| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSAfter 10 seasons, TAYSOM HILL says his time with the Saints is over. Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com: – Taysom Hill won’t be returning to the New Orleans Saints for a 10th season, he confirmed in a statement posted to social media Wednesday night. Hill did not say whether he intended to retire, leaving the door open to playing elsewhere this season. In his first public comments since the end of the 2025 season, Hill thanked the Saints and their fans for his nine seasons in New Orleans, explaining that he has taken time this offseason to figure out what comes next. “I still don’t have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards,” Hill said in his post. “As training camp begins, I didn’t want my silence to be misinterpreted, and as hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude.” Hill was known as the “Swiss Army knife” during his time in New Orleans — playing at quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receiver and on special teams — and was considered one of the most versatile players in franchise history. “I had always heard, ‘If you love New Orleans, New Orleans will love you back,'” Hill said in his post. “That could not have been more true. You exceeded every expectation I had of what it would be like to live and play in a city. The passion, loyalty, and support you showed my family and me over these nine seasons were truly one of a kind. “… I’m still working through what comes next, but I couldn’t move forward without taking the time to say thank you.” If Hill does not play again, he will retire as one of only five players in NFL history to score at least 10 touchdowns each via rushing, receiving and passing. He is the only player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 1,000 yards in all three categories. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis on Tuesday said he had recently talked to Hill, but he declined to share the details of that conversation. On Wednesday, Loomis praised Hill in a statement, thanking him for being a “great teammate, excellent leader and mentor.” “We thank Taysom for all his great contributions, and we are positive that a day will come when all his accomplishments can be properly celebrated,” Loomis said. Hill, who turns 36 next month, often drew comparisons to players from earlier generations because of his ability to play so many roles. When he caught his 10th career touchdown pass in 2023 to reach double digits in all three categories, he became the first player since Hall of Famer Frank Gifford to do so. Gifford accomplished the feat in 1957. Hill is less than two years removed from a serious knee injury sustained in December 2024. He began the 2025 season on the physically unable to perform list but returned to play 13 games. He caught 11 passes, threw one touchdown pass and ran the ball 52 times for 114 yards and a touchdown. A significant portion of those stats came in Hill’s final home game Dec. 21. The Saints fed him the ball to try to get him 1,000 career receiving yards and also appeared to call plays that would get him in a position to score a touchdown, which he did on the final play of the game. “We had the touchdown, then the next play he tried to get me another one and then the next play he called the screen to me,” Hill said after the game. “I was laughing in my head, and it was like, ‘Kellen knows.’ So those things don’t go unnoticed.” Hill became emotional after the game as he reminisced on his career, although he declined to say at the time whether retirement was on the horizon. The Saints claimed Hill off waivers from the Green Bay Packers before the 2017 season. He played in 118 regular-season games and six postseason games. |
