The Daily Briefing Wednesday, April 24, 2024
THE DAILY BRIEFING
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According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the draft starts at New England:
@RapSheet While the #Commanders and #Patriots have received calls from teams attempting to move up for a QB, Washington has shown no indication it would move, per me and @MikeGarafolo . New England would move for the right offer, but the Pats just haven’t gotten such an offer yet.
– – – Some nuggets from ESPN.com to get you ready for tomorrow:
10 things to know from ESPN Stats & Information The Bears are expected to draft a quarterback with the first pick, which would tie the Colts (seven) for the most QBs drafted in the first round in the common draft era (since 1967). The Bears are the only current franchise that has never had a 4,000-yard passer in a season and the only franchise that hasn’t had a quarterback throw 30 passing touchdowns in a season.
Top prospect Caleb Williams was responsible for 11,042 yards and an FBS-high 120 touchdowns during his three-year college career (2021-23). He is one of 87 players in FBS history with 10,000 yards of offense and 100 TDs — but the only one to commit fewer than 20 turnovers (19). Williams has a career 6.6 TD-INT ratio, which is the second-best mark in the FBS in 25 years (min. 1,000 attempts).
If Williams is selected first overall, USC coach Lincoln Riley would become the first college coach in the common draft era with three No. 1 picks (all positions) — the others were Kyler Murray (2019) and Baker Mayfield (2018).
There has only been one year in the common draft era when four QBs were selected in the top 10 (2018), and there have never been four quarterbacks taken in the first five picks. The first-round record for quarterbacks is six in the 1983 draft — and three of those QBs became Pro Football Hall of Famers (John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino).
The first round is expected to be heavy on offense, with both the WR and OT classes considered to be deep. The common draft era record for offensive picks in the first round is 19 (2009, 2004 and 1968). The most consecutive offensive picks to start a draft in that time frame is seven in 2021.
Alabama’s streak of consecutive seasons with at least one first-rounder is up to 15 entering 2024, the longest streak by any program in the common draft era. The next-longest active streak belongs to Ohio State at eight straight entering 2024.
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban will become the first coach in the common draft era to have 50 first-round picks if a Crimson Tide player is drafted in the opening round in 2024.
If there are 16 selections from Michigan, that would be the most from a reigning national champion since 1967. That distinction currently belongs to Georgia, which had 15 players taken in 2022.
While players drafted in the first round get most of the attention, a significant portion of a team’s roster is built on Days 2 and 3. Among active players in the 2023 season, 63% were drafted in Rounds 4 to 7 or went undrafted.
There were 43 draft-day trades completed in 2023, the most ever for a single draft. Nearly half of those trades (20) came on Day 3.
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NFC NORTH |
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CHICAGO Is QB CALEB WILLIAMS a slam dunk to be a face of the franchise Hall of Fame number one overall? Not if you read these thoughts acquired anonymously by Bruce Feldman ofThe Athletic:
Caleb Williams: Talented, but ready? QB Coach 1: “Caleb has a lot of stuff that he is going to have to break in the NFL. Now, look: That’s part of what you love about him. Those are great plays in college but not when Myles Garrett is rushing you.”
“I like Caleb as a player, but the locker room part of it concerns me. I don’t know him from a can of paint, but what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen from watching interviews, he’s going to have to understand the difference in where he’s at and how he’s been treated to being the quarterback in an NFL locker room. That system is one that when they get to the NFL, they really have to learn football, (like) Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield. You can win a Heisman and do all that stuff. In the NFL, you have to know protections, and responsibilities and run game and managing the game. There’s no layups, like all the quick screens and bubble passes and all that other stuff that boosts up your completion percentages because those plays are taken away. But I would still take him high. You just have to hope that your team and staff and mentorship can support him.”
Offensive Assistant 1: “He’s ridiculous. He looked like he got bored and wanted to make wow plays. But he can do anything. My only reservation is the times he gets in trouble. He makes too much out of plays past 15 yards on the scramble. He doesn’t understand that the ball takes a lot longer to get there and that’s when the defenders can get in on it. He doesn’t see the difference between 10 yards and over 20 yards.
“He gives off a Russell Wilson vibe with this lack of self-awareness. ‘I’m kind of above everybody.’ Not bad. Just a little where you want to see him be a more regular guy. Are you gonna be able to coach him or is he gonna be more worried about his marketing team?”
Scout 1: “I think Caleb has a chance to be very good but I’m not sure about the wiring. For me, it’s how motivated he is to just win. He’s super talented. He really is one of the first quarterbacks to deal with as much celebrity and NIL as he has. I’m worried that he leans into this identity/persona of just being a little bit weird and different, and that detracts from his ability to relate to his teammates and just be about the team and work on winning. He’s gotta work on some things from the pocket, and that takes discipline and that takes humility. And I just don’t know if he has that. I’m not saying that’s his fault. I just don’t know if that’s how he’s been nurtured as such a high-profile quarterback that has made a ton of money. But if he can figure out those things from the pocket, he can be elite.”
QB Coach 1: “I would be more comfortable with Jayden than Caleb. Nobody is saying straight-up negative things (about Williams). You kinda have to decode the compliments and there is enough you see that concerns you. After the game, everybody else is shaking hands and you’re seated on the bench by yourself. You can be a superstar player on a team and have all your side stuff, and then you’re going down that Russell Wilson path, where you’re gonna have your own team and your own this and that. I just hear there’s a lot going on.”
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DETROIT The first thought with the news of extensions for WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN and T PENEI SEWELL has to be – is there any money left for QB JARED GOFF? Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com
It’s extension day in Detroit.
Just a couple of hours after news dropped that receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had agreed to a four-year extension with the Lions, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports offensive tackle Penei Sewell has agreed to his own four-year extension with the club.
Sewell’s deal is reportedly worth $112 million with $85 million guaranteed, though those numbers may be different when the full details are revealed. With an average annual value of $28 million, Sewell’s contract would set a new high-water mark for offensive tackles by $3 million.
Sewell was the first pick of General Manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell’s tenure with the team. Selected at No. 7 overall in 2021, Sewell has started 50 games for the club over his first three seasons. He has played every offensive snap for Detroit over the last two years. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in both seasons and was an AP first-team All-Pro in 2023.
The Lions had until May 2 to decide on Sewell’s fifth-year option as a 2021 first-round pick. But with Sewell’s new deal, that is no longer necessary.
And this from Josh Alper on St. Brown:
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Lions. The 2021 fourth-round pick is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
St. Brown was one of two key Lions offensive players on track for extensions this offseason. Quarterback Jared Goff is also in line for a new deal.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the pact is worth more than $120 million with $77 million guaranteed, which would make St. Brown the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. The full details of the contract will likely tell a different story once they are known, but St. Brown will be receiving a significant payday under any circumstances.
The full numbers will also be of interest to Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandon Aiyuk as they look for their own contract extensions this offseason.
St. Brown has 315 catches for 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns over his first three seasons, which puts him in the top 17 in Lions history in all three categories. With his future in Detroit secured, St. Brown will be moving closer to the top of all those lists in the years to come.
This from Adam Schefter:
@AdamSchefter · 11m There is no deal “imminent” for Lions QB Jared Goff, despite the fact that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and OT Penei Sewell now have landed new deals, per source. The Lions and Goff have spoken about a new deal this off-season, but no deal is close at this time.
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NFC EAST |
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DALLAS Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com doesn’t think Jerry Jones has backed up his use of “all in” in the postseason press conference. And he ridicules some who take Jones’ side.
In late January, Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones made “all-in” the phrase that pays for 2024.
Or, as the case may be, the phrase that doesn’t pay.
As recently explained, Jones used the term in its usual sense. Since then, the Cowboys have been trying to change that definition, with Jones himself on Tuesday trying to suggest that he used it as a way to express enthusiasm.
