Jaguars add veteran Emmanuel Ogbah after failing to land a pass rusher early in the NFL draft The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — After failing to land a pass rusher early in the NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to terms with veteran defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on Sunday.
Ogbah, 31, is signing a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
A second-round pick by Cleveland in 2016, the 6-foot-4 Ogbah has since spent time with Kansas City (2019) and Miami (2020-24). He has 317 career tackles in nine seasons, including 47 sacks. He also has nine forced fumbles and two interceptions.
He started 16 games for the Dolphins last season and had 49 tackles, including five sacks, and 11 quarterback hits.
The Jaguars drafted outside linebacker Jalen McLeod from Auburn in the sixth round Saturday, with pick No. 194 overall, but see him as a developmental pass rusher. Ogbah, meanwhile, will step in immediately as a third option behind starters Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Ravens boost defense early, then add intrigue by picking a 6th-round kicker in the NFL draft By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens entered the NFL draft with few major holes — but they still made plenty of news.
The Ravens added help for their secondary in the first round, then took a pass rusher in the second who comes with some off-field concerns. On the final day, Baltimore took a kicker, suggesting that the team is at least preparing for the possibility that the post-Justin Tucker era could begin soon.
Baltimore made 11 picks in all, six in the final two rounds. The Ravens used six picks — including their first two — on defense.
“I think it's very cyclical,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “I think early on this year we did spend some picks on defense. I think we got some great football players, important positions.”
Baltimore took safety Malaki Starks of Georgia in the first round and then picked edge rusher Mike Green of Marshall in the second. The Ravens could still use another run stopper, and DeCosta said there are other ways they can take care of that need.
Starks was eager to contribute to Baltimore's impressive defensive legacy.
“When someone says, ‘Raven football,’ you know what they’re talking about as soon as they say it," Starks said. "I’m a guy who loves football, but also surrounding myself with good people, good men, because I’m still young, and I’m still learning. So, just being able to be at a place like this is huge for me and my family.”
Allegations
The Ravens insisted they did their due diligence on Green, who transferred from Virginia to Marshall before his final two college seasons. Green said at the NFL scouting combine that he transferred after being accused of sexual assault for a second time.
Green told reporters at the combine that he also was accused of sexual assault in high school. He said he was never charged and insisted he did nothing wrong.
The Ravens are also waiting on an NFL investigation into Tucker. The Baltimore Banner has reported that over a dozen massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. Tucker has maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional bodywork treatment.
With Tucker's status uncertain, the Ravens drafted kicker Tyler Loop of Arizona in the sixth round .
Coach John Harbaugh indicated the team had spoken to Tucker about the possibility of drafting a kicker. The team had made it clear publicly it might happen .
“He was in this week kicking and working out, so we had conversations, and he already understood," Harbaugh said. "He knew the situation, and you guys knew, he had seen all those kinds of quotes too. So, he knew that was a possibility.”
Big class
The last time the Ravens had this many selections was in 2022, and that class yielded safety Kyle Hamilton, center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive tackle Travis Jones, offensive lineman Daniel Faalele and tight end Isaiah Likely.
The Ravens can hope for similar production from their 2025 group.
Aside from Starks, Green and Loop, Baltimore also selected: LSU tackle Emery Jones Jr. in the third round; California linebacker Teddye Buchanan in the fourth; Alabama A&M tackle Carson Vinson in the fifth; Western Michigan cornerback Bilhal Kone, Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles and Rutgers cornerback Robert Longerbeam in the sixth; and LSU guard Garrett Dellinger in the seventh.
Returning option
Kicker wasn't the only special teams spot on DeCosta's mind. Wester has a chance to contribute as a punt returner after scoring twice in that role in college.