| TAMPA BAYIs this a “tactical” injury? Eric Edholm on DT VITA VEA’s new back problem Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea is now missing training camp for a different reason. One day after reports emerged that the two-time Pro Bowler had requested a trade from the Bucs, head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Vea “tweaked something” in his back during Tuesday’s conditioning run at the start of training camp. Bowles also announced that LT Tristan Wirfs suffered a hamstring injury during the same conditioning run, calling Wirfs “day to day.” It’s not clear how serious Vea’s injury is, although Bowles didn’t appear concerned and the fact that Vea attempted the conditioning run at least suggests he was willing to participate in part of camp activities. Neither Vea nor Wirfs practiced Wednesday, although Vea was seen engaging with teammates on the field through defensive line drills. Bowles also said that the Bucs have not engaged in any internal or external trade talk to this point with Vea. The two sides have been at odds over Vea’s contract, which is set to pay him $17 million in 2026 and expires after this coming season. “It comes up every year,” Bowles said when asked about Vea’s trade request, “and it usually takes care of itself. Our job is to get the guys ready to play.” How this could play out with Vita VeaVea reportedly prefers landing with one of the California teams or the Raiders if he’s traded, although there might be other teams interested in his services if the Buccaneers reverse course and start entertaining trade offers. It’s become more commonplace in recent years to see players — healthy or not — eschew holdouts for “hold-ins,” attending camp but not participating during full-team work in practices. Vea and Bowles could be seen chatting prior to practice on Wednesday. Even with some promising additions to the team, it has been a somewhat trying offseason after the Bucs lost four of five games down the stretch and missed the postseason in 2025. First came the loss of free agent Mike Evans. In addition to the standoff with Vea, contract talks with Baker Mayfield have not led to an extension. Vea’s “tweak” might only be a temporary hurdle, but the Buccaneers have plenty to sort out over the next five weeks prior to the start of the season. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOEstranged WR BRANDON AIYUK notes Coach Kyle Shanahan’s accident. Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com: In the aftermath of this news coming to light, Aiyuk had a couple of posts go up on his Instagram story that seemingly aimed to mock Shanahan. The first slide read, “You can’t win the race if you crash out.” That was followed by another post that said, “Keep yo head up and stay in yo own lane. You gone win.” Given the timing of the post and the phrases “crash out” and “stay in yo own lane,” it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots that lead to this being a shot at Shanahan and, by extension, the 49ers. |
| AFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSQB JUSTIN HERBERT has popped the question to Madison Beer. J.J. Post atESPN.com: The NFL season hasn’t started yet, but Justin Herbert already has a ring on his mind. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback announced his engagement to singer-songwriter Madison Beer. The couple shared the news Tuesday in a joint post on Instagram, captioned with a simple message: “Meet my fiancé.” Herbert and Beer were first spotted together in August 2025 on the set of a music video Beer was shooting, which began to spark dating rumors. Beer would appear at Chargers games throughout the fall, with the dating rumors seemingly confirmed when the two shared a kiss on the sideline before the Chargers’ Week 5 game against the Washington Commanders. The pair attended a Los Angeles Dodgers World Series game together later that autumn. The duo was also spotted sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena supporting the Los Angeles Lakers. Herbert co-starred in the music video for Beer’s song “lovergirl,” which was released in May as part of her latest album “locket deluxe.” Asked at the first day of Chargers training camp about whether he was more nervous about the proposal or his first NFL start, Herbert minced no words: “The proposal, for sure.” His coach, Jim Harbaugh, said he felt great for Herbert, then mused about a unique quirk in the league’s postseason calendar this year. “Valentine’s Day. SoFi. … Little hairs on your arms start standing up,” he said. It’s not the first time Harbaugh has chimed in with his support for the relationship. In May, Herbert missed the second phase of the team’s voluntary offseason program to support Beer on tour. When asked about his reaction to the QB’s absence, Harbaugh said he offered: “Do you need a ride to the airport?” Harbaugh also said then he was “happy” the quarterback was supporting Beer on tour. The couple’s announcement post amassed more than 5.7 million likes on Instagram within an day of its posting, with the official NFL account among the well-wishers in the comment section. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOThe Bills have a new alternate uniform with gray over gray that is called Nickel City. It has not been well received by the Mafia. Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com: Josh Allen has a message for everyone who is not a fan of the Buffalo Bills’ new “Nickel City” alternate uniforms. “Stop hating on the jerseys, guys,” Allen said. The star quarterback’s comment came unprompted near the conclusion of his news conference Wednesday, two days after the Bills unveiled the new uniform — with the images of the all-gray jersey-pants combination receiving significant negative feedback on social media. Allen, however, said the new look is representative of the changes the Bills have undergone and that he is excited to wear it. “I enjoy them. I think it’s very symbolic of what we want to do and what we want to be,” Allen said after the Bills’ first practice of training camp. “I understand people want the old jerseys and the old helmets and all that. “But at some point, too, we are moving forward. We have to move forward and do something new — and that’s what we’re doing.” The alternate jersey is expected to be worn for two games this season, but the specific games have not yet been released. It marks the first time the Bills have highlighted gray in this way. Teams are required to use colors in their current palette when designing alternate uniforms. The helmet has a blue base with the team’s red charge symbol featured. As Allen noted, change is a theme for the Bills in 2026, from their new Highmark Stadium that will officially open this season to hiring a first-time head coach in Joe Brady. The head coach change came in the wake of the Bills trying to win a Super Bowl title with Allen, something that eluded the organization under former head coach Sean McDermott, who was fired in January. Some of the tweaks under Brady were evident on the first day of camp, including practice being held an hour and 15 minutes earlier than it typically was under McDermott. “The vibe, the energy, it’s different,” Allen said. “I’m not saying it’s better [or] it’s worse. It’s different. And as a new head coach for a team, I think that’s a smart decision to make things different. “This isn’t the same place, and you have to make it feel differently because doing the same thing, it obviously didn’t work. So, got to change it up and try to find new ways to make it work.” We admit that we never knew anyone called Buffalo the “Nickel City.” We found this on Quora: One of the things I love about Buffalo are the many nicknames it has earned over the years. Among the most well known is “The Nickel City,” a reference the American Bison on the back of the Indian Head nickel. I’ve been told this was a common nickname on the CB airwaves in the 1970’s. And of course the “Queen City,” earned when Buffalo was the second-largest city in New York State and a key location at the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Following the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo earned the nickname “City of Light” by being the first electrified city in the US. The city’s official flag still bears this nickname. But the more interesting ones have been earned more recently. Buffalo became known as the “City of Good Neighbors” in the mid-20th Century, due to the small-town feel and warm welcome experienced by visitors to the city. This is frequently referenced following the occasional blizzards, when residents demonstrate their neighborliness by shoveling each others’ cars out and sharing food, warmth, and the experience in general. My personal favorite is “City