Tag: Carnell Tate

Cleveland Browns 2026 Draft Review: Key Picks and Grades
The Browns started the draft with 2 picks in the first round, at #6 and #24, thanks to the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season (Travis Hunter).

They also had 2 very glaring holes on their roster. Offensive tackle and wide receiver. The question was always, which order would they address them. Would it be WR/OT or OT/WR?

Amongst the draft analysts and pundits, it was split almost 50/50. The fans however, were overwhelming in favor of going WR with pick #6, and hoping that one of the OTs would fall to #24. The particular WR that most Browns fans wanted, was Carnell Tate, the wide receiver from Ohio State. They ended up doing what I was in favor of, and taking an OT first, then take a WR second.

They not only addressed their biggest needs in the first round, but 4 of their first 5 overall picks were either a WR or OT. They doubled up on TE with 2 of their final 3 picks, and took the most athletic quarterback in this class.

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Draft Picks.
- Pick 9: OT Spencer Fano, Utah Utes
  My OL1 in this class.
  Played LT his freshman year at Utah, before moving to RT.
  Great footwork, and athletic ability to mirror defenders.
  Doesn’t get beat very often with spin or swim moves.
  Great use of his hands in pass protection.
  Very strong and violent hands.
  Great balance. His hips and feet stay centered, allowing him to absorb that initial contact from bull rushes.
  Has the strength to move defenders in the run game, and get to the second level.
  He finishes on every snap.
  Does a great job of turning his hips, to allow a clear running lane for the running back in the B gap.
  My grade – A+
- Pick 24: WR KC Concepion, Texas A&M Aggies
  Arguably the most athletic receiver in this class.
  Fast and great acceleration off the line of scrimmage.
  Can make defenders miss with his jukes and spin moves.
  Dynamic punt returner (see LSU game).
  Absolutely TERRIBLE hands. Way too many drops. All the athletic ability in the world, don’t mean diddly squat, if you can’t consistently catch the football.
  My grade – F
- Pick 39: WR Denzel Boston, Washington Huskies
  My WR2 in this class. Absolute steal at 39.
  He’s a true big X receiver, at 6’4″ and 212 lbs.
  Catches everything thrown his way.
  2nd best route runner in this class. The way he snaps off his routes, creates the separation from CBs that he doesn’t get with speed.
  Knows how to high point the ball.
  Huge catch radius.
  Had 20 TDs in 2 seasons.
  My grade – A+
- Pick 58: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo Rockets
  Arguably “the steal of the draft”.
  My S3.
  Tall safety at 6’4″.
  Plays his best games, against better competition.
  Willing tackler.
  Turnover machine. Had 8 forced fumbles and 5 interceptions in his college career.
  Can play single high safety, and play in the box.
  Possible Grant Delpit replacement, as his contract expires after this season.
  My grade – A+
- Pick 86: OT Austin Barber, Florida Gators
  Absolute mauler in the run game.
  Great feet, makes it easy for him to slide.
  Gets to the second level fast.
  Very strong hands.
  Very experienced, with 47 games in 5 seasons.
  Does struggle with double moves.
  Struggles with the “Wide 9” formation.
  My grade – B
- Pick 146: C Parker Brailsford, Alabama Crimson Tide
  Quick off the snap, allowing him to reach the second level fast.
  Great feet (see a theme here).
  Finishes every single rep through the whistle (see Georgia game).
  High football IQ and very aware of his surroundings. Picks up twists and delayed blitzes with ease.
  Smooth as silk on pull blocks and working in space.
  Better pass protecter than run blocker.
  Small for position. Only 6’2″ and 282 lbs.
  Penalty prone (17 flags in 3 seasons).
  My grade – B
- Pick 149: LB Justin Jefferson, Alabama Crimson Tide
  Fast. He has 4.5 sideline-to-sideline speed.
  Smooth backpedal when playing in zone coverage.
  Great tackler. His “missed tackle rate” dropped every season, as he progressed through college.
  His speed, acceleration, and ability to flip his hips in transition, allow him to stay with tight ends and running backs.
  He’s a classic WLB at 227 lbs.
  Struggles to hold up at the point of attack. Often just washed away in the run game.
  My grade – B+
- Pick 170: TE Joe Royer, Cincinnati Bearcats
  My TE5.
  A steal in this spot.
  Great hands.
  BIG catch radius, at 6’5″.
  Excellent football IQ. He finds the soft spots in zone and just sits. Giving his QB a big easy target.
  Seeks out contact, running through arm tackles and lowering his head for that first down.
  Good route runner, using his feet and head fakes to get open when covered man-to-man.
  Has the speed to play in the slot and beat out linebackers and safties that drop down.
  Lacks strength in the run game.
  His willingness to fight for extra yards, has resulted in fumbles (see Miami game).
  My grade – A.
- Pick 182: QB Taylen Green, Arkansas Razorbacks
  Absolute athletic freak for a QB.
  Tremendous ability to turn a sack, into a first down.
  Very strong arm.
  High release point means very few batted passes.
  GOD AWFUL accuracy.
  Wouldn’t trust him to hit the broadside of a barn at 10 yards.
  When pressured, runs backwards instead of climbing the pocket.
  His overconfidence in his athletic abilities, leads to taking too many sacks and plays resulting in loss of yards.
  Too loosie-goosie with the football when running.
  A HORRIBLE TD-INT ratio (53-35).
  My grade – F
- Pick 248: TE Carsen Ryan, BYU Cougars
  Good size at 6’4″ and 250 lbs.
  Decent production when thrown to. 45 catches, for 620 yards, and 4 TDs.
  A willing and capable blocker in the run game.
  Short arms, means a small catch radius.
  Needs to improve route running on short and intermediate routes.
  Almost completely stops when taking on lead blocking role.
  My grade – C
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Overall, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry did a tremendous job addressing their most pressing needs and building depth on the offensive side of the ball. The 2 players chosen on the defensive side of the ball are going to contribute on Day 1. Whether that’s McNeil-Warren replacing Hickman at FS or being the primary backup at both safety spots; as well as Jefferson being the primary backup to Schwesinger and/or Williams at linebacker.

