NFL Player News

A six-year college player, Blackmon (5’11/178) took a circuitous route to USC. He started at the College of Mateo in California before spending four years at Colorado and transferring to USC as a graduate before the 2022 season. While at CU he was a consistent contributor and Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 performer. His play reached another level with the Trojans in 2022, as he led the P12 with 15 PBU, which was three less than his entire four-year tenure with the Buffs, and 66 tackles en route to being named First Team All-Pac-12 with an elite 90.6 PFF defensive grade. Blackmon isn’t a speed demon, but his transitions are clean and he is adept at walling off receivers with proper body positioning. Noticeably active with his hands with pulls and tugs that might not fly at the next level, which could be a problem since he lacks ideal size. He does a good job dipping his shoulder and avoiding blockers in run support. His ramp up speed is elite as is evidenced by his 1.47 10-yard split (98th percentile), while the rest of his tests were average for a 7.44 RAS. Blackmon looks more comfortable outside than in the slot and could compete for reps quickly, but may not have the ceiling of his younger counterparts.

Hill was quiet through the game’s first quarter but he eventually began to rack up catches in the second. Hill is still plenty spry but he was unable to separate from Denzel Ward on what would have been a monstrous catch-and-run score, instead settling for an explosive gain as Ward eventually pulled him down post-catch. In an effort to facilitate big plays however possible, Mike McDaniel allowed Hill to join the punt return squad. He fielded one for 18 yards. Hill is a high-end WR2 against the Jets in Week 18 though his target share would be mildly threatened if Jaylen Waddle (knee) returns.

Huntley executed Mike McDaniel’s game plan effectively, dinking and dunking his way downfield from start to finish. He threw short of the sticks on 61.5 percent of his passes but received helpful yardage boosts from his speedy running backs and tight ends. Huntley’s best play was all his own though; a 13-yard rushing score in which he shook three would-be tacklers before leaping into the end zone. Had the Dolphins faced a high-powered offense, it is unlikely Huntley could have delivered the win but credit to him for beating the opponent he was given. Huntley is a mildly intriguing QB2 if he gets the start against the Jets in Week 18.