Kenneth Harrison
Ramming Through
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last season Grayson won the 7A Georgia state championship in dominating fashion.
The Rams finished 14 – 0 and only had one game decided by single digits.
That was their third championship, all of them have come since 2011. They are one of the newer powerhouse programs.
Grayson ended 2020 ranked second nationally. They will go into the 2021 season ranked 8th in the nation.
Head coach Adam Carter is entering his third season as head coach. He has a 25 – 2 record since taking over as the head ball coach in Loganville.
The Rams were at the center of some controversy last season. They had four-star quarterback Jake Garcia from California. He transferred to Valdosta over the summer for his senior year and played one game for the Wildcats. Then he transferred to Grayson. Garcia committed to Miami.
Last season senior running back Phil Mafah committed to Clemson. He suffered a season ending injury late in the season and his replacements filled in nicely.
In the state championship game against Collins Hill, sophomore Joseph Taylor (15 carries, 121 yards and junior Sean Downer (16, 92) played well.
Freshman Joseph Stone also played. The Rams will probably use the committee approach again this season.
They do not have as much talent as they had last season. The highest ranked recruit on the team is three-star safety Mumu Bin-Wahad. He’s ranked as the 90th best prospect in the state for the Class of 2022 and he’s expected to commit to West Virginia.
Senior guard Griffin Scroggs is 6’5, 295 pounds and he committed to Georgia Tech. Defensive backs Michael Daugherty and A.J. Lopez are currently uncommitted, but both should attend Power 5 schools.
The season kicks off August 20th against Creekside. Creekside is a 5A school, so this is a game against an opponent from a lower classification. The Indians were 7 – 3 in 2020 and won a region title but they cannot compete with an elite 7A team.
Week 2 is on the road at McEachern. They are normally one of the best programs in the state, but the Indians were 4 – 8 last season. This game may be close early, but Grayson will win by double digits.
After a bye week the first game in September is home against Archer. The teams played in 2020 and Grayson won, 26-7. The Tigers won a playoff game last year, so they have some talent. I think they can hang around for three quarters before the score gets out of hand.
The Rams travel to Kennesaw to face Harrison 9/17. This is Justin Fields alma mater. Harrison is a very good program. They were undefeated and won the 6A state championship in 2019. 2020 was the first season in 7A for the Hoyas and it was tough. They finished 4 – 8, including a 30-6 loss to Grayson in the playoffs. This will be an easy win.
The next week is the beginning of region play, at Mill Creek. The Hawks were the only team to challenge Grayson last year, losing 20-13 in double overtime. I think they will get the W in 2021.
October 1st is home against South Gwinnett, an easy win.
After another bye week the Rams travel to Parkview. The Panthers have returned to be a contender over the last couple of years. They lost some talented seniors though.
The final two games are home versus Brookwood and at Newton. Brookwood might be a tough win, but Newton doesn’t stand a chance.
Grayson should return to the state title game in 2021.
Eagles To Fly In 2021
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Collins Hill (Suwanee, GA) is not one of the top high school football programs in the state of Georgia.
They have always struggled with being a consistent contender. Typically, every 3-4 years they have a class that can make the playoffs and win a game or two.
The 2020 season was very successful, they finished 12–3. The Eagles made it to the 7A state championship game and lost to Grayson for the second time.
They beat some very good teams in route to the state final game like Alpharetta, Parkview and Lowndes. Grayson was stacked with talent so there was no shame in losing to them.
Going into the 2021 season Collins Hill is returning some great talent. They have the top-rated recruit in the class of 2022, five-star corner back Travis Hunter. He is rated as the third overall recruit nationally and he committed to Florida State.
Hunter is 6’1, 165 pounds with great speed. He also returns kicks and punts for the Eagles. I would suggest looking up some of his highlights when you get a chance because he seems like a young Deion Sanders.
Quarterback Sam Horn is a four-star player and he’s rated as the 6th best player in Georgia for the class of 2022. Horn has prototypical size for the position, standing 6’4 and 190 pounds. In 2020, he passed for over 3,900 yards, 41 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Horn has committed to Mizzou. I expect him to have another big year as a senior and cut down on his interceptions.
His top target is senior wide receiver Cam Pedro. Pedro recently committed to Marshall.
I have seen some publications rank Collins Hill in the national preseason top 25. The highest I have seen them ranked is No. 11. Even though that is high, Grayson is ranked higher.
