NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

S JONATHAN OWENS is a Bear.

Free agent safety Jonathan Owens is leaving the Green Bay Packers to sign a two-year deal with the rival Chicago Bears, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Owens, 28, played in all 17 games and made 11 starts for the Packers in 2023, his first and only season in Green Bay. Owens played his first four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, including a 17-start season in 2022.

Owens produced 84 tackles, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown for the Packers in 2023.

Among 61 safeties with at least 600 snaps played in 2023, Owens’ overall grade ranked 50th. Including the postseason, Owens played 927 snaps on defense.

The Packers let both Owens and Darnell Savage depart in free agency, but general manager Brian Gutekunst will sign Xavier McKinney, the top free agent safety available.

In Chicago, Owens will team with free agent addition Kevin Byard and 2022 second-round pick Jaquan Brisker at safety.

Owens is the second former Packer to stay in the NFC North on Tuesday. Running back Aaron Jones is signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

MINNESOTA

The Vikings got better at running back with veteran AARON JONES, formerly of the Packers.  JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal:

A popular former Green Bay Packers player is ending up with the Minnesota Vikings. Packers fans have felt that sort of discomfort before.

One day after Green Bay released running back Aaron Jones, the veteran ball-carrier reportedly landed a one-year deal with the NFC North rivals to the west, worth $7 million.

Jones, a member of the Packers the past seven seasons, played 11 games last year in Green Bay and was entering the final year of his four-year deal with the Packers, one scheduled to pay him a base salary of $11 million plus a per-game roster bonus worth a maximum of $258,824 and a workout bonus of $500,000.

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones plays against San Francisco in the playoffs last season.

The Packers met with Jones’ agent Drew Rosenhaus in hopes of reducing his cap number and bringing him back in 2024, but instead he’ll likely be facing off with the Packers twice next season.

Green Bay, meanwhile, signed former Raiders All-Pro Josh Jacobs, 26, who’s 3 years younger than Jones.

Jones, who scored three touchdowns against Dallas in the playoffs after seeing action in 11 games during the regular season, ran for 656 yards last year and two scores on the ground, and caught 30 passes for 233 yards and another score. He has three seasons under his belt in which he cleared 1,000 yards rushing, including in 2019 when he led the league with 16 touchdowns and in 2020 when he ran for 1,104 yards and made his only Pro Bowl.

It’s not exactly analogous to Brett Favre joining the Vikings in the 2009 season, though it continues a recent trend of popular Packers players leaving for NFC North rivals, including Marcedes Lewis (to the Bears in 2023), Robert Tonyan (Bears in 2023), Jamaal Williams (Lions in 2021-22) and Za’Darius Smith (Vikings in 2022).

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

Taking a chance that his 2023 injuries are a thing of the past, the Eagles bring back CB C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON.

The Philadelphia Eagles are signing defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a three-year deal worth up to $33 million in maximum value.

His agents, Kevin Conner and Robert Brown of Universal Sports, confirmed the deal to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

It’s a return to Philadelphia for Gardner-Johnson, who spent one season with the Eagles in 2022. He tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with six that season despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney.

He became the only Eagles player since the 1970 merger to record interceptions in five consecutive games.

After he hit free agency, the Lions signed Gardner-Johnson to a one-year deal last offseason to try to upgrade the secondary, but he was limited to just three games after suffering a torn pectoral in Week 2.

When active, Gardner-Johnson was productive, with 17 tackles, 3 passes defended and 1 interception during the regular season. He had another interception in the divisional round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He pushed hard to try and change the defensive culture in Detroit, even urging Lions fans to don blue ski masks during games, which created early excitement.

Gardner-Johnson, a 2019 fourth-round pick, played his first three seasons with the New Orleans Saints before he was traded to the Eagles ahead of the 2022 season. With the Eagles, he tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney.

He became the only Eagles player since the 1970 merger to record interceptions in five consecutive games.

