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NFL DRAFT POSITIONAL PREVIEW

RATINGS (R) Below is the rating system used by nfl.com to rank players: DRAFT INFO DRAFT ORDER
April 23: First round 1. Cincinnati
9.00-10: Once-in-a-lifetime player 5.20-5.49: NFL backup or special April 24: Rounds 2-3 2. Washington
8.00-8.99: Perennial All-Pro teams potential April 25: Rounds 4-7 3. Detroit
7.50-7.99: Future All-Pro 5.01-5.19: Better than average chance 4. N.Y. Giants
7.00-7.49: Pro Bowl-caliber player to make NFL roster >> Player comments from former 5. Miami
6.50-6.99: Chance to become Pro Bowl-caliber player 5.00: 50/50 chance to make roster long-time NFL scout, via phone 6. L.A. Chargers
6.00-6.49: Should become instant starter 4.75-4.99: Should be in an NFL interview with the Star-Advertiser’s 7. Carolina
5.50-5.99: Chance to become NFL starter training camp Curtis Murayama 8. Arizona

KEY: 40 40-yard dash BP Bench press reps of 225 pounds VJ Vertical in inches BJ Broad jump in inches 3C 3-cone drills SS 20-yard short shuttle R Rating from nfl.com

Chase Young, Ohio State

“Young is Myles Garrett. He’s not physical at all. They just
turn the guy loose. Against the run, people push him
around. He plays the 5 technique there (at Ohio State). In
the National Football League, he’ll probably end up as a 7
(outside the tight end).”

K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU

“I think he’s a full-time player, I got him at linebacker, sec-
ond best (after Isaiah Simmons).
“Chaisson, he is a really excellent player. I thought he was
a top-10 guy. To me he’s full-time, he can play the run, he
plays with good pad level, leverage and strength against the
run and he can play in space.”

Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State

“Gross-Matos has talent, has an explosive takeoff, but
he’s not physical.”

A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (left)

“He is actually a better all-around
football player (than Young), but then
he goes to the combine and runs a
5.07. It wouldn’t worry me, but he
plays a 5 technique there and he actu-
ally has to play through blocks, has to
play with pad level, leverage, and has ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS
to shed blocks and they don’t turn
him loose. So I guess he’ll probably K’Lavon Chaisson of LSU has the ability to play all downs and is “a top-10 guy,” according to an NFL scout.
end up being more of a base end.”

