Kenneth Harrison
Soaring Eagles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last season Milton won the final 7A state championship.
They beat Walton 31-21 to capture their second state championship. They also won the state championship in 2018. It looks like Milton has become an elite program.
They have a lot of talented players that are looking to repeat as state champions in 2024.
Tight end Ethan Barbour is the 18th ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. The four-star tight end is 6’3, 235 pounds and he’s a great pass catching tight end. Last season he had 49 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s committed to UGA and he also plays basketball.
As good as Barbour is he’s the second target on this team. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley is the primary target. He’s 6’4, 195 lbs. and he has the great combination of size and speed. He also runs track and he ran 100 meters in 10.83 seconds. In 2023 he had 68 receptions, 1,473 yards, 14 TD’s and he averaged 21.7 yards per catch. He’s committed to Florida State.
Quarterback Luke Nickel is a three-star recruit. The 6’2, 205 pound signal caller made the Elite 11 finals roster in 2024. He was named MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team in 2023. Last season he passed for 3,914 yards, 39 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and he completed 66.1% of his passes. He also ran for 181 yards and 6 scores. He’s committed to Miami.
Three-star tight end Ryan Ghea should see his role expand this season. In 2023 he caught 32 passes for 273 yards (18.2 ypc) and 3 TD’s. He’s 6’5, 231 pounds and he also plays basketball and baseball. He’s committed to Auburn.
Corner back Tyler Redmond is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He’s 6’1 so he’s a big corner.
Defensive lineman Caleb Bell is also a three-star player. At 6’3, 270 pounds he’s one of the biggest guys on the field at the high school level. He’s committed to Arkansas.
They have another corner back that’s also committed to Tennessee, Dylan Lewis.
Safety Ma’khi Jones is a three-star player that’s committed to Duke.
This is their schedule:
August 16- Buford: This will be a tough game. The Wolves were 11-2 last year and one of the most talented teams in the state. I give Milton the slight edge since their at home.
August 23- American Heritage (Plantation, Fl): The Patriots were 10-2 last year and they are an elite program from Florida. I think American Heritage will win this game.
August 30- Alpharetta: The Raiders are solid but no match for Milton.
September 13- @Blessed Trinity: The Titans are pretty good but the Eagles will win.
September 20- Chattahoochee: The Cougars have been struggling recently so this is an easy win.
September 27- @Seckinger: Seckinger is the newest school in Gwinnett and they just started playing football in 2022. This is a blowout win.
October 4- @Lanier: The Longhorns are tough but give the W to Milton.
October 11- @Gainesville: The Red Elephants were 12-1 in 2023. This will be a close game but I give the edge to Milton.
October 25- Johns Creek: This is another blowout win.
November 11- Roswell: This might be for the region title. The Hornets were 11-2 last year. This is too close to call.
I believe the Eagles will finish the regular season with eight wins and repeat as state champions.
Wolf Pack
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 high school football season is kicking off next month. One of the new developments is that class 7A has been eradicated and 6A is now the highest classification.
We are going to look at the Buford Wolves and see how they will do this season.
Buford is always a state championship contender. They have 14 football state championships from single A up to 6A. They have one championship prior to the year 2000.
This year will be no different. They have a very talented roster so I expect them to have another great season.
Last season they were 11 – 2. Buford was 9 – 1 during the regular season with their only loss to Mill Creek, 31 – 24. They advanced to the third round of the playoffs and lost to Grayson, 19 – 14.
They have the No. 13 ranked recruit in the state, four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte. He’s 6’3, 210 pounds and he’s committed to Georgia.
Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is also a four-star recruit and the No. 16 player in Georgia. He’s 6’7 and 310 lbs. so he’s a behemoth, especially at the high school level. He’s committed to Clemson.
Four-star corner back Devin Williams is the 21st ranked player in Georgia and he’s an Auburn commit.
Three-star linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Colorado.
Running back Justin Baker is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He also runs track so he has good speed.
Wide receiver Jordan Allen is also a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Louisville.
