| The DB has been around for 20 years now – and when we started The Red Zone was a pioneer site for on-line links. So sad to see this at TheRedZone.org today: This is our last day of publishingJun 5 After a quarter of a century, it’s time to cease publishing the website. I just can’t continue to fund the site at a cost of $300-$400 per month which is what I’ve been doing over that last 5 months. I had an inquiry about buying the website and would be receptive to interest. I’m not looking to make much money and I have no idea what would be a fair price. I would love the site to continue after putting all the work into building it and maintaining it. It needs someone much younger who has the time and energy to put into finding advertising partners and build up the site. If you are interested you can contact me at dmaier1317@gmail.com. I would be willing to help transition to new ownership. I will miss certain aspects of the website but won’t miss waking up at 4 am to update it. One last word for everyone who has visited the site, Thank you! You made my time and effort seem worthwhile. |
| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTAHigh praise for the late Jim Marshall from QB Fran Tarkenton. Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com: Vikings legend Jim Marshall died on Tuesday, at the age of 87. In a video posted earlier today, Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton remembered Marshall and his impact on the franchise. “My great friend and teammate Jim Marshall died yesterday,” Tarkenton said. “1961 was the first year of the Minnesota Vikings, long time ago. And on that team was Jim Marshall and Fran Tarkenton. He was the greatest leader in football that I’ve ever played with. In all the years of the Vikings, from 1961 to now, there’s never been a player-leader like Jim Marshall. “He’s the face of the Vikings. He’s the soul of the Vikings. He played in Minnesota eighteen . . . years. He never missed a practice. He never missed a game. He was the ultimate defensive end. He played with strength and smarts. . . . He never had a bad day. I never saw him angry. He just made his teammates better. . . . He’s the ultimate role model. “I didn’t think that he would ever die. I guess I was wrong. But he will be alive in the heart and soul of everybody who’s come by him. Rest in peace, my friend. You set the standards. The Vikings would never be anything like they are without you.” For those of us who discovered football in the ‘70s, Marshall was a god among men. A man who seemed to be indestructible. It’s easy to understand why Fran didn’t think Marshall would ever die. He seemed larger than life. He was larger than life, especially for kids like me who were indoctrinated into the game by the slow-motion images captured by NFL Films and presented with striking and memorable voices belonging to the likes of John Facenda and Harry Kalas. Fifty years ago, the NFL sold itself as modern-day mythology. And it worked, incredibly well. Especially as to Jim Marshall and the rest of the Purple People Eaters defense.– – -Also in the high praise department, here is what DT HARRISON PHILLIPS sees in QB J.J. McCARTHY – cut from the same cloth as Bills QB JOSH ALLEN. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: Harrison Phillips entered the NFL in 2018, the same year the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen. The former Bill spent four years watching the eventual NFL MVP grow from a talented greenhorn into a leader. So when Phillips cites Allen when discussing his new quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, it has additional weight. “I’ve commented before about (how) he came to me the week after his injury to try to learn more about the defense,” the Vikings defensive tackle said on Monday, via SI.com. “Asking those great questions. He’s really stepped up in the personal power role (this year). In the locker room, I’m constantly seeing him go up to new guys, to new players, dapping each other up, sitting on the couches and just having conversation. Where last year it was off to rehab, off to meetings. He understands that we have to build a family here and that you can’t have unique results without unique relationships. “And then, man, he’s got some confidence. And he reminds me of Josh Allen when I was with him in Buffalo, coming into his own and understanding the power that he has to lead this organization, and he’s doing a fantastic job doing that.” |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASEven as his brother Stefon parties with Cardi B and unknown substances, CB TREYVON DIGGS is causing the Cowboys angst. Todd Archer of ESPN.com: Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is in danger of missing out on $500,000 from his 2025 base