The Detroit Lions’ offense is loaded with talented skill players, but their offensive line is the engine that makes everything run. That engine looks like it’s headed for a tune-up after an inconsistent performance in 2025 and two starters contemplating retirement. NFL Draft analysts are starting to embrace this concept, and you see the results […] The Detroit Lions’ offense is loaded with talented skill players, but their offensive line is the engine that makes everything run. That engine looks like it’s headed for a tune-up after an inconsistent performance in 2025 and two starters contemplating retirement. NFL Draft analysts are starting to embrace this concept, and you see the results in recent mock drafts. Of the 23 mock drafts we examined this week, 12 projected the Lions to take an offensive lineman in the first round. Fortunately for the Lions, this year’s offensive line prospects appear to line up well with their draft position; they currently hold the No. 17 pick. If you’re not familiar with how this mock draft roundup series operates, each week we collect data from the latest mock drafts published over the last seven days and compile them (with links to the original pieces) in one easy-to-access article. In addition to providing Lions fans with the names of prospects being paired with Detroit, we also offer commentary that highlights trends, player fits, and the team’s overall philosophy. With that in mind, let’s take a look at which NFL Draft prospects are being mocked to the Lions (who hold the No. 17 overall pick) this week. Offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa, RT, Miami (6-foot-6, 325) Source: Mex Chadwick (PFF), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz), Paul Guillemette (Draft Countdown), Nicholas Rome (Saturday Blitz), Steve Bradshaw (TWSN) “The Lions would be wise to address their offensive line this offseason, especially with longtime left tackle Taylor Decker contemplating retirement. Detroit gets a potential steal here in Mauigoa. His 86.4 PFF pass-blocking grade is sixth among all FBS tackles this year, while his 78.4 PFF run-blocking grade is 20th. Mauigoa has played right tackle his entire career, but either he or Penei Sewell is capable of switching to the left side.” — Chadwick Spencer Fano, RT, Utah (6-foot-5, 300) Source: Justin Melo (The Draft Network) “Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker is weighing retirement this offseason. The offensive line must be prepared for his potential departure. The offense missed Ben Johnson in 2025. Spencer Fano is a fluid mover in space with short-area athleticism. In this scenario, Fano would transition to left tackle.” — Melo Ioane Vega, LG, Penn State (6-foot-4, 335) Source: Charles McDonald and Nate Davis (Yahoo Sports), Jacob Infante (Pro Football Network), Denny (Mock Draft Database) ”The Lions aren’t far from getting back to being NFC contenders, but they’ll need to get a bit more talented on their offensive line to have a more consistent offense to close out seasons and games. Ioane has the size and athleticism that head coach Dan Campbell has grown to covet in his offensive linemen and fits Detroit’s bruising style of play.” — McDonald Kadyn Procter, LT, Alabama (6-foot-7, 360) Source: Alec Elijah (Pro Football Network), Ayrton Ostly (USA Today) “Kadyn Proctor’s sheer size immediately alters the math for the Detroit Lions. Despite his massive build at 6-foot-7, Proctor’s lateral quickness stands out, covering ground efficiently on pulls and climbing to the second level with deceptive ease. “He displaces defensive linemen with alarming ease, creating vertical movement that opens lanes before backs even reach the line of scrimmage. Against top-tier competition, he’s shown the ability to cave in fronts and impose his will snap after snap. Power rushers simply struggle to move him, and when defenders try to convert speed to strength, they’re often met with immovable resistance.” — Elijah Caleb Lomu, LT, Utah (6-foot-6, 305) Source: Dane Brugler (The Athletic) “It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Lions address their offensive line early, although I am intrigued by which prospect Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell would see as the best fit. “I have questions about Lomu’s play strength, which might be an issue for this team in particular, but his above-average athleticism and processing will be strong selling points.“ — Brugler Erik’s Thoughts: Of the 12 mock drafts connecting offensive linemen to the Lions, six settled on Mauigoa or Fano, the top two tackles on most draft boards right now. While both would be slam dunk picks, I do wonder if their stock will rise to a point where they’ll be out of the Lions’ reach. Vega could be a dominating presence inside for the Lions if they desire to shift Tate Ratledge to center, while Proctor and Lomu offer the Lions the opportunity to plan for Taylor Decker’s retirement—whether that’s this year or in the next few. Proctor has the size and play style that the Lions look for in their lineman but he’s still developing his skills, while Lomu is a polished pass rusher who needs to add more play strength. Both have details that need improving, but also have the upside to lock down a starter role for the next five seasons. While these five names are the most commonly projected in mock drafts, keep an eye out for others to start making their way into the conversation. Georgia left tackle Monroe Freeling and Northwestern left tackle Caleb Tiernan could start getting more love over the next two months. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, NT, Ohio State (6-foot-2, 326) Source: Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News), Terringo Basile-Vaughan (NFL Mocks) “The Lions need more punch on their defensive line to support Aidan Hutchinson. McDonald can be a powerful asset vs. the run and also provide some extra inside pass-rush juice.“ — Iyer Erik’s Thoughts: While Alim McNeill and last year’s first-round pick Tyleik Williams are in line for starting roles in 2026, the Lions’ desire to stop the run will always have mock drafters pairing them with defensive tackles. Peter Woods from Clemson is typically considered the best interior defensive line player
2026 Lions Mock Draft Roundup 2.0: OL remains top projection
Former Lions quarterback wants to be team’s offensive coordinator
