| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAAn extension for T JAKE MATTHEWS means more money in the short term for the Falcons. Josh Kendall and Dianna Russini of The Athletic: The Atlanta Falcons gave left tackle Jake Matthews a two-year contract extension on Sunday, according to a league source, in what is expected to be the first of several moves aimed at creating salary-cap space for free agency, which begins on Monday. Matthews, 33, was set to count $21.7 million against the 2025 cap, but the extension allows the Falcons to diminish his cap hit while pushing his contract through the 2028 season. Matthews, the No. 6 pick of the 2014 draft, will be playing his 12th professional season this fall. He has started 184 of 185 possible games for Atlanta. The Falcons’ decision to turn to the left-handed Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback means that Matthews is no longer protecting the quarterback’s blind side, but the extension indicates the team still considers him a priority and expects his career with the team to continue for at least a few more years. Atlanta entered the weekend $5.3 million over the 2025 salary cap, according to Spotrac, and will need to make more moves to free up cap space. Right guard Chris Lindstrom, safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett also have long-term deals that could be restructured or extended to create cap space. Veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata is considered a potential cut candidate as well. |
| NEW ORLEANSDT DAVON GODHAUX is going home. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Patriots gave veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux permission to talk to other teams about a trade last month and that effort has worked out in a return to his home state. According to multiple reports, the Patriots have agreed to send Godchaux to the Saints. A 2026 seventh-round pick will be headed back to New England. Godchaux went to high school in Plaquemine, Louisiana and played college football at LSU before being drafted by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. He spent four years in Miami before moving on to the Patriots for the last four seasons. Godchaux played every game for the Patriots during his time with the team and had 67 tackles in 17 starts during the 2024 season. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSWR DAVANTE ADAMS gets a good amount of money for two years with the Rams. Jason Owens of YahooSports.com Davante Adams is joining the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams announced the acquisition Sunday. According to NFL Network, Adams is signing a two-year, $46 million contract with $26 million in guaranteed money. Adams joins a Rams team that is reportedly in talks to trade former All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp. A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro receiver, Adams split last season with the Raiders and Jets because of a midseason trade from Las Vegas to New York. He remained one of the league’s more productive receivers at 32 years old while tallying 85 catches for 1,063 yards with eight touchdowns in 14 games. The Jets released Adams last week after failing to find a trade partner to take on the remainder of his five-year, $140 million contract that ran through the 2026 season. They saved $29.9 million against the salary cap by releasing him. New York acquired Adams to play alongside his former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers, whom the Jets also released this offseason. How Adams fits with RamsAdams now joins a contending Rams team fresh off an NFC West title and trip to the divisional round of the playoffs. Assuming that Kupp gets traded or released, Adams will take over the role as the veteran receiver on the team alongside rising star Puka Nacua. A two-year pro, Nacua made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and tallied 79 passes for 990 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 despite being limited to 11 games because of injury. The duo will provide quarterback Matthew Stafford with a high-end tandem of starting receivers to work with alongside Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, veteran tight end Tyler Higbee and receiver Tutu Atwell. It adds up to a formidable collection of offensive talent, even with the anticipated departure of Kupp. DK Metcalf reportedly joining Steelers in trade from Seahawks, will sign $150M contractStafford, who quarterbacked the Rams to a Super Bowl win after the 2021 season, agreed to a restructured contract in February to remain with the team |
| SEATTLEMichael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic looks at the state of the Seahawks after the two big trades: How will Seattle replace DK?Moving on from Metcalf makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba the unquestioned WR1 in Seattle’s new-look offense under Klint Kubiak. The 20th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith-Njigba had a breakout season in Year 2 and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl (as an injury replacement). Metcalf was among the league’s leading receivers prior to suffering a knee injury in Week 7 that forced him to miss two games. Smith-Njigba was the focal point of the passing game in his absence, which featured a 180-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 9. But even when Metcalf returned, Smith-Njigba led Seattle in receptions, yards and touchdowns through the end of the season. Seattle now needs another speedy receiver to replace Metcalf’s ability to threaten the defense deep, which often created opportunities for teammates to make plays. The only other receiver under contract who caught a ball last season is Jake Bobo, who had four receptions for 26 yards and ran 4.9 40-yard dash coming out of UCLA. Seattle will likely be active on the veteran receiver market and target multiple pass catchers in the draft. Seattle is now scheduled to have pick Nos. 18, 50, 52, 82 and the lesser of the Raiders’ two third-round picks through the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer What does the move mean for Seattle’s finances?Trading Metcalf saves the Seahawks $10.8 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. Seattle had $62 million in cap space prior to agreeing to re-sign defensive tackle Jarran Reed and Ernest Jones IV on Sunday. Regardless of how those deals are structured — Reed’s 2025 cap hit will reportedly be around $5 million — Seattle should still have plenty of salary cap space to acquire a veteran quarterback and at least one more receiver. Trading Metcalf and Smith in the same offseason may suggest the Seahawks are entering a full-on rebuild, but that is not the case. Just as it wasn’t the case when Seattle traded Russell Wilson and cut Bobby Wagner in the same week three years ago. The Seahawks believe they can reallocate their resources in a way that will make them competitive in 2025. They’ll likely be aggressive in free agency, particularly in their pursuit of offensive linemen, which general manager John Schneider believes is their biggest weakness. — Dugar Bill Barnwell is not enamored: Seahawks fans might have a harder time figuring out what their team is doing with this move. Trading Metcalf would have been shocking enough for one weekend, but it wasn’t even the first stunning move of the weekend for general manager John Schneider. On Saturday night, the Seahawks decided to cut ties with their incumbent starting quarterback by trading Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. Over the past week, the Seahawks have traded Smith and Metcalf and released franchise legend Tyler Lockett. I