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2019 NFL Draft Season Preview: Defense With the college football season

in Fragen 07.03.2019 02:18
von panxing18 • 144 Beiträge

imminently approaching Cheap Shaq Lawson Jersey , it’s never to early to look ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft and explore which position groups are deepest, and which players are worth watching, focusing on the defensive side of the ball. This year’s defensive line class has the potential to be one of the best in quite some time, while the secondary group lacks depth outside of a few very well known prospects.Defensive TackleOn CBS Sports’ rankings, there are currently five defensive tackles ranked within the top thirteen prospects, which gives you a sense of how talented this position group truly is. Houston’s Ed Oliver is the main attraction: he has the quickness of Aaron Donald and the strength of a player 20 pounds heavier. He’s a top-five lock. Michigan’s Rashan Gary is an end/tackle hybrid that hasn’t yet reached his massive potential but can play up and down the defensive line. Clemson sports two elite tackles in Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, with Lawrence having the higher ceiling of the two. Per usual, Alabama features an NFL caliber lineman in Raekwon Davis, who will likely make a bigger name for himself as the year goes on. The wild card of the group though is Jeffery Simmons of Mississippi State. He flashed some dominant tape in last year but needs to show more consistency this year. All of the above players are likely to be first round picks and that’s only scratching the surface. This is a rare group.Edge RusherThough not quite as stacked as the previous group, this year’s group of edge rushers has plenty of time to improve their reputation. Ohio State’s Nick Bosa appears to be a more athletic version of his brother Joey, and will likely be drafted higher than Joey because of it. Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell has Shaq Lawson’s size but also a quicker get-off and longer arms. Then there is Miami’s Joe Jackson, who is primed for a breakout year along with the rest of the Hurricane’s defense. A player I’ll be watching closely is Josh Allen’s former teammate at Wyoming, Carl Granderson. The senior has the size, speed and wingspan of a dominant college player, but needs to put it all together this year.LinebackerA solid class overall so far, there will be a linebacker that suites every defensive coordinator’s taste. If you’re looking for a franchise middle linebacker look no further than LSU’s Devin White or Notre Dame’s Te’von Coney. If you want outside linebacker that can cover and shut down outside runs, Kentucky’s Josh Allen Bills Vladimir Ducasse Jersey , UB’s Khalil Hodge, or Michigan’s Devin Bush are more than capable. It will also be interesting to see if Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson can steal the show from his sophomore counterpart, Dylan Moses.SafetyThere’s still plenty of time of players to emerge out of this year’s safety class, but so far it is one that lacks depth. Having said that, the class seems to be stacked with free safety-type ballhawks in the secondary, starting with Boston College’s Lukas Denis. Denis is an ideal centerfielder in the mold of Earl Thomas or Jairus Byrd, coming down with seven interceptions in 2017. Miami’s Jaquan Johnson also seems to have a knack for turnovers, with four interceptions to go along with three forced fumbles last year. Up in Washington, the Huskies have JoJo McIntosh, who at 6’1” 205 pounds loves to come downhill against the run and punish runners. CornerbackSimilar to safety, the corner class is a bit of an unknown quantity. What is known is that LSU’s Andraez “Greedy” Williams and Georgia’s Deandre Baker will be competing all season for the title of “Best College Cornerback.” Outside of those two, Julian Love for Notre Dame is a smart, technically sound player that is under-hyped at this point in time and Michael Jackson has the size teams want in their outside press corners (6’1”). Other prospects, like Duke’s Mark Gilbert and Ohio State’s Kendall Sheffield, are getting a fair share of good press, but judgement should be withheld until they prove they can handle full seasons as starting corners. BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Calling this his final NFL season Authentic Stephen Hauschka Jersey , Lorenzo Alexander has additional motivation to ensure it will be a successful one after the Buffalo Bills re-signed the linebacker to a one-year contract Wednesday."I've been on some teams that have been close to winning the championship, so I've learned over time that you always have to have a sense of urgency," Alexander said during a conference call."I think we have something being built here that's special," he added. "I think next year we can really make a run, and at this point, that's what it's all about for me." And yes, the 35-year-old Alexander said in reiterating comments he made in December, he doesn't foresee playing beyond this year."I'm going to put the work in. But if you asked me today, yeah, this is my last year," he said. "At some point, you've got to eventually walk away from the game and start the second half of your life."Re-signing with Bills was essentially a formality after both Alexander and the Bills openly discussed the likelihood of him returning for a fourth season in Buffalo and 13th in the NFL.For the Bills, they retain a versatile, experienced player, who also helps patch over a leadership void after defensive tackle Kyle Williams' decision to retire.For Alexander, he gets to continue building on the valuable role he carved out for himself both on and off the field on a team that helped revive his career."I'm definitely fortunate and blessed to be having this opportunity at the age of 36 now," he said Bills Ryan Groy Jersey , referring to how old he'll be next season, "because many guys don't get to play this long here in the NFL."Alexander was an undrafted free agent out of California and split 2005 and '06 with Carolina and Baltimore before finally landing a roster spot with Washington in 2007, where he played through 2012. He split the next three years with Arizona, where he was sidelined by a season-ending foot injury, and Oakland, before signing with Buffalo in 2016.Initially brought in to fill a special teams role in Buffalo, Alexander was so productive during the offseason he earned a starting job and finished with a career-best 12½ sacks in Rex Ryan's final year as coach.Alexander has remained a regular since Sean McDermott took over, and is coming off a season in which he had 6½ sacks and a career-best two interceptions in starting eight of 16 games.Just as important, he's played a role in grooming Buffalo's up-and-coming youngsters, including middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.Alexander sees the Bills moving in the right direction despite a 6-10 finish, following an offseason in which Buffalo continued restocking its roster with youth. The offense showed signs of progress under rookie quarterback Josh Allen, and the defense finished second in the NFL in yards allowed."I don't think we're that far off," Alexander said.The Bills also re-signed offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles to a one-year contract. The fourth-year player signed with Buffalo in late September, and had five starts in 12 games.

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