I debated whether to even write this article, but it’s Friday during the offseason. Let’s have a laugh. Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky went on the Pat McAfee Show this week to talk about the team’s offensive coordinator vacancy, among other topics, and the current ESPN analyst made his case to take the job […] I debated whether to even write this article, but it’s Friday during the offseason. Let’s have a laugh. Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky went on the Pat McAfee Show this week to talk about the team’s offensive coordinator vacancy, among other topics, and the current ESPN analyst made his case to take the job himself. “I would do it very much so in Detroit,” Orlovsky told McAfee. “I love that place, I love that organization, I love a lot of those people there. I love Jared (Goff). I’m a huge Jared guy.” The topic quickly devolved from there about whether Orlovsky was big and manly enough to join Dan Campbell’s staff because LOL, HE’S A MEATHEAD, but in a separate clip (where McAfee manages to take yet another jab at the Lions PR team over a three-year-old slight), he explained why the Lions’ job opening was so appealing. “Detroit’s loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, (but) I want the interior of the offensive line to be better,” Orlovsky said. Let’s be honest, as much as Orlovsky has done to build out a nice post-playing career at ESPN by actually elevating the conversation about football while doing a great job explaining scheme and the Xs and Os of the game, he cannot be seriously considered a candidate to run the Lions’ offense. First of all, he has literally zero coaching experience. While I don’t doubt Orlovsky may have some good ideas on how to improve the Lions, he has never built out a game plan, led a room of professional athletes, called plays during a game, or put in the extreme hours it takes to be a football coach. Like anyone entering a new profession, you don’t know what you don’t know, and Orlovsky would be way out of his element head-manning a Lions offense that needs to be great right now. Secondly, what kind of message would that send to some more serious candidates already in the building? If you’re Scottie Montgomery, Hank Fraley, or Mark Brunell, how would you feel if Detroit handed the entire reins of the offense to someone who hasn’t coached a lick of football since retiring from his playing days in 2017? It’s a fun, quirky story, and I like Orlovsky. If he wanted to work his way up from assistant quarterbacks coach or as a quality control coach, I would be more than happy to entertain the idea of having him on the coaching staff. But throwing him as an offensive coordinator would be a ridiculously unnecessary risk and an insult to the position when there are plenty of legitimate candidates out there who have put in years of work within the coaching ranks. See More:
Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni explain approach to Eagles offensive coordinator search
The Eagles have put a wrap on the 2025 NFL season, and as they look toward the future, GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni talked at their end-of-season press conference about the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator and what they’re looking for in candidates. Sirianni spoke about why they didn’t […] The Eagles have put a wrap on the 2025 NFL season, and as they look toward the future, GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni talked at their end-of-season press conference about the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator and what they’re looking for in candidates. Sirianni spoke about why they didn’t make a change at play-caller in the middle of the season, despite their struggles, and noted that they did some different things and he was more involved later in the year. He went on to explain why he ultimately did remove Patullo as OC after they were eliminated. “Sirianni: I think it’s important that we continue to evolve as an offense and that we go out and do what’s best for this football team. Again, everything that I do and every decision I have to make, I have to do that– just like Howie [Roseman] does, just like Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie does– with the intent of it being the best thing for the football team. I love Kevin and everything that he has provided to this coaching staff for his five years here. A big reason why we’ve won a lot of football games, but at this particular point, I just felt like that’s what I needed to do [for it] to be the best thing for the football team.” The head coach went on to emphasize that they want to evolve as an offense, but said that they don’t want to pigeon-hole what that might look like. He noted that there are many different ways to be successful on offense and there are many different styles. “Sirianni: There’s a lot of different ways to do it. Again, it’s about going out and finding the guy that best fits us. [We’re] looking forward to that interview process and being able to go through some really good candidates.” As for how much Sirianni will be involved with the offense moving forward, the head coach said it’s too early to answer that. Those decisions don’t have to be made for a long time, and at the end of the day, as the head coach, he has oversight of everything. “Sirianni: Again, this year obviously I did, I got involved more on the offense as the end of the season came because that’s what I needed to do as the head football coach there. Many different ways to do it. I know that I want to be the head football coach and I think that that’s what the team needs. Everything I’m doing is not about what I want to do or anything like that. It’s what I think is best for the football team, and I think it’s best for the football team when I’m the head football coach and [am] able to give my expertise on whatever it may be: tackling, taking the ball away, protecting the football, anything on offense. It could be anything, special teams. You have to be so intertwined as the leader of an organization. You have to be so intertwined with every different thing.” When asked for specifics about what the Eagles will be looking for in a candidate, Sirianni mentioned someone having great vision and great conviction. He also mentioned that he wants someone who always considers the players first, and explained that the talent on their roster will attract good candidates. “Sirianni: I think also that you’ll be able to get a lot of good candidates because of the guys that have been here, and when we’ve had a lot of success, three of them have been head coaches off of our staff, which obviously I’m proud of them. [I’m] sure Howie’s proud of them as well. You want somebody that has great vision, great conviction on what they do, is able to coach fundamentals well, [is able] to help the players get better, because I believe in that. [Somebody] that can connect with guys because I believe in that, that has the mental toughness because I believe in that. But again, there’s a lot of good candidates and I’m looking forward to sitting down and talking to a lot of these guys. There are different things that make different guys special, and so it’s about finding the guy that best fits us, that gives us the best chance to get back to the top of the mountain where we ultimately want to go.” There’s been a lot of speculation as to whether the Eagles might look for an older, more