The Daily Briefing Tuesday, April 12, 2022

What teams might be in the market to trade for either QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO of the 49ers or QB BAKER MAYFIELD of the Browns?  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Which teams could be interested?

Consider these the only logical or potential suitors at the moment:

Jaguars: This one only applies to Garoppolo, who could potentially give Doug Pederson and the new staff a more experienced backup for Trevor Lawrence. Pederson knows the value of a clutch No. 2 — a role currently held by C.J. Beathard.

Jets: Mayfield doesn’t fit here, and with Joe Flacco back as the No. 2, maybe neither does Garoppolo. But what if Flacco, 37, gets hurt? Some top staffers know Jimmy G well from San Francisco, and he might make a solid mentor for Zach Wilson.

Lions: Jared Goff already gives them a middling veteran placeholder at QB, but Garoppolo is arguably a touch more reliable when healthy, and Mayfield brings the moxie that coach Dan Campbell might appreciate. Still, they’re probably more likely to lean on Goff and/or draft his successor.

Panthers: They’re one of the few teams to badly need a new QB and completely fail to add to the position thus far. They’re consensus favorites to draft a signal-caller early, though, so Mayfield and Garoppolo would be last-minute fallbacks.

Raiders: Another one just for Garoppolo, who has ties to new coach Josh McDaniels from their time with the Patriots. The Raiders are all in on Derek Carr in 2022, but considering the big ways they’ve built the team to win now, who’s to say they wouldn’t be interested in shoring up the backup spot, currently held by Nick Mullens?

Seahawks: The 49ers aren’t going to jump at the chance to ship Garoppolo to their division rivals, but Mayfield makes sense in Seattle for several reasons. Post-Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll could use a QB who knows how to lean on the run game, and adding Baker to compete with Drew Lock wouldn’t preclude them from drafting another signal-caller as well.

Texans: Second-year man Davis Mills is primed to get a full audition for the job, but they could explore competition. Garoppolo doesn’t feel like the right fit for a team in transition, but Mayfield, who’s from Texas, could be a low-risk, high-reward bet.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

The Bears are involved in the tight end market.  The Heavy:

Less than a week after inking former New York Jets tight end Ryan Griffin to a one-year deal, the Chicago Bears are showing interest in another veteran at the position.

Per the NFL’s April 11 waiver wire, the Bears brought veteran tight end James O’Shaughnessy in for a workout. O’Shaughnessy, 30, spent the last five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A fifth-round draft pick for the Kansas City Chiefs out of Illinois State in 2015 (173rd overall), O’Shaughnessy spent his first two seasons in Kansas City before getting traded to the New England Patriots along with a sixth-round pick in 2017.

Current Bears general manager Ryan Poles served as the Chiefs’ college scouting coordinator when O’Shaughnessy was drafted in 2015, so there’s a connection there. Bears insider Brad Biggs noted O’Shaughnessy would make an “intriguing depth addition” to a Chicago tight ends room that currently includes Griffin, Cole Kmet and Jesper Horsted.

DETROIT

P JACK FOX has signed his tender and is eying a long term deal.  Dave Birkett in the Detroit Free Press:

Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox signed his exclusive rights free agent tender Monday, a contract that could be a precursor to a bigger long-term deal.

Fox finished second in the NFL in net punting in his first season with the Lions in 2020, when he set franchise records by averaging 49.1 yards per punt with a 44.8-yard net.

Fox averaged 49.2 yards per punt last season, though his net average dipped to 42.3 yards. He also has handled most kickoffs the past two seasons, and last year completed 2 of 3 passes on fake punts, with his lone incompletion sailing through teammate Godwin Igwebuike’s hands in Week 18.

Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp called Fox, a high school quarterback, “a coach’s dream” as a punter because of his passing ability.

“It just puts a lot of stress on the defensive side of the ball on that play,” Fipp said during the season. “I was kind of digging to see if he had done any (passing in his life), and he said he was a high school quarterback. I’m like, ‘Geez, and you haven’t thrown anything yet? Did anybody have you or ask you, too?’ And he said, yeah, he’d done a little bit of it in the past.'”

