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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Projecting the roles for all 11 of the Ravens' 2025 NFL draft picks
With the rookie report date just 15 days away, we're projecting the Week 1 roles for all 11 picks. The Baltimore Ravens added 11 draft picks to their roster in this year's NFL draft, landing Malaki Starks near the end of Round 1 to cap things off. Overall, the consensus for Eric DeCosta centered on draft value and landing prospects who can develop into starters regardless of the round in which they were selected. Of course, we won't know the actual impact of this year's class until these players hit the field and have time to develop, but on paper, it does appear that DeCosta has maintained and created another Super Bowl window. With the rookie report date just 15 days away, we're projecting the Week 1 roles for all 11 picks. Round 1, No. 27 overall: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia Projected role: Starting safety Kyle Hamilton is a Swiss army knife, and Baltimore just drafted his positional twin. Starks was the only player in the FBS to play at least 1,500 snaps at safety and 500 snaps at slot cornerback over the last three seasons, according to ESPN Research. Round 2, No. 59: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall Projected role: Rotational pass rusher Green's 22 tackles for loss ranked only behind Abdul Carter, who was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Giants. His 51 quarterback pressures were tied for the sixth-most in the FBS. Round 3, No. 91: Emery Jones Jr., OL, LSU Projected role: Backup offensive guard Jones is recovering from a shoulder injury and is expected to be sidelined until at least training camp. A late start to the competition will give Andrew Vorhees the edge. Jones had a 67.4 PFF pass-blocking grade at right tackle, but could be even more productive playing in a less confined space. Round 4, No. 129: Teddye Buchanan, ILB, California Projected role: Backup linebacker, special-teams standout Buchanan was a first-team All-ACC performer who led Cal with 114 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He is the third player from Cal to get drafted by the Ravens, joining quarterback Kyle Boller (first round in 2003) and cornerback Marc Anthony (seventh round in 2013). Round 5, No. 141: Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M Projected role: Backup offensive tackle A late-round pick, Vinson should make the 53-man roster, but a year on the practice squad isn't out of the question. Vinson was named First Team All-SWAC for his play in 2024 and a First-Team FCS All-American. He accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl and was the lone invite from an HBCU program at the 2025 NFL Combine. Vinson plays with a physical, aggressive mentality and loves to set the tone in the run game, something the Ravens excel at. Round 6, No. 178: Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan Projected role: Backup cornerback Kone primarily plays on the outside but has spent some time in the slot. Last season, Kone led Western Michigan with nine passes broken up. He added 70 tackles and one interception. According to PFF, Kone allowed a completion on just 45.7% of throws in coverage last season. He forced eight incompletions and one interception while allowing just one touchdown. Last season, Kane led Western Michigan with nine passes broken up. He added 70 tackles and one interception. Round 6, No. 186: Tyler Loop, K, Arizona Projected role: Starting kicker The Ravens drafted a kicker for the first time in their 30-year history, and he'll be in the spotlight after Baltimore released Justin Tucker. Loop has one of the strongest legs in this draft. He has converted 6 of 9 attempts from 50-plus yards, including making a 62-yarder last season. At the NFL combine, Loop hit 13 of 14 field goal attempts (93.3%) and finished by making a 60-yarder. Round 6, No. 203: LaJohntay Wester, WR, Colorado Projected role: Special teams standout Wester managed a 66.7% contested catch rate in 2024 while also earning an 81.5 receiving grade against man coverage. Wester averaged 12.2 yards on punts last season, including a 76-yard touchdown. Round 6, No. 210: Aeneas Peebles, DL, Virginia Tech Projected role: Backup defensive tackle. His 25 pressures were tied for the most among ACC defensive tackles. Peebles also recorded the FBS' fastest time to pressure among defensive tackles at 2.44 seconds. Round 6, No. 212: Robert Longerbeam, CB, Rutgers Projected role: Special teams The 5 feet 11, 174-pound cornerback from Rutgers is projected to play slot cornerback, and Longerbeam is only the second player from Rutgers to get drafted by the Ravens, joining running back Ray Rice (second round in 2008). According to PFF, Longer beam forced 11 incompletions in 2024. When targeted in coverage, opposing passers posted just a 78.0 passer rating. Round 7, No. 243: Garrett Dellinger, G, LSU Projected role: Backup offensive guard Dellinger is the third offensive lineman drafted this year by the Ravens, who have selected the most offensive linemen by Baltimore since 2018. He is an experienced offensive guard with 30 career starts (including 24 at left guard). During his time at LSU, Dellinger was flagged just twice for penalties in 1,937 snaps. Despite playing just 268 pass-blocking snaps due to injury, he surrendered only three total pressures and did not allow a sack.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ravens' 2025 undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the 53-man roster
With training camp fast approaching, we're looking at five undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the Baltimore Ravens 53-man roster. We're about three weeks away from Ravens rookies reporting for the July 15 start to training camp, and the team just announced the open practice schedule. After using all 11 picks in the 2025 NFL draft, Baltimore signed 17 undrafted free agents, revealing the signings during the second day of rookie minicamp at the Under Armour Performance Center. Since that time, Monmouth's Sone Ntoh has been waived, but the Ravens still have OLB Kaimon Rucker 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, where he totaled 27 reps at 225 pounds. K John Hoyland Hoyland joins sixth-round pick Tyler Loop to add another rookie to the kicking competition as the Ravens seek to find their replacement for Justin Tucker. Hoyland connected on 79.3% of his field-goal attempts and 99.3% of his extra points during his five years at Wyoming. Hoyland was 15-of-19 on field goals during his final season. OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Oregon State Christian-Lichtenhan (6-8, 315) started all 12 games at left tackle for the Beavers, allowing just two sacks and being charged with one penalty on the year. ILB Jay Higgins, Iowa An All-American and All-Big 10 selection, Higgins (6-0, 224) started all 13 games in his final season with the Hawkeyes, totaling a team high 124 tackles (53 solo), including 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, nine passes defensed, and four interceptions. G Jared Penning, Northern Iowa Jared Penning, brother of former Saints first-round pick Trevor Penning, played multiple positions on the offensive line in 48 games at Northern Iowa. S Desmond Igbinosun, Rutgers During his four seasons at Rutgers, Igbinosun (6-2, 223) accumulated 186 tackles (95 solo), including 15 tackles for loss and seven passes defensed. He's a teammate at Rutgers with Ravens sixth-round pick Robert Longerbeam. S Keondre Jackson, Illinois State Jackson (6-2, 207) appeared in 45 games (33 starts) at Illinois State, logging 225 tackles (116 solo), including 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, five interceptions (two returned for TDs), and 13 passes defensed. Jackson was named an FCS All-American by the Associated Press and first-team All-MVFC.