“We think he’s a twitchy, explosive punt returner,” DeCosta said. “I think last year it became evident that we could probably get better there at that position. I feel like last year, probably, I didn’t do a good enough job making sure that we had a good punt returner on the team. We had some guys, but we couldn’t get the right mix, the right guy to really do it, and we think Wester has a chance.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
At 464 pounds, Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson gets NFL shot with the Bucs By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Former Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson, a 6-foot-6, 464-pound prospect, is signing with his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
Watson, who grew up in Plant City about 20 miles east of Tampa, announced the move on social media. He had been hoping to get selected in the later rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday. He would have become the heaviest pick in NFL history . But no team gambled on the supersized run-stopper.
The Bucs, though, took a chance by signing him after the draft ended. He will get $50,000 guaranteed, the Athletic reported, including a $20,000 signing bonus.
Watson wowed NFL scouts last month by repping 225 pounds a whopping 36 times, which topped any bench-press performance at this year’s combine. He covered the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds and recorded 25 inches in the vertical jump.
He looked winded during position drills , not all that surprising given Florida had just four defensive linemen in the rotation. But his size and strength — his weight, really — stood out during perhaps the most important day in his professional journey.
“Dez, obviously, he’s a unicorn,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “You’ll go the rest of your career and you’ll never be around a guy that’s that stature. And then you get to know Dez. He’s extremely intelligent. He’s got a great sense of humor. He was a great teammate.
“He'll get his shot, and I’m hoping he’ll make the most of it.”
Watson stepping on the scale was as eye-popping as his bench press. He was listed at 449 pounds last season, up from 435 pounds as a junior and 415 pounds as a sophomore. He’s had to manage his weight since he first stepped foot on campus in 2021, when then-Florida coach Dan Mullen called him “a 385-pound athlete.”
“He’s had numerous nutritionists, numerous position coaches, numerous strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have,” Napier said. “And I thought he played his best football of his career. In general, I think he’s learned a lot about habit-building, self-discipline.
“Ultimately, the guy’s frame score would indicate that he’s going to be a huge — that number’s always going to be pretty big. He’s 6-foot-6 and just the density, the bone structure. It’s just a big man.”
Watson never missed a game in his four seasons in Gainesville. His highlights, though, are few and far between. He rag-dolled South Florida running back Brian Battie in 2022 and ripped the ball out of South Carolina running back Jaheim Bell’s hands for a forced fumble and a fumble return later that year. Watson probably would have scored had quarterback Spencer Rattler missed an open-field tackle.
Watson, the ultimate space-eater, finished his collegiate career with 63 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. He also carried the ball for a 1-yard gain and lined up at fullback for a few more plays against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl in December.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Seahawks believe they’ve filled holes and needs with 11 picks in NFL draft By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press RENTON, Wash.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks appear to have addressed most of their immediate roster needs with their 11 picks in the NFL draft.
Seattle began the draft with a slam-dunk pick, taking North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel with the 18th overall selection. Zabel has a chance to start immediately at left guard considering last year's starter, Laken Tomlinson, is now with the Houston Texans.
Zabel is capable of playing all five spots on the offensive line, but coach Mike Macdonald says he'll begin at guard.
“Hopefully we find a home for him at one position and he lives there for a really long time for us,” Macdonald said. “But I think it just speaks to his savvy. It’s not easy to find those guys that can play interior and at tackle. So, he’s one of them, and he’s ours now.”
On paper, it was a productive draft for the defending NFC West champions, who added to each position group that needed reinforcements.
“We’re on our way. We’re growing,” Macdonald said. “It’s our job to expedite that process so we’re competing for championships this year. That’s what we want to do, and I’m really confident that we’re going to have that opportunity. That’s the expectation for us.”
The Seahawks traded up to take South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th pick. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori has drawn comparisons to Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who played under Macdonald in 2023 when he was Baltimore's defensive coordinator.
“They said me and him are very similar but I can still work on some things to get up to his All-Pro level now,” Emmanwori said. “I’m bigger, faster, things like that.”
He will join a secondary that includes two-time All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant.