Fox’s dual-threat ability aside, the Lions are interested in signing him to a long-term contract because of his right leg.

Fox was selected to his first Pro Bowl in the 2020 season and is considered one of the top young punters in the NFL.

The Lions could look to sign as many as three players to long-term deals this offseason. General manager Brad Holmes said at the NFL’s annual meeting in March he planned to pick up the fifth-year option on tight end T.J. Hockenson’s contract if the two sides did not strike a new deal first, and he said the team has had internal discussions about extending cornerback Amani Oruwariye.

As an exclusive rights free agent, the Lions controlled Fox’s rights once they tendered him a minimum contract offer this spring.

Fox, scheduled to make $895,000 this fall, will be a restricted free agent in 2023 without a new contract. The New England Patriots’ Jake Bailey, who will make $3.86 million this fall, is currently the highest-paid punter in the NFL.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

We would have thought that the Oversight Committee of the House of Representatives would be tasked with overseeing elements of the federal government.  But they currently are tasking themselves with bringing down the ownership of Washington’s football team.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wholeheartedly approves:

The U.S. House Oversight & Reform Committee is indeed exploring potential financial improprieties within the Washington Commanders organization. The Committee now wants a federal agency to get involved.

According to the Washington Post, the Committee sent a 20-page letter to the Federal Trade Commission regarding allegations that the team may have withheld as much as $5 million in refundable deposits from season-ticket holders, and that the team may have hidden cash that was to be shared by all NFL franchises.

Former Washington employee Jason Friedman, who spent nearly a quarter-century with the organization, told the Committee that the team kept two sets of books, and that one set of financial information underreported ticket revenue to the league. The process of intentionally allocating revenue to the wrong event was known, according to Friedman, as “juice,” with the team allegedly spreading revenue that should have been shared with the league to non-NFL events at FedEx Field.

As bad as that sounds, it’s separate from an alleged scam to keep security deposits from season-ticket holders.

Friedman, according to the letter, “provided the Committee with information and documents indicating that the Commanders routinely withheld security deposits that should have been returned to customers who had purchased multiyear season tickets for specific seats, referred to as seat leases,” and that “team executives directed employees to establish roadblocks to prevent customers from obtaining the security deposits they were due — effectively allowing the team to retain that money.”

Those claims will remind some of the rebate controversy that resulted in a multi-year investigation of Pilot Flying J, the truck-stop company previously owned and operated by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. Haslam somehow avoided prosecution in that case. If Friedman’s evidence is accurate and persuasive, members of the Commanders organization may have to worry about indictments, too. Including owner Daniel Snyder.

The practices apparently ended in 2017, according to Friedman.

Here’s an example of how the “juice” practice allegedly worked. Friedman told the Committee that he “falsely processed” $162,360 in Commanders ticket revenue as arising from a Navy-Notre Dame game at FedEx Field. The team’s former chief financial officer, Steven Choi, allegedly directed Friedman to do it this way, in a May 6, 2014 email.

“So this is the two sets of books,” Friedman told the Committee, based on the letter obtained by the Post. “So in this particular case, there’s a set of books that’s submitted to the NFL that doesn’t include the $162,000, but then there’s a set of books that’s kept internally shown to Mr. Snyder and Mr. Snyder’s — I believe just Mr. Snyder, actually, and the people in his inner circle maybe, that shows what we actually did, which would include the $162,000 of juice.”

If Friedman has documents to back up his claim, that’s a major problem for the organization and for Snyder. Likewise, it’s impossible for the league to remain quiet about this — even if some in the league office would likely prefer that nothing come of it.

Those who should have caught it will face tough questions from the other teams. Especially given the all-too-cozy relationship between NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and former team president Bruce Allen.

Where it goes from now remains to be seen. The FTC should investigate. A local prosecutor should investigate. The NFL should investigate. Lawsuits should be filed, especially by those whose security deposits may have been stolen — if Friedman’s allegations are accurate.

