The Baltimore Ravens selected former Penn State edge rusher Adisa Isaac on Friday night, in the third-Round of the 2024 NFL Draft, adding a productive pass-rush presence to the front seven. Isaac, 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, arrives in Baltimore after the most prolific season of his collegiate career, posting a career-best 7.5 sacks with 16 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 37 total tackles. In Baltimore, Isaac joins fellow former Nittany Lion Odafe Oweh, and walks into a disruptive pass-rush along the Ravens’ front-seven. Across four seasons in Happy Valley, Isaac logged 14.5 sacks, 31.5 tackles…
Author: Matt Lombardo
Matt Lombardo
Matt Lombardo is a seasoned NFL reporter, with over 12 years of experience covering the league. In addition to his work at Gridiron Heroics, Lombardo covers the NFL for Heavy.com, is an on air sports contributor for FOX29 Philadelphia, and writes an NFL Substack "Between The Hashmarks." Lombardo is the former Senior NFL Insider of FanBuzz, and prior to taking that role was a national NFL reporter at FanSided where he hosted a weekly podcast "The Matt Lombardo Show." A former beat reporter for NJ Advance Media (Parent company of NJ.com and the Newark Star Ledger), Lombardo covered the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 through the 2017 season before moving to cover the New York Giants for the Star Ledger for two seasons from 2018 through 2020. During his career to date, Lombardo has covered five Super Bowls, four NFL Drafts, multiple NFL Combines, and has had his work frequently featured in publications such as Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, and more. In addition to his journalism work, Lombardo is a strong on air presence and is a former sports talk radio host on 97.5 FM The Fanatic, Philadelphia's first FM Sports Station and the radio home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Buffalo Bills selected Utah safety Cole Bishop with the No. 60 overall pick during the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night adding an athletic presence into the secondary. Last season, Bishop produced 60 total tackles with two interceptions, and showed he wasn’t afraid to throw his weight around near the line of scrimmage by posting three sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 60 total tackles. Given what the Bills have lost in free agency in the secondary this offseason, Bishop has the opportunity to play quality snaps immediately while growing into a role as the…
The Washington Commanders selected Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton with the 36 overall pick on Friday night, dropping a space-eating run-stuffer into the trenches who’s more than capable of providing a steady and disruptive interior pass rush. “I’m a very big believer in Newton,” an NFL Scout told me of the Commanders” new defensive tackle. “I think he has the potential to be the most dominant defender in this class, when all is said and done.” Last season in Illinois, Newton produced a career-high 7.5 sacks with 8.5 tackles for loss, underscoring his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield.…
As the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft looms, the Kansas City Chiefs have the opportunity to fortify the offensive line in front of Patrick Mahomes, after dropping one of this class’s elite burners into the MVP quarterback’s arsenal in Round 1. Now that general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs added Xavier Worthy to significantly upgrade the receiving corps, it could be time to add quality depth in the trenches in the second round. According to Pro Football Focus’ Josh Liskiewitz, Notre Dame offensive tackle Blake Fisher is an ideal fit for the Chiefs on Friday night. Fisher…
The 2024 NFL Draft featured a run on quarterbacks and elite offensive tackles at the top of the board, which pushed several top prospects into the bottom half of the first round, and there remains significant talent available ahead of the second round getting underway. Here’s a look at the top-10 prospects still available ahead of Day 2 of the NFL Draft: Best Remaining Prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft 1. Cooper Dejean, CB, Iowa DeJean had a strong case as the top cornerback in this NFL Draft class, prior to the draft, and he might be the most versatile.…
The Baltimore Ravens chose Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the No. 30 overall pick in the first round round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, adding an immediate playmaker to the secondary. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Wiggins is a twitchy cornerback who played at a consistently high level across his three seasons at Clemson. Last season, Wiggins intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown while breaking up six passes and tying a career-high with 29 total tackles. Thanks to the ideal length that defensive coordinators covet, and outsized athleticism, Wiggins now has the opportunity to immediately…
The Arizona Cardinals chose Mizzouri edge rusher Darius Robinson with the No. 27 overall pick in the first-Round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Robinson, 6-foot-5 and 296 pounds, was one of the bigger risers of the pre-draft season, after logging a career-high 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss during a standout 2023 campaign for the Tigers. “If you want a round 1 sleeper to watch,” an AFC scouting director tells me. “Darius Robinson, the defensive lineman from Missouri is a very versatile player that can line up at multiple spots, play all three downs, and has…
The Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL world, by selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 5 overall selection in the NFL Draft, including starting quarterback Kirk Cousins whom the Falcons just signed this offseason. According to a report from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Mike McCartney, Cousins’ agent, was not given a heads-up that the Falcons were going to take Penix Jr. It is one thing to select a rookie quarterback to potentially groom as the face of the franchise for years to come, but it is something a bit different to do so without giving the veteran quarterback already on…
The NFL Draft kicks off at 8 p.m. Thursday, and in the final moments before the first selection is made, there is a feeling inside the league that one of the top quarterback prospects is higher on boards than the media and the public believe and another might not be as highly regarded. Michael Penix Jr. Rising, Bo Nix Falling Ahead of NFL Draft? Multiple league sources suggest that University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix could go off the board far quicker than people have been anticipating, perhaps as high as the first 12 picks. Penix, 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds,…
Jim Harbaugh is set to oversee his first NFL Draft as Los Angeles Chargers head coach, and there could be a dual mandate in place for the weekend. Los Angeles must prioritize bolstering Justin Herbert’s supporting cast, especially at wide receiver, but it could take adding more draft capital to get stronger in the trenches, especially along the offensive line. Because of the pieces the Chargers need to fill, Los Angeles could be a team to watch to possibly trade down from the No. 5 overall selection. What a Los Angeles Chargers-Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft Trade Might Look Like Bleacher…