NFL Media, owned and operated by the NFL’s teams, is now trying to help Jerry’s effort to warp reality. From an item on NFL.com: “Jones’ original all-in musing was never free-agent specific. He spoke about ‘key contracts we’d like to address,’ along with the team not building ‘for the future,’ and authoring a time-is-now narrative in the aftermath of a disappointing defeat on Super Wild Card Weekend against the Green Bay Packers.”
Baloney. Here’s the question Jones was asked on January 30 at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama: “Is there any change of, ‘Hey, we need to go all-in this year’? Is there any focus or thought process on putting all the chips in to put a winner on the field, including what you do with free agency?”
Said Jones: “I would anticipate with looking ahead at our key contracts we’d like to address, we’ll be all-in. I would anticipate we’ll be all-in at the end of the year. . . . It will be going all-in on different people than you’ve done in the past. We’ll be going all-in. We’ve seen some things out of some of the players that we want to be all-in on. And that, yes, I would say that you would see us this coming year not building for the future, is the best way I know to say it. That ought to answer a lot of questions.”
It’s highly unlikely that Jones — who has significant influence within NFL Media — specifically asked for NFL.com to carry his water on the alternate-facts meaning of “all-in.” The more likely reality is that the folks at NFL.com know from experience that if they write or say something that makes Jerry look bad, they will hear about it. At a time when NFL Media is slashing and burning salaries whenever and wherever it can, there’s no reason to risk making Jerry upset by peddling in, you know, the truth as to what he said when he first said it.
That continues to be the biggest problem with league- or team-owned media. There are lines that can’t be crossed. Since I don’t work for the league, I’ve got the freedom to say, for example, that Jones is gaslighting his fan base into keeping their wallets open and eyes engaged to Dallas games on TV. Or to repeatedly opine that, when it comes to dealing with their star players, the Cowboys are: (1) cheap; (2) short-sighted; and (3) not as smart as they think they are.
Between his decision to keep coach Mike McCarthy after the team’s latest playoff debacle and to make the hollow claim that he’s “all-in” in the chips-in-middle-of-table sense, I’ve been pushing the idea that Jones really isn’t trying to win a Super Bowl. He’s trying to keep his team prominent and profitable.
That’s something Jones would never admit. In this context, however, inaction speaks far louder than words.
So, yes, I believe the annual quest for Super Bowl gloryhole is hogwash.
Look at it this way. If Jones is as serious as he claims to be about winning a Super Bowl, the past 29 years of his life have been riddled with constant torment. That’s no way to spend the three decades from 52 to 82, especially when you have amassed enough cash to buy anything you want — including a floating luxury hotel that is literally longer than a football field.
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NEW YORK GIANTS TE DARREN WALLER and WNBA star Lesley Plum are soon to be divorced.ESPN.com:
Las Vegas Aces star guard Kelsey Plum and New York Giants tight end Darren Waller filed for divorce in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Plum, 29, and Waller, 31, were married in March 2023 after dating for reportedly one year.
“I’m devastated,” Plum wrote on social media. “I walked through fire for that man, but now I see it’s time to go. God has given me such an incredible life, and I’m truly so grateful for the profound love from my family and friends. One day I’ll share my story, today is not that day.”
A two-time WNBA champion with the Aces, Plum began dating Waller while the latter played for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Plum was the first overall pick of the 2017 WNBA draft. She also won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in women’s 3×3 basketball.
Waller made the Pro Bowl in 2020 while playing with the Raiders. He reportedly has yet to decide whether to play in the 2024 season or retire from professional football.
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NFC WEST |
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ARIZONA If the DB were the Cardinals, we would be glad to take a nice package of picks to bail out of drafting WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr. at #4.
And if we did keep the pick, we’d draft WR MALIK NABERS. Partly based on this from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic:
“(Harrison’s) not No. 1 to me,” said a veteran NFL receivers coach, whose team is in the market for another top receiver, and whom we’ll ID as WR Coach 1. “(LSU’s Malik) Nabers is the No. 1 on my list and I think he is on a lot of people’s lists. He’s just different to me. I don’t think it’s anything toward Marvin, it’s just really that Nabers is that good. His skills with the ball in his hands are really different. His acceleration is just different. His explosive is different. He tracks the ball really well. He’s a smaller guy but he can still play outside. He’s rare in a lot of ways. He’s got some Ja’Marr Chase in him, some DJ Moore skills. I hesitate to say this because Tyreek Hill’s speed is just so different from anybody in the league, but Nabers has some of that kind of burst and just so explosive off the line of scrimmage.
“He’s as fast as the person chasing him. He’s gonna run away from whoever. If Deion was chasing him, he’d go 4.21 or whatever. He’s the best WR prospect since Chase and on tape, I think he’s even more impressive. This dude is different.”
Another long-time NFL assistant, who has coached receivers and been an NFL offensive coordinator, agreed that Nabers was the top receiver prospect.
“It’s Nabers and then there’s a gap,” said Offensive Assistant 1. “He is the best wide receiver in the draft in a couple of years, maybe more. He is Tyreek Hill combined with both of those San Francisco guys (Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk). He is so explosive. He has a second gear. He can stop on a dime. He breaks tackles. You can’t jam him because he’s just too quick and if you miss at all, he’s gonna outrun you. He’s really competitive but he can be a pain in the ass. He’ll be the guy who’ll have something to say to the coordinator coming off the field. He’s got that edge to him where he doesn’t know when to let up. He doesn’t know that those guys are on his side.”
Scout 1: “Nabers is so much more explosive. I think he has more upside. I don’t know if I trust him like I trust Marvin. I trust Marvin to be disciplined.”
WR Coach 2: “We have Nabers as No. 1. He’s got all the ability in the world. He’s got Receiver No. 1 written all over him. He does have some stuff he’s got to clean up. Route running, which will come naturally with the right coach and group of receivers. So much upside. He just brings a different presence. His physicality. You see that on tape. He’s got that dawg in him.”
Harrison, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Biletnikoff Award winner, is bigger than the 6-feet, 199-pound Nabers, who finished second in the FBS with 1,569 receiving yards and third with 14 touchdowns. Harrison ranked No. 2 on the Freaks List in 2023 after putting up impressive numbers in the Buckeyes strength program. He’s bench pressed 380 pounds, broad-jumped 10 feet 8, clocked 3.94 in the shuttle and topped out at 23.5 mph, according to Ohio State sources. But Harrison didn’t do any of the testing in the draft process, which has added to some skepticism about his explosiveness.
“Marvin is great too,” said WR Coach 1. “You question just how fast he is. He can take the top off and he’s got elite ball skills and elite tracking. I don’t see 23 mph — that’s really, really fast. He’s to me more of a glider, build-up speed type of guy. Which you would expect, because he is huge.”
Offensive Assistant 1: “Marvin is really good. Polished. If you’re looking to pick on something, he’s not gonna run by people. They’re gonna squat on him at the top of the break. He’s good. I just wished he did the testing. He comes across as casual a little bit.”
Scout 1: “I think Marvin is pretty damn explosive. Physically, he’s like a 6-3 CeeDee Lamb. He just doesn’t have that innate dog that Malik has.”
WR Coach 2: “Harrison is like a fluid, smooth receiver. He doesn’t have the same elite traits like Nabers. He can separate and catches the ball real well. I don’t think he wows you.”
Odunze is as tall as Harrison and a little thicker at 212 pounds. He did all the testing in Indianapolis, clocking a 4.45 40 with a 1.52 10-yard split, vertical jumping 39 inches and going 4.03 in the 20-yard shuttle. Last season at Washington, Odunze led the nation in receiving yards with 1,640 to go with 82 catches and 13 touchdowns.
Scout 1: “Rome is the safest guy of the receivers. He’s just not as talented as Malik or Harrison as far as getting consistent separation at an NFL level. I trust him a little more than those guys. As far as strength through the catch, he might be the best. He’s built right to last and run routes.”
