The Daily Briefing Monday, March 27, 2023

The league really wants the Thursday flex. I’m dubious it’ll pass. We can all agree this seems insane. Moving a game from 1 p.m. Sunday to 8:20 p.m. Sunday is inconvenient, to say the least, for the fans in attendance. Moving it three days earlier, as is on the agenda for a vote here, is a punch in the face to the fans who’ve planned trips to see games and either won’t be able to see a game played three days earlier or will have lives turned upside down in order to do so. But I’m told this is something Roger Goodell really wants to have in his tool box, to prevent awful games for a partner already struggling with audience share, Amazon. But coaches hate the idea. “Really hate it,” one of them told me here Sunday. In discussions with those who want this to pass, one told me, “It might make sense to max it out at one per season.” It still will be bad for the product and for the fans in-stadium, but it is sensible to legislate not being able to do it more than once per year.

2. The Goodell contract. Roger Goodell, 64, is signed as commissioner through March 2024, and Adam Schefter reported last week he’s expected to get an extension. Whether that happens this week or at the May meetings, it seems to be a matter of time. Goodell is approaching a milestone in the annals of the 104-year-old pro game. By the time training camp begins, Goodell will have the second-longest tenure of any NFL commissioner since World War II. The longest tenures:

 Pete Rozelle, Feb. 1960-Nov. 1989: 29 years, 9 months.

 Paul Tagliabue, Nov. 1989-Sept. 2006: 16 years, 10 months.

 Roger Goodell, Sept. 2006-present: 16 years, 7 months.

For those who will want Goodell replaced—for any of myriad reasons—remember four things: He works for the owners, who are mostly happy with his performance; he has kept the game from any work stoppages that resulted in lost regular-season or playoff games, and this CBA doesn’t expire till early 2031; he has lorded over a league that dominates the sports landscape even when it’s not playing games; and there’s the matter of franchise values. Average value of a franchise in 2006, when he took over: $898 million. Denver sold last year for five times that. Washington could sell this year for seven times that. Plus, flourishing through COVID-19. That’s why you won’t hear anyone, even Goodell’s occasional league rivals like Jerry Jones, lobbying for a change at the top. Goodell is in a power position for a three- or four-year extension.

Trolling the Biltmore lobby Sunday morning, I ran into one high-ranking club official and asked about the Goodell extension. “Think back to 2006. If you told any owner they’d have 16 years of labor peace, labor deals that lasted into 2030, two teams in L.A., a great stadium in L.A., franchise values way up, they’d all sign for that. They’d more than sign for that.” He’s right—even with the ham-handed handling of the Daniel Snyder ruination of the Washington franchise. Goodell isn’t perfect. But his predecessors weren’t either. Rozelle had labor stoppages and a nonstop war with Al Davis. Tagliabue was late to the party on head trauma. Commissioners must be judged on the balance of their tenures.

3. Noto contendre? So who will replace Goodell when the day comes? Speculation will center on Brian Rolapp, as it should, and Troy Vincent if the league looks internally for Goodell’s replacement, with Rolapp having an edge among active league office execs. Some club executives—Mark Donovan (Kansas City), Tom Garfinkel (Miami), Kevin Demoff (Rams)—could surface as well. My not-so-dark horse is Anthony Noto, the CEO of personal finance giant SoFi, and former CFO of the NFL (2008-2010). Strong profile: West Point grad, masters at Wharton, former COO of Twitter. Noto, 54, left the league on very good terms, is a huge football fan, and knows how to make money. Right up the owners’ alley.

WASHINGTON

Peter King’s pulse quickens with reports that Daniel Snyder has fled the country:

I think this is a good, and important, news note from Pro Football Talk about Washington owner Daniel Snyder. PFT reported that Snyder has vacated his office at the team complex in Ashburn, Va., and during our “PFT Live” show Friday morning (I am Mike Florio’s sidekick for two hours each Friday), Florio said he’d heard not only that Snyder was out of the team offices but was now living in London. Not sure what exactly all of that means, other than to say it seems the franchise is on the way to being sold in toto Florio and I discussed on the show Friday how ludicrous it was to think that noted legal eagle Mary Jo White is now in her 14th month of investigating Snyder. Enough already. Get this pox on the NFL out of there.

CAROLINA

Peter King defends his belief, from an incredulous reader, that the Panthers went into the big trade not knowing exactly whom they would pick with the top overall pick:

Even if what they traded was fair value, I can’t imagine a team giving up all those picks, plus (in your words) their best remaining offensive player, if they didn’t feel very confident that the player they were going to pick was worth it. I know pro days are still upcoming but what’s really left to learn in the next 45 days if you already feel that strongly about a player?”

Jeff, I have only a strong opinion based on those I’ve spoken with. Also, I have common sense. The owner and GM have been on the scene for the entire college football season and the lead-up to the trade, obviously. At the time of the trade, the four men who will coach the player Carolina will pick had been on the job for between three and six weeks. That’s head coach Frank Reich, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, assistant head coach Jim Caldwell and QB coach Josh McCown. The Panthers have said this will be a collaborative decision, not one ordered by the GM, owner or coach. At the time of the trade, there was 48 days before the draft—and the only personal contact the four coaches had had with the top QB candidates was a 15-minute meeting at the Scouting Combine. Do you think all four of the coaches, settling into new jobs and in some cases having to hire a staff of coaches and move families, etc., have spent the time to form a confident and comfortable opinion about which quarterback they’d fight for, knowing they’re going to have weeks before the draft to research this critical decision? I don’t. You, and many others, think they’ve decided. It could be you’ll be right when the story is told post-draft, but that would surprise me. There is a great advantage in having the top pick, because if the Panthers know they can trade down one spot and get the player they’d have taken at number one, they can recoup some of what they’d traded to move up. The Panthers also now can breathe easy, knowing they can pick whoever they end up wanting.