It’s an understatement to say expectations are high and they are expected to compete for the 7A state championship. They are also in one of the toughest regions, 8-AAAAAAA.
The season kicks off August 22nd against Brookwood. The Broncos are a very good program and they are coming off an 8-3 season. They have the No. 13 prospect in the state, corner back Marquis Groves-Killbrew. This will be a tough game. I give the edge to the Eagles.
Week 2 is against Sprayberry. This should be an easy win for Collins Hill.
September begins with a game versus Greenville Christian (Greenville, MS). They were 11–1 last year and won the state championship. The Saints will be a solid opponent.
Week 4 is on the road against Rome. The Wolves are very good, but they are in a smaller classification, 6A. The teams played last year, and Collins Hill won 28–14. I expect a similar result in 2021.
The next game is against Alpharetta. These teams played twice in 2020 and Collins Hill won both times. I expect the Eagles to beat Alpharetta again.
East Coweta comes to town September 24th. The Indians were 10–2 in 2020 and won region 2-AAAAAAA. This will be a close win for the Eagles.
Region play begins October 1st against archrival Peachtree Ridge. The Lions will get blown out similar to last season’s 42–7 score.
After a bye week Collins Hill travels to North Gwinnett. The Bulldogs are a very good team and I think they will win.
The last two games are against Mountain View and Mill Creek which will be convincing victories.
Going into the playoffs I expect the Eagles to be 9-1.
Hawks Flying To NBA Finals?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Hawks are making an improbable playoff run.
They just beat the No.1 seed in the East, Philadelphia, in Game 7 of the East Semifinals to advance to the Conference Finals.
They overcame a subpar performance from the team’s star, Trae Young. He was 5 for 23 from the floor. Young did finish with 21 points and 10 assists.
“I knew I had to find a way,” Young said. “My shot was off. My right hand and shoulder were giving out. But my teammates showed up and made plays. I wanted to come through in the end and help them out.”
Shooting guard Kevin Huerter led the team with 27 points, making 10 of 18 shots (55%).
Danilo Gallinari had 17 points off the bench. John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds.
“This team is special, man,” Huerter said. “Everybody has counted us out all year. For us to make it this far and win in this building in Game 7, it’s huge for us.”
Lloyd Pierce was fired as the head coach and Nate McMillan was named interim head coach on March 1, 2021. The Hawks went 27 – 11 and won the Southeast division.
“I felt like they were built for this moment tonight to win this game,” Coach Nate McMillan said.
MVP runner up Joel Embiid had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 8 turnovers playing with a meniscus tear in his right knee.
The other star for the Sixers, Ben Simmons played poorly. He only had 5 points in the game and routinely passed up open shots. In the series he shot 33% from the free throw line, which is clearly terrible.
Atlanta had been 0-9 in Games 7s on the road. Now they are advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
This marked only the second year since 1973 — when the NBA began seeding for the playoffs by conference — when neither No. 1 seed will make the conference finals. The Clippers eliminated West No. 1 seed Utah.
“We gave them life from Game 1,” 76ers forward Tobias Harris said. “It’s a young, hungry team.”
The next test waiting for Atlanta are the Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 3 seed in the East. The Bucks are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, AKA the Greek Freak.
This season he averaged 28.1 ppg, 11 rpg and 5.9 apg. He makes 56.9% of his field goals but he plays close to the basket. He only shoots 30.3% from the three-point line. In Game 7 against the No. 2 seed Brooklyn Nets, he had 40 points and 13 rebounds.
The deciding factor in the series will come from the rest of the team. Giannis will play well, but he needs help from his teammates.
Small forward Kris Middleton averaged 20.4 ppg and 6 rpg this season. If he plays well consistently Milwaukee will be tough to beat.
Game 1 is Wednesday, 8:30 pm in Milwaukee. We will see if the Hawks can continue to be road warriors and steal the opening game.
I think the playoff run comes to an end for Atlanta. I expect the Bucks to win in 6 games.
The New Titan
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Prior to the NFL Draft in late April, Atlanta Falcons first year general manager Terry Fontenot talked about trading Julio Jones.
Since then, I’ve been waiting to see where he would end up. We don’t have to wait any longer because he was traded to the Tennessee Titans.
Atlanta will receive a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick for sending Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick to Tennessee. I think the Titans won this trade. Julio is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a top three wide receiver in the league at least. I think Atlanta should have received a first-round pick for him.
