The Daily Briefing Tuesday, April 11, 2017

AROUND THE NFL

The NFL was making some announcements on Monday.

First, there will be an NFL game, at least one, that starts at 9:30 a.m. in the Eastern U.S. 

John Breech of CBSSports.com:

After spending the past five months mulling over the possibility of whether to eliminate the 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff time from the NFL schedule, the league has decided to keep the early London game for at least one more season.

The NFL announced Monday that the Dolphins’ Week 4 game against the Saints will kick off from Wembley Stadium at 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 1. For fans in New Orleans, that means that game will kickoff at 8:30 a.m., which means if you’re tailgating at home for that game, you’ll need to have the beer out by 8 a.m.

The announcement that the game will kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET is somewhat of a surprise because there had been a report that the NFL was going to eliminate the early kickoff time. Two of the concerns that the league had with the early kickoff is that it was an oversaturation of football (14 STRAIGHT HOURS ON SUNDAY), not to mention the fact that a quarter of the country probably wouldn’t be watching.

That quarter of the country is located in the Pacific Time Zone, where the games kick off at 6:30 a.m. ET. As someone who lives in the Pacific Time Zone, I could list off about 175 things that I like better than 6:30 a.m. football, but I won’t do that here because it would take all day to write and you would just get bored reading it.

The 9:30 a.m. kickoff experiment started in 2014, and the NFL liked it so much that there were two 9:30 a.m. games in 2015. In 2016, every game in London kicked off at 9:30 a.m., including a game with the Rams, which meant fans in Los Angeles had to wake up at 6:30 a.m. to watch.

Although the Dolphins-Saints game will kick off at 9:30 a.m., that might not be the case for the other three London games in 2017. The NFL hasn’t announced the kickoff times for Ravens-Jaguars, Browns-Vikings or Cardinals-Rams. If the league wants anyone at all to be watch the Cardinals-Rams game, they probably should make sure it doesn’t kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The New Orleans-Miami game is at Wembley and had previously been announced for either Week 3 or 4. 

That would seem to mean that Baltimore-Jacksonville will now be Week 3 at Wembley.

The other two games, Minnesota-Cleveland and Arizona-Rams, will be at Twickenham Stadium and on Weeks 7 and 8.

Now to the preseason schedule – here are the national TV games that feature a FOX doubleheader on Sunday of Week 3:

2017 preseason national television schedule (all times Eastern)

Hall of Fame Game (Canton, Ohio)

Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals (NBC, 8 p.m.), Thursday, Aug. 3

Preseason Week 2 (August 17-21)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars (ESPN, 8 p.m.), Thursday, Aug. 17

New York Giants at Cleveland Browns (ESPN, 8 p.m.) Monday, Aug. 21

Preseason Week 3 (August 24-27)

Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks (CBS, 8 p.m.) Friday, Aug. 25

Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams (CBS, 8 p.m.) Saturday, Aug. 26

Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (FOX, 1 p.m.) Sunday, Aug. 27

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins (FOX, 4:30 p.m.) Sunday, Aug. 27

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings (NBC, 8 p.m.) Sunday, Aug. 27

So will Tony Romo’s debut be Chiefs-Seahawks or Chargers-Rams?

Will John Lynch’s replacement make his debut on Bears-Titans or Bengals-Redskins?

The DB loves and hates the randomness of the national TV games.  How come so many of the marquee teams like Patriots, Packers, Steelers, Raiders, Falcons and Broncos get a pass?

The rest of the preseason matchups are here.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

This smells like the end of the line for LB JUNIOR GALETTE:

Washington Redskins linebacker Junior Galette is in trouble with the law again.

Galette, 29, was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Friday night on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and failure to comply with police orders, the Biloxi Police Dept. confirmed to NFL.com.

“We are aware of the incident,” the Redskins said in a statement. “We are gathering information and will refrain from making any further comment.”

