#DaMarkus Lodge

[danray130]

Shrine Game Offensive Players To Watch: East Team

Shrine Game Offensive Players To Watch: East Team #easteam #shrinegame #offense #JordanTaamu #TyreeStLouis #DaMarkusLodge #TyJohnson #nfldraft #nfldraftprospects #football #future

Photo credit: Matt Bush/USA TODAY Sports

With shrine week underway, here are some offensive players from the east team that should standout and catch your eyes. Also, these draft prospects could potentially get their names called on draft day in a few months and maybe on the team you support.

DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Ole Miss

2018 Stats: 65 receptions, 877 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns

Col…

[sportsleague365]

Today’s notes from the workout/visit circuit: Arizona Cardinals * QB Drew Anderson, WR Saeed Blacknall, DT Lyndon Johnson, WR DaMarkus Lodge Carolina Panthers * S Tre Sullivan Denver Broncos * OG Larry Allen, OT Ka’John Armstrong, RB Alex Barnes, WR Tyre Brady, RB Nick Brossette, QB Taryn Christion, RB Jeremy Cox, RB Matthew Dayes, OT Brian Fineanganofo, QB Nick Fitzgerald, OG Joshua Garnett, QB Tyree Jackson, TE Tyree Mayfield, WR De’Mornay Pierson-El, OG Bunchy Stallings, WR DeAndre Thompkins, WR Trevion Thompson, WR Alex Wesley, WR Papi White Detroit Lions * P Ryan Anderson, TE Paul Butler, LS James Fisher, P Jack Fox, TE Cole Herdman, LB Christian Kuntz, DT Walter Palmore, P Austin Rehkow, TEWill Tye, K Kaare Vedvik, DE Kevin Wilkins, LS John Wirtel Houston Texans * DE Eric Lee Jacksonville Jaguars * DE Jonathan Bonner, RB Tony Brooks-James, WR Charone Peake, RBPaul Perkins New Orleans Saints * OL Gerhard de Beer, LB Mason Foster, LB Malcolm Smith, OL Marquez Tucker New York Jets * CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun Tennessee Titans * CB Jordan Brown, CB Dee Delaney #JohnWirtel #AlexBarnes #AustinRehkow

[bearterritory]

ANOTHER SECOND HALF COMEBACK FOR THE BEARS

BERKELEY – California posted 20 second-half points to cap off an impressive defensive effort that kept Ole Miss scoreless in the final two quarters of a scrappy battle to down the Rebels 27-16 on Saturday night at California Memorial Stadium.

The Golden Bears have trailed in all three of games at the intermission this season, but have fought back - recording 57 total second-half points while allowing only 13. In that time, the Bears have only given up a single touchdown: during the third quarter of the North Carolina game on Sept. 2.

Redshirt freshman Cameron Goode, an outside linebacker, cemented the win with a 32-yard pick-six with three minutes remaining in the game to put the final stamp on the night.

The Bears found momentum early in the second half taking the opening kickoff and going on a 72-yard scoring drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ross Bowers to Vic Wharton III to close the Rebels' lead to 16-14. Two possessions later, after moving to the Ole Miss 2-yard line, Matt Anderson cleared the crossbar from 19 yards to give Cal its second lead of the game 17-16 with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter.

The defense finished with three interceptions and five sacks against Ole Miss' top-ranked passing offense, which it limited to two first-half touchdown passes. Cal's five sacks were its most since 2015 against Washington State.

"It's not always pretty right now with us," said Justin Wilcox, who remains undefeated in his first season as Cal's head coach. "It's the third week in a row we never flinched and fought back. We play our best when things get tough. There's so much more meat left on the bone in terms of how much better we can get. It took so many guys. We needed everybody. That was the ultimate team win."

Cal quarterback Ross Bowers completed 24-of-47 passes for 236 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Patrick Laird led the effort on the ground with 78 yards rushing on a career-high 22 carries and a score, followed by Vic Enwere who added 75 yards. Laird, who has scored in all three games this season, also added 28 yards on a career high five catches. Kanawai Noa finished with career highs of six receptions and 81 yards receiving to top the Bears' receivers while Wharton pulled in five catches for 57 yards and the touchdown.

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson went 26-of-44 for 363 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns on a pair of one-play drives. The first scoring throw came on a 72-yard pass to DaMarkus Lodge in the first quarter and the second on a 71-yard throw to D.K. Metcalf that gave Ole Miss a 16-7 lead with 13:02 remaining in the half.

But after three explosive plays of 20 or more yards including the two 70-plus touchdown plays, the Cal defense would not allow another point or explosive play the remainder of the game.

The defense posted several key plays throughout the evening including first-quarter interceptions by Jaylinn Hawkins and Devante Downs to help the Bears win the turnover battle, 3-2, with all of the takeaways interceptions. Downs finished with a career-high-tying and game-high-tying 14 tackles, as well as career-highs of 2.0 sacks (-8 yards) and 3.0 tackles (career-high -13 yards) while the interception was his second of the season and fifth of his career. Downs' second sack iced the contest on the final Ole Miss offensive play of the game with 0:36 remaining. Alex Funches (-13 yards), Davison (-11 yards) and Hamilton Anoa'i (-1 yard) also each had one of Cal's season-high 5 sacks.

Anderson went 2-of-4 on field goal attempts, his longest from 41 yards out that moved the Bears ahead 20-16 with 3:44 left in the game. With 244 career points, Anderson is now tied for sixth all-time with Robbie Keen and Mark Jensen on Cal's career points list.

Cal (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) closes its three-game homestand next Saturday when the Bears host No. 4 USC (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) at 12:30 pm PT. The game will be televised live nationally on ABC.

[grantreidproperties]

RT Schultz_Report: WR DaMarkus Lodge signing with the #Bucs, per source. Former Ole Miss standout stands 6-2 and can really go; was very productive the past two seasons (106 catches for 1,575 yards and 11 touchdowns). Norforsythhomes #grantreidhomes

RT Schultz_Report: WR DaMarkus Lodge signing with the #Bucs, per source. Former Ole Miss standout stands 6-2 and can really go; was very productive the past two seasons (106 catches for 1,575 yards and 11 touchdowns). Norforsythhomes #grantreidhomes

— North Forsyth Houses (@Norforsythhomes) April 27, 2019

from Twitter https://twitter.com/Norforsythhomes

[junker-town]

The best available players after the 2019 NFL Draft

These undrafted free agents can round out a team’s roster.

