49ers
One of the holes the 49ers had to patch this offseason was at nickel corner. They relied on new DC Steve Wilks‘ recommendation coming from the NFC South, plucking CB Isaiah Oliver away from the Falcons. San Francisco views Oliver as a potential rising star as a nickel defender after a switch inside proved to be a much better fit for the 6-0, 210-pound defender.
“At the nickel position, you’re asked to do a lot of things,” Oliver said via the Athletic’s David Lombardi. “That’s what I’ve learned over the last few years. Just being bigger, being able to take on blocks, being able to fit inside and take on tackles helps my game as a nickel a lot.”
Wilks has hinted he might blitz more than previous 49ers defensive coordinators, and Oliver gives him a weapon to be able to do so more effectively.
“When people ask me nickel or outside corner, that’s one of the things I lean to: being able to blitz more,” Oliver said. “I feel like that adds so much to the game. You’re surrounding the ball so much more. (Wilks) has a lot of different things he can draw up for all of us.”
Cardinals
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort, HC Jonathan Gannon, OC Drew Petzing and other Arizona staff members took a trip to Oklahoma prior to the draft in order to see the unveiling of a new statue dedicated to QB Kyler Murray.
“Somebody said that the coaches would be there, but just having them there, the support off rip, they’ve only been in the building for maybe a month or so, however long it was,” Murray said on Flight Plan. “And for them to fly out to Norman in the middle of nowhere during the draft process to come to see my statue get put up, that was a big deal.”
Lions
Lions second-round TE Sam LaPorta is watching the tape of his performances and picking out where he can improve ahead of his first NFL season.
“I see little mistakes all over the field,” LaPorta told detroitlions.com. “Things that I can just get better at. It’s a process and we’re trying to speed up that process as much as possible.”
LaPorta also commented on quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld and Jared Goff, who praised his work ethic.
“It’s really cool that guys like Jared are kind of taking me under their wing,” LaPorta said. “Nate as well. I’m trying to get as many reps as possible with those quarterbacks, building that trust and building that connection and like I said trying to speed up that process as much as possible.”
“He’s done a great job. He really has,” Goff said of LaPorta. “Gets himself open. Able to separate, has great hands, is smart, and is learning. Making rookie mistakes still but is getting a lot better and you don’t really see him make the same mistake twice which is encouraging but yeah, he’s done a hell of a job.”
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