It’s the Packers, and not the Browns, who will open the season in Brazil.  Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

Sorry, Maurice Hurst. You won’t be going to Brazil this year.

The Packers will be.

The NFL has announced that Green Bay will face Philadelphia in the first ever game in Brazil. It will be played on Friday, September 6, the night after the Chiefs host the regular-season opener.

The game will stream exclusively on Peacock, with over-the-air broadcasts in the two markets the teams represent.

The NFL is permitted to televise a game that day because it’s the first Friday in September. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which gives the NFL a broadcast antitrust exemption, prohibits Friday and Saturday broadcasts as of the second Friday in September.

Which means that, as a practical matter, the NFL will stage Friday night games whenever the first Friday in September is also the first Friday after Labor Day. So, basically, that’s any year Labor Day (the first Monday in September) lands on September 1, 2, or 3.

This means there likely will be Friday (and maybe even Saturday) games on the first weekend in September in 2025, 2029, 2030, and 2031.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Once they get him, will the Bears be able to make the most of QB CALEB WILLIAMS?  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles pondered the question, knowing his ability to find an answer will help define his legacy: Why haven’t the Bears been able to draft and develop a franchise quarterback in the past 85 years?

“It’s a good question,” Poles said at the annual league meeting in March.

Perhaps the person most interested in the answer is USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears are expected to draft Williams with the No. 1 overall pick on April 25.

The last quarterback the Bears drafted in the first round and developed into an All-Pro was Sid Luckman, who was taken with the second overall pick in 1939, when there were just 10 teams. Since the NFL and AFL merged in 1966, creating the first common draft in ’67, the Bears have selected six QBs in the first round. Those quarterbacks have combined for zero selections to the All-Pro teams (first team or second), and two Pro Bowls during their time in Chicago.

A lackluster legacy

The Bears have selected a QB in the first round six times in the common draft era (since ’67). Those QBs have combined for 0 selections to the All-Pro teams (first or second team), and 2 Pro Bowls as Chicago QBs (Mitch Trubisky in ’18, Jim McMahon in ’85).

PLAYER  PICK        YEAR      BEARS CAREER                     EXIT

Justin Fields            11            2021        10-28, 3 seasons    Dealt to Pittsburgh for 6th-rounder

Mitch Trubisky        2              2017        29-21, 4 seasons    5th-year option declined

Rex Grossman       22            2003        19-12, 6 seasons    Free agency

Cade McNown        12            1999        3-12, 2 seasons      Dealt in package to Miami for 2 6th-rounders

Jim Harbaugh         26            1987        35-30, 7 seasons    Free agency

Jim McMahon         5              1982        46-15, 7 years         Dealt to SD for 2nd-rounder

Two of those QBs helped achieve team success, but with a ton of help. Jim McMahon, the No. 5 pick in 1982, won Super Bowl XX with perhaps the greatest defense ever assembled and one of the greatest running backs, Walter Payton, still performing at his peak. And Rex Grossman, No. 22 overall in 2003, reached Super Bowl XLI with the third-best scoring defense that season.

Part of the problem, Poles said, was rooted in poor evaluation of prospects. Justin Fields, who was taken No. 11 in 2021, was the latest first-round quarterback who didn’t pan out for the Bears. He was traded in March to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick, and he’s expected to back up Russell Wilson. The Steelers made room for Fields by cutting another former Bears first-rounder in Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017.

If Williams joins the Bears, will he follow in the footsteps of Grossman, Trubisky and Fields, or will he end the embarrassing references to Luckman as the Bears’ last franchise QB?

We asked 11 NFL coaches and two general managers, including those who have drafted and developed prospects into franchise quarterbacks, to name the single most important tool in that development. The Bears might want to pay attention.

Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans head coach

Key: “I think the starting point is always going to be, how do you help their decision-making? How do you help develop the timing in the passing game? And then how do you help them develop their accuracy? And that has to do with their feet, what the footwork looks like.

“Those things to me are really, pretty important. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing that would just say, ‘Hey, this is how you’re going to get better.’ But if you do a really good job with the decision-making part, the timing and the accuracy, I think you have a chance to have a pretty good quarterback.”

Nick Caserio, Houston Texans general manager

Key: “Anytime you have continuity from one year to the next, it’s important, because at least it gives you a foundation in place. The team is going to be different, the opponents are going to be different, so there’s going to be a lot of things that are different, but to be able to keep a number of things at least similar or the same, hopefully will be beneficial.”

Bears’ reality: Since their last playoff win in 2010, the Bears have had five head coaches and nine offensive coordinators, so continuity has not been a strong point. They’re hoping head coach Matt Eberflus, entering his third year in Chicago, and former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will develop the young quarterback and stop the revolving door.

Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay Packers general manager

Résumé: Gutekunst was a scout with the Packers when Aaron Rodgers was drafted in 2005, and he became Green Bay’s general manager in 2018. The Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020, and they’re hoping he’ll follow in the footsteps of Rodgers and Brett Favre, whom the Packers developed from young players into franchise QBs. Love sat for two seasons behind Rodgers before leading Green Bay to the playoffs in his first year as a starter. Rodgers sat for three seasons behind Favre.

Key: “Great coaches. The players [Rodgers and Love], obviously, themselves. But those guys got to learn from some pretty good players, as well. I think that’s an important part of it is to be able to sit behind a guy that does it at a very high level, prepares at a very high level, seeing what that takes and all the things that are on the plate of a quarterback before they actually have to go out there and perform.

“It’s about how to be a pro quarterback, how to handle things before you actually have to go out there and perform.”

Bears’ reality: The only two QBs on the Bears’ roster are Tyson Bagent, who threw three TDs and six interceptions in five games subbing for Fields last season, and Brett Rypien, who has four starts in five years of NFL experience. This is not a situation in which Williams will be able to sit and learn behind a successful veteran.

Matt LaFleur, Packers coach

Key: “I do believe that some guys, if they’re thrown in there too early, they get scars, and then they start to lose their confidence. It’s hard when a guy loses his confidence to kind of recover from that.

“I think there’s a lot of layers to how you develop your quarterbacks, but ultimately, you want them to be able to have a great knowledge base and maintain their confidence through the ups and the downs.”

Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins head coach

Résumé: McDaniel was hired in Miami ahead of Tua Tagovailoa’s third season in 2022. Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating in 2022 (105.5) and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 while leading the NFL in passing (4,624 yards).

Key: “Reps. [Tagovailoa] had more reps [in 2023] than he’s ever had in his career because he played the full season.”

Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills head coach

Key: “I get that question a lot, just because of how we’ve handled Josh. And I would just say, I think the biggest thing you’ve got to do is have a plan that’s well thought out ahead of time before we even bring that player into the building.

“We’ve been successful doing that, when we drafted Josh and even before we drafted Josh. Bringing that player along, not just on the field but off the field as well, and all the resources that you put into that one player in particular. And I was able to benefit by being around Andy [Reid in Philadelphia] and watching him do that with Donovan [McNabb] and then in Carolina, drafting Cam [Newton] and watching that process. And then now with Josh.”

Bears’ reality: “Flus does an amazing job building relationships, and I think whoever [the QB] is, there’s going to be a relationship where you know your head coach has your back,” Poles said. “The other piece is very forward-thinking — we both are — in terms of creating structure to make sure that a young quarterback, especially in our market, that we do set him up for success. I know for sure that the roster is going to do that.”

Sean Payton, Denver Broncos head coach

Key: “I think the difficulty is in evaluating … With quarterbacks, I think one thing that’s hard to measure is their ability to multitask and process and make decisions.

“You can visit with someone, they can be intelligent, but man, how quickly can they deliver the information and how quickly can they get through the progression? Are they accurate?”

Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach

Key: “I think one of the biggest things you can do is help them with the run game. If you get your run game going, that’s going to open up some things in the pass game: play-action pass, your movement game, all of that.

“And then just having the right pieces around him. Having guys that he’s comfortable throwing the ball to, guys that he kind of knows. Like for me, it was Zach Ertz to Carson Wentz when he was that rookie quarterback. And I think with Trevor two years ago, Marvin Jones was the guy he had the most confidence in. Then he got better with Calvin [Ridley] and Evan [Engram] and guys like that. But I do believe it starts with the running game.”

Bears’ reality: One of the Bears’ biggest free agency moves was signing running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24.5 million deal. Swift was one of just six running backs with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 35 receptions last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. “We just felt that we wanted a home run hitter there,” Eberflus said. “I know that in situational football it’s very difficult to be able to have the two guys outside covered, two tight ends covered, and then you got another situation where you have the weapon back inside. So that was critical.”

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs head coach

Key: “Most importantly, patience. It’s not going to be all perfect. And then as a head coach, you better be able to protect the guy and stand up there and explain that to the media, because it can be brutal for a young guy stepping in there.”

DeMeco Ryans, Texans head coach

Key: “When we talk about [Stroud’s] growth, I think it starts with the coaches that you surround him with. So we surrounded him with some young coaches, young talented coaches in Bobby Slowik, Jerrod Johnson, also veteran coaches in Bill Lazor and Shane Day, who’s no longer with us, but just surrounding him with the right guys in the coaching position, but also in his room.

“Having Case Keenum there, a veteran quarterback who’s done it at a high level for a long time. Making sure that we have that balance around C.J. So if there’s any questions, any things that he may ask, or things that he can lean on guys who have been there, done that, have seen that before, there was not a guy around him that he couldn’t ask, he couldn’t rely on who could give him the answers and could share with him their experiences of how they seen other quarterbacks succeed in this league.”

Bears’ reality: The Bears hired Kerry Joseph to be their new QB coach. Joseph worked under Waldron in Seattle for the past four seasons. They also hired former Carolina Panthers OC Thomas Brown to be their passing game coordinator. “We’re fortunate to have [Brown],” Eberflus said. “He had several offensive coordinator interviews, head-coaching interviews. … It’s important that we got the information from him of what his process was with [former No. 1 pick Bryce Young].”

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns head coach

Key: “I think with young quarterbacks, like any young player, if you’re going to develop them, you better have a good relationship with them. So, I think building a relationship of trust is important because it’s a hard position.

“You’re going to ask a lot of them. You’re going to ask a lot of them in the meeting room, at the line of scrimmage before the snap, after the snap. So, before you can ask all that, I think you have to have a great relationship with that person, as that’s where it starts.”

Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts head coach

Key: “Don’t clutter their minds with too much information. That’s No. 1. We can give them so much information that it’s just overwhelming.”

Bears’ reality: This is something the Bears will have to improve on after Fields complained last year that all of the information and coaches’ voices in his head made him too “robotic.” And that’s when Fields was in his third season. Maybe the hiring of Waldron, who has been praised for his ability to get the most out of a handful of quarterbacks with wide-ranging skill sets, from Jared Goff to Russell Wilson to Geno Smith, will help solve that problem.

Zac Taylor, Bengals head coach

Key: “I think [the biggest thing was Burrow’s] level of preparedness, and how much you put into it early on and ask the right questions, and didn’t walk in like the No. 1 pick and ‘I deserve all this stuff.’

“He earned everything that he got. I think he earned the trust of the players early in install meetings, and then the plays that he made in training camp. It was a COVID training camp, but the opportunities he got on the field I think really opened people’s eyes early on, and we knew we could put a lot on his plate.”

Bears’ reality: Williams should get every opportunity to prove himself and win the respect of his teammates, and there’s no doubt the Bears improved the supporting cast. Aside from Swift, the Bears traded for Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen to pair with DJ Moore, making the Bears the only team with two receivers who topped 1,200 yards last year.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Compared to what he witnessed last year, veteran QB ANDY DALTON likes what he sees from the Dave Canales regime.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Andy Dalton had a front row view for Bryce Young’s rookie season with the Panthers and he saw the first overall pick of last year’s draft struggle along with everyone else.

The Panthers went 2-15 and Young was sacked 62 times while playing behind a lackluster offensive line and throwing to an underpowered receiving corps. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Dalton noted that Young had never experienced adversity like that on a football field before and said that he advised his younger teammate to keep pushing because brighter days were ahead.

Dalton believes that the team’s moves this offseason, which include signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis as well as trading for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, has paved the way for improved results for Young.

