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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Lightning Quick' USC Talent Earns Massive Pre-NFL Draft Title
'Lightning Quick' USC Talent Earns Massive Pre-NFL Draft Title originally appeared on Athlon Sports. USC loaded up on talent for the 2026 recruiting class. But will the Trojans field a strong '26 NFL Draft group? Advertisement USC already has Ja'Kobi Lane hailed as the top wide receiver for the next class. Lane has competition -- in the form of a teammate of his. Makai Lemon earned his own No. 1 WR label ahead of the next draft. Lemon rises as Pro Football Focus's top wideout for the 2026 rookie class. Trevor Sikkema of PFF plastered the top label for Lemon. What are the traits that convinced the PFF analyst to place Lemon at the top of the PFF wideout board? Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Utah State Aggies during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Jonathan Hui-Imagn ImagesJonathan Hui-Imagn Images "At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Lemon is on the smaller side. I have him categorized as a slot receiver, not just because he played 354 snaps in the slot compared to just 54 out wide in 2024, but also due to how he wins and his strengths," Sikkema explained. Advertisement But then Sikkema explained what separates Lemon for other wideouts. "Lemon is lightning quick," Sikkema said. "He has short strides but moves his legs like pistons in an engine, firing out of his stance to eat up cushion in coverage or getting vertical before defenders can adjust." Sikkema concluded how Lemon brings strong fundamentals for the WR spot. "He is also a nuanced and technical route runner, despite being just a true junior entering 2025," he wrote. "He knows how to set up defenders against their leverage and can find soft spots against zone by tempo-ing his speed at different points in his route." Advertisement Lemon or Lane could become USC's second first round WR in a span of three years. Jordan Addison represents the school's last day one selection at the position. Related: USC Legend Amon-Ra St. Brown Takes Rare Jab at Chiefs, Kansas City This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Once again, clear evidence shows the dominance of Eagles star WR A.J. Brown
We may never hear another speech like the masterpiece Jason Kelce offered at the Philadelphia Eagles' first Super Bowl victory parade. There were simply too many iconic moments: the beratement of Mike Lombardi, the "hungry dogs run faster" line, the off-key but beautiful song we heard at the end. Come to think of it, the earlier statement is suddenly incorrect. We will NEVER hear another victory speech like Jason Kelce's. A.J. Brown has his moment though. Few compare to his mic-drop moment this past February. "They said I was a diva. They said all I cared about was stats. If you're going to get all of those things wrong about me, it's one thing you can get right. I'm a (expletive) champion!" Well, he isn't lying... A.J. is a champion, and as good as he was with the Tennessee Titans, he has become even better in Philly. Let's talk about those stats A.J. is mentioning. A.J. Brown, since joining the Philadelphia Eagles, has become the NFL's premier unstoppable force. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith enter their fourth season as teammates. They are on the verge of being the best duo this organization has ever seen. They are currently Pro Football Focus's choice as the best one-two punch in the game. No disrespect is intended to great tandems like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin or Harold Jackson and Ben Hawkins. Harold Carmichael and Charlie Smith... Fred Barnett and Calvin Williams... All were great. A.J. and DeVonta have the potential to exceed all of them. Let's focus on A.J. for a second. They say 'people lie, but numbers don't'. If that's true, how can we argue against Brown now being the best of his era? Per Pro Football Focus, he's the best receiver in the game, and their recent ranking of the NFL's top wide receivers against man and zone coverage places him second vs. the former. Two-tenths of a point would have slid him ahead of Mike Evans for the top spot. Check out PFF's explanation of A.J.'s brilliance and Lauren Gray's explanation of what makes him so good against man coverage. "Brown ranked fifth in PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2023 (90.4) and recorded a league-best 510 receiving yards... He led the league in that mark again in 2024, catching 35 single-target passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns (tied third most). Brown also paced the NFL with 11 missed tackles forced on man-coverage catches while finishing in the top three in first downs gained (26), yards after the catch (189) and yards per route run (3.99). He ranked fifth in passer rating when targeted against man coverage (142.4)." A.J.'s previous three seasons in the City of Brotherly Love have resulted in two of his three career Pro Bowl appearances and three consecutive Second-Team All-Pro nods. He owns team records for most receiving yards in a player's debut and single-season receiving yards. He and DeVonta Smith are the first tandem in franchise history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. He has caught a TD pass in BOTH of his Super Bowl appearances, and again, he is an (expletive) champion. Need we say more? If Brown stays on this path, he'll have a Pro Football Hall of Fame argument. Based on what we have seen so far, barring any injury, there is no reason to believe he won't.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF gives some interesting player comps to predict J.J. McCarthy's 2025 season
J.J. McCarthy has had to delay his debut for the Vikings by a year due to a torn meniscus suffered in his first preseason game for the team last August. Fast forward 10 months later, everyone within the team, media, and fanbase are excited to see what he is going to look like for the Vikings. Everyone has weighed in on what a good season could look like and what a bad one could look like. The folks at Pro Football Focus decided to take it a step further and paint a picture with some player comps for how the season may go. PFF's John Kosko wanted to give ceilings and floors for second-year quarterbacks while projecting how their season may go. When it came time to discuss J.J. McCarthy and his second year with the team, Kosko gave quite a wide range of results for the former Michigan Wolverine signal caller. The ideal result would include him having a season similar to that of Joe Burrow, while a worst-case type of season would be similar to what we saw from Sam Darnold. "McCarthy wasn't asked to carry the national-championship Michigan team, but when he needed to, he delivered. While he wasn't elite at generating big-time throws, nor was his turnover-worthy rate spectacularly low, McCarthy excelled under pressure and when facing the blitz. His success rate in both situations ranked third in the class, behind Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Darnold's career looked over until his incredible 2024 season with the Vikings. Assuming McCarthy is better than Darnold for his career isn't a stretch, but nothing is ever a guarantee at quarterback." Burrow is an MVP candidate every single year he plays a full 17-game schedule for the Bengals, so that comp is music to Vikings fans' ears. Now, the Sam Darnold comparison may spark some nightmares for fans after last season's dramatic and sharp fall from a high. Whatever the results may be for McCarthy, the support from the defense, offensive line, and skill players should be enough around him to give him every chance to succeed this season and beyond.