NFL

Ranking Maason Smith, Jer’Zhan Newton, and Others

Published

4 months ago

May 31, 2023

darragh

Off of preliminary viewings, who are the top DT prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class? The 2024 group doesn’t have a Jalen Carter — at least not yet. But there’s an abundance of depth and talent, and that talent yields a massive amount of potential energy as the season slowly approaches.

Ranking the Top DTs in the 2024 NFL Draft

Time will tell just how rewarding the returns are with the 2023 NFL Draft DT group, but on the surface, it’s an inspiring class. As long as he can stay on the right path, Jalen Carter is a blue-chip talent. Behind him, other prospects like Bryan Bresee, Calijah Kancey, Mazi Smith, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Keeanu Benton, and Zacch Pickens all have great upside.

The 2023 class was formidable. Carter, Bresee, Kancey, and Smith all earned Round 1 capital, and many others are in position to make a difference in the Day 2 and Day 3 ranges. As strong as the 2023 class was, however, the 2024 group has the potential to be even more substantial.

10) Paris Shand, LSU

The LSU Tigers have three defensive linemen on this list. It’s rare for a team to have that level of talent in a defensive line rotation, but LSU has it. How far the group ultimately rises may depend on its under-the-radar addition: Arizona transfer Paris Shand. Shand, who had 2.5 sacks and as many TFLs in 2022, has all the talent to break out if he can put it all together.

The prototype is there with Shand. He has a long 6’5″, 290-pound frame, and though he’s a bit lean, he can line up anywhere from 1-tech to 5-tech. He plays too upright at times, but when he’s on, Shand has one of the most explosive first steps in the class. He also has the flexibility to work around the apex after levying violent double swipes with his length.

9) Ty Hamilton, Ohio State

Although he only logged a half-sack in 2022, Ty Hamilton’s stats are misleading. He earned more opportunities as the 2022 season went on, and some of his best reps came in the team’s close playoff loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. Hamilton — the brother of Jaguars’ DL DaVon Hamilton — is just now coming into his prime, and he could be primed for a breakout.

MORE: FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades

Now listed at 6’3″, 295 pounds, Hamilton carries his weight and volume with impressive ease. Like his brother before him, he has the strength and density to absorb blocks and hold the line in run defense, but he’s also a high-motor threat with imposing burst and power drive in the pass-rushing phase. The best is yet to come for the younger Hamilton.

8) Darius Robinson, Missouri

The Missouri defense lost Isaiah McGuire in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they return a treasure trove of talent at other spots. Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. return at cornerback, while Ty’Ron Hopper stands tall at the linebacker spot. And on the interior defensive line, Darius Robinson maintains a presence with his natural tools.

At 6’5″, 290 pounds, with arms over 35″ long, Robinson is built to get inside his blockers’ frames and prevent displacement. As a run defender, he holds up well, but he also has the straight-line burst and power capacity to carry value as a pass rusher. With 3.5 sacks and 5.5 TFLs, 2022 was a career year for Robinson, but another leap could be in store in 2023.

7) Leonard Taylor, Miami (FL)

A former five-star recruit, Miami’s Leonard Taylor has done nothing but confirm his pedigree with his play in college football. Since breaking out as a true freshman in 2021, Taylor has five sacks and 19 tackles for loss to his name, along with an interception as a bonus. Alongside Akheem Mesidor and Branson Deen in 2023, he’s only due for more.

Taylor wears 305 pounds about as well as a player can. His athletic 6’3″ frame affords him a great deal of alignment versatility, which he uses to his advantage. Interestingly, several of his pressures come from angle confusion, athleticism, and pure effort. He’s still refining his hand usage arsenal, but once Taylor starts to string together moves with consistency, look out.

6) Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Transferring from Missouri to LSU in 2022, Mekhi Wingo broke new ground in the bayou. He amassed 47 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, four pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble in a career emergence. Wingo earned second-team All-SEC honors for his play, and in 2023, he’ll be a favorite on the draft circuit with his disruptive style.

MORE: Top 50 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist

We may come to have the same “outlier” conversation about Wingo that we had about Calijah Kancey. At 6’0″, 290 pounds, Wingo’s incredibly compact as a rusher. But with that compact size comes alignment versatility all the way out to 5-tech and beyond. For his size, he has surprising power capacity, and his legs churn like the Energizer Bunny after contact.

5) Fabien Lovett, Florida State

Fabien Lovett accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle before opting to return to school for another year. He was already fielding all-star interest, and that interest should remain in the 2024 cycle. An injury limited Lovett to seven games in 2022, but when he was on the field, his impact was very stark.

