There are physical specimens on defense, and then there are guys like Sonny Styles.

He's a bit of an interesting case in that it appears Cincinnati utalized Golday as a big nickel defender which is fascinating, but he's the kind of atheltic, rangey linebacker, with more traditional size and the ability to play the run at a high level, that I think the Patriots should be all over.

He might not be a better runner than Ashton Jeanty, but he's unequivocally the most dynamic back to enter the league since Bijan Robinson. He has a background at WR, and there's absolutely a scenario where he will be used like Sean McVay used Todd Gurley before he fell off the cliff.

Taking advantage of a fifth and sixth year of eligibility, Mesidor ultimately played his best ball in year six, earning his Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-ACC honors last year to go along with some secondary Big 12 honors in his second and third year at WVU.

Hard to ask for a better guy to both anchor a line that's almost certainly going to be in front of a rookie QB come the fall (Fernando Mendoza), but to be the centerpiece of a line that's going to be doing a ton of zone blocking under Klint Kubiak.

For Baltimore, the addition of Crosby signals a clear push toward championship contention. His ability to consistently pressure quarterbacks, set the edge against the run, and play with nonstop intensity fits perfectly with the Ravens’ defensive philosophy.

You feel for guys like Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams, and even Craig Woodson, who left it all out there for nothing.

This has all developed faster than anyone could've imagined, and even this close to game time, with opening night/media day well in the books, it hasn't even really registered with me that this is happening.

Add in Kurt Warner putting on a show and the Rams' high-flying offense, and you've got a game that was tense, thrilling, and unforgettable, even if it didn't have the flashiest plays throughout.

Really, the one who got away for the Iowa Hawkeyes, both in the 2022 recruiting class and in the 2024 transfer portal, Proctor was one of the most prolific high school products the state of Iowa ever produced, going to Alabama as a consensus top 10 recruit in the country, where he racked up plently of accolades such as 2025 Consensus All-American and First-Team All-SEC.

Woods is someone I think could fit in any scheme, and would be fine as a one or two-gap defender, but there's a ton of upside in him in a four-man front as a 3-Tech.

Not exactly in the archetype of Troy Polomalu or Talanoa Hufanga, Kamari Ramsey is still a very enticing defensive back prospect who had to play closer to the line of scrimmage this year, but is definitely well-suited to play deep.

The Ravens have a desperate need to revamp their offensive line, and with the contract status of Ravens Pro-Bowl Center Tyler Linderbaum in question, the need becomes a priority.

"Speachless" is probably a stretch, but the fact that we're now here with this New England Patriots team after back-to-back seasons of 4-13 football, re-taking the AFC East and dispatching three of the five best defenses in the sport en route to the Super Bowl leaves you searching for the right words.

Minter inherits a roster built to compete now, but his arrival also represents a long-term vision. Known for his ability to develop players and adjust on the fly, he brings a fresh voice to the sideline while carrying the traditional steady approach Ravens leadership values.

New England has suffered 21 losses in Denver, Colorado, by far the most against any non-division opponent (including the Indianapolis Colts), and features a stretch of 11 straight losses from 1969 to 1998.

In what felt like a continuation of Wild Card weekend, the Patriots, a team who largely won games on high offensive output in the regular season, have now won in the postseason thanks to some lights out defensive performances.

Offensively, Houston didn't exactly have a banner evening against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with multiple turnovers and a slew of penalties, but when you have a defense that features guys like Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Jalen Pitre, and Derek Stingley Jr., good things typically happen sooner or later, and boy did they ever last Monday.

In some ways, the Patriots' first playoff victory since their last Super Bowl went as expected, but certainly not in others.

This season has already exceeded nearly all expectations from spring/summer, but let's be real: this is still a Boston sports team, and this is when and where things will determine how this year will be remembered.