HEADLINES

Mike Green

Ravens Select Mike Green With 59th Pick

April 25th, 2025 at 8:14pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens have selected Marshall edge rusher Mike Green with the 59th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, ending the 21-year-old’s slide after an initial first-round projection.

Accusations of sexual assault have raised significant character concerns about Green, who racked up 17.0 sacks in 2024 and posted elite agility numbers at his pro day. He was linked to multiple teams in the first round, including the Falcons, but concerns about his past knocked him off of multiple teams’ boards, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Green’s selection by the Ravens will shine a spotlight on the allegations against him with the team already waiting for the results of a league investigation into Justin Tucker. Baltimore’s front office has historically prioritized high-character prospects in the draft, such as Malaki Starks, last night’s first-round selection. The team has largely avoided questions about Tucker this offseason, but drafting Green will put more attention on their approach to players with allegations of sexual misconduct off the field.

As a player, though, Green profiles as a complete edge rusher with the athleticism, bend, and violence to be a consistent sack-getter in the NFL. Against the run, he compensates for his lack of size with power and effort to set a hard edge. He played against lesser competition in the Sun Belt in college and will face a significant jump in the NFL, but his tape clearly shows the potential to be an elite pass-rusher in the pros.

Falcons Expected To Take Edge Rusher In 1st Round

April 24th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

TODAY, 5:33pm: While the Falcons have interest in adding some pass-rush help, they may end up pivoting if the right trade comes around. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Falcons are willing to move down from No. 15 if they receive the “right offer.” The Falcons haven’t made a first-round trade since 2019, when they acquired No. 31 from the Rams in a move that landed them Kaleb McGary.

TODAY, 1:15pm: The Falcons are widely expected to target an edge rusher in the first round of tonight’s draft, with Tennessee’s James Pearce and Marshall’s Mike Green frequently listed as potential fits.

Atlanta swapped out veteran edge defenders this offseason, signing Leonard Floyd after letting Matt Judon hit free agency. Floyd is entering his age-33 season, so the team is likely looking for a long-term option to pair with 2022 second-rounder Arnold Ebiketie.

Pearce and Green – two of the class’ most athletic, productive edge rushers – have both been linked to the Falcons, per Diana Russini of The Athletic. Pearce had 17.5 sacks across his last two seasons at Tennessee and led all edge rushers with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Green had 22.5 sacks in 2024 alone and posted elite agility numbers at his pro day.

However, both players have character flags that the team will need to evaluate, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Green’s flags stem from multiple accusations of sexual assault in his past, which might take him off some teams’ boards altogether. More nebulous concerns about Pearce are connected to his maturity, so a team with confidence in their coaching staff and locker room culture may believe they can get the most out of him.

Both Pearce and Green were listed as primary options for the Falcons by ESPN’s Matt Miller, as well as Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart. Stewart has an even more appealing athletic profile than Pearce and Green, but lacked the same production in college. He has an NFL-ready frame with excellent explosiveness, but recorded only 1.5 sacks in each of his last three seasons at College Station.

The Falcons’ consistent links to Pearce and Green suggest they will prioritize the college production of Pearce and Green over Stewart’s upside. If none of the three are available, Atlanta may pivot to Georgia’s Mykel Williams, who is widely thought to be the next-best edge rusher in the class.

Ravens Draft Rumors: Edge, Kicker, DL, CB, S

April 18th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens are well-known for their draft approach of taking the best players available regardless of position, though they’re not above taking a player at a position of need if they believe it’s at a good value. That being said, Tony Pauline of sportskeeda claimed today that Baltimore is “believed to be in the market for an edge rusher in the first round.”

The Ravens aren’t likely to reach for a player at a position at which they’ve already spent a 2024 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, and 2021 first-round pick. Because of this, I would think that this would only be true if a top-ranked pass rusher falls to them in the back half of the first round.