According to Biloxi Police Sgt. Jackie Rhodes, an officer responding to a report of a possible fight at a concert outside MGM Park in Biloxi saw Galette striking another individual. When the officer told Galette to stop, he ran away. The officer eventually caught up with Galette and used a stun gun on him before arresting him.

Rhodes said Galette cooperated with officers after his arrest and he was released from custody a short time later after posting bond. Rhodes added that Galette likely wouldn’t have been arrested if he intially cooperated with police.

During Galette’s 2015 offseason with the Saints, he was arrested on domestic violence and battery charges — both of which were eventually dropped — and was hampered by a torn pectoral muscle. The confluence of those scenarios made Galette expendable, and New Orleans released him.

After spending two seasons with the Redskins without playing a down, Galette signed his third contract with the team in January. During training camp he torn his Achilles tendon and missed the entire 2015 season. He suffered another torn Achilles in March 2016, this one to his opposite leg, during a workout session.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com makes an interesting point about the big contract to CB DESMOND TRUFANT:

The contract for Trufant is the clearest indication yet the Falcons are not looking to add Richard Sherman. Trufant is their Richard Sherman and Atlanta also gave a hefty extension to fellow 2013 draft cornerback Robert Alford in December. Jalen Collins showed promise down the stretch last season and undrafted rookie nickelback Brian Poole was a revelation last year. Falcons coach Dan Quinn is trying to build a new “Legion of Boom,” not recreate the old one. Sherman’s big salary doesn’t fit.

TAMPA BAY

Small world.  There is a DEVONTA FREEMAN and a DONTA FOREMAN and they both play running back.  Greg Auman in the Tampa Bay Times:

The NFL Draft begins in just 17 days, and the Bucs continue to evaluate some of the draft’s best options at running back — on Monday, they brought in Texas junior D’Onta Foreman, who rushed for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Longhorns this past season.

Foreman, who doesn’t turn 21 until April 24, is one of the draft’s bigger backs — he was listed at 249 pounds in college and was measured at 6 feet, 233 pounds at the combine. As far as bell-cow workhorse backs go, he had 341 yards and three touchdowns in a win against Texas Tech, as well as 51 carries for 250 yards in an overtime loss to Kansas.

The Bucs have looked at several second-tier backs in this draft, including USF’s Marlon Mack, Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon and Toledo’s Kareem Hunt, so they could use a second-day pick on a running back if the right guy isn’t there at No. 19. It’s possible that not only LSU’s Leonard Fournette, but also FSU’s Dalvin Cook and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey could be off the board when the Bucs go on the clock at No. 19.

– – –

Are the Buccaneers the leading candidate to be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this summer?  Rick Stroud in the Tampa Bay Times:

It’s looking more and more like this might happen. The Bucs believe they are among the top candidates to be chosen for HBO’s Hard Knocks, the sports documentary produced in conjunction with NFL Films.

Right now, they are bracing for it. If selected, they plan to just embrace it.

Tampa Bay is among eight teams eligible for mandatory inclusion. The Bucs lost their way into contention. You can only be selected if you don’t have a new head coach, haven’t reached the playoffs in the past two seasons and haven’t appeared on the show in a decade.

The Bucs have vowed full cooperation but have asked the league and network for an answer next week.

“I think our players are at a point in their maturity that they would be able to handle it,” co-chairman Joel Glazer said. “They recognize what goes along with it. We’ll always be supportive of the league. Nobody is rushing to the podium for that necessarily. But I do feel I have great confidence in this team.”

Let’s be clear. Nobody really wants to be the Hard Knocks team. Not the Bears, Browns, Colts, Eagles, Ravens, Saints or Titans, who also are eligible.

The coaches, who have always worked under a veil of secrecy as if football were the Manhattan Project, don’t want the intrusion into the meeting rooms. The players prefer privacy.