Last year running back Phillip Lindsay fell all the way out of the draft and became a star for the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He joined a long list of standout players who didn’t get selected.

Future Hall of Famers Antonio Gates, Jason Peters and Adam Vinatieri weren’t drafted. Neither was cornerback Chris Harris Jr. or defensive tackle Poona Ford. Nick Mullens wasn’t drafted in 2017 and saved San Francisco from disaster last season.

In the competitive undrafted free agent market, teams can round off their roster and build depth. That won’t be any different this year.

Following the 2019 NFL Draft, these are the best players still available:

75. Gerald Willis, DT, Miami

91. Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State

98. Te’Von Coney, LB, Notre Dame

100. Jamal Davis, Edge, Akron

103. Saivion Smith, CB, Alabama

107. Malik Gant, S, Marshall

113. Daniel Wise, DT, Kansas

120. David Sills, WR, West Virginia

125. Evan Worthington, S, Colorado

126. DaMarkus Lodge, WR, Ole Miss

136. Keelan Doss, WR, Cal-Davis

139. Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR, Texas

141. Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State

143. Mike Bell, S, Fresno State

151. Johnnie Dixon, WR, Ohio State

153. Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska

156. Albert Huggins, DT, Clemson

161. Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Nebraska

166. Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan

173. Nate Herbig, G, Stanford

175. T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin

178. Tyler Jones, G, North Carolina State

181. Carl Granderson, DE, Wyoming

182. Porter Gustin, Edge, Southern California

183. Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo

185. Wyatt Ray, DE, Boston College

186. Ed Alexander, DT, LSU

189. Jalen Dalton, DT, North Carolina

191. Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Duke

192. Donald Parham, TE, Stetson

193. Tyler Roemer, OT, San Diego State

195. Beau Benzschawel, G, Wisconsin

201. Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo

204. Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State

205. Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College

206. Jakobi Meyers, WR, North Carolina State

209. Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State

211. Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson

214. Wyatt Ray, DE, Boston College

217. Cole Tracey, K, LSU

218. James Williams, RB, Washington State

219. Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri

223. Khalil Hodge, LB, Buffalo

224. Tre Lamar, LB, Clemson

225. Bruce Anderson, RB, North Dakota State

227. Jordan Ta’amu, QB, Ole Miss

228. Martez Ivey, OT, Florida

230. Derrick Baity Jr., CB, Kentucky

231. Alec Ingold, FB, Wisconsin

232. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming

[albertoromano]

Necesidades de los equipos de la división AFC Norte

La AFC Norte en 2018, fue ganada por Los Baltimore Ravens. Cincinnati Bengals y Cleveland Browns, hicieron cambio de entrenador en jefe para 2019 y Pittsburgh Steelers, se quedo fuera de playoff por primera vez desde 2013. Estas son las 3 principales necesidades de cada equipo y como podrían solucionarlas dentro de la AFC Norte:

Baltimore Ravens.

Record 2018: 10-6 eliminados en la ronda de Wild Card.

Cap Space: $24,198,799 – 19o en la liga.

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 6

Mayores necesidades: 1) Interior Offensive Line, 2) Line Backer, 3) Wide Receiver.

Lamar Jackson guio al titulo divisional a los Ravens, pero necesita una excelente protección para ejecutar las jugadas de read option y a pesar de contar con uno de los mejores Guards de la liga en Marshall Yanda, el interior de la línea ofensiva no jugo bien durante la temporada, el LG Alex Lewis y el C Matt Skura, no protegieron de manera correcta y podrían ser sustituidos. Los LB CJ Mosley y Terrell Sugss, son agentes libres y no se espera que se les renueve. Los WR no cuentan con ningún jugador estrella en la posición, el líder receptor quien también será agente libre, John Brown, termino con 715 yardas por aire y la ofensiva por pase fue la numero 23 de la liga.

Como podrían solucionarlo: Cortando a Joe Flacco ahorraran $10,500,000 en cap space y ese dinero utilizarlo para contratar al G Roger Saffold (Los Angeles Rams) o al C Matt Paradis (Denver Broncos) en la agencia libre y así proteger mejor a Lamar Jackson. Con su primera selección en el draft, seleccionar a Mack Wilson (Alabama) y esperar a la tercera o cuarta ronda (ya que no tienen segunda ronda) y seleccionar a alguno de varios prospectos interesantes como el WR DaMarkus Lodge (Ole Miss).

Cincinnati Bengals.

 Record 2018:  6-10

Cap Space: $51,298,221 - 9a cantidad en la liga

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 8

Mayores necesidades: 1) Line Backer, 2) Tight End, 3) Offensive Tackle.

La defensiva de los Bengals fue la peor rankeada de la NFL en 2018 en yardas permitidas, LB Vontaze Burfict, ha sufrido demasiadas lesiones y quizás su carrera este en predicamento y Preston Brown y Vincent Rey podrían terminar en la agencia libre. Tyler Eifert es un buen ala cerrada, pero su carrera siempre ha estado mermada por demasiadas lesiones. Los Offensive Tackles, Cordy Glenn y Bobby Hart permitieron 37 capturas y Andy Dalton estuvo en constante presión toda la temporada.

Como podrían solucionarlo: La posición de LB deberá solucionarse en la agencia libre y en draft, así mismo, volviendo a firmar a Preston Brown o Vincent Rey y en el draft, seleccionado en la primera ronda a Devin White (LSU). En rondas posteriores seleccionando a algún TE de estos dos: Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) o T.J. Hockenson (Iowa). Para los OT mediante la agencia libre firmando a Donovan Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) o Daryl Williams (Carolina Panthers).

Cleveland Browns.

 Record 2018: 7-8-1

Cap Space: $79,091,965 – 3o en la liga

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 11

Mayores necesidades: 1) Offensive Tackle, 2) Wide Receiver 3) Corner Back.