SEATTLE

You can go home again if you are LB BOBBY WAGNER.  The Athletic:

The Seattle Seahawks and linebacker Bobby Wagner have agreed to terms on a one-year, $7 million deal, a team source confirmed to The Athletic on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

Wagner, 32, ended his stretch of eight consecutive Pro Bowl trips in 2022 despite being very productive with the Rams. He amassed 140 total tackles and six sacks during his lone season in Los Angeles.

The former Seahawks and Rams linebacker already carries plenty of credentials to push him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s landed six first-team, All-Pro nods and a spot on the all-decade team for the 2010s.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Wagner still one of league’s best

When Wagner last played for the Seahawks in 2021, he was among Seattle’s best run defenders, along with safety Quandre Diggs and safety Jamal Adams, who’s six months removed from surgery to repair a ruptured quadricep tendon. Inside linebackers and run-stuffing nose tackles are critical to Seattle’s scheme.

Re-signing Wagner is a huge boost to a Seattle run defense that was among the worst in the league in 2022 and just lost nose tackle Al Woods as a cap casualty on Monday.  — Dugar

Seahawks get one of the best inside linebackers on the market

Wagner was one of the better inside linebackers on the market. He and ex-Falcon Rashaad Evans were the only available linebackers from The Athletic’s top-150 free agent list.

Wagner, in his age-32 season, was very productive for the Rams last year. Roquan Smith (traded midseason from Chicago to Baltimore) led all linebackers in “splash” plays with 55, according to TruMedia. Smith led all linebackers with 21 combined tackles and run stuffs (tackles for no gain) while Wagner was second with 20. Wagner was Second-Team All-Pro in 2022 — his ninth straight year one of the two all-pro teams. — Dugar

“Glad to be back in Seattle,” Wagner said in an Instagram post. “It means a lot to be able to come back. Let’s get to work.”

DENVER

Sean Payton says the Broncos will not be trading WRs COURTLAND SUTTON and/or JERRY JEUDY.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Despite talk that the Broncos might shop one of their top receivers this offseason, coach Sean Payton says Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are staying put.

“We’re not trading those two players,” Payton said. “When people call and the phone rings like it does this time of year, [Broncos General Manager] George Paton’s job is to pick it up and say, ‘Hey. Tell you what, we’re not.’ And so, we’ve received calls, you bet. Those are two good football players. But we’re in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we’re void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we’re working with.”

If the Broncos end up trading either Jeudy or Sutton, it would hardly be the first time that a team traded a player after the coach said they wouldn’t. But Payton sounds pretty definitive about not moving either Jeudy or Sutton.

Payton knows he was hired to turn around an offense that was ugly in Russell Wilson‘s first year in Denver, and Payton wants Wilson to have as many receivers as possible.

LAS VEGAS

The Raiders are enthralled with QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO’s impressive career W-L record.  Tashan Reed of The Athletic:

You agreed to terms with Jimmy Garoppolo pretty quickly once free agency began. What made him an attractive option at quarterback?

Simply put: Proven leader, proven winner. I think he’s won 70 percent of his starts. And you can caveat that with the whys and all that stuff but, at the end of the day, he was a part of winning a lot of football games. He’s a proven leader, he’s a proven winner and the next part of that is obviously he’s been steeped in the offensive system that we run. And so, there’s an advantage in that, too. Simply put, that’s what it was.

Garoppolo was supposed to sign on March 16, but ultimately didn’t sign until March 17. Was there any worry that the deal wasn’t going to get done during that time things were delayed?

No. It was just things contractually like language and stuff like that that we had to work through. There was zero worry at any point. We knew it was going to get done, it was just making sure that everything, there’s a lot of protection and clauses and language and things like that, so it just took a little bit longer once we all sat down and started to go through the contract. Because you talk about the framework, obviously, before, but when we actually were kind of going the nuts and the bolts of it, there was just a couple things that took a little bit longer to work through that we anticipated. We didn’t want to have you guys wait, too. We weren’t sure exactly when we were going to be able to get on the same page on all of it, so we just pushed it to the next day, but it was never any concern on our behalf that it wasn’t going to get done.

You wouldn’t have moved on from Derek Carr unless you felt you needed more from the quarterback position. How confident are you that Garoppolo can provide that?

We’re confident. We’ve been around Jimmy since he came in the NFL, so we were with him through a few of those developmental, nurturing years where you really get to learn who people are as football players, as people, from a talent standpoint. And he was successful with us in the time that he got to get on the field. Obviously, there wasn’t an extensive time because Tom (Brady) was there. And then you see him go to San Francisco and, again, there’s a high level of success that he has there, too, when he’s out on the field in a completely different system. He showed the ability to adapt to that system, adapt to a new culture, adapt to a new set of teammates and you saw a lot of the same things that we saw in New England, which was players gravitating towards him. The locker room embraces him. We saw him do that in a completely new setting. He won a few of the football games he went out for us when he started those few games when Tom wasn’t with us at that time. He won those games, and he goes to San Francisco and wins a bunch more games. So, again, I go back to the leadership and the proven winning aspect. I think those are the things that made Jimmy attractive to us. Knowing the history of it and seeing what we thought we saw in his younger years and then to see it manifest and prove itself out in San Francisco made us feel that we’re going to get someone that’s going to provide a lot of leadership and help us win football games.

BALTIMORE

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic on how things have fallen apart between QB LAMAR JACKSON and the Ravens.

The latest twist in the head-scratching Lamar Jackson saga came via a memo the NFL Management Council delivered to every team Thursday afternoon. It began like this:

“The NFLPA (NFL Players Association) has informed us that a person by the name of Ken Francis, who is not an NFLPA certified agent, may be contacting clubs and attempting to persuade club personnel to enter into negotiations with or concerning Lamar Jackson, who is currently under a non-exclusive franchise tender with the Baltimore Ravens.

“As an uncertified person, Mr. Francis is prohibited from negotiating offer sheets or player contracts, or discussing potential trades on behalf of any NFL player or prospective player or assisting in or advising with respect to such negotiations.”

The memo came two days after Pro Football Talk reported that a non-NFLPA certified representative for Jackson called more than one team to try to jump-start negotiations on a potential offer sheet for the Ravens’ star quarterback.

Not long after the memo started to circulate on social media, Jackson took to his Twitter account, which for months has provided the public its only glimpse into his thought process, and responded to an NFL Network reporter, “Stop lying, that man never tried to negotiate for me.” Francis also denied to ESPN that he’s contacted teams.

Jackson later posted a video on Twitter in which he referred to Francis as his “business partner” and showed off a fitness product that the two apparently are collaborating on. With that, Jackson’s contract standstill with the Ravens, which has persisted for months with little evidence of give on either side, shifted from frustrating for all involved to farcical.

The NFLPA has been Jackson’s biggest advocate during these negotiations. It was the group to notify the league that Francis “may be” contacting clubs. That seems important to note, along with Jackson and Francis’ denials.

Let’s hope that Jackson understands the rules of engagement and knows that since he doesn’t have an agent, only he’s allowed to speak with interested teams. Anybody else doing it could potentially nullify an agreement. In other words, a failure to comply would cost Jackson a lot more than he’d save by his decision to do this without an agent.

Let’s also acknowledge what it would likely mean if a business partner of Jackson was making these inquiries. It would mean Jackson’s phone isn’t exactly buzzing with calls from NFL owners and general managers who want to present him with one of the biggest contracts in league history and the keys to their franchise. That’s been the suspicion around the league anyway. There’s been a lot of talk of teams, such as the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons, that could make a run at Jackson. There’s been no evidence that they have.

So we continue to wait to see what the next development will be in a situation where nobody looks good at the moment.

The Ravens? Their decision to put the cheaper non-exclusive tag on Jackson and give him the opportunity to see what his market holds certainly appears to have been the wise move. But there’s still the matter of them being at odds with the face of their franchise — and that’s damaging. So, too, is the fact that since free agency started, the Ravens have operated like a team that is powerless to make significant moves, because it needs to save every morsel of the limited cap space it has to guard against a Jackson offer sheet. The Ravens are losing ground to the AFC’s heavyweights every day that this stalemate persists.

There’s also still a perception that they’ve been unwilling to give Jackson, who took over as the team’s starter in 2018 and did nothing less than revive an organization that had gone stale, a top-of-the-market contract. That perception, mind you, unfairly ignores the fact that the Ravens are believed to have offered Jackson what would have been the second-largest contract in NFL history. Still, team decision-makers have allowed that perception to linger because of their lack of transparency about their offers to Jackson.

The NFLPA? Its leaders have made it clear that they believe Jackson needs to be the next quarterback to get a fully guaranteed deal, and that would lead to similar contracts down the road for Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. The difference is those three players have agents. Jackson does not. He’s been leaning on guidance from the NFLPA during the negotiations. Shouldn’t the NFLPA bear some responsibility for the situation Jackson currently finds himself in?

Then there’s Jackson, who has probably been hurt most through all of this. You can hardly blame him for asking for a Deshaun Watson-type deal, and it’s that unwavering belief in himself that made him the second unanimous MVP in league history at the age of 22. But 2019 seems like a lifetime ago.

Over the last two years, Jackson has looked like a league MVP front-runner for the first third of the season, gone through a rough patch of games, then gotten hurt and missed the team’s most important contests. The front office’s inability to surround him with a strong receiving corps surely has factored in, but Jackson’s inconsistency can’t be dismissed, nor can his two-year absence in December and January games.

Jackson also hasn’t done himself any favors with some lapses in judgment. His “WTF” response on social media when the trade of his close friend, wide receiver Marquise Brown, was announced, agitated team decision-makers who kept Jackson in the loop about the plan with Brown. Jackson certainly knew that Brown wanted out. There was a vulgar response to a fan after the Jacksonville loss in November, and then him going to Twitter to address the nature of his knee injury late in the 2022 season, a revelation that seemingly contradicted the team’s diagnosis.

For a moment, let’s put aside the legitimate question about why other quarterback-needy teams haven’t tried to at least talk to Jackson and acknowledge that there actually are understandable reasons why the Ravens might be reluctant to offer the 26-year-old a fully guaranteed deal.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has kept the details about the Jackson negotiations under wraps, but he’s calculated in how he answers questions. There’s no way his comment in his end-of-season news conference about it taking “two to tango” or his speech at the recent NFL Scouting Combine about every negotiation requiring compromise on both sides were uttered by accident. It’s been a challenge at times to get Jackson to the negotiating table, and he re-enacted the Heisman pose on the Ravens’ attempts to accelerate the talks for much of last offseason.

Still, when the Ravens placed the non-exclusive tag on Jackson on March 7, the quarterback had a chance to get the kind of deal he seeks, whether it was with Baltimore or elsewhere. He’s been able to gauge interest for almost 10 days now and there’s still no signed offer sheet or word about another team’s legitimate interest in one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. No, it doesn’t smell right.

There was always a belief around the league that nobody loves Jackson more than the Ravens and a curiosity about why the two sides haven’t been able to come to an agreement. Thursday’s memo probably provided a little insight into why. If you’re a rival owner, how can you not be asking yourself: “If they can’t get a deal done, how the hell will we?” To the rest of the league, Jackson’s contract status looks like the Ravens’ problem — and they don’t seem all that interested in bailing them out.

Jackson likes to use laughing emojis in his tweets, and he broke them out again Thursday in denouncing a report about Francis allegedly negotiating for him. Really, though, there’s nothing funny about the situation he or the Ravens find themselves in. It’s actually grown quite sad.

Jackson is the face of the city’s sporting landscape. He’s been the toast of the town ever since he announced his arrival following the 2018 NFL Draft by saying, “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me.” He’s been authentic, brash and fun, and at least three or four times in just about every game he’s played as a Raven, he’s done something that’s wowed everyone watching. He’s won a lot, too, often putting the team on his back in the process.

But there’s been a palpable shift within the fan base in recent months. Jackson still garners a ton of support. However, there’s a growing sect of Baltimore fans who are tired of the drama, tired of the contract stalemate sucking the excitement out of all things Ravens, and tired of the constant speculation about what’s next. Who would have thought the answer on Thursday would have been a Florida man named Ken Francis?

Many fans just want a resolution, even if that means Jackson getting an opportunity to play somewhere else in 2023, a thought that was once unthinkable but now is very plausible. Yet, even as they seemingly drift apart, it still feels like Jackson and the Ravens need each other. The Ravens placing the low restricted tender on Tyler Huntley is proof that they don’t believe they have another franchise quarterback on their roster, and they lack the draft capital to go up and get one in next month’s draft. The free-agent veteran quarterback market has been picked through pretty cleanly, as well.

A trade of Jackson also would necessitate another team making the Ravens a fairly significant offer. That’s certainly possible, but the clock is ticking on that and an offer sheet. Again, Thursday’s developments won’t aid that process.

If nothing changes, Jackson could be facing a decision in the coming weeks on whether to sign the franchise tag and return to Baltimore or sit out the 2023 season. Even if he opts to play the season on the tag, neither party could possibly feel good about another offseason like this. So both sides may be stuck in a situation they don’t want to be in.

At every opportunity, DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh have talked up the team’s relationship with Jackson. But the frustration among Ravens officials has been noticeable for a while. Jackson doesn’t trust easily as is, and if there is bitterness about how this situation has unfolded, that will be hard to navigate.

There’s also nothing that has happened that has indicated either side is willing to compromise on the sticking points of the contract. So what we’re left with is probably more absurd days like Thursday, when the ongoing discussion about the football future of one of the game’s most captivating players morphed into Google searches of “Ken Francis” and Jackson previewing a fitness apparatus that apparently will hit the market this summer.

Sad, indeed.

BUFFALO

Peter King hears that S DEMAR HAMLIN plans on playing again:

I think the Damar Hamlin comeback story might now be a question of when it’s announced, not if. “He definitely has every intention to play,” Bills GM Brandon Beane told the Buffalo News. Good news for Hamlin, for the Bills, and for modern medicine.

“Modern medicine”?  This, which may be what happened to Hamlin, occurred in hockey in 1998:

Dmitri Mironov and Chris Pronger never have discussed the frightening incident in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 17 years ago when a slap shot by Mironov hit Pronger near his heart.

Mironov was playing for the defending Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings on May 11, 1998. Pronger anchored the St. Louis Blues’ blue line. Pronger jostled with Detroit forward Martin Lapointe in front of the Blues’ goal, then glided out to block Mironov’s shot.

The puck slammed off Pronger’s chest, just left of his heart. He fell down, covered up the puck and got up. Pronger took two strides and collapsed. He was unconscious for about 20 seconds.

Pronger spent the night in Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, but was back in action four days later.

– – –

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com on how the Bills struggle with what makes QB JOSH ALLEN great also putting him in danger:

It became instantly obvious during the 2018 season that Bills quarterback Josh Allen has a significant amount of mobility. It eventually became clear that, like most mobile quarterbacks, there’s a balance to be struck between cutting it loose and keeping away from injured reserve.

The Bills continue to try to strike that balance, five years into Allen’s career.

McDermott has acknowledged in a conversation with Judy Battista of NFL Network that he’s “absolutely” nervous about the fact that Allen gets tackled on 66 percent of his runs down the field.

“I don’t think that’s a healthy way to play QB in this league and it’s undefeated that things are going to happen when you play that style, brand of football,” McDermott said.

“We have to get that adjusted and it’s never going to go completely away, but it has to get where it’s workable,” McDermott added. “He’s one of the best in the league and I don’t want to take his personality away from him . . . but there needs to be an adjustment in that style of play.”

Of course, Allen’s most significant injury in 2022 came when he was hit in the arm while throwing from the pocket. Injuries can, and do, happen anywhere.

But quarterbacks who run, and who get tackled, are at enhanced risk of being injured. The more they run, the more they get hit, the greater the chance of an injury.

It won’t be easy for the Bills to find that sweet spot. There’s increasing urgency to win a championship. With each season of Allen’s career that it doesn’t happen, the pressure will go up. Thus, the temptation to roll the dice with his health will go up, too.

“Things have to come together in every season of any sport to win it all and we’ve been this close, and we keep knocking at that door,” McDermott said.

Sometimes, continuing to knock on the door isn’t good enough. Sometimes, an impatient owner will try to find a coach and/or a G.M. who can figure out how to finally kick it in.

NEW YORK JETS

A factoid from Peter King:

Players under contract with the New York Jets on Jan. 1, 2019: 75.

Players under contract with the New York Jets on March 17, 2023: 71.

Players under contract with the Jets on both Jan. 1, 2019 and March 17, 2023: 0.

There is turnover, and then there is the New York Football Jets.

THIS AND THAT

2023 DRAFT

Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com drops a Mock Draft that includes another trade between the Lions and Rams involving a QB – but not the way you might think:

1  – CAROLINA (from Chicago)

C.J. Stroud QB               OHIO STATE • JR • 6’3″ / 214 LBS

C.J. Stroud had a great pro day (we were there — check the video above to watch our recap!) and it further solidified his case as one of the top-two QBs in this draft class. We’ve heard that the Panthers are high on Stroud — and for now, we have him going No. 1 because it’s easy to envision him transitioning from Ohio State to a Carolina staff that includes Frank Reich and Jim Caldwell.

2  – HOUSTON

Bryce Young QB            ALABAMA • JR • 5’10” / 204 LBS

Young came in at 5-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at the combine and didn’t take part in the drills. But last week he threw at his pro day (we were there for that, too — see above!) and, like Stroud, showed off the traits that make him so special. He’s our QB1 but it’s not hard to imagine why, for example, the Panthers might prefer Stroud. If so, the Texans will jump at the chance to land Young here.

3  –  ARIZONA

Will Anderson Jr. EDGE      ALABAMA • JR • 6’4″ / 253 LBS

J.J. Watt retired, and Zach Allen and Trysten Hill left in free agency. And with a new coaching staff and GM, the team goes with arguably the safest pick in the draft: pass rusher Will Anderson.

4  – INDIANAPOLIS

Anthony Richardson QB       FLORIDA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 244 LBS

Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger remain from last season’s team while Matt Ryan is now a free agent. The Colts also signed Gardner Minshew, which means the team now has … three backup quarterbacks on the roster. Put another way: They’re still targeting a QB in the draft and the question becomes, which one falls to them if they stay at No. 4, and if it comes down to, say, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis, who will get the nod? We’re still sorting through who will be our QB3 and QB4, but given what new coach Shane Steichen and Jalen Hurts were able to do together in Philly, it’s not hard to imagine the new staff falling in love with Richardson.

5 – SEATTLE (from Denver)

Tyree Wilson EDGE               TEXAS TECH • SR • 6’6″ / 271 LBS

The more you watch of Wilson the more you love his game. Not only what he put on tape at Texas Tech but his upside 2-3 years down the road. He’s long, has the frame to add weight if needed, and he’s a dominant, high-motor pass rusher who can take over games.

6 – DETROIT (from LA Rams)

Lukas Van Ness EDGE             IOWA • SOPH • 6’5″ / 272 LBS

The Lions had a need at cornerback … and promptly addressed it to start free agency, adding Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley. And while there is depth at defensive end, Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris are entering the final year of their deals and the opportunity to pair Lucas Van Ness with Aidan Hutchinson is too good to pass up.

7  – LAS VEGAS

Myles Murphy DL                       CLEMSON • JR • 6’5″ / 268 LBS

Murphy turned 21 in early January, and while we’d like to see him play with more consistency, his best football is in front of him, for sure. He has all the physical tools you look for in an elite edge defenders and it’s easy to see him in a few years being dominant. And that, in large part, is what makes him such an interesting prospect.

8  – ATLANTA

Jalen Carter DL                          GEORGIA • JR • 6’3″ / 314 LBS

Jalen Carter, who was arguably the best defender on a ’21 Georgia defense that had five first-round picks, would be an easy pick for the Falcons here. He left the combine only to return less than 24 hours later after meeting with Athens police. And then showed last week at his pro day nine pounds heavier, and by several accounts, winded after his workout. Where he is ultimately drafted remains an unknown, but he is a special talent.

9  – CHICAGO (from Carolina)

Paris Johnson Jr. OT                   OHIO STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 313 LBS

No team has been busier this offseason than the Bears, who added talent on both sides of the ball, including guard Nate Davis, tight end Robert Tonyan, defensive end DeMarcus Walker (7.0 sacks with the Titans in ’22) and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. There’s still a need at right tackle and edge rusher but with many of the top free-agent offensive lineman already signed elsewhere, and since this draft class is deeper at EDGE than OT, Chicago takes Paris Johnson Jr. here. He played left tackle last season at Ohio State and was the right guard during the ’21 season. Protecting Justin Fields is Priority No. 1, and they can circle back at pick No. 53 (or even 61) to get that pass rusher.

10  – PHILADELPHIA (from New Orleans) 

Christian Gonzalez CB                  OREGON • SOPH • 6’1″ / 197 LBS

Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed — he ran a 4.38 40 at the combine — to line up against NFL wide receivers; he just needs to improve in run support.

11  – TENNESSEE

Peter Skoronski OT                        NORTHWESTERN • JR • 6’4″ / 313 LBS

The Titans added Andre Dillard and Daniel Brunskill in free agency to bolster the O-line but there’s still room for improvement. Skoronski is solid and consistent, which are two of the best things you can say about an offensive lineman. The biggest issue he’ll face during the pre-draft process will be arm length and whether his NFL future is at tackle or guard. But like he told us at the combine, there are plenty of NFL offensive tackles who have long arms and struggle too. That’s not the final determinant of success. In Tennessee he can play inside on Day 1.

12 – HOUSTON (from Cleveland)  

Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR                 OHIO STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 196 LBS

The Texans got their QB with the No. 2 pick, and now they give him a legit Day 1 playmaker. Smith-Njigba, who barely saw the field during the 2022 season because of injuries, is still one of the top wideouts in the class. Before he shined at the Ohio State pro day, it was easy to forget that JSN led the 2021 Buckeyes in receptions and that corps included first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and future first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr.

13 – NY JETS

Broderick Jones OT                          GEORGIA • SOPH • 6’5″ / 311 LBS

The Jets added depth along the interior offensive line with Wes Schweitzer and Trystan Colon-Castillo, but questions remain about former first-rounder Mekhi Becton. It’s a matter of if, not when, Aaron Rodgers arrives, and protecting him will be priority No. 1 given how good this defense was in 2022. Broderick Jones, meanwhile, had a strong ’22 campaign for the Bulldogs, where he has faced some of the best defensive players in the country every day at practice for the last two years. He’s not yet a finished product but he has the athleticism and strength to be a difference-maker when he puts it all together.

14  – NEW ENGLAND

Devon Witherspoon CB                 ILLINOIS • JR • 6’0″ / 181 LBS

The Patriots were busy the first week of free agency, beefing up the offense for Mac Jones. The team added tackle Riley Reiff, tight end Mike Gesicki, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Robinson. And even though the team re-upped cornerback Jonathan Jones, there isn’t much depth at the position. Witherspoon had a great season for the Illini and while there will be questions about his 180-pound frame, you wouldn’t know it to watch him play.

15  – GREEN BAY

Jordan Addison WR                      USC • JR • 5’11” / 173 LBS

Wide receiver Allen Lazard signed with the Jets and Randall Cobb might not be far behind, and the same could be true for tight end Marcedes Lewis. The other tight end, Robert Tonyan, already signed with the Bears. Put another way: even though the Packers have not historically used first-round picks on wide receivers, this might be the year. And with this tight end class being so deep, Green Bay can address that need with their 45th selection. Addison isn’t a big target, but he’s one of the most dynamic players in the country who can line up anywhere. He “only” managed a 4.49 40 at the combine but the tape is the tape — and it consistently showed that he was regularly the best player on the field who can win at all three levels, playing either outside or in the slot.

16  – WASHINGTON

Joey Porter Jr. CB                          PENN STATE • JR • 6’3″ / 193 LBS

Washington added guard Nick Gates and tackle Andrew Wylie in free agency so the urgency to upgrade the offensive line early in the draft is no longer what it once was. Instead, the team targets cornerback; Kendall Fuller is entering the final year of his contract and Benjamin St-Juste has been replacement level. Joey Porter Jr. is the prototypical big, physical cornerback who looks like he belongs in the NFL. He can sometimes get a little too handsy downfield but that doesn’t mean he can’t be dominant at the next level.

17  – PITTSBURGH

Brian Branch S                                ALABAMA • JR • 6’0″ / 190 LBS

The Steelers got interior offensive line help with Nate Herbig, Isaac Seumalo and others, and made some defensive moves with linebackers Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb and cornerback Patrick Peterson. Still, offensive tackle and edge rusher could be the play here, but with a run on both positions in the first half of the round, Pittsburgh instead targets S1, especially after losing Terrell Edmunds to the Eagles. Brian Branch is special; he can play in the slot, near the line of scrimmage or deep centerfield. And if Nick Saban trusted him at Alabama, that’s all you need to know about his NFL prospects. He ran a 4.58 at the combine but he plays much faster than that.

18 – LA RAMS (Mock Trade from Detroit Lions)

Will Levis QB                                     KENTUCKY • SR • 6’4″ / 229 LBS

We rounded out last week’s pro day travels with a stop in Lexington, Kentucky to see Will Levis in person. He’s built like a linebacker and watching him throw the ball in person is something to behold — you can actually hear the passes whistle — but questions remain about his ability to layer the ball to all three levels, and some inconsistencies when he rolls to his left. There’s talk that he could slip on draft day and depending on how long he lasts, maybe a team like the Rams would make a move to get him. Because if anyone can get the most out of Levis’ ability, it’s Sean McVay. (In this mock trade, the Rams get pick No. 18 and the Lions get picks 36, 77, and a 2024 2nd-rounder.)

19  –  TAMPA BAY

Anton Harrison OT                             OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’4″ / 315 LBS

There was some thought that Harrison might return to Oklahoma for an NIL deal that was too good to pass up but he’s instead opted for the NFL. He’s one of the top tackles in the class and now the question is whether he finds his way into Round 1 or goes early on Day 2.

20  – SEATTLE

O’Cyrus Torrence IOL                       FLORIDA • JR • 6’5″ / 330 LBS

The Seahawks re-upped guard Phil Haynes on a one-year deal, but he and Damien Lewis will be out of contract after the ’24 season, and while there’s a need at center too, the team has the 37th (thanks, Denver!) and 52nd picks in Round 2 and there will be starting centers available in that range. Instead, the team goes with O’Cyrus Torrence, who transferred from Louisiana and didn’t miss a beat in the SEC. He was dominant for Florida last fall, he was dominant during Senior Bowl practices, and if history is any guide, he’ll be dominant in the NFL, too.

21  – LA CHARGERS

Bijan Robinson RB                           TEXAS • JR • 5’11” / 215 LBS

Robinson is special, and while he is probably one of the best players in this class, he could still be around late in Round 1 because he’s a running back.

22  –  BALTIMORE

Quentin Johnston WR                        TCU • JR • 6’3″ / 208 LBS

This is all contingent on Lamar Jackson returning to Baltimore, of course. But assuming this happens, the team has to get him some downfield weapons and they’ve been quiet in free agency through the first week. Here they get player who could end up WR1 on draft night. Johnston’s an above-the-rim playmaker whose athleticism and contested-catch abilities were all over his tape at TCU.

23  – MINNESOTA

Bryan Bresee DL                               CLEMSON • SOPH • 6’6″ / 298 LBS

The Vikings have four defensive tackles on the roster who will be free agents after the ’23 season. And while Bresee’s tape was uneven in ’22, he suffered a family tragedy and was sick for much of the season. And the year before, he suffered an ACL injury. When he’s healthy and locked in, Bresee is a special talent whose best football is ahead of him.

24  – JACKSONVILLE

Darnell Wright OT                            TENNESSEE • SR • 6’5″ / 333 LBS

The Jags lost Jawaan Taylor in free agency and while Walker Little would seem to be next man up, the 2021 second-round pick wasn’t able to beat out Taylor for the job last August. He fared well in fill-in duty at left tackle late last season but as Jacksonville looks to take the next step, protecting Trevor Lawrence is job No. 1. Wright is a first-round talent all day long and don’t be surprised if he’s RT1 — and maybe even one of the first offensive linemen off the board.

25  –  NY GIANTS

Deonte Banks CB                           MARYLAND • JR • 6’0″ / 197 LBS

Maryland teammate and fellow cornerback Jakorian Bennett got much of the buzz in the fall but Banks put together the type of season that will land him in the first-round conversation. He’s a fluid athlete who is also a big, physical corner who can match up with NFL wide receivers.

26  –  DALLAS

Luke Musgrave TE                          OREGON STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 253 LBS

Dalton Schultz signed with the Texans, and now the Cowboys have Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon at tight end, a group that combined for 32 receptions a season ago. Perhaps Dallas feels good about this group; Ferguson was a ’22 fourth-rounder, and Hendershot and McKeon were both undrafted free agents. But none were as athletic as Schultz … and that’s where Musgrave comes in. He was getting some late-first/early Day-2 buzz down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, and while he didn’t have a great week, it was certainly easy to see why teams like him. Musgrave missed most of ’22 with an injury but he’s well built, long, and has the athleticism to consistently separate from both safeties and linebackers. His blocking is a work in progress but he’ll be a contributor in the passing game from Day 1.

27  – BUFFALO

Drew Sanders LB                           ARKANSAS • JR • 6’4″ / 235 LBS

Sanders is a former five-star who transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season and all he did was show out for the Razorbacks. He was an edge rusher for the Crimson Tide but he lined up all over the defense for Arkansas and he’s been a one-man wrecking crew when he’s on the field.

28  – CINCINNATI

Michael Mayer TE                              NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’5″ / 249 LBS

The Notre Dame standout told us at the combine that he loves the way Travis Kelce plays the position, and while he may not be quite that athletic, Mayer is already a better blocker. He’s also a legit downfield threat who it’s easy to imagine quickly becoming another one of Joe Burrow’s favorite targets.

29 – NEW ORLEANS (from San Francisco)

Keion White DL                                   GEORGIA TECH • SR • 6’5″ / 285 LBS

White was another player who had a great week at the Senior Bowl, and NFL teams love his size (6-foot-4, 280 pounds) and his motor. He consistently wins at the line of scrimmage and is good against both the run and getting after the quarterback. He may eventually end up going early on Day 2 but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him slip into the first round.

30  – PHILADELPHIA                   

Nolan Smith EDGE                         GEORGIA • SR • 6’2″ / 238 LBS

Nolan Smith missed part of the 2022 season with a pectoral injury but he’s is an electric pass rusher when healthy. He’s also a freakish athlete — he ripped off a 4.39 40 at the combine (and was mad about running too slow!). That motor is all over his tape and he’d fill a huge need in Philly.

31  – KANSAS CITY

Dawand Jones OT                          OHIO STATE • SR • 6’8″ / 374 LBS

The Chiefs lost left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency and signed Jawaan Taylor, the former Jaguars right tackle. The plan is to move Taylor to the left side, which means there’s a need on the right, even if Lucas Niang is currently penciled in there on the depth chart. Dawand Jones had a great season and it was hard to overlook just how dominant he was in one day of practice at the Senior Bowl. Yes, his footwork needs some fine-tuning but his huge frame, long arms and enormous wingspan more than make up for what he lacks in quickness. He’s block-out-the-sun big, even when standing next to his offensive linemates.

Round 2

32         Steelers (via CHI)          Kelee Ringo      CB        Georgia

33         Texans                          Joe Tippman      C          Wisconsin        

34         Cardinals                       Jahmyr Gibbs     RB        Alabama          

35         Colts                              Cam Smith        CB        South Carolina  

36         Lions (mock via LAR)     Darnell Washington       TE        Georgia

37         Seahawks (via DEN)      Luke Wypler      C          Ohio State       

38         Raiders                          Dalton Kincaid   TE        Utah    

39         Panthers                       BJ Ojulari           EDGE   LSU     

40         Saints                            Zay Flowers       WR       Boston College 

41         Titans                             Josh Downs      WR       UNC    

42         Jets (via CLE)                Sam LaPorta      TE        Iowa    

43         Jets                                John Michael Schmitz    OC       Minnesota        

44         Falcons                         Emmanuel Forbes         CB        Mississippi State          

45         Packers                         Antonio Johnson            S          Texas A&M      

46         Patriots                           Matthew Bergeron         OT        Syracuse         

47         Commandes                   Nick Herbig               LB              Wisconsin        

48         Lions                              Julius Brents             CB            Kansas St.       

49         Steelers                          Tuli Tuipulotu               DL        USC    

50         Buccaneers                     Hendon Hooker            QB       Tennessee       

51         Dolphins                          Cody Mauch              OG           North Dakota State       

52         Seahawks                       Daiyan Henley              LB        Washington State         

53         Bears (via BAL)               Siaki Ika                       DL        Baylor  

54         Chargers                         Jartavius Martin            CB        Illinois  

55         Lions (via MIN)                Trenton Simpson          LB        Clemson          

56         Jaguars                            Garrett Williams           CB        Syracuse         

57         Giants                                Steve Avila                OC        TCU     

58         Cowboys                           Mazi Smith                 DL         Michigan          

59         Bills                                  Roschon Johnson        RB        Texas  

60         Bengals                           Devon Achane              RB       Texas A&M      

61         Bears (via 49ers)           Felix Anudike-Uzomah    EDGE   Kansas St.       

62         Eagles                             JL Skinner                   S           Boise State      

63         Chiefs                               Will McDonald IV         EDGE   Iowa State

Round 3

64         Bears                                 Darius Rush                  CB      South Carolina  

65         Texans                               Byron Young                DL      Alabama          

66         Cardinals                           Tyler Steen                  OT       Alabama          

67         Broncos (via IND)               Gervon Dexter          DL        Florida 

68         Broncos                             Tyrique Stevenson     CB        Miami  

69         Rams                                  Calijah Kancey          DL        Pittsburgh        

70         Raiders                               Nick Saldiveri                         OG       Old Dominion    

71         Saints                                Zacch Pickens           DL        South Carolina  

72         Titans                                Adetomiwa Adebawore            EDGE   Northwestern    

73         Texans (via CLE)           Daniel Scott                    S         California          

74         Browns (via NYJ)           Tyjae Spears                   RB       Tulane 

75         Falcons                          Tyler Scott                      WR      Cincinnati         

76         Patriots (via CAR)            Marvin Mims                 WR      Oklahoma        

77         Lions (mock trade via LAR)        Jaquelin Roy     DL        LSU     

78         Packers                                Isaiah Foskey         EDGE   Notre Dame      

79         Colts (via WAS)                     Henry To’oTo’o       LB        Alabama          

80         Steelers                               Marte Mapu                S        Sacramento State        

81         Lions                                   Andrew Vorhees       OG       USC    

82         Buccaneers                         Jaylon Jones            CB        Texas A&M      

83         Seahawks                           Jayden Reed            WR       Michigan State 

84         Dolphins                               Tucker Kraft              TE        South Dakota State      

85         Chargers                              Derick Hall   EDGE   Auburn 

86         Ravens                                Myles Brooks           CB        Louisiana Tech 

87         Vikings                                Jalin Hyatt                 WR      Tennessee       

88         Jaguars                                Luke Schoonmaker   TE        Michigan          

89         Giants                                  Keaton Mitchell        RB        East Carolina    

90         Cowboys                             Jalen Redmond         DL        Oklahoma        

91         Bills                                      Emil Ekiyor               OG       Alabama          

92         Bengals                               Sydney Brown         S          Illinois  

93         Panthers (via SF)                 Byron Young (UT)   EDGE   Tennessee       

94         Eagles                                   Tank Bigsby           RB        Auburn 

95         Chiefs                                   Parker Washington  WR       Penn State       

96         Cardinals                               Eli Ricks                   CB       Alabama          

97         Commanders                          Jaelyn Duncan       OT        Maryland          

98         Browns                                  YaYa Diaby            DL        Louisville          

99         49ers                                      Dalton Wagner       OT        Arkansas         

100       Raiders (via KC)                     Karl Brooks           DL        Bowling Green  

101       49ers                                    Kyu Blu Kelly           CB        Stanford           

102       49ers                                     Nick Broeker           OG       Ole Miss