WR Coach 1: “He’s great at tracking the ball; he’s rugged and has good run after the catch ability. Can play inside and out, and he’s so smart — like different type of smart. He can pick things up so easily and will adapt easily to the pro game because of the system and the concepts they had there, and that really shows up in his game.”
Offensive Assistant 1: “I like the grit and his lower body is really strong. But he’s not running by people or closing cushion like Nabers does.”
WR Coach 2: “I think you have a top two with Malik and Marvin, and then I think there’s Rome, who I don’t think is in that same tier as those two. Rome has the make-up to be really good but in my opinion he doesn’t have the elite traits like the other two. I question his top-end (speed). He doesn’t have that juice like Nabers. He’s more of a possession-type receiver. He’s a more polished route runner, but I don’t think he’s to the level of Marvin.”
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SEATTLE Rightly or wrongly, Michael-Shawn Duggar of The Athletic says this is no ordinary draft for GM John Schneider:
The Seattle Seahawks’ removal of Pete Carroll from his role as head coach and vice president of football operations created the perception that general manager John Schneider finally has full control of the team after 14 years of deferring to Carroll on matters of roster construction.
Schneider has spent part of the last few months dispelling that notion.
In his first news conference after Carroll transitioned to an advisory role, Schneider was asked about the significance of having the opportunity to run the organization. Schneider replied, “I don’t feel like I haven’t been running the organization. I understand the question, but I don’t feel like there’s been one person necessarily running the organization.”
Schneider now has final say on personnel matters, but he said in a radio interview on April 4 that his role is “exactly the same” as it was before and although Carroll previously had veto power, he seldom used it.
“Pete was amazing,” Schneider said. “He could have been that guy that put his foot down like, ‘Contractually, at the end of the day I have final say here.’ He rarely, rarely, rarely did in 15 years. He never said, ‘Hey, we’re not doing this,’ or, ‘We’re going to do this.’ It was more along the lines of, I could tell he didn’t feel good about a trade or an acquisition. I could feel that, so why would we force that and why head down that road?
“But, yeah, (my role) hasn’t changed in that regard.”
In the past, Schneider and Carroll held an annual pre-draft news conference at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. This year, Schneider didn’t speak and instead, the team made his top four personnel staffers available: assistant general manager Nolan Teasley, vice president of player personnel Trent Kirchner, senior director of player personnel Matt Berry and director of college scouting Aaron Hineline. Teasley, the GM’s top lieutenant, echoed the sentiment Schneider has been expressing all offseason.
“John was in control on draft day,” Teasley said, “and will continue to be.”
Aside from the coaching staff skipping the scouting combine to get caught up on playbook installation, Seattle’s offseason hasn’t looked different than in previous years. Schneider shed some expensive veteran contracts, prioritized retention over splashy external signings in free agency and basically went bargain shopping to fill out the depth chart. Schneider sticking to his M.O. following Carroll’s transition supports his claim that the chain of command is largely unchanged.
But the official word from Schneider and his assistants will not completely erase the perception that Carroll had significant influence over the construction of the roster. Remember, Carroll said in his exit news conference that Schneider had been sitting and waiting 14 years for the opportunity to run the show.
Whether he likes it or not, perception is often reality, which is why the 2024 draft will be a legacy-defining moment for Schneider.
It’s the first draft in which there will be no questions about whether the head coach influenced the selections. If Schneider nails this draft, he would get the bulk of the credit and start to separate himself from the success he and Carroll had together, while also setting up the organization to flourish without the best coach in franchise history. Schneider’s already strong legacy would get a narrative-shifting boost, not unlike Tom Brady’s after he won a championship in his first season without Bill Belichick.
If Schneider flops and acquires a collection of players that looks more like the 2021 class than the haul in 2022, he would get the bulk of the blame, and the perception of him as a general manager would be altered, similar to how views of Russell Wilson changed when he struggled in his first season away from Carroll.
One draft, whether good or bad, won’t erase all that Schneider has done in 14 years with the Seahawks. But this weekend is nonetheless a litmus test, and there’s undoubtedly a pass-or-fail element to it.
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AFC WEST |
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DENVER The Broncos have picked up the option on CB PATRICK SURTAIN per Mike Klis of9News.com:
To no surprise, the Broncos picked up the fifth-year option on cornerback Pat Surtain II for $19.802 million, a source confirmed to 9NEWS.
“That’s an easy one,” Broncos general manager George Paton said at his NFL Combine news conference two months ago. “That’s one of the easier decisions we’ll make.”
The surprise was the timing as the Broncos exercised Surtain’s fifth-year option two days before the NFL Draft begins Thursday and not closer to the May 2 option deadline, or five days after the draft.
The Broncos’ No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Surtain, 24, has already established himself as one of the NFL’s top corners. He had four interceptions as a rookie, but quarterbacks got a little more careful from there as he had just two interceptions in 2022 and one last year.
He made the Pro Bowl each of the past two years, which bumped his fifth-year option to the highest-possible $19.802 million, which is now fully guaranteed. Surtain will make $3.519 million in 2024 so the Broncos have him under contract for two years at an average of $11.66 million per season.
Still, Surtain said late in the season he wants to get more picks.
“That definitely is the next step in my game, just making more game-changing plays,’’ Surtain said in an interview Jan. 6 with 9NEWS. “It’s hard to do when quarterbacks rarely look your way. The main thing is when my opportunity is called to be able to capitalize and make a play. That’s just that next step. That comes along with experience, film study, understanding tendencies and stuff like that.
“I’m still early on in my career and I know I’ve got a lot more to improve on. I’m very excited to see what happens but that’s something I need to build on, create more interceptions.’’
It’s not uncommon for teams to fold such a high, one-year payout for a player into a multiyear contract extension. The NFL’s highest-paid cornerback is currently Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander, who is making an average of $21 million a year. Surtain figures to be one more Surtain-like season away from eclipsing Alexander, proving the Broncos’ cornerback doesn’t get his contract extension sometime during the 2024 calendar year.
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AFC NORTH |
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CINCINNATI We thought QB JAKE BROWNING might have showed enough late in 2023 subbing for QB JOE BURROW that someone else would take a run at him, but apparently not. He’s back for two years as the Bengals backup. Ben Baby of ESPN.com:
Jake Browning’s reward for a strong 2023 season is a new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team’s backup quarterback signed a two-year contract with Cincinnati that runs through 2025, the team announced Tuesday. The terms of the deal were not immediately available.
Browning, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019, is coming off his best season in the NFL. After starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 of the 2023 season, Browning stepped in. He started the final seven games and finished the season by completing 70.3% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
The Bengals have also signed veteran QB LOGAN WOODSIDE, once a Titan, as further backup.
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CLEVELAND Jake Trotter of ESPN.com makes the case that the Browns could go for a receiver when they make their first pick, now slated for Round 2:
Early in the 2022 offseason, Andrew Berry made arguably the best move of his tenure as Cleveland Browns general manager.
Sending a mere fifth-round pick to Dallas, Berry swiped away No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper from the cap-strapped Cowboys. That savvy move preceded the blockbuster trades for All-Pro receivers Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams, who both went for a multitude of picks days later.
Cooper has since become the first Cleveland player to post back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Last year, he also broke a franchise single-game record with 265 receiving yards in a win against the Houston Texans on the way to a fifth Pro Bowl appearance.
Yet as successful as the Cooper trade has been, Berry and the Browns have otherwise struggled in targeting receivers. That has left them without an obvious No. 1 heir apparent to Cooper, who turns 30 this summer and has ended the past two seasons battling nagging injuries. And that is why, once again, receiver could be one of the positions to watch Friday night on Day 2 of the draft when the Browns make their first two picks, coming in at No. 54 and No. 85 overall.