Baker Mayfield es una de las promesas mas grandes de la liga y si le dan mejor protección será todavía mejor, fue capturado 25 veces en 13 juegos en 2018, Desmond Harrison y Chris Hubbard, no protegieron bien a su QB y al menos uno deberá de ser sustituido. Jarvis Landry y Antonio Callaway son dos piezas importantes para la ofensiva y si sumas otro buen receptor la ofensiva numero 14 por pase, podría convertirse en una de las mejores. La secundaria permitió demasiadas yardas, termino rankeada como la numero 25 contra el pase, a pesar del excelente año de novato de Denzel Ward, pero T.J. Carrie no es un esquinero titular en esta liga.

Como podrían solucionarlo: El OT Trent Brown (New England Patriots) deberá de ser la prioridad numero uno en la agencia libre y deberan de hacer todo lo posible por llevarlo a Cleveland. Con su primera selección deben de escoger ya sea WR o CB y podría ser con alguno de estos jugadores: WR D.K. Metclaff (Ole Miss) o CB Byron Murphy (Washington), para que en el resto del draft puedan darle mas profundidad y competencia al resto de las posiciones del equipo.

 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Record 2018: 9-6-1

Cap Space: $10,196,247 – 26o en la liga

Selecciones en Draft 2019: 7

Mayores necesidades: 1) Corner Back, 2) Outside Line Backer, 3) EDGE Rusher.

Todas las necesidades de los Steelers son defensivas, aunque pudiera cambiar si Antonio Brown es canjeado a otro equipo y quedaría un hueco enorme en la posición de WR. La defensiva termino como la numero 6 en puntos permitidos , los esquineros Joe Haden y Coty Sensebaugh, no generaron intercepciones, dejando a la secundaria como la numero 28 con menos intercepciones por partido. El OLB, Bud Dupree tuvo 5.5 capturas, pero en el juego por tierra se le ve muy limitado y necesitaran a alguien que le haga competencia. Los EDGE Rusher’s titulares T.J. Watt y Stephon Tuitt son excelentes jugadores, pero no hay profundidad en la posición y si alguno se lesionara no tienen opciones para suplirlos.

Como pueden solucionarlo: No tienen salary cap para hacer alguna contratación importante en la agencia libre y deberan de usar su dinero para volver a firmar a sus agentes libres, sus tres necesidades del equipo deberan de arreglarse mediante al draft 2019 y cuando seleccionen ir por el mejor jugador disponible, algunas opciones para llenar estas necesidades son: CB Amani Oruwariye (Penn St.), OLB Mack Wilson (Alabama) o Jaylon Ferguson (Louisiana Tech). 

[thedmvnetwork]

Meet DaMarkus Lodge The Underrated WR That Can Turn Into A Starter For The Redskins http://bit.ly/2HyusAb " - Hog Haven (click link to read more) http://bit.ly/2HyusAb

[dmbreport-blog]

DaMarkus Lodge explains why he stayed at Ole Miss for his senior season

DaMarkus Lodge explains why he stayed at Ole Miss for his senior season

When the NCAA added a second year to Ole Miss’s bowl ban, it allowed seniors to transfer without penalty.

However, senior WR DaMarkus Lodge chose to stay in Oxford, and will now finish out his college career with the Rebels and their high-powered offense.

Lodge visited some other schools, but ultimately decided to return to Ole Miss. Why did he do it? He said he simply feels Oxford is a special…

[hottytoddynews]

Photo by Paul Keelaghan

Ole Miss faced adversity from multiple angles on Saturday night, and fell short in the second half in a 27-16 loss to Cal.

“The penalties and just the lack of ryhthm really hurt us on offense,” head coach Matt Luke said. “We have been through a lot together. I think the important part is facing adversity and seeing what happens. We are not going to do it alone. We are going to do it together.”

Nothing came easy for the Rebels in California after a fast start.

Shea Patterson and the offense marched the football down the field on the team’s opening possession and settled for a Gary Wunderlich field goal. The senior kicker injured his hamstring shortly after and would not return to the game after missing an extra point later in the half.

Two drives later, Cal cashed in on a Patterson interception and took a 7-3 lead. That evaporated in the blink of an eye after Patterson found DaMarkus Lodge for a 72-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive. It was the first of two long touchdown passes as Patterson hit D.K. Metcalf in stride for a 71-yard score in the second quarter that pushed the Rebels’ lead to 16-7.

C.J. Moore had two interceptions in the second quarter that kept Cal off of the scoreboard and gave the Rebels a 16-7 heading into the half.

The third quarter was not kind to Ole Miss as Cal outscored the Rebels 10-0 and took a 17-16 lead highlighted by a Josh Bowers 23-yard touchdown pass to Nick Wharton III on the Bears’ opening possession of the half.

Penalties thwarted Ole Miss’ momentum for much of the night, but particularly in the third quarter. The team was penalized 16 times for 113 yards in the game.

“I think the offense as a whole, we expect to perform better,” Luke said. “The penalties and the drops and all of that causes you not to have a rhythm.”

A bulk of the penalties were shouldered by the offensive line, who had to shift around after it lost veteran center Sean Rawlings to an ankle sprain in the first half. Luke did not know how long he will be out, but anticipated it being a couple of weeks.

“Sean is very important,” Luke said. “Injuries are part of football. The next guy has to step up and be ready to go.

Patterson was flushed out of the pocket often and was forced to try to extend plays with his feet. The offense sputtered for much of the second half as a result. The Rebels mustered just 131 yards in the second half. Cal had 201 by comparison.

“Early on the second half they were bailing and the linebackers were sitting on stuff,” Patterson said. “Their defense played very well in the second half.”

Ole Miss had one final shot after Cal added a late fourth quarter field goal to go ahead 20-16; however, Patterson was picked off by Cameron Goode who returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to preserve the win for Cal. Patterson was intercepted three times on the night and it equated to 14 points for the Bears. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns. Only 53 of the Rebels’ yards came by way of the ground. Cal rushed for 163 yards on the night and quarterback Ross Bowers threw for 236 yards and a score.

It was Ole Miss’ first loss of the season. The Rebels have an off week before traveling to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama in two weeks.

