Five Mobile High School Stars Head to the NFL Wildcard Round

January 10, 2025 Nick Wiggins Featured News, High School, LATEST SPORTS NEWS, Local Sports, NFL
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 14: Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (0) rushes during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders on November 14, 2024 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

The NFL Wildcard Round starts this weekend, and the city of Mobile, Alabama will be well-represented. Five of our local players’ teams will be taking the field in this first weekend of playoff action. While recent injuries will unfortunately sideline some, their contributions throughout the regular season are a big reason their teams are in a position to potentially hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.

Kris Abrams-Draine – Denver Broncos

Rookie cornerback, and former Spanish Fort Toros star, Kris Abrams-Draine made his NFL debut in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns after veteran corner Levi Wallace was benched after Jerry Jeudy’s career performance. Since that moment, Abrams-Draine has gotten regular minutes and looks to be a new staple in the Broncos’ secondary.  In just a few short weeks, he recorded 8 total tackles and had an interception. He’ll have his work cut out for him as the Broncos are set to head to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Sunday at 12:00 PM CT on CBS.

Bryce Huff – Philadelphia Eagles

After going undrafted and playing for the New York Jets the past few seasons, this past offseason, Bryce Huff signed a $51.1 million dollar deal to become a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and add even more talent to what has been one of the strongest defensive fronts in the entire NFL over the past decade. This former St. Paul’s Saint played in 12 regular season games for the Eagles this season, gaining 13 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and forcing a fumble as well. The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers this Sunday at 3:30 PM CT on FOX.

Michael Pierce – Baltimore Ravens

The former Daphne standout and current defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens has had a stellar eighth year in the league garnering 19 total tackles and 2 sacks in 11 games this season. His most amazing play this season has to be the interception he had against the Browns in the final game of the regular season. He only returned the interception for 6 yards as he claims, “The bus ran outta gas.” He’ll be an incredibly important factor for the Ravens defensive front throughout these playoffs. The Ravens play the Steelers this Saturday at 7:00 PM CT.

Jalyn Armour-Davis – Baltimore Ravens

Cornerback, and former St. Paul’s Saint, Jalyn Armour-Davis made 7 appearances this season while starting 2 of those games for Baltimore. In those games, he recorded 8 tackles and deflected 1 pass. Unfortunately, on January 3rd, just as the regular season was coming to a close, he was placed on injured reserve due to a hip injury ending his third NFL season. The Ravens will host the Pittsburgh Steelers this Saturday at 7:00 PM CT on Prime Video.

Jimmie Ward – Houston Texans

Safety, and former Davidson Warrior, Jimmie Ward is by far the most tenured player on this list, starting his NFL career back in 2014 with the San Francisco 49ers, but he’s most recently been a team captain and veteran leader for DeMeco Ryans and the Texans. He started in 10 games for the Texans this season totaling 48 tackles, 4 deflections, and 2 interceptions. One of those picks was actually run back by Ward for a touchdown when they took on Will Levis and the Titans earlier in the year. The Texans have dealt with numerous injuries this season and unfortunately that would continue as on December 23rd, it was announced that Ward’s season would come to an end as he suffered a foot injury that would require surgery. Although he won’t be on the field, Ward will continue making an impact in the locker room with his leadership as the Texans host the Chargers this Saturday at 3:30 PM CT on CBS.

The NFL Wildcard Round looks to be a thrilling start to the postseason, and for Mobile, it’s another chance to showcase the incredible talent our city produces.

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