Over five NFL seasons, Gardner-Johnson has 12 interceptions, 39 passes defended, 245 tackles and 4 sacks.

And this:

The Eagles and former Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker reached agreement on a one-year, $4.69 million fully guaranteed deal, agent Jimmy Gould told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

Philadelphia will pay only $1.2 million of Parker’s deal, with New England paying the rest.

WASHINGTON

QB MARCUS MARIOTA would appear to be in line to back up an unknown rookie – a role that didn’t go so well for Mariota at the end of 2022 with the Falcons.  Adam Schefter:

@AdamSchefter

Former Eagles QB Marcus Mariota is signing with the Washington Commanders on a 1-year deal with a base value of $6 million and upside to $10 million, per source.

Does that seem a bit high?  And QB SAM HOWELL is still rostered.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

The Panthers take WR DIONTAE JOHNSON off the Steelers hands.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are sending wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a pick swap, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

The Steelers are sending the Panthers a seventh-round draft pick in addition to the receiver and receiving a sixth-round pick with the cornerback.

Johnson was the Steelers’ most experienced wide receiver and longest-tenured offensive player. A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, he is in the final year of his contract and comes with a $10 million cap hit to the Panthers, leaving $5.8 million of dead cap in Pittsburgh.

The trade is not yet official, but Johnson bid farewell to Pittsburgh on social media.

“5 years ago you brought me in and treated me like family from day one,” he wrote. “I will always be grateful for the memories made and relationships I will forever cherish. To my teammates, coaches, staff, and the fans who were there through the good and bad.. thank you for allowing me to grow into the man I am today.”

Jackson, meanwhile, has spent his entire career in Carolina after being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft. He started 16 games in 2023 after an Achilles injury prematurely ended his 2022 season. Jackson, also in the final year of his deal, has a $10.6 million cap hit for the Steelers and $9.7 million in dead cap for the Panthers.

A league source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler last week that the Panthers were planning to trade or release Jackson, who has 14 career interceptions, including four in his rookie season, but none this past season. Moving on from Jackson leaves Carolina looking for a starting corner to play opposite Jaycee Horn. However, Johnson gives quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, an additional playmaker as the Panthers look to climb from an NFL-worst 2-15 record this past season.

Young’s only returning receivers who made an impact in 2023 were Adam Thielen and rookie Jonathan Mingo. Johnson immediately gives Young a deep threat he didn’t have a year ago when the former Alabama star ranked 32nd in the NFL with an average of 5.5 yards per pass attempt.

But they also re-sign one of their own receivers.  Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Panthers have agreed to terms with receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, the team announced Tuesday.

After bouncing from Minnesota to Chicago and then Kansas City, Smith-Marsette has found a home. He will play a second season in a row at the same place.

He entered the league in 2021 with the Vikings, and in eight games, Smith-Marsette caught five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. In 2022, he split time between the Chiefs and Bears.

Panthers coaches finally found a plan for Smith-Marsette late last season.

He ended the year with eight receptions for 51 yards, eight rushes for 74 yards and a touchdown and 37 punt returns for a touchdown and an 8.7-yard average.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

We will no longer shout “Deeeebo” as number 19 races down the field for the 49ers.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel will wear the No. 1 jersey in 2024.

Samuel, who has worn No. 19 throughout his NFL career, announced on social media that his jersey will be No. 1 this season. Samuel (whose full legal name is Tyshun Raequan Samuel) will also change his nameplate to “Samuel Sr.” He’s the father of Tyshun Jr.

Several players have changed their jerseys to single-digit numbers since the NFL relaxed its uniform policies to allow more players to wear single digits. For many years, single-digit numbers were the domain only of quarterbacks, kickers and punters, but now every position except linemen can wear single digits.

Samuel wore No. 1 in college at South Carolina, but when he entered the NFL, wide receivers couldn’t wear single-digit jersey numbers. In 2021, when the NFL relaxed its jersey number rules, Samuel and safety Jimmie Ward both wanted No. 1, but Ward had priority because he had been with the 49ers longer. Ward left in free agency a year ago and no one wore No. 1 on the 49ers in 2023.