“I thought he handled it well, and I kept telling him, ‘Just stay the course. This thing is going to get better, it’s going to improve,’” Dalton said. “And I think what we have done this offseason, bringing in some guys, bringing in a couple guards on the offensive line, you know, different things, trading for Diontae Johnson, I think it’s getting built the right way where, yeah, it’s going to set him up to have a better year.”

The Panthers also changed coaches and everyone in Carolina shares Dalton’s hope that all of the alterations help Young show the ability that made him such a high pick ahead of his disappointing NFL debut.

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

Paul Guitierrez of ESPN.com on how the Raiders could finagle a franchise QB out of their 2024 draft.

– The Las Vegas Raiders are at the choose-your-own-adventure portion of their search to fill the most important position in team sports.

Because while they return Aidan O’Connell — who started 10 games last season as a rookie and finished the final four with a flourish, leading the Raiders to a 3-1 record while throwing eight touchdown passes with no interceptions — signed veteran Gardner Minshew in free agency and have Anthony Brown on the roster, it’s obvious Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is in new general manager Tom Telesco’s ear about upgrading at quarterback.

But how do the Raiders, who hold the No. 13 pick in the NFL draft, move mountains to get into position to select one of the top prospects?

Again, choose your own adventure, Raider Nation.

Heavily linked to LSU Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, and with USC’s Caleb Williams all but a done deal to the Chicago Bears at No. 1, the Raiders would have to move up 11 slots to “assure” themselves a shot at drafting Daniels, the guy Pierce recruited to and coached at Arizona State from 2019-21.

To do that, a three-year-old blueprint exists, kind of.

The San Francisco 49ers went from No. 12 to No. 3 in 2021 to draft Trey Lance. The cost? Besides swapping first-rounders, the Niners gave the Miami Dolphins their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 as well as a third-rounder in 2022.

Three first-rounders and a third-round pick would seemingly be the starting point … plus the additional cost difference between going from 13 to 2 and 12 to 3, along with three years’ worth of inflation.

“I think everything’s on the table,” Pierce said at the recent NFL owners’ meetings. “Whatever makes the Raiders better, I’m all for. And when I say I’m a go-getter, [that means] whatever it takes to win, whatever it takes to get the best player to make our team the best, that’s what I want to do, and that’s what I’d like to see us do.

“Tom Telesco has a lot more experience in the draft than myself. I’m going to lean on him and his expertise on what we should do. And if it’s the right fit and that guy there that we want is a Raider, and he fits the Raider culture in our way, then we’ll go get him.”

While there are questions as to whether the Washington Commanders are open for business at No. 2, you have to wonder if Telesco has the stomach to make such a move.

After all, Telesco only made two first-round trades in 11 years as the Chargers GM. The first came in 2015, when the Chargers dealt their first-rounder, a fourth-rounder and a 2016 fifth-rounder to the 49ers to move up two spots to draft Melvin Gordon at No. 15 overall. In 2020, the Chargers got the No. 23 pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for a second- and third-rounder in that draft, then selected linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr.

Sources say Raiders owner Mark Davis has given his blessing for Telesco and Pierce to make a move, any move … so long as it makes sense.

Read into that what you will.

The quarterback market the Raiders enter this year is similar to the one the 49ers encountered in 2021 when they made their move from 12 to 3. That draft was the third time in NFL draft history quarterbacks went 1-2-3, with Trevor Lawrence to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Zach Wilson to the New York Jets and Lance to the 49ers, a scenario that could repeat this year.

Plus, the five QBs taken in the first round in 2021 were tied with the 1999 and 2018 drafts for the second-most quarterbacks drafted in the first round. Many mock drafts have at least four and up to six quarterbacks gone before the Raiders are up at No. 13.

Six would tie the record set in 1983, and that’s where you’d have to blow the dust off a 41-year-old blueprint from when the Raiders thought they were moving up to draft … John Elway.

Per an ESPN 30-for-30 documentary on the QB-rich 1983 draft, the Raiders believed they had a deal in place with the Bears to move up from No. 26 to No. 6. They were going to flip No. 6 to the then-Baltimore Colts, who were shopping the top pick for two No. 1s in that draft — one of which had to be in the top six selections — a first-rounder in 1984 and two second-round picks.

That’s three first-rounders and two second-rounders … in 1983 dollars.

The deal with the Bears, which reportedly included future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long, fell apart. The Raiders felt NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle scuttled the deal while league officials said the Raiders got cold feet about dealing Long.

“Hell, I would have traded me for John Elway,” Long howled in 2014.

Then what is a bridge too far for these Raiders to include in a trade-up package? Perennial Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby? Three-time All-Pro receiver Davante Adams? What about defensive end Tyree Wilson, last year’s first-round draft pick?

After visiting with “most” of the top quarterbacks at the combine, Pierce gave his scouting report on the top QBs available in this draft, a class including Williams, Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix.

The Raiders have played host to Penix and Nix at their facility in the past week.

But if Penix or Nix — who seem to be the No. 5 and 6 QBs in the draft in varying order — are there at 13, do the Raiders view them as worthy of being picked that high? If not, why use a premium selection on a player ranked fifth- or sixth-best at their respective position?

Perhaps they stand pat and take a premier cornerback or one of the top offensive tackles at 13, and if either Penix or Nix are still available later in the first round, the Raiders can trade up to snag either of them there.

Then again, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler should still be there in the second or third round, right? The Raiders second-round pick is at No. 44 overall, the third-rounder No. 77.

Keep this in mind: No matter who Las Vegas selects — if the Raiders draft a QB — the new guy will essentially be on the same page as O’Connell, Minshew and Brown since the Raiders will be learning a new system with new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

And yet Pierce has said he’s not a fan of throwing a rookie into the fire right away.

“Aidan did a hell of a job last year, but, like any other position on our team, we want to make that as competitive as possible,” Pierce said.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

RB DERRICK HENRY says it was always Baltimore.  ProFootballTalk.com:

When running back Derrick Henry signed with the Ravens as a free agent last month, he said at a press conference that Baltimore “is where I knew I wanted to be” but other comments he’s made about the Cowboys suggested he might have had his eye on Dallas as well.