established candidate who might not be looking for other opportunities in the coming years. Roseman, for his part, spoke about how they are focused on winning now, and having OC’s leaving for head coaching jobs is just a symbol of their success. “Roseman: It’s a great compliment when guys get head coaching jobs from here because it means we’re having tremendous success. As much as you’d like to have continuity and would like to have guys here for a long period of time, we want to win. We have an urgency to win right now. If that comes with the ramifications that we lose good people because they’ve earned head coaching jobs, we’ll live with that.” Another thing to consider when talking about a change at offensive coordinator is whether or not they will retain most, or any, of their current offensive staff. Sirianni said that it isn’t entirely clear at this point, and that they do have great coaches on staff that helped the team win a Super Bowl just 12 months ago, but those decisions will have to wait until they know who the best candidate is. “Sirianni: Sometimes
NY Giants position review 2025: Cornerback investments have not paid off
The New York Giants invested heavily in their secondary during the 2025 off-season. Their biggest investment was cornerback Paulson Adebo, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with $38.5 million guaranteed. Adebo was the clear-cut number one cornerback heading into training camp, with Cor’Dale Flott and Tae Banks alternating as cornerback two, and Dru Phillips as the nickel defender. The rotation of Flott and Banks was a predictable failure, as the Giants used Banks in man coverage and Flott in zone coverage. Banks’ atrocious run defense and inconsistent effort forced him to the bench, while Flott seized the day and impressed in his contract year. Adebo, though, sprained his MCL and missed five games. Adebo returned for Weeks 15-18 and had arguably his best games of the season. 2025 review Paulson Adebo, Cor’Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Tae Banks, Korie Black, Rico Payton, Nic Jones, Jarrick Bernard-Converse Adebo is not Patrick Surtain II, but he is a quality starting cornerback. Perhaps he’s best as a number two cornerback, but he can function as a number one. He recorded 71 tackles, 11 STOPs, with seven missed tackles (9% missed tackle rate). Adebo allowed a 66.2% catch rate (49 of 74); he surrendered 532 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while knocking away five passes and intercepting one. He committed three penalties. The Giants signed Adebo to be their cornerback one and to, hopefully, help the defense turn the football over. Adebo had several opportunities for interceptions, but only secured one. New York finished with nine total interceptions on the season, and Flott secured one of the nine. The 24-year-old was playing in a contract year, and he did not play in the final two games after suffering a minor knee injury. It’s wild to think the Giants contemplated starting Tae Banks over Flott after training camp. Flott was much more consistent than Banks, and the development from the former LSU Tiger was easily perceived early in camp. Still, possibly due to front-office pressure or the sunk-cost fallacy, the Giants tried to use Banks strictly on third down, when they almost always ran Cover-1 Hole. The offense knew the coverage and attacked accordingly, while using a hurry-up offense in the appropriate context to run the football at an apprehensive Banks, who was rightfully benched. Flott, though, played his best football by far in his contract season. Spotrac.com suggests that Flott’s market value is around $10 million, which could arguably be a discount for a player like Flott, who took a massive jump in 2025 in terms of coverage, footwork, reactive quickness, and overall competency. The Giants’ defense was terrible under Shane Bowen, but Flott was one of the bright spots. Flott is a willing tackler, but he lacks pop and physicality. He missed seven tackles (15.9% missed tackle rate). Still, the combination of Adebo and Flott is respectable. Banks, however, should not play defensive football. He can cover and is a phenomenal athlete, but he wants no part of run defense, and he is frequently out of position. Banks played 459 defensive snaps, and his inability to keep contain on the outside led to several explosive runs for the opposing offense. Banks also allowed an 81.3% catch rate (26 of 32) for 334 yards with four touchdowns surrendered and one pass defensed, while also committing seven penalties. Banks is a bust as a cornerback — there’s no escaping that fact — perhaps he can return value as a kick returner. Phillips was the Giants’ nickel defender, and he took a step back in his second season. He played 729 snaps for the Giants, and he was flagged ten times — tied for fourth most among cornerbacks. Like Banks, Phillips struggles to find the football when it’s airborne. He surrendered three touchdowns, but secured two picks and knocked eight balls away, while allowing a 74.4% catch rate (58 of 78). Despite his struggles in coverage, Phillips is one of the only Giants’ players, outside the line and EDGE room, who consistently bring violence to the point of contact. Phillips is a tone-setting hitter with a knack for making impactful plays around the line of scrimmage. He ranked third on the team with 32 STOPs, which gives the Giants flexibility with their use of nickel personnel. Phillips is a solid overall football player with the right mentality, but he must improve his hands/technique in coverage and do a better job locating the football in phase. Korie Black played 184 snaps across six games. He had an odd start to his career after he opted to join the New York Jets practice squad over the Giants, after he failed to make the final 53-man roster. Joe Schoen did not take it personally and brought Black back to the roster ahead of Week 8. He was picked on for three touchdowns and surrendered catches on 10 of 12 targets for 224 yards. Black did, however, bring desire and violence to the position, and he took over for Banks a few times when the former first-round pick inevitably blew a rushing assignment. Nic Jones was a valuable special teams asset, giving Michael Ghobrial 191 snaps. Rico Payton showed some skills against Dallas in Week 18 until he left the game with a concussion. Jarrick Bernard-Converse played just 18 defensive snaps for the Giants, but did contribute 42 snaps on special teams. Grade: B- 2026 outlook The Giants must sign Cor’Dale Flott, especially if his market value is around $10-million, as Spotrac suggests. This would put him in the Kristian Fulton (KC), Jourdan Lewis (JAX), and Michael Carter II (PHI) range. For reference, Adebo makes $18 million a year; $10 million for Flott would put him around the 30th-highest paid contract at the position, and a three-year deal will make Flott a free agent again when he is just 27 years old. Flott’s agent is Marlon Moore of AthElite Agency. Defensive back Jalen Pitre is represented by Moore, and Pitre signed a three-year, $39 million contract extension in