Since taking over as GM in 2020, Berry has expended precious draft and financial capital attempting to bolster the receiver room. In the last three drafts, he’s used a third-round pick on a receiver (Cedric Tillman, David Bell and Anthony Schwartz). Before that, in his first draft, Berry took Donovan Peoples-Jones in the sixth round.
DPJ won a starting job in but was eventually jettisoned to the Detroit Lions before last year’s trade deadline for another sixth-round pick. Schwartz started Cleveland’s opener in 2021 but was cut during training camp last year. Bell has settled in a reserve role in the rotation. Tillman caught only 21 passes last year as a rookie, even after starting three games following the DPJ trade.
The Browns also traded for Elijah Moore last offseason, sending the Jets a second-round pick, while getting back a third (that was used on Tillman). But Moore had more than 61 receiving yards in a game only once last season (83 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in quarterback Joe Flacco’s first Cleveland start).
Earlier this offseason, the Browns took a shot on another buy-low receiver in Jerry Jeudy, a former first-round pick who had fallen out of favor with the Denver Broncos. Though Jeudy has never delivered a 1,000-yard season with the Broncos, the Browns gave him a three-year, $58 million extension after the trade. As it stands, Jeudy could be Cleveland’s No. 1 receiver going into the 2025 season, especially if the Browns don’t extend Cooper, who is entering the final year of his deal (Cleveland is already projected to be the most expensive team in the NFL in 2024).
The jury is out on whether Jeudy, who turns 25 this week, can still develop into that caliber of receiver. The jury is also out on whether any of Cleveland’s other receivers, notably Moore or Tillman, can develop into reliable complementary starters.
Using another pick on a receiver would cost Cleveland an opportunity to add a promising prospect at another position. The Browns, after all, have suffered from not having a first- or second-round pick the last two drafts, due in large part to the 2022 trade that landed quarterback Deshaun Watson. But this also appears to be another loaded receiver draft, which could entice the Browns to roll the dice on yet another receiver on Day 2.
Cleveland has no shot at landing any of the top three receivers in this class in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, who all appear locks to go in the top 10. But several talented pass-catchers could be available in Round 2, including Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, who is a premier route runner, Texas’ Xavier Worthy, who shattered combine records with a 40-yard dash time of 4.21 seconds, and Oregon’s Troy Franklin, who has shown he can make contested catches. Florida State’s Keon Coleman, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and Michigan’s Roman Wilson, among others, all appear to have the potential to be starting NFL receivers, as well.
Thanks to ownership’s spending and other shrewd moves Cleveland’s front office has made, the Browns don’t have many obvious short-term needs. Receiver, however, remains a glaring question mark, both this year and beyond.
The Browns could bank on the players they already have at the position. Or, on Friday, they could take another much-needed swing.
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AFC SOUTH |
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HOUSTON Nick Shook of NFL.com on Houston’s new uniforms:
For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans are changing their look.
In their place are looks, plural, with the goal of covering every base: tradition, innovation and making a bold statement. Houston unveiled four uniforms Tuesday, including an updated home kit, a new road set featuring fresh shoulder and helmet elements, and a radical alternate uniform focused on highlighting the expression of the city the Texans call home.
The updated home uniform carries the most similarity to the Texans’ previous uniforms, which they wore from 2002-2023. Gone are the red stripes from the shoulders of the Deep Steel Blue tops, and in their place are the team’s traditional bull logo at the end of each sleeve cap. Houston has swapped out white player names for red, pairing them with an updated custom number typefont that appears across all four uniforms. On the home jersey, it is white and trimmed in red, while “Texans” appears in small, red typefont across the chest. Houston updated their white pants with a new two-stripe pattern featuring a wide navy stripe and one thin red accentuating stripe, and painted their Deep Steel Blue helmet in a metallic flake finish.
Things get ambitious when the Texans hit the road, where they’ll wear their Deep Steel Blue helmet with new Liberty White tops, featuring an all-new bullhorn mark that begins at the back of the shoulder cap and wraps around upward toward the front, evoking the horns in the team’s primary logo. On the white tops, the horns appear in Deep Steel Blue, with an inner Battle red accent line, giving Houston refreshed ornamentation to their shoulders to go along with “Houston” written across the chest in Battle Red.
The new numbers appear in Deep Steel Blue and Battle Red trim on the road tops, while the same striping pattern appears on the Deep Steel Blue pants, featuring a wide Battle Red stripe and thin Liberty White stripe.
Houston dialed up the adventurism with their Battle Red alternates, carrying over the candy Battle Red finish from their previous alternate helmet, but replacing it with the new bullhorn logo, which appears as Deep Steel Blue on both sides of the helmet. These shells pair with a matching Battle Red jersey, including the new bullhorns on the sleeve caps. After more than a decade of wearing Battle Red jerseys with white numbers trimmed in blue, Houston has flipped the colors, filling the numbers in Deep Steel Blue and trimming them in Liberty White. Matching red pants can be worn with these new tops, with a wide Deep Steel Blue stripe and a thin Liberty White stripe.
Now, for the leap of faith: Houston rolled out an all-new alternate Color Rush look that will remind some of city-inspired sets that have appeared in MLB and the NBA in recent years. H-Town Blue appears on a radical fourth kit, which swaps out the bull logo on the helmet for an all-new H mark focused on highlighting the city of Houston. The Texans will wear this logo on the side of their helmets (and in smaller applications elsewhere in the other uniforms), while taking the rest of their new home uniform and dousing it in Battle Red (numbers, socks, wide pants striping) and H-Town Blue (number trim, cleats, gloves). The bull logo still appears on the uniform’s sleeve caps, but instead of being trimmed in Liberty White, it’s decorated in H-Town Blue, with the logo’s lone star eye appearing in Battle Red.
This uniform is bold in both appearance and statement. After losing the Oilers to Tennessee in the mid-1990s, Houston fans have long clamored for the Texans to wear the Oilers’ old colors in the city they called home. Instead, the Titans — who own the franchise history and thus, the right to wear the throwbacks — have donned Oilers uniforms on occasion over the last 15 years, including in 2023.
The Texans responded by creating their own look that includes the colors in a new form, which will undoubtedly pop when set against their Deep Steel Blue base color, and especially under the lights of a primetime affair.
Though the Texans lack some elemental continuity throughout the entire new system of uniforms, their approach is clearly an attempt to update their appearance while retaining the most beloved elements of the uniforms they’ve worn since they first took an NFL field in 2002. It’s ambitious and, in some places, aggressive, but fitting for a team that spent too many years in the cellar before enjoying an incredible turnaround in 2023, which included a playoff victory.
“Today, for the first time since 2000, we are so proud to reveal our new uniforms. They are even more special because they are inspired by and for our fans,” Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “Our fans asked us to be more H-Town and we delivered. They were with us every step of the way and there’s truly something for everyone over the four uniforms.”
These Texans won’t be satisfied sitting in the bullpen anymore. With these new uniforms, Houston is sending a strong message: We’re ready to be unleashed on the rest of the football world.
So all four new uniforms are out. Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com ranks them:
The first reaction to anything new in sports in the social media era is to rip it incessantly. Ask the Denver Broncos after their uniform change.
Four franchises have unveiled major changes to their uniforms this offseason. It has to be a scary day. There’s excitement over the announcement, and the fear that you’re going to be the punching bag on social media all day.
The truth is, the four teams didn’t do that bad this offseason. Yes, even the Broncos. The Cleveland Browns also introduced a change to white facemasks, and while the rollout was a little overdone for a facemask, it is a cool throwback to the past and it looks pretty good.
Let’s rank the NFL’s new uniforms for 2024:
4. Denver Broncos They’re fourth because someone has to be fourth. But the uniforms aren’t nearly as bad as the social media outrage would lead you to believe.