Henry spends time in Dallas during the offseason and the Cowboys saw Tony Pollard leave to replace Henry in Tennessee, so there was some speculation that they might be interested in making the other end of the swap as well. Henry said Dallas “never called,” however, and expressed surprise in another interview that there was no contact.

During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Henry reiterated that he thought there would be some conversation with the Cowboys but that the Ravens were always his top choice when free agency got underway.

“For the record, Baltimore was always my No. 1 option,” Henry told Rome. “That’s always where I wanted to go. And like I said, I know the trade talks [last season], it was almost going to happen, but I didn’t know once free agency started if they still felt the same way until I talked to my agent to see what was really going on. And I know the Cowboys lost Pollard, so I didn’t know if they’re going to be looking for a running back. I live here in the offseason, I’ve been training here, living here for a while, so I just thought it made sense, and you know, I thought there’d be talks. But they never really reached out. And you know, like I said, everything happens for a reason. I just pray to God to put me in the place where I’m meant to be, and Baltimore is that spot. And I’m happy and I’m excited for the opportunity. But the Cowboys never reached out, and it’s all good. At the end of the day, no hard feelings.”

The Cowboys have not added any outside free agents to a running back group that’s currently fronted by Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, which is one of many offseason decisions that will be scrutinized once the Cowboys get back on the field later this year.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Austin Gayle of The Ringer studies the Texans and their trade for WR STEFON DIGGS:

It’s obvious why the Houston Texans traded for Stefon Diggs. It’s the same reason the team spent $142 million in fully guaranteed money on free agents this offseason—the second most of any team in the NFL. With phenom quarterback C.J. Stroud on a cost-controlled rookie contract for the next four years, the time to invest in talent around him is now.

The fact that they traded a 2025 second-round pick for Diggs is just more evidence that the Texans, the surprise AFC South winner last season, are going all in right away. They’re bolstering their receiver room with a perennial playmaker who has six straight years with more than 1,000 yards each. The best-case scenario for Houston would be if Diggs plays like the elite talent we have seen him be in both Buffalo and Minnesota, helps accelerate Stroud’s development, and propels Houston deep into the playoffs.

Again, the motivation for acquiring Diggs is obvious. But what’s not so clear is why the Texans gave up a future second-round pick for him and agreed to void the final three years of his contract. Those are the first of several questions about what looked like a reasonable trade for both sides on Wednesday, but now seems to be more of a puzzling move for the Texans.

Why the hell did the Houston Texans trade a likely top-50 pick for one year of Diggs’s services?

General manager Nick Caserio has never been scared of the trade market. Last year, he traded a future first-round pick to move up to no. 3 to draft pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., one pick after selecting Stroud. Last month, he was dealing again, initiating a trade with the Vikings in which Houston sent Minnesota a 2024 first-round pick (no. 23) and seventh-rounder in exchange for two second-rounders (one each in 2024 and 2025) and a 2024 sixth-round pick. Before anyone could even fire off a Brian Windhorst meme, Caserio sent the 2025 second-rounder Houston got from Minnesota to Buffalo for Diggs, also sending along a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder. The Texans essentially moved down 19 spots, from no. 23 to no. 42, to acquire Diggs, who had four years remaining on the extension he signed with Buffalo two years ago. Initially, it seemed like a home run trade for Houston because Diggs’s contract with Buffalo was both affordable and team friendly. His scheduled cap hit of $19.05 million in 2024 would have ranked 13th among receivers, and there was no guaranteed money left after this year, meaning the Texans would have had the option to keep Diggs or move on after seeing how things worked out in the upcoming season.

But it turns out that the contract isn’t team friendly at all. It’s the opposite, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday:

@AdamSchefter

Added incentive for Stefon Diggs: As part of the Buffalo-Houston trade, the Texans wiped out the final three years on Diggs’ contract, giving him the ability to become a free agent after this season, league sources tell ESPN. The Texans also took the $3.5 million guaranteed to Diggs next season and moved up into this season, giving him a raise and assuring him of $22.52 million in guaranteed money in 2024. But if Diggs plays the way he wants, and Houston hopes, he will hit the free-agent market next offseason with the ability to make it count. Houston now anticipates getting the best version of Stefon Diggs

That $3.5 million pay raise in 2024 makes Diggs the 11th-highest-paid receiver in the league in 2024, and he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, at age 31. The positive spin (or maybe it’s just how the Texans are rationalizing it), as Schefter put it, is that Diggs now has “added incentive” to give the Texans “the best version of himself.” Caserio must view this as a short-term (and therefore relatively low-risk) investment while the team can stand to be über-aggressive because of Stroud’s early success and rookie contract. Caserio may also sense that Diggs will not be a happy camper if he doesn’t receive an opportunity to earn a new contract in free agency next offseason. And maybe giving Diggs all the leverage in what is now a contract year will draw the best out of him. But perhaps it will also keep the relationship between the team and Diggs, a historically mercurial player, more cordial (and ideally private) than his stints in Minnesota and Buffalo.

The reality is that the Texans traded what will likely be a top-50 pick in 2025—it’s the Vikings’ second-rounder, and only three teams have a lower projected win total in 2024 than Minnesota (at 6.5)—for Diggs on a one-year agreement that’s intended to keep his focus on the field and make him play nice off it. And that’s after arguably the worst 10-game stretch of his career.

Why did Diggs’s production drop off in the second half of last season?

What sort of player are the Texans getting in Diggs? Even at peak motivation, is he still an elite player, worth paying WR1 money and giving 150 or more targets to? Or was the drop-off in production late last season an unfixable issue that will follow him from Buffalo to Houston?

Diggs was stellar at the start of last year. He was among the top five wideouts in receiving yards (834), receiving touchdowns (seven), and receiving first downs (41) in Weeks 1-9. His route efficiency was also among the best in the sport; he ranked seventh among receivers in yards per route run (2.45) and first in downs per route run (0.12) in the same nine-game stretch. He was the Diggs we’d come to expect in Buffalo—a silky-smooth route runner with elite separation ability at all three levels of the field and the focal point of the Bills offense. Until he wasn’t.