NY Giants free agency 2026: 5 Baltimore Ravens John Harbaugh might want
It is a gorgeous day in the world of the New York Giants, who have landed the belle of this coaching cycle by hiring veteran Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh as their next head coach. Accomplished offensive coordinator Todd Monken is expected to follow Harbaugh to New York, and presumably, other positional coaches may soon follow as well. The Ravens are set to have 19 unrestricted free agents; the list courtesy of Bobby Skinner: C Tyler Linderbaum FB Patrick Ricard OLB Kyle Van Noy TE Charlie Kolar TE Isaiah Likely S Alohi Gilman DE Dre’Mont Jones WR DeAndre Hopkins P Jordan Stout S Ar’Darius Washington WR Tylan Wallace OT Joseph Noteboom OLB David Ojabo CB Chidobe Awuzie DL Taven Bryan DL Brent Urban LB Jake Hummel QB Tyler Huntley RG Daniel Faalele The Giants could use several free agents in the list above, and some may be interested in following their former coach to the Big Apple. Here is a list of five names Joe Schoen and the Giants should try to sign in free agency: TE Isaiah Likely Likely would be an excellent addition to the Giants, and would make a nice 1A to Theo Johnson. Likely took a backseat role to Mark Andrews over his rookie contract. He still earned 487 total offensive snaps in 2025, due to Todd Monken’s penchant for 12 personnel — Baltimore ran it more than any other personnel package at a 37% rate. Likely caught 27 of 34 targets for 307 yards with just one touchdown, but he broke out last year in Monken’s explosive, No. 1-ranked 2024 offense. Likely caught 49 of 65 passes for 603 yards with seven touchdowns. Monken’s 12 personnel was dangerous, and Likely acted as a mismatch weapon for the offense. New York could use another tight end, especially if Daniel Bellinger or Chris Manhertz leaves the team. The 6-foot-4, 241-pound four-year veteran would give Jaxson Dart a potent 12 personnel passing attack with blocking upside. Spotrac.com lists Likely’s market value at $ 9 million per year. This would put Likely in the Hunter Henry ($9 million) and Dawson Knox ($9.83 million) range. TE Charlie Kolar Another tight end option that will be cheaper than Likely, who worked with Harbaugh and Monken. The 26-year-old caught 10 of 13 passes for 142 yards with a pair of touchdowns in 2025. He has secured 31 of 40 passes for 413 yards with four touchdowns in his career. At Iowa State, with Brock Purdy, Kolar was a seam threat who caught 63 of 95 targets for 764 yards with six touchdowns. He finished his four-year college career with 23 total touchdowns. There is more to Kolar’s receiving profile than we’ve seen in the NFL, due to him sharing a depth chart with Andrews and Likely. Kolar was a solid blocker in 2025, and he offered flexibility to the Ravens’ 13 personnel package. Kolar is a cheaper option, who could prove to be at a discount. FB Patrick Ricard What year is this!? I would LOVE for the Giants to sign a true fullback, especially a 300-pound tone-setter with incredible movement skills for a man of his size. Ricard is 31 years old, and he played 274 offensive snaps for Baltimore in 2025, giving Monken a lot of flexibility with his personnel. The Ravens aligned in 21 personnel 18% of the time, and Ricard provided a varied skill-set that diversified the rushing scheme for Baltimore. Seeing him reunite with Harbaugh and lead block for Cam Skattebo would be a ton of fun. G Daniel Faalele Faalele has had a turbulent NFL career after taking the combine by storm in 2022. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher, a teammate of John Michael Schmitz, is 6-foot-8, 380 pounds. He played more than 1,000 snaps for the Ravens at right guard over the past two years, allowing 63 total pressures and five sacks, while committing 11 penalties. It wasn’t the prettiest performance. Still, Faalele could be a depth option who could push for the right guard position depending on what the Giants do with Greg Van Roten. I support retaining Van Roten, who has played admirably over the last two years. Faalele, though, would offer a much bigger, more powerful player to back up an interior offensive line that thrives on technique and positioning. If he can be signed cheaply, I wouldn’t mind taking a swing at a player like Faalele for interior depth with some snaps at tackle on his resume as well. C Tyler Linderbaum The Giants spent the 57th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on John Michael Schmitz. That experiment hasn’t been a disaster, but has been slightly underwhelming. Schmitz is an average starter who showed some improvement in 2025 before missing the final two games with a hand injury. Schmitz allowed 14 pressures and a sack, with four penalties in 2025, which was by far his best season overall. Improving the offensive line, hopefully still under the guidance of coaches Carmen Bricillo and James Ferentz, should not be ignored. Still, I’m unsure if signing Linderbaum — who had his fifth-year option denied last spring — is the wisest investment. Linderbaum is an elite run blocker who graded out with the 19th highest run blocking grade of all offensive linemen who played at least 50% of their team’s snaps. Linderbaum is an upgrade over Schmitz, but he’ll command a market-setting contract that will likely top Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs, who makes $18 million a year. While excelling as an athletic run blocker with range, Linderbaum is a below-average pass blocker. He allowed 26 pressures and a pair of sacks in 2025 and has 15 penalties over the last two seasons. Linderbaum struggles to anchor against power-rushers, and he isn’t the player Humphrey is. It’s a large investment that would certainly upgrade the Giants’ current personnel, but New York would be overpaying for his talents. Schmitz is replaceable, but the perception of Linderbaum may be slightly overrated, for
NFL Playoffs Divisional Round: PrizePicks best prop bets