Perhaps it’s just because the team’s old uniforms, worn since 1997, were arguably the worst in the NFL. Anything would have been an upgrade. Once everyone gets off their jokes about the new kits, they’ll age OK. There’s nothing wrong with this group of new jerseys, pants and helmets.
The Broncos did make one big mistake. They didn’t make the 1977 alternate throwbacks their permanent uniform because that look is absolutely phenomenal.
Alas. Despite that error, the Broncos’ new look isn’t nearly as bad as everyone says. But it is fourth-best.
3. Detroit Lions You know this was a good year for new uniforms when this one is second to last.
There is very little to dislike about the Lions’ new look, which is practically an old look. You can look at these and imagine Barry Sanders running past Reggie White or John Lynch in 1995. And there is nothing at all wrong with that.
There are some modern touches, and the “Detroit” across the front of the road uniforms really works well. The Lions didn’t overhaul everything, and nobody wanted them to do. They just made a classic look a little better.
The black and blue look on the alternates will be popular, though maybe not for everyone. But if you like it, you’re probably going to love it.
Absolutely zero issues with the new Lions look. Clean, not too overdone, keeping in touch with their history … great job, Detroit.
2. New York Jets The Jets threw it back to the 1980s and it looks great.
The “Sack Exchange”-era Jets were a fun team and always looked pretty good doing it, so why mess with that?
The Jets used that look as a throwback and it was such a hit, they made it the permanent look. Which was smart.
Every bit of that is tremendous. It’s a lesson to every other team: We had the uniform game figured out pretty well 30 and 40 years ago. Don’t try to reinvent it all. Touch up a classic and everyone is happy.
If there’s any complaint it’s that the Jets had an even better throwback, the ones they wore from 1998-2018. But these will do just fine.
1. Houston Texans Whoever redesigned the Texans’ uniforms deserves a raise.
It is hard for the Texans to win the day on a uniform release. They can’t get nostalgia points like the Broncos, Lions and Jets. They’ve had one uniform in their fairly short history. An expansion team from 2002 can’t tap into the feelings of fans who pine for what life was like in 1994.
And the Texans still crushed it. Every single combination they rolled out is excellent.
And let’s give an extra shout-out to the dark blue alternates with the red numbers, which aren’t just the best of this lot but might be among the best uniforms in the NFL right away. If you’re a Texans fan and don’t have a No. 7 C.J. Stroud H-Town alternate jersey before Week 1, what are you even doing?
As a whole, the NFL will look better on the field this season with the introduction of these four new uniforms and all of their various combinations. The Texans are one of the NFL’s rising teams and while it’s a lot to ask of them to win a Super Bowl this season, they won the uniform rollouts.
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INDIANAPOLIS Owner Jim Irsay, not known for his impulse control, signals the Colts want legacy WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
If Jim Irsay has his way, Marvin Harrison Jr. won’t be wearing his college number in 2024.
The Colts have retired No. 18 for Peyton Manning, and owner Jim Irsay would like to draft receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
In a recent interview with Mike Chappell of Fox 59, Irsay admitted that the Colts have “great” interest in the son of Hall of Fame Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. Irsay also acknowledged that it will probably be “too difficult” to make the move from No. 15 to No. 4 with the Cardinals.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out,’’ Irsay added. “We’re open-minded.”
It would be an amazing move, if the Colts make it. But it would be very expensive to get all the way to No. 4.
Maybe they’ll get lucky. Maybe the Cardinals will trade down with a team that wants the best remaining quarterback. Maybe Colts Ring of Honor member Jim Harbaugh will then do one of his various former teams a favor by letting the Colts draft the son of his former teammate in Indy.
As we mention above in ARIZONA, Harrison may not be a foregone conclusion at #4. Maybe the Colts would only need to move to 8 or 9 to make Irsay’s dream come true.
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JACKSONVILLE We saw this in The Athletic:
Brandon Aiyuk is traded to Jacksonville for No. 17. Aiyuk on Instagram: “Brother said we got 6 days and it’s fireworks,” referring to draft night, notable as he has not been participating in the 49ers’ current voluntary workouts. The Jaguars need a WR1, were reportedly offering Calvin Ridley just shy of $20M per year (Aiyuk’s looking for $25M) and have $30M in cap space. We know the odds of No. 17 being a WR1 aren’t great. 😮😮😮😮
The DB is curious how high the 49ers could get if they made the trade for #17 before the draft, then package #31 and #17. The Falcons at 8?
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TENNESSEE Jacob Robinson of The Athletic wonders why every Mock meekly has the Titans taking T JOE ALT or another OL at #7.
Titans go WR at No. 7: Every mock I’ve seen has them doing the responsible thing (OT Joe Alt), but consider this: New HC Brian Callahan comes from Cincinnati, where he “landed on the Ja’Marr Chase side” of the debate between picking another WR or picking seemingly much-needed OT phenom Penei Sewell. In Tennessee, DeAndre Hopkins’ contract ends after this season and Callahan has a world-class O-line coach (his dad, Bill). 😮😮😮
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AFC EAST |
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NEW ENGLAND Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com mull what the Patriots are thinking at #3:
Graziano: While Washington seems set on staying put and selecting a quarterback — as Jeremy said, most believe it’ll be Daniels — at No. 2, the Patriots are legitimately considering all options with the No. 3 pick. They could absolutely stay at No. 3 and take their favorite quarterback still on the board, but they’ve also made it clear they’re willing to listen to offers from teams looking to trade up to that spot.
The key thing to watch is how far back they’re willing to go. Patriots ownership seems to have a strong preference to come out of the first round with a quarterback, so moving back to, say, No. 11 with Minnesota or No. 12 with Las Vegas might be too precipitous a drop for the Patriots to still ensure their ability to do that. But if they were to move back only three spots in a trade with the Giants, who pick sixth, they could still be in position to pick a quarterback in the first round and add multiple extra premium picks.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was among the quarterbacks with whom the Patriots visited in the pre-draft process, and people I’ve spoken to say that visit was to gather information on the lefty quarterback in case they decided to trade down. I believe they’re high on him, though I don’t think he’s a consideration if they stay at No. 3.
Fowler: “Common sense says the Patriots need a quarterback,” a team source told me. My sense after asking around to several sources is that the Patriots have Daniels rated ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye in the pecking order but still like Maye’s upside. McCarthy would fall somewhere after that, though I was reminded Tuesday night to not totally discount Robert Kraft’s affinity for Tom Brady, who might see shades of himself in McCarthy, a fellow Michigan product. The Patriots could trade back and acquire McCarthy with a later pick.
The Patriots have fielded trade calls but haven’t been wowed by a potential deal yet. They are open to offers, but signs point to them staying put. Should New England select a quarterback at No. 3, don’t be surprised if it seriously considers a wide receiver at No. 34, assuming the options it likes are available. The Pats could swing a trade for a wide receiver, but it would be shocking if they didn’t come out of the draft with a pass-catcher somewhere relatively high.
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THIS AND THAT
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SURPRISE FIRST ROUNDERS Tom Pelissaro of NFL.com throws out four names that aren’t in many Mock Drafts as possible first rounder:
There is drama at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft, as a likely run on quarterbacks — and some accompanying trades, presumably — should spawn a fascinating start to the action in Round 1 on Thursday night.
But who fills out the final picks in the first round, once the true blue-chip prospects are off the board?
Here are four players who haven’t exactly headlined mock drafts of late, but hearing their names called on Thursday evening wouldn’t shock some of the NFL executives, scouts and coaches I’ve talked to in recent weeks.
Keon Coleman Florida State · WR · Junior A disappointing time in the 40-yard dash (4.61 seconds) dropped Coleman out of most first-round mock drafts. However, Coleman reached a top speed of 20.36 mph in the gauntlet drill — best among all receivers at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine and faster than Puka Nacua’s combine-best 20.06 mph in 2023. Coleman has size (6-foot-3 1/4, 213 pounds with a 78 1/8-inch wingspan), production (108 catches and 18 TDs over the past two seasons), ball skills and good hands. He was among the busiest players during the pre-draft process with a dozen top-30 visits, plus a couple private team workouts.