Stefon Diggs 2023-24 Production

Statistic            Weeks 1-9         Weeks 10-18 (plus wild card and divisional round)

Routes              37.8                             31.6

Targets             10.8                                7.9

Catches            7.8                                 4.6

Yards                92.7                               43.6

Targets/route     28% (4th)                      25% (13th)

Yards/route       2.45 (7th)                      1.38 (T-35th)

First downs/route           0.12 (7th)          0.07 (35th)

Diggs’s production fell off a cliff after Week 9. Sure, he ran fewer routes and saw fewer targets on a per-game basis, but his role in the offense wasn’t the only problem. He simply wasn’t playing at the level we’ve come to expect from such a routinely dominant player. His yards-per-game dip from 92.7 in Weeks 1-9 to 43.6 from Week 10 on was the second-biggest drop-off for any receiver last season. His yards-per-route-run average versus man coverage dropped from 2.46 to 1.45. He also wasn’t winning down the field. In the first nine games, he caught 27 of his 42 targets on passes that traveled more than 10 yards in the air, and he had 543 yards and six touchdowns on those downfield throws; he caught eight of 22 such targets for just 140 yards and one touchdown in his last 10 games.

Why did a four-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro wideout who started his age-30 season red-hot completely crater down the stretch? Let’s consider some theories, from the mostly serious to the conspiracy corner:

Diggs became a lower priority in the offense after Joe Brady replaced the fired Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator following the Week 10 loss to the Broncos. Under Brady, the Bills showed a recommitment to the run game (the Bills’ early-down pass rate ranked 29th in the league after Brady took over, but was seventh under Dorsey) and greater variance in target distribution and snap counts among the pass catchers. Target shares for tight end Dalton Kincaid, running back James Cook, and slot receiver Khalil Shakir all spiked while Diggs’s share dropped from 31 to 27 percent.

Diggs struggled quite a bit against some serious cornerback talent in Weeks 10-18 and the playoffs. Per PFF’s charting, Diggs caught just 10 of his 25 targets for 113 yards in seven games against Patrick Surtain, Ahmad Gardner, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, L’Jarius Sneed (twice), Stephon Gilmore, and Jalen Ramsey. Diggs couldn’t consistently beat press coverage from physical corners like Sneed, and his lack of separation down the field put him in more high-difficulty situations at the catch point. (His drop late in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ divisional-round loss to Kansas City is still a drop, however.)

Just how bad was Diggs’s relationship with quarterback Josh Allen and the team? Obviously, the relationship ultimately ran its course, but could the toxicity that reportedly grew between Diggs, his quarterback, and the entire organization have affected his involvement in the offense or how effectively he worked within the organization? I mean, Caserio agreed to give Diggs all the leverage when he voided the remaining years on his contract in an effort to motivate him. That may seem to suggest that Diggs wasn’t always a banner employee in Buffalo, and similar rumors about his frustrations with the team leaked in Minnesota before he was traded to the Bills in 2020. It’s a broken record that’s still playing pretty loudly. To quote the very online Diggs, “You let em shenan once … they going shenanigan.”

Diggs never missed a game due to injury last season, but he was a limited participant for two practices before playing 53 of the team’s 54 offensive snaps in the Week 10 loss to the Broncos. Could he have been more injured than what he and the Bills let on? Could it have lingered through the end of the season and into the playoffs, even if he wasn’t listed on the injury report again? But that also doesn’t really add up. Why wouldn’t the Bills and Diggs have communicated that he wasn’t 100 percent? Doing so would have helped Buffalo’s coaching staff answer the questions they were getting about his drop-off in production, and Diggs also stood to benefit because reporting the injury would have assuaged any public concerns about his decline.

Diggs turned 30 in late November, after the Bills’ Week 12 loss to the Eagles. He didn’t score a touchdown the rest of the season. Anyone who has recently turned 30 (or is about to, as I am) can relate.

The right answer is potentially a combination of all these things. But how will Diggs’s one-year (for now) stint in Houston, productive or not, affect the Texans’ locker room dynamics and their young, exciting core of talent?

Can Diggs, like, chill out for a year to help C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans offense?

Stroud is the future of the Texans organization, the biggest reason they made a huge leap in 2023 and became a free agent draw in 2024. Wide receiver Nico Collins, who led the team in receiving and finished second in the league behind Tyreek Hill in yards per route run last season, is entering a contract year in 2024. Receiver Tank Dell, a third-round pick in 2023, was a sensation before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik already started receiving head-coaching interviews after a phenomenal first year in the position. All four should be considered building blocks for the future; their roles in the offense and their off-field relationships are massively important to the team’s success.

But will that all go on the back burner if Diggs grows frustrated with his share of the targets, his own lack of production, or something else? If he winds up as the focal point of the offense and thrives, it’s a moot point. The bigger Diggs’s year, the more his price tag goes up when he’s off the Texans’ books next March. But if his decline over the back half of last season carries over into the fall, will Diggs still rerun the playbook to force Stroud and Slowik to funnel the offense through him?

It’s hard to imagine a situation in which Diggs doesn’t get what he wants on the field and still chooses to mentor Houston’s young core since he’s not even committed to the team beyond this upcoming season. If they traded a future second-rounder for a lackluster year from Diggs, it would be a miss for the Texans. If they traded that pick for a lackluster year from Diggs and a backslide in development for Stroud, Slowik, Collins, and Dell, it would be a disaster.

What is the range of outcomes for Diggs in Houston?

There’s a nonzero chance that Diggs will be an All-Pro receiver for the Texans this season, that he and Stroud will become best friends, that Slowik will get deep into his bag to dial up plays for him, that Collins and Dell will bow at his feet, and that the team will win the Super Bowl. This is an ideal scenario for all parties involved. There’s also a chance that Diggs will be good but not great on and off the field, that Houston will lose in the first or second round of the playoffs, and that he’ll be playing somewhere else in 2025. On the worst end of the spectrum, Diggs will become privately disgruntled, he’ll start firing off some ominous tweets, and the offense will stall out rather than taking a big leap forward.

Taking an admittedly aggressive and short-term swing on Diggs shouldn’t prevent the Texans from being competitive deep into the playoffs from now through the end of Stroud’s rookie contract and beyond. However, if Diggs disrupts what is objectively one of the brightest futures for a team right now just to sign a new contract with, say, the Chiefs in 2025, this will be quite the misstep for the Texans.

