Robert Nkemdiche - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Rumors: Elliott, Ramsey, Nkemdiche

April 2nd, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have added Alfred Morris this offseason to go along with incumbent running back Darren McFadden, but there’s still speculation that Dallas will add another back in the upcoming draft. The draft’s highest-rated runner, Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, will fly to Texas tomorrow for a meeting with the Cowboys (having already been worked out by the club in Columbus), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

The first round of this year’s draft gets underway in 26 days, so let’s take a look at the latest updates…

Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, widely regarded as one of the five best available prospects, has visits planned with both the Jaguars and the Ravens, reports Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, may not fall to the fifth or sixth selection, where Jacksonville and Baltimore respectively pick.
The Saints will work out California tight end Stephen Anderson on Monday, tweets Getlin, adding that Anderson’s workout with the Falcons went well. Anderson has also been linked to the Patriots, Titans, and Texans.
The Bears intend to meet with Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and Southern Illinois quarterback Mark Iannotti in the next few weeks, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Nkemdiche is a first-round talent who may slip in the draft due to character concerns, while Iannotti is considered a late-round pick or UDFA.
Eastern Washington offensive linemen Clay Debord and Aaron Neary did “extensive white board” work with the Cardinals following their pro day, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. 22 clubs were present at the EWU pro day.

Draft Updates: Nkemdiche, Broncos, Lasco

March 31st, 2016 at 6:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche is meeting with the Broncos today in Denver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After his meeting there, he’s off to the Cardinals for a visit. Teams are reportedly fearful of Nkemdiche’s off-the-field issues, but his talent should still keep him pretty high up on boards around the league.

Here’s the latest draft news:

Cal running back Daniel Lasco has received invites from the Texans, Raiders, and 49ers, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Lasco has also had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles and he’ll take part in the Texans’ local pro day since he’s from Houston (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee on Twitter). Lasco turned heads with his performance in 2014 but he was held back by a hip injury in 2015.
Former LSU corner Rashard Robinson is generating a ton of interest, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Robinson visited the Broncos recently and the Jets and Seahawks are next on his docket. Robinson sat out 2015 after being suspended indefinitely by coach Les Miles. With no hope of getting back on the field for LSU in 2016, Robinson declared early for the draft.
Houston linebacker Elandon Roberts has (or has had) workouts with the Texans and Steelers, Getlin tweets. He also has a visit lined up with the Cardinals. Roberts led the FBS with 88 solo tackles last year.
Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard has visits and/or workouts on the books with the Lions, Jets, Titans, Seahawks, Raiders, Falcons, and Patriots, Getlin tweets.

Draft Rumors: Tunsil, Nkemdiche, Giants

March 28th, 2016 at 6:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Laremy Tunsil has yet to run the 40-yard-dash and, apparently, he won’t be doing so anytime between now and the draft, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Tunsil, who is a candidate for the No. 1 pick, apparently tweaked his hamstring last Thursday and is therefore reluctant to be timed on the 40. While teams like to be thorough before taking a player high in the draft, one can’t help but wonder if the 40-yard-dash is all that important for an offensive tackle.

Here’s the latest draft news:

Defensive line coaches from the Dolphins and Bengals ran the defensive line workout at Ole Miss’ pro day and tried to break Robert Nkemdiche but they could not, Tony Pauline writes for WalterFootball.com. Everyone in attendance was impressed with his position drills with some calling it a “special workout,” Pauline writes.
The Broncos and Giants will conduct an official visit with Nkemdiche, Pauline writes. While it has been reported that Giants GM Jerry Reese was at Ole Miss’ pro-day to watch Laquon Treadwell, Pauline hears that he was there equally for Nkemdiche.
Treadwell could see his draft stock take a hit after a disappointing performance at the Ole Miss pro day, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Treadwell had a chance to cement himself as the No. 1 wide receiver in the draft at his pro day but, instead he ran a (unofficially timed) 4.63 second 40-yard-dash and posting only 33 inches on his vertical leap. Treadwell’s bad day could open the door for Michael Thomas and Corey Coleman to go ahead of Treadwell next month, Miller says.
Of course, Treadwell drew quite a crowd with wide receiver coaches from the Chargers and Cardinals on hand to see him along with Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and top officials from the Rams, Pauline writes.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link) is hearing first round buzz for former Ohio State standout Braxton Miller. Miller is looking to play wide receiver in the NFL after playing under center earlier in his college career. Miller worked out for the Texans recently and sources tell Miller that Houston sees him as possibility at No. 22. The Bengals, Vikings, and Panthers could also consider Miller late in the first round.