The Seahawks also added depth at wide receiver by selecting Tory Horton of Colorado State in the fifth round and Ricky White III from UNLV in the seventh. Seattle will have an almost entirely new crop of pass-catchers alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba after the departures of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and the signings of veterans Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
“Tory is an underrated guy, in our opinion,” general manager John Schneider said. “He can return punts, his catch radius. He’s long, competitive, very fast receiver.”
Schneider said the coaching staff is excited about what White can contribute on special teams.
Quarterback shakeup
After drafting quarterback Jalen Milroe of Alabama on Friday, the Seahawks continued remaking their quarterback room behind new starter Sam Darnold. Backup Sam Howell was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday as part of a deal that helped the Seahawks move up in the fifth round.
Along with Darnold and Milroe, the Seahawks also have veteran Drew Lock, who recently signed a two-year deal.
Future after Fant?
Tight end Noah Fant is entering the final year of a two-year contract that includes a cap hit of $13.4 million in 2025. While the 27-year-old has been a solid receiving option for the Seahawks the last three years since arriving in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, the franchise may have selected Fant's successor in Elijah Arroyo.
A second-round pick out of Miami, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Arroyo is an athletic playmaker who has shown steady improvement as a blocker. While Arroyo missed most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with knee injuries, he started all 13 games for the Hurricanes last season and showed his potential in the pass game.
“Wherever I’m a receiver, I feel like that’s where I thrive,” Arroyo said. “Just being able to spread out and create mismatches.”
Fullback in the fold
Arroyo wasn’t the sole tight end the Seahawks drafted, but he’s the only one the franchise intends on using in that capacity. The Seahawks used a fifth-round pick on Robbie Ouzts, who played tight end at Alabama the last four years but is poised to line up at fullback for Seattle.
The 6-4, 270-pound Ouzts was known more for his blocking than his pass-catching with the Crimson Tide, but he could be an integral part of the Seahawks' offense. Ouzts will compete for a job this summer with fullback Brady Russell.
First-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has worked with fullbacks like perennial All-Pro Kyle Juszczyk and Adam Prentice at previous stops.
“You know that you’re working with somebody that has experience, and gets a lot of production out of a guy in my role,” Ouzts said. “I’m very excited to make that transition to the next level and work with these coaches to better myself and succeed in the role that they envision for me.”
Lots of linemen
The Seahawks picked up two more offensive linemen in later rounds. They selected Bryce Cabeldue of Kansas in the sixth and Mason Richman of Iowa in the seventh.
Unlike Zabel, Cabeldue and Richman aren’t as likely to receive regular playing time at first. They join an offensive line that struggled mightily to keep quarterback Geno Smith upright last season. The Seahawks yielded 54 sacks, tied for third-most in the NFL.
“It’s an area of need, but it always is. I can’t emphasize that enough,” Schneider said. “Every team in the National Football League is looking to help their offensive line. It’s just an ongoing issue.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
49ers S Malik Mustapha could miss the start of the season with a knee injury, AP source says By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers safety Malik Mustapha re-injured a torn ligament in his right knee last season and could miss the start of the 2025 campaign.
Mustapha originally tore his ACL in January 2022 while in college at Wake Forest. He took a cleat to the knee in the season finale against Arizona on Jan. 5 and an MRI taken after that determined that he had torn a graft that had been placed in the knee after the original surgery, a person familiar with the situation said Saturday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced any details.
ESPN first reported the injury.
Mustapha underwent surgery after the season and might not be ready to start the upcoming season. Mustapha was able to return from the injury in college in time for the 2022 season opener and played 10 games that season.
Mustapha emerged as a starter as a rookie early last season after being drafted in the fourth round. He had 72 tackles, one interception, five passes defensed and two tackles for loss in 16 games with 12 starts.
The 49ers lost safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency to Denver last month but still has Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum on the roster. Brown started 18 games his first two seasons, while Odum has been mostly a special teams player and backup.
San Francisco also signed two safeties in free agency with starting experience in Richie Grant and Jason Pinnock and drafted Kansas State's Marques Sigle in the fifth round on Saturday.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft is still baffling By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft baffled fans, analysts and some general managers and coaches.