“But if you’re part of the league, you understand it takes the fan behind the curtain,” said former Jets and Chiefs coach Herm Edwards. “As a coach, the biggest concern is that guys get out of character. Some of your guys, it’s hard to have a conversation with. Then the cameras show up and they become a movie star trying to build their brand.”

Edwards’ Chiefs were featured on Hard Knocks in 2007. His team went 4-12, not because of the television show but because their quarterbacks were Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle.

To that end, Edwards believes Hard Knocks would bring the Bucs much-needed national exposure. In fact, Edwards believes no player could potentially benefit more than Jameis Winston.

“Jameis would be the star and all over it,” Edwards said. “He would be great for them. He’s an emotional guy, and he’s going to say some stuff. Coming out of Florida State, not everybody liked him. But the nation would learn more about the quarterback that they didn’t know, and ultimately, I think that could be good for him.”

A 23-year-old franchise quarterback, a team on the rise after a 9-7 season, a straight-talking head coach such as Dirk Koetter and a host of story lines make the Bucs an attractive choice.

But things can and do go wrong, all under the glare of the national television lights.

– – –

The hope is that Koetter and Mike Smith, the Bucs defensive coordinator, will know how to step around the land mines. They were part of Hard Knocks when Smith was the Falcons head coach in 2014.

One highlight came when center Joe Hawley, then with the Falcons, got into a fight during training camp after Smith had asked for no fighting.

“If somebody is taking advantage of your teammate, and you go to his defense, and you send a message to the guy you’re playing against, that’s a (expletive) good penalty,” Smith said addressing his team.

The show typically airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. The final edits are made that morning and teams can request that certain items be removed from the broadcast.

“In this day and age, it’s not like the old days, everybody has got their cameras out for everything,” Glazer said. “There’s no question, it would be good just for people in Tampa to get to know our team and our players. There’s no question there are positives and a national platform for people to get to know our players.”

It could happen.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

It is looking more and more as if the Cardinals are in the market for a first round quarterback.  Josh Alper at ProFootballTalk.com:

The Cardinals are doing their research on the 2017 draft’s quarterback class this week.

Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer was in for a visit on Monday and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson is due in on Wednesday, which left time for the team to get to know North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky. Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 reports that Trubisky had dinner with Cardinals president Michael Bidwill, General Manager Steve Keim and coach Bruce Arians on Monday night.

Arians telegraphed one of the questions that he likely had for Trubisky when he said recently that it is “always bugging” him that Trubisky only started for one year while in college.

Another possible frustration for the Cardinals in their quest to find Carson Palmer’s successor is that they pick 13th in the first round and the quarterback they like may be off the board. Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports reports they are gauging what it might cost to move up, but cautions that the price may be prohibitive for such a move.

– – –

Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com says the barrel-cactus in Glendale may need a new name:

If there’s an actual college in Glendale or Tempe or Surprise or some other Arizona town with a little money to burn, now’s the time to strike.

According to Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic, the Cardinals are in the market for a new naming-rights sponsor since the University of Phoenix wants to pull out of their deal with the team.

They’re nine years into the 20-year deal which was worth $7.7 million per year. It comes at a time with UofP’s parent company, Apollo Education Group, has seen declining enrollment and other issues. The team said the University would keep the name on the stadium until a new sponsor is found.

“We will get the best deal, the right deal,” Cardinals executive vice president and chief operating officer Ron Minegar said. “We want to have the right brand affiliation.”

(In related news, the deal will be yuge.)

It’s possible the Cardinals could realize more revenue from a new deal, even though there are new stadiums coming in Las Vegas and Los Angeles looking to sell themselves as giant billboards in the near future.

SEATTLE

The Seahawks are going to try to make something out of Jeff Ireland’s great draft bust, LB DION JORDAN.  Kevin Patra at NFL.com:

Dion Jordan is moving back to the Pacific Northwest to get a fresh start.

The former No. 3 overall pick agreed to terms Tuesday with the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source involved in the deal.

USA Today’s Tom Pelissero first reported the news.

