands on All-Rookie Team, named an instant impact player
Giants' Abdul Carter lands on All-Rookie Team, named an instant impact player When the New York Giants selected edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, they expected him to be able to play immediately. So far, through organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp, those expectations remain intact as Carter has given no one a reason to doubt him. The Giants have wrapped up minicamp and now go on break until July 22, when training camp begins. Carter will be ready to go when training camp begins next month, and he's been named to All-Rookie Team as an instant impact player. Widely considered the best defensive player in this draft class, Carter is unsurprisingly the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. His explosiveness off the edge jumps off the screen, but with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as the incumbent outside linebackers, what's the plan with the No. 3 overall pick? Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen sees it as 'a really good problem to have.' And he's not wrong: You can never have enough good pass rushers. 'Ultimately, we want to get our best 11 on the field,' Bowen said last month. 'Whatever way we gotta maneuver to do that, we gotta find ways to get the guys that can impact the game on the field.' Carter is undoubtedly one of the best 11 on this defensive roster, and playing alongside Burns, Thibodeaux and DT Dexter Lawrence, the rookie's poised to get the kind of one-on-one matchups he can feast on. Carter may not have led Penn State in tackles his senior season, but no one came close to his 12 sacks for 89 yards. That's an average of nearly 7.5 yards per sack, which is a huge number. Yes, that was college, and how many snaps he takes will be the ultimate factor in his productivity this year. But you can believe that Carter will make the most of each of his opportunities and prove each week that he deserves to be on the field.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals to face 8 projected top rookies in 2025
Arizona Cardinals to face 8 projected top rookies in 2025 Arizona's Will Johnson is projected to make the All-Rookie Team in 2025. The Cardinals face 8 projected top rookies. Every team has high hopes for its rookie class. That isn't changing in 2025, but only a select few will earn All-Rookie honors this year. Gennaro Filice projected which rookies will make the All-Rookie Team. For the Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick, is projected to make that unit but not defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, their first-round pick. But which of these projected top rookies will the Cardinals face this season? Let's have a look. Top offensive rookie opponents These are the offensive rookies Filice puts in his projected all-rookie team. QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars G Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys G Wyatt Milum, Jacksonville Jaguars The Cardinals will see Ward and the Titans a home in Week 5. They will play the Cowboys on the road in Week 9 on Monday night. They face Hunter, Milum and the Jags at home in Week 12. Top defensive, special teams rookie opponents These are Flilice's projected top defensive rookies on the Cardinals' schedule. EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys LB Demetrius Knight Jr., Cincinnati Bengals S Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons KR Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans As mentioned in the offensive section, the Cardinals play the Cowboys on the road in Week 9 in prime time and the Titans at home in Week 5. They face the Falcons in their home finale in Week 16, followed by the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week 17. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Hutson Named To All-Rookie Team
While it was a given after he had won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie for the 2024-25 season, Montreal Canadiens' blueliner Lane Hutson was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team on Thursday night. One hundred eighty-seven members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association were asked to vote for the All-Rookie team, and three of the selections were unanimous: Hutson and his fellow Calder finalists, the Calgary Flames' goaltender Dustin Wolf, and the San Jose Sharks' forward Macklin Celebrini. Advertisement Philadelphia Flyers Russian wonder Matvei Michkov was a near-unanimous selection, receiving 186 votes, while the final forward, Anaheim Ducks' Cutter Gauthier, received just 79 votes. As for the second defenseman, the honour was given to the Columbus Blue Jackets' Denton Mateychuk, who received 95 votes. The last time a Canadiens player was named to the All-Rookie Team was in the 2019-20 season, when Nick Suzuki was honoured alongside Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Elvis Merzlikins, Victor Olofsson, and Dominik Kubalik. Before then, it was alternate captain Brendan Gallagher, back in 2012-13, on a team that also featured Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Saad, Jonas Brodin, Justin Schultz, and former Hab goaltender Jake Allen. The last Canadiens blueliner to be named to the All-Rookie Team was P.K. Subban in 2010-11, who was joined by Logan Couture, Corey Crawford, John Carlson, Jeff Skinner, and Michael Grabner. The NHL began naming an All-Rookie Team in 1982-83, and since then, 14 Canadiens players have received the honour. In three seasons, two players from the Habs made the team. In 1982-83, Mats Naslund and Dan Daoust; in 1984-85, Chris Chelios and Steve Penney; and in 1985-86, Patrik Roy and Kjell Dahlin. Advertisement Of the 14 Canadiens players named, only three were blueliners, including Hutson. There were also only three goaltenders (Carey Price being the third), and the remaining eight players were forwards (Gallagher, Suzuki, Dhalin, Daoust, Naslund, Oleg Petrov, Michael Ryder and Gilbert Dionne). Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