Draft Updates: Treadwell, Nkemdiche, Goff

March 28th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The pro day for Ole Miss players took place on Monday, meaning all eyes were on prospects like wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. Treadwell said today that he has private workouts lined up with the Bengals and Dolphins, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link). The young wideout met with the 49ers last night, per Tony Pauline at WalterFootball.com.

Nkemdiche had dinner with the Cowboys last night and will officially visit the team’s facility prior to the draft, but Dallas is just one of 14 teams he’s scheduled to visit, according to Pauline. The Niners, Chargers, Raiders, Buccaneers, and Bears are also on the docket for Nkemdiche.

Here are several more draft updates from around the league:

The Eagles invested significant money in a pair of quarterbacks this month, signing Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel to new contracts, but that doesn’t mean the team has entirely ruled out the possibility of drafting one early. Per John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link), Philadelphia is doing its homework on Jared Goff, working out the Cal QB in Berkeley today.
Writing for PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Tony Pauline reports that he has spoken to insiders who believe the Titans are considering Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa with the No. 1 overall pick. The general consensus is that Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil will come off the board first overall, but some of Pauline’s sources believe it’s a “coin flip between Tunsil and Bosa” at this point.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones revealed that, while he hasn’t made any trips yet, he has private workouts scheduled with the Bills and Cardinals.
Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter) adds the Dolphins to the list of teams looking at Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who has been linked to at least five other teams.
Defensive tackle Vernon Butler, a Louisiana Tech product, said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he has a visit with the Bengals lined up for Thursday.

Draft Rumors: Wentz, 49ers, Chargers, Titans

March 23rd, 2016 at 7:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest on the incoming prospect pool and the interested teams.

Hue Jackson will attend Carson Wentz‘s pro day Thursday but won’t trek to Memphis to observe Paxton Lynch‘s due to the Browns being in “training mode” by the time Lynch throws for scouts April 6, according to ESPNCleveland.com’s Tony Grossi (on Twitter).
The 49ers have used some of their 30 permitted visits on several top prospects, including cornerbacks Eli Apple and Mackensie Alexander, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Ole Miss first-round prospects Laquon Treadwell and Robert Nkemdiche are also among players the 49ers, who hold the No. 7 pick, has met with or plans to.
Toledo wide receiver Alonzo Russell will work out for the Cowboys after previously meeting with the Packers, Aaron Wilson of National Football Post reports. Russell totaled 13 touchdowns and more than 1,300 receiving yards during his junior and senior seasons.
Ex-Alabama cornerback/kick returner Cyrus Jones has a full itinerary, with visits with the Ravens, Eagles, Bills and Saints lined up, Wilson reports (on Twitter). Jones also has private workouts with the Buccaneers and Panthers scheduled, per Wilson.
Mississippi State tight end Darrion Hutcherson will visit the Chargers, per Wilson. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Hutcherson played in 26 games for the Bulldogs, logging just six starts.
The Chargers are also set to meet with former Buffalo tackle John Kling, Wilson tweets. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Bulls lineman played right and left tackle in his five years at the university.
The Titans plan to host Ohio State safety Vonn Bell on a workout, Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com tweets. The 5-11, 205-pound early-entry safety made six interceptions as a sophomore in 2014 after joining the Buckeyes in 2013 as a five-star recruit.
Former Minnesota linebacker De’Vondre Campbell will visit the nearby professional franchise, with the Vikings summit on April 5-6, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. A fifth-year senior, Campbell recorded 92 tackles for the Gophers while also registering a team-high four sacks last season.
The Colts are hosting former Arkansas linebacker Myke Tavarres, who transferred to Incarnate Word, on an April 7 visit, Wilson tweets.
The Buccaneers are set to host North Carolina Central defensive back Ryan Smith on a visit, Wilson reports (on Twitter).

Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Washington, Nkemdiche, Ogbah

March 18th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Having lost running back Lamar Miller and struck out on potential replacements C.J. Anderson, James Starks and Chris Johnson in free agency, the Dolphins could select a go-to rusher with the 13th pick of the draft. Their potential target? Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, says Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (video link). Elliott is the type of cutback runner rookie head coach Adam Gase covets for his offense, Cole notes.

More of the latest draft-related info:

Ohio State’s Michael Thomas is the No. 1 wide receiver on Washington‘s board, according to Cole (video link). Washington is enamored of Thomas’ mix of size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), speed (4.57 forty-yard dash) and competitiveness, per Cole. Thus, he could be the club’s target at No. 21 overall in the first round.
The stock of Mississippi defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche – arguably a top-10 talent – is dropping because of character concerns, and he could end up a second-round selection, Cole reports (video link). Nkemdiche was charged with possession of marijuana after he fell out of an Atlanta hotel window in December.
Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah has lined up visits with the Bears and Buccaneers, he told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The Bengals, Patriots and Jets sent defensive line coaches to observe Michigan D-lineman Willie Henry‘s workout on Friday, reports Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com.
The Patriots also met with Michigan linebacker Desmond Morgan on Friday, as did the Vikings and Lions, per Pauline.
The Lions “spent hours” with Eastern Michigan running back Darius Jackson after his Friday workout, according to Pauline.
The Lions and Titans met with Cal receiver Trevor Davis on Friday, Pauline writes.
Davis isn’t the only Cal wideout the Titans are eyeing, Pauline notes. They met with Kenny Lawler, too, and so did the Jets.

Miller’s Latest: Glennon, Hackenberg, Doctson

March 12th, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Buccaneers have floated the idea of acquiring a first-round pick for quarterback Mike Glennon, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears the Tampa Bay would accept a third-rounder if it were from a team picking relatively high. That conflicts with a recent report by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com which said the Bucs turned down a second-round pick for its backup quarterback. Of course, La Canfora’s report didn’t given any sense of a timetable, so Tampa’s view of Glennon’s market could have changed since it rejected a second-rounder. Glennon is generating the most trade interest of any signal-caller outside of Colin Kaepernick, per Miller.

Here’s more from Miller’s latest column, with a heavy focus on the NFL draft…

Some around the NFL don’t expect Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg to have any chance at being a first-round pick now that the Texans have signed Brock Osweiler, according to Miller. Houston head coach Bill O’Brien tutored Hackenberg at Penn State, but now Hackenberg looks to be a second- or third-round pick.
Instead of focusing on quarterback, the Texans could now look to find help at either wide receiver or defensive tackle early in the draft, the clubs’ scouts told Miller.
Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche‘s character concerns have caused some teams to take him off their draft boards, and one NFC West general manager sounds like he’s employed by one of them. “Take Nkemdiche out of your mock drafts,” the GM said, per Miller. “No one is that stupid.”
After releasing Mike Wallace earlier this week, the Vikings are expected to target receivers early in the draft, and one player to keep an eye on could be Josh Doctson of TCU, per Miller, as a team source tells the Bleacher Report scribe that Minnesota has a high grade on Horned Frog pass-catcher.
Linebacker Reggie Ragland struggled during his Pro Day, and could now possibly fall to the second round. One scout told Miller that the Alabama product looked “slow, sluggish, and heavy” during his workout.
Another Alabama defender — defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson — is viewed as a two-down run-stopper, and therefore might fall out of the first round.
Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez is earning good reports from NFL scouts, says Miller, and he’s moved up enough draft boards that he could now be a late first-round pick.
Some teams are wary of running back Devontae Booker because the Utah product has undergone two surgeries to clean up a torn meniscus.