Ultimately, it could be time for the NFL to finally rid itself of Daniel Snyder. It’s arguably long overdue.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

It’s funny that even as the Texans have jettisoned so many accomplished players, they have also come to cement a relationship with WR BRANDIN COOKS who had previously been jettisoned by three teams.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Earlier this offseason, there was speculation that Brandin Cooks could be a trade candidate given his veteran status on a rebuilding Houston Texans squad. Instead, Houston signed the receiver to a two-year contract extension to keep the 28-year-old around.

Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said Monday that bringing back Cooks ensures Houston will have a go-to threat that defenses must game-plan for each week.

“I think that when you look at just the production that Brandin has been able to have over the last few seasons, but over the course of his career, he brings a certain level of paranoia for our opponents, and that’s going to open up the opportunity for us to balance out our attack,” Hamilton said, via the team’s official website. “We have to improve our run game, but at the same time, we go out with the objection to score. We want to outscore the opponent every game we play.”

While rebuilding squads usually rip the foundation to the studs, retaining a player of Cooks’ caliber allows the offense to function at a reasonable level while grooming the rest of the roster. Keeping Cooks makes the evaluation of young quarterback Davis Mills easier in a pivotal season for the signal-caller’s future.

Despite skipping about the NFL, playing for four teams in his eight-year career, Cooks remains ultra-productive. He has earned at least 1,000 yards in six of those years, including both in Houston. Last year for the four-win Texans, Cooks generated 1,037 yards and six TDs on 90 catches (a career-high in receptions).

New coach Lovie Smith noted that signing Cooks to an extension wasn’t just about keeping a talented player but also ensuring there is a leader in the receiver room for the young talent like last year’s third-round pick Nico Collins and whoever they import this season.

“Brandin has been through an awful lot,” Smith said. “He’s a guy that’s done it a few different places, but what I was able to see from a different position last year was just how he went to work every day, too. You have veterans that you want on the team to show the younger guys how to play, how to handle themselves as a pro. Brandin feels really good about being here. We talked about those other players wanting to be here, Brandin is another one that wanted to be here. He believes in that vision for our football team and what we can do. I’m excited to have him back.”

JACKSONVILLE

A good line from RB TRAVIS ETIENNE.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

A Lisfranc injury in the second preseason game knocked Jaguars first-round pick Travis Etienne out for the entire 2021 season and it turned out to be an omen for what would happen over the rest of the Jaguars season.

The team opened 2-11 under first-year head coach Urban Meyer before firing him after a string of embarrassing incidents made it seem he was neither interested in nor equipped to handle a job at the professional level. Etienne said on Tuesday that he learned a lot of “what to do, what not to do” while watching the year play out and laughed when a reporter asked if he was happy to be somewhat removed from the madness that went on under Meyer.

 “Definitely, that’s just the human element of it. Just seeing the results, you’re definitely like, ‘If there was any year to miss, I missed a great one,’” Etienne said.

Etienne said he’s 85-90 percent back from his injury and that he began feeling like himself in the last couple of weeks. A full return to speed for Etienne would go along with competent coaching as reasons to think 2022 can be a better year in Jacksonville.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

Who is the fastest Dolphins wide receiver?  Kevin Patra of NFL.com on an upcoming match race between WRs TYREEK HILL and JAYLEN WADDLE:

During Tyreek Hill’s introductory press conference in Miami, the speedy receiver threw down the gauntlet, challenging new teammate Jaylen Waddle to a race.

Waddle knew the trial was coming.

“I already knew this was coming,” Waddle told the “I Am Athlete” podcast, via the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The next day (after the trade), I said, ‘I know he’s going to try to race. Let me get on these legs real quick.’ I already know a race is going to come.”

Regardless of who wins the eventual race, Waddle wants to saddle up to Hill and learn from one of the NFL’s best receivers.