Obviously, a player like Abdul Carter isn’t expected to be around by the 27th overall pick. After that, anything can happen, and while it might not be likely, it wouldn’t be a surprise if players like Shemar Stewart, Mike Green, or Mykel Williams were around that late. Options like Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Pearce are expected to be around in that range, and Baltimore could certainly pursue them, but only if they perceive them to be one of the top players available.

Here are notes on a few other positions of focus for Baltimore when next week’s draft occurs:

  • Ongoing legal issues with future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker have the Ravens in an uncertain position on special teams for the first time since Tucker signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012. As a result, Baltimore has been doing its research on kickers in this year’s draft class and could draft a kicker for the first time in their franchise’s history, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The Ravens are the only team not to have drafted a kicker in the common draft era, and general manager Eric DeCosta admits “there’s no blueprint for finding a kicker.” If they find the right kicker at the right time, though, we could see the selection made. Two options on the table could be in-state rivals Andres Borregales out of Miami (FL) and Ryan Fitzgerald out of Florida State.
  • Following the retirement of Michael Pierce and the coming contract year for Travis Jones, defensive tackle is a position of need for Baltimore in this year’s draft. DeCosta confirmed as much, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, calling the position a priority. DeCosta called this year’s class fairly deep at defensive line and claimed “there’s an opportunity for (them) to get better” at the position.
  • Another position that DeCosta singled out was cornerback. After losing Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White to free agency, the team added Chidobe Awuzie. They also roster recent draft picks Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa as depth pieces. While DeCosta didn’t guarantee anything, he told the media that “it’s a pretty safe bet that the Ravens will be drafting at least one cornerback next week,” per Zrebiec. The team is likely to start Nate Wiggins and Awuzie on the outside with Marlon Humphrey manning the nickelback role, so they could look for an upgrade over Awuzie, but at the very least, adding depth is a necessity.
  • DeCosta didn’t mince words about the safety position either, per Zrebiec. Despite being “fairly confident” that Ar’Darius Washington will return after presumably signing his exclusive rights free agent tender, DeCosta said that it was “more than likely” that Baltimore would still add a safety in the draft, as well. Washington and Kyle Hamilton would return as starters from last year, but the only depth behind them currently are two rookies from last year, Sanoussi Kane (seventh round) and Beau Brade (undrafted).

Patriots Pursued Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett; Could Select Edge Rusher At No. 4

April 16th, 2025 at 7:08pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have been active reworking their pass-rush depth this offseason, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the front office pursued two of the biggest names on the market. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Patriots “had desires” to trade for Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett.

New England’s pursuit of the two extension/trade candidates surely preceded their free agent spending spree. The Raiders and Browns were rightfully correct in waiting out the trade winds, as both teams eventually inked their star pass rushers to lucrative extensions. That forced the Patriots to pivot.

Considering the Patriots’ free agency commitments, we can only assume the Eliot Wolf-led front office would have been just as willing to hand out an extension to either player. The Patriots landed interior disruptor Milton Williams on a four-year, $104MM, and they added edge rusher Harold Landry III on a three-year, $43.5MM pact. With other additions like Robert Spillane and K’Lavon Chaisson, plus holdovers like Christian Barmore and Keion White, there’s hope Mike Vrabel will guide an improved front-seven in 2025.

Despite the team’s many defensive acquisitions, the Patriots may not be done adding. There’s been an assumption that the team would select an offensive tackle with the fourth-overall pick. However, Pauline says the team’s one alternative option could be an edge rusher, and that’s with the assumption that Abdul Carter will already be off the board.

Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, and Mike Green are regarded as consensus top-20 picks, but all three edge-rush prospects would be considered a reach at No. 4. Considering the uncertainty behind the top-three picks, Jalon Walker could be an option for New England, although the Georgia product seems better positioned to slide in as an inside LB.

Our own Ely Allen projects the Patriots to select LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick, a popular sentiment across the industry. However, the Patriots could pull off the first wrinkle of the draft if they add to an already-remade defense.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Saints, Packers, Falcons, Revel

March 27th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints continue to stay busy having visits with 2025 NFL Draft prospects, according to multiple reports from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Last night, the team hosted several Georgia players for dinner, including a top defensive end prospect in Mykel Williams as well as wide receiver Arian Smith. They also reportedly had dinner this week with Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew, a likely Day 3 prospect whose name has not been making the rounds this early in the process. Lastly, the team was in Knoxville today reportedly meeting with some Tennessee players, including running back Dylan Sampson and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott.

