NFL Player News

Ryan’s job is safe through 2013, but he’s pressing on without OC Tony Sparano, GM Mike Tannenbaum and Pettine -- whose contract expired after the 2012 season. Pettine is interviewing for the Bills’ defensive coordinator position Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Jets are expected to promote secondary coach Dennis Thurman to defensive coordinator. “I don’t think I’ve done as good a job of implementing who I am throughout this team,” Ryan said. “I want a physical, aggressive, attack style.”

A steady five-year contributor and three-year starter in Stillwater, Black brings ideal size (6’0”, 192) and legit speed (4.35 forty) to the outside cornerback spot. His 8.42 RAS is headlined by elite vertical (39”) and speed scores, showcasing his potential as a man-zone hybrid corner with closing burst. Black posted career highs as a senior—3 INTs, 9 PBUs—and was one of the few bright spots on a porous Oklahoma State defense. He plays with eye balance and flashes route anticipation, but his recovery agility (4.34 shuttle, 7.01 3-cone) is only average, making him vulnerable to sharp route breaks. Black can get grabby when beat and is late to locate the ball at times, but he’s physical, competitive, and experienced in multiple coverages. He also brings special teams value as a former gunner. Black comes with CB4 potential and developmental starter tools in press or Cover 3 schemes.

Croskey-Merritt (5'10/206) played just one game at Arizona due to eligibility issues after spending one season with New Mexico and four seasons with Alabama State. He tallied 189 carries for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns with New Mexico in 2023 and had 13 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown in his singular game for Arizona. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler describes Croskey-Merritt as “a slippery runner with explosive feet.” He can be a change-of-pace back if he makes the Commanders’ roster as a rookie.

Lovett (5’10/185) is an undersized receiver who has three 600-plus yard seasons on his resumé. While his production was never elite, Lovett carved out a role as a reliable slot receiver who can create extra yards after the catch. Over his last three seasons, Lovett played 84.8 percent of his snaps from the slot while averaging a respectable 6.7 YAC/REC. Often operating near the line of scrimmage, Lovett’s targets during his two years at Georgia garnered him an ADOT below 7.0, but he’s often praised for his route running and ability to fight for the ball in contested situations. His ability to contribute to the special teams coverage unit will give him a chance to see the field right away while he adjusts to the NFL game, but Lovett should eventually earn a look as the primary slot receiver.

A four-year SEC starter with positional versatility and a rugged demeanor, Garrett Dellinger brings a high floor and scheme flexibility to the next level. Dellinger logged snaps at LT, LG, and C across his LSU career, showcasing functional strength and technical consistency, particularly in pass protection where he allowed just one sack over his final two seasons. Despite lacking ideal length (33” arms) and lateral range, his 9.76 RAS shows a surprisingly strong athletic foundation, especially in explosiveness (32” vert, 9’2” broad). He’s a composed technician who thrives in double teams and short pulls but struggles against longer defenders and late movement. Durability is a concern—he missed 11 games across three seasons, including the back half of 2024 due to ankle surgery. Best fit is in a power/gap scheme where his play strength, mental processing, and blue-collar attitude can shine as a reliable interior depth piece with spot-start potential.

Lohner (6'7"/256) is a former basketball player who transferred to Utah for the 2024 season and received his first taste of football action. The former forward played in 12 games for the Utes last season, catching four passes for 54 yards and four touchdowns. It goes without saying that Lohner will have the height to become an immediate end zone threat, but he’s a clear development prospect who will be a long shot to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster.

He will join a fairly crowded LA wide receiver room, with little chance of being a factor in the team’s passing offense in 2025. Inconsistencies in Mumpfield’s (5’11/186) play have followed him for much of his career. A reliable contributor who posted a 63-749-8 line as a true freshman at Akron, Mumpfield surpassed 500 yards in each of his four college seasons, but never showed traits of a dominant No. 1 receiver (career .215 TPRR). He topped out with a line of 52-813-5 in 2024 with Pittsburgh, leading the team, but never stood out amongst his fellow receivers during his three seasons with the team. Known more for his route running than his athletic abilities (4.59 40-time, 6.35 RAS), Mumpfield can play both out wide (54.6 percent snap rate) and in the slot (46.1 percent slot rate). He averaged a pedestrian 4.4 YAC/REC for his career, per PFF, and his 1.71 career YPRR puts him on the lower end of prospects taken in recent years. Overall, Mumpfield profiles as a player who could eventually turn into a contributing role player.

Allen (6’0/204) spent his entire three-year career at Syracuse, but saw minimal production as a freshman while playing behind current Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker. In 2024, Allen took the lead in Syracuse’s backfield and immediately rushed for 245-1,064-9 while adding another 38-210-1 through the air. He saw similar production on the ground in 2024 (228-1,021-16), but saw far more receiving production, finishing the year with a line of 64-521-4. His 64 receptions led all FBS backs last season, while his 8.3 YPR ranked 21st amongst FBS backs (min. 50 targets). Allen’s rushing production leaves a lot to be desired. In his two years as a starter, Allen averaged a meager 4.4 YPC and was average when it came to creating yards after contact (3.18 YCO/ATT). His tendency to run upright isn’t doing him any favors, either. Allen’s ability to contribute in the passing game – both as a receiver and pass-blocker, and on special teams is what will give him a chance to make an impact on a roster early on. It’s worth noting, per PFF, that Allen lined up out wide or in the slot on 191 passing down snaps in his career.

Prather (6’4/204) started his college career with two seasons at West Virginia before transferring to Maryland for his final two seasons. He was an outside receiver for the Terrapins, catching 56 passes for 624 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Prather has a tall frame and good straight-line speed to be a downfield threat. He tested with the lowest vertical and broad jumps among wide receivers at the NFL combine, showing a lack of explosiveness that prevents him from being a consistent separator or contested catch receiver. If he can play special teams at the NFL level, Prather may be able to stick to a roster and enter a pass-catching rotation as a lanky outside receiver.

Mafah (6’1/234) is one of the bigger backs in this year’s class. The former Clemson Tiger joins the pro ranks after four collegiate seasons, and led the team in rushing in each of his final two years, and leaves school with a career rushing line of 561-2,887-28. Despite his imposing size, Mafah is little more than an average back when it comes to creating yards after contact and breaking tackles. In his final season, he forced a missed tackle on just 16.3 percent of his carries, although that could be partially blamed on a shoulder injury he suffered late in the year. He’s more of an early-down, between-the-tackles grinder than a back who will excel on runs to the outside, and he never caught more than 21 passes in a season. Mafah’s single-season receiving yardage total tops out at 108 yards. His best chance at NFL success will be in an early-down role, but special teams will likely also be a factor. With only 117 special teams snaps on his resumé and only one of them coming on kick coverage, Mafah could face an uphill battle to make a 53-man roster if he doesn’t stand out amongst his backfield competition in camp.