Jordan was waived by the Miami Dolphins less than a fortnight ago. He missed the past two seasons due to suspensions for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse.

For Seattle, it’s a swing at an athletic pass rusher with little risk. Jordan owns the athleticism to play either edge rusher or SAM linebacker in Pete Carroll’s defense,

Jordan entered the NFL in 2013 from Oregon as an enticing pass rusher who could cover in space. In his first two seasons, he compiled three sacks and 39 tackles in 26 games of limited duty.

Jordan possesses the twitchy athleticism that gets scouts geeked for prospects, but has yet to fully put it together as a pro. If he can stay healthy and off the suspension list, Jordan could prove to be an intriguing rotational player in sub-packages.

Making the Seahawks’ 53-man roster would be a gigantic leap for the Dolphins’ bust, but at least Jordan has a chance to try and turn his career around.

– – –

CB RICHARD SHERMAN may be on the block, but the Seahawks are determined not to fire sale him.   Chris Wesseling at NFL.com:

What would it take to pry the three-time All Pro away from a Super Bowl contender?

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last week that Seattle is trying to set a “very high price” for Sherman.

What does that mean?

“Potentially a first-round pick,” Rapoport explained. “Potentially a very good player on a low contract and a pick as well.”

Rapoport emphasized that the two sides maintain a high degree of mutual respect, which is reflected in the exorbitant price tag.

Appearing on Tuesday’s edition of Good Morning Football, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo doubled down on that message, stressing that it will take a first-round draft pick and another mid-round pick to coax Seattle into parting with Sherman.

“We’re talking Darrelle Revis Jets-to-Buccaneers type of deal,” Garafolo added. “That’s what’s going to get this thing done.”

Just prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, the Jets traded Revis to Tampa Bay in exchange for the No. 13 overall selection and a conditional 2014 fourth-round pick that would have escalated to a third-rounder had the cornerback remained on the roster by the third day of the 2014 league year.

For the record, the Jets used that additional first-round choice on Sheldon Richardson, who went on to earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Years honors before hitting the trade block last season.

After speaking Monday night with a source close to the situation, Garafolo reported that no team has come close to matching the compensation demanded by the Seahawks.

Unless that changes in the next couple of weeks, Sherman will remain an integral piece of the celebrated Legion of Boom.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com perceives the price as dropping:

It seems like just a matter of time before the asking price becomes a first-round pick. The question then would become how low will the Seahawks go in this reverse auction, where the price keeps going down and no one is raising a paddle, yet.

That question is driven by how motivated the Seahawks are to sell. Given the unusual transparency that the Seahawks have applied to this one, the truth could be that the price will keep dropping until someone bites — as long as that someone is someone for whom Sherman wants to play.

Which means the question of what Seattle wants ultimately may be driven by how badly Sherman wants out.

AFC WEST

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

QB PHILIP RIVERS says he’s not going to do a Tony Romo – certainly not anytime soon.  Conor Orr at NFL.com:

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has heard those of you out there comparing his career to Tony Romo’s.

“We’re not deaf or blind to those comparisons,” Rivers told KLSD-AM in San Diego this week (via ESPN.com). “I’ve heard that many times over the years. I think from a statistical standpoint yes, and from the standpoint that neither one of us were able to — at least so far on my end — have gotten our teams to a championship.

“But both of us have been a part of a lot of good teams, and a lot of wins. And we both started the same year when we took over the reins. I see the similarities. I’ve always kind of respected Tony from afar.”

The conversation was about Rivers, 35, potentially following Romo into broadcasting (“It’s so funny because I enjoy talking football and doing all of that. I just don’t think I’ll ever go that route,” he said). I think, however it provided a window into how much longer Rivers plans on playing than the now-retired Cowboys quarterback.

Rivers is already more than 10,000 yards ahead of Romo in all-time passing yards, has 66 more touchdown passes, 19 more wins and three more playoff appearances, but has a similar drive to that of a late-career Peyton Manning. Rivers is approaching the cultural minutiae that comes with a new coaching staff and seems vested in the new message being passed around by first-year head coach Anthony Lynn.