“We’ve just got to rebound and get back into the flow of things tomorrow,” Patterson said. “We have two weeks to prepare for the best team in the country so we are just looking forward to that

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

The post Rebels Fall To Bears On The Road appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

[grantreidproperties]

RT TheRebelWalk: Here’s DaMarkus Lodge’s first 40, a 4.57. #HottyToddy #NFLRebels https://t.co/Fn9t0jPPYE Norforsythhomes #grantreidhomes

RT TheRebelWalk: Here’s DaMarkus Lodge’s first 40, a 4.57. #HottyToddy #NFLRebels pic.twitter.com/Fn9t0jPPYE Norforsythhomes #grantreidhomes

— North Forsyth Houses (@Norforsythhomes) March 2, 2019

from Twitter https://twitter.com/Norforsythhomes

[junker-town]

The best available players after Round 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft

There’s still plenty of good players available on the last day of the draft.

The story of the second day of the 2019 NFL Draft was wide receivers and cornerbacks.

The first two picks of the second round were cornerbacks in Byron Murphy and Rock Ya-sin. Seven cornerbacks in total were taken in the second round.

The wide receivers, meanwhile, fell hard. Then they were taken in a strange order. Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, for instance, ended up being the ninth one drafted after some thought he might be the ninth player overall taken.

Despite the barrage of wide receiver picks on Day 2, there are still plenty available to start Day 3 of the draft. The top player available is Iowa State wide receiver Hakeem Butler. He’s a tall wide out with deep speed but will sometimes drop easy catches.

A bunch of Alabama players are still around too. Safety Deionte Thompson and linebacker Mack Wilson should hear their name called early on Day 3. That’s not all. Defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, edge rusher Christian Miller and cornerback Saivion Smith are also still out there.

Here are the best players available for Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft:

31. Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

39. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

42. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S/CB, Florida

43. Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State

47. Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama

54. Amani Hooker, S, Iowa

68. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame

72. D’Andre Walker, Edge, Georgia

74. Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State

75. Gerald Willis, DT, Miami

78. Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford

82. Isaiah Buggs, DL, Alabama

86. Christian Miller, Edge, Alabama

89. Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia

90. Anthony Nelson, DE, Iowa

91. Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State

92. Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M

98. Te’Von Coney, LB, Notre Dame

99. Renell Wren, DT, Arizona State

100. Jamal Davis, Edge, Akron

101. Dru Samia, G, Oklahoma

102. Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida

103. Saivion Smith, CB, Alabama

105. Ryan Finley, QB, North Carolina State

107. Malik Gant, S, Marshall

110. Benny Snell Jr., RB, Kentucky

112. Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota

113. Daniel Wise, DT, Kansas

116. Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston

117. Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington

118. Hunter Renfrow, WR, Clemson

119. Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M

120. David Sills, WR, West Virginia

121. Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma

122. Maxx Crosby, Edge, Eastern Michigan

123. Darius Slayton, WR, Auburn

124. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford

125. Evan Worthington, S, Colorado

126. DaMarkus Lodge, WR, Ole Miss

127. Trevon Wesco, TE, West Virginia

128. Dennis Daley, OT, South Carolina

129. Armon Watts, DT, Arkansas

130. Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State

131. Michael Jordan, G, Ohio State

132. Gary Jennings Jr., WR, West Virginia

133. Lamont Gaillard, C, Georgia

134. Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas

135. David Long Jr., LB, West Virginia

136. Keelan Doss, WR, Cal-Davis

138. Dontavius Russell, DT, Auburn

139. Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR, Texas

140. Dexter Williams, RB, Notre Dame

141. Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State

142. Mike Weber, RB, Ohio State

143. Mike Bell, S, Fresno State

145. Foster Moreau, TE, LSU

146. Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia

148. Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson

149. Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington

150. Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami

151. Johnnie Dixon, WR, Ohio State

152. Byron Cowart, DL, Maryland

153. Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska

156. Albert Huggins, DT, Clemson

157. David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin

158. Hjalte Forholdt, G, Arkansas

159. Joe Jackson, DE, Miami

161. Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Nebraska

162. John Cominsky, DE, Charleston

163. Isaiah Prince, OT, Ohio State

164. Ben Powers, G, Oklahoma

166. Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan

167. Terry Beckner Jr., DT, Missouri

172. Michael Jackson, CB, Miami

173. Nate Herbig, G, Stanford

174. Jalen Jelks, Edge, Oregon

175. T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin

176. Kendall Sheffield, CB, Ohio State

177. Ross Pierschbacher, C, Alabama

178. Tyler Jones, G, North Carolina State

179. Marvell Tell III, CB, Southern California

180. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas

181. Carl Granderson, DE, Wyoming

182. Porter Gustin, Edge, Southern California

183. Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo

185. Wyatt Ray, DE, Boston College

186. Ed Alexander, DT, LSU

187. Clayton Thorson, QB, Northwestern

188. Sutton Smith, LB, Northern Illinois

189. Jalen Dalton, DT, North Carolina

190. Tony Pollard, RB, Memphis

191. Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Duke

192. Donald Parham, TE, Stetson

193. Tyler Roemer, OT, San Diego State

194. Drue Tranquill, LB, Notre Dame

195. Beau Benzschawel, G, Wisconsin

196. Khari Willis, S, Michigan State

197. Ka’dar Hollman, CB, Toledo

198. Ulysses Gilbert, LB, Akron

199. Corey Ballentine, CB, Washburn

200. Phil Haynes, G, Wake Forest

201. Trey Adams, OT, Washington

202. Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo

203. Trevon Wesco, TE, West Virginia

204. Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison

205. Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State

206. Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College

207. Jakobi Meyers, WR, North Carolina State

208. Stephen Denmark, CB, Valdosta State

209. Oli Udoh, OT, Elon

210. Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State

211. Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State

212. Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson

213. Iman Marshall, CB, Southern California

214. Tony Pollard, RB, Memphis

215. Wyatt Ray, DE, Boston College

216. Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame

218. Cole Tracey, K, LSU

219. James Williams, RB, Washington State

220. Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri

221. Ryquell Armstead, RB, Temple

222. Zach Gentry, TE, Michigan

223. Shareef Miller, DE, Penn State

224. Khalil Hodge, LB, Buffalo

225. Tre Lamar, LB, Clemson

226. Bruce Anderson, RB, North Dakota State

227. Justin Hollins, Edge, Oregon

228. Jordan Ta’amu, QB, Ole Miss

229. Martez Ivey, OT, Florida

230. Greg Gaines, DT, Washington

231. Derrick Baity Jr., CB, Kentucky

232. Alec Ingold, FB, Wisconsin

233. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming

[auburnfamilynews]

Shea Patterson will be a dangerous quarterback, this season

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn football preview! On October 7th Auburn will host the Ole Miss Rebels. It’s another critical October matchup for both teams. A loss here would send Auburn tumbling towards the bottom of the bowls. For Ole Miss, there is no post-season this year, as they will sit out due to self-imposed penalties. Head coach Hugh Freeze says that the team will treat every game like a bowl game.