compared the Seahawks to the Steelers in my piece on Metcalf as two teams stuck in the middle between competing for a title and rebuilding their roster, and Schneider might have agreed. Over the past four years, Seattle has gone 35-33 and made one playoff appearance. It has traded quarterback Russell Wilson, fired coach Pete Carroll and cycled through multiple offensive and defensive coordinators. Pittsburgh responded to that no man’s land by trying to ramp up and win. The Seahawks appear to be responding by taking a step backward and starting over. They were pleasantly surprised by Smith when he beat out Drew Lock and won the starting job in 2022, and as recently as last month, it appeared Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald were all-in on Smith as their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it wasn’t until contract extension talks with Smith hit an impasse that the organization decided to open itself up to talks and eventually trade Smith. I’d argue that the Seahawks likely were never as enamored with Smith as public perception. After they traded Wilson in March 2022, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that the Seahawks made a deal with the Broncos because Schneider wanted Lock as part of the trade. After serving as the backup to Wilson the prior season, the Seahawks let Smith linger in the open market until April 19 before signing him to a one-year deal for $3.5 million. It’s to their credit and to Carroll’s emphasis on competition that they had an open battle in camp and awarded the job to Smith, but this team clearly didn’t see him as a starting quarterback until he got on the field and played like one. And since then, make no mistake: Smith has been a very solid starting quarterback. His 58.9 Total QBR over the past three seasons ranks 13th in the league, just behind the 61.9 QBR mark of Matthew Stafford. Smith is second in completion percentage over expectation (CPOE) and leads the league in off-target pass rate over that stretch. If Smith isn’t the league’s most accurate passer, he isn’t far off. He also continued to play solid football in 2024 despite spending the season behind an offensive line that was both riddled with injuries on the right side and not very good for the vast majority of the campaign. To the Seahawks, though, Smith just might not have been good enough. His previous deal averaged $25 million per season, which was about as modest as it gets for starting quarterbacks who aren’t on rookie deals. The organization refused to give him a new contract last offseason, and it didn’t appear interested in giving him a contract that would bring him north of $40 million per season. The only other veteran starting quarterbacks below that mark on multiyear contracts are Derek Carr and Baker Mayfield. Smith also could be older than you might think. At 34, the only signal-caller with a clear path to a starting job who is older than Smith is Stafford. Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers started last season, but they’re not guaranteed opportunities in 2025. And while the line issues were a factor, Smith’s performance as a starter has steadily declined, as he went from seventh in QBR in 2022 to 14th in 2023 to 21st in 2024. With all due respect to ESPN grading guru Seth Walder, it feels like the right grade for what the Seahawks did this weekend, at least right now, is “Incomplete.” With no obvious replacement for Smith on the roster beyond former Commanders starter Sam Howell, what the Seahawks do to replace Smith will heavily inform how we end up feeling about the decision to dump their former starter. Moving on because they don’t want to be trapped around .500 and pay a guy who might project to be a league-average quarterback $85 million for his age-35 and age-36 seasons is defensible. Seattle just needs to have a short-term and a long-term vision for replacing Smith, though, and that’s where the incomplete grade comes in. It’s unclear what the franchise actually intends to do with the money it has saved on Smith and Metcalf and the draft picks it has accrued in those swaps. The Seahawks now have five top-100 selections, but their first one doesn’t come until No. 18, and this isn’t a draft teeming with quarterback options. There will be candidates such as Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe they can take as projects in the second or third round, but is Schneider really confident enough in any of the draft’s non-Cam Ward quarterbacks to tie Seattle’s future to one of them? There have been reports linking Darnold to Seattle, and again, there’s logic to the move. If the Seahawks actually have a deal in place with him for about what they would have paid Smith, choosing to pay a 27-year-old over a 34-year-old makes some sense, especially when Darnold outplayed Smith a year ago. They’re not the same kind of quarterback by any stretch of the imagination, with Darnold’s athleticism and ability to extend out of structure playing up when he’s at his best. Smith, though, has a higher floor and doesn’t miss as many throws. Since the Smith trade and amid the Darnold speculation, I’ve read many smart people rightly point out that the Darnold who excelled with the Vikings in 2024 wouldn’t have been anywhere near as good behind the Seattle offensive line and in the Ryan Grubb offense that Seattle ran. They’re right, but I’m not sure it’s germane to the discussion. Grubb is gone, and in his place, the Seahawks have replaced him with former Saints coordinator Klint Kubiak, who ran a somewhat-modernized version of the play-action-heavy scheme his dad helped make famous with the Shanahan family in Denver and Houston. That offense appeared to make Carr into a superstar with the Saints for two weeks last season before the offensive line started to battle injuries. Kubiak had his quarterback, top two playmakers (Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave) and top offensive lineman (Erik McCoy) on the field for a total of two snaps together from Week 3 onward. Darnold had plenty of success attacking downfield in Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, in which the Vikings used play-action at the league’s fifth-highest rate. But Schneider can’t take the money he has saved by trading Metcalf and keep it for a rainy day. He has to prioritize upgrading the offensive line, a place the Seahawks have been loathe to spend in the past and where the top options (Ronnie Stanley and Trey Smith) are already off the market. The Seahawks rank 31st in offensive line cash spent in 2025, a figure that will drop to 32nd when Stanley’s contract with the Ravens is finalized. Seattle already has cut George Fant, is likely to let Laken Tomlinson leave in free agency and might be risking Darnold’s health if it’s willing to give significant playing time to Anthony Bradford, Sataoa Laumea and Stone Forsythe again in 2025. Christian Haynes, a third-round pick a year ago, wasn’t able to get on the field down the stretch. If Schneider can find a viable quarterback and swap out Metcalf’s would-be salary for multiple starters up front, this is fine. If not? This could be the sort of disastrous weekend that compounds for years to come. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERDespite QB BO NIX’s clear possession of the number one QB job, QB JARRETT STIDHAM will re-up with the Broncos per ESPN.com: The Denver Broncos plan to re-sign quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday. Stidham, 28, signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Broncos in 2023, with coach Sean Payton wanting a veteran backup behind Russell Wilson. Stidham eventually started the final two games of that season after Wilson was benched. The Broncos went 1-1 in those starts, with Stidham throwing for 496 yards and two touchdowns. Stidham had expressed hope he could be Denver’s starter in 2024. He entered training camp in a three-way battle for the job with first-round pick Bo Nix and Zach Wilson. That competition was quickly whittled to Stidham and Nix before any preseason games, and Payton then named Nix the starter just before the regular season began. Nix went on to start all 17 games for Denver, which finished 10-7 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Stidham, whom Payton credited for helping Nix’s development, played just 14 snaps and did not attempt a pass all season. Despite the lack of playing time, Stidham consistently has said he believes he can be a starter in the league. |