“I think you’ve heard me and we’ve all had to go with this big change for us and essentially market ourselves — how are you going to win over L.A. and all of that stuff. And I think we’ve all talked about winning,” he said. “You’ve got to win, you’ve got to win.”

Winning, and putting the Chargers into another conference title game — completely possible with this roster, by the way — would put Rivers into a category unreachable by Romo by comparison. Since he already hears you lumping the two together, it might be a good reason to fend off retirement, whether that be broadcasting or something else.

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com wonders why he’s the only one wondering about QB ANDREW LUCK and his shoulder surgery:

Andrew Luck is coming off major shoulder surgery and no one is talking about it. In this era of excess coverage of all things NFL, the mysterious recovery of one of the sport’s most indispensable players oddly has attracted little attention.

The January surgery on Luck’s throwing shoulder came as a surprise, with details initially scarce. It wasn’t until late March at the Annual League Meeting that Colts owner Jim Irsay told Fox59 in Indianapolis that Luck had a “slightly torn” labrum, a regrettable phrase that sounds like calling your wife slightly pregnant.

There is no timeline for Luck to hit the field again. Reading between the lines of comments from Irsay and coach Chuck Pagano, it will be a major surprise if Luck is on the field during OTAs or minicamp season. Irsay told Fox59 Luck should be “pretty close to being ready” by training camp, also implying the 27-year-old QB could be brought along slowly. Placing Luck on the PUP list to start camp would not be a surprise.

The news is not all as bleak as a windy winter walk to St. Elmo’s. Luck played through this injury for nearly two full seasons, missing a lot of practice time in 2016. He could come out the other side improved. But during an offseason in which Cam Newton’s shoulder surgery caused great consternation, his AFC counterpart’s recovery has flown under the radar.

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t [unsettling]. I can’t lie to you,” coach Chuck Pagano said at the Annual League Meeting. “We’ve got to adapt. That’s what great teams and great organizations have to do.”

The Colts haven’t been a great team since losing the 2014 AFC Championship. Even back then, they were a flawed roster propped up by a franchise quarterback capable of transcendence. They’ve lost 16 games and a general manager in the two seasons since. Pagano knows he’s the next man out if Luck has trouble recovering his fastball, which is one more reason why Luck’s rehab should get more attention as the season draws closer.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

Does this mean anything?  Chase Goodbread at NFL.com:

The Buffalo Bills were busy with quarterback evaluations for the 2017 NFL Draft over the weekend, and that includes ownership.

Club officials, including owner Terry Pegula, conducted a private workout with QB DeShone Kizer on Saturday, and ate dinner with the former Notre Dame star, as well, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. This came just a day before the Bills, including Pegula, held a private workout with another of the draft’s top quarterback prospects in Mitchell Trubisky of North Carolina. The Bills hold the No. 10 overall pick of the draft,

THIS AND THAT

KAEP IN EXILE

Kyle Shanahan has some thoughts as to why QB COLIN KAEPERNICK doesn’t have a contract:

The new 49ers coach thinks scheme fit is a reason the old 49ers quarterback hasn’t found a new job.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked on Monday whether teams think they’d have to change their offense if they were to sign former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and Shanahan answered, “Yeah,” before elaborating that NFL teams want a quarterback who’s going to fit in a specific offense, with little variation.

“You don’t just run stuff and think you’re going to be good at it right away,” Shanahan said. “You’ve got to commit to it and work at it year round, and it’s all the positions. When all your quarterbacks have different ways to be successful, which I’ve been in situations like that and you try to prepare them best, it does take a toll on your offense. What are you trying to get good at? You can’t practice everything. You can’t be great at everything. You’ve kind of got to commit to something and do it over and over and over again and once the type of running game or drop-back game, you’re going to commit to one quarterback is completely different than the other, then that does affect your team. That’s why I think it can be harder when those type of guys are going through competitions and stuff and like that because even though you’re trying to find the best guy, by trying to be fair to those quarterbacks you’re also being unfair to a team. You don’t really know what direction you’re going. So, if you have your pick of the best world, you’d like those guys to be somewhat similar, not just because that’s how you want the quarterbacks, just because of the work you’re doing for the rest of the guys on the roster.”