Players who request an immediate number change are required to buy any unsold inventory of their jerseys, which can be quite expensive for popular players like Samuel, whose No. 19 jersey is available at stores across the country. But if Samuel informed the league a year ago when Ward left that he wanted the number, then it won’t cost anything, as the league allows players to freely change numbers if they make the request a year in advance, giving the league’s apparel arm time to adjust its inventory accordingly.

Fans with Samuel No. 19 jerseys may not be happy about the switch, but Samuel No. 1 jerseys will soon be a hot seller.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

The Chiefs open up $21.6 million in their salary cap.  John Dixon of Arrowhead Pride with an explanation:

As has often happened since quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed his 10-year, $503 million contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in July of 2020, general manager Brett Veach has used the deal’s structure (and its provisions) to create the amount of salary cap space he thinks he needs to take care of the business before him.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Chiefs had “restructured” Mahomes’ contract to create $21.6 million in cap space.

But that’s not really the right word for what Veach did.

“Restructured” typically means taking the base salary due to a player over an NFL season and paying all of it to them before the season begins. Then, it can be considered a signing bonus whose impact on the salary cap may be spread over the life of the contract — but never more than five years.

“Restructured” can also mean creating a contract extension to do essentially the same thing.

But those things require getting the player (and their agent) involved in a negotiation; you’re changing the terms to which the player and the team agreed. While these are almost always the simplest negotiations imaginable — “Say, do you mind if we write you a check for your whole year’s salary today?” — there’s still a process that must be followed.

But since most of Mahomes’ compensation comes from roster bonuses that are paid to him on specific dates, Veach doesn’t have to bother himself with any of that. He and Mahomes have already agreed that at any time before a specific date every year, the Chiefs can simply change how that money (or a portion of it) is counted under the salary cap.

So on Tuesday, all Veach had to do was send a note to the league office, explaining that Mahomes’ $34.9 million roster bonus for 2024 has been reduced to just $7.9 million — and that in 2024, Mahomes is being paid a signing bonus of $27 million. This means that just one-fifth of that amount ($5.4 million) counts against the team’s salary cap — not only in 2024, but also in each of the next four years.

On Tuesday morning, Mahomes was expecting a payment of $34.9 million in May. On Tuesday evening, he’s still expecting that check to come at just the same time. But in the NFL offices on Park Avenue in New York City, the $34.9 million that counted against the 2024 cap has been reduced to $7.9 million — and $5.4 million has been added to the “restructure bonus” column alongside Mahomes’ name on the team’s 2024 salary-cap page.

When those amounts are added to the rest of the items that go into a player’s cap hit for a given year — such as base salary, prorated signing bonus and workout bonus — Mahomes’ 2024 cap hit will be $37.0 million. That’s $21.6 million less than it was on Tuesday morning.

And all Veach had to do was send a note to the league office. From now on, we might as well just describe this process as “visiting the Bank of Mahomes.”

Before Tuesday’s trip to this virtual bank — and including all of Tuesday’s signings, plus the $19.8 million the team is carrying against the cap for the franchise tag on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed — we estimated that Kansas City was $259,000 over the cap. Now, however, we estimate that the Chiefs have $21.3 million in space.

And it’s time for Veach to roll up his sleeves and get some things done.

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

LB PATRICK QUEEN did a Saquon Barkley.  He not only left the Ravens, he signed with the big division rival.  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

Patrick Queen was one of the stars of the Baltimore Ravens’ defense in 2023. A year later, he’ll be matched up against the Ravens in the AFC North, agreeing Tuesday to a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The linebacker will sign a three-year contract with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers worth $41 million, Queen told ESPN.

Queen’s deal is averaging roughly $13.7 million per season through 2026, per Adam Schefter. That makes the former first-round draft pick the seventh-highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, and the richest to hit this year’s free agent market.