salary for not participating in the team’s offseason program. Diggs has opted to rehab his surgically repaired left knee in Miami and away from The Star. He was not in attendance for the first two phases of the offseason program, and he has not taken part in the organized team activities over the past three weeks. According to his contract, Diggs needs to take part in 84.375% of the offseason program in order to avoid the $500,000 de-escalator. The Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp runs June 10 to 12. Any player who misses the minicamp is subject to fines, as well. While the offseason program is voluntary, for years the Cowboys have had base-salary de-escalator clauses written into their large contracts that have been given out, including for quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, that all but guarantees a player’s participation. Diggs is believed to be the first player who could see a lowering of his base salary if the Cowboys choose to enforce the clause. Even though Diggs is rehabilitating from surgery, the contract states a player, “must rehabilitate such injury as required by and under the supervision of the Club’s Head Trainer until such time as full participation in the ‘Off-Season Program’ can be achieved. Supervised rehabilitation by Player with Club’s Head Trainer will count towards Player’s 84.375% completion requirement.” Coach Brian Schottenheimer said he spoke with Diggs last week and noted that Diggs had a checkup with the team doctors recently. “All signs are positive,” Schottenheimer said. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said Diggs is “being diligent” in his rehab but also stated the team’s preference is for Diggs to rehab with the organization. “Our understanding is he’s getting the work done and he’ll be back in, and we’ll get a good look at him next week [at the minicamp],” Jones said. Last year, there was some frustration from the organization in how Diggs approached his rehab from the ACL injury. Speaking during draft weekend, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Diggs is “working hard.” “That’s very important because if he will be very good and diligent as to his rehab process, then he’ll get back quicker,” Jones said then. “And he will arrive, when he does get back, sounder than if he has not worked as hard. He’s more subject to injury. He’s learned that one time. My point is, I have a lot of hope that his actual rehab and experience from the time before is really helping him out.” Diggs is scheduled to make $9 million this year under the five-year, $97 million deal he signed in 2023. During the past two years, he played in 13 of a possible 34 regular-season games because of injury. In 2023, he suffered a torn ACL during practice before the third game of the season. Last season, he was limited to 11 games before a cartilage issue ended his campaign. In January, Diggs underwent a chondral tissue graft in which pieces of bone and cartilage were transplanted into the affected area of his knee to improve the joint function. The timing of the surgery was related to the growing of the graft to help produce the best results. Diggs is likely to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list. If he opens the season on PUP, then he would miss at least the first four games. Former Cowboys wide receiver Noah Brown underwent a similar procedure and continued his career. “[We] won’t have a feel for when he’s going to be able to get in the middle of everything until we get to training camp when we’re with him day in and day out and see how he’s progressing,” Stephen Jones said. There is some concern at cornerback with the Diggs’ injury and the loss of nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis in free agency. The Cowboys have 2024 Pro Bowler DaRon Bland healthy after he missed the first 10 games last season because of foot surgery in August. The Cowboys traded for first-round pick Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason. Dallas selected Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round of April’s draft, but he is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in September at East Carolina and might not be ready for the start of training camp, either. Caelen Carson, a fourth-round pick last year, is working back from offseason shoulder surgery, and Josh Butler is in the midst of a return from a torn ACL, as well. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYPete Prisco of CBSSports.com with a look at QB BAKER MAYFIELD, as well as the change of OCs with the Buccaneers: – As Baker Mayfield walked out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ indoor facility, a coat of orange dye making his hair brighter than that day’s sun, a big smile lit up his face as his teammates took one look at his head. As part of a charity event for children with cancer, Mayfield was one of the many Bucs players who allowed the kids to dye their hair. It was all in good fun, and Mayfield is all about the fun these days. He’s pushed way past all that talk of being a busted top-overall pick to become one of the NFL’s most-underrated quarterbacks, a player who should be strongly considered among the top 10 in the league. Those Cleveland days, where the Browns stupidly allowed him to leave after making him the top overall pick in 2018, are way in the rearview mirror as he settles into his third season in Tampa Bay, coming off his best NFL season yet. The Bucs are Mayfield’s fourth team, but it’s the home he was searching for his entire career. They love him in Tampa, and he loves the Bucs back. His teammates rave about him. The organization and front office love him. The warm feel is evident as his teammates walked past during our interview. Massive left tackle Tristan Wirfs, one of his best friends, walked by and gave Mayfield a playful push. “Man, you look good in that tank top, but I don’t know what you are going for,” Mayfield said to Wirfs. “I am looking (expletive) huge,” Wirfs yelled back. Playful. Light. Laughter. It’s that way in a lot of NFL places in June, when games aren’t on the line, but it’s that way for Mayfield most of the time now because he’s found a home. It’s all he ever wanted. “I always had to trust the fact that if I got into the right situation, good things were going to happen,” Mayfield said. “I knew what I was capable of doing. It took me getting to Tampa Bay to be the best version of myself.” Mayfield, who always came across as confident, admitted that it waned some as he was let go by the Browns and Panthers before latching on with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. “I had to build that confidence back,” Mayfield said. “There were points in time where I did (have doubts). The first glimpse I got it back was in L.A.” He played in five games for the Rams, four as a starter, and threw four touchdown passes and two picks. The numbers weren’t gaudy, but his play impressed. He came off the bench the week he arrived in Los Angeles and helped the Rams win a game over the Raiders with barely any time learning the offense. Then he completed 24 of 28 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns to beat the Broncos. It was enough for him to get a one-year deal in Tampa Bay in 2023, with the idea in the organization being it might just be a short stint after Tom Brady retired. Mayfield changed that thinking with his play. Now he’s entrenched. He is coming off a season where he threw a career-best 41 touchdown passes to finish tied for second in the league and was also third in yards with 4,500. In two seasons with Tampa Bay, he has 69 touchdown passes and has taken the Bucs to the playoffs twice and earned a three-year, $100 million contract last year. But if you think he’s resting on his success, you can forget about it. I asked him if the infamous chip he carries on his shoulder is gone. “Nope,” Mayfield said. “I love playing here with these guys, but I have to be internally motivated.” For the first time since the 2020-21 seasons with the Browns, Mayfield will be in the same system for two straight years. That means not learning new terminology and a new offense. But he is learning from a new coordinator. When Liam Coen left after one year to take the head-coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bucs elevated assistant Josh Grizzard to take over as the coordinator. Grizzard, who is considered one of the bright, young minds in the league — a coach who graduated from Yale — has never called plays at any level. Grizzard, by the way, will be Mayfield’s ninth offensive coordinator in eight seasons. Nine. Think about that. “Liam and I were close in L.A. and he was great for me last year,” Mayfield said. “Griz has his own tweaks on it. He’s handled it well. Things aren’t just going to transfer from one season to the next. Nothing we did last year matters. The foundation is there. We are working on explosive plays (Mayfield’s number of deep passes have come down the past two years) and fundamentals in the run game. Josh is still getting used to calling plays. He was instrumental in our third-down install and passing-game stuff last year. So he has experience.” Mayfield said coach Todd Bowles is using practice situations to let Grizzard get familiar with calling plays. “He’s letting him call plays in real game-type situations during practice,” Mayfield said. “But it comes down to feel for play-callers more than anything.” Being in the same offensive system two years in a row will help. Mayfield was asked to do more at the line of scrimmage last season under Coen, which he likes, and that will carry over with Grizzard. “I try not take take it for granted being in the same system since I am so used to learning new offenses,” Mayfield said. “Now it’s just about the details. We have a great group. We have everybody back and added some pieces in the skill group. That makes it easier. I took a lot more responsibility last year, and I am taking even more ownership of it. When it comes to those checks at the line of scrimmage, it makes it a lot easier with the guys being back. They know when we get this blitz, and I am going to check to this play, it’s second nature for them. When people don’t have to think about it, it’s a lot better.” The Bucs have all their starters back on offense and added receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the April draft. He has been everything the team expected so far, giving them a nice weapon to go with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin (still recovering from injury) and last year’s impressive rookie Jalen McMillan at receiver and Cade Otton at tight end and Bucky Irving and Rachaad White in the backfield. “He [Egbuka] has a natural feel to his route running,” Mayfield said. “He has a good feel of getting to the right spots in zone. He’s extremely smart. His head was never spinning. He was getting other guys lined up. He’s polished.” But Mayfield was quick to point out the Bucs offense this year will be a lot like it was last year. “It still runs through the run game and Mike [Evans],” he said. “That’s how it goes.” There are some things the Bucs need Mayfield to cut down on. One is him putting his body on the line in situations where he can be smarter about it, although he was only 14th in carries by quarterbacks and he did have success scrambling with it. The other is cutting down on interceptions since he threw a league-leading 16 last year. But part of him throwing picks is he’s always going to be a gunslinger. That’s who he is, and as quarterbacks have told me in the past: You can play not to throw interceptions, but you won’t be throwing a lot of touchdown passes either. “When you go back and look at the interceptions and why they happened, a couple were just being too aggressive in certain situations,” Mayfield said. “You also have to eliminate the bad decisions first and foremost.” As for protecting himself? “Third down, game on the line, you have to do what you have to do,” Mayfield said. “Other things on the sideline, you can be smarter. I get it.” He paused for a second. “It’s football,” he said. Expect big things from Mayfield and the offense again. The defense should be better with some nice additions in the draft in the secondary and the acquisition of Haason Reddick as a pass rusher. If that unit comes together, Tampa Bay can be a Super Bowl contender. If the Bucs were to get there, Mayfield’s transformation would be complete. He would have gone from the Cleveland fiasco to a Super Bowl as the Browns continue to be mired in quarterback misery. Mayfield is actually now underrated, and it’s almost like people want to see more. They still don’t believe. That’s a mistake. He’s for real. A Super Bowl could change all of that negative thinking — and it certainly will change his contract status. His three-year deal expires after the 2026 season. If he plays this season like he did in 2024, his average salary of $33 million will look paltry compared to some of the recent deals given out to the quarterbacks. Mayfield’s cap number goes to $50 million next year, so an extension after this season could be likely. When you see Brock Purdy get a deal that averages $53 million, Mayfield has to be eyeing that type of money. That means it’s a big year for Mayfield, but he isn’t making it that. He turned 30 in April, and seems so content with where he is as a player and seems to think the rest will work out. “I wouldn’t change anything I’ve been through to get here,” he said. “This is where I was meant to be.” Mayfield smiled. He does that a lot these days. Football is fun again. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYThe voters of Jackson County (which contains KCMO) turned down the construction aspirations of Western Missouri’s teams – leaving them open to poaching from Eastern Kansas. But now the Missouri state legislature has ridden to the rescue. Missouri senators on Thursday approved a plan to provide more than $100 million in aid for tornado-ravaged St. Louis and authorized hundreds of millions of dollars worth of incentives to try to persuade the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to continue playing in Missouri in new or improved stadiums. Lawmakers are acting with urgency in a special session because the Chiefs and Royals face an end of June deadline to accept a