Three-star linebacker AJ Holloway is committed to South Carolina.
Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright is a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player in the class of 2026 in Georgia.
Four-star corner back Nassir McCoy is also a junior.
Buford is in AAAAAA Region 8. Their non-region schedule to start the season is pretty tough.
The first game is August 16th on the road against the defending 7A champs, Milton. The Eagles are very talented so I think this game can go either way. It’s too tough to call but I will give the advantage to Milton.
Week 2 is the home opener against Benedectine (Savannah). The Cadets are in 4A but they are a very good program. They were 13 – 1 in 2023. The Wolves will win this game.
Buford travels to Roswell after a bye week. The Hornets were 11 – 2 last year and they also have a very good program. I think Buford will win a close game.
The final non-region game is at Douglas County. The Tigers were 13 – 1 last season and they expect to have similar results in 2024. The Wolves will win this game.
The region schedule begins September 20th at Discovery (Lawrenceville). The Titans are one of the newer schools in Gwinnett County and they have not had much success. They were 1 – 9 in 2023. This is a blowout win.
After another bye week they play Collins Hill at home. Collins Hill has produced some great players but they are inconsistent as a program. Last season they were 5 – 7. This is another W.
The last four games are against Dacula, Central Gwinnett, Mountain View (Lawrenceville) and Mill Creek (Hoschton). The only team that has a chance to beat Buford is Mill Creek. The Hawks won last year’s matchup and they were 12 – 1. I believe Buford will get their revenge this year.
I think Buford will win eight or nine regular season games. Their tough schedule should prepare them to make a deep playoff run.
The Frenchman
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to recap the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look around the Southeast and rate each team’s first round pick.
#1 Atlanta: 6’9 SF Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (France)
For the second year in a row, the top pick from the NBA was a French player. It’s interesting to see France now as a hotbed for basketball talent.
This draft was a bit different from because there was not a person that was a consensus number one pick.
Another Frenchman, Alex Sarr was selected No. 2 by Washington. He obviously was in play to be picked by Atlanta but he refused to workout with the team, which forced them to go in a different direction.
Risacher has potential, which will get the general manager fired if he does not live up to it. He’s a solid 3-and-D prototype player. You do wish you could say more about a top draft pick though. His stats are not impressive when you look at them.
He played pro basketball in France and he averaged 10.1 points per game and played 22 minutes per game. He was 18 last season playing against adults so take that into consideration.
“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said at the team’s introductory press conference. “I’m just realizing my dream, and I feel like I’ll just focus on the good stuff and on the right stuff.”
He wants to compete and contribute to winning in Atlanta.
“Just focusing on like the good stuff, like being a pro player, who is serious, who has his routine, who doesn’t pay attention to outside noise, who is always with his teammates, who feel like he’s a part of this family,” Risacher said. “And I think that those are important for, especially, first-round pick to have. Because there was a lot of expectations and a lot of noise around. So it’s important to focus on the good stuff, and I’m super glad to get into this great organization with those great people who want to develop me as a player, who want to win. So that’s amazing.”
Grade: B
# 6 Charlotte: 6’9 PF Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
He’s still 18 so we also cannot put a huge emphasis on his stats last season. He averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 22.7 mpg. He does have a high motor and the potential to improve his shot. He does fill a position of need for the Hornets but he was also picked based off his potential
Grade: B-
# 9 Memphis: 7’4 C Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is one of the most decorated college players ever. He led the Boilermakers to a national championship game appearance against UConn.
Even though his team lost, he scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. He was projected as a late first round pick because some people doubt his athleticism but I think this is a great pick.
Grade: B+
# 15 Miami: 7’0 C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware averaged 15.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg last season. He has all of the measurables but there are questions about his motor and physicality. He has also said that he’s not sure how much he loves basketball.
Grade: B-
# 18 Orlando: 6’8 Wing Tristan da Silva, Colorado
He’s a four-year starter so he has a lot of experience. He can step in and play right away. He averaged 16 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He will probably play small forward now unless he bulks up enough to be a small-ball power forward.