Underhill adds that the team has been doing a ton of work during the pre-draft process on running backs. Even though lead back Alvin Kamara had a career-high 950 rushing yards in 2024, combined with 543 receiving yards, the sheer depth of this year’s class of running back prospects nearly ensures that quality backs will be available into the fourth or fifth round. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has eight running backs listed in his top 100 prospects list, so it makes sense that New Orleans is doing its homework on the position.

Here are a few other rumors concerning possibilities in the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • The Packers currently have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but if general manager Brian Gutekunst has anything to say about it, they could be angling for more. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, when asked about not having many picks this year, Gutekunst added the addendum “yet” to the end of the statement, indicating that he would have some interest in acquiring more picks via trade. Green Bay currently sits at No. 23 overall in the first round. It’s been posited that many teams from pick No. 20 on are looking to trade back out of the first round due to a lack of elite, top-end talent in this year’s class, as opposed to the tremendous depth the class seems to provide. Unfortunately, due to that same issue, there are going to be few, if any, takers willing to give up precious draft capital to move up into the first round.
  • One trend we seem to be seeing shows the Falcons as likely candidates to go defense in the first round of the draft. Josh Kendall of The Athletic selected safety Nick Emmanwori in the site’s beat writer mock draft, and the other players he says he considered with the pick, safety Malaki Starks, linebackers Jalon Walker and Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Will Johnson, and edges Mike Green and Shemar Stewart, all reside on the defensive side of the ball. Kendall bases this belief that the team will go defense off of new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich wanting to build a new, uniquely hybrid defense.
  • Lastly, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network reported today that the Cowboys will be hosting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel for a top-30 visit next week. We know that Revel is attempting to make a comeback from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games and that he is projected to be back in time for training camp. What makes this an interesting visit is that, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, Revel’s ACL repair surgery was performed by Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper, likely giving the franchise a uniquely exclusive insight on his prognosis and recovery.

Draft Rumors: Visits, Green, Nolen, RBs

March 25th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nigh, teams are beginning to do their due diligence on each prospect, including hosting several for visits.

A perfect example of this saw the Saints host a bevy of Longhorns for a dinner last night, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The list of Texas prospects included possible first-rounders cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden as well as defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The Saints weren’t the only team to spend time with Ewers yesterday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both the Jets and Raiders sent staffers to meet with the 22-year-old in Austin prior to the team’s pro day. Ewers has several visits planned following today’s pro day, as well, including meetings with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders, again, in early April.

Another potential Longhorn first-rounder, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, has also reportedly set up a number of visits following today’s pro day, per CJ Vogel of On Texas Football. Bond apparently has top-30 visits scheduled in the next month with the Falcons, Bears, Packers, and Rams.