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Shaquill Griffin addition makes young Seahawks CB expendable
The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin to a one-year contract earlier this week, reuniting with one of their 2017 draft picks. Griffin's addition pushes several cornerbacks further down the depth chart. It could spell bad news for sophomore corner Nehemiah Pritchett, who will enter training camp on the roster bubble. Pritchett was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round (No. 136) of the 2024 NFL draft. The former Auburn standout struggled in limited action as a rookie. Occasionally thrown into the fire due to injuries, Pritchett wasn't ready to cover NFL-caliber wide receivers. As a rookie, Pro Football Focus assigned him a brutal coverage grade of 35.6. Opposing quarterbacks enjoyed a strong passer rating of 115.6 when throwing the football in his direction. Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe will be the Seahawks' primary three cornerbacks. The recently added Griffin should be the top rotational reserve option off the bench. The Seahawks also added veteran corner Shemar Jean-Charles to their offseason roster. Pritchett struggled mightily as a rookie. The Seahawks have made moves this offseason that push the sophomore defender further down the depth chart. Pritchett will enter training camp at risk of being released following Griffin's addition.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
‘Sky is the limit.' How Aaron Brewer plans to get the Dolphins o-line to gel
The Miami Dolphins' starting offensive line will look very different in 2025. For starters, Terron Armstead retired, leaving a five-time Pro Bowler-sized hole at right tackle. Then left guard Robert Jones departed for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Sure, right guard Liam Eichenberg was retained yet it's unlikely he starts from day one. That means the Dolphins will have three new faces along the o-line, leaving a huge question mark about the offense's effectiveness. The key to making the unit gel, however, will ultimately come down to the man in the middle: Aaron Brewer. 'It's our team so you work with what you got,' the center said in late May. 'Whoever is next to me, whoever we're playing with, the sky is the limit for me with anybody. We could have a group full of rookies and the sky is the limit. I'm trying to come in and be great.' For the first time since high school, Brewer will play the same position for consecutive years. That continuity bodes well for not just the entire offense – not much will change from a communication standpoint – but specifically the o-line as they seek to find chemistry in training camp and beyond. 'That's something I'm very focused on with everything we're doing,' Brewer said. 'Even when some guys are uncomfortable with talking to people or just having that icebreaker conversation or having an uncomfortable conversation; I'm trying to be very intentional about everything getting guys closer together so we have that bond and that connection as soon as possible. That's what we need to be successful – that brotherhood, that community, we have to be there together.' How quickly the Dolphins gel along the offensive line will be paramount. Of the three new starters, two – Patrick Paul and Jonah Savaiinaea – have never played extensive NFL minutes. Paul, a 2024 second-round tackle out of Houston, started a few games as a rookie due to Armstead's injuries yet had only a minimal impact. The Dolphins subsequently selected Savaiinaea also in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. 'As soon as he got drafted, I reached out to him, talked to him and let him know I'm excited to work with him,' Brewer said of the rookie guard. 'As soon as he gets here, I'm just trying to get him that mentality and get him to the standard ASAP because the future is going to be so bright for him.' The third starter, seven-year veteran James Daniels, was signed during free agency. While the guard ranked second in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus, he too comes with a bit of a question mark: a ruptured Achilles suffered in 2024, something the Dolphins will surely be a bit cautious with despite projections that he will be ready for training camp. More important than where Daniels or Savaiinaea flank Brewer, however, is how the trio works in unison. They are, after all, the base of the run game. 'I think communication is the biggest thing first,' Brewer said. 'First, I like to just learn each other on and off the field, how we operate, how we go about situations. I feel like communication is the first big thing to understanding how we operate on the field.' Although Brewer hasn't played the same position for consecutive years since high school, his first taste of the NFL came as a rookie center for the Tennessee Titans in 2020. Several position changes during his four-year stint in Nashville eventually landed him a three-year, $21 million with the Dolphins in 2024. Brewer subsequently had arguably the best season of his career, starting all 17 games as he finished season the the seventh-ranked center, per PFF. 'When his technique is right, he can be a very violent player,' coach Mike McDaniel said June 12. 'I think there's a correlation between guys that have that tonality and the respect and regard others have. So as a leader, it's huge because the more confidence he has and the more he's able to be a fixture of leadership on the team, the better off we are just by way he attacks football and attacks his craft.' Strong offensive line play created a dangerous rushing attack aided that helped power the Dolphins' the top-ranked offense in 2023. If the additions follow Brewer's example, Miami could once again become that offensive juggernaut.