“Being my size, we’re not necessarily the same size, but we’re the same type of player. Same caliber of player,” Waddle said. “He’s going on his seventh year. He’s had tremendous success. I can learn a lot from him if he’s willing to teach it. I’m going to soak up all the game.”

Waddle broke the record for most catches by a rookie in 2021 with 104 to start his career. In Year 2, the elusive wideout wants to add more yards after catch, adding explosion to his game after short hauls.

“I gotta show some [yards after the catch],” Waddle said. “I gotta be YAC crazy out there. That’s definitely something I know I got and something I gotta show. I ain’t gonna talk too much about it. I just gotta go out there and show it.”

Last year, Waddle netted 475 yards after the catch, 10th-most among all receivers, but his 4.5 YAC per reception put him 24th, per Next Gen Stats. Hill generated 453 yards after catch in 2021 with a 4.1 average. Both receivers are now playing in a Mike McDaniel offense, which helped produce Deebo Samuel’s league-best 802 yards after catch, with a 10.4 YAC per reception.

THIS AND THAT

CAM

David Newton of ESPN.com:

For the second time in his NFL career, 2015 league MVP Cam Newton is being scrutinized on social media for making a sexist comment regarding women.

The 32-year-old free-agent quarterback, on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast released Monday, complained about women who “can’t cook” and “don’t know when to be quiet.”

“Now a woman, for me, is handling your own but knowing how to cater to a man’s needs. Right?” Newton said on the podcast. “And I think a lot of times when you get that aesthetic of like, ‘I’m a boss b—-, I’m this, I’m that.’

“No, baby! But you can’t cook. You don’t know when to be quiet. You don’t know how to allow a man to lead.”

In 2017, as the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Newton responded about how “funny” it was hearing a female reporter ask a question about a receiver running routes.

“It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes,” he said in response to a question from then-Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue. “It’s funny.”

In a statement at the time, the league said, “The comments are just plain wrong and disrespectful to the exceptional female reporters and all journalists. They do not reflect the thinking of the league.”

Newton later apologized in a two-minute video without addressing Rodrigue by name.

“After careful thought, I understand that my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women,” he said at the time. “To be honest, that was not my intentions. And if you are a person who took offense to what I said, I sincerely apologize to you.”

The league did not immediately respond when asked for comments about Newton’s latest quotes.

2022 DRAFT

Rhett Lewis of NFL.com explores how the draft will be different if teams focus on filling their needs vs. adding the best player available.  It proves to be an odd exercise with SAM HOWELL of North Carolina the first QB drafted and EDGE TRAYVON WALKER lasting until pick #12.  We don’t see either of those things happening:

These days, when I’m not eating, sleeping or yapping on NFL Network, I’m mock drafting.

Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator is a great way to run through some of the scenarios that we could encounter at the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas (April 28-30). The cool thing about this PFF tool is that you can adjust the settings to shape how the simulated picks are made — and that’s what I did in this piece, looking to explore the age-old debate of drafting for need vs. taking the best player available (BPA). Most — if not all — general managers will tell you that they always employ a BPA strategy, but you know need plays a role at some point.

So I ran two simulations with the PFF mock draft machine: In the first go-around, I turned the settings all the way up on “Draft for needs” and all the way down on “Care for positional value”; in the second, I reversed those settings. This gave me a NEED and BPA option in each first-round slot. Ultimately, I chose one or the other for each pick, chronologically working my way from No. 1 through 32 like a real draft, taking players off the board as they were selected.

With that as the backdrop, here’s how this NEED-vs.-BPA thought exercise played out …

1 Jacksonville Jaguars

NEED: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan

BPA: Hutchinson

MY PICK:  Aidan Hutchinson   

Jacksonville’s biggest need is not a position. The Jaguars need a WINNER, and here they find the intersection of need and BPA in Hutchinson. This is a player who’s going to provide the Jags with an immediate impact on the field while simultaneously boosting the club’s culture. High-level prospect with the lowest level of risk. This pick is a 300-yard tee shot straight down the fairway at TPC Sawgrass. Duval County now has a franchise cornerstone on offense (last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence) and defense.