Queen, 24, was widely considered the top player at his position to hit the open market, fresh off a career-high 133 tackles in 2023. His production as both a run and pass defender, including 3.5 sacks and six pass breakups, earned the former LSU star his first All-Pro honors. While Baltimore reportedly had interest in retaining him, the Ravens were considered long shots to extend him after already committing top dollar to fellow linebacker Roquan Smith and 2024 free agent defensive lineman Justin Madubuike.

Now Queen will headline a Pittsburgh linebacker corps that struggled to stay healthy in 2023, shuffling several in-season additions. While he didn’t necessarily live up to his own pre-draft hype to start his Ravens career, Queen saw an uptick in production after Smith arrived via trade in 2022, also finishing that season with 110+ tackles and six pass deflections.

Prior to his deal with the Steelers, Queen also drew interest from the Carolina Panthers, per CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

The Texans are well-positioned for success in 2024, with a lot of money to spend, a QB on a rookie contract and a team that had a winning record.  They spent some of that cash on Tuesday.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Texans saw edge rusher Jonathan Greenard agree to terms with the Vikings on Monday and they landed an agreement with a former Viking edge rusher on Tuesday.

According to multiple reports, Danielle Hunter has agreed to sign with the 2023 AFC South champs when the new league year opens on Wednesday. It is a two-year deal with $48 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $51 million.

Hunter was the top player left uncommitted to a team on PFT’s list of the top free agents in the league at the time of his reported agreement and he makes it much easier to swallow Greenard’s departure. Hunter had a career-high 16.5 sacks for the Vikings and he has 87.5 sacks over the course of his career, so the prospect of teaming him with Will Anderson is an agreeable one for the Texans.

The Texans have also agreed to terms with defensive lineman Denico Autry, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, and defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi as they work to build a strong front seven ahead of the 2024 season.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

The Dolphins have signed former Bills S JORDAN POYER.  Michael Obermuller ofHeavy.com:

After being released by the Buffalo Bills ahead of NFL free agency, veteran safety Jordan Poyer is choosing to sign with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The news was first reported on the evening of March 12 and before long, ESPN Dolphins beat writer Marcel Louis-Jacques followed up with the contract details. “Former Bills S Jordan Poyer’s deal with the Dolphins is a 1-year, $2M per source,” the reporter noted — a small price to pay for a former first-team All-Pro whose career earnings come up just shy of $44 million.

Upon agreeing to terms, Poyer’s wife Rachel Bush sent a message on her Instagram story that included the couple’s daughter, Aliyah, next to Miami’s mascot “T.D.” FinsXtra shared the post for Dolphins fans on X.

@FinsXtra

📲 Jordan Poyer’s wife on her Instagram story following the news: “Aliyah had only one place she wanted daddy to sign… We’re home!!” #FinsUp

“Aliyah had only one place she wanted daddy to sign,” she captioned the photo, adding: “Guess where?” In a second text bubble, Bush proclaimed: “We’re home!!”

She relayed a similar all-caps statement on X, writing: “FINS UP WE ARE HOME !! 🐬🩵”

The defensive back also echoed his wife’s comments during a conversation with NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe. “I’m coming home!” He reiterated. “I live about 25 minutes from there [during the offseason]. I’ve wanted to come to Florida for a long time and I feel like I’m coming home. I’ve had a lot of respect for coach [Mike] McDaniel and his team for a long time and it feels right… I think I’m going to be a perfect fit.”

It should be mentioned that Poyer grew up in Astoria, Oregon, so Miami is his home as an adult.

NEW YORK JETS

QB AARON RODGERS has been approached about running for Vice President of the United States.  Seriously.

Despite a joke I made last week, I don’t at all want this to be a politics newsletter. And yet Aaron Rodgers bids us so:

Yesterday, The New York Times reported that outsider presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made overtures to the Jets quarterback to be his running mate for this November’s presidential election. Rodgers hasn’t commented, but the two have apparently gone hiking together. The Jets QB and former pro wrestler/Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura are at the top of Kennedy’s list.