JACKSONVILLE

EDGE JOSH ALLEN will continue to be a Jaguar for the forseeable future.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jaguars pass rusher Josh Allen will be staying in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars and Allen have agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract with $88 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. The precise structure of the contract has not yet been reported.

The 26-year-old Allen hit free agency coming off his best NFL season, in which he started all 17 games, recorded 17.5 sacks and was chosen to the Pro Bowl. He emerged as one of the league’s elite pass rushers at the right time to cash in as a free agent, and now he has done so.

The Jaguars selected Allen out of Kentucky with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He has played out his five-year rookie deal and got the franchise tag last month, and now he’s part of the Jaguars’ long-term plans, as they attempt to build a team that contends for years to come.

THIS AND THAT

WHERE THE TOP RECEIVERS COME FROM IN THE DRAFT

Draft “experts” discount running backs and demand they tumble in the draft, but will have no problem when three receivers come off the board in the top 10 in this year’s draft.  But Joe Marino has some tweets that show those at the top now have come later in the draft.

@TheJoeMarino

10 highest paid NFL WRs (APY) & where they were selected in the draft

1. Tyreek Hill 5.165

2. Davante Adams 2.53

3. Cooper Kupp 3.69

4. AJ Brown 2.51

5. DK Metcalf 2.64

6. Deebo Samuel 2.36

7. Michael Pittman Jr. 2.34

8. Calvin Ridley 1.26

9. Terry McLaurin 3.76

10. Stefon Diggs 5.146

@holinka

Another surprise: Round 1 receivers that have won a Super Bowl with the team that drafted them.

1. Santonio Holmes

2. Hakeem Nicks

3. Demaryius Thomas

4. Mike Evans

@ChadSchuster8

Post this next year when lamb, chase, jj get paid

@TheJoeMarino

Still fascinating that only one of those was picked higher than 17 overall. Also can’t forget about Higgins, Collins, St. Brown, Pickens and potentially 1 of those GB receivers

2024 DRAFT

In today’s Mock Draft, Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com says QB MICHAEL PENIX Pro Day’d his way into the first round:

With pro days now in the rearview mirror, Washington Huskies quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. has seen his stock climb after posting a 40-yard dash time in the 4.5s, revealing athleticism as a runner that wasn’t put on display much in college. He now makes his debut in the Podell Mock Draft for version 5.0, the penultimate edition prior to the 2024 NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday, April 25. Take a look to see where he comes off the board and more.

1 – CHICAGO (from Carolina)

Caleb Williams QB                              USC • JR • 6’1″ / 215 LBS

The Bears’ new face-of-the-franchise quarterback will be 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Justin Fields is a Pittsburgh Steeler. Yes, Williams isn’t flawless. He could be better at staying on schedule and executing the plays that are called, but his cool demeanor and ingenuity when plays do break down make him a special quarterback prospect. Williams also isn’t afraid to speak his mind: he concluded his NFL Scouting Combine press conference by asking if the Bears want to win. That’s the next face of the franchise in Chicago.

2 – WASHINGTON

Drake Maye QB                                     NORTH CAROLINA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 230 LBS

It’s a new regime in Washington. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn look to kick off their franchise-altering draft class that includes six of the first 102 picks with their face-of-the-franchise QB. Maye was the only FBS player with 7,000-plus passing yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards in the past two seasons. Maye also said at his combine presser that it didn’t seem like the Bears were very familiar with who he was. Maye will be here at number two, and given his age and eye-popping throws on tape, he should be the pick.

3 – NEW ENGLAND

Jayden Daniels QB                                LSU • SR • 6’4″ / 210 LBS

The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner enters the pros with 55 games of experience as a starter (29 at Arizona State, 26 at LSU), and he parlayed that experience into becoming the only player in FBS history with 12,000-plus career passing yards and 3,000-plus career rushing yards. He also became the only FBS player since the turn of the 21st century to average over 300 passing yards per game and 75 or more rushing yards per game in a season this past year. The Patriots signed quarterback Jacoby Brissett to be their bridge quarterback/mentor. Now, all they have to do is get their future QB1 to Foxborough.

4 – MINNESOTA ( Mock Trade from Arizona)

J.J. McCarthy QB                                       MICHIGAN • JR • 6’3″ / 202 LBS

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t send the Houston Texans two second-round picks (one in 2024 and one in 2025) and a 2024 sixth-round pick for an extra 2024 first-rounder for nothing. They thirst for a new franchise quarterback after Kirk Cousins deserted them for the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings use that extra draft capital to trade up and select J.J. McCarthy after the first three teams refuse to move back. McCarthy was an efficient conductor for Michigan’s run-first offense the last two seasons, throwing 44 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. The result: a 27-1 record and a 2023 national championship. McCarthy was adept at executing the offense his coaches asked him to run while also showcasing athleticism as a runner and while throwing on the run. He has the velocity to make tight window throws and has no issue taking what the defense gives him. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort trades back for the second draft in a row in order to accelerate Arizona’s rebuild.

5 – LA CHARGERS

Marvin Harrison Jr. WR                                OHIO STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

The Chargers need another pass-catcher after making tough salary cap decisions and moving on from wideouts Mike Williams and/or Keenan Allen. Los Angeles selected TCU’s Quentin Johnston (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) in the first round last year, and this time it selects a receiver with a similar build who is a generational prospect in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. College football’s receiving touchdowns leader across the past two seasons (28) enters this draft as the clear-cut WR1. You can’t trade out of this spot. Justin Herbert is ready to raise his game to a new level with a shiny, young top target.

6  NY GIANTS

Malik Nabers WR                                         LSU • JR • 6’0″ / 200 LBS

Malik Nabers was one of the most electrifying receivers in the nation last year, ranking second in the country in receiving yards (1,569) and receiving first downs (69). The Giants desperately need a game breaker at receiver, and this pick fills that void.

7 – TENNESSEE

Joe Alt OT                                                    NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’7″ / 322 LBS

Joe Alt was a unanimous 2023 All-American as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive lineman last season (90.7). He has been impenetrable as a pass-blocker the last two seasons, allowing just one sack and only 11 quarterback pressures since 2022. Given the litany of injuries Titans quarterbacks have suffered the past two seasons, Tennessee selects the best offensive line prospect in the 2024 class.