2  Detroit Lions

NEED: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

BPA: Hamilton

MY PICK: Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton is going to be a fantastic player in the league, and the Lions need as many guys of this caliber as they can get. That said, I personally feel the need was higher elsewhere, particularly at edge rusher, with high-level prospects like Travon Walker and Kayvon Thibodeaux still available. Detroit also re-upped safety Tracy Walker III this offseason with a three-year, $25 million contract. But Pro Football Focus has safety as a big-time need for the Lions, and given that PFF also has Hamilton as the No. 2 overall prospect (behind only Hutchinson), I didn’t have any other option.

3  Houston Texans

NEED: Ickey Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State

BPA: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

MY PICK: Ekwonu

The PFF mock draft simulator lists team needs next to every pick, and for the Texans at No. 3, they simply cited “Every position.” So I love the “need” selection of Ekwonu, even with Laremy Tunsil at LT. Houston sends Ekwonu to the right side in this scenario, allowing the Texans to get their five best O-linemen on the field — and giving the franchise a future LT option if Tunsil should move on at some point. I didn’t give much consideration to Stingley here, as Ekwonu feels like a much safer pick, given Stingley’s lack of production since his sensational 2019 campaign.

4  New York Jets

NEED: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon

BPA: Thibodeaux

MY PICK: Thibodeaux

It’s no secret the Jets need a pass rusher. While I personally would prefer Travon Walker here, Thibodeaux certainly fits the bill for a team that was near the bottom of the league in sack production last season. Thibodeaux is an interesting player with many high-level traits, but it’s hard to know where he’ll come off the board on April 28 — pretty much anywhere in the first 10 picks feels possible at this point.

5  New York Giants

NEED: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

BPA: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

MY PICK: Cross New York Giants

Lloyd is my favorite linebacker in this year’s class, but the need choice here does not meet the value of this pick for the Giants. I have OT as a much bigger need overall for Brian Daboll’s club, and while I’d prefer Evan Neal here, Cross is PFF’s best player available and gives Big Blue a high-quality tackle opposite Andrew Thomas. Now, let the hard evaluation of QB Daniel Jones truly begin.

6  Carolina Panthers

NEED: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

BPA: Ickey Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State

MY PICK: Neal

To QB or not to QB — is that actually the question? The answer is quite clear in the eyes of the PFF mock machine: Saddle up for another season of Sam Darnold as the Panthers’ starter. This sim clearly aims to support the current QB, as opposed to choosing a new one, offering up two OT options to pair with Taylor Moton. Either Neal or Ekwonu would work here, but we already selected the N.C. State stud at No. 3 overall. So the Panthers get the third OT off the board in this exercise in Neal, an athletic freak who could easily be the No. 1 tackle on their draft board.

7  New York Giants (from Chicago)

NEED: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

BPA: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

MY PICK: McDuffie

The simulation is clearly trying to upgrade the Giants’ secondary with the franchise’s second top-10 pick. I’m not entirely sure why the need and BPA options end up being different players at the same position, and I would personally rather see Sauce Gardner here if the Giants do go corner. However, McDuffie is as technically sound as any prospect in this class. While he didn’t post a supreme statistical line over the course of his career at Washington, that’s largely because teams simply didn’t throw at him.

8  Atlanta Falcons

NEED: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

BPA: Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

MY PICK: Gardner

I think the Falcons end up looking hard at a wideout here at No. 8, but PFF’s BPA option would still be quite a score for a team that hit on corner in the first round of the 2020 draft with A.J. Terrell. This would give Atlanta the best cornerback duo in the NFC South — and perhaps eventually, the league.

9  Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)

NEED: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

BPA: George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue

MY PICK: Karlaftis

We just sent McDuffie to the Giants at No. 7, so Karlaftis is the pick. Honestly, even if McDuffie had been available, I still would’ve gone with Karlaftis, given the value of edge rushers in today’s league and the relative absence of a premier one in Seattle since Frank Clark was traded.