New Browns head coach Todd Monken has proven that he’s able to adapt his offensive play calling, around the players on his roster.

This draft tells me that he’s going to run a lot of 12-personnel formations. He’s going to put one of the TE’s (Fannin Jr or Royer) in the slot, and have a smart, pass blocking first center, making the offensive line calls. His offensive linemen will pull and stretch the defense with zone runs, and then find the wide receivers and tight ends, in the intermediate zone of the field.

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..NFL, NCAA, PFF, and ESPN.

Picture courtesy of…..wallpapercave.
April 27, 2026
Winners and Losers from Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine.

Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books. The theme of S-P-E-E-D speed, continued!!! Absolutely nobody thought that this particular draft class, would be breaking all-time speed records.

The first group of Day 3 was the Running Backs. As anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE me some running backs. I’m a run-first guy.

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love only solidified his position as the #1 RB in this class. We all knew that he was fast, and he ran a 4.36 in the 40, with a 1.55 10 yd split. He showed his smooth footwork and ability to get skinny, during the on the field portion of the drills.

His teammate Jadarian Price ran a 4.49 in the 40, with a slower than expected 1.61 10 yard split. His footwork isn’t as smooth as Love in the running drills, but he did EXCELLENT catching the ball during the on the field portion of the drills.

My biggest winner was Alabama RB Jam Miller. He ran a 4.42 in the 40, with a 1.53 10 yard split. He was smooth with his footwork , kept his balancing cutting, and did a good job catching balls.

Penn State RB Kaytron Allen did EXACTLY what I’ve been telling everyone he would during the on the field portion of the drills. Smooth footwork, quick feet, can catch the ball. I’ve always thought he was better than his Nittany Lions counterpart Nicholas Singleton.

My biggest loser was Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson. He ran a 4.56 in the 40. He looked like a board, his feet looked sluggish, his reaction to the bags, on cut drills were slow.

Outside of Love, there isn’t a first rounder here, but there is very quality depth, and varied abilities in this class.

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QB Group 1 ran the 40, and the news was Arkansas QB Taylen Green ran a 4.36 in the 40. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King ran a 4.46 in the 40.

When it came to throwing, the biggest winner overall was Penn State QB Drew Allar. He had the best deep ball, by far. He was accurate with his ball placement on almost every drill.

Georgia Tech QB Haynes King did quite well. He was great on all the underneath throws, but his lack of arm strength showed on the deep balls.

The biggest loser for on the field drills, was EASILY Teylan Green. He completely airmailed throws on all the outroutes, both short and deep. His ball placement was high and low on slant routes. He has great arm strength though.

Next up, was WR Group #1. Oklahoma Deion Burks (4.30), Cincinnati Jeff Caldwell (4.31), Georgia Zachariah Branch (4.35), Oregon Malik Benson (4.37), Tennessee Chris Brazzell (4.37), and Texas Tech Caleb Douglas (4.39), all ran under 4.40 in the 40.

The big winner was Zachariah Branch. He was so smooth and really crisp on his breaks. Just snapping them off. He caught everything, including some horrible throws by QB Fagnano and Green. It was so fun to watch him today. He made himself some money and climbed many draft boards.

Biggest loser was WR Malachi Fields from Notre Dame. He ran a slow 4.61 in the 40, with a 1.63 10-yard split. He couldn’t keep his feet and hips under control on his breaks, and had 3 drops on The Gauntlet Drill. The film is better than his performance Saturday afternoon, but it did cost him some spots.