The Titans are already a good team, finishing 11 – 5 last season and winning the AFC South. The year before that they advanced to the AFC Championship game.
Tennessee has great skill players already. Derrick Henry led the league in rushing with 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was 15th in the league in pass yards with 3,819. He is tied for 7th in passing TD’s with Deshaun Watson, throwing 33 of them with only 7 interceptions.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown had 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 scores. Corey Davis had 65 catches for 984 yards and 5 touchdowns. He signed with the New York Jets in the offseason, so Julio is essentially replacing him.
The Titans have not had two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season since 2004. That should change in 2021. The biggest winner in the trade is Brown.
“It takes some of the tension off of me and with Derrick (Henry) and Ryan (Tannehill) with Anthony (Fisker),” Brown told ESPN on Sunday. “Having another dominant guy on the other side, everybody has to be honest. Now, you don’t know who’s going to hold who. I may get CB1 or Julio may get CB1. But whoever gets CB2, [that cornerback] is going to be in trouble. It’s going to be fun.”
Tennessee obviously likes to run the ball a lot with Henry and throw play action passes off of that. Defenses would normally have to put eight men in the box to try to slow him down.
They faced eight defenders in the box on 23.1% of their snaps last season, more than any other team in the NFL. Adding Julio makes it difficult to do that now. At this point they basically have to pick their poison.
Their former offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith left to take over as head coach in Atlanta after the 2020 season. Todd Downing is entering his first season as OC in Nashville.
“We’ll look for ways to get him singled up, ways to help him with different coverage indicators and things like that,” Downing said of Brown. “See where we can move him around, expand his route tree a little bit and watch him have success as we expand it.”
The Titans ranked 28th in total defense last year, giving up 398.3 yards per game and 27.4 points per game. They only had 19 sacks in 2020 which is ranked 30th.
They did try to address that in free agency, signing corner back Janoris Jenkins, linebackers Bud Dupree and Jayon Brown.
They also signed defensive tackles Trevon Coley and Denico Autry. They drafted Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley in the first round.
If Julio stays healthy, I think they will win the division again. The only AFC teams that are better on paper are Kansas City and Buffalo.
I’m looking forward to see how this season plays out and who Atlanta will draft with the picks they acquired.
Increasing Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech head football coach Geoff Collins is going into his third season in Atlanta.
He currently has a record of 6 – 16. So far, he has recruited better than his predecessor Paul Johnson but it has not translated on the field.
Tech’s spring season included 15 practices over a 24-day span that began March 30th. The Spring game was at Bobby Dodd Stadium on a Friday night, April 23rd. Fans were able to attend.
Left tackle Devin Cochran is a grad transfer from Vanderbilt, and he looks like he will make a big contribution next season. He’s 6’7, 320-pounds and he can stop a pass rusher in his tracks.
Quarterback Jeff Sims has shown what he can do with some time to pass the ball so the offense can be explosive.
Another grad transfer tackle, Kenneth Kirby will come to campus in May when he graduates from Norfolk State. He was a three-year starter and two-time All-MEAC selection.
Sims accounted for 173 yards of total offense and 3 touchdowns. He ran for a 48-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the game and completed 9-of-10 passes for 125 yards and two scores in front of a large crowd of season-ticket holders and students.
Coach Collins reset the score occasionally to make it more entertaining. He did this in the waning minutes to set up an exciting finish.
First, an 11-yard touchdown run by true freshman quarterback Chayden Peery and subsequent two-point conversion by Ryan Lantz gave the “White” team a 25-24 lead with exactly two minutes to go in the third and final period of the game.
On the following series Sims led the “Gold” team on a four-play, 65-yard drive. He threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to grad transfer Kyric McGowan to win the game.
The Yellow Jackets signal callers played well in the game. Playing in his first game in nearly 18 months due to the cancellation of his senior season of high school football in his native California, Peery completed 7-of-10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown and ran four times for 26 yards and another score.
Redshirt freshman Jordan Yates connected on 6-of-10 passes for 99 yards and a score.
The defense forced two turnovers. There was a fumble recovery by senior defensive lineman Antonneous Clayton and an interception by senior Tariq Carpenter.
Carpenter’s INT came on a defense called by Georgia Tech men’s basketball head coach and honorary spring game defensive coach Josh Pastner.
The offensive line played well. They were not called for any false starts, which was a big problem in 2020.
Center Mikey Minihan accurately delivered snaps to the Sims, blocked effectively and had a handle on the defense’s pre-snap movements. Last season was his first-time playing center and he struggled at times.