Here’s what I’m most curious about: Could Rodgers technically do this? Campaign season ramps up around July, which happens to be when NFL training camps open. Per the Washington Post, both Kamala Harris (36 in-person events and more than 50 online events during quarantine) and Mike Pence (63 in-person events) were extremely busy as running mates in 2020. There’s no way Rodgers could keep a fraction of that pace and play starting quarterback for the Jets.

I cannot imagine a scenario in which Rodgers tries to seriously do both, and now we find ourselves in a familiar spot: wondering if Rodgers has been mixed up in something just for attention. I’ll think along that route until proved wrong.

Teammate Sauce Gardner joked that this must be why Rodgers hasn’t been replying to his texts. Every time Jets fans wonder whether the Rodgers era can get any weirder, it does.

Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota and former color analyst of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is 72 years old.

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Bill Belichick could be going to Omaha and Peyton Manning is indeed going to Paris.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Bill Belichick is looking for a job. Peyton Manning wants to give him one.

Manning has confirmed that he’s hoping to hire Belichick to work for Omaha Productions in 2024.

“If it comes to fruition, I think fans will be excited to see how incredibly brilliant Bill Belichick is when talking about football and how witty and funny he is,” Manning tells Andrew Marchand of TheAthletic.com.

As Marchand recently reported, multiple networks have spoken to Belichick. The challenge for the former Patriots coach becomes picking the right spot for him to best boost his prospects for getting a head-coaching job in 2025, assuming he wants one. With seven non-Patriots vacancies in 2024, Belichick got only one interview. The challenge for the networks becomes embracing the reality that he might stick around for only one day.

It will be more complicated than it looks. Issues of power and the perception of power will complicate the internal dynamics for any team that considers him. Perhaps more importantly, a fan base will need to embrace the move. That part can be handled if Belichick is as engaging as Manning thinks he’ll be.

Manning knows how to be engaging. He’s done it so well that he’ll be in the booth for the Olympics opening ceremony on NBC, along with Mike Tirico and Kelly Clarkson. That was announced on Tuesday, and it will happen in July.

2024 DRAFT

Garrett Podell of CBSSport.com drops a Mock Draft after the first rush of free agency:

he NFL Scouting Combine is in the rearview mirror, and the first wave of free agency is currently underway.

This week’s transactions will have a tsunami-like effect on all 32 teams’ draft boards and areas of need for the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point in the draft cycle, there is just one projected trade, but it’s a quarterback-starved franchise trying to grab the last clear-cut first-round passer before there is a tier drop-off at the position.

1 – CHICAGO (from Carolina)

Caleb Williams QB

USC • JR • 6’1″ / 215 LBS

The Bears’ path forward is clear: it’s Caleb Williams time. Fields’ market has been crickets after the first day of free agency’s legal tampering period. 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 a leader.

2 – WASHINGTON

Drake Maye QB

NORTH CAROLINA • SOPH • 6’4″ / 230 LBS

It’s 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.

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 young gun to Foxborough.

4 – ARIZONA

Marvin Harrison Jr. WR

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

College football’s receiving touchdowns leader across the past two seasons (28) enters this draft as the clear-cut WR1. Marvin Harrison Jr. has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald and Justin Jefferson early in the draft process. His talent will give Kyler Murray a much-needed top target.

5 – LA CHARGERS

Malik Nabers WR

LSU • JR • 6’0″ / 200 LBS

The Chargers will need another pass-catcher after likely needing to make tough salary cap decisions with 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 different build in LSU’s Malik Nabers (6-0, 200). He was the most electrifying receiver in the nation last year, and Justin Herbert has one of the most live arms in the entire league. Nabers will allow him to let it rip.