Extra Points: Vernon, Crosby, Bears, Draft

February 29th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fate of defensive end Olivier Vernon will shape how the Dolphins approach their offseason, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the franchise tag ($15.7MM) or transition tag ($12.7MM) on Vernon. But doing either of those things would make it especially difficult for them to keep fellow pass rusher Cameron Wake and running back Lamar Miller, which they want to do. If he hits the open market, Vernon could end up with a long-term deal in the range of $12MM to $14MM annually, per Beasley, who adds there’s an outside possibility Miami will slap the franchise tag on the 25-year-old and then trade him.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Packers are unlikely to use the $4.572MM franchise tag on longtime kicker Mason Crosby, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As of last week, there was optimism the Packers and Crosby would agree on a contract and render the tag unnecessary. If that doesn’t happen by March 7, Crosby will be free to start negotiating with other teams.
Even though he’s coming off a personal-best eight-sack season, the Bears could release edge rusher Lamarr Houston, one well-placed AFC executive told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cutting Houston would open up over $4MM of cap space for the Bears this year. When PFR’s Dallas Robinson previewed the Bears’ offseason earlier this month, he named Houston as a possibility for the chopping block.
Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche has visits with 19 teams set up, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootall.com. That number has increased from the 15 Pauline reported Sunday.

Draft Rumors: QBs, Treadwell, Nkemdiche

February 28th, 2016 at 9:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

If the Browns take the fast-rising Carson Wentz at No. 2, a longtime personnel executive informs Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com there’s a possibility three quarterbacks go off the board in the first seven picks.

This source believes Jared Goff falling to No. 4 would entice the Cowboys to select him and that the 49ers would be tempted to take Paxton Lynch at No. 7 to give a highly touted quarterback the chance to learn Chip Kelly‘s system from Day 1 as opposed to the veterans who were installed in Kelly’s offense in Philadelphia either after playing in Andy Reid‘s or another team’s attack.

Here’s the latest coming out of the prospect pool as the Combine winds down.

The notion Laquon Treadwell‘s more of a possession receiver has emerged at the Combine, Robinson reports. Some league personnel are wondering if the Ole Miss first-round prospect’s future is more of a No. 2 wideout and red zone-type threat than a high-ceiling No. 1 that teams take in the top half of the first round, where the early-entry receiver’s expected to be drafted.
Robert Nkemdiche‘s character concerns have caused the one-time No. 1 recruit in the country to be taken off of multiple teams’ draft boards. But Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports (on Twitter) the Ole Miss defensive lineman already has 15 visits arranged.
Teams will be concerned of potential nerve damage lingering for former potential No. 1 overall pick Jaylon Smith, Sal Maiorana of USA Today notes. But the Bills could be in play for the Notre Dame prospect if he falls to No. 19, with the team lacking a game-changing linebacker. Although Buffalo’s past taking a player not expected to contribute that season — Willis McGahee in 2003 — doesn’t apply too much here, Todd Gurley proved such a gamble can pay off.
Although Joey Bosa‘s Combine numbers were eerily similar to J.J. Watt‘s, the 20-year-old prospect underwhelmed with a 4.86 40-yard dash time. But the Browns are considering Bosa with their No. 2 pick, along with Wentz and Goff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Bosa, who met with the Browns, was expected to run faster considering he’ll likely have to play linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Draft Notes: Cowboys, Nkemdiche, Jets

January 27th, 2016 at 9:58pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, your Twitter timeline is probably chock full of news about teams meeting with top draft prospects. Of course, a team meeting with a prospect actually means very little, as Mike McCartney explained in a succinct tweet on Tuesday: “Senior Bowl Pet Peeve: EVERY player here meets with EVERY team.”

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we have opted against sharing every single meeting between NFL teams and draft prospects, opting instead to bring you only the most important and relevant draft news. With that in mind, here’s today’s look at the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft:

Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche had a weird incident in 2015 but teams are still evaluating him like he’s a top five pick, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Specifically, the Cowboys are taking a hard look at him and so are the Chargers. Nkemdiche boasts tremendous size and moves like a tight end, so it’s not hard for teams to overlook some off-the-field red flags. For his part, Miller sees him as a strong fit for Dallas but also feels that the Titans are a logical destination. However, that doesn’t mean that Tennessee will reach and take him No. 1 overall.
The Jets spent a lot of time with Boise State safety Darian Thompson on Wednesday morning, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Thompson grades out as a second or third round prospect, per Pauline.
Thompson, Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis and OSU wide receiver Braxton Miller are drawing rave reviews from scouts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Cowboys spent a great deal of time with Southern Utah defensive back Miles Killebrew, according to Pauline (link).
A top NFL personnel exec at the Senior Bowl opined to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter) that the Browns should take quarterback Carson Wentz at No. 2. “They’d be set for 15 years,” the anonymous exec said.