10  New York Jets (from Seattle)

NEED: Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

BPA: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

MY PICK: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

Well, the simulator served us up quite the predicament here, since both players have already come off the board — and most likely will be gone by this point on April 28, as well. But assessing that potential choice in a vacuum — Gardner vs. Neal — I think Jets GM Joe Douglas would send Sauce to Commissioner Roger Goodell for a hug. There’s a glaring need at corner, and the value is too much to pass on at this point, whereas the Jets are in a safe enough place at tackle as long as Mekhi Becton returns to the dominant form of his rookie year.

Now, I’ve passed on Stingley a couple times here in the top 10, and with that being the case, the simulator didn’t spit him out to me as an option again. So let’s go ahead and give the Jets the cover man who very well might’ve been the first CB off the board in the 2020 draft if he’d been eligible.

11  Washington Commanders

NEED: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

BPA: Drake London, WR, USC

MY PICK: London

Terry McLaurin is one of my favorite receivers in the league. I love his leadership and play-making ability, but the Commanders need more options for newly acquired QB Carson Wentz. London checks in as the sim’s best player available. The big-bodied wideout with contested-catch and red-zone ability provides Washington with a great complement to McLaurin — and he fits in with Wentz’ off-schedule (and sometimes-risky) play at quarterback.

12  Minnesota Vikings

NEED: George Karlaftis, Edge, Purdue

BPA: Travon Walker, DL, Georgia

MY PICK: Walker

Well, this is an absolute no-brainer. Yes, Karlaftis is already gone, but if Walker remains on the board for the Vikings’ pick, they’ll be off the clock about as quickly as it takes new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to write the Georgia product’s name on the card. Apparently, given that Walker’s name didn’t even come up until No. 12, PFF is concerned about the rawness of his skill set and relative lack of college production. He’s an upside prospect, no doubt, but it’s hard to not get excited about the ultra-smooth and explosive aspects of his game.

13  Houston Texans (from Cleveland)

NEED: Travon Walker, DL, Georgia

BPA: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

MY PICK: Wilson

With Walker finally off the board, here’s a chance for the Texans to continue building around last year’s third-round QB selection, Davis Mills, by handing him a stud at wideout. We already gave Houston a nasty tackle in Ekwonu to shore up the offensive line; now the Texans get Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 1 receiver. The Buckeye playmaker represents the best all-around wideout in a class that features a lot of different flavors at the position. Wilson packs plenty of speed and strength into a 6-foot frame, possessing the ability to turn 6 yards into 60 at any point.

14  Baltimore Ravens

NEED: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia

BPA: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

MY PICK: Lloyd

This is a really interesting choice for the Ravens. Calais Campbell’s re-signing over the weekend lessens the immediate need at defensive line, helping Lloyd feel like the better value for Baltimore in this slot. And you wonder if the Ravens would prefer Wyatt’s teammate, Jordan Davis, from an interior D-line perspective. All of that clears the picture to select PFF’s best available player and the top linebacker in this draft. Lloyd is a nice fit on the second level of the Ravens’ defense, joining fellow young ‘backers Patrick Queen, Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh.

15  Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami)

NEED: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

BPA: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

MY PICK: Linderbaum

Jason Kelce is back for another season, but this feels like a curtain call for the 12th-year pro and five-time Pro Bowler. If that is indeed the case, why not get the next decade-long stalwart at center. I did give some consideration to Raimann, but Philly has some solid resources at tackle, so planning for the future at center — while providing some depth and flexibility immediately on the interior of the offensive line — makes more sense to me.

16  New Orleans Saints (from IND thru PHI)

NEED: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

BPA: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

MY PICK: Williams

I love the idea of the Saints upgrading at wideout to give Michael Thomas (assuming he’s healthy) and Jameis Winston some help. Would have loved Garrett Wilson here for the immediate impact, but he went off the board to the Texans, so the choice is PFF’s best available. Williams offers extreme athleticism and big-play production, but the torn ACL from January’s national title game might put some question into the immediacy of his contributions to New Orleans’ offense.