Kaepernick has a unique athletic skill set, and former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh did an outstanding job of building an offense around that skill set. But the two coaches the 49ers have had since Harbaugh both struggled to find an offense that could make use of Kaepernick’s skills.

Harbaugh still thinks some smart team can win championships if it puts Kaepernick in the right situation. So far, that team has not been identified.

2017 DRAFT

Former NFL player Ross Tucker read that interview we had the other day with ESPN.com where DE MYLES GARRETT proclaimed his love of poetry and other near-genius attributes, and it went over the wrong way to Tucker.  Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com:

Myles Garrett won’t be submitting to an interview with Ross Tucker, either.

Tucker, the former NFL player turned multi-media personality, has concerns about Garrett, based in part on Garrett’s refusal to submit to an interview with ESPN’s Booger McFarland due to McFarland’s criticism of Garrett. But Tucker has other concerns, as explained during a Tuesday visit to PFT Live.

Tucker pointed to a comment from Garrett to ESPN The Magazine regarding the presumptive No. 1 overall pick’s intellect.

“I don’t think I’m the smartest player in the draft, but if you consider all the things I think about daily, how many things intrigue me and I try to get to get involved in, I’m up there,” Garrett said.

“Who says stuff like that?” Tucker said on Twitter.

Garrett’s comment tempts me to reconsider the official PFT position on reporting Wonderlic scores, something we stopped doing a few years ago for a variety of reasons — including but not limited to the complete and total irrelevance of the results to whether a guy will be a good football player. With Garrett touting his own intelligence, someone will surely be tracking those numbers down, if only out of curiosity.

– – –

We don’t believe we’ve ever had Dan Kadar of SBNation.com with a Mock Draft before, but here it is, good for two rounds:

Focusing on just the first round of the 2017 NFL draft is a fun weekly exercise, but it doesn’t show off the depth of the draft. After you get past the top 10 players, there’s little difference between the next 30 players other than positional value.

That’s why this week’s mock draft is two rounds, just in time for us to be a little more than two weeks away from the start of the draft.

If you want to see a mock with trades, make sure to check out this mock draft from Adam Stites. Trades will happen and he has a few logical ones.

1. Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

Next.

2. San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford

Thomas gives the 49ers something they just don’t have in Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner.

3. Chicago Bears: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

The Bears can add an all-around force to a defense that lacks playmakers beyond pass rusher Leonard Floyd.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

I understand the Jaguars don’t have a good line, but if there’s a back who can get by without one it’s Fournette.

5. Tennessee Titans: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State

A return to the old fall back for Tennessee with the draft’s top cornerback.

6. New York Jets: Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State

For the Jets Hooker can be a safety/cornerback hybrid player who can help an average pass defense.

7. Los Angeles Chargers: Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama

The safeties are gone so the Chargers get the free-falling Allen to pair with Joey Bosa up front.

8. Carolina Panthers: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

Carolina is desperate to get a pass rusher, and Barnett is a pro-ready sack machine.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

Teaming Williams with A.J. Green would push Cincinnati’s offense to the next level.

10. Buffalo Bills: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama

Howard has built himself into a top-10 pick this offseason and he may be gone by the time Buffalo picks.

11. New Orleans Saints: Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan

Teams will love Charlton’s length and speed, including the Saints who desperately need help on the edge.

12. Cleveland Browns: Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina

The first quarterback is finally off the board and the Browns get a local favorite to fix the long-standing issues at the position.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

At some point the Cardinals need to find a successor to Carson Palmer and get it with the national title winner.

14. Philadelphia Eagles: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

Running back or wide receiver, McCaffrey will make plays all over the place in Philadelphia’s offense.

15. Indianapolis Colts: Haason Reddick, LB, Temple

Reddick gives Indianapolis a linebacker who can do a little of everything really well, including the pass rush threat they need.

16. Baltimore Ravens: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan

Despite taking Breshad Perriman in the first round in 2015, but they need more talent at receiver and Davis will be a star.

17. Washington: Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama

If Foster drops Washington should pounce to get a player who can quickly become the leader of the defense.

18. Tennessee Titans: John Ross, WR, Washington

This is the speed player Tennessee’s offense needs to take the top off defenses and push Marcus Mariota to the next level.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: David Njoku, TE, Miami

Imagine how hard defenses will have it when Mike Evans is lined up on the same side as this super athlete tight end.

20. Denver Broncos: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin

It won’t matter who plays quarterback and running back Denver behind an offensive line that is finally full of quality players.

21. Detroit Lions: Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State

The Lions badly need a player who can generate a pass rush on the defensive line and after McDowell the quality dramatically falls.

22. Miami Dolphins: Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky

This may not be a fun pick for the defense, but Lamp gives Miami a starting guard as a rookie and an eventual Mike Pouncey replacement.

23. New York Giants: Garrett Bolles, OT, Utah

New York fans will love this mean and nasty offensive tackle who will absolutely obliterate defenders, even if the whistle has blown.

24. Oakland Raiders: Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State

Having a top-level third cornerback is more important than ever, and Conley would give the Raiders another good cover guy.

25. Houston Texans: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

In the eyes of some it’s Mahomes, and not DeShone Kizer, as the third-best quarterback in the draft.

26. Seattle Seahawks: Kevin King, CB, Washington

With the top two offensive tackles gone, the Seahawks could go cornerback in the fist round with a big outside shutdown cornerback.

27. Kansas City Chiefs: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt

Finding Derrick Johnson’s successor needs to happen in this draft, and Cunningham is a three-down athlete of a linebacker.

28. Dallas Cowboys: Takkarist McKinley, DE/OLB, UCLA

While most think McKinley plays linebacker in the NFL, he can stick at end and Dallas its best pure pass rusher since DeMarcus Ware.

29. Green Bay Packers: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

Most of the attention goes to defense and the offensive line, but Cook would be an excellent lead running back to pair with Ty Montgomery.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt, LB, Wisconsin

Watt can fill multiple roles for the Steelers, splitting time as a pass rusher and a traditional linebacker.

31. Atlanta Falcons: Charles Harris, DE, Missouri

Harris, a piece coach Dan Quinn can move around, is the type of pass rusher the Falcons need to take some of the attention off Vic Beasley.

32. New Orleans Saints: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

The Saints tried to get Malcolm Butler from New England, and instead take an experienced corner who could end up being a better player.

SECOND ROUND:

33. Cleveland Browns: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

The Browns can check off so many needs in the first two rounds, and Humphrey is a player they could use at cornerback or safety.

34. San Francisco 49ers: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame

If Kizer happens to fall this far, Brian Hoyer shouldn’t stop the 49ers from taking him.

35. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State

If the Jaguars don’t get Solomon Thomas in the first round they could come back in the second round with the talented Rivers.

36. Chicago Bears: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama

If he can be coached up, Robinson is packed with enough pure talent to eventually become a quality left tackle.

37. Los Angeles Rams: Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Southern California

If Lamp were here, he’d be the pick, but with no other centers worth a top-40 pick, the Rams could grab a wide receiver for Jared Goff.

38. Los Angeles Chargers: Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan

Peppers’ draft stock remains all over the place and if the Chargers don’t get a safety at No. 7 they’ll be happy to see him here.

39. New York Jets: Teez Tabor, CB, Florida

Even after taking Hooker in the first round, Tabor might be hard to the Jets to pass up and finish an overhaul of their secondary.