Terrell Lewis, Alabama

“I thought he was the best of their pass rushers.”
Jabari Zuniga, Florida
“He’s hurt all the time. Played 60 plays this year.”
Josh Uche, Michigan
“He’s got some talent, got an explosive first step, but
once you get hands on him, he just stops. He doesn’t start
for them. Has some pass-rush ability because of his initial
quickness; he’s got no technique, he can drop… and can
flip his hips.”
Jonathan Greenard, Florida
“He’s a really good player, but he comes up and runs a
4.9. I know that upsets people, but you know what Michael
Strahan ran for me? A 5.01. You know what Terrell Suggs ran
for me? A 4.95.
“How often are they going to be running 40 yards? The
key thing is the first two steps and they get the tackle
DEFENSIVE ENDS / EDGE RUSHERS
PLAYER, SCHOOL, CLASS HT. WT. ARM HAND 40 BP VJ BJ 3C SS R
Chase Young, Ohio State, Jr. 6-5 264 333⁄4 10 na na na na na na 7.37
K’Lavon Chaisson, lb, LSU, RS-So. 6-4 254 321⁄4 97⁄8 na na na na na na 6.88
Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State, Jr. 6-5 266 347⁄8 93⁄4 na 20 34 120 na na 6.50
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa, Jr. 6-6 275 341⁄2 101⁄8 5.04 17 32.5 117 7.34 4.46 6.38
Terrell Lewis, lb, Alabama, RS-Jr. 6-5 262 337⁄8 97⁄8 na na 37 124 na na 6.35
Alton Robinson, Syracuse, Sr. 6-3 264 323⁄8 91⁄4 4.69 25 35.5 119 7.32 4.32 6.33
Jabari Zuniga, Florida, RS-Sr. 6-3 264 327⁄8 103⁄8 4.64 29 33 127 na na 6.31
Anfernee Jennings, Alabama, RS-Sr. 6-2 256 327⁄8 91⁄8 na na na na na na 6.27
Julian Okwara, Notre Dame, Sr. 6-4 252 343⁄8 101⁄4 na 27 na na na na 6.26
Joshua Uche, lb, Michigan, Sr. 6-1 245 335⁄8 91⁄2 na 18 na na na na 6.26
Jason Strowbridge, North Carolina, Sr. 6-4 275 323⁄8 101⁄8 4.89 26 31 113 7.45 4.37 6.23
Trevis Gipson, Tulsa, RS-Sr. 6-3 261 337⁄8 95⁄8 na 25 na na na na 6.22
Jonathan Greenard, Florida, RS-Sr. 6-4 263 347⁄8 91⁄4 4.87 22 30.5 113 7.13 4.34 6.21
Darrell Taylor, lb, Tennessee, RS-Sr. 6-4 267 33 93⁄4 na na na na na na 6.16
Curtis Weaver, lb, Boise State, RS-Jr. 6-3 265 323⁄8 10 na na 32.5 116 7 4.27 6.10
Bradlee Anae, Utah, Sr. 6-3 257 321⁄8 101⁄8 4.93 25 31 115 7.44 4.43 6.10
Jonathan Garvin, Miami (Fla.), Jr. 6-4 263 34 95⁄8 4.82 23 36 125 na na 6.00
Alex Highsmith, Charlotte, RS-Sr. 6-3 248 33 ⁄8 91⁄8 4.7 na 33 125 7.32 4.31 5.99
1

turned and they can dip or run around the guy.”

Kenny Willekes, Michigan State, RS-Sr. 6-3 264 311⁄4 91⁄2 4.87 32 32.5 119 7.39 na 5.50

Darrell Taylor, Tennessee Ohio State and that made him a first-round guy. I com-
“He has a lot of talent.”
Bradlee Anae, Utah, Kahuku pared him (Highsmith) to Mack. It’s all about the same,
“Anae, once people get their hands on him, he just stops. except the speed. Mack ran a 4.6 and this guy ran a
I thought he would run faster than he ran (4.93). He’s not
Curtis Weaver, Boise State physical, but he does have a really good first step. I thought
4.73.”

“He’s really stiff. I have him at defensive end because he
really struggles in space. He has a knack for avoiding peo-
ple. I watched him in six tapes: Against Hawaii the first time
he had pressures and no sacks; against BYU he had a sack;
against Wyoming he had two sacks; against Florida State he
had one sack. He’s not explosive and he’s really tight in the
hips.”
he would run 4.7 at worst. His shuttle and 3 cone not great, Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
just OK.”
“He’s a try-hard guy. He goes and goes and goes. You kind
of have to admire him. Gives you everything he has. The
Alex Highsmith, Charlotte guy’s an overachiever, and those guys end up staying on
“When I saw him, he had a nice game against Clemson. the team because the coaches like them because they bust
I remember seeing Khalil Mack open the season against their tails.”