Grade: B
Welcome To The South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NBA Draft is coming up on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
We are going to take a look at the teams around the South and see who they might select in the first round.
# 1 Atlanta: The Hawks have the chance to select the best player in the draft. Zaccharie Risacher is a 19-year-old wing/forward the played for JL Bourg (France). He shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. He is 6’8 so he has the prototypical size for his position.
Atlanta already has one star player with point guard Trae Young. It would make sense to pair him with another talented player but there is always the chance of a surprise in the draft.
Young is only 25, so he still has several good years ahead of him. There is a chance the Hawks could take a guard like Reed Sheppard (Kentucky) and then trade Young.
#6 Charlotte: UConn center Donovan Clingan would be the ideal pick but he may not be around for the Hornets. If he were, the 7’2 Clingan would be a great fit.
Small forward/shooting guard Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) might be the player to select here. He’s 6’5 and primarily played guard in college. Charlotte already has point guard LaMelo Ball and small forward Brandon Miller.
Knecht averaged 25.5 points per game in SEC play and shot 48.4% from the field. He would help to create space on offense for Ball and Miller.
#9 Memphis: 6’7 small forward Cody Williams (Colorado) might be drafted here. He is the younger brother of OKC Thunder wing Jalen Williams.
He’s 6’7 with a 7’1 wingspan. He should be able to defend multiple positions, pass and pressure the rim. He averages 11.9 points per game as a freshman.
Forward Ron Holland II can also potentially be picked here if he’s still available. He played for the G League Ignite last season and averaged 19.5 ppg, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. The 6’8 forward was the only bright spot on the team. The Ignite were 6 – 44 last season.
“In high school I feel like I was just playing at 100 percent and running over guys,” Holland said at the NBA Draft Combine in May. “I definitely learned how to deal with it with the Ignite playing against bigger and smarter defenders.”
#15 Miami: 7’4 center Zach Edey (Purdue) is one of the most decorated college players in the last decade.
He played for the Boilermakers from 2020-24. Edey was the two-time National College Player of the Year (2023, 2024), two-time Pete Newell Big Man Award (2023, 2024), two-time Kareem Abdul-Jabar Award (2023, 2024), two-time consensus first-team All-American (2023, 2024) and the NCAA season scoring leader (2024).
He led Purdue to the national championship game and averaged 25.2 ppg and 12.2 rpg. He has a great mix of size, power and intensity.
Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter could also be picked here. He averaged 14.5 ppg for the Bears. He was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season.
#18 Orlando: 6’9 wing Johnny Furphy (Kansas) would be a good pick. Furphy was born and raised in Australia and came to the US for college. He struggled with being consistent last season. He averaged 9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
#21 New Orleans: 6’10 forward Yves Missi (Baylor) is the likely pick here. He averaged 107 ppg and 5.6 rpg for the Bears.
Rise Up?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons 2024 preseason kicks off August 6th down in Miami against the Dolphins and the regular season starts on September 8th at home against Pittsburgh.
We know they made a big move in the offseason by signing Kirk Cousins. He was signed in March to a four-year, $180 million contract. That seems like a move to show Atlanta is all in and ready to win now.
Surprisingly, the next month in the NFL Draft they took QB Michael Penix Jr in the first round (8th overall). That caused the entire NFL world to look at them and wonder, what’s going on? This is a move that will not pay off for at least two seasons. It would have made more sense to draft a high caliber pass rusher that can help the team immediately.
Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8 last season, so that is concerning. Prior to suffering the injury, Cousins had reached a career-high in Pro Football Focus’ adjusted completion percentage. Cousins wasn’t as aggressive with his attempts, but his accuracy remained high when he did throw long: sixth in deep passing rating and 10th in deep yards.
The Falcons are coming off their third consecutive 7-10 season. Arthur Smith was fired and he was replaced by Raheem Morris. Morris was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021-23. He was an assistant coach with Atlanta from 2015-20. He was also the head coach for Tampa Bay from 2009-11.