Before the game team captains for offense and defense met at midfield. Three of the four were unsurprising selections – Sims and right guard Ryan Johnson (who was voted a permanent captain for the 2020 team at the end of the season) and safety Juanyeh Thomas. The fourth was grad-transfer linebacker Ayinde Eley, who joined the team in January from Maryland. They were voted by their teammates earlier in the week.
In his brief time at Tech, Eley “has made a tremendous impact to our program,” Collins said. “He is a great leader; he is a great teammate. He is a great worker within our program.”
Tech’s first game is September 4th at home against Northern Illinois. Hopefully this is the season where they can get back to a bowl game.
Flying Class
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 NFL draft is in the books. We saw what each team did to address their needs. Let’s take a look to see how the Atlanta Falcons did. This was the first draft for General Manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.
I’m trying to not get too excited, but I have seen several different publications give the Falcons an A+ draft grade.
They selected Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the 4th pick. Pitts is the highest rated tight end prospect ever. He’s projected to have an impact like Travis Kelce and that should really help in the red zone. Atlanta should have an explosive top five offense in 2021.
In the second round with the 40th pick Atlanta selected UCF safety Richie Grant. He was first-team All-American Athletic Conference in 2019 and 2020.
Last season he led UCF with 72 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 6 pass deflections, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in 9 games. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back.
Michigan guard Jalen Mayfield was taken with the 68th pick. The Falcons needed help on the offensive line, so they addressed a need.
Mayfield is only a redshirt sophomore, so he does not have much experience. In 2019 he played 13 games at right tackle and was honorable mention All-Big Ten. He played two games in 2020 before a high ankle sprain ended his season.
San Diego State corner back Darren Hall was the 108th selection. In 2019 he tied for the FBS lead in pass breakups with 16.
In 2020 he was first-team All-MWC and led the Aztecs with 3 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, 38 tackles with 2 for loss in 8 games.
Stanford center Drew Dalman was the 114th pick. He’s the son of former 49ers offensive lineman Chris Dalman and he was a top 10 center nationally coming out of high school. He was first-team All-Pac-12 in 2020 and started all 6 of their games.
The 148th pick was Texas defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham. He was a top-150 recruit nationally coming out of high school.
Graham started every game the past two seasons and was named honorable mention all-conference as a senior in 2020. He had 23 tackles, 7 for loss and 2 sacks.
Notre Dame defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji (pronounced ah-DAY-tok-uhn-bo oh-gun-day-gee) was 17 when he enrolled in college. It took him a while to work his way into the rotation because of that.
He started 12 games as a senior and was a team captain. He was honorable mention All-ACC and had 23 tackles and a team high 7 sacks.
Boise State corner back Avery Williams was the second to last pick (No. 183) for the Falcons.
He was All- Mountain West Conference in all four seasons and he’s a good kick returner as well.
He was a third team All-American as an all-purpose player because he led the FBS in combined return yardage (19-533-28.1 kick returns, 15-229-15.3 punt returns), topped the country with two punt return touchdowns and tied for the national lead with two kick return touchdowns. He also tied for fifth in the FBS with two blocked kicks.
The final player drafted was Arizona State wide receiver Frank Darby (No. 187). ASU only played four games in 2020 and he played in three as a team captain. He received limited touches after suffering a rib injury in the season opener.
Time will tell if these players develop the way the franchise hopes but Atlanta did a good job addressing team needs.
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 NFL Draft is later this week. Let’s take a look around the AFC South to see who will be drafted in the first round.
Jacksonville: The Jaguars (1-15) earned the top pick but they also have the 25th pick.
With a record that bad they clearly need help at several positions. Legendary college coach Urban Meyer came out of retirement and was hired as head coach.
We know Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is going to be the first pick in the draft. He has all of the measurables, standing 6’6 and 220 pounds. He has high football IQ and a strong arm. He has basically every accolade you can get as a college player except for the Heisman Trophy.
He’s a national champion and led his team to the College Football Playoff in the three seasons he played. The last quarterback prospect I can think of that was clearly the top prospect like this was Andrew Luck. I expect him to be very successful in the NFL.
With the 25th pick. I think a difference maker at wide receiver is what they will get to pair with Lawrence.
Purdue receiver Rondale Moore fits that mold. Purdue only played four games last season and Moore played three of them.
He had 35 catches and 270 yards.