of No Illusions.” This was coined in the 1980’s, when the city was dealing with a lot of disappointment in the economy, politics, and sports. While this may sound pessimistic or signal resignation of some sort, taken in the context of the other nicknames it reveals the quiet confidence that has kept the city going through the hard times. As the people of Buffalo experiences their city’s resurgence they do so with eyes open and nothing to fear. They’ve already been through the worst, so things can only get better. We don’t think the Nickel City jersey and pants are as bad as the helmet that goes with them, described as a “striking ‘Charge’ helmet.” More on the thought process. The jersey has a blue collar. Blue collar, get it? What inspired the Bills’ new ‘Nickel City’ alternate uniforms?Buffalo’s “Nickel City” nickname dates to the city’s role as a manufacturing hub, making it a theme for a uniform rooted in the region’s industrial past. The all-gray color scheme is inspired by the Buffalo Nickel while also representing the steel mills, grain elevators and rail yards that helped build western New York. The actual blue collar on the jerseys represent the blue-collar workers who represent Buffalo’s work ethic and authenticity, while a charging buffalo logo sits over the left chest near the heart as a nod to the pride shown by generations of Bills players and fans. Inside the collar, players will also find a simple message: “GO BILLS.” What is the Bills’ new ‘Charge’ helmet?The centerpiece of the new alternate uniform is the Bills’ royal blue “Charge” helmet. Rather than placing the familiar Charging Buffalo logo on the side, the design magnifies the logo itself. The white horn wraps around the front of the helmet while the red charge streak extends across the top and toward the back. The metallic blue shell features a metallic flake finish with additional blue accents that the Bills say represent energy, strength and attack. The red and white stripes merge at the back bumper. |
| MIAMIRB De’VON ACHANE thinks the Dolphins are better than you do. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Miami running back De’Von Achane is aware that the Dolphins are not viewed as contenders this year, and he’s happy to be on a team that opponents are overlooking. Achane said he and his teammates will be ready to make other teams regret looking past them. “We’re kind of used to that,” Achane said. “We don’t pay no mind to that. If teams feel that way about us, that means when they play us, they’re gonna be not taking us seriously. And if you’re doing that, then you’re gonna have a long day for yourself.” Achane, who said he has a goal of leading the league in rushing, signed a four-year, $64 million contract this offseason. That was a significant investment from the Dolphins, who are a rebuilding team but think Achane is a big part of their future. As for this season, if Achane likes having people overlook his team, the good news is that a lot of people are: The betting odds say the Dolphins are the least likely to make the playoffs of any team in the AFC. |
| NEW YORK JETSFormer WR Plaxico Burress piles on the Jets. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Plaxico Burress’s NFL career was put on hold during the 2008 season, when he accidentally shot himself and then went to prison for 20 months for carrying a gun illegally. When he got out of prison in 2011, he signed with the Jets. Burress now says the two experiences were a lot alike. At the time of the infamous shooting, Burress and the Giants were 10-1 and the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, and Burress was just months into a new five-year, $35 million contract. The shooting ended Burress’s tenure with the Giants, whose season went into a tailspin afterward, and when Burress returned to the NFL he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with a mediocre Jets team. “They’re both kind of similar because when I walked into prison my first day, I was like, ‘Damn, man, you are a f*****g loser,” Burress said on The Joint Venture Show. “And I had the same damn feeling every day I walked through the door with the Jets. I was like, ‘Damn I hope we can win this weekend.’ Loser.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| LUKE KUECHLY AND NETFLIXHall of Fame LB Luke Kuechly, well-educated at St. Xavier HS in Cincinnati, is the lead analyst for Netflix this year – starting with the big game Down Under. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic: Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly will be Netflix’s new No. 1 NFL game analyst after impressing the streamer’s executives during a recent tryout, according to sources briefed on the move who were granted anonymity because the news has not been formally announced. Kuechly will first team with NBC’s Noah Eagle during the second game of the regular season Thursday, Sept. 10, when the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers from the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. NBC is producing the game for Netflix. Netflix has five NFL games this season. Christmas will be a doubleheader, requiring a second broadcast team. Netflix declined comment on Kuechly. Kuechly will officially be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio. Earlier this month, Kuechly and Eagle met at NBC’s Stamford, Conn., studios for the tryout. While Kuechly is entering the Hall of Fame, he is not an ex-quarterback. He played only eight NFL seasons in Carolina, and his profile wasn’t as high as some of the usual candidates for these positions. Netflix previously has used J.J. Watt, Greg Olsen, Drew Brees, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan. Still, Kuechly, like his ex-teammate Olsen at Fox, had a desire to be in the booth and has studied for the opportunity. Kuechly, 35, entered the audition with some experience, having been the radio analyst on the Panthers broadcast with play-by-player Anish Shroff. He also hosts a podcast with his longtime teammate, J.J. Jansen. Last season, he did two “Monday Night Football Playbook” alt-casts on ESPN2 with Dan Orlovsky and Field Yates. During the tryout, Eagle, 29, and Kuechly showed immediate chemistry, according to sources who watched the audition, making the Netflix executives very comfortable turning to Kuechly as they sought to bring a new, fresh name into the No. 1 NFL TV booths. The top crews are dominated by quarterbacks with Tom Brady at Fox, Tony Romo at CBS and Troy Aikman at CBS, while NBC, with Cris Collinsworth, and Prime Video, with Kirk Herbstreit, have ex-players who worked their way up the broadcasting ladder. (Herbstreit was a college quarterback.) Now, Netflix will turn to Kuechly for a new voice in a top booth. |
| RANKING THE FIRST ROUND PICKSMike Renner of CBSSports.com kills some time with a ranking of every first round pick in the drafts from 2020 to 2025 – from Joe Burrow to Trey Lance: Deep in the heart of the offseason, I was inspired by an exercise I saw on the NFL Stock Exchange podcast with Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers to take a look back at draft history, specifically evaluating and ranking the first-round picks this decade. With a list this large, being clear about the methodology is important. I decided to evaluate each decision from the team’s point of view, given the draft capital and options available on the board, rather than evaluating talent alone. This is an important distinction because I’m not simply ranking players. For example, Kyle Pitts is a good player, but the decision to draft him No. 4 overall in 2021 was objectively not a good one considering the next six players off the board were Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Penei Sewell, Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II and DeVonta Smith. Obviously, with the 2026 draft class yet to play a snap in the NFL, it was not included. Even the 2025 class is difficult to rank this early in their careers, with very few players appearing at either edge of the spectrum. Let’s get to the rankings first and then break them down team by team to evaluate how each franchise did over that span. Top third: Best first-round decisionsRank Player Pos. Drafted (Year) Team1 Joe Burrow QB No. 1 (2020) Cincinnati Bengals2 Drake Maye QB No. 3 (2024) New England Patriots3 Justin Jefferson WR No. 22 (2020) Minnesota Vikings4 Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR No. 20 (2023) Seattle Seahawks5 Jordan Love QB No. 26 (2020) Green Bay Packers6 Justin Herbert QB No. 6 (2020) Los Angeles Chargers7 Jayden Daniels QB No. 2 (2024) Washington Commanders8 Micah Parsons LB No. 12 (2021) Dallas Cowboys9 Tristan Wirfs T No. 13 (2020) Tampa Bay Buccaneers10 CeeDee Lamb WR No. 17 (2020) Dallas Cowboys11 Jared Verse EDGE No. 19 (2024) Los Angeles Rams12 Ja’Marr Chase WR No. 5 (2021) Cincinnati Bengals13 Christian Darrisaw T No. 23 (2021) Minnesota Vikings14 Penei Sewell T No. 7 (2021) Detroit Lions15 Jalen Carter DT No. 9 (2023) Philadelphia Eagles16 Joe Alt T No. 5 (2024) Los Angeles Chargers17 Quinyon Mitchell CB No. 22 (2024) Philadelphia Eagles18 Trent McDuffie CB No. 21 (2022) Kansas City Chiefs19 Patrick Surtain II CB No. 9 (2021) Denver Broncos20 Brock Bowers TE No. 13 (2024) Las Vegas Raiders21 Kyle Hamilton S No. 14 (2022) Baltimore Ravens22 A.J. Terrell CB No. 16 (2020) Atlanta Falcons23 Byron Murphy II DT No. 16 (2024) Seattle Seahawks24 C.J. Stroud QB No. 2 (2023) Houston Texans25 Will Anderson Jr. EDGE No. 3 (2023) Houston Texans26 Aidan Hutchinson EDGE No. 2 (2022) Detroit Lions27 Derek Stingley Jr. CB No. 3 (2022) Houston Texans28 Sauce Gardner CB No. 4 (2022) New York Jets29 Rashawn Slater T No. 13 (2021) Los Angeles Chargers30 Christian Gonzalez CB No. 17 (2023) New England Patriots31 Zay Flowers WR No. 22 (2023) Baltimore Ravens32 Bo Nix QB No. 12 (2024) Denver Broncos33 Josh Simmons T No. 32 (2025) Kansas City Chiefs34 Derrick Brown DT No. 7 (2020) Carolina Panthers35 Tyler Smith T No. 24 (2022) Dallas Cowboys36 Tyler Linderbaum C No. 25 (2022) Baltimore Ravens37 Tetairoa McMillan WR No. 8 (2025) Carolina Panthers38 Abdul Carter EDGE No. 3 (2025) New York Giants39 Charles Cross T No. 9 (2022) Seattle Seahawks40 Jaxson Dart QB No. 25 (2025) New York Giants41 DeVonta Smith WR No. 10 (2021) Philadelphia Eagles42 Andrew Thomas T No. 4 (2020) New York Giants43 Brandon Aiyuk WR No. 25 (2020) San Francisco 49ers44 Tyler Booker G No. 12 (2025) Dallas Cowboys45 Devon Witherspoon CB No. 5 (2023) Seattle Seahawks46 Jalon Walker LB No. 15 (2025) Atlanta Falcons47 Walter Nolen DT No. 16 (2025) Arizona Cardinals48 Garrett Wilson WR No. 10 (2022) New York Jets49 Drake London WR No. 8 (2022) Atlanta Falcons50 George Karlaftis EDGE No. 30 (2022) Kansas City Chiefs51 Malik Nabers WR No. 6 (2024) New York Giants52 Nolan Smith LB No. 30 (2023) Philadelphia Eagles53 Amarius Mims T No. 18 (2024) Cincinnati Bengals54 Greg Rousseau EDGE No. 30 (2021) Buffalo Bills55 Jaelan Phillips EDGE No. 18 (2021) Miami Dolphins56 Darnell Wright T No. 10 (2023) Chicago Bears57 Kelvin Banks Jr. T No. 9 (2025) New Orleans Saints58 Armand Membou T No. 7 (2025) New York Jets59 Jaylen Waddle WR No. 6 (2021) Miami Dolphins60 Jahmyr Gibbs RB No. 12 (2023) Detroit Lions61 Tyler Warren TE No. 14 (2025) Indianapolis Colts62 Trevor Lawrence QB No. 1 (2021) Jacksonville Jaguars63 Emeka Egbuka WR No. 19 (2025) Tampa Bay Buccaneers64 Bijan Robinson RB No. 8 (2023) Atlanta Falcons Middle third: Solid picks, mixed returns and incomplete grades 65 Jihaad Campbell LB No. 31 (2025) Philadelphia Eagles66 Nate Wiggins CB No. 30 (2024) Baltimore Ravens67 Chris Olave WR No. 11 (2022) New Orleans Saints68 Josh Conerly Jr. T No. 29 (2025) Washington Commanders69 Rashod Bateman WR No. 27 (2021) Baltimore Ravens70 Colston Loveland TE No. 10 (2025) Chicago Bears71 Brian Thomas Jr. WR No. 23 (2024) Jacksonville Jaguars72 Paris Johnson Jr. T No. 6 (2023) Arizona Cardinals73 Anton Harrison T No. 27 (2023) Jacksonville Jaguars74 Odafe Oweh EDGE No. 31 (2021) Baltimore Ravens75 Jack Campbell LB No. 18 (2023) Detroit Lions76 Grey Zabel G No. 18 (2025) Seattle Seahawks77 Olu Fashanu T No. 11 (2024) New York Jets78 Jordan Davis DT No. 13 (2022) Philadelphia Eagles79 Rome Odunze WR No. 9 (2024) Chicago Bears80 Calijah Kancey DT No. 19 (2023) Tampa Bay Buccaneers81 Xavier Worthy WR No. 28 (2024) Kansas City Chiefs82 Jameson Williams WR No. 12 (2022) Detroit Lions83 Malaki Starks S No. 27 (2025) Baltimore Ravens84 Peter Skoronski T No. 11 (2023) Tennessee Titans85 Jaycee Horn