The offensive side of the ball is Atlanta’s strength. They have very solid skill position players with running backs Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
The offensive line is tough and physical. Guard Chris Lindstrom was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023. I do want to point out that Cousins did have superior talent in Minnesota and we saw what he did with that.
For London, having consistent QB play could take his game to the next level. He is 6’4, 213 pounds and he is a big, physical receiver. They have been working on timing thus far.
“I pride myself on being able to catch the ball from anybody, so I don’t really look at that,” London said on the final day of the team’s minicamp. “It’s kind of just wherever the ball is thrown, I try to go get it.”
London paused and smiled before adding: “(Cousins) throws it well, though.”
Atlanta ranked 19th in total defense and 21st in sacks. It seems like every season we talk about how they can’t rush the passer. This year will not be any different.
Safety Jessie Bates III was the other Falcon selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023.
The NFC South isn’t the toughest division but New Orleans and Tampa Bay are decent teams.
The first three games of the season are Pittsburgh, at Philadelphia and Kansas City. The only game I think they have a chance to win is against the Steelers.
The next games are New Orleans, Tampa Bay, at Carolina, Seattle, at Tampa Bay, Dallas, at New Orleans and at Denver before the Week 12 bye. The Falcons will have to at least split the games with the Saints and Bucs. Carolina should be an easy win. There aren’t any great teams here so they have a chance to win all of these.
The rest of the games are the LA Chargers, at Minnesota, at Las Vegas, New York Giants, at Washington and Carolina. Honestly, these should all be wins if the main starters are healthy.
I believe the Falcons can win 10 or 11 games.
North Avenue Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech is a great academic institution that has also been known for having strong athletic programs.
They are a program that has multiple national championships on their resume in football and they have played in several bowl games.
Brent Key had his first full season as head coach for the Yellow Jackets last year. Key took over after the 2022 season and he went 4 – 4. He looked like he might find success and he delivered.
Tech went 7–6 overall and 5–3 in the ACC in 2023. On the surface that does not sound impressive, because it’s just one game over .500. This was their first bowl appearance since 2018, which was Paul Johnson’s final season.
They started the season 2 – 3 with an embarrassing home loss to Bowling Green. The highlights of their season were two upsets over North Carolina and Miami, both were ranked 17th at the time of the game.
They played in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida and they beat UCF 30-17. Now the question is can they build on that in 2024?
The transfer portal is huge in college football and unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets are dealing with that. They had 32 players enter the portal ahead of the 2024 season.
Some of the key players leaving are corner back KJ Wallace (UCLA), defensive lineman D’Quan Douse (Michigan State), corner back Kenan Johnson (Utah), defensive end Kyle Kennard (South Carolina), quarterback Zach Wilson (Georgia State), wide receiver Juju Lewis (FIU) and defensive end Malcolm Pugh (Louisiana Tech).
They also acquired players in the transfer portal. They added a few more from the spring. Tight end Josh Beetham (Michigan), safety Jayden Davis (Cincinnati), defensive lineman Thomas Gore (Miami), defensive end Romello Height (USC), cornerback Zachary Tobe (Illinois), linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Georgia), corner back Warren Burrell (Tennessee), defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase (Florida State) and defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg (Penn State).
The Yellow Jackets ranked 120th in total defense last season out of 130 FBS teams. It’s good to see them addressing that side of the ball because they were awful.
Quarterback Haynes King transferred in from Texas A&M. He passed for 2,842 yards, 27 touchdowns and he rushed for 737 yards and 10 TD’s. He did lead the ACC with interceptions so he will need to improve his decision making and cut down on his turnovers. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
Georgia Tech has a total of 17 starters returning, which is tied for 7th with Cal. They have eight on offense and seven on defense.
That includes most of their offensive line, leading rusher Jamal Haynes and top-two receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr. Haynes rushed for 931 yards, 7 scores and averaged 6 yards per carry. He had 1,129 all-purpose yards. I think he could have a breakout year in 2024.
The season opens August 24th against Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. FSU will be favored to win this game.
The other games where they will be underdogs are against Notre Dame at Mercedes Benz Stadium and at Georgia.