     The Auburn Tigers will have opened the season with Georgia Southern, then traveled to Clemson. Auburn will then enjoy an early homecoming game against Mercer before traveling to Missouri, prior to a home clash with Mississippi State. The Rebels follow at Jordan-Hare Stadium the following week. Ole Miss has an easier start to this season, at least at first. The Rebels ease into the season hosting South Alabama, then U. T. Martin. Ole Miss then travels to Berkley, California to play Cal in a 9:30 PM kickoff. Ole Miss then gets a bye week to get over the jet lag. Then it gets difficult with back-to-back road trips to play Alabama in Tuscaloosa followed by Auburn at the Plains.

     Ole Miss returns a lot of talent, including 4 starters on the offensive line, to an offense that could score last season. There are a lot of young, highly recruited receivers that will get a chance to shine in an air-raid offense installed by new offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Where Ole Miss had difficulties last season was, first, running the ball. Presumed starting running back Jordan Wilkins was declared ineligible early, and the ground game never took off. Then, just past midseason starting quarterback Chad Kelly was lost for the season to injury, and the Rebels ripped the redshirt off of true freshman Shea Patterson. Whether that was the right thing to do was certainly debatable, but it does give Patterson SEC experience going into this season.

     The Rebel defense went from solid to shaky as the season progressed, and the team finished giving up 34.0 points per game. A good starting defensive line returns, but the back 7 needs to improve. Ole Miss poached Auburn assistant Wesley McGriff at the end of last season to coordinate its defense. Judging from the Ole Miss spring game, tackling on the back end is still a work in progress. In the spring game, the defense gave up catch-and-run touchdowns of 74 and 76 yards, and Shea Patterson threw for 341 yards.

     Ole Miss returns a strong pair of legs in the kicking games in seniors Gary Wunderlich and Will Gleeson. New return men will have to be found, but there are plenty of fast skill players to choose from. Rebel coverage was middle of the pack last season and figures to be once again.

Unit Matchups after the jump:

Auburn defensive line vs. Ole Miss offensive line: Auburn brings a big, athletic defensive line back this season. Likely starters at tackle are junior Dontavius Russell and sophomore Derrick Brown. Sophomore strong-side end Marlon Davidson was a beast on A-Day. The buck side will likely be manned by a combination of junior Jeffery Holland and senior transfer Paul James III. Auburn has a good bit of depth behind the starters as well. Ole Miss has shuffled things up a bit this year, moving junior tackle Sean Rawlings to center. Guards will be juniors Javon Patterson and Jordan Sims. Tackles will be sophomores Alex Givens and Gregory Little. Advantage: Even.

Auburn linebackers vs. Ole Miss backs: The Auburn Tigers have a good cross-trained quartet of upper echelon SEC-caliber linebackers. Junior Deshaun Davis, senior Tré Williams, junior Darrell Williams and junior Montravious Atkinson can play all three positions, and we might see any combination of these players out on the field at a given time. The Rebels hope that the return of senior Jordan Wilkins revives a running game that averaged only 149 yards per game last season. Sophomores D’Vaughn Pennamon and Eric Swinney should provide depth. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. Ole Miss receivers: Auburn has a fairly good combination of starting corners in junior Carlton Davis and sophomore Javaris Davis. The Tigers are hoping that Jamel Dean will be healthy this fall, as he is one of the fastest players on the team. Sophomore Jeremiah Dinson could move over from nickel back, if needed. Ole Miss seems to lose receivers to the NFL every year and still fields good ones. This year, the depth chart out of spring has sophomores A. J. Brown and DeKaylin Metcalf on top with veteran junior DaMarkus Lodge and senior Markell Pack for depth. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Ole Miss secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn’s starting unit features seniors Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts at safety, and sophomore Jeremiah Dinson at nickel back. There’s not much depth beyond senior Nick Ruffin, who’ll probably see as much playing time as the starters. The Tigers are solid here as long as no one gets hurt. Ole Miss is solid at the slot receiver spot with sophomore Van Jefferson and redshirt freshman Tre Nixon. Where there is a question mark is at tight end. The Rebels have sophomore Octavius Cooley listed as the starter with sophomore Dawson Knox as the backup. Ole Miss moved sophomore quarterback Jason Pellerin to tight end, and he could become a dangerous receiving threat. Advantage: Even.

Punting: Sophomore Ian Shannon will likely get the nod as Auburn’s starting punter after a couple of years of waiting in the wings. Shannon looked good on A-Day a year ago in warmups. The Tigers gave up only 19 punt return yards last season on 6 punts, for a stifling 3.2 yards per return. The Tigers are still auditioning for the punt-returner job. It’s thought that senior Stephen Roberts has the inside track after returning 6 punts last season for 100 yards. Ole Miss returns senior Will Gleeson as the punter, and he boomed it for 44.1 yards per punt last season. Ole Miss gave up 11.8 yards per return. Penciled in as the starting return man for the Rebels is sophomore Van Jefferson. Advantage: Ole Miss.