His best statistical season was as a freshman in 2018. He had 114 catches, 1,258 yards and 12 TD’s.
He ran a 4.33 40 at his pro day so he’s very fast.
Florida receiver Kadarius Toney is also another possible selection. In 11 games he had 70 receptions, 984 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Indianapolis: The Colts (11-5) are a very solid team. Philip Rivers played his only season in Indy last year and led the team to the playoffs before he retired.
Now they have Carson Wentz as the signal caller. The Colts have the 21st pick so they can go in several directions depending on the players still available.
Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore would be a good pick. In 8 games last season he had 86 receptions, 1,193 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at his pro day. He reminds me of Tyreek Hill and Indy could use a playmaker at wide receiver.
Miami edge rusher Jaelan Phillips might be another possibility. He’s 6’5, 266 pounds so he has ideal size for the position. In 2020 he had 45 total tackles and 8 sacks.
Tennessee: The Titans (11-5) won the division last season. They advanced to the AFC Championship game in 2019. I think this team is a serious championship contender.
Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins would be a good pick to strengthen the offensive line. We know Tennessee loves to run the ball with Derrick Henry, so this makes sense. He was First Team All-Big 12 in 2020.
At 6’6 and 320 pounds he looks the part. He’s very physical and aggressive.
Virginia Tech corner back Caleb Farley might also be a possibility. He opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. He recently had back surgery, which is something to consider. In 2019 he had 20 tackles, 12 pass deflections and 4 interceptions.
The Houston Texans (4-12) do not have a first-round pick. I’m looking forward to the draft to see how teams will address their needs.
Fixed Wreck
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This has been a surprisingly good season for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
Head coach Josh Pastner has not had much success prior to this season.
He was hired in 2016 and that was his best season. Tech was 21 – 16 in 2016-17 and he was named ACC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
He has had two losing seasons after that. In September 2019 the NCAA banned Tech from postseason play and put them on four years of probation.
The sanctions include a reduction in scholarships, limits on recruiting and a fine of $5,000 plus 2% of the program’s budget.
This was the result of major recruiting violations by Pastner’s former assistant coach and an ex-friend.
The Ramblin’ Wreck were 17 – 14 last season. Because of the global pandemic all postseason tournaments were cancelled.
On the surface the record was not impressive but there was one impressive takeaway. He had his first winning conference record in Atlanta, going 11 – 9 in the ACC.
Based on that we should have seen this season coming. Georgia Tech went 17 – 8, 11 – 6 in conference play. They were the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament.
They beat Miami in their first game. The next opponent was the No. 1 seed Virginia, but that game was cancelled due to a positive COVID-19 test within their program.
The Yellow Jackets advanced to the championship game against No. 2 seed and 15th ranked Florida State. They beat the Seminoles 80 – 75 and won the first ACC title since 1993. They shot 52% in the second half.
“First off, just want to give an incredible shout-out to our young men to get this from where we started, not only how it started this year, how it started five years ago,” Pastner said. “Holy Toledo, goodness gracious. Thank the good Lord. God bless everybody for sticking with us. And these young men, to do what we’ve done, to do this is just darned special, to put Georgia Tech back in the forefront of the ACC.”
Tech has the AP ACC Player of the Year, Moses Wright. The 6’9 senior forward was the only unanimous first-team pick on the AP’s All-ACC teams. He averages 18 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. During a six-game winning streak he shot 65.6% and averaged 23.5 ppg and 10 rpg.
Tech is led by upper classmen. Senior guard Jose Alvarado is the second leading scorer with 15.3 ppg and 4.1 assists per game. Junior guard Michael Devoe averages 15.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 3.3 apg.
Even after winning the ACC Tournament and clinching an automatic birth to the NCAA Tournament they aren’t getting much respect. The Yellow Jackets are the No. 9 seed in the Midwest region. They play No. 8 Loyola Chicago (24 – 4) Friday March 19th at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN) at 4:00.
They should be a higher seed but I think they have a serious chance to make the Sweet Sixteen.
Draft Board
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 NFL Draft will start April 29 in Cleveland, Ohio.
We have plenty of time to speculate how teams will address their needs leading up to that.
Let’s take a look around the NFC South and look at who these teams should select with their first-round pick.
Atlanta: The Falcons started the season with five losses and finished with a 4 – 12 record. Dan Quinn was fired after the slow start.
Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was hired as head coach once their season ended. As OC for the past two years in Nashville Smith showed us that he knows how to force feed Derrick Henry.