Utilizing the new PFF Player Prop Tool, here are two projections to target ahead of the NFL playoffs’ divisional round. Available exclusively to PFF+ subscribers in the PFF app, the PFF Player Prop Tool harnesses the power of predictive analytics and matchup data to help you make smarter, faster and more confident picks. Download the PFF app now — available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Each week, we will analyze some of the best player statistics on PrizePicks with the help of the new PFF Player Prop Tool. Betting insights, matchup data and historical hit rates are just a few of the things the tool offers. Here are two props that stand out ahead of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. 🏈 Draft Season 2026 Prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft with PFF+ Your complete draft preparation toolkit Subscribe RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: Over 43.5 rushing yards The Seahawks had one of the league’s true 50-50 backfield splits this season with Kenneth Walker III (497 snaps) and Zach Charbonnet (489 snaps). Seattle leaned on its running back duo heavily down the stretch, as the pair carried the ball a combined 66 times over the final two weeks of the regular season. Charbonnet’s 184 rushing yards over Weeks 17 and 18 trailed only Derrick Henry and Bijan Robison for the most in the league. He played a pivotal role in Seattle’s division-clinching victory at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, carrying the ball 17 times for 74 yards and forcing five missed tackles in the process. Injuries have decimated the 49ers’ defense, most notably to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and edge defender Nick Bosa. Tatum Bethune filled in and was defending the run at a high level (73.2 PFF run-defense grade) but was lost for the season in the Week 18 contest against Seattle. The team also lost 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams to a torn ACL in early November. As a team, the 49ers rank last in PFF run-defense grade (44.5), whereas Charbonnet’s 90.5 PFF rushing grade ranks second among 55 qualifying running backs this season. I would expect Seattle to lean heavily on its run game, giving Charbonnet plenty of opportunities to do damage on the ground with a trip to the NFC championship game on the line. Explore Top Player Props RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers: Over 50.5 receiving yards During the regular season, McCaffrey led all running backs in targets (121), receptions (102), receiving yards (924) and touchdowns (seven), and his 91.3 PFF receiving grade ranked first among 54 qualifying running backs. The five-time All-Pro is coming off another impressive showing through the air, catching six of eight targets for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. With Ricky Pearsall looking questionable at best while dealing with knee and ankle injuries, and tight end George Kittle lost for the season with an Achilles injury, McCaffrey could be relied on even more in the passing game in the divisional round against a Seattle defense that ranked 32nd in targets allowed to running backs in the regular season. In their two previous matchups this season, McCaffrey turned 17 targets into 15 receptions and 107 receiving yards. The 49ers made it a priority to get him more involvement as a receiver when Kittle missed time, as he averaged 68.6 receiving yards across the six games where the tight end sat out. The 49ers are the divisional round’s biggest underdog this weekend, as Seattle is currently favored by 7.5 points at home. There’s a strong chance that San Francisco will have to throw early and often to keep it close, and McCaffrey figures to be a main beneficiary of that game script.
What does the NY Giants John Harbaugh hiring mean for QB Jaxson Dart?
With the blockbuster news of John Harbaugh agreeing to become the New York Giants’ next head coach, the question becomes: How is he going to lift this team out of the doldrums of the past decade? The Giants have question marks on both sides of the ball. Who Harbaugh hires as defensive coordinator is an important question for a team whose defense, or absence thereof, was the primary reason they did not contend for a playoff berth in 2025. Still, offense pays the bills in today’s NFL. Harbaugh took over a Baltimore Ravens team in 2008 that had declined from their Super Bowl days under previous head coach Brian Billick, an era in which their defense dominated but the offense was subpar. Since Harbaugh became head coach, the Ravens have drafted two quarterbacks in the first round: Joe Flacco with the No. 18 pick in 2008, and Lamar Jackson with the No. 32 pick (after a trade-up from Round 2) in 2018. Flacco was (and still is) a conventional dropback passer and was not considered an elite quarterback, but he pretty consistently passed for more than 3,000 yards per season, and once over 4000 yards, in the first half of his career. He was good enough to lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012. Jackson is the more interesting case. He was considered a boom-or-bust prospect, with accuracy issues and a slight frame that worried GMs because his running was a big part of his game. Indeed, when he took over as starter late in the 2018 season when Flacco was injured, he completed only 58% of his passes, and while his running sparked the Ravens’ drive to the playoffs, they were one and done because Jackson couldn’t win through the air. Starting in 2019, though, Jackson’s game took off. He has consistently been well over 60% in completion percentage, has twice led the league in ESPN’s QB rating metric, and won two MVP awards. The contrast between his 2018 and 2019 seasons is stark: Courtesy of rbsdm.com Jackson, along with three other rookies, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, and Josh Rosen, were among the NFL’s worst QBs in 2018, completing significantly fewer passes than expected and effectively contributing nothing to their offenses in expected points. One year later, here was the same figure: Courtesy of rbsdm.com In one season, Jackson became an elite NFL quarterback, right up there with Patrick Mahomes. He has gone through a succession of offensive coordinators but remained a top-tier QB throughout. From 2019-2022 his OC was Greg Roman, who has been criticized for being too run-dependent and who was recently relieved of his Los Angeles Chargers OC duties after their disastrous performance in the Wild Card game against New England. Since 2023, the Ravens’ OC has been Todd Monken, whose offensive philosophy is more pass-oriented. There is a perception that Monken has done a better job, but it’s difficult to see evidence of that in Jackson’s stats: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus Yes, Jackson’s 2023 and 2024 were his best seasons to date and that was in Monken’s offense, but his 2019 with Roman was just as good. Notably, rushing as a significant part of Jackson’s game has not diminished as his career has progressed: Courtesy of Pro Football Focus The most recent of Jackson’s three 1,000 rushing seasons came just last year. No more than about a third of his rushing attempts in any season were scrambles, i.e., the Ravens under Harbaugh but under multiple OCs have continued to use Jackson predominantly on designed rushes. Jackson has lost time to injury in multiple seasons – but never because of a concussion: Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports All of that suggests that the almost fanatical obsession in the media, and perhaps in the Giants’ hierarchy, over Dart’s running and concussion risk in 2025 may not be shared by Harbaugh going forward. Dart is as tall