The games I expect them to win are Georgia State, Syracuse, VMI and Duke.
The other games that are too close to call are Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami and NC State.
I think they are capable of winning six games again, if they stay healthy.
As of now their 2025 recruiting class is ranked 22nd in the country and that could improve with another good season.
The ACC Domino
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Once upon a time, the ACC was a premier athletic conference.
Having North Carolina and Duke means the conference has a shot at a national championship almost every year in basketball.
In football, they have a few solid programs. Clemson won a national championship in 1981. Georgia Tech won a share of the national championship with Colorado in 1990. The Yellow Jackets also have claimed three more national championships (1917, 1928, 1952) and three unclaimed national titles (1916, 1951, 1956).
Florida State joined the ACC July 1, 1991 and started playing football in 1992. The Seminoles won or shared a conference championship in their first nine seasons. They also won national championships in 1993, 1999 and 2013.
FSU was a top program in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Their rival, Miami was also an elite team dating back to the 1980’s. The Hurricanes won national championships in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001. They were undefeated before losing the BCS Championship Game in overtime in 2002. UM was an independent before joining the Big East in 1991.
In 2004 they left the Big East for the ACC along with Virginia Tech and Boston College. At the time it looked like the ACC was going to elevate to an elite football conference.
The Hokies played Florida State in the 1999 national title game and they routinely produced NFL talent. Boston College is a solid program that would normally make it to bowl games.
Unfortunately, the only team that lived up to expectations early on was Va Tech. They were the ACC Champs in their first year (2004) and won again in 2007, 2008 and 2010. They defeated Boston College in the conference championship game in 07 and 08.
Miami has never won the ACC since joining. Florida State falling off in the 2000’s and Miami never living up to expectations are the foundation to why they are in jeopardy of shutting down in the near future.
Dabo Swinney took over as the head coach for Clemson during the 2008 season and turned them into a national power. He led the Tigers to their first ACC title in 2011, then again from 2015-20 and 2022. They also won national titles in 2016 and 2018.
Clemson was the only marquee team in the conference for most of this time.
In another round of expansion Syracuse and Pitt joined the ACC in 2013. Notre Dame also joined that year in all sports except football. Louisville joined in 2014. These moves show adding teams just for the sake of it but not actually improving anything. Maryland left the ACC for the Big Ten in 2014.
This season is another round of expansion with SMU, Cal and Stanford joining the conference in all sports starting in 2024. This is another case of adding schools but not gaining any real value. Perhaps it can be looked at as expanding the recruiting footprint to Dallas and northern California at best.
Looking at it honestly, these are teams that do not compete for conference titles and certainly not on a national level. The conference is like a dead man walking at this point.
By comparison, the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma this season. Two historically great football programs.
As you have heard by now, Clemson and FSU are suing the ACC to leave the conference. It is also reported that UNC wants to leave. This is the last domino to fall in creating super conferences in college sports if any of the current members can escape their contract with the ACC.
With The First Pick The Atlanta Hawks Select….
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Hawks shocked the basketball world by winning the NBA Draft Lottery.
This is the Hawks’ first time getting the No. 1 pick since 1975, when they ended up drafting David Thompson, a five-time All-Star and NBA Hall of Famer. The Draft Lottery was not established yet, so it is the first time they won it.
The Detroit Pistons, who had the league-worst 14-68 record, could not believe it as they had the best odds at 14% to get the No. 1 pick.
The Washington Wizards were 15-67 and they also had great odds to land the number one pick. They have the No. 2 pick.
In 2023-24, they finished the season 36-46, which resulted in the tenth-highest lottery odds. They owned a 3% chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 13.9% chance at a selection in the top four.
This is very shocking for this franchise. They are never championship contenders but not bad enough to pick high enough to select a superstar. This has finally changed.
The only problem is this year’s draft does not have a consensus top prospect like Victor Wembanyama was last year.
