NFL
Missed Mark?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I was underwhelmed by the Jaguars’ draft in Rounds 2-7, but I love what they did in Round 1 by trading back and adding a high-ceiling receiver.
After the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley, they reexamined their options and were able to land Thomas, who has size and speed. His route running needs work, but that is due mostly to inexperience, not lack of ability .
Thomas may fit Jax’s offense better than Ridley did. As a rookie Thomas might not be as productive as Ridley, (2023 season:76 receptions, 1,016 yards), but Thomas gives the Jaguars a true big-body X receiver who can stretch the field. Ridley was miscast last season for a Jags team that needed a player like Thomas.
He struggled to get off press coverage on the outside and win consistently on fade routes — two skills that Thomas mastered at LSU.
The Jags needed a lot of defensive line help, but it was surprising that they took LSU’s Mason Smith with the No. 48 pick. The 6-5, 305-pound Smith is a former five-star recruit, but he was sidelined by injury for a big chunk of his career in Baton Rouge.
Making matters tougher, he had six defensive line coaches in his three years and four in the past year. Smith has intriguing potential, evoking some visions of Leonard Williams, right now Smith’s future looks cloudy with high risk.
It’s worth noting new Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is a protege of former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, who recruited Smith to Baton Rouge.
Former Tigers defensive coordinator Matt House is also now on the Jacksonville staff too. One of the concerns about Smith is he plays with high pad level; he needs to get low and become more physical.
“He is a boom-or-bust,” an NFL D-line coach told me earlier this month. “In his defense, there is still a lot of football in him. He’s played 976 snaps in three years. 17 starts. He’s got everything you want.”
Javon Foster was a worthwhile swing to take, even if an offensive tackle isn’t a glaring need for Jacksonville. Foster needs to continue honing his footwork and technique, but he moves well with the length and play strength to match up in the NFL. He looks to be a valuable swing tackle and, down the line, maybe more.
Draft Picks:
Brian Thomas Jr. WR. LSU
Mason Smith. DT. LSU
Jarrion Jones, CB. FSU
Javon Foster, OT, Missouri
Jordan Jefferson, DT. LSU
Deantre Prince, CB, Ole Miss
Keilan Robinson, RB, Texas
Cam Little K, Arkansas
Myles Cole, Edge, Texas Tech
The Jags will round out their rosters with undrafted free agents. The puzzles largely have been put together. The experimentation will begin when minicamps and offseason practices begin. And some questions will remain unanswered until training camp, the preseason, and opening weekend kickoff.
But for now, my evaluation is the Jags fell short in their quest to position themselves as championship contenders.
Grounded Draft?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NFL Draft is over now. Let’s take a look at the Atlanta Falcons.
Draft Picks:
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. (#8)
Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro (#35)
Washington OLB Bralen Trice (#74)
Oregon DE Brandon Dorlus (#109)
Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand (#143)
Alabama RB Jase McClellan (#186)
Illinois WR Casey Washington (#187)
Georgia DL Zion Logue (#197)
You may have heard by now that Atlanta drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick.
He was outstanding last season at Washington. He led the Huskies to an undefeated season and a National Championship game appearance. He was the NCAA passing yards leader with 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and he completed 65.4% of his passes.
He won the Maxwell Award (2023), First-team All-American (2023) and AP Comeback Player of the Year (2022).
The biggest problem is that the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. It does not make any sense to draft another quarterback that high with the amount of money they invested in Cousins.
They appear to want to win now so they should have drafted a complementary piece that can help the team now. The biggest need was a pass rusher and Dallas Turner (Alabama) was available.
Penix has an injury history that some teams were nervous about. He tore his ACL in back-to-back seasons when he was at Indiana. I think he’s a great player but he will sit behind Cousins for at least two seasons.
“I love winning, and I’m a team guy,” Penix said during his introductory press conference. “That’s what I’m going to be in the locker room.”
“Kirk is an amazing guy. I actually watched the ‘Quarterback’ series with him. Seeing that he’s a man of faith, just like me, and he’s all about family – I really enjoyed that, to get a feel of what kind of guy he is. I’m super blessed to be in the room with him and to be able to work with him and learn from him and support him as he continues on his career.”
Orhorhoro was a reach in the second round. In his last two years at Clemson he had 16 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.
He’s an interior defensive lineman so he doesn’t add much to the pass rush. He was Third-team All-ACC last season. They should have picked a corner back or defensive end here.
