NFL Player News

Roby, 29, lost his kick-return job in New Orleans last season, but did make eight special teams tackles. He hasn’t caught a pass since the ’09 campaign.

West (6’1/316) honed his craft at Kent State for the first four years of his collegiate tenure, starting 12 contests with 40 tackles, 7.0 TFLs and 80th+ percentile grades in both the run and pass phases of the game. He transferred to Indiana last year and continued to ascend with 7.5 TFLs, a 11.4-percent run stop rate and an elite 88.1 run defense grade. He blazed a 4.95s 40-yard dash (88th-percentile) with a 33” vertical (93rd-percentile) and 28 bench reps (76th-percentile) for an excellent 9.16 RAS. His lack of height and length is offset by West’s quick first step, high motor and lateral agility. He’s always grinding to get off blocks and working counters to shoot gaps and stuff run plays. His sawed-off proportions make it difficult for him to beat blockers to first contact on the rush, but he’s able to hold ground and disengage to make plays in run support. West has early down rotational potential if he can cut down on his 17.6-percent career missed tackle rate.

A decorated three-year starter, Stutsman (6’3/233) barnstormed the Big 12 as a sophomore in 2022, leading the conference with 125 tackles in addition to 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, and five PBUs. He went on to lead the Sooners in tackles three straight years while making First Team All-B12 and SEC in each of the last two seasons. The two-time AP All-American was a Butkus Award Finalist last year and unleashed a scorching 96th percentile 4.52s 40-yard dash at the Combine. Stutsman is a smart, downhill middle linebacker who is quick to diagnose plays and adept at slipping blocks. A virtuoso run stopper who accrued 55 stops with a superb 91st percentile run defense grade, but he lacks the ability to mirror receivers in coverage. Stutsman will be a solid early-down MLB but it remains to be seen if he can stay on the field in long-yardage situations.

Robinson (6’5/288) is a Nebraska program guy through-and-through, having spent six years on the Cornhuskers’ defensive line. He lined up all over the formation from the A-gap through the edge, with the majority of his reps coming at three tech. Robinson failed to make an impression on NFL teams during his first five years on campus, with his highest defensive grade being a 59th percentile mark for his performance in 2022. He made the most of his sixth year, accruing 42 pressures with 12.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks en route to earning a commendable 75.1 defensive grade with a 10.4 percent pass rush win rate. He excelled in Combine testing, running a scorching 4.83s 40-yard dash (97th percentile), 4.50s shuttle (88th percentile) and an incredible 33.5” vertical (95th percentile for a near perfect 9.89 Relative Athletic Score. Robinson’s on-field play finally caught up to his freaky traits last year, as he assaulted opposing blockers with a well-developed tool chest of pass rush moves and a ferocious bull rush. He plays a little high, exposing his chest and can overpursue at times, but Robinson has shown the toughness and aptitude to log high-leverage snaps at the next level.

Smith will likely be a gadget wideout or a kick returner for the Jets, with little chance to become a staple in three-receiver sets. A limited production profile that spans five college seasons will immediately work against Smith’s (6’0/179) long-term outlook. The former four-star prospect finally broke out for 48-817-4 in 2024, but caught just 20 passes for 539 yards and six touchdowns during his first four seasons with the Bulldogs. A lanky receiver who possesses 4.36 speed, Smith, a former college sprinter, is best utilized as a field stretcher at the next level. He saw 35.7 percent of his career targets come on throws of 20-plus yards, per PFF. His career 19.9 YPR speaks to his ability to break off the occasional big play, but his 19 percent targets per route run also highlights his boom-or-bust potential. For a player with elite speed like Smith, it’s not a good sign that he was never given the opportunity to serve as a return man, although he has plenty of experience on punt/kick coverage. Far from a sure-handed receiver (16 percent drop rate), we’ve seen players like Smith earn NFL roles – see Marquez Valdes-Scantling. That said, their roles tend to be limited and often prove to be replaceable over time. Smith’s speed and athleticism (9.20 RAS) will make him an enticing player and are certain to wow people in camp.

A very, very large man, Walker (6’7/331) arrived on campus in 2022 as a fully formed interior defensive lineman with a basketball background and proceeded to earn Freshman All-American recognition with 40 tackles and an 81st% pass rush grade. He officially broke out in 2023 when he generated 12.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 55 tackles and a sensational FBS-leading 51 pressures while lining up at three tech and over tackle. The Second Team All-SEC DT played in the A-gap more often last year and suffered a back injury which affected his production recording 22 pressures with a modest 71st% defensive grade. Walker also didn’t test particularly well with sub-20th percentiles 40-yard dash, 10-yard split and vertical jump marks for a lowly 3.75 Relative Athletic Score. He was most effective at three tech where he could take advantage of 1-on-1 outside matchups and outmaneuver opponents with his sheer size and power. Long 34.¼” arms help him engulf rushers and he’s agile enough to circumvent blockers and create havoc. His long cut frame makes it difficult to get low and drive blockers, and he sometimes will give low-effort when stuck on blocks. While there are effort and weight concerns, Walker has the prototypical combination of length and girth to be a linchpin member of a successful NFL defensive line.