| KANSAS CITYLike WR RASHEE RICE a year ago, WR XAVIER WORTHY is a Chiefs wide receiver from the state of Texas with legal problems a couple of months after his rookie season ends. But in his case, the district attorney of Williamson County (north of Austin, think Round Rock) may not prosecute. NFL.com: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s assault charge has been dismissed, according to jail records obtained by NFL Media. Worthy was arrested Friday night in Georgetown, Texas, and booked at the Williamson County Sherriff’s Office on a criminal charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation, per jailhouse records. Those records have since been updated to indicate the Williamson County District Attorney’s office is declining the case. District Attorney Shawn Dick told the Austin-American Statesman on Saturday that the office made the decision not to accept the case “pending completion of the investigation by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office” after speaking with multiple witnesses. “We will continue to evaluate the case,” Dick said in an email to the Austin-American Statesman. “As is our practice with all declines, should you develop additional information indicative of probable cause in this case, our office will consider that information and may present the case at that time to a Williamson County Grand Jury.” Following Worthy’s initial arrest, his attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, provided NFL Media with the following statement Saturday: “We are aware of the allegation that led to Mr. Worthy’s arrest. We are working with law enforcement in Williamson County to ensure they have the benefit of the totality of circumstances that led to this allegation. The complainant was asked multiple times over the last two weeks to vacate Mr. Worthy’s residence upon discovery of her infidelity, which a private investigator has video evidence of. She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy. The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy’s face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Mr. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident he did not want to press charges against the complainant. We will continue to cooperate with Williamson County authorities as we have full faith their thorough investigation will support Mr. Worthy’s innocence.” The Chiefs told NFL Media in a statement before charges had been dismissed that they were “aware and gathering information.” “We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club,” the league also said in a statement at that time, via NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. Worthy, 21, was a first-round selection by Kansas City in the 2024 NFL Draft. He led all Chiefs WRs in receptions (59), receiving yards (638) and touchdowns (six) as a rookie. He also had eight catches for 157 yards and two TDs in the team’s Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sounds like he has a case. |
| LAS VEGASBill Barnwell of ESPN.com on the acquisition of QB GENO SMITH: From the Raiders’ side of things, it’s an easier sell. Las Vegas already had decided to cut Gardner Minshew, and the guys who drafted Aidan O’Connell were two front offices ago. New coach Carroll and general manager John Spytek are in, and Carroll already is quite familiar with what Smith can do from the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Seattle. The Raiders had more than $86 million in cap space before making the Smith deal, and they will have no trouble affording a potential extension for him. They didn’t have a quarterback, and now they have one. Easy enough. Its also fair to ask the follow-up question: What are the Raiders hoping to accomplish? At 4-13 a year ago, they certainly don’t look like they’re a 34-year-old quarterback away from anything. They’re trapped in a division with three teams that made it to the playoffs last season. I’m not going to be mad at a team that trades a third-round pick for a guy who is going to be their starting quarterback. But the reality with the Raiders remains the same: This team simply doesn’t have enough young talent to compete at the highest level consistently. Landing Brock Bowers in Round 1 of last year’s draft was a coup, but during the Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels eras, the Raiders had 14 first- and second-round picks, two of which went to the Packers in the trade for Davante Adams. With some of those players out of the league, hitting free agency or mostly riding pine, just one of those 14 picks produced a guy who projects to start for Las Vegas in 2025: Left tackle Kolton Miller, who also happened to be the first of those selections and will turn 30 this season. The Raiders obviously should be thrilled about finding a Day 3 superstar in edge rusher Maxx Crosby, and they fielded the league’s third-youngest roster by snap-weighted age a season ago, but many of those players were on the field because there weren’t credible alternatives in their prime ahead of them. Cornerback Decamerion Richardson and offensive lineman DJ Glaze wouldn’t be starting for better teams. This team doesn’t have an entire generation of players who should be starting in their prime or making impacts on rookie deals. They’re not going to have any hope of thriving until that changes. Can the Raiders address that with the new regime while Smith holds the fort down as the starter? Yes, of course. The decision to trade for him shouldn’t preclude them from considering a quarterback on Day 2, although they’re now down the extra third-round pick they got from the Jets in the Adams deal. In 2012, Carroll famously signed Matt Flynn in free agency, used a third-round pick on Wilson and then benched Flynn before he’d ever started for the Seahawks when Wilson outplayed Flynn in camp. I don’t think that’s about to happen with Smith in Las Vegas, but trading for Smith shouldn’t stop the Raiders from considering other signal-callers. (After what happened with the Falcons last year, we can’t even rule out a QB for the Raiders at No. 6 overall.) Raiders fans looking at the 2023 Texans and 2024 Commanders as guides for what they can be with Smith in 2025 are likely to be disappointed. This is the opposite sort of roster construction. Those teams had a young quarterback on a rookie deal, which allowed them to spend significant money on players around their roster to make that signal-caller’s life easier. The Raiders have a market-value quarterback in his mid-30s and a young team around that passer. Smith will raise the floor now, and in the short term the Raiders should be better quickly. They posted a minus-16 turnover margin last season, the league’s worst mark, and recovered a league-low 24% of their fumbles. Both of those numbers will improve in 2025, and they’ll produce a better record in the process. Carroll should be a significant upgrade on the overmatched Antonio Pierce, although Carroll’s game management wasn’t exactly up to modern standards during his final days with Seattle. I wouldn’t be surprised if Las Vegas doubled its 2024 win total. If the goal is to win eight games, the Raiders should be happy with their decision. If the goal is to win a Super Bowl? To be great? To aspire to something more than a 10-win season when a series of breaks and one-score games go their way like they did in 2021? I’m not sure that acquiring Smith gets them there, but until this organization finally admits to itself that it’s done taking shortcuts and applying Band-Aid fixes, nothing will. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREJamison Hensley of ESPN.com on the three-year deal that kept T RONNIE STALEY in Baltimore: The Baltimore Ravens reached a contract agreement with left tackle Ronnie Stanley on Saturday, securing their top free agent and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s blind side for the near future. Stanley’s three-year deal is worth $60 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His average of $20 million per year is tied for eighth among left tackles. The deal was reached two days before the start of the negotiation period in free agency. Stanley, a two-time Pro Bowl player, was expected to draw strong interest in the open market. The Ravens have now brought back four offensive line starters from last season’s No. 1-ranked offense. Left guard Patrick Mekari is an unrestricted free agent. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh expressed optimism about re-signing Stanley at the NFL scouting combine last month. Last season, Stanley talked about how much he valued playing in Baltimore and blocking for Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. Stanley, 30, has been Baltimore’s starting left tackle since 2016. He is coming off his best season since a career-altering left ankle injury in 2020. When protecting Jackson’s blind side last season, Stanley ranked 12th in pass block win rate among tackles (92.5%), played in every game for the first time in his career and continued to be a respected leader. It was a solid bounce-back year for Stanley, who took a 50% pay cut last offseason to remain with the Ravens. Stanley said he took a $7.5 million salary reduction because he didn’t want to leave Baltimore after a down season in 2023. Durability has been a major issue for Stanley. Since signing a five-year, $98.75 million deal midway through the 2020 season, he has missed 36 games over the past five seasons because of ankle, shoulder and knee injuries. Stanley, the No. 6 overall pick in 2016, produced his best season in 2019 when he became the Ravens’ first All-Pro left tackle since Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden. In 104 starts, Stanley has allowed 28 sacks, including five last season. |
| CLEVELANDBill Barnwell of ESPN.com looks at the new deal that kept EDGE MYLES GARRETT in Cleveland and how it influences the upcoming contracts for other big money renewals: As it turns out, Garrett was willing to negotiate an extension with the Browns after all. With the prospect of a standoff looming between Garrett and the organization about his future in Cleveland and the future Hall of Famer’s trade request being ignored, Garrett blinked. Giving in doesn’t have to hurt, though: He agreed to a four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history by a considerable margin. He’s also staying in Ohio for years to come. At a position where just one player (Nick Bosa) has an average annual salary north of $30 million per season, Garrett will now make $40 million per annum, at least on paper. It remains to be seen whether that number is inflated by some unguaranteed money at the end of the contract, a possibility that is made more likely by the fact that his new deal jumps the prior record for a non-quarterback by a full $5 million from receiver Justin Jefferson’s contract. And frankly, given that Garrett insisted he didn’t want to sign a new deal and was intent on leaving, getting a deal starting with a four could be a way to distract from the fact that the star pass rusher didn’t get the trade he supposedly wanted. Even if there’s some inflation on the average salary, there’s no doubt Garrett is going to get paid a handsome sum. The record for three-year compensation for an edge rusher is Josh Hines-Allen’ $92.8 million. It would hardly be a surprise if Garrett took that figure to $100 million. He also has a no-trade clause, which should keep him in town, if so inclined, for years to come. The Browns have now become the first team in NFL history to have two players making $40 million or more per season, as Garrett joins Deshaun Watson. We don’t yet know how Garrett’s cap hold will break out, but because he was on the books for only $19.7 million before the extension, it’s difficult to imagine general manager Andrew Berry will be able to reduce that figure by much as part of a new contract. The Browns already restructured Watson’s contract to create cap space this offseason, an inevitable move given his $46 million base salary. Garrett’s decision to sign a new deal will reverberate around the league. It might somehow help and hurt the Bengals. With Garrett and Maxx Crosby both signing new contracts, there are fewer veteran edge rushers potentially available for trade to help drive down the cost of Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson, who was allowed to talk to potential trade partners last week. If the Bengals really intend to trade their top edge rusher, there isn’t an alternative of similar caliber available on the market or in free agency, with all due respect to Josh Sweat and Joey Bosa. I would still be surprised if the Bengals landed a first-round pick for Hendrickson, but organizations that would have been in on Garrett will have to look toward Hendrickson instead. On the other hand, extending Ja’Marr Chase’s contract might have just become more expensive for the Bengals. Jefferson’s deal both topped the wide receiver market and made the Vikings star the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback at $35 million per year. Crosby topped that and briefly gained that title at $35.5 million. Now, at least on paper, Garrett is all the way up to $40 million per season. If Chase’s camp is willing to settle for being the highest-paid wide receiver, $37 million per year should be enough to get the deal done. If Chase wants to follow in Jefferson’ footsteps and become the highest-paid non-quarterback, though, that price is now all the way up to $40.5 million per year. If the Bengals could have signed Chase for $35.5 million after the Jefferson deal last offseason, waiting until 2025 to sign their star wideout might cost them $5 million per season more. As ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum noted, the same story should be true for Micah Parsons, who now has a direct target to top in Garrett. With Nick Bosa topping the edge market a year ago at $34 million, the Cowboys could have gotten a record-setting deal done last year in the $35 million range. Now, with Parsons entering his fifth-year option and the top of the non-quarterback market up at $40 million, Dallas will be paying millions of dollars more for the joy of having waited a year to sign a deal it was always going to make. |