Some of the top prospects for the Hawks to consider are center Alexandre Sarr (France), point guard/shooting guard Stephon Castle (UConn), point guard Nikola Topic (Serbia) and small forward/power forward Ron Holland (G League Ignite).
Holland was a McDonald’s All-American in 2023. He averaged 19.5 points per game in the G League as an 18 year old. He is very skilled and has good athleticism. Holland is 6’8, 206 pounds so he needs to put on more weight. He only shoots 24% from the arc, so that’s frightening.
Sarr is 7’1 and 216 pounds. He has a smaller frame but he is more of an old school center. The 19 year old played in Australia’s NBL last season. He played 27 games and averaged 9.4 ppg, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
He is raw offensively and needs to develop his skillset. He is a solid defensive player but I don’t think that is enough for a number one draft pick.
Castle is a Georgia native and graduated from Newton High School in Covington, GA.
Obviously, he won a national championship with the Huskies last season. He averaged 11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.9 apg. He’s 6’6 so he’s a bigger guard. He did not really get to display his skillset because he played in a true team system.
Topic won a gold medal with Serbia at the U18 European Championships. He played on two different teams in the AdmiralBet League (ABA) in 2023-24. He averaged 18.4 ppg in twelve games for Mega MIS. He has a well-rounded game on offense and he can score. He’s 6’6 and he turns 19 in August.
If Atlanta decides to draft another point guard they might have to trade their current star, Trae Young.
The 2024 NBA Draft will be the first ever two-day event, beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 26 and concluding with the second round on Thursday, June 27.
It will be at the Barclays Center, which is the home of the Brooklyn Nets.
Southern Expectations
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Let’s take a look around the NFC South and see what we can expect from these teams after free agency and the NFL Draft.
Atlanta Falcons: On paper we expect them to be the favorite to win the division going into the season.
They did sign Kirk Cousins in the offseason. Quarterback play was the team’s Achilles heel last season. They were 7-10 and finding a solid QB should improve their record by at least two games.
The offense has weapons so we expected them to draft a pass rusher. Instead, they drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the # 8 pick. At best he becomes a starter in two years. Unfortunately, he will not be on the field immediately to help a team that is built to win now.
They did use their next four draft picks on defensive players but they still did not address their glaring need to improve the pass rush. I think Atlanta can win nine or 10 games. If they make it to the playoffs I expect them to lose in the first round.
Carolina Panthers: This team seems to be in permanent rebuild mode.
They had first year head coach Frank Reich last season and he was fired in November after starting 1-10. They finished the season with the worst record in the NFL, 2-15. They traded their 2024 first round pick in the 2023 draft to move up and select QB Bryce Young # 1.
The team was terrible so I can’t put all of the blame on Young. The # 2 pick from 2023, CJ Stroud had a great season. They will always be compared to each other so we do need to see Young get better in his second season.
In free agency they signed: Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis, A’Shawn Robinson, Josey Jewell and Dane Jackson. Hunt and Lewis are guards that will improve the interior offensive line. Robinson is a defensive tackle that has appeared in 110 games, with 74 starts.
In the first round of the draft Carolina selected wide receiver Xavier Legette (South Carolina) # 32. They really need weapons for Young so this was a good pick.
In the second round they selected running back Jonathan Brooks (Texas). He’s a great player but he tore his ACL in November so he will not be available at the beginning of the season.
I think the Panthers have improved slightly and will win five or six games.
New Orleans Saints: In free agency they signed: defensive end Chase Young, wide receiver Stanley Morgan, linebacker Willie Gay, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, and quarterback Nathan Peterman.
In the first round they selected offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) # 14. Their second round pick was cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama).
New Orleans was 9-8 last season. I expect them to win eight or nine games in 2024.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They were 9-8 and won the division in 2023. They beat Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. They exceeded expectations last year.
In free agency they signed safety Jordan Whitehead, cornerback Bryce Hall, guard Ben Bredeson and guard Sua Opeta.
They drafted center Graham Barton (Duke) # 26. In the second round they selected edge rusher Chris Braswell (Alabama).
I expect them to compete for the division title and win nine or ten games.
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-