At 6’4″, 315 pounds, Lovett is one of the best run defenders in the upcoming DT class. He’s long and burly, makes contact quickly, and can stack and shed and one-gap effectively with his raw strength, anchor placement, and torque. There’s also reason to believe, with his length and first-step quickness, Lovett has untapped potential as a pass rusher.

4) Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson

Ruke Orhorhoro had a strong case to declare after the 2022 campaign. But after accruing 6.5 sacks and 16 TFLs across 2021 and 2022, Orhorhoro instead chose to return to Clemson alongside Tyler Davis, enacting his fifth season of eligibility. Orhorhoro would’ve scored a Day 2 grade from me in 2023, and that’s where he starts in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle.

At around 6’4″, 303 pounds, Orhorhoro has enticing physical traits. He’s one of the most explosive athletes on this list, and he channels that burst with superb proportional length, culminating in elite raw power capacity. Orhorhoro came to America from Nigeria and didn’t start playing until his junior year of high school. But already, he’s extremely versatile, playing all across the front.

3) Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes represent a football factory all across the board. And while the school hasn’t been quite as productive on the interior defensive line as it has been at positions like wide receiver and quarterback, there’s still high-quality talent to know at DT. The Buckeyes have two DTs on this list and another in the honorable mention category. The best is Michael Hall Jr.

Hall notched 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in a breakout 2022 campaign. He’s a bit undersized at 6’2″, 290 pounds, and maintaining his balance when working across-face can be an issue at times. But Hall has the bristling explosiveness, agility, and natural leverage to play between 3-tech and 5-tech. He uses those same traits to capitalize in one-on-one situations — with swims and rips — and stunts across the formation.

2) Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

The Illinois defense was a dominant unit in 2022, and that was reflected in the amount of 2023 NFL Draft talent they produced. Devon Witherspoon, Sydney Brown, and Jartavius Martin all loomed near the top of their positions, and had he declared, Jer’Zhan Newton would have been in a similar situation. Instead, he’s one of the top DTs in the 2024 NFL Draft.

MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board

Newton is coming off a career-best campaign that saw him earn 61 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries. At 6’2″, 280 pounds, he has the versatility to rush inside or use ankle flexion and active hands to work around the apex. Through it all, he’s strong and stout enough to disrupt in the run game as well. He and Hall are similarly sized, but Newton is the better player right now.

Who Is the Best DT in the 2024 NFL Draft?

If you need a disruptive defensive lineman, the 2024 NFL Draft class has what you need. But as many DTs as there are vying for top-10 spots, only one has the truly transcendent traits to submit an early case for the DT1 mantle. Others could challenge him, but no one can match the raw physical skill set possessed by LSU’s Maason Smith.

1) Maason Smith, LSU

This ranking is admittedly a large projection, especially after Maason Smith’s 2022 campaign. Smith broke onto the scene in violent fashion with a four-sack, five-TFL true freshman outing in 2021. But on the very first defensive drive of the 2022 season, Smith tore his ACL during a celebration.

Thus, Smith spent most of the 2022 season in recovery mode, and he’s still working his way back. But now nearing 100% again, the expectation is that Smith will be back to full strength for the 2023 campaign. And if he is, he has the upside to be the first DT selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In his standout true freshman campaign, Smith was able to accomplish things on tape that not all seniors can boast. At 6’5″, 300 pounds, with arms likely over 34″, Smith expectedly holds his own in run defense. But then you see him line up at 5-tech, explode off the line, and bend around the edge while unleashing cross-chops and swims, and you know you’re not dealing with a normal player.

The sheer degree of two-phase upside, alignment versatility, and raw upside that Smith provides doesn’t come around very often. It’s all contingent on him coming back at full health, but if he does, Smith is one of the few DTs in the 2024 NFL Draft who has the talent to reach the blue-chip range.

Honorable Mentions

Braden Fiske, Florida State
Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
Tyler Davis, Clemson
Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois
Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Kyon Barrs, USC
Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)
Branson Deen, Miami (FL)
Mosiah Nasili-Kite, Auburn
Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia

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NFL

Baker Mayfield Player Props, Betting Lines, Odds, and Picks for Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Published

29 mins ago

September 25, 2023

darragh

After playing for three teams the previous two seasons, has Baker Mayfield found a home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Check out his player props as he heads into tonight’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.

