Jake Rigdon

Articles

Fanspeak Mock Draft 3.2: What does Carter news mean for Chicago, Arizona?

How badly does Chicago want to come away from this draft with a potential generational player on defense? Does Arizona think twice now about trading down? And will a team like Dallas decide to move up in the draft? The fallout from the Jalen Carter news won’t be fully known until after the draft as…

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Unraveling the Jalen Carter situation and two other Combine notes

Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter is widely considered the best or second-best defensive prospect in the upcoming draft – and some analysts believe he could go No. 1 overall to Chicago. Now, his draft status is up in the air. Carter was charged Wednesday with reckless driving and racing following a Jan. 15 crash that…

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What does THT, Davis Allen and Michael Wilson have in common? All could rise fast or take a deep dive in NFL draft

‘Tis the season of updated draft boards. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently released his big board, while Sports Illustrated just published their own this week. And, as expected, a few surprises names squeaked into Kevin Hanson’s top-100, including Clemson tight end Davis Allen (No. 93), TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (No. 96) and Stanford receiver Michael…

Cleveland, San Francisco could land one of these 2 defensive linemen whose rankings are up for debate

Of the teams that lack a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, two could use a new defensive lineman, or more specifically, a defensive tackle. The Cleveland Browns don’t pick until the second round with pick No. 43 overall then No. 99 overall in the third round. San Francisco, meanwhile, doesn’t pick until the third…

Fanspeak Mock Draft 2.22: Will Tennessee have better luck drafting an OT this time?

The recent release of long-time left tackle Taylor Lewan may be just the first of several big moves this offseason for Tennessee, as quarterback Ryan Tannehill is rumored to be a potential cap casualty. But the Titans likely go into the 2023 draft feeling like they already have the QB position covered, at least for…

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Some stories to watch as the NFL draft season heats up

This is the time of year when the NFL draft “season” really heats up. The Combine starts in less than two weeks (Feb. 28 to March 6) and will be followed by school and team pro days and individual workouts. And at least one prospect will dominate the sports news cycle for a little while…

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Pittsburg State Guard Kory Woodruff highlights strong year for small-school offensive linemen

Reed Blankenship’s bio on the Middle Tennessee State website is more than 300 words long. That only covers his final season with the Blue Raiders. And yet, despite finishing as the school’s all-time leading tackler with 419 stops in 55 starts and armed with a slew of school and conference awards, Blankenship wasn’t even invited…

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Fanspeak Mock Draft 2.15: Can Philadelphia avoid the dreaded Super Bowl hangover?

You think Philadelphia fans are upset now? Check back in a year from now – history says the Eagles face an uphill climb in 2023, while it’s all roses in Kansas City. First, what the data says about the Super Bowl winning teams: Only 14 out of 54 (26 percent) Super Bowl winners from 1967…

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Fanspeak Mock Draft 2.10: QB-needy teams would be wise to heed 2016 draft’s warnings

Carson Wentz wasn’t supposed to be a Philadelphia Eagle. Instead, he was supposed to serve as Tony Romo’s understudy for a few years in Dallas before taking over a year or two later. Dallas thought it was sitting pretty in 2016 after an awful season the year before in which star receiver Dez Bryant missed…

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Emptying the Senior Bowl notebook with a look ahead to the Combine (and it’s biggest snub)

With the Senior Bowl now in the rearview mirror, the NFL recently released the list of prospects who were invited to the annual Combine. In total, 319 prospects were invited – with one shocking snub (more on that below) – to the event, which will be held Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis. So…

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