Sanders was considered a top-five overall pick after finishing his career at Colorado, but he wasn’t even among the first five quarterbacks selected.
He slipped all the way to the fifth round without any obvious explanation, leaving everyone to speculate about his shortcomings and question whether Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders somehow scared teams away.
Shedeur Sanders was never involved in any off-field incidents, yet his character was criticized by various media outlets who cited unidentified sources in the weeks leading up the draft.
The Cleveland Browns ended up taking Sanders with the 144th pick after they were thought to be considering him at No. 2 overall. The Browns even selected Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round at No. 94 but then moved up in the draft to snag Sanders one pick before the Philadelphia Eagles were on the clock.
Though the Eagles have a franchise QB in Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Browns general manager Andrew Berry worked in Philadelphia with GM Howie Roseman and knows he’s not afraid to take the best available player on the board.
That’s how Hurts ended up on the Eagles in 2020 when Carson Wentz was already there. That doesn’t mean Philly was targeting Sanders, but Cleveland had waited long enough.
“We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position,” Berry said. “We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.
“I think, obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing’s been promised. Nothing will be given.”
Sanders, who played for his father in college, said all the right things after he was finally selected.
“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days, just really pushed having faith, understanding God really had me,” Sanders said. “I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changes. The love of the game is still the same. When you get on the field, it wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I’ve got to clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s why I take each offseason one at a time and fix it. So I think that was just outside of football getting in the way, but therefore I have an opportunity now. Then we’re about to get on grass really soon.”
Three team officials told The Associated Press on Friday they had first-round grades on Sanders. Another team executive said he gave him a second-round grade. All four had starting QBs. Broncos coach Sean Payton and Patriots personnel boss Eliot Wolf both said it was “surprising” to see Sanders drop that far.
Payton watched his pro day and said Sanders was “outstanding.” Titans general Mike Borgonzi praised him. So did Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, though Pittsburgh kept passing him and wound up with Will Howard in the sixth round.
So what caused Sanders’ unprecedented slide?
The knocks against Sanders’ football skills are that he takes too many sacks, isn’t athletic enough and doesn’t have great arm strength.
Louis Riddick, an ESPN analyst who was a director of pro personnel with Philadelphia and Washington, called that “absurd.”
“It’s a personal discussion. It’s whether or not teams are comfortable with everything that comes along with Shedeur in terms of who he is as a person, all the people that are surrounding him in terms of his inner circle and whether or not teams deem that something they’re comfortable with,” Riddick said on Saturday’s broadcast. “Right or wrong, that’s the only conclusion you can come to at this point because, obviously, it’s a subjective argument as to what his actual physical skills are on the football field.
“But I think if you are trying to be objective about it, and remove everything else surrounding this young man and everything that comes along with him, he can play the game of football. This is a guy who’s extremely accurate. He’s extremely mobile. He has a lot of mental horsepower. He played the game at a high level. It’s as simple as that, but if you go into this whole evaluation process and you’re already biased toward feeling you want to emphasize the negative and I’m not saying that’s the case for me, but if you want to emphasize some of the things that really don’t have to do with anything on the football field and you get caught up in all the rest of it, it can start skewing your judgment as to what this young man actually brings in terms of value.”
Sanders, like his “Prime Time” father, oozes confidence that can be misconstrued as arrogance. He probably made more money off name, imagine and likeness deals in college than he will in his rookie contract. His flash and style could rub some folks — maybe old-school assistant coaches — the wrong way.
But plenty of athletes are confident, bordering on cocky. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, turned to Tennessee’s coaching staff after an impressive throw at his pro day and said: “I’m solidifying it.”
Other players have had more controlling dads. Archie Manning forced the Chargers to trade Eli Manning to the Giants in 2004. John Elway refused to play for the Colts in 1983.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who covered his 42nd NFL draft, had Sanders listed as the top quarterback on his board. He said he was “disgusted” by the free fall and spoke strongly about Sanders several times.