Baker Mayfield Week 3 Player Props

All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Passing Yards: 228.5 (Over -115/Under -115)
Pass Touchdowns: 1.5 (Over +154/Under -200)
Pass Completions: 21.5 (Over -115/Under -115)
Pass Attempts: 33.5 (Over -120/Under -110)
Interceptions: 0.5 (Over -125/Under -105)
Longest Completion: 34.5 (Over -115/Under -115)
Rushing Yards: 11.5 (Over -105/Under -125)
Pass/Rush Yards: 243.5 (Over -115/Under -115)
Anytime Touchdown Scorer: +500
First Touchdown Scorer: +2800

Mayfield Betting Trends and Stats

Mayfield is the first Tampa Bay quarterback to lead the Buccaneers to a 2-0 record with no interceptions since Shaun King in 2000.

Mayfield Best Bet

Mayfield is off to a terrific start with the Bucs, but how long can it last? In just two starts, he’s already matched his win total from last season — when he started 10 games.

The key for Mayfield has been his ability to eliminate turnovers. After having 78 giveaways over his first five seasons in the league (fourth most in the NFL over that span), Mayfield has not committed a turnover in either of the Buccaneers’ first two games this season.

MORE: Eagles vs. Buccaneers Player Prop Bets

He has been sacked just once in two games, and his completion percentage is up to 69.1%. In last week’s win over the Chicago Bears, Mayfield threw for 317 yards, his first 300-yard passing game in nearly two years (Week 5 in 2021 vs. the Los Angeles Chargers).

Will he be able to keep the good times rolling against the defending NFC champions? The Eagles’ defense has shown that it is susceptible to the pass. Philadelphia ranks 30th in pass defense, allowing 326 pass yards per game. Opponents are completing approximately two-thirds of their pass attempts against Philadelphia.

Mayfield has not won three straight starts since 2021, but win or lose, I’m expecting the former No. 1 overall pick to easily top the 228.5 total in passing yards.

Baker Mayfield’s Best Bet: Over 228.5 passing yards (-115 at DraftKings)

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NFL

What Time Is the NFL Game Tonight? Eagles vs. Buccaneers Channel, Live Stream Options for Monday Night Football in Week 3

Published

1 hour ago

September 25, 2023

darragh

Who’s ready for the second Monday Night Football doubleheader of the 2023 NFL season courtesy of ESPN? The Philadelphia Eagles head south to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first Monday night matchup.

As many predicted, the Eagles have gotten off to a 2-0 start. However, the Buccaneers have surprised many as they also enter Monday Night Football undefeated. Who will keep their streak alive tonight? Here’s the Monday Night Football start time, TV channel, and live stream options.

What Time Does the First Monday Night Football Game Start?

Is there another Monday Night Football doubleheader this week? For the second week in a row, ESPN airs two NFL games on Monday night, with the first kicking off at 7:15 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will head to Tampa Bay to handle commentating duties for tonight’s first NFL game. Here’s how to watch the Eagles and Buccaneers matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Start time
7:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ABC, ESPN+
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

While Philadelphia enters Week 3 with an unblemished record, the wins haven’t come as easy as they did in 2022. RB D’Andre Swift exploded for 175 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries after a disappointing season opener.

The Eagles get RB Kenneth Gainwell back but need some support in other areas. QB Jalen Hurts and the Eagles passing offense continue to struggle to start the season.

Hurts hasn’t crossed the 200-yard passing mark yet in 2023. However, the Tampa Bay defense could be a matchup that allows Hurts to open things up. The Buccaneers defense has allowed 4.8 yards after the catch since Week 13 of 2022, tied for the second-worst in the league.

WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith should find plenty of room to run against the Buccaneers’ secondary. Smith has averaged 5.9 yards after the catch in the same span, tied for third-best.

MORE: NFL Standings

Not only is Tampa Bay allowing opposing WRs to find space after the catch, but they are also allowing a lot of touchdown receptions. Since 2022, the Buccaneers have allowed 32 receiving touchdowns, tied for the second-most in the NFL.

Brown has caught 11 during that time, tied for third-most, and Smith hauled in nine, tied for seventh. If there was a game for Philadelphia to put everything together offensively, it’s tonight.

2023 Monday Night Football Schedule

With the Eagles and Buccaneers kicking off the first of two Monday Night Football games tonight, what does the rest of the 2023 Monday Night schedule look like? With no doubleheaders for the foreseeable future, here’s the lineup for the rest of this season.