17  Los Angeles Chargers

NEED: Drake London, WR, USC

BPA: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia

MY PICK: Wyatt

I would argue that the Chargers’ biggest area of need is actually more in line with PFF’s BPA choice here. The point is mute, though, since London is already off the board to begin with. The Bolts made clear their intentions to upgrade their 30th-ranked rush defense from last season with their free agency acquisitions of Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson. Now they get a premier prospect at the position, too. That’s a win.

18  Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)

NEED: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

BPA: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

MY PICK: Dean

We gave Philly an interior offensive lineman at No. 15, and I don’t see OT as the team’s most immediate need, so I’d rather hop on PFF’s BPA option. The Eagles signed Kyzir White in free agency and they have some young players in the linebacker room, but Dean would provide an instant injection of alpha-dog talent to this defense.

19  New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia)

NEED: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

BPA: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

MY PICK: Howell

Back on the clock here at No. 19, the Saints face one of the most intriguing selections of the entire first round. Cross is long gone in this mock simulation, but he would’ve filled an obvious need at left tackle, with Terron Armstead relocating to Miami in free agency. Following New Orleans’ failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson — and the subsequent re-signing of Jameis Winston — a quarterback would make plenty of sense here. Could Howell represent the future of the franchise? Perhaps, but I’m here for the drama of the pick in the meantime.

20  Pittsburgh Steelers

NEED: Boye Mafe, Edge, Minnesota

BPA: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

MY PICK: Willis

After not seeing a signal-caller come off the board in the first 18 slots, we suddenly get back-to-back QB picks. Would the Steelers consider beefing up their pass rush behind T.J. Watt? Sure, but following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, there’s no greater need on this roster than quarterback — and according to PFF, the Liberty QB also represents the best player available. Done and done.

21  New England Patriots

NEED: David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan

BPA: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

MY PICK: Olave

I struggled with this one, since both players seem like viable options. Things haven’t quite worked out for the last first-round wideout the Patriots picked, N’Keal Harry, but that shouldn’t scare Bill Belichick away from selecting a much more refined player. My favorite route runner in this class, Olave also showcased speed to burn with his 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. I understand the need for a quality pass rusher, as PFF suggests here, but the Pats are adept at finding ways to manufacture pressure, and there’s no guarantee of Ojabo’s readiness this year anyway, given the Achilles tear suffered at his pro day in March.

22  Green Bay Packers (from Las Vegas)

NEED: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

BPA: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

PICK: Elam

There are corners I like more than Elam in this spot, but Linderbaum is already off the board. Finding a solid corner who can deal with a heavy workload is paramount for Green Bay, since Packers’ CB1, Jaire Alexander, has established himself as a premier player at the position and someone opposing teams like to avoid.

23 Arizona Cardinals

NEED: Dax Hill, S, Michigan

BPA: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

MY PICK: Davis

The Cardinals haven’t had a dominant interior disruptor since Calais Campbell left for Jacksonville in free agency, so I love that Davis is the BPA option here. I turn in the card quickly if I’m Steve Keim. At 6-6 and 341 pounds, Davis’ freakish athleticism is quite rare — and his presence would command enough attention from opposing offenses that it could free up J.J. Watt to maximize his impact in Year 2 with the Cards.

24  Dallas Cowboys

NEED: Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State

BPA: David Ojabo, Edge, Michigan

MY PICK: Ojabo

The Cowboys have been in this position before, albeit in the second round … An elite talent is on the board when Dallas gets on the clock, but there’s no guarantee of the player’s availability in Year 1 due to a serious injury. Sound familiar? Think: Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith. Similar situation with Ojabo, who tore his Achilles at the Michigan pro day. His raw talent is undeniable — and could be too much to resist for a team that just lost Randy Gregory in free agency.