CB No. 8 (2021) Carolina Panthers86 Jordyn Brooks LB No. 27 (2020) Seattle Seahawks87 Jermaine Johnson II EDGE No. 26 (2022) New York Jets88 Devin Lloyd LB No. 27 (2022) Jacksonville Jaguars89 Jordan Addison WR No. 23 (2023) Minnesota Vikings90 Devonte Wyatt DT No. 28 (2022) Green Bay Packers91 Cam Ward QB No. 1 (2025) Tennessee Titans92 Patrick Queen LB No. 28 (2020) Baltimore Ravens93 Chase Young EDGE No. 2 (2020) Washington Redskins94 Derrick Harmon DT No. 21 (2025) Pittsburgh Steelers95 Ricky Pearsall WR No. 31 (2024) San Francisco 49ers96 Laiatu Latu EDGE No. 15 (2024) Indianapolis Colts97 Maxwell Hairston CB No. 30 (2025) Buffalo Bills98 Mason Graham DT No. 5 (2025) Cleveland Browns99 Troy Fautanu T No. 20 (2024) Pittsburgh Steelers100 Ikem Ekwonu T No. 6 (2022) Carolina Panthers101 Austin Jackson T No. 18 (2020) Miami Dolphins102 Jahdae Barron CB No. 20 (2025) Denver Broncos103 Donovan Jackson G No. 24 (2025) Minnesota Vikings104 Daxton Hill S No. 31 (2022) Cincinnati Bengals105 Will McDonald IV EDGE No. 15 (2023) New York Jets106 Lukas Van Ness EDGE No. 13 (2023) Green Bay Packers107 Zion Johnson G No. 17 (2022) Los Angeles Chargers108 Jordan Morgan T No. 25 (2024) Green Bay Packers109 JC Latham T No. 7 (2024) Tennessee Titans110 Mac Jones QB No. 15 (2021) New England Patriots111 Chop Robinson EDGE No. 21 (2024) Miami Dolphins112 Matthew Golden WR No. 23 (2025) Green Bay Packers113 Dalton Kincaid TE No. 25 (2023) Buffalo Bills114 Graham Barton C No. 26 (2024) Tampa Bay Buccaneers115 Tua Tagovailoa QB No. 5 (2020) Miami Dolphins116 Myles Murphy EDGE No. 28 (2023) Cincinnati Bengals117 Cesar Ruiz C No. 24 (2020) New Orleans Saints118 Omarion Hampton RB No. 22 (2025) Los Angeles Chargers119 Alijah Vera-Tucker G No. 14 (2021) New York Jets120 Marvin Harrison Jr. WR No. 4 (2024) Arizona Cardinals121 Ashton Jeanty RB No. 6 (2025) Las Vegas Raiders122 Greg Newsome II CB No. 26 (2021) Cleveland Browns123 Travon Walker EDGE No. 1 (2022) Jacksonville Jaguars124 Jerry Jeudy WR No. 15 (2020) Denver Broncos125 Travis Hunter CB/WR No. 2 (2025) Jacksonville Jaguars126 Kenneth Grant DT No. 13 (2025) Miami Dolphins127 Dallas Turner EDGE No. 17 (2024) Minnesota Vikings128 Bryan Bresee DT No. 29 (2023) New Orleans Saints Bottom third: Most disappointing first-round decisions 129 Mekhi Becton T No. 11 (2020) New York Jets130 Quentin Johnston WR No. 21 (2023) Los Angeles Chargers131 Kayvon Thibodeaux EDGE No. 5 (2022) New York Giants132 Tyler Guyton T No. 29 (2024) Dallas Cowboys133 Javon Kinlaw DT No. 14 (2020) San Francisco 49ers134 Kwity Paye EDGE No. 21 (2021) Indianapolis Colts135 Mykel Williams EDGE No. 11 (2025) San Francisco 49ers136 Travis Etienne RB No. 25 (2021) Jacksonville Jaguars137 Caleb Williams QB No. 1 (2024) Chicago Bears138 Kenny Pickett QB No. 20 (2022) Pittsburgh Steelers139 James Pearce Jr. EDGE No. 26 (2025) Atlanta Falcons140 Henry Ruggs WR No. 12 (2020) Las Vegas Raiders141 Quay Walker LB No. 22 (2022) Green Bay Packers142 Will Campbell T No. 4 (2025) New England Patriots143 Bryce Young QB No. 1 (2023) Carolina Panthers144 Taliese Fuaga T No. 14 (2024) New Orleans Saints145 Justin Fields QB No. 11 (2021) Chicago Bears146 Tyleik Williams DT No. 28 (2025) Detroit Lions147 Jedrick Wills T No. 10 (2020) Cleveland Browns148 Payton Turner EDGE No. 28 (2021) New Orleans Saints149 Joe Tryon-Shoyinka EDGE No. 32 (2021) Tampa Bay Buccaneers150 Zaven Collins LB No. 16 (2021) Arizona Cardinals151 Eric Stokes CB No. 29 (2021) Green Bay Packers152 Najee Harris RB No. 24 (2021) Pittsburgh Steelers153 Jahan Dotson WR No. 16 (2022) Washington Commanders154 Michael Penix Jr. QB No. 8 (2024) Atlanta Falcons155 Kadarius Toney WR No. 20 (2021) New York Giants156 Terrion Arnold CB No. 24 (2024) Detroit Lions157 Darius Robinson EDGE No. 27 (2024) Arizona Cardinals158 Xavier Legette WR No. 32 (2024) Carolina Panthers159 Kyle Pitts TE No. 4 (2021) Atlanta Falcons160 Trevor Penning T No. 19 (2022) New Orleans Saints161 Deonte Banks CB No. 24 (2023) New York Giants162 Kaiir Elam CB No. 23 (2022) Buffalo Bills163 K’Lavon Chaisson EDGE No. 20 (2020) Jacksonville Jaguars164 Noah Igbinoghene CB No. 30 (2020) Miami Dolphins165 Jeff Gladney CB