40. Carolina Panthers: Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee

He may not be Fournette but Kamara would be electric in Carolina, giving the Panthers a back who can run and catch.

41. Cincinnati Bengals: Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State

Willis doesn’t have quite the length the Bengals usually like in an end, but he’s a good pass rusher to play opposite Carlos Dunlap.

42. New Orleans Saints: Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina

After trading Brandin Cooks, a player like Jones would be a nice replacement thanks to his excellent hands out of the slot.

43. Philadelphia Eagles: Adoree’ Jackson, CB, Southern California

Philadelphia is extremely thin at cornerback, and Jackson could push his way into the starting lineup as a rookie.

44. Buffalo Bills: Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida

If the Bills can get a pass catcher in the first round they can follow up in the second by finding a replacement for Stephon Gilmore.

45. Arizona Cardinals: Sidney Jones, CB, Washington

Jones has first-round talent but could slip to this point because of the injury he suffered at his pro day.

46. Minnesota Vikings: Dan Feeney, G, Indiana

Minnesota’s first pick may not be a fun one, but it’s necessary with a player like Feeney who could work at guard or center.

47. Baltimore Ravens: Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama

After getting a wide receiver in the first round, the Ravens could follow it up with a pass rush specialist like Williams in the second.

48. Indianapolis Colts: Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut

Melifonwu is a favorite of scouts and gives Indianapolis a safety who can cover and act as a third cornerback.

49. Washington: Budda Baker, S, Washington

Washington brought in pieces on the defensive line, opening them up for a secondary piece like Baker.

50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado

Other than Vernon Hargreaves, Tampa’s best cornerback is 33-year-old Brent Grimes, who is on the final year of his contract.

51. Denver Broncos: Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida

The Broncos didn’t adequately replace Danny Trevathan last season, so the smart and active Davis can fill that need.

52. Cleveland Browns: Josh Jones, S, North Carolina State

Ibraheim Campbell is solid for the Browns, but his best role is as a backup while Jones and his all-around game would provide an upgrade.

53. Detroit Lions: Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma

No team has been as connected as Detroit to Mixon and if he’s fine off the field he could give them a really good feature back.

54. Miami Dolphins: Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State

McMillan would somewhat be shoehorned into Miami’s defense, but he’s a smart and tough linebacker who would push his way onto the field.

55. New York Giants: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss

After missing on Howard and Njoku in the first round, the Giants would get the tight end they need in the second with Engram.

56. Oakland Raiders: Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn

Oakland needs to get an interior defender in the first two rounds, and can get it with Adams who was often miscast as a nose tackle.

57. Houston Texans: Dion Dawkins, OT/G, Temple

Houston got a quarterback in the first round and a player who can line up at guard or tackle to protect him.

58. Seattle Seahawks: Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy

If Seattle waits on a tackle in the first round, they may have a good fallback like the athletic Garica in the second round.

59. Kansas City Chiefs: Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA

Moreau would be another nice addition to the Chiefs’ defense as a player who can fill the No. 2 corner spot opposite Marcus Peters.

60. Dallas Cowboys: Marcus Williams, S, Utah

Dallas is another team that could double up on defense with their first two picks, this time getting a good cover safety in Williams.

61. Green Bay Packers: Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson

If Green Bay doesn’t take a cornerback in the first round they need to in the second, and Tankersley is the best available.

62. Pittsburgh Steelers: Desmond King, CB, Iowa

King is the type of physical and active cornerback who could thrive in Pittsburgh, where he acts as a nice foil to Artie Burns.

63. Atlanta Falcons: Pat Elflein, G/OC, Ohio State

Elflein could easily move back to guard after playing a season at center at Ohio State and solve Atlanta’s issues on the right side.

64. Carolina Panthers: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

After Ted Ginn left in free agency, the Panthers need some form of speed at receiver and the ascending Godwin can provide it.