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Only 2 players from QB Group 2 ran the 40. North Dakota State’s Cole Payton (4.56) and Baylor Sawyer Robertson (4.65).

When it came to the on the field drills, Alabama’s Ty Simpson was the winner of the group. Good accuracy on the out breaking routes. He had great ball placement and timing on the medium and deep routes.

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was a close 2nd place though.

The loser of the group was the aforementioned Cole Payton. His best 2 passes didn’t come until the 2nd to last drill, on deep balls. It was a terrible night for him, after the 40-yard dash.

WR Group 2 saw the fastest 40-yard dash of the weekend. Brenen Thompson from Mississippi State ran a 4.26, with a 1.54 10-yard split. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance ran a 4.34 in the 40, with a 1.49 10-yard split, and Ole Miss’s De’Zhaun Stribling ran a 4.36, with a 1.53 10-yard split.

When it came to the on the field drills, the winner was actually 2 this time. Makai Lemon from USC and Colbie Young from Georgia. Both of them were catching absolutely everything thrown their way. With some of the bad balls, both of them showed great body control and the ability to adjust mid-air to catch the bad throws.

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– by Sean McKenzie

Picture courtesy of…..bleacherreport.

February 28, 2026
Top 3 College Football Games to Watch for Week 5.

Week 5 of the college football season starts tonight, with the Army Black Knights (1-2) at East Carolina Pirates (2-2), at 7:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.

With conference play underway, the games start to have serious meaning towards season goals, and ultimately, the college football playoffs.

With so many great games available to watch, I’m here to give you the 3 games that you should.

1) #6 Oregon Ducks (4-0) at #3 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0).
Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on NBC and Peacock.

The highflying Ducks offense is traveling across the country to take on the Nittany Lions, in Penn State’s “White out game”.

Sophomore QB Dante Moore has thrown for 962 yards with 11 TDs to only 1 INT. He’s completing 74.7% of his throws so, and the offense just hums along with quick strikes. The defense plays fast and downhill, making it difficult for opposing offenses to get anything started.

The Penn State offense has been anemic to say the least. Has head coach James Franklin been holding back so far?

The Nittany Lions have arguably the best running back tandem in the country with Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. They have a combined 8 TDs so far. QB Drew Allar was some people’s “QB1”, and he’s only thrown 4 TDs through 3 games. Their defense as always is tough and gets pressure on the quarterback. DC Jim Knowles will scheme something up for this big matchup.

Prediction – Penn State is 13-8 in “White out games”, make it 13-9, as Oregon wins this game 31-27.

2) #17 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1) at #5 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0).
Game starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on ABC.

Where is the running game? They’ve only rushed for a combined 371 yards and 4 TDs, through 3 games. Where is the defense? They only have 4 sacks total. Can junior QB Ty Simpson carry this team? He’s thrown for 862 yards, with 9 TDs and 0 INTs so far. He just might have to find some magic.

The Bulldogs have found their running game. They have 3 HBs already over 100 yards each, and as a team, have run for 627 yards and 10 TDs. That means that junior QB Gunnar Stockton just need to not make mistakes, and he’s done that so far, throwing for 722 yards, with 4 TDs and 0 INTs. It’s Georgia, which means fast and active linebackers and safeties flying all over the field making tackles.

Prediction – I think this game is going to be ugly for Alabama. Give me Georgia to win 42-21.

3) #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) at Washington Huskies (3-0).
Game starts at 3:30 PM (EST) on CBS and Paramount+.

The Buckeyes have arguably the best WR tandem in America, with WRs Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. That means sophomore QB Julian Sayin has a big edge. He’s thrown for 779 yards, with 8 TDs and 3 INTs. Projected starting HBs James Peoples and CJ Donaldson have been disappointing, but freshman HB Bo Jackson has done great in his brief appearances. On defense, S Caleb Downs is a playmaker that every team avoids, so LBs Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, are free to fly all over and wreak havoc.

The Huskies offensive gameplan is simple; get the ball to senior HB Jonah Coleman, as much as possible. He has 51 carries, for 347 yards, and 9 TDs. Sophomore QB Demond Williams Jr, is a dual threat as well. He’s thrown for 778 yards, with 6 TDs and 0 INTs, but he’s also ran the ball 34 times, for 220 yards, with 2 TDs.

KEY STAT: Washington has won 22 straight games at home.

TRAP GAME ALERT!!!

Prediction – The Huskies are going to give the Buckeyes, all they can handle. I won’t be shocked if they pull off the massive upset. However, I’m going with Ohio State to win a close game 42-38.

– by Sean McKenzie.

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Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, USAToday, ESPN, and CBSSports.

Stats courtesy of…..NCAA.

September 25, 2025