as Jackson and 10 pounds heavier (225 vs. 215 pounds), so expect rushing to remain an important part of Dart’s game. As for the passing side of things, that depends on who the offensive coordinator is. The rumors are that Harbaugh wants to bring Monken to the Giants with him. Monken has interviewed for the Cleveland head coach opening, so time will tell. Let’s assume for the moment, though, that Monken is the Giants’ offensive coordinator next season. It’s instructive to compare the Ravens’ 2025 offensive tendencies to those that Dart experienced in his rookie year as a Giant: Some of the salient points from this chart are: The Giants lined up under center only 28% of the time vs. the Ravens’ 42%. Both teams were among the leaders in lining up in pistol, which aids the running game. The Giants only used motion on 44% of plays vs. the Ravens’ 62%, while both teams used play action 36% of the time. Motion by itself doesn’t tell us everything – pre-snap motion is more effective in forcing defenses to reveal their intentions, i.e., man vs. zone. Here’s a mid-season diagram of pre-snap shifts/motion vs.play action use by all teams: The Giants at this point were dead last in usage of pre-snap motion, while the Ravens were middle of the pack. Perhaps that was due to Dart’s inexperience, but whether Monken is the OC or someone else, we might expect to see more pre-snap motion next season. The Ravens were last in the NFL in usage of 11 personnel, while the Giants were middle of the pack. Ben McAdoo won’t want to hear it, but 11 is losing ground in NFL offenses and heavy sets are becoming more common. Both teams were middle of the pack, maybe a bit higher, in 12 personnel usage, which is the most versatile configuration an offense can run. Where the Ravens stood out is in their usage of 2-RB sets, which together accounted for 30% of their offensive snaps. Only the 49ers and Dolphins were in that same ballpark. If the Giants
Giants news, 1/16: John Harbaugh reaction, coordinator candidates
Good morning, New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View Other Giant observations Landing John Harbaugh is a win the Giants’ whole organization badly needed | The Athletic Despite all of their recent losing and dysfunction, the Giants have maintained their status as a storied franchise, especially in the eyes of an old-school football lifer like Harbaugh. Losing him to the likes of the Tennessee Titans or Atlanta Falcons would have been a devastating blow at a fragile time for the franchise. Landing Harbaugh was the best possible outcome when the Giants set out on the unpredictable path of a coaching search. It’s the biggest win for the franchise in a long time. And now, with Harbaugh on board, the belief is many more wins will follow. SI’s Albert Breer on what won over John Harbaugh The Giants know exactly what they’re getting. And he knows the kind of chance here to put the Giants back on top, become the first coach ever to win a Super Bowl with two different teams, unless Sean Payton beats him to it with the Broncos. Because of everything that has happened to them lately; because of the way they have fallen down; and after the general managers and coaches who have come and gone since the last Super Bowl over the Patriots, this is as important a hire as the Giants have ever made, all the way back to old Tim Mara. More than anything else, closing out the bidding on Harbaugh before he even met with the Titans or with the Falcons, sends out this loud message, and not just to the fan base, but to the rest of the league: He is taking his talents to North Jersey because he’s decided the Giants are worthy of those talents, not just for coaching but for culture building as well. And you better believe that even if Joe Schoen is staying on as general manager, going forward the football business at MetLife Stadium will run through the office of the new coach. John Harbaugh instantly changes Giants perception, creates blueprint toward relevance | SNY.tv With the coaching search complete, owners John Mara and Tisch (who was among the biggest advocates for the Giants hiring Harbaugh) can finally exhale — and perhaps even enjoy this weekend’s playoff games. Two in particular. On Sunday, New England faces Houston. Later, Chicago meets the Rams. A year ago, those teams won four and five games, respectively. Both believed they were close. Both found the right coach — the Patriots with Mike Vrabel, the Bears with Ben Johnson — and made immediate strides. Now, they’re on to the second round of the playoffs. The Giants believe they can do the same. Their roster remains imperfect. Dart needs more weapons. The offensive line requires real solutions, not short-term patches. The defense, despite recognizable names, fell well short of expectations a season ago. Still, with Harbaugh in charge, the task ahead no longer feels overwhelming. At minimum, the Giants finally have a path forward. And for the first time in a long time, there is a legitimate reason to believe in a blueprint toward relevance. The Big Picture: How John Harbaugh Brought Credibility and Hope to Giants Overnight | FOX Sports To be honest, it’s hard to think of a more significant moment in Giants history than the moment when John Harbaugh, a Super Bowl-winning coach, clearly the prize of this year’s carousel, made the decision to accept the generous offer that the Giants were so desperate to give him. As the new head coach of the New York Giants — the news is expected to become official sometime on Thursday — he brings instant credibility. He carries a feeling of hope. And sure, they might have been in good hands with Kevin Stefanski too, or Mike McCarthy or some hotshot coordinator who is staring at a long and storied career. But none of them — none — would have come close to creating the buzz and excitement that Harbaugh did. Not a single other coach would have brought this kind of seismic change. Boomer on the ceiling for the Dart/Harbaugh combo John Harbaugh made this move to find out if the Giants were the right fit | NJ.com One person who gave some insight was former quarterback Eli Manning. It’s been reported that Manning reached out to Harbaugh, but according to reporter Gary Myers, it was actually the opposite. “Harbaugh initiated things by reaching out to Peyton to get Eli’s phone number and texted asking to talk,” Myers wrote on X. “Eli then called him. Sources say Manning told Giants owner John Mara two months ago that the team needed a HC with experience who had seen all there is to see in the NFL and could take control of the building. Two months ago, the ideal person didn’t exist. Then Harbaugh fell into their lap.” As the most critical meal in New York Giants history wound down Wednesday night, Tim Salouros, the owner of Elia restaurant in East Rutherford, N.J., walked into his private dining room in the old wine cellar and looked out at a contingent that included general manager Joe Schoen, senior executive Chris Mara and highly sought after NFL coach John Harbaugh. “After they were done eating, I told them, I know there’s a lot of tension in the room but, as a fan, please sign,” Salouros told Sports Illustrated Thursday morning. “And if you’re not going to—I have a back door and I’ll show you out that way.” Everyone laughed. The room looked perfect—the owner described the ambiance as “festive” and “celebratory”—and Salouros, despite hearing that Harbaugh had other head coaching interviews after this one, knew the Giants had landed their dream head coach when Harbaugh smiled on his way out and said: “I know I’ll be seeing you again soon.” Realistic turnaround timeline After the 2025 NFL postseason set a record with five teams that had 11-plus losses the year prior —