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former NFL player says Patriots undrafted WR plays like Julian Edelman
Former NFL player says Patriots undrafted WR plays like Julian Edelman New England Patriots undrafted rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III has been getting plenty of praise for his practice sessions during minicamp and OTAs. Now, that attention is extending outward with a national analyst and former NFL player, Brian Baldinger, recognizing Chism's talent as well. Baldinger highlighted and broke down college football footage of Chism in action. The undrafted rookie broke Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp's record with 120 receptions at Eastern Washington for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also led the FCS with 10 catches per game and ultimately earned first-team FCS All-American honors. The Patriots have a long history of finding great slot receivers, including Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Could Chism be their next great find? "This guy is turning heads in Foxborough. I don't know if he's Julian Edelman. I don't know if he's Wes Welker," said Baldinger. "But he sure plays the game like those guys did, in the way that those guys played. They might have a slot receiver coming out of Eastern Washington, undrafted free agent." It remains to be seen how the wideout's skill level translates to live game action at the NFL level. Keep in mind that all of the practices throughout the spring were non-padded workout sessions. The Patriots will get a better sense of Chism's true potential when the pads come on and the intensity ramps up at training camp. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New 49ers CB's college coach says 'every day wasn't cream and cookies' with him
New 49ers CB's college coach says 'every day wasn't cream and cookies' with him After a 6-11 season that saw them finish in fourth place in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers added some talent to their roster this offseason, who will hopefully help them climb in the division standings and make it back to the postseason. That new group includes 11 rookies that San Francisco selected in the 2025 NFL draft. 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan focused on the defense early in the draft, attacking that side of the ball with their first five selections, including Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout, who the team took in the third round (No. 100 overall). Stout, 23, was a three-star recruit out of North Shore Senior High School in Houston, Texas, before beginning his collegiate career at North Texas. After two seasons with the Mean Green, he transferred to Western Kentucky in 2022 and spent the last three years with the Hilltoppers, earning All-CAA honors and FCS All-American honors twice. At Western Kentucky, the 5-foot-8 cornerback was known for his talking on the field, and he wasn't afraid to voice his displeasure with mistakes or poor effort from his teammates around the field. 'Every day wasn't cream and cookies, right?' Hilltopers' cornerbacks coach Da'Von Brown said (via San Francisco Chronicle). 'I'd be lying to you if I told you that.' The 49ers knew about Stout's demeanor during his time at Western Kentucky, and they actually view some of those things as positives. 'We were aware,' 49ers director of player personnel Tariq Ahmad said. 'We did a lot of background work on him. … When someone is so passionate and so competitive, it's possible not everyone responds to that or enjoys working with that type of person. But we have to figure out: Do they love football? And is the passion coming from a good place? Our scouts do a great job filtering through all of that. And we felt really comfortable with Upton.' On top of that, 49ers area scout Warren Ball said the cornerback had the "heart of a lion" and "absolutely loved what Upton Stout was about." It's unclear exactly what role Stout will play in San Francisco as a rookie, but there's a chance that he competes with Deommodore Lenoir for the starting nickel cornerback job throughout training camp and into the preseason. Stout's demanding personality may be exactly what the unit needs to get back to their physical brand of defense after giving up the fourth-most points per game (25.6) in 2024. More 49ers: 49ers veteran has eyes on one specific matchup on 2025 schedule
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Patriots UDFA contract revealed for WR that broke Cooper Kupp's record
Patriots UDFA contract revealed for WR that broke Cooper Kupp's record New England Patriots undrafted free agent signing Efton Chism III signed a $234,000 deal that includes a $25,000 signing bonus, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. Those are elevated numbers for an undrafted rookie, and it indicates that the Patriots likely had some competition when attempting to sign the Eastern Washington slot receiver. Chism had a tremendous senior season with the Eagles, hauling in 120 catches for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 120 catches set a new school record and toppled the previous record set by former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. Chism was named a First-Team FCS All-American for his efforts. Chism could be a player to watch as a potential surprise in training camp. The Patriots have gone through extensive efforts to ensure a more competitive wide receivers room. They signed four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, along with spending a third-round draft pick on Washington State standout Kyle Williams. Given the players that are already on the roster, including Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, it sets the stage for one of the most competitive training camp battles in recent memory. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