One veteran assistant coach said Coleman has some qualities that remind him of another former Seminoles receiver: Anquan Boldin. A different coach pointed out Coleman wasn’t even training full time for football until recently — he played basketball for Michigan State in the spring of 2022 — and hasn’t fully developed physically. Coleman has time to grow into his body, as he turns 21 next month. NFL teams won’t want to miss on the next Nacua, who caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns in a Pro Bowl rookie season for the Rams after his own underwhelming 40 time (reportedly a 4.57 at his pro day) contributed to his fall to the fifth round. There are enough receiver-needy teams at the end of Round 1 and top of Round 2 in this draft to think Coleman won’t remain on the board too long.
Junior Colson Michigan · LB · Junior As my colleague Daniel Jeremiah noted recently, this isn’t a good year to need off-ball linebackers. But if one player at that position sneaks into Round 1, it might be the 21-year-old Colson, who led the national champion Wolverines in tackles for the second straight season in 2023 with 95. He also won the Lott IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity) Trophy last season — an honor that went to a pair of top-three picks (Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr.) in the previous two years. Colson has good size at 6-2 1/4, 238 pounds. He’s also a PFF favorite, as one of just six FBS linebackers to boast 80-plus grades in run defense and coverage in 2023 (min. 600 snaps).
Colson didn’t participate in drills and testing at the combine because of a hamstring injury suffered in training, and a busy string of visits — including to the Cowboys, who served as his medical recheck — made it impractical to ramp up training again in time to work out at Michigan’s pro day. But he played in all 43 games (36 starts) over three seasons at Michigan, despite battling a foot injury in 2022 and breaking his left hand in 2023, forcing him to play in a cast. (He also wore a splint on his right hand down the stretch of last season.) Value will be the question, but Colson profiles as the definition of a safe pick.
Kingsley Suamataia BYU · OT · Sophomore (RS) A five-star recruit who originally followed cousin Penei Sewell to Oregon, Suamataia transferred after one year to become a two-year starter for the Cougars. He started at right tackle in 2022 and left tackle in ’23, allowing just two sacks in 701 total pass-block snaps, per PFF. Suamataia has NFL size (6-4 5/8, 326 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms) and strength (31 bench reps at the combine, third among tackles), and he just turned 21 in January.
Suamataia is a polarizing prospect — Jeremiah has him ranked No. 121 on his Top 150 prospects list and several scouts said they’d be stunned if he ends up in Round 1. But it only takes one team to bet on Suamataia’s upside. He had a top-30 visit with fellow BYU alum Andy Reid and the Chiefs, who own the final pick in Round 1 (No. 32 overall).
Xavier Legette South Carolina · WR · Senior An impressive combine performance — including a 4.39-second 40 time and 40-inch vertical at 6-1, 221 pounds — put Legette in the conversation of this draft’s risers. And while some NFL scouts and coaches aren’t sold after just one year of production for the Gamecocks, Legette’s athletic ability alone could entice a team to take him Thursday night.
Legette had just 42 catches and five touchdowns over his first four seasons at South Carolina, missing parts of 2020 (hamstring) and 2021 (motorcycle accident), but he made the most of his extra year of eligibility, totaling 71 catches for 1,255 yards (second in the SEC behind only projected top-10 pick Malik Nabers) and seven TDs last season. He had roughly a dozen top-30 visits and did a private workout for the Bills, who just traded Stefon Diggs to Houston and own the No. 28 pick.
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2024 DRAFT Today’s first Mock Draft is from Bucky Brooks of NFL.com, He has no trades:
1 Chicago Bears (via CAR) Caleb Williams USC · QB · Junior The Bears are all in on the spectacular playmaker from USC. Williams has been the odds-on favorite to land in Chicago since the beginning of the process. General manager Ryan Poles makes it official on Thursday evening.
2 Washington Commanders Jayden Daniels LSU · QB · Senior Despite a reportedly bumpy start to their relationship, the Commanders and Daniels come together at No. 2, with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner bringing plenty of excitement to the nation’s capital.
3 New England Patriots Drake Maye North Carolina · QB · Sophomore (RS) Eliot Wolf scoops up the quarterback with the prototypical size, athleticism and arm talent. Maye’s uneven final season at North Carolina does not discourage the Patriots from placing their faith in the 21-year-old.
4 Arizona Cardinals Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State · WR · Junior The silky smooth pass catcher is the WR1 Kyler Murray needs to take the Cardinals’ offense to another level.
5 Los Angeles Chargers Joe Alt Notre Dame · OT · Junior Jim Harbaugh’s commitment to the running game could make the offensive line a priority in the draft. Alt is a technician with the toughness and tenacity the Chargers’ new coach covets in his front-line players.
6 New York Giants Malik Nabers LSU · WR · Junior If the Giants remain committed to quarterback Daniel Jones, they must add more explosive playmakers to the lineup with big-play potential. Nabers is a catch-and-run specialist who can score from anywhere on the field.
7 Tennessee Titans Taliese Fuaga Oregon State · OT · Senior The rugged edge blocker adds some grit and toughness to a front that wants to bully opponents at the point of attack.
8 Atlanta Falcons Byron Murphy II Texas · DT · Junior New head coach Raheem Morris adds an explosive interior defender to the rotation to jump-start the Falcons’ pass rush.
9 Chicago Bears Rome Odunze Washington · WR · Senior As a physical playmaker with a high IQ and positional flexibility, Odunze is a perfect complement to veteran studs DJ Moore and Keenan Allen in the receiving corps. Caleb Williams has quite the arsenal to work with.
10 New York Jets Brock Bowers Georgia · TE · Junior Operating in win-now mode with Aaron Rodgers at age 40, the Jets snag a big-bodied pass catcher with the capacity to dominate the middle of the field.
11 Minnesota Vikings J.J. McCarthy Michigan · QB · Junior Kevin O’Connell gets his quarterback without climbing the board through a blockbuster trade. McCarthy flourished in a managerial role at Michigan, but he possesses the talent to evolve into a playmaker as a pro.
12 Denver Broncos Jared Verse Florida State · Edge · Senior Sean Payton’s essentially rebuilding the Broncos from scratch, and a premier pass rusher is a critical need. Verse is an energetic QB hunter with the potential to rack up double-digit sacks in the NFL.
13 Las Vegas Raiders JC Latham Alabama · OT · Junior Beefing up the offensive line is a top priority for a team that wants to control the trenches. Latham is a bully at the point of attack with the size, strength and power to excel as a mauler on the edges.
14 New Orleans Saints Olumuyiwa Fashanu Penn State · OT · Junior (RS) The Saints must upgrade their bookend protection to help Derek Carr flourish as a passer. Fashanu is a work in progress, especially as a run blocker, but his natural talent and tools could help him develop into an elite player down the road.
15 Indianapolis Colts Quinyon Mitchell Toledo · CB · Senior General manager Chris Ballard is all about drafting talented prospects with prototypical traits and athleticism. Mitchell is the freakiest cover corner in the draft, with a dynamic game that matches his supreme gifts.
16 Seattle Seahawks Troy Fautanu Washington · OL · Senior The ultra-versatile blocker reunites with his college offensive coordinator (new Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb), giving Seattle a plug-and-play option at multiple spots.
17 Jacksonville Jaguars Terrion Arnold Alabama · CB · Sophomore (RS) Adding a high-IQ cover corner with positional flexibility could help the Jaguars match up with the rising offenses in the AFC South.
18 Cincinnati Bengals Brian Thomas Jr. LSU · WR · Junior Thomas is an athletic playmaker with the size, speed and ball skills to thrive as a WR3 playing alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
19 Los Angeles Rams Dallas Turner Alabama · Edge · Junior The Rams could use more juice off the edge to help replace the sack production lost via Aaron Donald’s retirement.