“I think there’s a lot of perspective that isn’t reality in regards to Shedeur and Deion,” Kiper said.
Like him or not, Sanders will get his opportunity to prove the critics and the doubters wrong in the NFL.
___
On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Kingsbury wanted Peters to 'take Oregon tackle.' The Commanders did, drafting Conerly in 1st round By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ASHBURN, Va.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Kliff Kingsbury walked by Adam Peters' office earlier this week, and the Washington Commanders' offensive coordinator dropped a piece of paper on his general manager's desk.
It read : “I stopped by. Take Oregon tackle. Thnx! -Kliff.”
It worked.
Peters held up the note with a big grin after selecting Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. late in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night.
“I think it was a pretty good note, to say the least," Conerly said Friday at his introductory news conference. "It just really felt good to know that the person that’s going to be calling plays really had a really good belief in me before anything even started.”
Peters said the decision to take Conerly with the 29th pick had support from the entire organization, starting with West Coast scout Paul Skansi and down to Kingsbury and coach Dan Quinn.
Conerly, a Seattle native who flew with several family members from the Pacific Northwest to northern Virginia, is drawing even more motivation from Kingsbury's endorsement.
“It obviously makes me feel really great that you have people that believe in you," Conerly said. "I feel like when you’ve got people that believe in you, you’ll do whatever for them.”
Whatever might mean moving from the left side, where he started 14 games for the Ducks as a junior last season, earning first-team All-Big Ten and third-team AP All-America honors, to right tackle or even guard.
“He played a little right tackle in the Senior Bowl, and that’s not totally foreign to him and he’s practiced at it,” Peters said. "Whether it’s left guard, right guard, right tackle — I don’t think it’ll be center, although I do think he could play center if we needed him to. He'll probably compete at those spots.”
The starting left tackle job is taken after Washington acquired five-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil from Houston last month. Tunsil is one of the players Conerly has watched and tried to emulate, and they could bookend the all-important protection of franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels .
The outreach to Conerly from those guys has already begun.
“I actually got a FaceTime from Laremy Tunsil (on Thursday) night, and I missed it because of the celebrations right after," Conerly said. "But I also got to talk to Jayden Daniels like (Friday afternoon), and that was pretty cool. It was nice to get to meet him.”
Daniels and Conerly should get to know each other well as first-round picks a year apart. Asked what he thought he brings to the Commanders, Conerly said in part, "Someone that’s going to make sure their quarterback stays upright and opens up lanes for anybody else.”
After taking Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos in the second round, Peters chuckled when asked about how many notes he got about who to use the 61st pick on.
“I got no notes,” Peters aid. “No notes.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Ravens insist they did their 'due diligence' on the allegations against their 2nd-round draft pick By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Whichever team drafted Marshall linebacker Mike Green was going to face questions about his off-field history.
That turned out to be the Baltimore Ravens — who were already under scrutiny because of the allegations against star kicker Justin Tucker.
The Ravens drafted Green late in the second round. The standout edge rusher had 17 sacks last season at Marshall. It was his second season there after two at Virginia, and he said at the NFL scouting combine that he transferred after being accused of sexual assault for a second time.
“We understand the severity of what these allegations were, of course,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Friday night. “But doing our due diligence, we are comfortable with Mike.”
Green told reporters at the combine that he also was accused of sexual assault in high school. He said he was never charged and insisted he did nothing wrong. He was considered a possible first-round pick but ended up going to Baltimore at No. 59 overall.
“We got as much information as we could, we considered the facts, we considered the allegations,” DeCosta said. “We considered what the reports actually were and what they actually weren’t, and we made the decision based off of that.”
Neither of the Ravens' two draft picks Friday were available to the media, but much of the news conference with DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh was spent on off-field concerns about Green.
“The coaches and administrators and teammates at Marshall were fully supportive of everything he had done there,” Harbaugh said. “And same at U-Va. Wasn’t any different at U-Va. It was exactly the same.”
