Latest news with #defensiveback
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WATCH: Malaki Starks arrives for Baltimore Ravens training camp
The Ravens got their man, pairing Georgia All-American defensive back Malaki Starks with All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Baltimore was able to get a talented defensive back without having to trade up in the draft or part ways with assets. Starks can officially get integrated into his new role after arriving at the Under Armour Performance Center for rookie orientation. Baltimore's secondary has elite versatility, with Kyle Hamilton, Ar'Darius Washington, and Malaki Starks. Washington should return from his Achilles injury at some point and can play safety and nickel. Marlon Humphrey plays outside and in the slot. Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie are on the outside. Advertisement Starks played three seasons for the Bulldogs, recording 197 total tackles, 17 pass deflections, and six interceptions in his collegiate career. In the 2024 season, he had 77 total tackles, four for loss, and one interception. He was an All-American in 2023. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Malaki Starks arrives for training camp
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers Reportedly Showed Interest In Former First-Round Defensive Back
Packers Reportedly Showed Interest In Former First-Round Defensive Back originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Green Bay Packers are in a mixed position with their defensive back room. While the safety group features All-Pro Xavier McKinney and two promising second-year players in Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, the cornerback unit is a significant concern heading into the 2025 season. Advertisement Green Bay signed former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency and added Tulane's Micah Robinson in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Additionally, they released Jaire Alexander three weeks ago. Examining the current outlook of the cornerback group reveals a lack of reliable experience on the outside — both Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs, the team's top two options, have spent most of their careers playing in the slot. That is a problem for a team with postseason aspirations, especially given the importance of holding up against boundary receivers. The Packers are confident their current cornerbacks can get the job done, but that does not mean they have stopped exploring other options. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, Green Bay recently showed interest in signing a former first-round pick who most recently spent time in the UFL. Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette (20) tackles Miami Dolphins running back Lynn Bowden (15)© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images '#Texans weren't the only #NFL team interested in Damon Arnette Jr.,' Wilson wrote. '#49ers general manager John Lynch discussed him with UFL. #Packers were another team that explored Arnette option.' Advertisement The Las Vegas Raiders selected Damon Arnette 19th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He started seven of the nine games he played as a rookie but saw limited action in 2021, appearing in just four games before being released by the team in November of that year. After he departed from Las Vegas, Arnette had short stints with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. Most recently, he signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans and also joined the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL in 2024 as he looked to revive his career. Arnette was an average run defender during his time with the Raiders, but he struggled in coverage, earning grades of just 37.5 in 2020 and 29.6 in 2021, according to PFF. Arnette turns 29 this September and, at best, could offer some extra depth in the secondary — but it's hard to picture him stepping in as a starter. At this point in his career, there's little evidence to suggest he can completely turn things around and become a reliable, starting-caliber player. If the Packers showed interest, it probably means they saw something worth taking a closer look at — maybe a few flashes on tape or some growth during his time in the UFL. However, it is tough to believe that whatever they saw would be enough to change the landscape of the secondary going into 2025. Related: Packers Trade Pitch Sends 1,700-Yard WR To Steelers to Join Aaron Rodgers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Navy All-American S'Vioarean Martin Commits to Texas Tech
Texas Tech has successfully landed one of the top defensive backs in the country. 2026 Navy All-American S'Vioarean Martin from Palestine High School in Texas has committed to the Red Raiders. According to 247Sports, Martin is a three-star prospect. Only 100 football players receive the honor of wearing the Navy All-American Bowl jersey each year. The 2026 Navy All-American Bowl from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, will be presented live on NBC and Peacock. About the All-American Bowl As an NBC Sports-owned property, the All-American Bowl is part of a marquee lineup of elite events that includes the Olympics and Paralympics, the Premier League, and primetime's #1 show for an unprecedented 13 consecutive years: Sunday Night Football. The All-American Bowl is annually the most-watched, most-talked about, and most-prestigious high school all-star event with more than four million unique television viewers and more than 25,000 fans in attendance. The history and tradition of the All-American Bowl is unparalleled, as it features: 631 draft picks; 103 Super Bowl champions; 274 Pro Bowl selections; and 18 Heisman finalists. For more information, visit or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram (@AABonNBC).
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams re-sign Derion Kendrick
The Rams have brought back a defensive back. Los Angeles announced on Tuesday that the club has re-signed Derion Kendrick. Kendrick, 24, had been waived by the team last week. He had suffered a torn ACL during last year's training camp and missed all of the 2024 season. Advertisement A sixth-round pick in 2022, Kendrick appeared in 15 games with six starts as a rookie. He then played all 17 games with 12 starts in 2023, recording 10 passes defensed and an interception along with three tackles for loss. Kendrick was on the field for 76 percent of Los Angeles' special teams snaps in 2023.
CBC
09-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Antoine Brooks Jr. is making his voice, and play, heard at Riders training camp
Defensive back earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 It's easy to spot Antoine Brooks Jr. at the Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie camp. No. 33 is one of the most vocal players out on the field, but the defensive back is also making a splash with his play. "My teammates [have] been telling me all day that my good spirit is actually getting them to keep going," Brooks said. "I have fun every day. My life is great … I'm just enjoying every bit of it." Brooks spent last year on the practice roster and says it gave him the time to study the nuances of the CFL game. "I was actually just enjoying and trying to learn the playbook and make sure, you know, that I'm ready for this year," he said. "I know the 12-man game now. The defence is actually going by slow to me now [and I'm] actually having fun with it." Head coach Corey Mace praised Brooks's versatility in being able to play multiple defensive positions. "From the schematic standpoint, to be able to have guys that can move around a little bit, you know, it's good for disguising and stuff like that defensively, and then also offensively getting guys out of jams," Mace said. "And of course, special teams. The more positions you can play if injuries happen or whatever, you can get us out of a jam." Brooks has had to be versatile in his football career. He was a star quarterback at DuVal High School in Lanham, Md., while also playing on the defensive side of the ball. But after he fractured an ankle and broke his wrist during his senior year, Brooks needed to concentrate on his defensive skills. "I switched to linebacker in college and that's when I played nickel[back]," Brooks said. He went on to play four seasons at the University of Maryland, earning three All-Big 10 selections. Brooks was drafted by the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. After four games with the Steelers, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams, playing eight games and earning a Super Bowl ring when the Rams won in 2021. "Football is my life. I've being playing football a long time," Brooks said. "Wherever coach needs me, they put me right there." Players have Saturday off, then main camp starts Sunday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon.