Between two seasons at Oregon and two seasons at Tennessee, Thornton (6’5/205) was a low-volume target earner with big plays. His final season at Tennessee saw Thornton lead the FBS with 25.4 yards per reception. Thornton is tall with speed; he ran a 4.30 40-yard dash, No. 2 among wide receivers at the NFL Combine. He doesn’t run a complex route tree and has low-volume production throughout his college career, making him an uncertain outside-receiving prospect. NFL teams can find use for his vertical ability as Thornton profiles best as a one-dimensional field stretcher at the next level.

A true program leader for the Irish, Kiser (6’2/231) spent six years in South Bend as a special teams ace who started 18 games in his first five seasons as a rotational player. He started all 16 games during ND’s National Championship run, leading the team with 90 tackles and a smothering 4.6-percent missed tackle rate that ranked second-best among all P4 linebackers. Notre Dame’s all-time leader with 70 career games played thanks to the pandemic exemption, he will be a ripe 25 years old when the NFL season starts. Kiser has a respectable athletic profile with a 7.68 RAS, but his stubby 30 3/8th” arms could present a problem taking on blockers at the next level. The team captain quickly identifies opposing play designs and is an expert finisher in the run game once he hones in on his target. His versatility is a plus, as Kiser’s ample special teams experience should help him stick around on NFL rosters despite a less than ideal physical profile.

A three-year starter in Cal’s 2-4-5 base, Woodson was a steadying presence in the Golden Bears’ secondary and finished his career with 215 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and 5 INTs. He lined up all over the field, showing versatility at nickel, boundary safety, and in the box. Woodson posted a strong 88.5 overall PFF grade in 2024, backed by an elite 83.1 tackling score and 88.0 in run defense. His 8.76 RAS confirms that his athletic profile—4.45 forty, 36” vert, 10’7” broad—translates. While he’s not flashy, Woodson plays with savvy processing speed, changes direction fluidly, and reads quarterback eyes with veteran discipline. He doesn’t possess elite range or take-on power in the box, but his consistency and instincts flash on tape. Add in 450 special teams snaps and a rep as an “A-plus person,” and you’ve got a ready-made contributor and core four special-teamer with dime safety upside.

Skattebo (5’10/219) missed his freshman season at Sacramento State due to the COVID-19 pandemic but made up for lost time over the next two seasons with 1,892 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns at 7.5 yards per carry. He then transferred to Arizona State where he ran for 783 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. Skattebo went from a solid committee back to an elite workhorse in his final season. He racked up 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns on 293 carries. He had been an asset in the passing game before 2024 but became a weapon in his final season, totaling 605 yards and three touchdowns on 45 receptions. Skattebo wasn’t much of a home run threat but was impossible to bring down, breaking over 100 tackles while averaging 4.1 yards after contact. He was also extremely efficient as a receiver, averaging just shy of two yards per route run. Skattebo was expected to run a slow 40 at the combine and ultimately opted out entirely, though he did excel in the burst measurables. He later recorded a 4.65 Forty at his Pro Day. It’s a slow time for an NFL back but far from a death sentence. Skattebo’s lack of top-end speed will hurt him in the pros, but he is a high-success rate runner with elite receiving production. That type of player doesn’t struggle to find work in the NFL.

Tuten (5’9/206) got his start at North Carolina A&T and transferred to Virginia Tech after running for 1,363 rushing yards and 13 scores as a sophomore. He led the Hokies with 863 yards and 10 touchdowns on 173 attempts in his first season with the team. Tuten truly broke out in his final season with 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns on 183 attempts. He caught over 20 passes in back-to-back seasons but was held to 81 receiving yards in 2024 after going for 239 in his junior campaign. On top of the receiving production, Tuten also returned kicks as a junior and took two to the house. His speed was on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.32 Forty. Both of his burst measurables came in above the 97th percentile, though he struggled in the short shuttle with a 4.41-second (35th percentile) time. That roughly describes who Tuten is as a runner. He’s a one-cut speed demon in the mold of Raheem Mostert. Tuten could have a tough time carving out a role in his rookie year, after landing in a backfield that features Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. With Etienne’s contract set to expire after the 2025 season, though, Tuten’s training camp reports are worth keeping a curious eye on.