Kickoffs: Daniel Carlson was very good kicking off last season, notching 57 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs. When Auburn did allow returns, opponents averaged only 18.0 yards per return. Junior Kerryon Johnson is Auburn’s most experienced return man returning, and he averaged 22.2 yards per return last season. Senior Gary Wunderlich will kick off for the Rebels, replacing the departed Nathan Noble. Ole Miss gave up 20.5 yards per return. Senior Jordan Wilkins is listed as the top kick returner for Ole Miss. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn sophomore Daniel Carlson is the man for Auburn. Carlson was 28 of 32 on field goals, and perfect on extra points. One of Carlson’s misses was a block by Vanderbilt. Gary Wunderlich of Ole Miss hit on 22 of 23 field goal attempts and missed a couple of extra points. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Ole Miss defensive line: It’s still not settled who’ll start for Auburn on the line although the starters looked pretty good on A-Day. It seems the tackle spots are set with seniors Darius James and Braden Smith. Senior Austin Golson will likely start at center although Auburn is bringing in senior transfer center Casey Dunn from Jax State. If Dunn starts, Golson could move to guard. Also transferring in this fall is former Florida State starting guard Wilson Bell. Bell is expected to start at one of the guard spots. If Dunn does not beat Golson out, the other likely starting guard would be sophomore Mike Horton. Ole Miss will again be pretty nasty up front if they stay healthy. Junior Breeland Speaks and sophomore Benito Jones are impressive tackles. Junior Victor Evans and senior Marquis Haynes are ends that have been through the wars in the SEC. Advantage: Even.

Auburn backs vs. Ole Miss linebackers: Auburn features junior H-back Chandler Cox blowing open holes. Running behind the big H-back will be massive junior Kamryn Pettway with the shifty junior Kerryon Johnson in reserve. Ole Miss currently has penciled in junior Detric Bing-Dukes and senior DeMarquis Gates at linebackers. This group allowed 240 rushing yards to Pettway last year. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. Ole Miss corners: At the end of spring, it looked like Auburn’s two starting outside guys were sophomore Nate Craig-Myers and sophomore Darius Slayton. Both guys can fly and have good height and great hands. Redshirt freshman Marquis McClain had a great A-Day and is someone to watch out for on the outside as well. Ole Miss had 3 of its top 4 corners miss the spring game due to injury, and the ones that played were often toast. Sophomore Myles Hartsfield was the best of those who played, and the Rebels hope that senior Kendarius Webster is ready to go by September after a gruesome knee injury against FSU last season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Ole Miss safeties: Auburn has potential threats here, starting with wickedly fast junior slot receiver Will Hastings. Sophomore Eli Stove can also fly. Tight ends Jalen Harris and Sal Cannella are expected to be a big part of the passing game as well. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is likely the starter in the opener. In 6 games as a freshman at Baylor, Stidham was electric. That trend continued during A-Day this spring as Stidham was deadly accurate and showed great mobility. At this time, the likely Rebel starters are senior A. J. Moore at nickel and sophomore Deontay Anderson and junior Zedrick Woods at safeties. Advantage: Auburn.

     I think by the middle of the season both teams will be a bit nicked up, and Ole Miss will be playing under uncertainty caused by a looming NCAA investigation that has been dragging on. Also, Ole Miss comes in right off a tough game against Alabama.

     I think Ole Miss will move the ball some. Auburn’s defensive back seven must play patient ball and tackle well. I think Auburn’s offense will wear down the Rebels, and Auburn will pull away in the end.

Prediction: Auburn romps to a 49-27 win over Ole Miss.

The post Auburn Begins October with Ole Miss (Previewing Auburn vs. Ole Miss) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

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Ole Miss builds decisive lead even they may not relinquish vs. Georgia

Ole Miss builds decisive lead even they may not relinquish vs. Georgia

The first quarter today in Oxford, Mississippi went about as expected for anyone who has watched Ole Miss play a football this season. The Rebels jumped all over Georgia with a 17-0 first quarter advantage, doubling the offensive production of the Bulldogs and forcing a turnover and returning it for a score. Of course, what happens after building a double-digit lead is what has been the story of…

[junker-town]

Why Dawson Knox should be more with the Bills than he was at Ole Miss

Knox is a serious tight end talent. In Oxford, he just happened to be surrounded by a whole bunch of serious receiver talent.

Ole Miss had arguably the most talented group of pass-catchers in college football in 2018. D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown are clear early-round picks, and Damarkus Lodge also has a chance to get drafted.

While those players are a dynamic trio, Ole Miss produced another talented pass-catcher in tight end Dawson Knox. But Knox didn’t have the production you would expect from such a prospect, with 15 catches on 28 targets in 2018.

The Buffalo Bills saw something in Knox, and selected him with the 96th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Even though Knox didn’t see too many opportunities in college, he was still pretty efficient with his touches. In 2018 he averaged 18.9 yards per catch.

College production is important, but don’t worry too much about Knox’s. Just watch the tape.

Knox may not have seen the ball all that often in college, but he’s still a pretty talented receiving tight end. Knox can do just about everything when it comes to catching the football. He can make plays in traffic deep down the field, secure tough catches over the middle, and run after the catch.

This play against Vanderbilt — his only catch of the day — shows off his ability to high point the ball deep down the field. Vanderbilt has two defenders in the vicinity, but he’s still able to come down with the ball.

Knox also has the athleticism to create plays after the catch, with solid speed and agility showings at the NFL Combine. This play against Arkansas is a great example:

Ole Miss runs him into the flat, and he gets a great block from Lodge to spring him free for more yards. Knox isn’t a speed demon, but he still has enough juice to make defenses pay when he has a crease.

In the few opportunities Knox did get, he showed off the ability to be a legitimate threat as a passing target.

Which begs the following question:

So ... why didn’t Knox get the ball more often?

SB Nation caught up with Knox at the 2019 NFL Combine to try and figure out why a player who is clearly talented wasn’t a bigger piece of the offense.

Knox’s answer was pretty simple: Brown, Metcalf, and Lodge are really, really good.

“Going into the season, I was hoping that it would help me a little more than it did,” Knox said. “I was like, ‘I got three potential first-round guys — definitely two or three top-two-round guys around me — they’re gonna be doubling those guys, so surely I’ll get the ball more.’ But it was still fun playing with guys of that talent.”

One thing working in Knox’s favor as he projects himself to the next level is the fact that NFL offenses feature tight ends more than the offense he played in during college. He’ll get to run more a more diverse set of routes on Sundays than he did for Rebels QB Jordan Ta’amu.

“Five or six of my 15 catches were on the same route. It would just be a little 12- to 15-yard over route over the middle of the field.” Knox said. “I would be the first read on that, Jordan would find a window and fit it in to me. That was probably my favorite because we ran it the most and I had the most production on those plays.”