Trice might help in the second level. In 2023 he had 49 total tackles, 11.5 TFL and 7 sacks.
Dorlus played at Oregon all 5 years. He started as a defensive tackle and finally made the switch to defensive end last season. He only had 6.5 TFL and 5 sacks in 2023.
Bertrand is interesting because he had a breakout season in 2021 and statically got worse after that. In 2021 he had 102 total tackles. He had 82 tackles in 2022 and 76 in 2023. He played in every game each season so I’m not sure what the issue is.
McClellan and Washington add depth at the skill positions.
Logue will help stop the run but he’s not a pass rusher. He has 1.5 sacks in his college career, which is five seasons.
Atlanta also needed a corner back and they did not draft one. They will need to address that in the undrafted free agent pool. They still have the same question marks on defense after the draft.
Draft grade: C-
With The 8th Pick The Atlanta Falcons Select…
By: Jeb Watkins
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
And with the 8th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons select.. Michael Penix Jr?
What in the world are the Atlanta falcons thinking?
In all honesty I had forgotten what time the draft was taking place Thursday night, with the falcons being my NFL team, I knew they would play it smart and either take Dallas Turner or trade down to stockpile more picks.
That’s what all the experts, analysts and mock drafts had told me to expect too.
I don’t believe I even saw a click bait post about the falcons taking a quarterback.
Which means even in the wildest dreams of the internet nobodies, no one thought the falcons could fumble the number 8 pick this badly.
They just signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year deal and are paying him somewhere north of 40 million a year, so barring injury he’s the starter for at least the next two years.
I assume with such a high pick Penix was drafted to be Cousin’s successor and Captain Kirk is going to be 36 years old come August.
He also just had surgery to repair his achilles back in November but even so Penix Jr has been prone to injury since his freshman year of college and will be 28 in 4 years, which isn’t exactly young by NFL standards.
By then the Falcons will likely have to decide whether or not to pick up his 5th year option or let him go.
I wonder how much playing time Penix will get in those 4 years?
I feel a bit of sympathy for Penix. He’s a tough competitor and a hard worker. Let’s not forget he battled back from 2 ACL tears in his right knee in 2018 and 2019. Then 2 more injuries in 2020 and 21 to his non-throwing shoulder.
After all that he still led an underdog Washington Huskies team to a CFP playoff win and national title berth coming up short against a tough Michigan Wolverines team.
He deserves to be a high draft pick, but not by a team who just signed a veteran QB for the next four years and wants him to sit out during his most of his prime years in the league.
I feel like Penix doesn’t have much of a ceiling and that he likely won’t have time to improve much with the falcons before he starts to decline.
I think he needs to be on a team that wants him to start sooner rather than later so he can hopefully develop his game to have some success before father time kicks in and trust me after four injuries in four years it won’t be long.
Anyway, whether the falcons are blowing 28-3 Super Bowl leads, trying to trade for Deshawn Watson just to lose Matt Ryan, hiring an unproven Arthur smith, or drafting Desmond Ridder to be the starting QB, it is safe to say this pick shouldn’t have surprised fans.
It would make way too much sense for the falcons to get an edge rusher who can bolster their team sack numbers and lead their defense, which they desperately need. We are talking about a defense that ranked 21st in sacks and 27th in interceptions last year.
Quarterbacks have all day to throw against the falcons and the sad thing is Atlanta has the secondary personnel to produce more interceptions if they just had someone to consistently put pressure on the quarterback.
The only scenario I can envision where this pick ends up smelling like a rose for Atlanta, is if Cousins goes down in his first year or two and Penix Jr comes in and has success.
That’s not too far-fetched considering Kirk’s age and the talent the Falcons have on the offensive side of the ball.
However, this pick is probably a costly insurance policy and leads to a GM being on a hot seat.
Retired
By: Teddy Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Matt Ryan, who played quarterback for 15 years in the NFL—14 of them with the Atlanta Falcons—recently retired.
Ryan was drafted out of Boston College in 2008 (third overall pick)—just a year after Falcons All-pro QB Michael Vick was sent to prison on charges of sponsoring dog-fighting.
He endeared himself to Falcons fans immediately by leading the team to the playoffs, while being named 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Overall, the Falcons made the playoffs six times with Ryan at quarterback, a franchise record.