25  Buffalo Bills

NEED: Kenyon Green, IOL, Texas A&M

BPA: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

MY PICK: Green

The Bills took Northern Iowa tackle Spencer Brown on Day 2 of last year’s draft and he started a good chunk of games at right tackle, so I’d be a little surprised if Brown’s college teammate, Trevor Penning, were the choice here. However, offensive line is the name of the game, according to the PFF simulator, and while Penning represents the best available player, I’m going with the greater need on the interior. Green played all over the offensive line during his career at Texas A&M, so he can give the Bills some depth at tackle as a bonus.

26  Tennessee Titans

NEED: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

BPA: Jermaine Johnson II, Edge, Florida State

MY PICK: Johnson

The Titans have a terrific trio of pass rushers up front, with Harold Landry and Bud Dupree coming off the edge while Jeffery Simmons causes havoc from the interior. Consequently, pass rusher is not high on Tennessee’s priority list. BUT, with a potential top-10 pick in Johnson still available here, GM Jon Robinson can’t turn down the value of taking the best available player here.

27  Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NEED: Jermaine Johnson II, Edge, Florida State

BPA: Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson

MY PICK: Booth

With Johnson off the board, I’m left with PFF’s best available player at a position that isn’t a huge need for Tampa. That said, Booth represents a real value pick as one of the top corners in this draft class. The Bucs have arguably spent more high draft capital on defensive backs in recent years than any team in the league, and they add to that haul here, giving them an embarrassment of riches in the secondary.

28  Green Bay Packers

NEED: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

BPA: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

MY PICK: Burks

This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the last time the Packers selected a receiver in the first round (Javon Walker back in 2002). After trading Davante Adams this offseason, the need at wideout is clear. Olave’s off the board, but Burks is no slouch here at No. 28. I really like the physical, big-bodied wideout’s potential within this Packers offense. The transition hasn’t always been seamless for young receivers acclimating to QB Aaron Rodgers, but Burks’ Swiss Army Knife skill set could alleviate some of those issues. You can get him the ball in so many different ways, including handoffs, jet sweeps and quick screens.

29 Kansas City Chiefs(from SF through MIA)

NEED: Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma

BPA: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

MY PICK: Asamoah

Elam is already gone in this draft, but I could definitely see the Chiefs looking at a cornerback after watching Charvarius Ward sign with the 49ers in free agency. Now, you might not be familiar with Asamoah just yet, as he’s generally in the Day 2 conversation, but he could pair nicely at linebacker with last year’s second-round steal, Nick Bolton.

30  Kansas City Chiefs

NEED: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

BPA: Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor

MY PICK: Pitre

Again, I personally see cornerback as the bigger need for the Chiefs here. With Davis already selected, we’re fortunate the BPA option is at least a defensive back. Pitre boosts a Kansas City secondary that also lost Tyrann Mathieu this offseason.

31 Cincinnati Bengals

NEED: Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State

BPA: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

MY PICK: Cine

Even with the acquisitions of Alex Cappa, La’el Collins and Ted Karras in free agency, I still view offensive line as a need for the Bengals. They couldn’t go wrong by taking the best available offensive lineman as they attempt to build a fortress around Joe Burrow. Even if linebacker is a bigger need, I’d expect a few other names like Quay Walker, Christian Harris and Chad Muma to come off the board before Smith. That said, safety may not be a huge need, with Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell teaming up to form one of the most dynamic duos at that position in the NFL. But you’d love to provide depth and amplify a position of strength here with PFF’s best available player.

32 Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)

NEED: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State

BPA: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan

MY PICK: Moore

The PFF simulation had us taking Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the Lions’ first pick at No. 2 overall, so I don’t think safety registers as a need with the final pick of the round. This could be a really intriguing spot not just for the Lions, but for teams that are interested in the third or fourth quarterback (remember the fifth-year option). So a trade market could certainly develop. If the Lions stick and pick, I like PFF’s best available player at this point. Moore would be another boost to a wide receiver room that saw a rookie excel down the stretch last year in Amon-Ra St. Brown.