competing offer from Kansas, and residents in St. Louis are struggling to recover from May storms that caused an estimated $1.6 billion of damage. The aid measures advanced in a series of early-morning votes only after Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe struck a deal with some holdouts that included more disaster relief money and the potential for property tax breaks for some homeowners facing rising tax bills. The package also contains funding for building projects around the state, including $50 million for a nuclear research reactor used for cancer treatments at the University of Missouri. Though House approval is still needed, the Senate vote marked a major hurdle, because the stadium incentives stalled there last month. Tornadoes struck St. Louis and other parts of Missouri on May 16, a day after lawmakers wrapped up work in their regular session. The future of the Chiefs and Royals has been up in the air for a while. The teams currently play in side-by-side stadiums in eastern Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri, under leases that run until January 2031. Jackson County voters last year turned down a sales tax extension that would have helped finance a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. That prompted Kansas lawmakers last year to authorize bonds for up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums in their state. Missouri’s counterproposal would authorize bonds for up to 50% of the cost of stadium projects while also providing up to $50 million of tax credits to go with unspecified support from local governments. While testifying Tuesday to a Senate committee, Chiefs lobbyist Rich AuBuchon described the Missouri offer as “legitimate” and “competitive.” If the Chiefs stay in Missouri, he said they likely would begin a $1.15 billion plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and upgrade the team’s practice facilities in either 2027 or 2028. It would take three years to complete. AuBuchon pointed to other recent publicly financed stadium projects in Baltimore, New Orleans, Nashville and Buffalo, New York. “Throughout the country, states are funding stadiums. They are a big economic development. They are a big business,” AuBuchon said. However, many economists contend public funding for stadiums isn’t worth it, because sports tend to divert discretionary spending away from other forms of entertainment rather than generate new income. “What the teams are doing is playing Kansas and Missouri against each other,” said Patrick Tuohey, senior fellow at the Show-Me Institute, a free-market think tank whose St. Louis headquarters got hit by the tornado. “When cities and states do this, they hollow out their tax base for the benefit of wealthy billionaire team owners … they lose the ability to provide public safety, basic services,” Tuohey said. Royals lobbyist Jewell Patek said that even with the state incentives, a planned stadium district likely would need voter approval for local tax incentives in either Jackson or Clay counties, which couldn’t happen until later this year. He made no guarantee the Royals would pick Missouri over Kansas, but Patek added: “We love the community, we love the state … we think this is a step in the right direction for the state of Missouri.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREThe Ravens give WR RASHOD BATEMAN some decent cash. – Lamar Jackson will have his top big-play wide receiver for the foreseeable future, as the Baltimore Ravens announced Thursday that they had signed Rashod Bateman to an extension. Bateman’s deal is for three years, $36.75 million and includes $20 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This contract comes a year after Bateman signed a team-friendly two-year extension worth $12.8 million because he didn’t qualify for a fifth-year option after starting 2023 training camp on the “did not report” list. Now, after becoming Baltimore’s most explosive wide receiver, he is under contract through the 2029 season. Bateman, 25, has gone from being an underachieving 2021 first-round pick to the best deep threat for the NFL’s No. 1 offense in 2024. He was the only player in the NFL last season to average over 16 yards per reception and catch at least nine touchdown passes. His 16.8 yards per catch ranked third in the NFL last season, behind only Indianapolis’ Alec Pierce (22.3) and Detroit’s Jameson Williams (17.3). Bateman’s three touchdown catches of at least 40 yards in 2024 were tied for the most in a season by a Ravens player since at least 2000. The 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bateman had a challenging start to his career. He missed the first five games of his rookie season after undergoing hernia surgery and was sidelined for the final nine games of his second season after foot surgery. In March 2023, Bateman called out Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta on social media for the GM’s comment about the team’s disappointing track record for drafting pass catchers. Bateman later said he spoke to DeCosta and “now we’re best friends.” A year later, Bateman enjoyed a breakthrough season. As the No. 2 wide receiver behind Zay Flowers, Bateman recorded career highs with 756 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches, leading to Thursday’s extension. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISThe Colts probably anticipated some issues in adjusting to the NFL for QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON. But being brittle didn’t seem to be one of them at the time. But as the Colts go through OTAs, Richardson is once again sidelined. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: There’s been a development in the Colts’ quarterback competition. Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Thursday that Anthony Richardson will not participate in OTAs this week or minicamp next week with a right shoulder injury. Via James Boyd of TheAthletic.com, Steichen noted that Richardson’s injury is to the same AC joint that he injured previously. While surgery is not anticipated at the moment, Steichen noted that the plan is for Richardson to return “at some point” in training camp. But there is no timeline. With Richardson sidelined, Daniel Jones will be able to take more snaps for the rest of the offseason program and potentially in training camp. That could give him a leg up to supplant Richardson as QB1 to start the 2025 season. The No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft, Richardson was able to start just four games due to injury in 2023. He started 11 last season between injury and a benching. But his poor performance — completing just 48 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions — led the Colts to bring in Jones for an open competition. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| 2021 DRAFT REDUXBack in 2021, QB TREVOR LAWRENCE was the first overall pick of everyone – including the Jaguars who had said pick. Now, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic re-does his draft board with the advantage of 20-20 hindsight. At the time, the 2021 NFL Draft was supposed to be a year of the quarterback. Today, it’s an example of why it can be so hard to actually find a quarterback. Five quarterbacks were selected in the top 15 of the ’21 draft, but only one (Trevor Lawrence) has since been extended by the team that picked him. Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones all ultimately lost starting jobs with their original teams and have moved on — Fields is the only player of that group expected to open 2025 as a starter. And Trey Lance? He’s literally never had a chance. San Francisco found Brock Purdy in 2022, and Lance has since been limited to just five starts in four years with two teams. But what about the other position groups? Let’s take a look back at the 2021 draft class and re-rank the top five at every position. A highlighted row indicates a player is no longer with the team that drafted him. Quarterbacks1 Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars Round 1, No. 1 (JAX)2 Justin Fields New York Jets Round 1, No. 11 (CHI)3 Mac Jones San Francisco 49ers Round 1, No. 15 (NE)4 Davis Mills Houston Texans Round 3, No. 67 (HOU)5 Zach Wilson Miami Dolphins Round 1, No. 2 (NYJ) Lawrence was the consensus QB1 throughout the entire 2021 draft cycle and nothing’s really changed. Same time, Lawrence — the only four-year starter in this group — has yet to follow up his excellent 2022 season with a true breakout campaign. Plenty of that has been a product of the constant change and lack of development around him, though. Before his injury last year, Lawrence was at a career high in yards/attempt and yards/completion. Elsewhere, this has been a mess. Outside of Lawrence, Fields is the only QB left with a starting job and he’s already with his third team, in a prove-it situation. Wilson and Lance were two of the worst-performing high draft picks over the last five years, examples of how much the COVID-19 college season messed with people’s minds. Davis Mills is still in Houston as a quality backup for C.J. Stroud. It’s no coincidence the Jets, 49ers, Bears and Patriots all either have started over or underperformed overall since this draft. Running backs1 Chuba Hubbard Carolina Panthers Round 4, pick 1262 Najee Harris Los Angeles Chargers Round 1, pick 24 (PIT)3 Rhamondre Stevenson New England Patriots Round 4, pick 1204 Travis Etienne Jacksonville Jaguars Round 1, pick 255 Javonte Williams Dallas Cowboys Round 2, pick 35 (DEN) There were no elite running backs in this class, despite two of them (Najee Harris and Travis Etienne) being drafted in the first round. Harris, who averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry during four years in Pittsburgh, was not re-upped by the Steelers and is on a one-year deal with the Chargers. He hasn’t been bad in the NFL, hitting 1,000 yards every year so far, but he also hasn’t been spectacular. Fourth-round picks Chuba Hubbard and Rhamondre Stevenson received four-year extensions from their respective teams (Hubbard at $33.2 million, Stevenson at $36 million). Though each has outperformed his draft slot, it’ll be interesting to see if they live up to those long-term deals. This was not a great RB class, though it might prove to be slightly better than average over time if Etienne can stay healthy. Wide receivers1 Ja’Marr Chase Cincinnati Bengals Round 1, No. 52 Amon-Ra St. Brown Detroit Lions Round 4, No. 1123 DeVonta Smith Philadelphia Eagles Round 1, No. 104 Jaylen Waddle Miami Dolphins Round 1, No. 65 Nico Collins Houston Texans Round 3, No. 89 The 2021 wide receiver class was expected to be elite and, despite some shuffling in the pecking order, it has been. Ja’Marr Chase has been one of the top offensive players in football since he entered the league, while Amon-Ra St. Brown — the 17th wide receiver taken that year — stands as one of the NFL’s best picks of the last five years. The two receivers have a combined seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections between them. I went with DeVonta Smith over Jaylen Waddle in the re-rank, as I think Waddle’s production is more tied to the system he’s played in, but both players have been fantastic pros. Same goes for Nico Collins, the 14th WR off the board in ’21. There were misses in this draft, though, notably Kadarius Toney (Giants, No. 21) and Dee Eskridge (Seahawks, No. 56). Tight ends1 Kyle Pitts Atlanta Falcons Round 1, No. 42 Pat Freiermuth Pittsburgh Steelers Round 2, No. 553 Noah Gray Kansas City Chiefs Round 5, No. 1624 John Bates Washington Commanders Round 4, No. 1245 Kylen Granson Philadelphia Eagles Round 4, No. 127 (IND) The Kyle Pitts experience has been complicated. After a spectacular rookie season (68 catches for 1,026 yards), Pitts — who has not been helped by poor QB play in Atlanta — has averaged just 42 catches for 542 yards in the three years since. He’s still just 24 years old, so if Michael Penix Jr. can turn into the player Atlanta believes he can be, that return will look much better. It still might be a struggle to justify Pitts as a No. 4 pick, though. Pat Freiermuth got a four-year, $48.4 million extension from Pittsburgh last September and has more career receptions (220 to 196) than Pitts. Noah Gray, one of several terrific picks by Kansas City in recent years, has been very good opposite Travis Kelce. Bates is arguably the best blocking TE in football. Offensive tackles1 Penei Sewell Detroit Lions Round 1, No. 72 Rashawn Slater Los Angeles Chargers Round 1, No. 133 Christian Darrisaw Minnesota Vikings Round 1, No. 234 Spencer Brown Buffalo Bills Round 3, No. 935 Sam Cosmi Washington Commanders Round 2, No. 51 This will go in the books as a great tackle class, with at least three players performing like franchise cornerstones early. Penei Sewell, at just 24, is arguably the best offensive tackle in football, and both Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw have been in that same conversation when healthy. Sewell and Darrisaw already have inked nine-figure extensions; Slater likely will be on that list soon, even if the Chargers have dragged their feet a bit. Spencer Brown has been one of the best value picks of the 2021 draft — he was taken after Alex Leatherwood, Teven Jenkins, Liam Eichenberg, Walker Little, Dillon Radunz, Jalen Mayfield and Brady Christensen. He looks like a long-term fixture in Buffalo. Interior offensive linemen1 Creed Humphrey Kansas City Chiefs Round 2, No. 632 Landon Dickerson Philadelphia Eagles Round 2, No. 373 Trey Smith Kansas City Chiefs Round 6, No. 2264 Quinn Meinerz Denver Broncos Round 3, No. 985 Drew Dalman Chicago Bears Round 4, No. 114 (ATL) Creed Humphrey has been the best center in football basically since his rookie season and has a case as the best pick by value in the 2021 draft. He hasn’t been the only awesome center, either — Landon Dickerson has been outstanding up front for the Eagles; Drew Dalman just got a $42 million deal from Chicago and has more than outperformed his draft slot. Trey Smith, who made the Pro Bowl last season, was an immediate starter in Kansas City and is one of the best sixth-round picks in recent years. This group will look even better if Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (No. 14 pick) can