He led Atlanta to the NFC championship game against San Francisco following the 2012 season, but the Falcons blew the lead in that game, losing 28-24.
The most infamous playoff game, however, was Super Bowl LI, following the 2016 season. Atlanta blew a 28-3 halftime time against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, eventually losing 34-28. (The Underworld Powers-That-Be were already adjusting thermostats in case it froze over.)
The only other quarterback to take the Falcons to the Super Bowl (XXXIII) is Chris Chandler, following the 1998 season. The Falcons lost, 34-19, to future Hall-of-Famer John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
Still, Ryan is the winningest quarterback in Falcons history, leading the Birds to 120 regular-season victories in his 14 seasons in Atlanta.
He also has the highest quarterback rating—94.2—in Atlanta history, completing 5,479 passes out of 8,354 attempts, a 65.6% completion rate.
Ryan threw for over 62,000 yards in his career, including 73 times for over 300 yards, franchise records. He threw 367 touchdown passes as an Atlanta Falcon, also a franchise record. Including the playoffs, Ryan played in 232 Falcon games, also a record for an Atlanta quarterback.
In addition to 2008 Offensive Player of the Year, Ryan was named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
The Falcons made the playoffs the year after Super Bowl LI’s debacle, but have had some rough times since.
Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts following the 2021 season for a third-round pick.
The Colts released Ryan after the 2022 season.
With no offers on the table for 2023, Ryan worked as a broadcaster for CBS, and finally, officially, decided to call it a day.
Ryan signed a one-day contract with Atlanta so that he could retire as a Falcon, and issued a statement thanking Falcons fans for their support. “I’m honored to retire as a Falcon,” he said on social media. “Through the highs and lows, I always felt your energy and passion.”
Matt and his wife Sarah have been married 13 years and still live in the Atlanta area, where they are very active in community work. They have three children.
Enjoy your retirement, Matt Ryan. You’ve earned it.
New Swashbuckler?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is almost here. Let’s examine who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are most likely to draft in the first two rounds.
In 2023, they exceeded expectations by going 9 – 8 and winning the NFC South. They beat Philly in the Wild Card playoff game, 32-9. They lost in the Divisional Round to Detroit, 31-23.
They had three Pro Bowlers; quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans and tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Tampa’s biggest team needs are pass rusher, inside offensive lineman, corner back, safety and linebacker.
Several different publications have suggested that the Bucs should consider trading up in the draft. General manager Jason Licht is not known for doing that.
“I would say right now, I like the thought of the way I really have a lot of trust in my staff – both the coaching staff and the scouting staff – and how we’ve been operating,” Licht said. “Those picks seem pretty important to me right now.”
They have the 26th pick in the first round. They could select Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson if he is still available. He is the best center in the draft. They also need to replace Ryan Jensen. He injured his knee in August 2023 and missed the entire season. He announced his retirement in February 2024.
Powers-Johnson is 6’3 and 320 pounds so he has the required measurable for the position. He won the Rimington Trophy (2023), which is awarded to the best center in college football. He was also a Unanimous All-American and First-team All-Pac-12 in 2023.
He played in the Senior Bowl and he was dominant in practice against top competition. He played in two practices but he stood out playing guard and center. In 1-on-1s, he displayed his athleticism, violent hands and physicality.
Dallas and Green Bay are picking right before Tampa Bay so it is very possible that one of them will pick Powers-Johnson.
Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson might be the player picked in that case. He started his career at Maryland as a linebacker before transferring to Penn State before his sophomore season. Robinson is listed as 6’3 and 240 pounds.
Last season he played in 10 games and had 7.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. In 2022, he had 10 TFL and 5.5 sacks. He was named First-team All-Big Ten in 2023.
The Buccaneers also have the 57th pick in the second round. A player that may still be on the board and a good pick would be defensive end Bralen Trice (Washington).
Trice is 6’4 and 260 pounds. He had 11.5 TFL and 7 sacks in 2023. In 2022 he had 12 TFL and 9 sacks. He was First-team All-Pac-12 in 2022 and 2023.
If he is not available guard Cooper Beebe (Kansas State) would also be a good fit. The 6’4, 335 lb. guard had a decorated career for the Wildcats. He was a Unanimous All-American (2023), First-team All-American (2022), Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year (2022, 2023) and First-team All-Big 12 (2021-23).
The First Options
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here. We are going to look at the Atlanta Falcons and see their biggest needs and who they are going to select.
The Falcons are coming off another 7-10 season and they have the eighth pick in the first round.
Quarterback play was poor so they signed Kirk Cousins to address that.
Now the biggest team needs are edge/pass rusher, corner back, defensive tackle and safety.
They ranked 22nd in sacks last season with 42 sacks. This seems to be a theme every year. Defensive ends Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree each had 6.5 sacks, which tied for the team lead.
The first order of business has to be someone that can get to the quarterback. I think they can go in a few different directions with this.
Linebacker Dallas Turner (Alabama) could be the player they go with. Last season he had 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He is 6’4 and 245 pounds so he fits the mold of what a prototypical edge rusher looks like. He was coached by Nick Saban and he was a permanent team captain so he has leadership ability.
Turner was named a consensus All-American, SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First-team All-SEC in 2023.
Florida State edge/defensive lineman Jared Verse should also be in consideration for this pick. He’s listed as 6’4 and 260 so he also looks the part as a pass rusher. Last season he had 12.5 TFL and 9 sacks. In 2022, he had 17 TFL and 9 sacks. He was very consistent in his two seasons in Tallahassee after transferring from Albany.
He is a two time first-team All-American (2022, 2023) and two time first-team All-ACC (2022, 2023).
I think either one of these players would be a great pick because it addresses a position of need. They both have the potential to consistently get double-digit sacks and greatly improve Atlanta’s pass rush.
A player with the talent to be picked at No. 8 by Atlanta is UCLA defensive end/linebacker Laiatu Latu. In 2023 he had 21.5 TFL, 13 sacks and 2 interceptions. In 2022 he had 12.5 TFL and 10.5 sacks. He’s also 6’5 and 265 pounds.
His problem stems from medical concerns. He was healthy the past two seasons so that should indicate that it is not a major concern. He started his career at Washington and suffered a neck injury in fall practice entering his sophomore year. It was announced that he medically retired at the start of spring practices in 2021.
Latu won the Lombardi Award (2023), Ted Hendricks Award (2023), Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year (2023), Morris Trophy (2023), Unanimous All-American (2023), Polynesian Football Player of the Year (2023) and two time first-team All-Pac-12 (2022, 2023).
The Falcons have the 43rd pick in the second round. They should select a corner back here and I think the best remaining player will be Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama). He’s 5’11, 180 pounds and he’s a physical player.
In his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, he has 93 tackles. He has 23 passes defended and 2 interceptions in his career as well. McKinstry was a First-team All-American (2023) and two time First-team All-SEC (2022, 2023).
New Cousins
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The deal is worth up to $180 million with $100 million guaranteed.
I’m not a fan of this move at all. Cousins will turn 36 in August. He also tore his Achilles in late October. It typically takes one year to recover from that so he should miss at least the first few games of the season.
Cousins was a priority after a few free agent QB’s came off the market.
Tampa Bay re-signed quarterback Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100-million deal and the Steelers agreed to a one-year, $1.21 million deal with nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson.
Also, quarterback Mac Jones was traded by the Patriots to the Jaguars as the league’s official legal-tampering period is set to start at noon on Monday.
Prior to his injury, Cousins was playing well. Through seven weeks, he led the NFL in touchdown passes while ranking second in passing yards and fourth in passer rating.
The Falcons stated that they had a “Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D” when it came to upgrading the quarterback position.
Many experts thought the most obvious move was to trade with Chicago and acquire Justin Fields. Fields is a Georgia native who played at UGA and Ohio State.
Atlanta cannot comment specifically about the quarterbacks on the roster due to the league’s tampering rules.
“But it’s really exciting with the quarterback group that’s out there, that we have the ability to acquire,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said recently. “That is what our fan base, that’s what makes our front office, what makes our coaches all excited to be able to talk in our (meeting) rooms about those people.”
The Falcons have stated they plan to upgrade the position after Desmond Ridder underperformed last season. He finished with 12 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and 12 fumbles (including seven lost fumbles) and he was benched twice in favor of Taylor Heinicke.
Morris stated the obvious at the combine.
“If we had better quarterback play last year in Atlanta, I might not be standing here,” said Morris, who was hired to replace Arthur Smith after he was fired.
The Falcons kept a watchful eye on negotiations between the Vikings and Cousins. The Falcons have enough salary cap space to make a worthy offer. The Falcons are currently $41.1 million under the salary cap.