Here are some more rumors concerning the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is making the rounds, as well. After previously meeting with New Orleans, Revel reportedly visited the Texans on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Revel is attempting to make a speedy recovery from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games. He’s reportedly on track to be ready to return in time for training camp.
  • One of Revel’s top competitors at the position in this year’s class, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, is set to meet with the Raiders, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Johnson has already met with the Falcons and reportedly met with the Cardinals already, as well.
  • Already having met with the Saints and Falcons, Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is set to meet with several other franchises, per Wilson. One of the top tackle options in the class, Conerly has visits planned with the Texans, Eagles, Commanders, Bengals, and Bears. Wilson adds that, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Conerly already formerly met with the Texans, Jets, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Commanders, and 49ers.
  • Marshall’s pro day garnered a few more visitors than usual today, thanks to the presence of potential first-round pass rusher Mike Green. According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, while several teams sent personnel to check Green out, the Falcons sent most of their front office as well as head coach Raheem Morris. Pauline adds that the Commanders also held a significant presence at the pass rusher’s pro day.
  • Due to the draft being more deep than top-heavy, there are several prospects who receive a wide range of opinions on when and where they’ll go in the draft. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, though, no player has a wider range than Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Transferring within the conference from Texas A&M for the final year of his collegiate career, Nolen had a strong, consensus All-American season with the Rebels, totaling 48 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. Despite the impressive performance, Miller claims that “teams are torn on (Nolen’s) lack of refined pass-rush moves,” resulting in projections from the top 10 all the way back to the second round.
  • Last year was the second time in the three years that we saw no running backs taken in the first round of the draft. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, we could see two running backs hear their names called on Day 1 of the event this year. A running backs coach told Schultz that “there’s no way (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) falls outside the top 15-20 picks.” Jeanty has been projected in multiple mock drafts to both the Raiders at No. 6 overall and the Cowboys at No. 12. While the position is deep, with players like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Miami’s Damien Martinez, and several others, it’s North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton who may have played himself into the first round with Jeanty. Schultz claims that a personnel director told him the only thing Hampton needed to do in order to go in Round 1 was run in the 4.4’s at the combine, and Hampton ran a 4.46. He may not get taken as high as Jeanty, but he should still be considered a first-round candidate come the end of April.

Marshall’s Mike Green Won’t Work Out At Combine, Denies Sexual Assault Allegations

February 27th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Marshall edge rusher and projected first-round pick Mike Green will not work out at the NFL Combine due to hamstring tightness, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Green has flown up draft boards since a standout performance at the Senior Bowl. He entered the Combine as the 17th-ranked prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board and was expected to have an impressive athletic testing session in Indianapolis. Instead, he will have to wait until Marshall’s pro day (date TBD), where he will run and do positional drills, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.

Green also spent much of his podium session on Wednesday addressing two allegations of sexual assault against him, one from high school and one from his time at the University of Virginia. He was suspended by the Cavaliers before leaving the program in September 2022, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Joseph Person. Green then transferred to Marshall, where he led college football with 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in 2024.

Green answered a series of questions about the allegations and insisted that he’s “done nothing wrong.” He also claimed that he could have remained at Virginia if he had chosen, but preferred to get a “fresh start” and “lay down a foundation” at Marshall.

The accusations will likely be an area of concern for teams interested in drafting Green. In addition to the public scrutiny he is facing, he will also have to answer directly to coaches and executives over the next two months. Teams will also talk to coaches, teammates, and anyone else who can shed light on Green’s history and how it could affect his future.

Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green Declares For Draft

December 15th, 2024 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

With the collegiate regular season having come to an end, it’s become time for the elite at their positions to declare their intentions to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Right on schedule, Marshall’s Mike Green, the leader of the nation in sacks this season, has announced that he will forgo his remaining eligibility and head to the NFL, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid.

Green was not the most sought-after recruit coming out of Lafayette HS (VA). As a three-star athlete, Green fielded offers from schools like Ole Miss, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and in-state colleges Virginia and Virginia Tech. He committed to the in-state Cavaliers, a short, two-hour drive away. After minimal use in Charlottesville as a true freshman, Green hit the transfer portal and found his way to Marshall.

At 6-foot-4 and nearly 250 pounds, Green was a physical specimen as a college athlete, but he needed time to develop his skills. Through his first 20 games, Green only managed a total of 5.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss. This season, Green broke out for an incredible 17.0 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, leading the FBS in both categories as a redshirt sophomore. Green graded out well analytically, as well. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Green ranked as the top pass-rusher in college football.

Reid and ESPN’s Field Yates each ranked Green in their top eight pass rushers with Reid placing Green at seven and Yates ranking him fourth. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler slotted Green in as the eighth best edge rusher and the 37th best prospect overall.

Green obviously possesses the pass-rushing talent to be a Day 1 or 2 pick. With impressive performances at the NFL Scouting Combine and Marshall’s Pro Day, along with some strong interviews, there’s a chance that Green can convince a team to take a chance on him in the first round.