Coming into the draft, one of the questions surrounding the Ravens was whether they'd take a kicker as a potential replacement for Tucker. The veteran kicker's status is uncertain after the Baltimore Banner reported that over a dozen massage therapists have accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior. The NFL has said it would investigate .
Going further back, the Ravens' reputation took a hit over a decade ago because of their handling of the Ray Rice incident. The team released Rice only after a video surfaced of him punching his then-fiancee in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino.
That scandal led Steve Bisciotti to call 2014 his “worst year” as the team's owner.
Time will tell what kind of player and citizen Green will be in the pros. The Ravens insist they've been careful.
“It is a difficult decision,” DeCosta said. “It’s a difficult decision when a guy runs a slow 40, it’s a difficult decision when a guy has allegations, it’s a difficult decision when a guy has an injury that maybe he can’t overcome. That all kind of gets factored in because in the end, there is an element of risk mitigation.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Vikings acquire QB Sam Howell from Seahawks in trade involving 5th-round pick swap The Associated Press EAGAN, Minn.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Sam Howell in a trade with Seattle on Saturday during the NFL draft , swapping fifth-round picks with the Seahawks for a young backup for J.J. McCarthy who has starting experience.
The Vikings sent the 142nd overall selection to the Seahawks for the 172nd overall selection to swing the deal for Howell, who passed for 3,946 yards in 2023 while starting all 17 games for the Washington Commanders. Howell led the league that season with 21 interceptions and 65 sacks for a 4-13 team, but the 2022 fifth-round pick is just 24 years old and joining a quarterback-friendly offense directed by coach Kevin O'Connell.
O'Connell helped Sam Darnold produce a Pro Bowl season in 2024, before Darnold signed with the Seahawks. The Vikings are turning to McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the draft last year who didn't play as a rookie because of a preseason knee injury. The only other backup on the roster is Brett Rypien, who has four NFL starts in six seasons.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
L.T. sacks Abdul Carter's request to wear his retired No. 56 with Giants By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Abdul Carter gave it a shot, figuring he had nothing to lose.
Sure, Lawrence Taylor's No. 56 is retired by the New York Giants and is one of the most revered jersey numbers in franchise history. But Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, idolizes Taylor and wanted to see if he'd be cool with him going after quarterbacks all these years later while wearing that familiar number.
Well, L.T. sacked those dreams quickly.
Taylor heard of Carter's request and, while honored, thinks the former Penn State pass rusher needs to do a number on opposing offenses in something other than No. 56.
“He has to be the player that he is,” Taylor told ESPN . “He can’t be another Lawrence Taylor. Well, he may be better than a Lawrence Taylor, who knows? But he has to make his mark. It’s up to him.”
Carter wore No. 11 at Penn State — but that number is also retired by the Giants in honor of quarterback Phil Simms.
Carter posted a photo on X during his pre-draft visit at the Giants' facility a few weeks ago of a picture of Taylor hanging in the hall and spoke after he was selected about how he often watches YouTube videos of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, who's considered one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history.
“The worst thing he could say was NO!!” Carter posted on X late Friday night. “My stance don’t change, LT is the (goat emoji). nothing but respect… This just gonna make me work even harder!! I love it.”
Carter led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season for Penn State. He bolsters a Giants defense that already has solid pass rushers in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns and a strong D-line that includes Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence.
“Adding me to that group, it’s going to be dope,” Carter said after he was drafted. “It’s going to be the most dominant group.”
Taylor can appreciate that. And he's rooting for Carter — just in a different number than 56.
“I know he would love to wear that number, but hey, I think it’s retired,” Taylor told the New York Post . “Get another number, I don’t care if it’s double zero, and then make it famous.”
There is some precedent for Giants players to wear retired numbers. Wide receiver Malik Nabers, New York's first-rounder last year, requested to wear No. 1 — which was worn by Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty in the 1930s. Flaherty's family gave Nabers permission to wear his number.
Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick by Tennessee on Thursday night, received a surprise the next day when Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon showed up for his introductory news conference and gave him permission to wear his retired No. 1.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl