The Daily Briefing Monday, May 2, 2022

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

QB NICK FOLES is on the street.  ESPN.com:

The Chicago Bears have released quarterback Nick Foles, the team announced Sunday.

The Bears originally acquired Foles two seasons ago in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round draft pick.

After starting seven games in 2020, the Super Bowl LII MVP logged only one start last season, leading the Bears to a 25-24 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks in which he threw for 250 yards and a touchdown pass.

The Bears will save $3 million against their salary cap with the move, which comes with a $7.66 million dead cap charge, according to Spotrac.com. The Bears will be up to $57 million in dead cap money once linebacker Danny Trevathan’s release becomes official after June 1.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles confirmed in March that the team had been trying to trade Foles after adding veteran backup Trevor Siemian in free agency.

A veteran of 10 seasons, the 33-year-old Foles has thrown for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns and 43 interceptions.

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com on how Joe Schoen’s first draft class impacts the Giants.

In a span of seven minutes on Friday evening, general manager Joe Schoen did something that should have made the New York Giants and their fans realize they finally have a chance. He traded back (twice!) before you could even blink in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to add extra picks.

It might not sound like anything special, but it shows a level of competence the organization didn’t have as recently as the beginning of this year. In that seven minutes Schoen traded back as many times as Dave Gettleman did in nine years as general manager of the Carolina Panthers and Giants. And the two times Gettleman did trade back, sources say it was at the behest of former coach Joe Judge last year.

“We just thought it was what was best for us at this time. More picks would benefit us the most, we thought, based on who was on our board,” Schoen said Saturday. “We had deals in place before the draft started. So we were confident. We knew we could move back. That was part of the plan.”

A plan that made sense. Again, the bar is low — perhaps below the basement — for a franchise that went 19-46 under Gettleman.

Schoen began the second round on Friday by sending Pick 36 to the New York Jets for Picks 38 and 146 (a fifth-rounder). Moments later, he moved back again, shipping No. 38 to Atlanta for No. 43 and a fourth-rounder (114). The two picks he netted by moving down seven spots became Iowa safety Dane Belton (No. 114) and Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden (No. 146).

This is how rebuilding teams are supposed to operate. Remember this in a couple of years if Belton or McFadden become starters or even consistent contributors.

We can argue about the merits of the player the Giants ended up selecting 43rd overall in the second round, Kentucky receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Some analysts, including ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., say the diminutive wide receiver was selected too early. And the Giants might have missed out on a cornerback they liked by moving down. Auburn’s Roger McCreary went 35th to the Tennessee Titans, Washington’s Kyler Gordon went 39th to the Chicago Bears and Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. went 42nd to the Minnesota Vikings.

It doesn’t really matter. This Giants team, bereft of talent, got extra dart throws during the draft because of Schoen’s elasticity. Contrast that with Gettleman’s ill-fated decision during the 2019 draft to trade fourth- and fifth-round picks to move up seven spots to No. 30 for cornerback DeAndre Baker. At least two other teams told ESPN that spring that they had concerns about the Georgia prospect. Baker was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in 2020 because of legal issues and released that September by the Giants.

Schoen’s draft résumé with the Giants is already off to a better start. He began by taking Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth overall and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7. Those picks were pretty much universally lauded, even if the rest of the class of 11 players was met with some skepticism. It was New York’s largest draft class since 2003.

The highlights that show what Kayvon Thibodeaux has to offer in the NFLTake a look at Kayvon Thibodeaux’s most aggressive plays at DE and see why he could be the best player to come out of the draft.

“I don’t love the Giants’ class after their first two picks, but Thibodeaux and Neal are good enough to keep this grade on stable ground,” Kiper wrote in his explanation for giving the Giants a B grade.

Like every team’s draft class, the newest group of Giants comes with some warts. Robinson lacks ideal size at 5-foot-8, 178 pounds. Third-round guard Joshua Ezeudu, selected 67th, was ranked 151st overall by Scouts Inc., which said he lacks polish and grades out as a versatile backup with a chance to develop into a starter. And during the pre-draft process, some scouts and coaches told ESPN they view Thibodeaux as “good, but not special” — a player who isn’t very big (6-foot-4, 254 pounds) for his position and doesn’t possess any counter moves as a pass-rusher.

The reality is nobody knows whether any of the 262 players drafted this weekend will be any good. That is analysis for another day down the road. What we can judge is Schoen’s logic.

What he did throughout his first offseason and draft at least makes sense. In Gettleman’s first draft as Giants GM (2018), he selected running back Saquon Barkley No. 2 overall following a 3-13 season, trying to prop up soon-to-be-38-year-old quarterback Eli Manning.

Schoen realized he couldn’t get it all done in one swoop and began what appears to be a methodical roster overhaul. He had a realistic goal for his first draft class.

“We wanted to add depth and competition to the roster, which I think we did,” Schoen said. “Again, not every guy is going to come as a starter. It takes time. Guys have to develop. … Over time, you have to have depth players and frontline players. I think the idea was to get the best we could.

“Defensively, the guys with versatility. And offensively, as you’re around [coach] Brian [Daboll], you’ll see, he’ll take the pieces and whatever we have and develop the offensive scheme around those pieces that we have, and [defensive coordinator] Wink [Martindale] kind of adheres to the same philosophy.

PHILADELPHIA

Undrafted Nevada QB CARSON STRONG landed as a well-compensated UFA with the Eagles.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

NFL teams have a strict limit on the signing bonuses that can be given to undrafted free agents. However, they’re not limited in the salaries or guarantees made to the undrafted rookies.

Some big guarantees have been handed out in the land rush following the 2022 draft. Leading the way, so far, is quarterback Carson Strong. He got $320,000 guaranteed from the Eagles, with $20,000 of that coming in the form of a signing bonus.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

This from ESPN.com:

After failing to land a safety during the draft, the New Orleans Saints are expected to revisit their talks with free-agent safety Tyrann Mathieu and make an aggressive push to try to add him to their roster, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Mathieu, who was born and raised in New Orleans, visited the Saints in April. He also had a virtual visit with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason but has so far gone unsigned.

The Saints visited with both Mathieu and former LSU receiver Jarvis Landry last month but didn’t sign either player — keeping the possibility alive that they could revisit talks if they didn’t fill those needs in the draft.

The Saints addressed the receiver position in a big way by trading up for Ohio State’s Chris Olave in Round 1 of the draft. But safety remains a need after they lost starters Marcus Williams (free agency) and Malcolm Jenkins (retirement).

The Saints did sign veteran safety Marcus Maye as one replacement in free agency. But when asked whether there were any “musts” remaining on their roster, general manager Mickey Loomis said Saturday, “Yeah. One of them, for sure. … You guys can guess that. You probably know it already.”

Mathieu, who turns 30 on May 13, is tied for fifth in the league with 13 interceptions over the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, including three in 2021 — with one returned for a touchdown — as the nine-year veteran was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season.

The Chiefs, however, moved on from Mathieu when they signed Justin Reid to a three-year, $31.5 million contract in free agency.

The two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection has 26 interceptions — returning three for touchdowns — 76 passes defended, 610 tackles and 10 sacks in nine seasons for the Chiefs, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, who selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft.

The Saints did sign an undrafted free agent safety with a fantastic name.  Kyle Mosley ofSI.com:

Smoke Monday has one of the best names as a defender — actually, it’s Quindarious Demonze Monday — but we like Smoke. Before the Auburn product could let the ink dry, Monday was already “bringing the smoke” to New Orleans. 

The Atlanta native was driving by the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and he began letting the Falcons know they “gotta see him two times per year buddy, good luck” on his Instagram story – and the Who Dat Nation fell in love!

“When I get to the NFL, I’ll always be betting on myself,” he told the Advertiser. “That’s just who I am, man. I know I will prove a lot of people wrong, what they think about me and the kind of player they think I am,” Advertiser report Bennett Durando shared on Monday,

Later, Monday was wearing a Drew Brees jersey.

The Saints’ defensive backs’ room will be interesting with the charisma of Smoke Monday and Ceedy Duce during the season. First, Monday must make the squad as a rookie undrafted free agent.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

Iowa State QB BROCK PURDY is irrelevant.  Once thought to be a potential first rounder, the four-year starter was the last player drafted.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

Before Saturday, Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy had a wide range of potential outcomes in mind for his football future. In the days leading up to the NFL draft, he had been told he could be drafted as early as Round 4 or go undrafted entirely.

As it turned out, Purdy did get selected. Barely.

With the final pick in this year’s draft, No. 262 overall, the San Francisco 49ers selected Purdy. It’s a choice that comes with the title of “Mr. Irrelevant” and includes a week of activities in Southern California.

In the moments after his selection, Purdy didn’t hesitate to embrace his new title but also made it clear he intends to carve out a longer-lasting, more important position as an NFL quarterback.

“I think it’s a funny thing,” Purdy said. “If you’re a fan, or even my family, friends and stuff, it’s funny to laugh about it and joke around with it. For me, I’m looking at it as an opportunity. I got my foot in the door, a team believed in me and now I get my opportunity to go and play football. That’s what I want my career to be. That’s what I want my job to be is to be an NFL quarterback and now I have the opportunity to do so. That’s how I’m looking at it.

“From the outside looking in, I guess it’s a funny thing and I’ll embrace the role and have some fun with it for sure, but at the end of the day I’m trying to go and help a team win the Super Bowl. That’s where my mindset is at with it.”

Purdy had an inkling he could land in San Francisco after a Zoom meeting with Niners quarterbacks coach Brian Griese about a month ago. That interest was forged when coach Kyle Shanahan asked Griese and assistant quarterbacks coach Klay Kubiak to put together a list of names they liked at the position.

“He was a guy we labeled early as our No. 1 free agent we were gonna go after and when you get to there and they haven’t been drafted, we have the last pick, we thought it was perfect,” Shanahan said. “The guy has played a lot of football. He plays the game the right way. He’s extremely tough, gets the ball to the right spots and plays very well in the pocket and is a guy who we think can come in here and help us fill out this roster and give himself a chance to make the team.”

Purdy was a four-year starter for the Cyclones, ending his career with 12,170 passing yards, 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in 46 starts. He also rushed for 1,177 yards and 19 scores.

In late June, Purdy will get the chance to take part in “Irrelevant Week” in Newport Beach, California, an annual event that in the past has included a banquet and surfing lessons.

Before that, he’ll get a chance to begin making his mark on the Niners, presumably as a developmental prospect behind Trey Lance and Nate Sudfeld as San Francisco continues to seek a new home for veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.

“He’s relevant to us,” general manager John Lynch said.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

The Ravens made 6 picks in the 4^th round – and Peter King was there to chronicle it:

“We’re on the clock,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said to the 36 scouts, coaches, analytics staffers and club officials in the Baltimore draft room at 12:16 p.m. Saturday. Day three, round four of the 2022 NFL Draft was four picks deep, with the 110th overall selection upcoming. “We’ll wait till there’s three minutes left—just to make sure.”

Round four. The golden round for Baltimore in an odd draft season. No team in draft history has had as many picks in a round as the six the Ravens had in this one, and it was by design. Because a slew of draft prospects stayed in school a year longer than projected after the Covid-wracked 2020 college season, the talent in the ’22 draft would be deeper than normal, even if the first round or so was just okay. “We thought this pool would be rich and fertile,” said DeCosta, 51, in his office before the round began. He wore a sweatshirt that read: ANALYZE MORE. NEVER GUESS. “We wanted as many third- and fourth-round picks as possible.”

One fourth-rounder was Baltimore’s pick, three came in trades, two came as Compensatory picks for lost free agents. Consciously accumulated for just this strange year when, to the Ravens, the fourth round had extra value. Would DeCosta be right? Would this jackpot of depth pay off in a rebound from an 8-9 season? No one can know today, but a long-haul franchise like Baltimore had used this round to pick Dennis Pitta (114th), Kyle Juszczyk (130th) and Za’Darius Smith (122nd) in recent years.

As the clock wound down for the 110th pick, no team called trying to trade for the pick. With three minutes left, DeCosta picked up the phone and called mountainous Minnesota tackle Daniel Faalele, an Aussie who didn’t play football till age 16.

“You’re gonna be a Baltimore Raven,” DeCosta said. “We love big guys like you. You’ve had a remarkable voyage, and this is just the beginning.” Coach John Harbaugh and team president Sashi Brown took turns welcoming the 384-pound Faalele.

“All right guys,” DeCosta said to the room. “We’re off and running.”

The next pick, 119th overall, was nine slots away, and there was an Alabama corner to procure. Then 128, 130, 139 and 141. Five more chances to get pieces of a 53-man puzzle. Of the 29 prospects they were choosing from in this area of the draft, the Ravens would focus on an injured corner, the Academic Heisman winner, a punter to replace aging Sam Koch. They’d get gut-punched by their arch-rivals for a player they wanted—and needed. They’d get nine phone calls, three from the Jaguars, about trades, and they’d make none.

The trades had been made. Now it was time to cash in the picks. These six men, these six decis- ions, would be big factors for the future of the Ravens, good or bad.

– – –

Atypical story. I’ve got to make you want to read about a team’s fourth round. Here’s the pitch: The Ravens have made the playoffs 13 times and won two Super Bowls since 2000, and they’ve done it by zigging when others zag. They’ve had more Compensatory Picks than any team; they’re fine with letting big-money players walk, because they figure they can find good (and cheaper) replacements. After the abridged 2020 college season and the runup to the ’21 draft, they saw a market inefficiency coming—more good players in the ’22 middle class—and so they let go two big free-agents (Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue) for Comp Picks, and they made two 2021 trades that netted fourth-round picks, and one more trade in round one, moving from 23 to 25 with Buffalo to pick up the sixth fourth-round pick.

I was in the Ravens’ draft room for the fourth round. What I found interesting was the calm, even when the Steelers threw a stunning changeup at them moments before the Ravens were going to address a need. Halfway through my 100 minutes in the room, I wrote in my notebook, They’ve done this before—no surprises.

Part of what’s interesting to me is the kind of new knowledge the team seeks. DeCosta has formed a bond with the former NASA engineer and ex-Astros analytics guru Sig Mejdal, now the Orioles assistant GM. “Eric’s a football expert,” Mejdal said at Camden Yards on Friday, “but he’s also a guy who continually searches for ways to improve.”

In the previous 15 drafts, I’d categorize 24 of the Ravens’ 76 picks in rounds three through five as successes—meaning they became starting players for Baltimore for a time. From guard Marshal Yanda in the third round of 2007 to safety Brandon Stephens (third round, 2021), the Ravens have drafted, developed and started their middle class. In this draft, as of Saturday morning, Baltimore had about 31 of its top 115 players left on the board. An hour before starting round four, DeCosta laid out his top priority: “I’d like to get the corner from Alabama [Jalyn Armour-Davis] if we can. He’s good. He’d help us.”

Entering round four, in order, the Ravens prioritized three players: Faalele, Armour-Davis and Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar. But it wasn’t that easy. DeCosta was torn entering the room. Armour-Davis was more of a need, and even though the grade on Faalele was higher, the GM felt a run at cornerback coming.

DeCosta believes that being a general manager is not simply about reading the grades and picking by them. There has to be a feel involved. They prioritized Faalele because he had a slightly higher grade; he and North Carolina QB Sam Howell were the highest-graded position players for Baltimore at the start of round four. (The Ravens don’t need a quarterback, so they wouldn’t have taken Howell.) For DeCosta, Armour-Davis was key because you can’t have enough corners, and he was their best corner left.

After Denver picked at 116, owner Steve Bisciotti, a huge draftnik, wondered what DeCosta’s next move was if Armour-Davis was gone. Another target for Baltimore was Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar. “Eric,” Bisciotti said, “Kolar if you lose Armor-Davis? He’s the Academic Heisman guy.”

“Yeah,” DeCosta said. “Kolar wrote me a note, a hand-written note, after we met with him [at the combine], thanking me. Good kid. Good player.”

117: Jets take Michael Clemons, defensive end, Texas A&M.

“Guys,” DeCosta said to the room, “we’re taking the Alabama corner if he’s there.”

118: Vikings take Akayleb Evans, cornerback, Missouri.

119: Jalyn Armour-Davis, cornerback, Alabama.

Applause in the room. “Jalyn,” DeCosta said over the phone after introducing himself, “how much do you know about the Ravens?” He quizzed him on Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey, from Alabama, and about ex-Crimson Tide tight end Ozzie Newsome. Then DeCosta handed the phone to Newsome. “Jalyn?” Newsome said. “Roll Tide.”

The list of Ravens’ favorites dwindled. At 122 and 123, the Raiders and Chargers took two of Baltimore’s preferred backs, Zamir White and Isaiah Spiller. But then four straight players who weren’t Raven targets went. Vegas called, wanting the 128th pick. Nope. The Ravens wanted Kolar, he of the 3.99 GPA in mechanical engineering and the 64-catch season in Ames last fall.

Bisciotti was excited. “Finally,” the owner said, “I’ll have someone to converse with.”

Not a bad line. The room broke up.

On the live speaker from the draft, a tinny voice called out: “At 127, the Patriots take running back Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State.”

“Yesssss,” DeCosta said.

128: Charlie Kolar, tight end, Iowa State.

On the phone, DeCosta told Kolar, “You’re going to have the chance to play with Mark Andrews, and to catch passes from Lamar Jackson. We’re excited.” Harbaugh took the phone. “Hey Charlie! We’ve been holding our breath here!”

Kolar, in fact, was a good example of the player who went back to school after the Covid season. “I thought long and hard about coming out in 2021,” Kolar said Sunday. “But I had sports hernia surgery [in early 2021], and obviously when you’re getting ready for the NFL you want to put your best foot forward. Theoretically, even if I’d been a third-round pick last year versus a fourth-round pick this year—and there’s no guarantee of that, obviously—I knew I’d be a better player if I stayed in school one more year. To me, the draft is just the beginning of the journey. Staying in helped me.”

Now a short turnaround to the next pick.

130: Jordan Stout, punter, Penn State.

The Ravens needed a speed receiver to replace Hollywood Brown, who they traded to Arizona during Thursday’s first round. But they had a one-punter prospect class (“Stout was the only one we would have drafted,” DeCosta said) with Koch nearing his end in Baltimore. So Stout was the pick.

DeCosta allows his special-teams coach, Randy Brown, to lead analysis on kickers and punters. Brown loved Stout. Koch has had a 16-year run in Baltimore. Justin Tucker is entering his 11th season as kicker. It’s hard to know when it’s smart to take a punter; the Bucs took the second of the draft just three picks later. But DeCosta knew the expiration date was coming due on Koch, knew he needed a punter, and knew if he lost out on the chance to get a 10-year punter he’d be kicking himself.

“We think you’re one of the best punters to come out in years,” DeCosta told Stout on the phone.

He’d better be.

Now the calls started coming for the last two fourth-rounders, 139th and 141st overall. Five teams called in 20 minutes. One NFC team offered two sixth-round picks for either 139 or 141. “I don’t think so,” DeCosta told one of the GMs who called. “We’re gonna pick.”

137: Patriots take Bailey Zappe, quarterback Western Kentucky.

A middle-round receiver, Calvin Austin III of Memphis, a smurfy guy who runs a 4.32 40, was Baltimore’s target here. Guess who else runs a 4.32? Hollywood Brown. Though Austin’s a small guy, he was durable at Memphis, playing 49 games in four years and averaging 16.3 yards per catch. Baltimore’s not a deep-throwing team—thus Brown’s frustration, leading to his trade request, and the trade to Arizona—but the Ravens could use speed depth.

Austin wasn’t a must-have. But he was the next target. He was Baltimore’s guy.

Then, over the tinny speaker, news that the Steeler were picking wide receiver Calvin Austin, Memphis.

 “Gotta be kidding me,” someone blurted out as the Ravens began to process it.

Ravens on the clock … 4:40 4:35 … DeCosta had to think now. He had open trade offers with Kansas City and Jacksonville, and he could pull the trigger on either. He didn’t love his options here. But his expression didn’t change. Harbaugh’s expression didn’t change, nor did Newsome’s. These things happen in the draft. They pondered alternatives. They had two linebackers and one slower receiver with good grades left, but didn’t love any of them.

There was a tight end rated very close to Kolar, Isaiah Likely of Coastal Carolina, one of the best offensive tight ends in the college game last year. The Ravens thought he might be able to do some receiver things—lining up in the slot and outside—as well as playing inline tight end.

“How about Likely?” Harbaugh said to offensive coordinator Greg Roman. “Find a spot for him?” Roman liked him.

With about a minute left on the clock, the decision was made.

139: Isaiah Likely, tight end, Coastal Carolina.

“Isaiah, hi. Eric DeCosta, GM of the Baltimore Ravens,” the GM said, giving him the news. “You’re from Boston, huh? You a Celtics fan?”

Later, I asked DeCosta about losing Austin. DeCosta said, “That’s the draft.”

“We gambled on the punter, and we’re glad we got him,” DeCosta said. “To us, Stout was the only one we’d have taken. These are the kinds of decisions you make every year in the draft. You never get everyone you want.”

There was one other part of the equation, a part of the job DeCosta didn’t want to discuss openly. A good general manager can sniff around his area of the draft and see if a player he likes a lot is in danger of being picked by another team. And here, the Bucs picking 133rd and the Bengals picking 136th were sniffing around punters. He heard one of them liked Stout. “If you have a chance to fix a position for 10 years with a punter about to be 40, you’ve got to consider that strongly,” DeCosta said. Thus the punter at 130.

141: Damarion Williams, cornerback, Houston.

Now you’re looking for traits, particularly at important positions. Williams started 33 games in three years at Houston, played all over the secondary, two-year captain, highly competitive, highly recommended by his coaches. At this point, 141 picks into the draft, you’re not drafting Revises. You drafting 5-10 corners who run 4.5 and who have traits, and who your scouts love.

One of the Ravens’ most trusted scouts, David Blackburn, advocated hard for Williams with DeCosta. That means something to DeCosta. “I want those guys to know their voice counts with me,” DeCosta said.

In the room now, with time left on the clock before the 141st pick, Bisciotti said: “You see one of these corners we have left making our team?”

DeCosta said he did, then addressed Blackburn. “David, you like Williams, right?” They talked for a moment, and then DeCosta said, “We’re gonna pick the corner.”

Then two teams called, and DeCosta told both no thanks, they had a player to pick. He dialed the number he had for Williams … and the agent picked up. “I gotta get a hold of him or I’m not drafting him,” DeCosta said. Crisis averted: The agent gave DeCosta the number where Williams was, and GM told player he was a Raven. “One of our scouts, David Blackburn, really campaigned for you,” DeCosta told Williams. He handed the phone to Blackburn, so they could talk. Cool move.

At 1:51 p.m., THE PICK IS IN flashed on the TV screen in the draft room, the sixth of six fourth-round picks. Damarion Williams, CB, Houston.

In the first two days of the draft, the Ravens picked four players they fully expect to turn into starters by opening day 2023: safety Kyle Hamilton, center Tyler Linderbaum, edge rusher David Ojabo (who will rehab a torn Achilles in 2022) and defensive tackle Travis Jones.

In 95 minutes on day three of the draft, the Ravens picked six players they hope will turn into valuable puzzle pieces to a championship team.

One of the lessons Mejdal, the baseball analytics trailblazer, imparted to DeCosta was not to think of a group of players in one round in a clump. Don’t think, History says we’ll hit on two or three of these, so just understand we’ll probably miss on three or four. “Why can’t they all make it and be good players for you?” Mejdal said. “Once they’re drafted, they’re thrown onto a team, into practice, and soon you forget where they were drafted. Each player is an independent story.”

So 32 percent of the third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks over the past 15 years contributed significantly to the Ravens. DeCosta took Mejdal’s thoughts and expanded his percentages. Damarion Williams is an example. His 4.52-second 40 time is poor by NFL standards for a corner. But there’s another recent corner with a poor 40 time who will be discussed for the Hall of Fame in a few years. Richard Sherman ran a 4.56 40 at the 2011 combine. He has one thing Williams doesn’t: size. He’s four inches taller that Williams. Otherwise, their traits—feistiness, competitiveness, leadership—are similar. Williams is a corner you have to believe in because you’ve seen him play football.

“We feel great,” DeCosta said Sunday night. “We addressed a lot of concerns in that fourth round. Being totally honest, I think we’ll have three eventual starters, and three guys who will be quality depth for us.”

History says going six-for-six doesn’t happen. It probably won’t here either. But don’t tell that to the Ravens this morning. In the Baltimore draft room, in the corner, is a stuffed giraffe, maybe five feet tall. DeCosta’s son got it for a gift when he was a child, and DeCosta brought it into the room. There are few things in a draft room that can look more out of place than a stuffed giraffe that belongs in your kid’s nursery.

But it is there for a reason.

“Stick your neck out,” DeCosta said. “I want guys in here who aren’t afraid to tell me what they think, always.”

CLEVELAND

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out that the Browns are likely to have to deal with a substantial suspension for QB DESHAUN WATSON – and might “need” QB BAKER MAYFIELD – especially with MLB coming down hard on pitcher Trevor Bauer:

The Browns are done with Baker Mayfield. And Baker Mayfield is done with the Browns. Unless they aren’t.

With few viable options for a trade and a fully-guaranteed salary of $18.8 million, the Browns apparently plan to squat on Mayfield, indefinitely. Like the 49ers, the Browns intend to wait if necessary on a freak injury that, while not unprecedented (Teddy Bridgewater, 2016), is highly unlikely.

On the scale of events that possibly could happen, it’s far more likely that, instead of a starting quarterback with some other team being lost to injury for a full year, the Browns will lose their starting quarterback for a full year, due to a suspension. At a time when the NFL stubbornly keeps its cards close to the vest on off-field issues, there continues to be a loose sense that Watson will be suspended for four or six games, eight at the most.

What if the loose sense is wrong? What if the NFL, influenced by 22 claims of sexual misconduct during massages and the two-year banishment imposed on Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer by Major League Baseball, the Commissioner imposes a one-year suspension on Watson?

There’s another important factor at play here. Other owners are pissed about the five-year, $230 million guaranteed deal given by the Browns to Watson. Surely, they’re letting the Commissioner hear about it. Sort of like when the other owners were letting the Commissioner hear about the perceived wrist slap the Patriots received for Spygate. Which contributed directly to the trumped-up charges and conclusions in Deflategate.

So the Browns may need Mayfield, and it could be a tenuous win-win. He needs a place to play — and to play well — as he prepares to become a free agent. The Browns may need a starter for all, not just part, of 2022.

The sooner the Browns know what will happen, the better suited the Browns will be to make good decisions about Mayfield. If Watson ends up not playing at all in 2022, the best decision could be to rebuild the bridge, albeit temporarily, with Baker.

And if that can’t happen, they could trade Baker straight up for Sam Darnold, swapping identical $18.8 million base salaries and taking some solace in the reality that Darnold, for better or worse, is not Mayfield.

PITTSBURGH

Peter King on QB KENNY PICKETT’s prior proximity to the Steelers:

So I asked Pickett the most important question Saturday: Is it going to be hard, after five years of going through the door to the right, getting used to going through the door to the left?

On the South Side of Pittsburgh is a football complex—offices for the Steelers and for the Pitt football team, with a separated locker room for each team inside, with a separate weight room for each, and, out the back door, practice fields that each team uses separately.

The front doors to the facility are 12 feet apart. To the left, the Steelers. To the right, the Pitt Panthers. And for five years, four playing seasons and one redshirt year, Kenny Pickett walked only through the door on the right.

“Every time I’d walk into the Pitt side, I’d always glance over at the left and kinda envision one day walking over to my left, through the other door,” Pickett told me Saturday, his third day of walking through the left side. “Now that that’s happening, it’s pretty awesome.”

Pickett told me he got to know Mike Tomlin a bit from passing by him to and from the practice field, and walking in and out of the buildings. He never got the chance to talk ball with Ben Roethlisberger—which seems odd to me, to never chat with Roethlisberger in five years—but he did watch Steelers practice a lot. “As the year went on,” Pickett said, “my family and my coaches talked about how awesome it was if I could just walk next door for my pro career. It’s funny. I’m basically doing job interviews and putting my game out there for all 32 teams but some places are more intriguing, more attractive, than others. The Steelers were definitely at the top of my list. The culture they’ve built, playing with an edge. That’s how I play. That’s why I think this will be a good fit for me.”

The Steelers needed a quarterback who could throw from the pocket and throw on the move, and who also had the experience to step in early and play. Pickett doesn’t have an elite arm and he fumbled 38 times in 52 career games. But with 49 starts at a high collegiate level, Pickett was the most pro-ready quarterback in this class. He’ll challenge Mitchell Trubisky for the job immediately—but don’t think that means he’ll win the job immediately. Tomlin will play the best guy. That’s his history, and it’s right.

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

Peter King is not a fan of the first pick of the draft.

Did it seem like Travon Walker was invisible on draft night? I was in Philadelphia and didn’t monitor the first pick closely, but it looked like we got 45 seconds of Walker on his family couch, rejoicing in the pick, and then everything just moved on. Folks, first pick in the draft. Anyway … this pick reminds me a bit of the Courtney Brown pick. Soft-spoken guy, big program, talented, but who knows. Most of those I’ve spoken with love his tools but don’t think he’s done enough to be a no-doubt NFL impact player. We’ll see. But 9.5 sacks in 32 college games, surrounded by greatness all over the defense. That’s a sketchy résumé for a first pick in the the NFL draft.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

CB KAIIR ELAM comes to Buffalo. Elam and the Bills are quick to point out all the familiar faces he will see in the NFL. Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News:

Kaiir Elam doesn’t turn 21 until Thursday.

Yet he played almost 1,000 coverage snaps – 959 to be exact – in his three-year career at the University of Florida.

At his introduction as the Buffalo Bills’ new No. 1 draft choice Friday, he didn’t sound like a guy who’s likely to be starstruck or intimidated when he takes the field at cornerback in the NFL.

“I think it’s no argument that the SEC is the best conference in college football,” Elam said, referring to the Southeastern Conference. “Being able to compete at a high level, win key matchups and things like that will help a lot transitioning to the NFL. But everything is about what’s earned here. It’s all about results at the end of the day, no matter what the situation is. I’m just striving to get better each and every day, and striving to learn as much as I can to help implement my game and help amplify the players around me.”

The list of first-round receivers Elam has faced over the past three seasons at Florida is impressive. It includes the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle, the Eagles’ DeVonta Smith, the Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy and ex-Raider Henry Ruggs. It includes newly minted Detroit Lion Jameson Williams and Tennessee Titan Treylon Burks, both drafted in the first round Thursday.

Elam struck just the right balance between the kind of bullet-proof confidence an NFL cornerback needs and the humility an NFL rookie must understand in making his way in the pro game.

On the likelihood he will get picked on as the player opposite All-Pro Tre’Davious White, Elam said: “I’m just looking to earn everything I’m given. Being on the island, I’m going to feel confident. But at the end of the day I’m going to have to go prove that I can have an immediate impact in this league. That’s why I’m saying I’m taking the steps right now to strive to get better, to chase self improvement on a daily basis and ultimately help this team win and the long term goal is to win the Super Bowl.”

That answer is right out of Sean McDermott’s “become the best version of yourself” Bills playbook.

On the prospect of taking his lumps going against Stefon Diggs in Bills’ practices, Elam said: “At University of Florida, I got boatloads of NFL receivers I went against every day in practice. You got Van Jefferson, Kyle Pitts, Freddie Swain, Kadarius Toney, the list goes on, a lot of good receivers and tight ends. So, I think going against Diggs and everybody else in the receiver corps and the tight end corps, it’s something I look forward to, you know what I’m saying? Pushing those guys, and I’m sure they’ll push me back. I don’t think it’s gonna be a cakewalk, and I don’t think it’s gonna be too hard, either. I’m confident in myself and my abilities and I can’t wait for practice ‘cause I think I’m an ultimate competitor and I’m sure those guys are too. I look forward to it.”

Pitts made the Pro Bowl as a rookie for the Falcons last season. Jefferson plays for the Rams, Toney for the Giants and Swain for the Seahawks.

Elam said his confident mentality is what helps him excel at press coverage.

“First and foremost, I’d say mindset,” Elam said of the key to press coverage. “If you believe you’re going to have a bad day, then it’s going to happen. If you believe you have the ability to stick with this guy and ultimately take the ball away every single rep, then you can do it. So mindset, then I would say trusting your technique. Then having the intangibles to go out there and do it and be able to run with the guys in this league and stop on a dime and things like that. First it’s mindset, then technique, then intangibles at the end of the day.

At 6-foot-1 1/2 and 191 pounds, Elam’s ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and play man-to-man are qualities that should bring a different dimension to the Bills’ No. 2 cornerback position. But he also was asked at Florida to play the outside third of the field in zone coverage and quarters zone coverage.

“I still want to get better at both, you know?” he said of man and zone. “I feel comfortable pressing and my backpedal, I think I’m pretty good at that as well, but, I think I can always improve the little things and my fundamentals each and every day, because once you don’t work it, you lose it. So, I’m comfortable at both. But at Florida I was required to play a lot of press man. So, some people can say I probably look better at press than I do off, but I’m comfortable playing both and I’m still eager to learn as much as I can and get better at both, so that’s how I would scout myself.”

Elam showed up at his introductory news conference with his dad, Abram, who spent eight seasons as a safety in the NFL, along with his mom, Shayla Davis, and his 11-year-old brother, Aydan, who was sporting a Bills jersey with Kaiir’s new number, 24. (Cornerback Taron Johnson, who wore 24 last year for the Bills, has switched to No. 7.)

Elam said he had a great feeling about Buffalo when he came to town on his top-30 pre-draft visit.