Cousins has been to the Pro Bowl four times. He is known for having decent stats but not producing in prime-time games or the playoffs. He’s been in the NFL since 2012 so I think that is who he truly is as a player. They did upgrade at the position but they will never be real contenders with this move.
The Falcons hired Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator. He was the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the LA Rams (2022-23) before this. This will be his first season as a coordinator so I do not think we truly know what to expect from the offense.
They do have weapons like running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
Moving Pieces
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Wednesday, March 13, after 4 p.m. Eastern Time NFL free agency will officially begin.
Let’s take a look at the AFC South to see what needs each team should address.
Indianapolis: The Colts were 9-8 last season and missed the playoffs.
They drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson (Florida) No. 4 in 2023. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, so backup Gardner Minshew played the remainder of the season.
The biggest goal should be building around Richardson.
Key Free Agents: WR Michael Pittman, Gardner Minshew, CB Kenny Moore, DT Taven Bryan, RB Zack Moss, S Julian Blackmon and DT Grover Stewart.
Indy should make it a priority to bring Pittman back since he’s their No. 1 receiver.
The biggest team needs are backup QB, safety, wide receiver, cornerback and D-line/ run stoppers.
If Pittman returns, they still need to add WR depth and another playmaker. The secondary struggled in 2023 and they could lose Moore, who is their most experienced player.
They ranked 24th against the run last season and they might lose Stewart in free agency.
They have $73.9 million in salary cap space.
Tennessee: The Titans were 6-11 last year and fired head coach Mike Vrabel. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was hired to replace him.
Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill was benched so they could evaluate rookie Will Levis (Kentucky).
Derrick Henry had 1.381 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage, making it to his fourth Pro Bowl in five seasons. Neither of these players are not expected to return next season.
Key Free Agents: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, DE Denico Autry, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, C Aaron Brewer, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and CB Kristian Fulton.
Pittsburgh is reportedly interested in Tannehill. Henry has been the most physical running back in the NFL for the last few years. He’s 30 years old and unfortunately a running back’s age should be counted in dog years. The Titans are rebuilding and I’m sure he wants to join a contender.
The key positions to address are offensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback and wide receiver. They have $80.7 million in available salary cap space, so they can add some talent.
Houston: The Texans were 10-7 in 2023, won the AFC South and won a playoff game.
They far exceeded expectations under first year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
QB C.J. Stroud was the Offensive Rookie of the Year and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Key Free Agents: TE Dalton Schultz, DE Jonathan Greenard, DT Sheldon Rankins, CB Steven Nelson, WR Noah Brown, RB Devin Singletary and K Ka’imi Fairburn.
The biggest team needs are running back, tight end, cornerback, defensive tackle and defensive end.
Houston has over $70 million in available cap space.
Jacksonville: The Jaguars were 9-8 and missed the playoffs. They were expected to win the division and make a playoff run going into the season.
Key Free Agents: WR Calvin Ridley, Edge Josh Allen, LG Ezra Cleveland, K Brandon McManus, WR/return specialist Jamal Agnew and CB Tre Herndon.
The Jags declined to sign Allen to an extension of his rookie contract and he recorded a franchise-record of 17.5 sacks last season. Now his salary is set to drastically increase, whether they negotiate a new contract or use the franchise tag.
It should also be a priority to retain Ridley. He led the team in receiving yards (1,016) and touchdowns (8).
The biggest needs are interior offensive line, cornerback, wide receiver and D-line.
The Jags have $25.7 million in salary cap space.
A List Of Needs
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NFL Draft is a crucial one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville is slotted with nine picks in April’s draft, with extra picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. And after a disappointing 9-8 campaign in 2023 after beginning the season with an 8-3 record, the Jaguars will need to fill some gaps.
Jacksonville will have about $25 million in cap space available to spend in free agency.
Most of that will be dedicated to a Josh Allen extension or franchise tag. Josh Allen is not going anywhere so do not worry Jag fans.
Many believe that the Jaguars will cut Cam Robinson and that move could free up an additional $17-18 million to dabble in free agency, but if they make that move then offensive line becomes a huge position of need bigger than it already is.
Trevor Lawrence took a beating in 2023. Jacksonville fumbled the ball twenty-eight times last season which was the second highest total in the NFL. Yards per carry last season was 3.6 which was second to last in the league. Lawrence missed time last season due to injury which all points to offensive line struggles.