No. 31 (2020) Minnesota Vikings166 Caleb Farley CB No. 22 (2021) Tennessee Titans167 Shemar Stewart EDGE No. 17 (2025) Cincinnati Bengals168 Felix Anudike-Uzomah EDGE No. 31 (2023) Kansas City Chiefs169 Mazi Smith DT No. 26 (2023) Dallas Cowboys170 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB No. 32 (2020) Kansas City Chiefs171 Treylon Burks WR No. 18 (2022) Tennessee Titans172 Kenneth Murray LB No. 23 (2020) Los Angeles Chargers173 Broderick Jones T No. 14 (2023) Pittsburgh Steelers174 Cole Strange G No. 29 (2022) New England Patriots175 Kenyon Green G No. 15 (2022) Houston Texans176 J.J. McCarthy QB No. 10 (2024) Minnesota Vikings177 Jamin Davis LB No. 19 (2021) Washington Football Team178 Damon Arnette CB No. 19 (2020) Las Vegas Raiders179 Lewis Cine S No. 32 (2022) Minnesota Vikings180 Alex Leatherwood T No. 17 (2021) Las Vegas Raiders181 Jalen Reagor WR No. 21 (2020) Philadelphia Eagles182 C.J. Henderson CB No. 9 (2020) Jacksonville Jaguars183 Tyree Wilson EDGE No. 7 (2023) Las Vegas Raiders184 Emmanuel Forbes CB No. 16 (2023) Washington Commanders185 Evan Neal T No. 7 (2022) New York Giants186 Isaiah Simmons LB No. 8 (2020) Arizona Cardinals187 Anthony Richardson QB No. 4 (2023) Indianapolis Colts188 Isaiah Wilson T No. 29 (2020) Tennessee Titans189 Jeff Okudah CB No. 3 (2020) Detroit Lions190 Zach Wilson QB No. 2 (2021) New York Jets191 Trey Lance QB No. 3 (2021) San Francisco 49ers Renner breaks down each team after his list. You can see it here Some notes: The Seahawks are the only team with multiple first-rounders this decade not to have a single one outside the top 90. That’s how you build a Super Bowl-winning juggernaut. John Schneider, take a bow. (Seattle has 4 in the top group, 2 in the middle) There’s been no in-between for the Giants this decade. They’ve either nabbed franchise cornerstones or had complete whiffs. Now they just need those cornerstones to stay healthy. Jaxson Dart, Andrew Thomas and Malik Nabers have had their careers marred by injuries to date. If all are healthy this season, the Giants should finally make the leap to playoff contention. (The Giants have 4 in the top group, 4 in the bottom) The Rams’ analysis is easily the funniest of any in the NFL. They had only one first-round pick from 2020-25, and it was one of the best picks over that span, with Jared Verse checking in at No. 11 out of 191. In an ironic twist of fate, he’s no longer on the Rams after the Myles Garrett trade this offseason. The Rams’ attitude toward the draft is truly one of one. Chris Ballard’s first-round draft track record matches the lackluster state of the Colts franchise over that span. He hit a home run with Tyler Warren, but at a relatively low-value position. He also had a catastrophic miss in Anthony Richardson at the most valuable position in the NFL. Ultimately, Ballard’s constant struggles at quarterback and edge rusher have defined his GM tenure. His vaunted 2018 draft class feels like a lifetime ago for Colts fans. One of the underrated aspects of Brad Holmes’ rampant success as GM has simply been volume. The Lions’ eight first-rounders from 2020-25 were the second-most in the NFL, and there’s only one true eyesore of the bunch in Terrion Arnold. Of course, this analysis also includes the disastrous Bob Quinn era, which featured the worst non-quarterback draft pick on this list in Jeff Okudah. The Russell Wilson trade meant GM George Paton had fewer than his share of first-rounders, but he’s used them well. Bo Nix and Patrick Surtain II have turned out as well as, if not better than, anyone could have hoped at the time. And Denver’s lowest-rated pick of the bunch, Jerry Jeudy, was John Elway’s parting gift as GM. (Denver has 2 in the top group, 2 in the middle) The Browns didn’t have a first-rounder from 2022-24, which made life difficult for GM Andrew Berry, especially with his first two first-rounders being misses. The Jedrick Wills pick is particularly haunting given that the best left tackle in the NFL, Tristan Wirfs, was still on the board. So far, though, Berry doesn’t seem to have many regrets about passing on Travis Hunter, as it ultimately netted them both Mason Graham and KC Concepcion. |
