The latest news from around the division.
Commanders, Dan Quinn reportedly love Big Ten defensive standout – Serena Burks, USA Today
Washington has eyes on beefing up the defensive line.
The Washington Commanders are continuing to monitor, evaluate, and go through their draft process ahead of the 2025 NFL draft in two weeks. They don’t need a lot of pieces from the draft, but they do need a few things. One of those things is to add depth to the defensive side of the ball, specifically on the defensive line.
One of the players they could look at in the second round is Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson, who is projected to go on Day 2. NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline writes:
Teams absolutely love his versatility, and Robinson is a big, athletic defender who was used all over the line for Nebraska and produced. Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has spoken highly of Robinson and loves the fact that he’s a three-down defender who can play in multiple schemes at multiple defensive line positions. League sources tell me he’s a more athletic version of Pittsburgh Steeler defensive lineman Cam Heyward.
Nebraska moved Robinson all over the place during his time there, and he’s a large part of the reason the Cornhuskers kept the Ohio State Buckeyes in check, losing by just four points to the team that would become the 2024 National Champions. He can line up anywhere on defense and puts forth maximum effort on every single play. In college, his weaknesses were overcome by his tenacity, but in the NFL, that will be more challenging.
Still, any defensive lineman compared to Cam Heyward should catch the attention of any defensive coach. Robinson may not be that type of star, but with that type of mentality and versatility, he is sure to make his presence known on the field.
Edge rusher Nic Scourton visits Eagles – Josh Alper, NBC Sports
Philadelphia also needs to add defensive depth, after losing two edge rushers.
The Eagles have lost a pair of edge rushers since winning the Super Bowl with Josh Sweat leaving for the Cardinals and Brandon Graham announcing his retirement.
One potential addition to the group is in Philadelphia on Friday. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Nic Scourton arrived for a visit with the Eagles on Thursday.
Scourton played two seasons at Purdue before making the All-SEC team during his only season at Texas A&M. He had 37 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, and a forced fumble for the Aggies.
Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, Bryce Huff, and Josh Uche are some of the veteran options off the edge in Philadelphia and it seems like a decent bet that they’ll add Scourton or some other rookie to the mix before the draft is over.
Todd McShay mock draft: New York Giants trade back into Round 1 for risky quarterback – Ed Valentine, BigBlueView.com
The Giants could add a huge piece to their defensive line.
NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay of The Ringer has the New York Giants taking a big swing for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in his newly-released mock draft.
If you receive McShay’s newsletter, you can read the entire mock draft there. You can also watch McShay make and explain the picks on his YouTube channel.
McShay went what is increasingly becoming chalk for the Giants at No. 3, selecting Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter. The Tennessee Titans took Cam Ward No. 1 and the Cleveland Browns selected Travis Hunter No. 2, leaving the Giants to make a pick that seems more realistic with each passing day.
On YouTube, you can hear McShay’s explanation at the 9:37 mark (thanks, Chris!). In his newsletter, he wrote:
The reason the Giants can’t reach for a quarterback here—like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart—is because Carter is available. It’s that simple. You can’t pass up on a “tier 1” or “blue chip” talent for a quarterback who doesn’t carry that type of grade.
I view this as a huge win for the Giants, though. They get arguably the best player in the class—whose positional value is considered by most as second only to quarterback—at pick no. 3. Carter’s versatility will allow defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to drive opposing quarterbacks wild. Just imagine a third-and-long with Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux stalking around before the snap, getting ready to hunt.
McShay indicated that both the Giants and Browns (with pick No. 33 at the top of Round 2), who we will get in a minute, have an “intention” of trading back into Round 1 “if the right opportunity presents itself and the cost is not prohibitive.”
McShay’s YouTube co-host, Steve Meunch, reacted this way:
“If you are Joe Schoen and you walk out of the first night of that draft and you have Abdul Carter and Jalen Milroe you know how the fan base is going to react to that. I might be walking around like [MMA fighter] Conor McGregor. That’s how excited I think people would be.”