Atlanta has the 4th overall pick and they have a decision to make. Should they move on from Matt Ryan and draft a young quarterback? Or do they believe in the offense and select a player to help on the porous defense?
If they want to keep Ryan, then Alabama corner back Patrick Surtain II is the best pick. I feel old because I remember his dad from Madden 2003. He’s the best corner in the draft and he would instantly help the secondary.
If they decide to go with a quarterback, they will have to choose from Trey Lance (North Dakota St.), Mac Jones (Alabama) or Zach Wilson (BYU). I think Wilson is the best out of these three and should strongly be considered if he’s still on the board.
Carolina: The Panthers were 5 – 11 in 2020 and have the 8th pick.
All-World running back Christian McCaffrey missed the majority of the season. They don’t have many offensive weapons other than McCaffrey.
They did add quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and speedy receiver Robby Anderson in free agency last year. Anderson did have 95 receptions, 1,096 yards and 3 scores but he’s not a number one receiver.
Florida tight end Kyle Pitts would be a great addition. Pitts is 6’6, 246 pounds and a very good athlete. In 8 games he had 43 catches, 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. He could have an impact like Travis Kelce does for the Chiefs.
Quarterback could also be an option if they like the players that will still be available.
New Orleans: The Saints (12 – 4) have the 28th pick. First ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees is expected to retire. They pick so late in the first round that quarterback is not an option.
Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins would be a good pick. He’s 6’4, 260 pounds and versatile. He blocked two kicks on special teams. He had a career high 14 tackles against an SEC team (Arkansas).
South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn could also be an option. His father Joe was a receiver for the Saints.
Tampa Bay: The Bucs (11 – 5) won the Super Bowl in Tom Brady’s first season with the team. They are strong on offense so they will probably draft a defensive player.
Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai would be a good pick. In 9 games this season he had 54 tackles and 5 sacks.
Iowa defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon might also be considered. He had 45 tackles, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 8 games.
The Big Game
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The matchup for Super Bowl LV is set, Kansas City (14-2) versus Tampa Bay (11-5).
Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team and his tenth appearance in the big game.
Tampa Bay will be the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
When it comes to this it seems like a technicality because there have been teams that played in their hometown but not stadium.
For instance, the 1979 Los Angeles Rams played Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl. The 1984 San Francisco 49ers played Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium.
This is a matchup of the young upstart QB against the greatest of all time.
The Chiefs are defending champions, led by Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes was second in the league in passing yards with 4,740, 38 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Brady was third with 4,633, 40 TD’s and 12 picks.
Both teams are loaded with offensive weapons. Tight end Travis Kelce is fifth in receptions (105) and second in receiving yards (1,416) in the league, which includes wide receivers. He also had 11 touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Tampa Bay’s star play makers have missed a few games this season with injuries.
Mike Evans had 70 catches, 1,006 yards and 13 TD’s. Chris Godwin played in 12 games with 65 receptions, 840 yards and 7 touchdowns. Rob Gronkowski had 45 catches, 623 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Buccaneers also have two talented running backs, Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones.
These teams met in Week 12 in Tampa. Kansas City won 27 – 24, but the game did not seem as close as the final score.
The Chiefs led 20 – 7 at halftime and the Bucs scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Hill had 13 receptions, 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. The number one priority will be to stop him in this game.
Tampa Bay is 6th in total defense and Kansas City is 16th. The Chiefs are average on defense but in today’s NFL they just need to outscore opponents.
The road to the Super Bowl was very different for these teams. The Bucs were the fifth seed in the NFC, so they had to play three road games. They beat Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay to get here. The NFC Championship was a hard fought 31 – 26 win over the Packers.
“Tom is the GOAT (greatest of all time),” said Bucs receiver Scotty Miller, who caught a 39-yard touchdown pass with 1 second left until halftime. “Last year, we ended 7-9. This year, we’re going to the Super Bowl. He’s the biggest reason.”
The Chiefs were the number one seed in the AFC so they had home field advantage and a bye week in the first round.
They played Cleveland in the divisional round and won 22 – 17. Mahomes was knocked out of the game with a concussion.
In the AFC Championship they beat Buffalo 38 – 24. There were several times in the game where both teams got into scuffles.
I think this is going to be a very close game. Losing the first meeting should give Tampa Bay an advantage because they know what to expect.
Also, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienimy is the hottest candidate to get a head coaching job. This has to provide some distraction for him going in to this game.