8 – ATLANTA

Dallas Turner EDGE                                       ALABAMA • JR • 6’4″ / 252 LBS

Atlanta needs help along the edge after letting 37-year-old Calais Campbell walk in free agency and no player on the team totaling at least seven sacks. The only pass rusher who totaled more sacks (22.5), tackles for loss (32.5) and quarterback pressures (117) than Dallas Turner from 2021-2023 was former teammate Will Anderson Jr. Turner isn’t as polished entering the league as Anderson Jr. was, but the physical tools are there. Atlanta snags arguably the most pro-ready edge rusher prospect in the 2024 class.

9 – CHICAGO

Rome Odunze WR                                           WASHINGTON • JR • 6’3″ / 215 LBS

Chicago goes all in on supporting Caleb Williams’ development after both Mitch Trusbisky and Justin Fields failed to pan out. While edge rusher is a tempting selection, the Bears select college football’s receiving yards leader (1,640) to pair with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Williams is set up to thrive in the Windy City.

10 – NY JETS

Brock Bowers TE                                        GEORGIA • JR • 6’4″ / 240 LBS

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t had a reliable tight end since former Packers tight end Jermichael Finley’s spinal cord injury back in 2013. The Jets addressed their offseason line swiftly this offseason, signing Cowboys Pro Bowler Tyron Smith and Ravens guard John Simpson and trading for Ravens offensive tackle Morgan Moses. Rodgers pounds the table for Bowers, and general manager Joe Douglas grants his request. Bowers falls into their laps as a one of the best tight end prospects in years. He is the SEC’s all-time leader for tight ends in catches (175), receiving yards (2,538) and receiving touchdowns (26) — and all those figures were also the most among TEs from 2021-2023. He is also the first college football player with 25 or more receiving touchdowns and five or more rushing touchdowns in a career since Tavon Austin did so at West Virginia from 2009-2012. Dynamic to say the least.

11 – ARIZONA (Mock Trade from Minnesota)

Jared Verse EDGE                                          FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 260 LBS

Jared Verse is arguably this class’ best when it comes to bull-rushing opposing offensive tackles into their quarterbacks to blow up plays before they can even get going. He is also sturdy against the run. The Cardinals need more juice in their pass rush — they ranked 23rd in quarterback pressure rate (32.9%) — and Verse will help them greatly in this area.

12 – DENVER

Terrion Arnold CB                                           ALABAMA • SOPH • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

Arnold is the hands-down top defensive back in this class, and he goes to a team that already has a Pro Bowl corner in Pat Surtain II. At 6-foot and weighing 196 pounds, Arnold won consistently in the SEC. The first-team All-American co-led the conference with five interceptions and led the entire SEC in targets ending with an incompletion (43). Arnold also didn’t allow a touchdown on 445 coverage snaps last season. Denver’s secondary will likely take a step back after releasing Justin Simmons. Arnold can help soften his absence, an ability he highlighted with the Crimson Tide.

13 – LAS VEGAS                      

Michael Penix Jr. QB                                        WASHINGTON • SR • 6’3″ / 213 LBS

PROJECTED TEAM

Michael Penix Jr. makes his debut in this series of mock drafts thanks to his stock rising after a pro day workout in which he recorded a 40-yard dash time in the 4.5s, revealing athleticism he didn’t showcase in college (eight rushing yards on 35 carries last season). The Raiders fail to trade up for Jayden Daniels, so Antonio Pierce gets a QB to build around after Las Vegas hosted Penix for a visit earlier this month.

14 – NEW ORLEANS

Taliese Fuaga OT                                           OREGON STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 334 LBS

New Orleans whiffed on 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning. Left tackle Andrus Peat is also a free agent. New Orleans plugs in a mountain-like blocker in Taliese Fuaga, who is 6-foot-6 and 334 pounds. He is a menace as a run blocker, and he has plenty of upside as a pass blocker. That’s the kind of trench menace Derek Carr needs to have cleaner pockets.

15 – INDIANAPOLIS

 Quinyon Mitchell CB                                   TOLEDO • JR • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

Selecting Quinyon Mitchell, a 6-foot, 196-pound cornerback equipped with great speed (4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine) could help out their defense tremendously. The physical tools are off the charts.

16 – SEATTLE

Byron Murphy II DL                                      TEXAS • JR • 6’1″ / 308 LBS

Byron Murphy II is exactly what the Seahawks need up front to pair nicely with Leonard Williams and Boye Mafe on the edges of their defensive front. They were the second-worst run defense in football in 2023, and the 6-foot-1, 308-pound mountain of a man could go a long way toward getting back on track. He had the highest quarterback pressure rate (17.0%) by an FBS defensive tackle last season (minimum 250 pass rushes) as well as the highest Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade (91.5) by an FBS defensive tackle in 2023.

17 – JACKSONVILLE

Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT                                PENN STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 317 LBS

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered multiple injuries that heavily impacted his level of play in 2023. Jacksonville aims to fix that issue by drafting one of the best offensive tackles in the draft. Olu Fashanu didn’t allow a sack during his 697 pass-blocking snaps in college. He could be the long-term answer at left tackle with Cam Robinson having just a year left on his contract in 2024.

18 – CINCINNATI

JC Latham OT                                               ALABAMA • JR • 6’6″ / 360 LBS

JC Latham is a plug-and-play guy at tackle or guard. The second-team All-American allowed just three sacks in 970 career pass-blocking snaps. Latham started every Alabama game (27) at right tackle the last two seasons. Yes, the Bengals did sign Trent Brown, but Joe Burrow needs a long-term right tackle. Here he is.

19 – LA RAMS

Laiatu Latu EDGE                                          UCLA • SR • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

Laiatu Latu racked up the hardware at UCLA, down the highway from the Rams in Inglewood, last season: He was named a unanimous All-American and the 2023 Ted Hendricks Award winner (the best defensive end in college football). He led the FBS in quarterback pressure rate (21.4%) in 2023, and his 23.5 sacks across the last two seasons were also the most in college football. His 96.3 Pro Football Focus defensive grade is the highest by an FBS player in the past 10 seasons. That’s the type of pass-rush presence the Rams need after Aaron Donald’s retirement. Sure, it’s not a one-for-one since Latu is an edge player and not an interior rusher like Donald, but he fills a need all the same.