“As soon as I got off the plane, there was something special about Buffalo that I could envision myself playing here and making a lot of plays,” he said. “That’s something I’m going to strive to do, and I think everything happens for a reason and it’s God’s plan for me to be here. I’m trying to take my talent and run with it.”

To learn more about Elam and the Bills, we highly recommend this 3-minute video at BuffaloBills.com  https://www.buffalobills.com/video/exclusive-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-2022-buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-war-room.

NEW ENGLAND

Peter King calls Bill Belichick “naïve”.

I don’t get New England. Picking Cole Strange, a decent prospect from Tennessee-Chattanooga, 29th overall was a naïve move by Bill Belichick. There was no indication he’d have gotten picked before New England’s next pick at 54; even if he was picked before then, so what? Look at the 76th pick in the draft, Travis Jones, handle Strange, the 29th pick, at the Senior Bowl.

Belichick thinks there were other teams that wanted G COLE STRANGE in the vicinity of the late first round.

Belichick said at his own press conference that Strange “wouldn’t have lasted much longer” and that the team might have taken him at No. 21 if they didn’t trade that pick to the Chiefs for the 29th, 94th, and 121st selections.

“Yeah, well, if we had stayed at 21, then we would have obviously picked somebody,” Belichick said. “Probably a good chance it would have been him. I don’t know, there were several teams that we talked to prior to when we made the trade. There were some other conversations going on there, but ultimately that’s the one we chose. Glad Cole was there when we picked, and as I said, feel like we made the best decision that we could at 21.”

Strange isn’t the first Patriots draft pick to elicit reactions of disbelief, but outside reviews have never been of much importance to Belichick and Strange will get every chance to prove him right on the field.

Sean McVay explains his amusement at the news of Strange’s selection – he actually like Strange quite a bit:

McVay was stunned to see Strange drafted that early and laughed about the Rams wasting their time studying him, thinking he’d be available at No. 104, during a live press conference on Thursday.

 “Because of how that video went viral in fun, that was the chemistry between us and us going through this process trying to evaluate, but I know Sean talked to Cole this morning, did talk to Coach Belichick just to say, ‘Hey, there was nothing – we really like that player.’ Sean was just jest at myself for ‘Hey, why did we waste our time on him again?’” Snead said.

The outlet reports that McVay also said it was a misunderstanding with how he came across in the video, but wanted to make it clear that he has a ton of respect for both the player and the head coach.

“I wish that it wouldn’t have gotten misunderstood,” McVay said. “It was more of a reflection of, I was actually giving Les a hard time because when we started watching him, I think we both were in agreement, there’s no way he’d be there [at 104] because we like the player so much. If there’s anybody that has more respect for Coach Belichick and what he’s done than I do, I’d like to see them because I have tremendous respect for this profession and the players that play at this level and I would never want it to get misunderstood for Cole Strange or the Patriots organization that anything but respect for the player. That was my reaction and any misunderstanding was my fault for the way I probably communicated that.”

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Peter King with some scoopage on the five international games:

No decision yet, I’m told, on the possible Black Friday game on Amazon Prime. Stay tuned for that. The NFL will announce the five-game international schedule this week. These things I know:

(As we go to press, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is reporting there will NOT be an Amazon Black Friday game in 2022).

• Arizona will host the first game in Mexico since 2019 on Monday night, Nov. 21, at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. It will likely be against one of the eight other teams that have international marketing right in Mexico. The Raiders, Rams or Niners look logical to me.

• The London games will be hosted by Green Bay and New Orleans at Tottenham Stadium, and by Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium. These games will be played in close proximity, likely between Weeks 5 and 8, on Sundays. Crazy to think about this, but I hear the Rams have told the league they wouldn’t mind being the Packers’ foe in London … if the league planned to put the Rams in Lambeau Field late in the season. Might make sense, to both neutralize the Pack’s home-field edge and to neutralize possible foul weather.

• Tampa Bay will host the first-ever regular-season game in Germany on Nov. 13, the Sunday of Week 10.

• The league will try to make teams with the extra home games in the 17-game schedule era be home teams internationally. (Jacksonville is the exception, because the Jags have a separate deal to play at least one game a year in London.) Sensible, because it leaves every team but Jacksonville with eight home games every year.

2022 DRAFT

Draft grades from Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN.com (edited for space, whole thing here):

Let’s get into my team-by-team grades. Same rules apply, as always: I grade all 32 classes using my Big Board and position rankings as the prism to gauge how effectively each team addressed key personnel holes as well as how efficient each was in maneuvering the board and adding extra picks or future assets.

We’ll start with the best grades and go to the worst, with teams that have identical grades listed in alphabetical order. Here we go:

Baltimore Ravens: A

Here’s whom the Ravens selected with their first five picks:

Kyle Hamilton (No. 14), my top-ranked safety and No. 4 overall prospect.

Tyler Linderbaum (25), my top-ranked center and a plug-and-play starter.

David Ojabo (45), my top-ranked outside linebacker, who would have gone much higher but now might have to redshirt because he tore the Achilles tendon in his left leg in March.

Travis Jones (76), my second-ranked nose tackle and a defender I thought could go in the top 50.

Daniel Faalele (110), a 6-foot-8, 384-pound offensive tackle with starter traits whom I projected to go a round higher.

Talk about a class of value. This is an outstanding haul, even if we don’t consider that Baltimore used all six of its Round 4 picks. Of those fourth-rounders, tackle Daniel Faalele (110) and tight end Isaiah Likely (139) were my favorites.

The only thing keeping this class from an A-plus is this: Who’s going to catch deep balls from Jackson?

New York Jets: A

Entering this draft, the Jets had an extra first-round pick (from the Jamal Adams trade) and an extra second-round pick (from the Sam Darnold trade), giving them two in the top 10 and four in the top 38. And after another last-place finish in the AFC East — their fifth in six seasons — I thought they’d choose two prospects from three positions — offensive live, wide receiver and cornerback — with their top two picks. And that’s exactly what they did.

The Jets selected my top-ranked corner in Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (4) and my top-ranked wideout in Garrett Wilson (10), each of whom have All-Pro skill sets. Then they moved back into Round 1 to take Jermaine Johnson II (26), who had fallen down the board. He is a really solid, all-around defensive end who had 12 sacks last season and was the best prospect at the Senior Bowl in January. I had Johnson No. 11 on my Big Board. Those are three rookie starters from general manager Joe Douglas, for a team that needed a talent infusion at all three positions.

And still, Douglas & Co. had an early-second round pick to get a good player, and they landed my top-ranked running back, Breece Hall (36), a touchdown maker with some tools to be a weapon in the passing game. That’s three of my top prospects at their respective positions drafted by the Jets — and an awesome class from Douglas.

Atlanta Falcons: B+

With Calvin Ridley suspended for the season, have you taken a look at the Falcons’ wide receiver depth chart? It’s not good, probably the worst in the league. And oh yeah, they traded away the best quarterback in their franchise’s history, with Matt Ryan headed to Indianapolis for a third-round pick. I don’t know if this is a full rebuild for coach Arthur Smith & Co., but it’s at least a reset on offense, and it’s not like this defense is littered with stars, either.

That reset on offense starts with a new No. 1 receiver in Drake London (8), a 6-foot-4 weapon who will make life easier for his quarterback. I’m a big fan of London, who will be great in the red zone and is a sweet fit in the same offense as dynamic tight end Kyle Pitts. How are teams going to cover both in the red zone?

I thought the Falcons had one of the best Day 2s in the league. Quarterback Desmond Ridder (74) looked at times in college like a future All-Pro and at other times an undrafted free agent. He is my fourth-ranked signal-caller, but I thought he’d go in Round 2. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started a handful of games as a rookie and wrested the job away from Marcus Mariota. Arnold Ebiketie (38) is an underrated edge rusher. Troy Andersen (58) is a fit I projected to Atlanta in my two-round mock draft a few weeks ago. DeAngelo Malone (82) can get early third-down snaps as a situational edge rusher. On Day 3, running back Tyler Allgeier (151) doesn’t have a ton of straight-line speed, but I expect him to make the team because of his toughness.

What drops this class slightly is that I would have taken Malik Willis over Ridder, but this is still a really good group.

Detroit Lions: B+

The Lions were feisty in Year 1 under coach Dan Campbell, but they still won just three games. This is one of the league’s worst rosters from top to bottom. That’s why I was surprised to see them trade up 20 spots in Round 1 instead of keeping pick Nos. 32 and 34. The draft is such a crapshoot that it’s almost always better to take two chances at a top-ranked prospect than one.

At the same time, I love the player they got in Jameson Williams (12), an electric wide receiver who could immediately be Jared Goff’s No. 1 target. He’s coming off a torn left ACL but should be ready to go by training camp. The trade felt like general manager Brad Holmes forced his way into a big move to fill a need, but Williams is going to be great when he’s on the field.

You should know by now my thoughts on edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (2). The Lions getting my clear top-ranked prospect is a huge win, because he not only fills a void — they finished 29th in pressure percentage and 30th in sacks last season — but he’s a local kid who wants to play in Detroit. As I wrote Thursday night, he’s going to challenge to be Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Getting Hutchinson and Williams — two potential All-Pros — pushes this class close to an A.

Philadelphia Eagles: B+

At the beginning of April, the Eagles owned pick Nos. 15, 16 and 19 as a result of trades with Miami and Indianapolis. They were set up to be the key team in the middle of Round 1. Then they made a deal with the Saints, who wanted to add another first-round pick in this class. To do so, New Orleans gave up a ton of future capital, sending Philadelphia a 2023 first-round selection and 2024 second-rounder, while the Eagles still had two premium picks at Nos. 15 and 18 in this draft.

So how did Philly fare on Day 1? Well, it packaged the first pick to move up a couple of spots for massive defensive tackle Jordan Davis (13), who plugs a hole in the middle of the D. Then it traded the No. 18 pick and a late third-rounder to Tennessee for 24-year-old wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had 24 touchdown catches in three seasons for the Titans. That’s a solid Day 1, as Brown — who is younger than a few prospects in this class — makes a lot of sense on the other side of DeVonta Smith and gives Jalen Hurts a proven playmaker.

I also liked the Eagles’ picks on Day 2, in particular middle linebacker Naboke Dean (83), who is the steal of the draft based on my board. He went a full two rounds after I would have taken him, because teams flagged his medical reports.

Seattle Seahawks: B+

Seattle had three picks in the entire 2021 draft. This year? It entered Round 1 with three in the top 41, thanks to the trade of Russell Wilson. I always struggle with what the Seahawks are thinking; they stick to their board and don’t worry about a leaguewide consensus. That’s why it was good to see coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider also saw their hole at left tackle and went that way at No. 9.

Charles Cross is the best pass-protecting tackle in this class, an easy mover with great fit and long arms. (And this is a rare Seattle mock draft pick that I nailed, even if it was from March.) He’ll replace Duane Brown immediately. Say what you want about moving on from Wilson, but at least the Seahawks got a lot of capital in the deal, and they now have a left tackle who can be there for 10-plus years.

On Day 2, I thought there was a prime opportunity for the Seahawks to take quarterback Malik Willis and develop him into a future star. They ended up passing three times on Willis, which I suppose means they’re OK with Drew Lock and Geno Smith being just average in 2022. Carroll and Schneider must think the roster is farther along than I do.

As for whom they got on Day 2, I like the players, even if it’s not what I would do

Arizona Cardinals: B

It was a mostly quiet draft for the Cardinals, who dealt their first-round pick (No. 23) for wideout Marquise Brown and No. 100. If they can keep Brown on the field and let his college teammate Kyler Murray float up a few 50-yard bombs, Brown will score 10-plus touchdowns a season. It was a lot to give up, though, especially if they have to hand Brown a long-term extension.

On Day 2, Arizona added more help for Murray with Trey McBride (55), which gives the offense two good tight ends in McBride and Zach Ertz.

Running back Keaontay Ingram (201) and guard Marquis Hayes (257) are two prospects I liked late on Day 3. This is a sound, if unspectacular, class.

Buffalo Bills: B

I thought the Bills might be the team to take a first-round running back; I agonized in my final mock draft, toggling between Breece Hall and cornerback Kaiir Elam. I settled on Elam but didn’t feel great about it. And then Buffalo traded up for Elam (23) when the real thing started, so I feel much better now.

Elam had been rising recently, and he is a great press-man corner with speed and physical tools. He fills a huge hole on the other side of Tre’Davious White. The Bills went running back with their next pick, and I think James Cook (63) is a nice accent player with Devin Singletary.

All in all, the Bills filled their biggest needs with their top two picks, and if WR Khalil Shakir or ILB Terrel Benford break out, this class could be one of the best when we regrade it in five years.

Carolina Panthers: B

The Panthers entered this draft in a tough position. They had clear needs at quarterback and offensive tackle but didn’t have any picks on Day 2 because of two different trades (including one for Sam Darnold last season). Should they reach for a quarterback at No. 6? Take one of the great offensive tackles available? Or trade down to try to add some capital?

Ultimately, they went with the top tackle in the class in Ikem Ekwonu — and were still able to get a quarterback at a nice value later in the draft. Let’s start with Ekwonu. He’s just a baller. He bullies defenders in the run game, and he toys with them as a pass-protector because of his ability to move his feet. He is the left tackle this team needs.

And for the quarterback? The Panthers sent pick No. 137 and a 2023 third-rounder next year to move up to snag a sliding Matt Corral (94), whom I rated as the No. 32 prospect on my Big Board. Corral has his detractors — his offense relied on a lot of RPOs, and he needs to process reads faster — but he has a lightning-quick release and can make plays with his feet. I definitely think he could challenge Darnold this season, and I don’t see a need for Carolina to trade for Baker Mayfield now (though I do think Mayfield can help a team this season).

Carolina made its six picks count here, but it’s tough to grade it too highly because of the amount of picks and because it’s still chasing a quarterback after that Darnold trade.

Cincinnati Bengals: B

The Super Bowl runners-up didn’t have many picks, but they made their first two count on my board. Daxton Hill has excellent upside as a defensive back who can play as a slot corner and a deep safety and can even get some snaps outside. I thought he’d go about 10 picks higher than he did, so I love this one, especially with the Bengals having some turnover at corner. Hill also could be a potential replacement for Jessie Bates III, if the team and player can’t come to an agreement on a new contract.

Speaking of that turnover at corner, Cincy went right back to the position, taking Cam Taylor-Britt (60), who made a leap last season and broke up 11 passes. He ran a 4.38-second 40 at the combine, vaulting his stock. The Bengals could have two new starters in the secondary.

Like Carolina’s class, the Bengals had just six picks, so I can’t give them more than a decent grade here.

Cleveland Browns: B

Most of Cleveland’s early draft capital (now and for the next couple of years) is tied up in the Deshaun Watson trade, but it did have three third-round picks to try to plug holes. Even with the addition of Amari Cooper, I thought the Browns would attempt to add a wideout with one of those picks, and that’s exactly where they went.

It’s tough to get starters without picks until Round 3, but I thought Cleveland did a good job with what it had.

Green Bay Packers: B

I called out Green Bay on Thursday night for passing up wide receiver Christian Watson with its two first-round picks … and it traded up to get Watson the next night. Yes, the price was steep — the Packers sent Minnesota pick Nos. 53 and 59 for No. 34 — but Watson is exactly what they needed to replace Davante Adams. The 6-foot-4 Watson starred at the Senior Bowl, and he then ran a 4.36-second 40 and tested extremely well at the combine. He is a big play waiting to happen; he has the skill set develop into a No. 1 receiver. Aaron Rodgers will love him.

Quay Walker (22) went a little higher than I have him ranked, but I know NFL scouts loved his physical tools, even if he didn’t always stand out when watching the loaded Georgia defense. Devonte Wyatt (28) will likely play as a 3-technique tackle in Green Bay, and he has some interior pass-rush upside. He is my second-ranked defensive tackle. Sean Rhyan (92) played left tackle at UCLA, but I see him as a guard for the Packers, who have a hole there.

The Watson pick saves Green Bay from a C draft, and if Wyatt becomes an eight-sack-a-season guy, this group could be much better. I just don’t love Walker as much as the team’s scouts do.

Houston Texans: B

If anyone told you they knew what the Texans were going to do in this draft, they weren’t telling the truth. The organization was extremely tight-lipped throughout the process, with two first-round picks — Nos. 3 and 13 — that could create some chaos on the board. They could have gone after several different positions with those picks, but I said all along they should take the best prospect on the board, regardless of position.

We do have to take into account Houston getting three first-round picks (2022, 2023 and 2024) and future third- and fourth-rounders in the trade of Deshaun Watson. The quarterback didn’t want to be there, and so the Texans did the best they could in a bad situation.

So how did they fare? Let’s run through their class, starting with cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (3). He is a great talent, but that’s a little high on my board. I do think he can get back to his 2019 form, though. After that, the Texans traded down to spots, picking up an extra fourth-round pick and two more fifth-rounders. They took Kenyon Green (15), my second-ranked guard. He’ll start from Day 1, even if this isn’t the most alluring pick for fans.

Safety Jalen Pitre (37), wide receiver John Metchie III (44) and linebacker Christian Harris (75) were all good value picks, and Metchie, in particular, could be a steal as a slot target for quarterback Davis Mills. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Dameon Pierce (107) became Houston’s lead running back by 2023.

This team has a long ways to go to compete for the AFC South title again, but there are some foundational prospects in this class.

Indianapolis Colts: B

The Colts lost their first-round pick in a trade for Carson Wentz that didn’t work out, but give credit to general manager Chris Ballard for crushing Day 2. I liked all four of their picks on Friday. Alec Pierce (53) has an exciting size-speed combo that could pair well with Michael Pittman Jr. Bernhard Raimann (77), who went a round later than I thought, has a chance to be a rookie starter at left tackle. Jelani Woods (73) is a 6-foot-7 tight end who couldn’t stop catching touchdown passes last season. And Nick Cross (96) has blazing speed and could play as the third safety early in his career.

Ballard & Co. made the most of what they had. The downside on Friday was sending a 2023 third-rounder — a valuable pick — to move up to get Cross. Another lingering question: How long will Matt Ryan, who turns 37 on May 17, be the quarterback in Indy? There were some really good players on the board. Maybe the organization just didn’t like any of them in this class and prefers to wait for 2023, but it was still a little peculiar.

Kansas City Chiefs: B

The Chiefs came into this draft with a few more specific holes than the other Super Bowl contenders. They traded away star wide receiver Tyreek Hill (and added first- and second-round picks), which meant they had to add some speed. I thought they might need to take two wideouts in their first four picks. They also let underrated cornerback Charvarius Ward walk in free agency, and they had to get younger on the edge on defense.

They ended up hitting each of those needs with their first three picks. Trent McDuffie (21) isn’t a ball hawk, but he was tremendous over the past two seasons at Washington. He also could play in the slot. George Karlaftis (30) is my sixth-ranked defensive end, and he fits Kansas City’s 4-3 scheme perfectly. Expect him to produce a little more than he did in college. Skyy Moore (54) has a little bit of Hill in him — as Moore is 5-foot-10 with huge hands, and he can fly. I called him the most underrated player in this draft, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he snuck into Round 1. This was a nice job of filling needs, though trading up eight spots for McDuffie cost the Chiefs a third- and fourth-round pick.

So why the B grade here? I would have liked to have seen Kansas City take one more wideout, because Moore isn’t going to replace Hill’s production by himself. I think this offense needs to get another veteran.

Las Vegas Raiders: B

The new front office in Las Vegas has made a bunch of changes, most notably trading for star wideout Davante Adams, which depleted its draft class. Without a first- or second-round pick, this is tough to grade. Even so, Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler must be an ESPN.com reader, because he used two of his first four picks on my favorite prospects in this class.

I said on the broadcast that guard/center Dylan Parham could be a Pro Bowler. He started 51 games at Memphis, playing right tackle and guard. He’ll be even better inside, and the Raiders got him about 30 picks later than I projected him to go. I had a Round 4 grade on Matthew Butler (175), who will have a long NFL career, even if it’s just as a rotational defensive tackle.

Adams obviously is a proven star, and Parham and Butler are my guys, so this is a solid B class, even without volume of picks.

New York Giants: B

Former general manager Dave Gettleman is gone, but the pick he traded for last year — when the Bears moved up for Justin Fields and sent their 2022 first-rounder to New York — ended up at No. 7 overall. That gave new GM Joe Schoen two picks in the top seven with which to either take two starters or trade down to add even more capital. This Giants team has some talent, but it also badly needed a right tackle, and its front seven is not good enough to compete in the NFC East.

Giants fans should be thrilled with edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) and offensive tackle Evan Neal (7), who fill those needs and represent rare talents. Thibodeaux was a little inconsistent last season, but when he’s on his game, he has the potential to tally 15 sacks per season. Neal is strong and agile, and he spent a season at right tackle, so he has some familiarity.

I don’t love the Giants’ class after their first two picks, but Thibodeaux and Neal are good enough to keep this grade on stable ground.

Pittsburgh Steelers: B

Quarterback or no quarterback? That was the crucial question for the Steelers in this draft. Ben Roethlisberger had held down the position in Pittsburgh since 2004, so coach Mike Tomlin hadn’t worried about it since he took over the job in 2007. In the end — after Tomlin had a busy spring tour of seeing many of the signal-callers’ pro days — the board fell perfectly for the Steelers to get their guy and not have to trade up.

Note the italics above. I liked Malik Willis a little bit more than Kenny Pickett, but I can’t fault the Steelers for going with the local quarterback. My comp for Pickett? Some Derek Carr, some Andy Dalton. Teams can win with that. I don’t know that he’ll definitely beat out Mitch Trubisky in Year 1, and he doesn’t have the ceiling of Willis. But the important part is that the front office didn’t have to move up to get him, so this is solid value in a strange draft when Pickett was the only signal-caller selected in the first two rounds.

Wide receivers George Pickens (52) and Calvin Austin III (138) are nice replacements for JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington.

This was the final draft for general manager Kevin Colbert, and he did a nice job plugging holes. If Pickett becomes a star, Colbert might have set up the Steelers for the next 15 years with this group.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

It’s possible Tampa Bay was always going to take Logan Hall in Round 1, which means trading back six spots into the top of Round 2, getting him at No. 33 and adding a fourth- and sixth-round pick is stellar work by general manager Jason Licht. Hall played both as a 3-technique tackle and a defensive end at Houston, and at 6-foot-6 and 283 pounds, that positional flex is intriguing, especially next to Vita Vea. I could see Hall move outside for a few pass-rush snaps per game. He is No. 56 on my Big Board, so this is a little bit of a reach, but I understand why the Bucs did it.

Licht reached again for Luke Goedeke (84), a college tackle who projects to play guard because of his shorter arms.

Hall and Goedeke fill holes up front for Tampa Bay, even though they were slight reaches on my board.

Tennessee Titans: B

This could be a franchise-upending draft for the Titans, who traded away wide receiver A.J. Brown for a first-round pick and then landed my top-ranked quarterback Malik Willis late in Round 3. Let’s start with Brown, because the wideout the Titans took at No. 18 actually reminds scouts a lot of him. Treylon Burks is a big, physical and versatile target who did a lot of damage out of the slot at Arkansas. Yes, he is two years younger than Brown, but I’d still prefer the veteran over the rookie. I’m not as high on Burks as a few front-office executives I trust. It’s no guarantee that Burks will be a star, while Brown already is one.

As for Willis (86), I would bet on his talent. He isn’t going to start over Ryan Tannehill in 2022, but it shouldn’t be out of the question that he develops fast enough to take over in 2023. Willis is extremely talented and has all the tools to be a great NFL starting quarterback. He landed in an ideal spot with little immediate pressure.

General manager Jon Robinson did a good job trading back a couple of times and acquiring more picks. Overall, this draft is going to be remembered in Tennessee for years to come; and if Willis becomes the quarterback of the future, Titans fans could look at the 2022 class like Seahawks fans do with 2012. I’m just not as high on Burks as I am Brown, which means it sticks at a B — for now.

Chicago Bears: B-

The Bears’ first-round pick this year went to the Giants in the trade for Justin Fields, and the general manager who made the deal — Ryan Pace — was fired after the season. I wrote on Friday night about new GM Ryan Poles’ Day 2 moves, and I just didn’t love passing up all of the available wideouts and offensive tackles to take defensive backs in the second round.

Kyler Gordon (39) should be a rookie starter at corner, while Jaquan Brisker (48) could be the starting strong safety. But why not add some help for Fields? The second-year quarterback is your guy for the long term, right? He doesn’t have enough weapons to be even above average. He has Darnell Mooney and what at wide receiver? Maybe Poles & Co. are going to add a veteran in the street free-agent market, but I don’t get it as of now.

Denver Broncos: B-

The Broncos sent their first- and second-round pick in this draft to Seattle to acquire Russell Wilson — I think they’re OK with the outcome of the deal — and they had already added a second-rounder from the Von Miller trade to the Rams.

I liked their top pick enough, because Nik Bonitto (64) is a fit for their 3-4 defense. He already is advanced as a pass-rusher and is fast off the snap. He led the FBS in pressure percentage last season at 18.3%. He needs to get much better against the run, though, because he is going to struggle to play on early downs.

Greg Dulcich (80) is my second-ranked tight end, and he should take a bunch of the vacant snaps left by Noah Fant going to Seattle.