20 Pittsburgh Steelers Amarius Mims Georgia · OT · Junior The extra-EXTRA large edge blocker (6-foot-7 3/4 and 340 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms and 11 1/4-inch hands) would help the Steelers control the trenches as they transition to a ground-and-pound squad under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
21 Miami Dolphins Jackson Powers-Johnson Oregon · IOL · Junior Beefing up the line could help the Dolphins upgrade an offense that struggled against physical defensive fronts last season.
22 Philadelphia Eagles Nate Wiggins Clemson · CB · Junior With Vic Fangio taking over as defensive coordinator, the Eagles must add a man-to-man corner with the potential to handle matchups against the opponent’s No. 1 wideout.
23 Minnesota Vikings (via CLE through HOU) Laiatu Latu UCLA · Edge · Senior Brian Flores’ aggressive scheme could benefit from a dynamic defender with explosive skills on the edge. Latu is the most polished pass rusher in this year’s draft class, with a game built for the NFL.
24 Dallas Cowboys Graham Barton Duke · OL · Senior Barton brings five-position flexibility. The Cowboys could reshuffle the offensive line to put the best five blockers on the field, with Barton boasting the ability to be a plug-and-play starter at multiple spots.
25 Green Bay Packers Cooper DeJean Iowa · DB · Junior After bringing in a new defensive coordinator (Jeff Hafley) and high-priced safety (Xavier McKinney), Green Bay adds another big defensive piece in DeJean, who supplies athleticism and versatility to the rotation. The Iowa standout is a Swiss Army Knife with the instincts and ball skills to thrive in a “see ball, get ball” system.
26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chop Robinson Penn State · Edge · Junior Todd Bowles can’t resist taking a dynamic defender with outstanding speed, quickness and explosiveness. Though Robinson did not put up big numbers as a pass rusher at Penn State, he possesses the tools scouts covet in premier pass rushers.
27 Arizona Cardinals (via HOU) Darius Robinson Missouri · DL · Senior Adding a disruptive pass rusher is a top priority for the Cardinals. Robinson provides inside/outside versatility with a game that could see him evolve into a Cam Jordan-like playmaker at the point of attack.
28 Buffalo Bills Jer’Zhan Newton Illinois · DT · Senior Despite bringing DaQuan Jones back on a two-year deal, the Bills need to plan for the future on the defensive interior. Newton is a versatile one-gap penetrator with a nonstop motor and exceptional first-step quickness.
29 Detroit Lions Kool-Aid McKinstry Alabama · CB · Junior The Lions must upgrade the secondary to neutralize top quarterbacks in the NFC. McKinstry is a sticky bump-and-run corner with outstanding instincts, awareness and ball skills.
30 Baltimore Ravens Tyler Guyton Oklahoma · OT · Junior (RS) General manager Eric DeCosta needs to address the edges with Morgan Moses traded away and Ronnie Stanley struggling with injuries. Guyton is an intriguing option as a potential Day 1 starter at right tackle, yet he has enough athleticism to eventually make a move to the left side of the line.
31 San Francisco 49ers Jordan Morgan Arizona · OT · Senior With Trent Williams entering the twilight of his career, the 49ers have to find an eventual replacement on the edge. Morgan is a sound blocker at the point of attack with diverse skills that could enable him to play on either side of the offensive line.
32 Kansas City Chiefs Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Missouri · CB · Junior (RS) The loss of L’Jarius Sneed could prompt the Chiefs to seek CB help at the bottom of Round 1. Rakestraw is a rock-solid cover corner with superb tackling skills. – – – And this from Danny Kelly of The Ringer:
1 – CHICAGO CALEB WILLIAMS QUARTERBACK USC No change here. All signs point to the Bears taking Williams, who has one of the most exciting skill sets of any quarterback prospect in some time. He lands with a surprisingly good supporting cast in Chicago, where he’ll get to throw to D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Things are looking up for the Bears.
2 – WASHINGTON JAYDEN DANIELS QUARTERBACK LSU This is a tough pick to project, but I’ll go with the guy who’s been the leader in the clubhouse at this spot for the past few months. Daniels is an über-talented dual-threat signal-caller who throws a gorgeous deep ball and can score from anywhere on the field as a runner. He makes the Commanders a must-watch team in 2024.
3 MINNESOTA (TRADE WITH NEW ENGLAND) DRAKE MAYE QUARTERBACK NORTH CAROLINA The Patriots might be better off just sticking and picking here to land Maye, but de facto GM Eliot Wolf just can’t turn down Minnesota’s godfather offer of three first-round picks. The Pats get valuable foundation-building pieces to move back, and the Vikings get their franchise passer. Maye lands in a near-ideal situation for a rookie signal-caller; he’ll get to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson while playing in an offense called by Kevin O’Connell.
4 ARIZONA MARVIN HARRISON JR. WIDE RECEIVER OHIO STATE I’m sure that Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort will entertain offers to move back out of this spot, but ultimately Harrison is just too good to pass up. The former Ohio State star brings elite size, speed, and body control to the position and can threaten at all three levels. He’ll be a force multiplier for the Cardinals passing game under Kyler Murray.
5 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS JC LATHAM TACKLE ALABAMA From the time Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz took control, everything the Chargers have done personnel-wise has screamed, “We want to run the ball.” Latham checks that box and then some: He’s a supersized road grader at right tackle and would perfectly complement left tackle Rashawn Slater.
6 NEW YORK GIANTS MALIK NABERS WIDE RECEIVER LSU There’s a lot of smoke around the Giants and the quarterbacks in this draft, but the team opts here to give it one more year with Daniel Jones. They get him a hell of a lot of help with this pick, too, grabbing the most explosive receiver in the draft.
7 TENNESSEE TITANS JOE ALT TACKLE NOTRE DAME The Titans have spent the offseason building up talent at the skill positions, adding Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard in free agency. Now they bolster the offensive line, grabbing the highly athletic Alt to solidify their left tackle role. Dropping Alt next to guard Peter Skoronski, last year’s first-rounder, should give quarterback Will Levis the type of protection he needs to make a big jump in year two.
8 ATLANTA FALCONS BYRON MURPHY II INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN TEXAS The Falcons add some youth to their aging interior defensive line, grabbing a long-term replacement for the soon-to-be 31-year old Grady Jarrett. Murphy is a versatile, explosive pocket disrupter who plays with a remarkable anchor despite weighing in south of 300 pounds.
9 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS MOCK TRADE WITH CHICAGO ROME ODUNZE WIDE RECEIVER WASHINGTON TRADE: The Colts send the Bears the no. 15 pick and the no. 46 pick to move up to no. 9. The Colts make an aggressive move here to give their young franchise quarterback Anthony Richardson a big-time playmaker in Odunze. The Washington star drops into an Indianapolis skill group that already includes receivers Michael Pittman and Josh Downs and running back Jonathan Taylor, giving Richardson an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the supporting cast around him.
10 NEW YORK JETS BROCK BOWERS TIGHT END GEORGIA The more sensible move for the Jets here might be to take an offensive lineman and build some depth to boost their aging, cobbled-together group. But with Aaron Rodgers playing what may be his final season, the Jets instead put all their chips in on skill-player talent to surround their quarterback. As the new de facto no. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson, Bowers does solve a need for the team, and he gives New York a big-time creator after the catch.
11 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS MOCK TRADE WITH MINNESOTA OLUMUYIWA FASHANU TACKLE PENN STATE After bypassing the opportunity to draft one of the top quarterbacks in this class and instead trading back out of the third overall pick, the Patriots turn around here and draft their left tackle of the future. Fashanu is my top-ranked offensive tackle and gives the team some much-needed stability at that spot—providing a boost for the quarterback New England will eventually install there for the long term.