| PITTSBURGHSo the Steelers are all in on WR DK METCALF. Various writers of The Athletic: Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf has found a new home in the AFC North, as the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired the wide receiver in a trade and will sign him to a five-year, $150 million extension, a league source confirmed Sunday. Seattle will receive a 2025 second-round pick in exchange. The trade is Seattle’s second major move of the weekend after dealing quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick. News that the Pro Bowl receiver requested a trade leaked Wednesday, and league sources said Metcalf was seeking a new contract worth around $30 million per year. The 27-year-old finished the 2024 campaign — his sixth season in Seattle — with 992 yards on 66 receptions. He caught five touchdown passes, which is a career low. The 2019 second-round pick out of Ole Miss has recorded at least 900 receiving yards in each of his seasons with the Seahawks. He’s tallied 438 receptions, 6,324 yards and 48 receiving touchdowns in the regular season. Over four postseason games, he’s added 451 yards and five touchdowns. Seattle has missed the playoffs in the last two seasons and has not advanced past the wild-card round since Metcalf’s rookie season. What is DK’s immediate impact on the Steelers ?Steelers general manager Omar Khan has been on the hunt for a game-breaking receiver for some time now. Pittsburgh very nearly reeled in Brandon Aiyuk during training camp before a change of heart by the player and the 49ers kept him in San Francisco. Searching for depth and an impact player, the Steelers were forced to instead settle at the trade deadline for Mike Williams, who made less of an impact than anticipated. “It’s obviously a priority,” Khan said at the NFL combine when asked about the receiver room. “I’m not going to run from that. That’s just the reality. … We weren’t good enough at that position. We’ll look at everything.” On Sunday evening, Khan made a major splash when he landing Metcalf. The deal is the most significant Steelers trade since the team acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for a package that included a first-round pick in 2019. It has the opportunity to be even more significant by the end of Metcalf’s tenure in Pittsburgh, given the Steelers’ need at WR and the ripple effect Metcalf may have on roster construction. At 27 years old, Metcalf is still in the prime of his career. He brings size, physicality and great hands. Simply put, he’s a game changer who should immediately step into the No. 1 WR role, no matter what other receivers the Steelers have on the roster. By agreeing to a five-year, $150 million deal, he will be a central piece of the Steelers’ offense this year and into the future. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer What comes next for the Steelers?The ripple effect from this trade should impact two areas: The uncertain QB situation and George Pickens. The Steelers are currently working through their options at QB. A receiver room that used to have Pickens and a lot of question marks now looks a lot more complete. The Steelers should be able to use Metcalf as a way to sweeten the pot for a potential future passer. Khan said at the combine he wanted to get the QB in place first, because that might impact the type of WR the Steelers targeted in free agency. Now, it could work the other way. Having Metcalf on the roster makes Pittsburgh a much more appealing destination for a QB. Maybe just as significantly, this trade also should give Khan every option when it comes to Pickens. Whether the Steelers like it or not, they are approaching a crossroads with the mercurial wide receiver, as he’s set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. By landing a star No. 1 WR, the Steelers should have enough flexibly to consider all options with Pickens, including letting him play out the final year of his rookie deal or trading him while his value is still high. Stay tuned. — DeFabo Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has some thoughts: Pittsburgh went ahead and made one of the more polarizing trades of the offseason, which hasn’t even officially started yet. The Steelers have been chasing that WR1 for a while, so they weren’t going to wait. However, there’s a big hole left in Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents. While the Steelers presumably have a plan at quarterback, there’s no obvious available option that would push them into Super Bowl contender status. Metcalf is a fun player and it’s not like the Steelers didn’t need someone to go alongside George Pickens. But it wasn’t cheap, Metcalf and Pickens might not be the best fit together and, well, the Steelers still have that one remaining problem. How much does DK Metcalf help?Metcalf cost the Steelers a lot. They sent a second-round draft pick to the Seahawks. They also reportedly agreed to sign Metcalf to a startling five-year, $150 million deal. We’ve seen teams hit on second-round receivers the past few years, as there’s more depth at the position than ever. That $150 million puts a dent into how many resources the Steelers have to throw at whatever quarterback option they think is best. Maybe it was a good use of resources to trade for Metcalf, but it can be debated. Metcalf is a fantastic physical talent, with at least 900 yards in all six of his NFL seasons and a great playmaking ability. He’s great on deep passes. The problem might be that he can look across the formation and see Pickens, who has practically the same skills. They’re fairly redundant, perhaps a case of adding talent without having a great idea how the players fit together. Having two deep threats at receiver isn’t bad if you have a quarterback to complete those passes, and that’s where it becomes a problem for the Steelers. It’s also worth noting that Pickens and Metcalf have something else in common, and it’s that their sideline demeanor isn’t exactly the easiest to manage. Bless the quarterback who is going to have to deal with those egos talking to him in each ear. Whoever that quarterback will be. Steelers still have needsAny analysis of moves that were made this week — and there seemed to be a million of them, making the actual free agency period seem very watered down before it even started — has to be consumed with context. The Steelers’ overall plan will be seen soon, and perhaps when it’s all revealed the Metcalf trade will make a lot more sense. But at this point it looks like adding a Ferrari to the garage when there’s nobody who can drive the car. Will the Steelers be Aaron Rodgers’ landing spot? Can they try to make Daniel Jones a reclamation project? Will Wilson return after fading hard late last season? Does bringing back Fields make sense after they didn’t love him and started Wilson over him most of last season? Can they do the salary cap gymnastics required to land Sam Darnold? Maybe there’s a mystery door to be opened. DK Metcalf reportedly joining Steelers in trade from Seahawks, will sign $150M contractBills, QB Josh Allen reach record-setting 6-year, $330 million extensionWe’ll find out soon. There’s nothing wrong with being aggressive to get a good player, and Metcalf is just 27 years old. He has plenty of prime years left. His deal, at $30 million per season, isn’t that bad for a receiver at his level. Pittsburgh certainly had a need, especially considering how hard it is to trust Pickens. It’s just that as of now, the pieces of the Steelers’ puzzle look fine but it’s hard to see how they will all fit together |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOQB JOSH ALLEN is now the NFL’s highest paid player. Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com: The Bills have rewarded NFL MVP Josh Allen with a record-setting six-year, $330 million contract through the 2030 season that includes $250 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday. It’s the largest guaranteed total given to an NFL player, surpassing the previous mark of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who received $230 million guaranteed. Advertising Allen, who was previously signed through 2028, will be 34 years old when the final year of this extension begins. The extension takes Allen from the 14th-highest average annual value among quarterbacks ($43 million) to tied for second ($55 million). Only Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has a contract with a higher average annual value ($60 million). Allen, who had four years left on his deal, has led the Bills to six consecutive AFC East titles. He became the team’s third player to be named MVP, joining Thurman Thomas (1991) and O.J. Simpson (1973). Since entering the league in 2018, Allen has 65 rushing touchdowns — 10 more than the next closest quarterback (Jalen Hurts). The extension tops a slew of recent new deals for Buffalo players: defensive end Greg Rousseau reached a four-year, $80 million contract; linebacker Terrel Bernard got a four-year, $50 million contract; and receiver Khalil Shakir agreed to a four-year, $53 million extension. This from Mike Florio: The full details eventually will emerge regarding the new contract signed by Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Here’s one fact, per a source with knowledge of the deal: Allen’s deal sets the record for four-year cash flow at $220 million. The amount passes Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, whose four-year cash flow under his latest deal is $219 million. More details will be coming. Some could be surprising. In context, they’ll make a lot more sense. Regardless, he was grossly underpaid. Now, things are much more in line with where they need to be. |
| NEW ENGLANDEDGE HAROLD LANDRY will be re-united with Coach Mike Vrabel. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: It didn’t take pass rusher Harold Landry long to find a new team after the Titans cut him. The Patriots are signing Landry to a three-year contract, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The report says the deal includes $26 million guaranteed. The Titans cut Landry because of his contract, and they saved $10.95 million against the salary cap in 2025 by doing so. But the Patriots apparently felt he was worthy of a significant deal — a statement from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who previously coached Landry in Tennessee, that Landry will be a building block in New England. The 28-year-old Landry spent four years at Boston College before he was drafted by the Titans in 2018. He played his entire NFL career in Tennessee but is now heading back to Boston. |
| NEW YORK JETSAn extension for LB JAMIEN SHERWOOD is the first big deal for the Jets’ new regime. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com: – New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey made his first significant investment on Sunday night, retaining middle linebacker Jamien Sherwood with a three-year, $45 million contract, Sherwood’s agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The contract includes $30 million in fully guaranteed money. The Jets were determined to lock up Sherwood, 25, before he became an unrestricted free agent. New coach Aaron Glenn has his starting middle linebacker. The moves casts further doubt on the future on former Pro Bowl middle linebacker C.J. Mosley, 32, who counts $12.8 million on the cap and could be released. Sherwood is a true success story — a low-round draft pick who changed positions, rebounded from an Achilles tendon tear during his rookie campaign in 2021 and made a name for himself at middle linebacker. He played safety at Auburn, but the Jets selected him in the fifth round with the idea of converting him to linebacker in their 4-3 front. He was the third linebacker in 2022 and 2023, coming off the field in nickel situations, but he got his big break last season when the venerable Mosley went down with a severe toe injury in Week 2. Sherwood stepped into the Mike position, made the on-field defensive calls and established himself as a vocal team leader. He registered a team-high 158 total tackles, tied for third in the league. He also tallied 10 tackles for loss and two sacks, all while missing only 13 tackles, per Next Gen Stats. Once he got on the field, Sherwood seldom came off. He played a team-high 1,107 snaps, counting special teams play. On a team with big names such as Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson, the players voted for Sherwood as their team MVP. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Sherwood isn’t built to be a downhill linebacker. His game is about speed and sideline-to-sideline tackling ability, making him ideal in an attack-style defense. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| UNDERRATED FREE AGENTSA list of sneaky good free agents to be from Bucky Brooks of NFL.com: Last season, a handful of low-priced free agents transformed into All-Pro (Zack Baun) and Pro Bowl (Andrew Van Ginkel) players within environments that showcased their underrated talents. After watching Zach Ertz and others make key contributions to winning teams as value pickups, the football world is searching for the next group of underrated players with impact potential. Given some time to survey the landscape, I’ve identified one underrated player to watch at 10 key positions, based on my read of their free-agent profile, public reputation and market, and their potential to excel in the right home. NOTE: Players are listed with the ages they will be on Sept. 4, when the 2025 NFL season is expected to kick off. OFFENSE QUARTERBACKJustin Fields Age: 26As one of the most dynamic athletes at the position, Fields is an enticing option for a team willing to incorporate a movement-based passing game and designed quarterback runs. The 6-foot-3, 227-pounder has rushed for 2,509 yards since the Bears drafted him 11th overall in 2021, including a 1,000-yard season (1,143 in 2022), showcasing his dual-threat playmaker talents. Fields’ inconsistencies when throwing the ball can disrupt an offense’s rhythm. However, the fifth-year pro (who was traded to Pittsburgh last year) also flashes enough “wow” skills as a passer that a simplistic passing game could be developed around him. Considering his super powers as a runner and his natural arm talent, Fields is a worthwhile gamble for a team seeking a young quarterback to anchor its roster-building strategy going forward — unless the Steelers keep him from leaving in the first place. RUNNING BACKNajee Harris Age: 27Harris has averaged 3.9 yards per carry since the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2021, and he has yet to score double-digit rushing TDs in a season. But he did post four straight 1,000-rushing yard campaigns — and, in fact, was the only NFL player to hit that mark in each of the past four seasons. The 6-1, 242-pounder is a same-speed runner with nimble feet and soft hands. As a worker bee, Harris makes up for his lack of explosiveness with a persistent approach that enables teams to lean into a “3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust” philosophy. While organizations looking for home-run hitters will bypass the fifth-year pro on the market, astute team-builders could secure an effective lead back at a bargain price this offseason. WIDE RECEIVERDyami Brown Age: 25Every offense needs a vertical threat on the perimeter with speed to burn and big-play potential. Brown fits the bill as a deep-ball specialist with spectacular separation skills down the field. Though he has posted modest regular-season numbers (59 catches, 784 yards and four scores) throughout his career, his postseason heroics (he racked up 14 catches, 229 yards and a score during the Commanders’ 2024 run) suggest he could