SCOREBOARD
ON THE AIR
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CALENDAR
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TRANSACTIONS
FOOTBALL
National Football League
CHICAGO BEARS — Signed LB Barkevi-
ous Mingo to a one-year contract. Re-
signed LB Isaiah Irving to a one-year
contract.
DETROIT LIONS — Agreed to terms with
CB Darryl Roberts.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — Signed Damar-
ious Randall to a one-year contract.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — Signed WR
Travis Benjamin and OL Tom Compton to
one-year contracts.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Re-
signed QB Blaine Gabbert.
HAWAII BEAT
Rainbow Wahine
sign Springborn
The Rainbow Wahine vol-
leyball team announced the
signing of Siena Springborn
on Friday.
Springborn, who stands 6
feet tall, was a three-year let-
ter winner and two-time all-
league first-teamer for
Newport Harbor (Calif.) and
was a captain for the Sailors
last year.
———
Star-Advertiser staff
WIRED
NFL
Buccaneers re-sign Gabbert
to back up Brady
TAMPA, FLA. >> The Tampa Bay Bucca-
neers have re-signed free-agent backup
quarterback Blaine Gabbert to a one-year
contract.
The 10th-year veteran spent all of last
season on injured reserve after hurting
his shoulder during the preseason.
Gabbert signed with the Bucs last year Brandon Morrow, Jonathan Lucroy and
after spending the first eight seasons of
his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars,
San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans
and Arizona Cardinals.
49ers sign Benjamin, Compton
to one-year free-agent deals
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. >> Wide receiver
Travis Benjamin and offensive lineman
Tom Compton have signed one-year
deals with the NFC champion San Fran-
cisco 49ers.
Benjamin is a ninth-year pro who has
caught 19 touchdown passes and re-
turned four punts for scores in his eight
NFL seasons. Compton has played in 101 aging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per
career games, including 14 for the Jets.
MLB
Big leaguers with minor league
deals get up to $50,000
NEW YORK >> About 370 players who
were at big league spring training with mi-
nor league contracts will get advance pay- women’s award.
ments of up to $50,000 each from the
Major League Baseball Players Association. Associated Press
NEWBERRY
Farm Arena, sandwiched be-
tween the stadium and the
The money approved Friday by the
park, adding to an already
union’s executive board will be in addi- Continued from B7
tantalizing lineup of hoops
tion to $400 weekly allowances being
and tunes.
paid to all minor leaguers through May Dayton’s high-flying star,
Now, nothing.
31 by Major League Baseball. AP player of the year Obi
No buzzer-beating shots.
Among the players eligible for pay- Toppin, won’t be back next
No dazzling dunks.
ments from Friday’s allocation are Félix season either. He gave up
No disputed calls.
Hernández, Matt Kemp, Pablo Sandoval, his final two years of eligibil-
Not even a single shining
Neil Walker, Derek Holland, Jerry ity and will likely be one of
moment.
Blevins, Edwin Jackson, Chris Iannetta, the top picks in the draft.
“We put in a lot of lot of
For Dayton, the Final Four
work the last two years,”
Trevor Cahill. window has likely closed.
Corso said Friday in a tele-
But we should make sure
NCAA BASKETBALL this special team will never phone interview. “Today, we
Dayton’s Toppin wins be forgotten, even without a were going to see it come to
fruition.”
Naismith Trophy title on its resume.
“Although we feel like For Atlanta, this was sup-
ATLANTA >> Dayton forward Obi Toppin posed to be its fifth time
there was more for us to try
was awarded the Naismith Trophy as hosting the Final Four. The
to accomplish over the
college basketball’s most outstanding course of the season, there’s city likely won’t get another
player. shot until 2027, since the
nothing that can take away
Toppin was named the Naismith Tro- NCAA has already doled out
what these young men did
phy winner on Friday, adding to an award out on the court throughout its signature event for the
collection that includes national player of the entire season,” coach next six years.
the year by the Associated Press. Anthony Grant said. Out of fairness, the orga-
Toppin had a breakout sophomore nization should seriously
While the Final Four was
season for the third-ranked Flyers, aver- consider pushing everyone
the star attraction, this
weekend in Atlanta would’ve back a year, so the A-T-L can
game while shooting 63%. get a do-over in 2021.
been so much more.
Dayton’s Anthony Grant also swept A series of free concerts But that doesn’t seem to
Naismith and AP honors as the national were set to be held at Cen- be an option.
coach of the year after the Flyers won tennial Olympic Park, Unfortunately, there’s no
their third Atlantic 10 championship in capped off by one of Taylor getting back this Final Four.
five years. Swift’s few live perfor- It’s gone.
Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu won the mances in 2020. Forever.
On Sunday, the NCAA Di- ———
——— vision II and III title games Paul Newberry writes
were scheduled for State for the Associated Press