Knox’s ability to catch the ball over the middle was on display in the 2018 Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. This pass was a little high, but that didn’t stop Knox from bringing down with two defenders in the vicinity. He wasn’t afraid to get hit by Mississippi State’s safeties, showing the fearlessness you’d hope to see out of a tight end:

Of course, NFL teams had similar concerns about his lack of production in college. Knox said he was asked about that during his interviews with teams at the combine.

“Yeah, as you can probably imagine, but honestly I’m not even worried about it because I also have enough film to show that if the ball went to me every time I was open, I’d have as high — or higher — stats than anyone here,” Knox said.

“Also I know that offensive systems in the NFL are going to be a lot different. Which is something that people might think is going to be a concern for me because I’m only running five or six routes a year at Ole Miss,” he added. “That’s probably the thing I’m most excited about, getting into a system that utilizes matchups more. Just an extended route tree that’s going to open up a lot more things for me.”

Despite the concerns about his production in college, Knox still looks like a solid NFL prospect. Ole Miss had a lot of mouths to feed in its offense, and he just ended up being an afterthought at times.

Knox’s ability as a receiver should get him on the field early as a rookie. In a class filled with a few stud tight end prospects, Knox could end up being the best of the bunch.

[junker-town]

The Patrtiots’ Joejuan Williams is the NFL’s next Richard Sherman

The 6’4 Patriot could be the league’s next great “big” cornerback.

As far as “big gets” go for Vanderbilt football, Joejuan Williams was one of the biggest. The in-state blue-chip prospect was the prize of Derek Mason’s 2016 class, a four-star recruit who chose the Commodores despite overtures from Alabama, Penn State, LSU, Oklahoma, and bitter rival Tennessee.

Williams is now a member of the New England Patriots, selected 45th overall, in the second round of the NFL Draft.

The 6’4 cornerback lived up to his stature in three momentum-building years in Nashville. He turned his side of the field into a part-time graveyard, leaving opposing wideouts tiptoeing through his coverage with held breath and understated reverence. While his numbers don’t scream “elite” on the surface — he didn’t record an interception until his 23rd game at Vanderbilt — his ability to nullify other team’s top receiving threats will make him a commodity at the next level.

And now, with the 2019 NFL Draft less than 20 miles from his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, he’s ready to face a whole new set of lofty expectations. While Williams wasn’t the first cornerback to hear his name called at this year’s draft, he could be the one who puts together the strongest pro career.

Williams is a near-perfect specimen for teams in need of a “big” cornerback

Williams is a press-coverage monster who rolled his top statistical season — 61 tackles, four interceptions — into a place in the top half of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s a physical, route-stifling presence who won’t get outjumped and who is capable of completely erasing scoring threats in the red zone.

The easiest comparison to make with Williams is Richard Sherman — another tall cover-corner who played under Mason (currently Vandy’s head coach, formerly Sherman’s DBs coach at Stanford) and came into the league facing questions about his athleticism and coverage ability. Here’s what NFL.com had to say about the three-time All-Pro’s weaknesses the spring before he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round:

Can be baited out of position when in zone and a tick late to diagnose underneath routes. Tall, high-cut prospect who displays some hip-stiffness. Not explosive when transitioning or when changing direction. Lacks great recovery skills when beaten off the line. Can struggle tacking in the open field at times.

And here’s a sampling of what the league’s official scouting report said about Williams’ issues as a pro:

- Impatience from press is a concern

- Displaced out of position by outside release fakes

- Needs better connection rate with jams

- Lacks hips and long speed to survive a speedster’s head-start

- Downfield ball skills need work

Pretty similar! And while Williams certainly needs to refine his coverage skills, he was a fast learner en route to becoming the leader of the Vandy secondary. Mason moved his star cornerback across the lineup and in several different coverages in order to confuse opposing quarterbacks, lining him up on the sideline, in the slot, 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, and in close quarters for press coverage.

That last bit is where Williams will likely see the most use in the NFL thanks to his size, but his three years in Nashville showcased a versatile corner who can handle any assignment given to him.

SEC teams understood this. Jordan Ta’amu threw for more than 450 yards in his 2018 matchup against the Commodores, but he rarely even looked at Williams’ side of the field in the process. Wherever Vandy’s top corner was, Ole Miss deliberately shifted its offense to the other side of the field. The Rebels didn’t throw to anyone Williams had one-on-one coverage with until the fourth quarter of that game — and the play ended in a breakup.

DaMarkus Lodge eventually scored a touchdown in press coverage against Williams, but he needed a perfectly thrown ball and a circus catch to do so:

Williams is also a strong tackler, adding plenty of value against the run as he developed in Nashville. His big frame helps him shed blocking wideouts relatively easily, and he’s solid enough to bring down faster backs along the edge or blast between the hashes and ruin power back’s runs, too.

So why didn’t Williams get more Day 1 attention?

The biggest knock on Williams is a lack of elite top-line speed. His name faded away from the tail end of mock drafts early in March after his 4.64-second 40-yard dash time underwhelmed at the combine. He rectified that performance with a 4.50-second split at Vandy’s pro day weeks later, but it still casts a shadow across his overall draft profile — especially with faster corners with gaudier stats (LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy) available.

His play was mostly outstanding at Vanderbilt, but he also proved to be a boom-or-bust player in press coverage. There were certainly moments where he got overzealous in his course correction after making a mistake early in a play.

There’s some benefit to that — in that worst-case scenario you want a guy being aggressive and hoping the referees don’t notice rather than just getting burned — but it’s going to lead to a lot of flags in Williams’ rookie year. He also had several plays where he kept up with faster receivers downfield but failed to get his head back to the line of scrimmage to make a proper play on the ball, leading to both big plays and penalties downfield.

Despite contributing immediately in Nashville, Williams is still growing at the position. He’ll go from watching quarterbacks avoid his side of the field at Vanderbilt to get picked on immediately by veteran passers.

He should be able to hold his own, even as a rookie, but there will be a learning curve in the NFL.

So where does Williams fit?