Fantasy Football: Evaluating 2025 IDP defensive back tackles versus expected
Jon Macri evaluates how NFL defensive backs performed in tackles versus expected in 2025. Several of last year’s top tacklers repeat in 2025: Budda Baker, Jordan Battle and Nick Cross were among several of the repeat elites in this metric. Many of the rookie safeties left more to be desired: Several safeties from the 2025 class were full-time starters, including Malaki Starks and Craig Woodson, though they left plenty of meat on the bone in the tackle column in Year 1. Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool. Get 25% off your PFF+ annual subscription with code PFFFANTASYPODCAST25. Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes It’s easy at the end of each NFL season to look at where players ranked in fantasy football, but understanding why they finished where they did is often more important when projecting future production. For the defensive back position, tackles are important, but a defensive back’s ability to make big plays often separates the scoring leaders from the rest of the pack. However, big plays, such as interceptions, sacks and fumbles, are also wildly unstable, so focusing more on which safeties and cornerbacks can deliver strong tackle numbers is often the best starting point for IDP. All expected tackle figures for defensive backs are derived from a combination of each player’s individual play and situation. Focusing on their alignment, run or pass situation, what type of coverage they’re in and how many snaps they played, their efficiency is compared to their peers’ larger pool. Safeties Top performers Among the 28 eligible safeties (non-rookies) who finished among the top 75th percentile in tackles versus expected this season, 23 (82%) finished with a positive score in this regard last year as well. The repeat elites All of these safeties finished no worse than the top 85th percentile in tackles versus expected last season and were able to repeat among the top 85th percentile again in 2025. They have been the most consistent and efficient tacklers relative to their situations over the past two seasons combined and are now strong bets to keep that going heading into 2026. Surprise names This list of safeties all finished in the top 85th percentile at the position in tackles versus expected after finishing with negative scores in 2024. They represent the high variance IDP managers often see at the defensive back position as a whole. With less stability in their production from year to year, some of these names may come back down to Earth in 2026. Other names of note These are players who have also performed exceptionally well in recent years and remain solid options for IDP if they maintain the same level of production as repeat positive performers in this metric. With positive deployments on a full-time basis, they should be considered solid bets to potentially lead this metric in future seasons, given their stronger track records. Tony Adams, New York Jets Underperformers This year, several new players entered the league and came in below expectations in the tackle column and are potentially at risk of being inefficient in future years as well. It’s also worth noting that 57% of qualifying players (non-rookies) in the bottom 25th percentile this season finished with a negative score in this metric last season. Repeat underperformers to the bottom 25th percentile These are the safeties who have been among the worst tacklers relative to their position over the past two seasons and should be considered riskier IDP options considering the lower tackle potential heading into 2026. Rookies who underdelivered as tacklers in Year 1 Given their usage, deployment and tackle production, this group didn’t quite match their peers’ production in similar situations, making them names to watch going forward due to the risk of inefficiency carrying over to future seasons. It isn’t a guarantee that this inefficiency will hold, considering there is still a fair amount of variance in this metric, but they will be worth monitoring at the very least. Dean Clark, New York Jets Surprise names Again, variance at the defensive back position is less of a surprise, though considering some strong showings in 2024, these players making the bottom 25th percentile now in 2025 is at least somewhat concerning. Like with all defensive back production, there is room to bounce back as soon as next season, but it’s worth highlighting some of the new names who went from positive scorers last year to near the bottom this year. Taylor Rapp, Buffalo Bills 🏈 Draft Season 2026 Prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft with PFF+ Your complete draft preparation toolkit Subscribe Cornerbacks Top performers Among the 29 eligible cornerbacks (non-rookies) who finished among the top 75th percentile in tackles versus expected this season, 17 (59%) finished with a positive score in this regard last year as well. Unlike the safety position, which is already an unstable position, the cornerback position is typically much harder to predict, though this metric is at least better than most in that regard, especially on the high and low ends of the spectrum. The repeat elites All of these cornerbacks finished no worse than the top 80th percentile in tackles versus expected last season and were able to repeat among the top 80th percentile again in 2025. They have been the most consistent and efficient tacklers relative to their situations over the past two seasons combined and are now strong bets to keep that going heading into 2026. Surprise names These players are either new names for IDP, either due to being rookies or first-time starters, who immediately hit the ground running and established themselves as players to watch for IDP purposes going forward. They can also be names who were not positive scorers in this metric last season and turned things around this year. Underperformers A lot of the league’s best coverage cornerbacks often come in well below expectations in the tackle column, as opposing offenses
Are Rams getting healthy at the right time?