take off in a vertical offense with more opportunities. Given a chance to settle in as WR2 in a “bombs away” attack, Brown could become the impact player some envisioned when he was selected by Washington with the 82nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. TIGHT ENDJuwan Johnson Age: 28The former wideout-turned-tight end has quietly assembled an impressive resume as a FLEX tight end with the Saints. Johnson enters free agency with 146 catches, 1,622 yards and 18 touchdowns under his belt, showcasing mismatch potential as a hybrid playmaker. Though Johnson’s blocking skills could limit his impact as an every down tight end, the 6-4, 231-pound pass-catcher could thrive in a “Joker” role for a creative offensive mind — like, say, Broncos coach Sean Payton, who was running the Saints when Johnson first broke into the NFL with them in 2020 and has spoken on the record about wanting just such a player in Denver. OFFENSIVE LINEMekhi Becton Age: 26The former first-rounder surprised evaluators with his smooth transition to offensive guard for the Super Bowl champs. Becton’s imposing size (6-7, 363 pounds) and explosive power make him an intriguing possibility for a team that wants to bully opponents at the point of attack. While interested teams must determine exactly why Becton’s play improved dramatically in Philadelphia after his struggles at tackle with the Jets from 2020 to 2023 (a time when he was also sidelined by serious knee injuries), it is hard to find monstrous blockers who maul and mash or dance with defenders at the line. Given his impressive tools and talent, Becton could add a dimension to any front line as a super-sized “swing” player with a nasty disposition. DEFENSE EDGEAzeez Ojulari Age: 25There is always a place for explosive pass rushers with disruptive potential. That’s why teams could target Ojulari as a possible impact player on a designated pass rush off the edge. Injuries prevented him from becoming a full-time starter in New York; he missed 22 games over the last three seasons, including the final six of 2024 with a toe injury. Still, he registered 22 career sacks in 46 appearances, exhibiting a dazzling array of speed-rushing maneuvers to harass quarterbacks within the pocket. Considering Ojulari’s age, production and position, the former Giant could be an attractive option for a team willing to roll the dice on the oft-injured sack master. DEFENSIVE TACKLELevi Onwuzurike Age: 27After shaking the injury bug that limited his impact during his first three seasons in Detroit, Onwuzurike finally showcased the immense talent, versatility and potential in 2024 that made him the second pick (No. 41 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft) of the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era. The 6-3, 290-pound defender enjoyed a breakout campaign with 28 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss and 13 quarterback hits in 16 games. Onwuzurike made 10 starts and logged 600-plus snaps, per Pro Football Focus, while aligning everywhere along the defensive front. With the fifth-year pro displaying three-position flexibility (he’s capable at nose tackle, defensive tackle and defensive end) and impact potential as a rotational defender/part-time starter, Onwuzurike could emerge as a hot commodity in a league that values trench warriors. LINEBACKERRobert Spillane Age: 29After leading the Raiders in tackles in back-to-back years — compiling the fourth-most tackles (306) in the NFL since 2023 — Spillane has shown the football world that he is more than a special teams standout. The eighth-year pro dominates in the box as an aggressive defender with exceptional instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills. Spillane plays the game at a breakneck pace but rarely misses tackles or appears out of control in space. Though his athletic limitations can be exposed in coverage, the veteran is a masterful technician who is always in the right spot at the right time. CORNERBACKJourdan Lewis Age: 30Lewis is far from a household name. But as the NFL transforms into a passing league with “11” personnel (1 RB, 1 TE and 3 WRs) primarily on the field, his ability to lock down WR2s and WR3s in the slot or out wide should make him highly sought-after on the open market. The 5-10, 195-pounder is a feisty competitor with a “never-back down” attitude and sound technique. With the veteran flourishing in 2024 as a dominant nickel defender with the Dallas Cowboys, teams should break the bank to acquire him. And even if they do, he should still be less costly than a CB1, given the typical pay disparity between the positions. SAFETY Justin Reid Age: 28The eighth-year pro is the perfect glue guy to add to a secondary in need of a veteran safety to stabilize the unit. Reid’s instincts, awareness and diagnostic and communication skills help young defenders play in a cohesive group. Given his successful track record transforming the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs into air-tight defensive backfields, teams looking for a culture-changer could make a move for the rangy safety with a well-rounded game. |
| 2025 DRAFTToday’s Mock Draft is from Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com: 1 – TENNESSEEAbdul Carter EDGEPenn State • Jr • 6’3″ / 250 lbsMaybe the injury concerns cause Abdul Carter to slide in the first round, but for now, I have a hard time seeing the Titans go in another direction that doesn’t involve trading out of this pick. 2 – CLEVELANDCam Ward QBMiami (FL) • Sr • 6’2″ / 219 lbsThe more tape I watch, the more convinced I become that Cam Ward is the only quarterback in the class I’m comfortable using a first-round pick on. Cleveland gets the reset it needs. 3 – NY GIANTSTravis Hunter ATHColorado • Jr • 6’0″ / 188 lbsMy gut tells me the Giants will end up going the veteran QB route because there’s pressure to win now, so instead of reaching for a QB, they go with the guy who may be the best talent in the class. Having Travis Hunter primarily play corner, but mix him in on offense alongside Malik Nabers, would be a lot of fun. 4 – NEW ENGLANDWill Campbell OTLSU • Jr • 6’6″ / 319 lbsI’m not going to tell you arm length doesn’t matter at tackle, but I do wonder if we get too caught up in these measurements. Will Campbell’s arms handled life just fine in the SEC against a lot of guys who will be drafted behind him, and if it doesn’t work out in the long run, you’ll have to live with an All-Pro guard. Either way, the Pats need to invest in protecting Drake Maye. 5 – JACKSONVILLEMason Graham DLMichigan • Jr • 6’3″ / 296 lbsThe weight issue is interesting, as Mason Graham measured in at 296 pounds in Indianapolis after being listed at 320 by Michigan. But is it interesting enough to hurt his draft stock given what he’s put on tape through his entire career? I doubt it. 6 – LAS VEGASTetairoa McMillan WRArizona • Jr • 6’4″ / 219 lbsI do not believe this to be an impressive WR class overall, but Tetairoa McMillan is a very intriguing prospect given his size and athleticism. I compare him to Tee Higgins, as he has the ability to be a true No. 1, which the Raiders can certainly use. 7 – NY JETSShemar Stewart DLTexas A&M • Jr • 6’5″ / 267 lbsNothing about what Shemar Stewart did at the combine surprised me. He’s an athletic freak. Here’s the question: Can the Jets tap into the incredible athleticism and turn him into a player whose production matches his ability? 8 – KANSAS CITY (Mock Trade from Carolina)Armand Membou OTMissouri • Jr • 6’4″ / 332 lbsThe Chiefs have serious issues at tackle and cash in a lot of chips to move up and address the issue with Armand Membou. Their championship window will be open as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, but with Travis Kelce coming back, this is something of an “all-in” move for the current roster. 