Week 4, Oct. 2

Seattle Seahawks at the New York Giants

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 5, Oct. 9

Green Bay Packers at the Las Vegas Raiders

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 6, Oct. 16

Dallas Cowboys at the Los Angeles Chargers

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 7, Oct. 23

San Francisco 49ers at the Minnesota Vikings

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 8, Oct. 30

Las Vegas Raiders at the Detroit Lions

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 9, Nov. 6

Los Angeles Chargers at the New York Jets

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 10, Nov. 13

Denver Broncos at the Buffalo Bills

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 11, Nov. 20

Philadelphia Eagles at the Kansas City Chiefs

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 12, Nov. 27

Chicago Bears at the Minnesota Vikings

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 13, Dec. 4

Cincinnati Bengals at the Jacksonville Jaguars

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 14, Dec. 11

Tennessee Titans at the Miami Dolphins

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
Youtube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Green Bay Packers at the New York Giants

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ABC
Live stream options
ESPN+, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 15, Dec. 18

Kansas City Chiefs at the New England Patriots

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

Week 16, Dec. 25

Baltimore Ravens at the San Francisco 49ers

Start time
8:15 p.m. ET
Channel
ESPN
Live stream options
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV

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NFL

Same Game Parlay Picks and Predictions

Published

3 hours ago

September 25, 2023

darragh

The Philadelphia Eagles have a pair of one-possession wins, but it is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the better point differential to go along with their 2-0 start. Is there an upset brewing? There are many ways to attack this game, so let’s take a look at some same game parlay picks as a way to maximize our edge!

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds

Spread
Eagles -5
Moneyline
Eagles -218, Buccaneers +180
Total
46

We here at Soppe HQ like to encourage responsible gaming, and in that vein, I’ll always offer you a trivia question off the top of these articles. Pose this question to a buddy you are watching the game with.

Answer correctly, and you pay for the SGP. Misfire and he/she is on the hook.

Trivia Question: How many players have more rushing touchdowns than Jalen Hurts since he entered the league in 2020? Bonus points if you can name at least three players on that list!

This is an interesting matchup that pits a dominant run game against a limited defense whose primary strength is stuffing the run. I’m of the belief that the Eagles, with extra time to prepare after playing on Thursday night, scheme up creative ways to attack through the air. Instead of going strength on strength with the Bucs, they trust their MVP candidate to exploit a weakness.

Did you know that WR1s have accounted for 45.8% of receiving yards against Tampa Bay this season? It’s a fact. They are struggling against the opponents’ top target, and that leads us to the question: Who is that player in Philadelphia?

AJ Brown on the Jalen Hurts sideline “incident”: “Sometimes emotions run high.. That doesn’t mean I’m beefing with Jalen. *laughs* And no, it was not about targets. I’m sure everybody thought that because he threw me the ball 3x in a row afterwards. But no, I was not over there… pic.twitter.com/BpaVAX5xBH

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) September 21, 2023

You could argue that it’s DeVonta Smith (touchdown in both games this season, including a game-breaking 63-yarder last week), but I still side with size and label Brown as the WR1.

Brown has more targets this season than Smith. Sportsbooks have Brown projected to hold the edge in both receptions and receiving yards, so I’m not alone here.

MORE: Eagles vs. Buccaneers Player Prop Bets for Monday Night Football

On the other side, I’m not 100% sure the Buccaneers want to run the ball. Rachaad White offers more upside as a pass catcher than a between-the-tackles runner, and they have a pair of proven receivers more than capable of moving the ball down the field.

Not only is that their desire, but as a 5-6 point underdog against a top-10 run defense, the odds are good that the game script pushes them toward the passing game.

Mike Evans has lit up fantasy football scoreboards through two weeks, and that’s great. But it does offer us a nice buying spot in a strong matchup for Chris Godwin. The Nittany Lion has caught at least five passes in 17 straight games, and his aDOT is less than half of that of Evans’ since the beginning of last season.

That’s a role to fall in love with against an Eagles secondary that is banged up. Philadelphia is operating a bend-don’t-break defense these days, and while I expect that to lead them to a victory, it plays right into the hands of what Godwin does.

Godwin career when getting 5+ catches

Over 50 receiving yards: 90.9%
Over 60 receiving yards: 72.7%

Godwin career when getting 6+ catches

Over 50 receiving yards: 97.5%
Over 60 receiving yards: 92.5%

Trivia Answer: Six players have more rushing scores than Jalen Hurts since he entered the league in 2020 (Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, Dalvin Cook, and James Conner).

Conservative Same Game Parlay Pick: Eagles moneyline, A.J. Brown over 64.5 receiving yards, Chris Godwin 5+ catches, and Chris Godwin over 49.5 receiving yards

Odds: +425 (at DraftKings)

Aggressive Same Game Parlay Pick: Eagles alt line (-2.5), A.J. Brown over 94.5 receiving yards, and Chris Godwin over 59.5 receiving yards

Odds: +800 (at DraftKings)