stay healthy. Edges1 Micah Parsons Dallas Cowboys Round 1, No. 122 Greg Rousseau Buffalo Bills Round 1, No. 303 Odafe Oweh Baltimore Ravens Round 1, No. 314 Kwity Paye Indianapolis Colts Round 1, No. 215 Jaelan Phillips Miami Dolphins Round 1, No. 18 Not only is it wild that 11 teams passed on Micah Parsons, it’s insane to think about how many of those teams worried about where to play him. Parsons has basically invented his own position as a hybrid front seven defender with unlimited potential. Cincinnati (Chase), Detroit (Sewell) and Denver (Pat Surtain II) might not regret their decisions, but everyone else — possibly including Jacksonville — probably should. As far as the rest of the top five, only Greg Rousseau (4 years, $80 million) has received an extension so far, though Odafe Oweh, Kwity Paye and Jaelan Phillips all could earn one with bigger production in 2025. And Broncos seventh-round edge Jonathon Cooper (No. 240) has been an absolute steal. Defensive tackles1 Osa Odighizuwa Dallas Cowboys Round 3, No. 752 Alim McNeill Detroit Lions Round 3, No. 723 Milton Williams New England Patriots Round 3, No. 73 (PHI)4 Christian Barmore New England Patriots Round 2, No. 385 Roy Lopez Detroit Lions Round 6, No. 195 (HOU) The race for DT1 here between Osa Odighizuwa and Alim McNeill is really close. The former has 171 pressures with 13 1/2 sacks so far in Dallas; the latter has 118 pressures with 11 1/2 sacks, and I’d argue he’s been better against the run. Christian Barmore, who missed most of last season because of injury, has also shown terrific pass-rush flashes, although he leaves plenty to be desired in run defense. Milton Williams was a big winner this offseason, as he signed a huge deal in New England and could form a dynamic duo with a healthy Barmore. Still, Williams must prove he can perform at the same level without Jalen Carter and the rest of Philadelphia’s D-line depth around him. Roy Lopez was a sneaky good signing by the Lions this offseason. He has been a very sturdy interior presence versus the run and vastly outperformed his sixth-round slot. Linebackers1 Nick Bolton Kansas City Chiefs Round 2, No. 582 Ernest Jones IV Seattle Seahawks Round 3, No. 103 (LAR)3 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Cleveland Browns Round 2, No. 524 Pete Werner New Orleans Saints Round 2, No. 605 Divine Deablo Atlanta Falcons Round 3, No. 80 (LV) The Chiefs recently placed Nick Bolton among the top five highest-paid inside linebackers, after Bolton put together four years as one of Kansas City’s most critical pieces inside. Ernest Jones IV forced himself into the lineup with the Rams before being traded and eventually signing a three-year deal with Seattle. Beyond those two, it’s been pretty up and down for the off-ball linebacker class. A few players in this group (Zaven Collins, Baron Browning) have moved to the edge position full-time. Cornerbacks1 Pat Surtain II Denver Broncos Round 1, No. 92 Jaycee Horn Carolina Panthers Round 1, No. 83 Paulson Adebo New York Giants Round 3, No. 76 (NO)4 Deommodore Lenoir San Francisco 49ers Round 5, No. 1725 Asante Samuel Jr. Los Angeles Chargers Round 2, No. 47 Jaycee Horn was the highest-drafted corner in this group, but things weren’t looking great prior to an outstanding 2024 campaign that saw him land in the Pro Bowl and subsequently sign a huge four-year, $100 million deal this spring. Horn’s deal is a tick higher than the one Surtain — a three-time Pro Bowler, 2024 defensive MVP and one of the best defenders in football — commanded last September. Horn’s potential is clear, but Carolina definitely rolled the dice there. You could argue Paulson Adebo (and maybe even Deommodore Lenoir) did more on his rookie deal than Horn. There have been a few busts here, too. Tennessee took a chance on talented but oft-injured Caleb Farley in the first round and got just eight games out of him over three years. Fellow first-rounder Eric Stokes is now on a one-year, prove-it deal in Las Vegas after Green Bay declined his option. Safeties1 Jevon Holland New York Giants Round 2, No. 36 (MIA)2 Cam Bynum Indianapolis Colts Round 4, No. 125 (MIN)3 Tre’von Moehrig Carolina Panthers Round 2, No. 43 (LV)4 Andre Cisco New York Jets Round 3, No. 65 (JAX)5 Talanoa Hufanga Denver Broncos Round 5, No. 180 (SF) A bunch of talented faces in new places. Cam Bynum earned a four-year, $60 million extension from the Colts after a great rookie run in Minnesota, while Trevon Moehrig got $51 million over three years with Carolina. My pick for the top player in this group, though, is Jevon Holland, who played all over the field for Miami and has proven to have the ability to make an impact anywhere. Talanoa Hufanga, with an All-Pro season already under his belt, just needs to stay healthy. |