9 – DALLAS (Mock Trade from New Orleans)Ashton Jeanty RBBoise State • Jr • 5’9″ / 211 lbsClearly the Cowboys aren’t concerned about his size in this mock! I don’t know. The Cowboys have been way too quiet this offseason and it feels like they’re due to do something big. Trading up to get Ashton Jeanty would qualify, particularly for a sports city that could use something to be happy about. 10 – CHICAGOMykel Williams EDGEGeorgia • Jr • 6’5″ / 260 lbs The Bears have already addressed both starting guard spots through trades, and I’m not convinced they feel they need to make a move at tackle, though they might. However, here I have them addressing a pass rush that was a major problem for them last season. 11 – SAN FRANCISCODarius Alexander DLToledo • Sr • 6’4″ / 310 lbsTruth be told, I like Walter Nolen better than Darius Alexander, but I had Nolen here in my last mock, so I’m switching it up a bit! Alexander had a very impressive combine, and I know there are some teams who are extremely high on him. 12 – NEW ORLEANS (Mock Trade from Dallas)Jalon Walker EDGEGeorgia • Jr • 6’1″ / 243 lbsThe Saints move down from the top 10, pick up additional assets and then address their pass rush with Jalon Walker. It’s a team with a lot of needs, though, so they could go any number of directions. 13 – MIAMIKelvin Banks Jr. OTTexas • Jr • 6’5″ / 315 lbsI have to imagine the Dolphins would be pretty happy if this scenario plays out and Kelvin Banks Jr. falls into their laps. I have questions about his ability as a run-blocker, but a lot of what Banks did with the Longhorns meshes with what he’ll be asked to do in Miami. 14 – INDIANAPOLISWill Johnson CBMichigan • Jr • 6’2″ / 194 lbsIf Will Johnson had played the entire 2024 season, I’m convinced his stock would be much higher than it is. If I’m the Colts and he’s still on the board, I’m picking up the phone very quickly. 15 – ATLANTAJames Pearce Jr. EDGETennessee • Jr • 6’5″ / 245 lbsWhen James Pearce Jr. ran the 40-yard dash in a hoodie because he forgot his workout shirt in his hotel room, I received a text from somebody familiar with Pearce that “neither his performance or forgetting his shirt is a surprise.” The Falcons desperately need help in their pass rush, so they take someone extremely qualified to help, and perhaps they can show Pearce how to put reminders in his phone. 16 – ARIZONAWalter Nolen DLOle Miss • Jr • 6’4″ / 296 lbsIf I were basing my mocks off nothing but my personal draft board, Walter Nolen would be a top-10 pick. I might even have him go on the top five. I’m that high on him. So congratulations to Arizona for this pretend pick. You’ve hit a home run here. 17 – CINCINNATIDerrick Harmon DLOregon • Jr • 6’5″ / 310 lbsI certainly understand what it is about Derrick Harmon that teams like, but I’m a bit underwhelmed when I watch the tape. Still, everything I hear from people more connected than I am suggests NFL front offices feel a lot differently, so I’ll continue mocking him in the first until I hear otherwise. 18 – SEATTLEAireontae Ersery OTMinnesota • Sr • 6’6″ / 330 lbsThe intel I’ve heard in recent weeks is that teams who were high on this tackle class coming into the spring have found themselves souring on it overall. That said, it’s still an important position, and we’ll see players go in the first round. But perhaps we’ll see more variance in who is selected than mocks suggest, and Aireontae is a prospect I can see a team falling for. 19 – TAMPA BAYJahdae Barron CBTexas • Sr • 5’11” / 194 lbsJahdae Barron is a good corner, but the knock on him will be his size. He isn’t tall, and he doesn’t have great length. You don’t see many corners with his profile going much earlier than this in the first round lately. 20 – DENVERTyler Warren TEPenn State • Sr • 6’6″ / 256 lbsI think Tyler Warren’s draft position could vary wildly. I won’t be shocked if he goes in the top 10, but if he doesn’t, I can see him falling, too. But falling past 20? Given what I know of Sean Payton, I doubt it. 21 – PITTSBURGHShedeur Sanders QBColorado • Sr • 6’2″ / 212 lbsAs mentioned earlier, Cam Ward is the lone QB in this class I think is worth a first-round pick, but it’s not a knock on Shedeur Sanders. I believe he’s is the most NFL-ready prospect in the class. What I don’t know is how much room for growth is left here? 22 – LA CHARGERSKenneth Grant DLMichigan • Jr • 6’4″ / 331 lbsJim Harbaugh will have plenty of familiarity with Kenneth Grant, who is an excellent athlete and productive player at a position of need for the Chargers. 23 – GREEN BAYLuther Burden III WRMissouri • Jr • 6’0″ / 205 lbsThe Packers have talent at WR, but how many truly reliable players do they have at the position? Luther Burden III would be tremendous value for Green Bay here. 24 – MINNESOTAMalaki Starks SGeorgia • Jr • 6’1″ / 197 lbsMalaki Starks did not have a great performance at the combine, and it could work to Minnesota’s benefit here. There are some positions where you want an incredible athlete, and there are others where you want smart football players who might only be very good athletes. Safety falls into the latter for me. 25 – HOUSTONTyler Booker IOLAlabama • Jr • 6’5″ / 321 lbsI have a crush on Tyler Booker, and I won’t apologize for it. He isn’t an athletic freak, but he’s an absolute mauler who plays without fear and never takes a play off. A good player and culture guy. 26 – LA RAMSColston Loveland TEMichigan • Jr • 6’6″ / 248 lbsNow that we know Matthew Stafford will be back, the Rams move on to making sure he has the requisite weapons to succeed, and Colston Loveland is the type of tight end Sean McVay could have a lot of fun with. 27 – BALTIMORELandon Jackson EDGEArkansas • Sr • 6’6″ / 264 lbsAs a Chicago Bears fan, I had long hoped Landon Jackson would be somebody they could take early in the second round, but the combine may have crushed those hopes. He’s big, long and a tremendous athlete. He was also productive in college. He’s everything you look for in an edge prospect and should be a first-round pick. 28 – DETROITMike Green EDGEMarshall • Soph • 6’3″ / 251 lbsOK, so I’ve had Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer here in each of my first two mocks because it seems like a match made in heaven, but Mike Green has a higher ceiling and would be the better value late in the first for a Detroit team that needs a second pass-rusher. 29 – WASHINGTONShavon Revel Jr. CBEast Carolina • Sr • 6’2″ / 194 lbsTrading for Deebo Samuel pushes wide receiver down the list of Washington’s needs, and while offensive line makes sense here, too, Revel is a great corner prospect who saw his 2024 season cut short due to an ACL injury. But he should be ready for the 2025 season, and Washington needs help in the secondary. 30 – BUFFALOJihaad Campbell LBAlabama • Jr • 6’3″ / 235 lbsJihaad Campbell was my top linebacker in the class going into the combine, and that ranking was only solidified by his performance in Indianapolis. He would make a lot of sense for the Buffalo defense. 31 – CAROLINA (Mock Trade from Kansas City)Emeka Egbuka WROhio State • Sr • 6’1″ / 202 lbsThe Panthers got plenty of additional assets by trading with the Chiefs, and will use those picks to build around a young team. One way to help Bryce Young would be surrounding him with weapons, and Emeka Egbuka is the epitome of a winning football player. 32 – PHILADELPHIADonovan Ezeiruaku EDGEBoston College • Sr • 6’3″ / 248 lbsContinuously adding monsters to the lines of scrimmage seems to be Philadelphia’s motto. Donovan Ezeiruaku is a bit undersized, but it’s mitigated by his length and athleticism. |