Jacksonville Jaguars: B-

There’s a reason Jacksonville picked No. 1 overall in back-to-back drafts and now has another new head coach. This franchise has struggled for years. In fact, this was the Jaguars’ 14th top-10 pick in the past 15 drafts, by far the most in the NFL. Can Doug Pederson get them on track? They spent a ton of money in free agency, including adding wideout Christian Kirk and guard Brandon Scherff, and their roster is certainly improved. And when they franchise-tagged left tackle Cam Robinson and then gave him an extension, they seemed to be locked on an edge rusher at the top of the board.

Which one was it going to be? That was the surprising part. I wrote quite a bit Thursday night about Jacksonville taking Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson, and it comes down to the front office trying to project what Walker could be versus what Hutchinson already is. I think Hutchinson will be a star, and Walker just didn’t have many star-making plays on tape. Walker didn’t dominate. He looks like he should dominate, but he didn’t. So the Jaguars taking my No. 9 overall prospect when they could have had anyone in this draft means I have to downgrade the class.

Elsewhere, Jacksonville traded back into Round 1 and picked up my top-ranked inside linebacker, Devin Lloyd (27), which made its third-round selection of Chad Muma (70) a little curious.

We’re going to be hearing Walker vs. Hutchinson comparisons and arguments for years to come. The Jaguars’ front office obviously hopes that it got it right, but where it stands now, I think Hutchinson is going to be the better player.

Los Angeles Chargers: B-

I thought the Chargers would pounce on Trevor Penning at No. 17 and move him to the massive hole at right tackle. Instead, they filled the void next to the tackle and took Zion Johnson, my top-ranked guard in this class. Johnson is a plug-and-play lineman who dominated at left guard for Boston College last season, not allowing a single pressure in pass protection. He is an upgrade for a team that has to keep Justin Herbert on his feet.

After that, though, there aren’t many instant contributors in this class.

I’m a fan of Johnson, which saves this from a C grade.

Los Angeles Rams: B-

Because of trades for Matthew Stafford and Von Miller, the Rams didn’t pick until No. 104, becoming the first team since the 2008 Browns to not make any picks in the top 100 in a single draft. In fact, the Rams haven’t made a first-round pick in six years, and they don’t own their 2023 first-rounder choice, either. So how exactly do I grade this one? It’s tough to fill needs when the prospects you’re picking are likely to be backups.

Logan Bruss (104) has a chance to be more than a backup. My seventh-ranked guard, Bruss allowed just two sacks over the past three seasons.

There’s really not a lot here, which means I can’t go too high. If Bruss does end up winning a starting job, the Rams would probably consider this draft a win.

Miami Dolphins: B-

Most of the Dolphins’ early draft capital in this class went to Kansas City in the trade for Tyreek Hill; general manager Chris Grier said his staff will “just watch Tyreek highlights” on Day 1 of the draft. So what did Miami get with the four picks it did have?

Linebacker Channing Tindall (102) could be a steal.

Dolphins fans are surely excited about adding Hill, but there’s not a lot to rave about with this class, outside of Tindall.

Minnesota Vikings: B-

Minnesota had been a stable organization before the past few months, when it fired coach Mike Zimmer, who had led it to three playoff appearances in eight seasons, and general manager Rick Spielman, who had been with the team for 16 years.

Enter a new coach in Kevin O’Connell and a new GM in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who inherit a roster in solid (albeit aging) shape. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is a legitimate star, and I really liked the free-agent additions of edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and linebacker Jordan Hicks. And, of course, quarterback Kirk Cousins has shown that he can win games when he has a good roster around him.

Adofo-Mensah’s first draft in Minnesota featured some wheeling and dealing, as he made trades with the rival Lions (which I liked) and Packers (which I didn’t love). The result was two potential starters in the secondary in Lewis Cine (32), a versatile and thumping safety, and cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (42), who was a little inconsistent last season. The Vikings reached to try to fill a starting guard spot with Ed Ingram (59); I thought his strength and mobility was worth an early Day 3 pick. Brian Asamoah (66) is a fun but undersized inside linebacker who will fit their scheme.

New Orleans Saints: B-

The Saints do things a little bit differently than the other 31 teams, particularly around the salary cap. They always find a way to get under the cap — eventually. And it’s interesting to see that the organization seems to think it is a real contender this season, as it went all in to add another first-round pick in this draft. New Orleans gave up its first-round pick in 2023 and a second-rounder in 2024 (among other things) in a trade with the Eagles that saw them gain the No. 19 pick. That gave it some ammo in Round 1 to move up if it wanted to.

Turns out, it did, as general manager Mickey Loomis sent the No. 16 pick and the team’s third-round choice to get wide receiver Chris Olave (11), one of the best deep threats in this class. Michael Thomas should be back in 2022, but the Saints’ passing game was abysmal without him last season; so getting Olave — right in the middle of the Round 1 run on wideouts — was necessary if Jameis Winston is to have a chance to succeed. With their other pick, they snagged a Day 1 starter at left tackle in Trevor Penning (19), a mauler who will replace Terron Armstead.

The only issue with the Saints’ Day 1 is all the capital it took to add these two prospects; even if they’re starters, they had better play like above-average rookies early and often.

San Francisco 49ers: B-

The 49ers’ first-round pick was dealt away in their trade up for quarterback Trey Lance last year, so they began their class on Day 2 with edge rusher Drake Jackson (61), who could be an early contributor.

Jackson has a high ceiling, but San Francisco reached a little too much for my liking with its picks.

Washington Commanders: B-

It seemed for a while that Washington was targeting a wide receiver in Round 1. The offense got little production from any target other than Terry McLaurin last season, and new quarterback Carson Wentz will need some improved targets. So credit the Commanders for moving down five spots in Round 1, adding third- and fourth-round picks from the Saints and still getting my fifth-ranked wideout. It’s clear they preferred Jahan Dotson (16) over Chris Olave, whom the Saints took at 11, and that recouped draft capital helps offset the cost for trading for Wentz.

Dotson is a smooth and explosive target who should get both slot and outside snaps in Washington. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner loves to use 11 personnel, so Dotson’s positional flex will help confuse defenses. The Commanders also stopped the free fall of quarterback Sam Howell (144). I never bought that Howell was a potential first-rounder, but the deep-ball accuracy and touch makes him an interesting backup behind Wentz. Is Wentz going to be OK with this pick?

Dotson is a nice selection, but what else does Washington have here? It needs to have a plan for Howell, unless it just plans to sit him on the bench for a couple of years.

Dallas Cowboys: C+

Top needs: WR, OL, DL

The Cowboys have picked three offensive linemen in the first round in the past 40 drafts, and all three made at least one first-team All-Pro. They built some really good offenses around Tyron Smith (2011), Travis Frederick (2013) and Zack Martin (2014), and Smith and Martin are still there, playing at a high level (when healthy). This line is getting old, though, and with La’el Collins released in the offseason, it needed a talent infusion.

Enter Tyler Smith, a raw but nasty left tackle with intriguing traits and a 6-foot-5, 324-pound frame. Smith needs a lot of work on his technique, but you can see on tape why he went in Round 1. Could he start at left guard in Year 1 and move to either tackle spots in future years? That might be the best bet to get him on the field. Plus, with the way the wide receiver board fell — six went before Dallas’ pick at No. 24 — the front office likely didn’t have any Round 1 wideout grades left.

This class just has too many unknowns. We don’t know if Smith can definitely be a good guard or that OLB Sam Williams can definitely be an every-down player. WR Jalen Tolbert has good hands but is still raw. This is a risky group.

New England Patriots: C+

Are we allowed to question a draft from Bill Belichick? The Patriots haven’t exactly lit it up over the past few Aprils, though the Mac Jones pick from 2021 appears to be a hit. I just don’t think they got value with their first two picks this year. Cole Strange (29) is a nice guard, but I didn’t see a first-round pick on tape. He likely would have been on the board when the Pats picked in the middle of Round 2. I know a hole opened up at guard when Shaq Mason was traded to the Bucs, but value matters in the draft, and Strange needs to play at a Pro Bowl level for years to come to justify this selection.

In Round 2, there were several better wide receivers available when New England took Tyquan Thornton (50), who didn’t even make my list of the top 25 wideouts in this class. Yes, he has blazing speed — he ran a 4.28-second 40 at the combine — but he needs a lot of work on his all-around game. Alec Pierce, George Pickens, Skyy Moore and Jalen Tolbert all would have been better picks. It’s another selection without value.

The plus of this Pats draft is that they added a 2023 third-round selection when Carolina traded up for Matt Corral, but that isn’t enough to save it from being my lowest-rated class.