20 – PITTSBURGH

Troy Fautanu IOL                                      WASHINGTON • JR • 6’4″ / 317 LBS

The 2023 Morris Trophy winner (the best offensive lineman in the Pac-12) is the type of lineman the Steelers need: a real deal left tackle. He shores up the left tackle spot opposite 2023 first-round pick right tackle Broderick Jones.

21 – MIAMI

Cooper DeJean CB                                   IOWA • JR • 6’1″ / 207 LBS

While NFL teams had to wait for Cooper DeJean’s pro day workout because of a leg injury, it ended up being worth the wait. He ran a 40-yard dash in the 4.4s and recorded explosive vertical (38.5 inches) and broad (10-foot-4) jumps, according to The Athletic. Thanks to this strong showcase, Miami selects him to beef up its secondary where he could line up as outside corner, nickel or safety.

22 – PHILADELPHIA

Brian Thomas Jr. WR                                LSU • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

Brian Thomas Jr. is a monster, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 205 pounds, and he used that frame well in 2023, leading the nation in receiving touchdowns with 17. He is the big-play answer (17.3 yards per catch in 2023) Jalen Hurts needs to get back on track as a passer. Not having that third receiver as a release valve was one of many issues for the Eagles offense in 2023.

23 – ARIZONA (Mock Trade from Minnesota)

Nate Wiggins CB                                         CLEMSON • JR • 6’2″ / 185 LBS

The Cardinals could still use another corner after signing Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency. The first-team All-ACC honoree doesn’t have the ideal weight some teams look for, though, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 173 pounds. However, Nate Wiggins is a long, athletic cornerback with high-end speed as evidenced by his 4.28-second 40-yard dash. Jonathan Gannon will appreciate this selection.

24 – DALLAS

Graham Barton OT                                     DUKE • SR • 6’5″ / 314 LBS

Duke’s Graham Barton both fills a need and provides Mike McCarthy with some choices up front. Offensive line is arguably the Cowboys’ biggest need after losing left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz in free agency. Graham Barton played tackle in college, but he could also fit at left guard and allow for Tyler Smith to move to left tackle. Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones touted offensive line as the strength of this draft class, and he puts his money where his mouth is with this pick.

25 – GREEN BAY

Amarius Mims OT                                          GEORGIA • JR • 6’7″ / 340 LBS

The Packers had to say goodbye to All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari this offseason, so general manager Brian Gutekunst takes a swing on one of the most physically imposing players in this draft class. Amarius Mims is a little bit of an unknown quantity because he had only eight career starts in 30 games at Georgia. However, he didn’t allow a sack in 377 pass-blocking snaps in college. Mims did start in both of Georgia’s playoff games en route to a 2022 CFP national title. This move could allow versatile offensive lineman Zach Tom to move back inside and to shore up their center or right guard spots.

26 – TAMPA BAY

Kool-Aid McKinstry CB                                      ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

The Buccaneers traded Carlton Davis away to the Detroit Lions. Here comes his replacement in Kool-Aid McKinstry. The 2023 first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-SEC corner never allowed a touchdown in college on 1,206 career coverage snaps. His speed going deep and his quick twitch burst playing the ball in zone coverage could stand to improve, but playing in a secondary with Antoine Winfield Jr. should help those issues.

27 – ARIZONA (from Houston)

Adonai Mitchell WR                                            TEXAS • JR • 6’4″ / 196 LBS

The Cardinals traded out of the opportunity to select Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick, but they address their receiver position here, critical with the loss of Marquise Brown this offseason. The 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year was an end zone magnet, leading the conference in touchdown catches (11). This is a pick that will make QB Kyler Murray smile.

28 – BUFFALO

Keon Coleman WR                                          FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

Keon Coleman is the bigger-bodied target (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) at wide receiver that Josh Allen now desperately needs with Stefon Diggs now on the Houston Texans. Coleman can line up all over the formation, and he is a slick route-runner with great knowledge of how to best utilize his body to maintain leverage against defenders. Keon Coleman has an argument for being the best contested catcher in this class. He’s a great athlete, and he can be a red-zone monster in the NFL as teams fight to guard him and Dalton Kincaid near the end zone.

29 – DETROIT

Chop Robinson EDGE                                         PENN STATE • JR • 6’3″ / 254 LBS

Chop Robinson is explosive. He ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash while standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 254 pounds. Detroit couldn’t find a pass-rush complement to Hutchinson last season, so it gets a dynamic athlete at that spot here. That should give the Lions defense a critical boost with the team squarely in contention for NFC supremacy.

30 – BALTIMORE

Tyler Guyton OT                                                 OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’7″ / 328 LBS

The Ravens have dealt with multiple injuries to Ronnie Stanley, and they are thin at right tackle. Guyton (6-foot-7, 328 pounds) could potentially be developed into a right tackle or developed to be the long-term successor to protect Lamar Jackson’s blindside since Stanley enters a contract year in 2024.

31 – SAN FRANCISCO

Jordan Morgan OT                                         ARIZONA • SR • 6’5″ / 325 LBS

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had way too many unblocked runs at Brock Purdy in the Super Bowl. The 49ers’ offensive line needs an upgrade, and Jordan Morgan can help out. He was a pure left tackle at Arizona, but the 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman could also play guard in the NFL. San Francisco desperately needs help inside if it is going to get over the hump in the Super Bowl.

32 – KANSAS CITY

Xavier Worthy WR                                           TEXAS • JR • 6’1″ / 172 LBS

Xavier Worthy ran the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Scouting Combine history, clocking in at 4.21 seconds to break John Ross’ record. He even said his ideal destination is the Chiefs. “In a perfect world, I definitely would want to go to the Chiefs,” Worthy said, via USA Today. “Just the way Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs improvise and use you. They had Tyreek Hill. The way they used him, I feel like that would be a perfect fit for me.” The Chiefs grant Worthy’s wish and secure the turbo-charged wideout they have been looking for since they traded Hill away to the Miami Dolphins two years ago.