SB Nation’s own Dan Kadar has Williams ranked No. 80 on his big board, which would project the Vandy product as a third-rounder. The NFL also sees him as a Day 2 pick, and he’ll be attending the festivities in his de facto hometown with his family when he learns what the next chapter in his football career holds:

We've added two more players to our @NFLDraft invite list, and both have Tennessee ties. Excited to announce that @MemphisFB RB Darrell Henderson and @VandyFootball CB JoeJuan Williams (a Nashville native) will be in Nashville with their families on Day 2 (Friday) of the draft.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) April 19, 2019

His sliding draft stock means nearly every team in the league should have the opportunity to add him (sorry, Chicago). But teams with major, glaring needs at corner are more likely to take a more highly regarded prospect in the first round rather than hope Williams falls to them on Day 2. That could mean the Steelers and Raiders could have met their coverage needs before the second round.

So who’s left in the second wave of CB-deficient clubs? The Colts could use someone across from the newly re-signed Pierre Desir, and they’ve got a pair of second-round picks. The Chiefs were a candidate to take a cornerback in the first round until they traded that pick away in the deal for Frank Clark. Now, their first pick comes at No. 61 (and their second at No. 63).

The Bills have bigger holes to fill than cornerback in the first round, but Williams would be an outstanding complement to fellow former SEC star Tre’Davious White on Day 2. The Texans are hoping Bradley Roby will fix their secondary issues in 2019, but they’ll also be in the market for cornerback help throughout this year’s draft.

The Cowboys are interested, even if their social team isn’t exactly sure who Williams is:

(That’s a picture of tailback Ke’Shawn Vaughn.)

Williams needs to be fine-tuned, but concerns about his athleticism are overblown. At his core, he’s a massive cornerback who runs well enough to keep up with deep threats while blocking out the sun in the red zone. There will be an adjustment period as he adapts to another tier of competition, but his ability to shut down his side of the field against teams like Mississippi, Kansas State, South Carolina, and Baylor showed just how valuable he can be.

Williams wasn’t a combine standout, but his three-year body of work at Vanderbilt and his fearlessness when it comes to negating whomever he’s assigned to make the Sherman comparisons apt. If he can level up his bump-and-run coverage game, he’ll be a game-changing force in the NFL.

And if he can’t, he’s still a massive cornerback who covers well enough near the line of scrimmage to completely derail opponents after they cross into field goal range.

[junker-town]

Why Dawson Knox should be more NFL than he was at Ole Miss

Knox is a serious tight end talent. In Oxford, he just happened to be surrounded by a whole bunch of serious receiver talent.

Ole Miss had arguably the most talented group of pass-catchers in college football in 2018. D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown are clear early-round picks, and Damarkus Lodge also has a chance to get drafted.

While those three are a dynamic trio, Ole Miss produced another talented pass-catcher in tight end Dawson Knox. But Knox didn’t have the production you would expect from a talented pass-catching prospect, with 15 catches on 28 targets in 2018.

Even though Knox didn’t see too many opportunities in college, he was still pretty efficient with his touches. In 2018 he averaged 18.9 yards per catch.

College production is important, but don’t worry too much about Knox’s. Just watch the tape.

Knox may not have seen the ball all that often in college, but he’s still a pretty talented receiving tight end. Knox can do just about everything when it comes to catching the football. He can make plays in traffic deep down the field, secure tough catches over the middle, and run after the catch.

This play against Vanderbilt — his only catch of the day — shows off his ability to high point the ball deep down the field. Vanderbilt has two defenders in the vicinity, but he’s still able to come down with the ball.

Knox also has the athleticism to create plays after the catch, with solid speed and agility showings at the NFL Combine. This play against Arkansas is a great example:

Ole Miss runs him into the flat, and he gets a great block from Lodge to spring him free for more yards.Knox isn’t a speed demon, but he still has enough juice to make defenses pay when he has a crease.

In the few opportunities Knox did get, he showed off the ability to be a legitimate threat as a passing target.

Which begs the following question.

So ... why didn’t Knox get the ball more often?

SB Nation caught up with Knox at the 2019 NFL Combine to try and figure out why a player who is clearly talented wasn’t a bigger piece of the offense.

Knox’s answer was pretty simple: Brown, Metcalf, and Lodge are really, really good.

“Going into the season, I was hoping that it would help me a little more than it did,” a laughing Knox said. “I was like, ‘I got three potential first-round guys — definitely two or three top-two-round guys around me — they’re gonna be doubling those guys, so surely I’ll get the ball more.’ But it was still fun playing with guys of that talent.”

One thing working in Knox’s favor as he projects himself to the next level is the fact that NFL offenses feature tight ends more than the offense he played in during college. He’ll get to run more a more diverse set of routes on Sundays than he did for Rebels QB Jordan Ta’amu.

“Five or six of my 15 catches were on the same route. It would just be a little 12- to 15-yard over route over the middle of the field.” Knox said. “I would be the first read on that, Jordan would find a window and fit it in to me. That was probably my favorite because we ran it the most and I had the most production on those plays.”

Knox’s ability to catch the ball over the middle was on display in the 2018 Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. This pass was a little high, but that didn’t stop Knox from bringing down with two defenders in the vicinity. He wasn’t afraid to get hit by Mississippi State’s safeties, showing the fearlessness you’d hope to see out of a tight end:

Of course, NFL teams had similar concerns about his lack of production in college. Knox said that he was asked about that during his interviews with teams at the combine.

“Yeah, as you can probably imagine, but honestly I’m not even worried about it because I also have enough film to show that if the ball went to me every time I was open, I’d have as high — or higher — stats than anyone here,” Knox said.

“Also I know that offensive systems in the NFL are going to be a lot different. Which is something that people might think is going to be a concern for me because I’m only running five or six routes a year at Ole Miss,” he added. “That’s probably the thing I’m most excited about, getting into a system that utilizes matchups more. Just an extended route tree that’s going to open up a lot more things for me.”

Despite the concerns about his production in college, Knox still looks like a solid NFL prospect. Ole Miss had a lot of mouths to feed in its offense, and he just ended up being an afterthought at times.

Knox’s ability as a receiver should get him on the field early as a rookie. In a class filled with a few stud tight end prospects, Knox could end up being the best of the bunch.