The Los Angeles Rams started the season 9-2 before losing three of their final six games. After remaining relatively healthy for much of the season, injuries to Quentin Lake and Kevin Dotson created a speed bump in the middle of what was an otherwise strong season. It was the polar opposite from the last two […] The Los Angeles Rams started the season 9-2 before losing three of their final six games. After remaining relatively healthy for much of the season, injuries to Quentin Lake and Kevin Dotson created a speed bump in the middle of what was an otherwise strong season. It was the polar opposite from the last two years in which the Rams started the season with injuries and got healthy as the year progressed. In 2023, the Rams started 3-6, but finished 7-1. Last year, the Rams were 1-4 and then finished 9-2 with a third loss coming after resting starters. This season, it would have been very difficult to overcome that sort of start. However, they started 9-2 and were looking like the best team in the NFL before their late-season slump. In 2023 and 2024, the Rams were playing their best football going into the playoffs and it didn’t seem to matter. This year, the Rams may have been playing their worst football heading into the playoffs. After Lake went down with an injury, the Rams allowed 27 or more points in four out of seven games to end the season. Two of the three games in which they didn’t were against the Arizona Cardinals. After averaging 128.5 yards per game and 4.67 yards per carry with a 58.1 rushing success rate in Weeks 1-15, that dropped after Kevin Dotson’s injury. Since Week 16, they have averaged 4.18 yards per carry which is nearly a full half yard less. The drop in overall yards per game and success rate has been minimal, but the loss of Dotson did have an effect. In pass protection, Matthew Stafford went from being pressured at a 28.5 percent rate to 34.5 percent. That doesn’t mention the hamstring injury to Davante Adams. Before Adams’ injury, the Rams were 25-for-33 in the red zone since the bye week. That’s a conversion rate of 75.8 percent. In the three games without Adams, they were 6-for-13 for a 46.2 percent touchdown rate in the red zone. Some regression to the mean may have been expected. However, a near-30 percent drop is significant. Last week, the Rams got Quentin Lake back in the lineup. While he allowed eight receptions for 94 yards and was picked on against the Carolina Panthers, he’s also the best chance that the Rams have at slowing down some of the Bears’ weapons. That’s especially the case when it comes to Colston Loveland. The hope will be that with a game under his belt, Lake performs as he did early in the season. Dotson should help revive a run game against a defense that has struggled against the run this season. The Bears have allowed a 44 percent rushing success rate this season which is the sixth-worst in the NFL. Since Week 10, it is the fourth-worst. Since Week 10, the Rams have a 51.9 rushing success rate which is the best in the NFL. The Bears defense ranks 19th in the red zone this season. Since Week 10 though, they’ve only allowed a 50 percent touchdown rate in the red zone. For the Rams to have a healthy Adams in this game will be important. He’s taken an average red zone offense and made it one of the best in the NFL. Additionally, Terrance Ferguson could be back against the Bears. The rookie tight end started slow, but was starting to develop and show promise over the second half of the season. From Weeks 9-17, Ferguson led all tight ends in yards per reception and average depth of target. He had become a legitimate down field threat in the passing game. The Bears have allowed the 10th most receptions to tight ends. It will be interesting to see how the Rams utilize Ferguson with Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson, but he’s an important piece of the passing game. On the other side,The Bears may be happy just to end their season with a win against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. They would obviously like to go to the NFC Championship, but everything for them after that win is gravy. The Bears have also suffered some injuries that could loom large. Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards will miss the game; he’s a top-15 coverage linebacker. Ozzy Trapilo provided the Bears some stability at left tackle. The Bears could turn to Theo Benedet who ranks inside the bottom-10 in pass-blocking efficiency or Braxton Jones who has been on injured reserve since October. At this point in the season, all teams are going to be managing their own injuries. Matthew Stafford isn’t 100 percent after spraining his finger last week. Ahkello Witherspoon was also placed on injured reserve. However, considering it’s the divisional round of the playoffs, the Rams are in pretty good shape. They are getting key players back while other teams are losing key players to injury. When the Rams have been healthy this season, they have been the best team in the NFL. Heading into the divisional round of the playoffs, they may be getting healthy again at the right time and in time to make a run.