What happens with Calvin Ridley? If they re-sign Ridley before free agency officially starts, they will have to give Atlanta their No. 48 (second-round) pick as part of their trade for Ridley.
If they do not re-sign him or re-sign him after the start of free agency, then they give Atlanta their No. 79 (third-round pick). All indications are that Jacksonville wants to re-sign Ridley.
Ridley is currently a free agent, and it makes a ton of sense to bring him back to the River City. Ridley is not back to his pre-suspension form yet but showed signs later in the season of his old self. Ridley turns thirty this season, and still has some fuel left in the tank.
Biggest Needs ranked in order:
Offensive Line: Jacksonville needs help across the offensive line, but if Cam Robinson is gone then tackle is a huge need position. Amarius Mims from Georgia is the most athletic offensive lineman in this draft.
Mims is a freak athlete that would start from day one in Jacksonville and provide a much-needed upgrade in athleticism and youth for a high need position.
Most mock drafts have Mims going from pick 15-25 in the first round. Mims should be there when Jacksonville picks at 17.
Wide Receiver: If Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is still on the board at 17 then how can Jacksonville pass him up?
Thomas can bring both size and big-play ability to take attention away from Ridley.
Thomas has a rare blend of size and speed, and the ability to challenge opposing defenses over the top, making him the ideal candidate. All Thomas did at LSU was catch TD passes.
Cornerback: Jacksonville needs a corner to pair with Tyson Campbell. That need must be addressed in this draft. Jacksonville picks at 17 in the first round. Based on the latest mock drafts where the elite offensive linemen and wide receivers could be gobbled up means the Jaguars could get better value at cornerback with their first-round selection.
Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama could be a value pick here if he is still on the board.
Jacksonville must get better at OL, WR, and CB in this draft. Houston is only going to get better moving forward. Jacksonville must keep pace with the Texans.
This draft is critical in Jacksonville.
Around The South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NFL Draft is in April so it is coming up soon. Let’s take a look around the NFC South and see who each team will take with their first pick.
Atlanta (7-10): The Falcons have the No. 8 pick. They fired head coach Arthur Smith shortly after losing to the New Orleans Saints in the season finale. Raheem Morris was hired as the new head coach.
They need to obtain a franchise quarterback but they are picking too late to address that. The top three quarterback prospects; Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels should be selected with the first three picks.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy might still be on the board so he might be an option. Atlanta still has the option of trading for a veteran free agent quarterback like Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. I believe they will do that, so I think they will select a pass rusher.
Florida State defensive end Jared Verse might prove to be the best pass rusher in the draft. He’s 6’4 and 260 pounds so he has good size.
In his two years in Tallahassee, he had 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss. It seems like we talk about how Atlanta cannot get to the quarterback every season, so this would be a great pick.
New Orleans (9-8): They have the No. 14 pick. The Saints finished second in the division and had a winning record. Head coach Dennis Allen is entering his third season and he wants to make the playoffs next season.
Quarterback Derek Carr played well in his first season in the Big Easy and he dramatically reduced his interceptions.
The biggest area that needs to be addressed is the interior defensive line.
Defensive lineman Byron Murphy II (Texas) would be a good pick here. He’s 6’1, 308 lbs. and he has the size to clog up the middle and stop the run.
The interior defensive line might become a strength because he will be paired with 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee.
Tampa Bay (9-8): The Bucs have the No. 26 pick. They surprised everyone last season by making the playoffs and beating the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 in the Wild Card round.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield revived his career and played well.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to be a free agent. The general belief is that he will leave Tampa to go to a contending team. They will need to draft a No. 1 receiver to help fill that void.
Wide receiver Keon Coleman (Florida State) could be his replacement. Like Evans, he’s a big target at 6’4 and 215 pounds. He has not had an amazing season in college so he still needs to develop.
His best season was as a sophomore at Michigan State when he had 58 catches, 798 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Last season at FSU he had 50 catches, 658 yards and 11 TD’s.
Carolina (2-15): The Panthers were awful last season. They traded up to select QB Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and they traded away their 2024 first round pick.
They will have the first pick of the second round at No. 33.
They need to help Young by surrounding him with weapons. They may select wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (Texas). He spent his first two seasons at Georgia before transferring to Texas in 2023. Last season he had 55 receptions, 845 yards and 11 scores. He’s 6’4 so he is a big target.
