Commanders
Commanders S Gabriel Taylor said it was a dream come true to join the team that his late brother, S Sean Taylor, played for, and believes that if his brother were still here, he would be proud of what he has accomplished.
“It meant everything. My dad was like, I want you to be a Commander. I want you to be a Commander so bad. I really wanted to come here too,” Taylor said. “After the draft, I prayed on it and I think I made the right decision. The 21 jersey on the wall in the equipment room, and then you see my brother’s name, it’s something I feel I’ve got to do and represent him.”
- The Athletic’s Ben Standig notes there’s a good chance the Commanders will play DT Javon Kinlaw at edge rusher some, both because of their thin depth at that spot and to ensure they get Kinlaw on the field along with their other defensive tackles.
- Standig highlights Commanders UDFA WR Ja’Corey Brooks as a decent bet to make the roster, pointing out his experience on special teams in college when he blocked three punts at Alabama.
Cowboys
The Cowboys took Alabama G Tyler Booker in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Dallas HC Brian Schottenheimer said his first impression of Booker was that he was “authentic” and confident in his abilities.
“I mean, it was just authentic. It was real,” Schottenheimer said, via Todd Acher of ESPN. “His confidence, the way he carries himself, what you guys are witnessing right now is what we shared with our entire day.”
Schottenheimer said a key quality he was looking for in players was their leadership.
“The football character, the football instincts, the competitive spirit were things that we were all looking for,” Schottenheimer said. “But again, I think we’ve got outstanding football players that just happen to have incredible intangibles in leadership. It goes a long way. Some of the best players I’ve ever been around, LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees, they weren’t just great football players, they were great people, they were great leaders.”
Cowboys’ second-round DE Donovan Ezeiruaku was voted to be a captain while at Boston College. Ezeiruaku explained that being voted as team captain was something he was extremely proud of.
“It meant a lot because I was voted team captain by my peers. It wasn’t a coach’s decision,” Ezeiruaku said. “My peers respect me, and we have that mutual respect and trust. It meant the world.”
Giants
Mike Sando of The Athletic cites an anonymous executive who thinks the Giants showed “conviction and confidence” with their 2025 NFL Draft after taking first-round DE Abdul Carter and trading back into the first round for Jaxson Dart.
“They had conviction and confidence, and then they had the execution as well, so you have to give them credit. They had a good draft. Whether it all comes together, who knows?” the executive said.
Another executive doesn’t expect Dart to play this season, or at least until “very late” in the year.
“Some people think Dart is a year away, more of a project,” the executive said. “They probably shouldn’t play him at all this year, or not until very late.”
One executive compared Carter to Cowboys LB Micah Parsons.
“Carter is more like (Micah) Parsons than people realize,” the executive said. “I think he can play off the ball. He transcends any specific scheme.”
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