12 DENVER BRONCOS J.J. MCCARTHY QUARTERBACK MICHIGAN There’s a good chance that some team will trade up into the top 10 to draft McCarthy (and it might be the Broncos), but if that scenario doesn’t materialize, Denver will run to the podium to hand this pick in. McCarthy has a live arm, good mobility, and a steely demeanor. He gives Sean Payton a new franchise quarterback to build around.
13 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS TERRION ARNOLD DEFENSIVE BACK ALABAMA The Raiders have been closely connected to quarterback Michael Penix in the run-up to the draft, so it won’t be too surprising if he’s the pick here. But with an elite cornerback prospect still on the board, I’ve got Las Vegas pivoting to Arnold instead. The former Crimson Tide star is a savvy, instinctive defender and has the potential to become a lockdown corner for the Silver and Black.
14 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS TROY FAUTANU TACKLE WASHINGTON The Saints add talent to their offensive line here by grabbing the versatile and highly athletic Fautanu. The team has gotten nothing from Trevor Penning, and Ryan Ramczyk’s future remains uncertain as he deals with a knee injury. Fautanu has the smooth footwork to play on the blind side but could fill in at either guard spot if needed.
15 CHICAGO BEARS MOCK TRADE WITH INDIANAPOLIS LAIATU LATU EDGE RUSHER UCLA After trading back and picking up an extra second-rounder, the Bears still land my top-ranked edge rusher in this class. Latu is a technician with his hands and plays with an intensity-raising ferociousness—and gives the Chicago defense a great pass-rushing complement for Montez Sweat.
16 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS JER’ZHAN NEWTON INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN The Seahawks add some pocket-collapsing talent to their trenches with this pick, grabbing a tone-setter in Newton (who reunites with former college teammate Devon Witherspoon). Like Witherspoon, the former Illinois star is a little undersized, but he makes up for it with sheer tenacity and force of will. He’s a nice addition for new head coach Mike Macdonald.
17 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS QUINYON MITCHELL DEFENSIVE BACK TOLEDO This could be a massive steal for the Jags, who get an explosive and instinctive playmaker in Mitchell. The former Toledo standout dispelled some worries about his level of competition in the MAC when he went to the Senior Bowl, regularly shutting opponents down and making big plays in coverage. He’ll provide a nice boon to the Jacksonville secondary when lined up opposite Tyson Campbell.
18 CINCINNATI BENGALS TALIESE FUAGA TACKLE OREGON STATE This is a meat-and-potatoes pick for the Bengals, who pick up a tough and versatile offensive lineman who can protect Joe Burrow long-term. Fuaga brings the footwork and athleticism to play at right tackle, but can also start at guard if that’s where the team needs him to play early on.
19 LOS ANGELES RAMS AMARIUS MIMS TACKLE GEORGIA The Rams go for a super high-upside option here, selecting a prototypically built offensive lineman with very little starting experience in Mims. The Bulldogs standout has just eight career starts on his résumé, but his immense size, length, and movement skills make him well worth the gamble.
20 PITTSBURGH STEELERS ADONAI MITCHELL WIDE RECEIVER TEXAS The Steelers start to restock the shelves at wide receiver after trading away Diontae Johnson, grabbing an über-talented pass catcher in Mitchell. The Longhorns star is a good fit for a Russell Wilson–led or Justin Fields–led offense. He brings elite speed to get down the field, knows how to own the sideline on deep shots, and can twist and contort to bring down contested passes in the red zone.
21 MIAMI DOLPHINS DALLAS TURNER EDGE RUSHER ALABAMA The Dolphins look to the edge spot by grabbing Turner here, dropping a highly athletic and long-levered pass rusher into their rotation. Alongside Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and the newly signed Shaq Barrett, Turner can give the team more juice up front—and will provide the type of depth it needs on the defensive line.
22 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES JARED VERSE EDGE RUSHER FLORIDA STATE The Eagles look once again to the lines with their first pick, grabbing a big, powerful, and highly explosive edge rusher in Verse. A deep and talented pass rush rotation has been a main characteristic for Philly over the past few years and GM Howie Roseman sticks with that tack here. Alongside Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, the newly signed Bryce Huff, and a couple of others, Verse can help make the Eagles pass rush group one of the league’s best.
23 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS MOCK TRADE WITH MINNESOTA NATE WIGGINS DEFENSIVE BACK CLEMSON After addressing the offensive line with the first of their two first-round picks, the Patriots turn to the defense here. Wiggins is an electric athlete with incredible length and good ball skills, giving the team another potential shutdown corner to pair with Christian Gonzalez.
24 DALLAS COWBOYS TYLER GUYTON TACKLE OKLAHOMA
25 GREEN BAY PACKERS GRAHAM BARTON TACKLE DUKE The Packers bolster the offensive line here, grabbing a blocking technician who brings the capability to fill in at multiple spots. Barton offers five-position versatility, with the frame and skill set to play either tackle spot, at guard, and even at center. The team continues to build a support system around quarterback Jordan Love.
26 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON CENTER OREGON The Buccaneers add some beef to their interior offensive line by taking Powers-Johnson here, giving the team a plug-and-play starter at either center or guard. Powers-Johnson has a big, burly build, plays with plenty of vinegar as a blocker, and should help provide a more stable pocket for quarterback Baker Mayfield. Critically, Powers-Johnson should help the team finally get its run game going in 2024, too.
27 ARIZONA CARDINALS DARIUS ROBINSON EDGE RUSHER MISSOURI The Cardinals gave their offense a major boost by taking Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick, now they turn their attention to the other side of the ball. Robinson is a versatile and disruptive defensive lineman who plays with tone-setting physicality and can line up at multiple spots. He’s not too flashy, but he’s going to make the Arizona defensive line much more formidable.
28 BUFFALO BILLS BRIAN THOMAS JR. WIDE RECEIVER LSU After losing both Stefon Diggs (to a trade) and Gabriel Davis (to free agency) over the offseason, Buffalo looks to buttress its pass catching corps with a big-time downfield playmaker. Thomas is an elite field stretcher who can get over the top of a defender before they even know it—a trait that should mesh well with the big-armed Josh Allen. Adding Thomas to a group that already includes Dalton Kincaid, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and James Cook should give Allen plenty of options in the passing game.
29 DETROIT LIONS COOPER DEJEAN DEFENSIVE BACK IOWA The Lions signed Amik Robertson and traded for Carlton Davis over the offseason, but they can’t stop there. DeJean is a rare athlete with good size and a physical play style; he’s twitchy enough to play at corner but also brings the ability to kick inside and play over the slot or at safety. The Iowa star is just what the Lions need as they continue to rebuild their defensive backs room.
30 BALTIMORE RAVENS CHOP ROBINSON EDGE RUSHER PENN STATE The Ravens always seem to scoop up value later in the first round and that’s exactly what they do here, grabbing the most explosive pass rusher in this year’s class. Robinson has work to do on his rush plan and needs to be stronger when taking on blocks, but he’s got an incredibly electric first step.
31 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY DEFENSIVE BACK ALABAMA The Niners continue to add pieces to an already-great defense here by selecting McKinstry, a tough and physical cover corner who combines size and physicality at the position. Kool-Aid will give the team plenty of options for how it deploys its secondary group. Along with Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas, and the newly signed Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom, McKinstry will fill out a solid cornerback group.
32 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS XAVIER WORTHY WIDE RECEIVER TEXAS The Chiefs make a sexy pick here to close out the first round, grabbing the fastest man in combine history to reinforce their skill-player group. Worthy is electric with the ball in his hands and will give the team another field-tilting playmaker who demands the attention of the defense on every play. He’s capable of stretching a defense deep, of course, but he is probably most dangerous when he gets the ball in space. Andy Reid can scheme up ways to get him in exactly those types of situations.
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