6 – NY GIANTS

Rome Odunze WR

WASHINGTON • JR • 6’3″ / 215 LBS

College football’s receiving yards leader (1,640) lands with the G-Men, a team starved for receiver production. The last time the Giants had a player total 1,000 receiving yards was Odell Beckham Jr.’s final year in the Big Apple with 1,052 yards back in 2018. Standing at 6-3 and weighing 215 pounds, Odunze can be an immediate help to whoever New York has under center in 2024. The Giants signed a new right tackle in Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency, so they can afford to go best player available here.

7 – TENNESSEE

Joe Alt OT

NOTRE DAME • JR • 6’7″ / 322 LBS

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 last two seasons, Tennessee selects the best offensive line prospect in the 2024 class.

8 – MINNESOTA (Mock Trade from Atlanta Falcons)

J.J. McCarthy QB

MICHIGAN • JR • 6’3″ / 202 LBS

J.J. 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 champion. 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. The Falcons decide to trade back after finally procuring a franchise QB, albeit at the Vikings’ expense. To make it up to them, Atlanta allows them to move up three spots in the draft to select McCarthy for the price of multiple draft picks.

9 – CHICAGO

Dallas Turner EDGE

ALABAMA • JR • 6’4″ / 252 LBS

The trade and extension of Montez Sweat last season was critical, but Chicago still needs plenty of pass-rush help. The Bears’ 30 sacks were the second fewest in the NFL last season, while their 31.2% quarterback pressure rate ranked as the third worst in the league. The only pass rusher who totaled more sacks (22.5), tackles for loss (32.5) and quarterback pressures (117) than Dallas Turner from 2021-23 was former teammate Will Anderson Jr. Turner isn’t as polished entering the league as Anderson was, but the physical tools are there. Chicago acquires arguably the most pro-ready edge rusher prospect in the 2024 class.

10 – NY JETS

Olumuyiwa Fashanu OT

PENN STATE • JR • 6’6″ / 317 LBS

The Jets’ most pressing need is simple: Find help to protect Aaron Rodgers. Their quarterback is now 40 years old and coming off a major leg injury. The last thing New York needs is for him to be running for his life on the MetLife Stadium turf. The Jets cycled through an NFL-most 13 starting offensive linemen, a metric they need to see go way down in 2024. Fashanu didn’t allow a sack at all during his 697 pass-blocking snaps in college. He could improve as run-blocker, but this is the kind of anchor at left tackle Rodgers needs. Fashanu ran a 5.11-second 40-yard dash with a 6-foot-6, 312-pound frame. He is a next-level athlete the Jets offensive line desperately needs.

11 – ATLANTA (Mock Trade from Minnesota Vikings)

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 Falcons need more juice in their pass rush — they ranked 25th in quarterback pressure rate (32.7%) — and Verse will help them greatly in this area.

12 – DENVER

Terrion Arnold CB

ALABAMA • SOPH • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

Terrion 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

JC Latham OT

ALABAMA • JR • 6’6″ / 360 LBS

The Raiders lost right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to the New York Giants in free agency. 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. He’ll fit in quite nicely in Las Vegas.

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. The Saints add a mountain-like blocker in 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. New Orleans, annually strapped for cap space, addresses a key position of need here.

15 – INDIANAPOLIS

Brock Bowers TE

GEORGIA • JR • 6’4″ / 240 LBS

The Colts need another big-bodied target over the middle in addition to Michael Pittman Jr., and Brock 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.

16 – SEATTLE

Laiatu Latu EDGE

UCLA • SR • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

Laiatu Latu racked up the hardware at UCLA 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 are 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. The big question with Latu is how his medical testing goes. He missed two seasons with a neck injury in 2020 and 2021. Leonard Williams is back, and it would be fun to see Latu’s development under Mike Macdonald.

17 – JACKSONVILLE

Byron Murphy II DL

TEXAS • JR • 6’1″ / 308 LBS

Byron Murphy II is exactly what the Jaguars need up front to pair nicely with Josh Allen and Travon Walker on the edges of their defensive front. They were the seventh-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. Jacksonville had the sixth-worst sack rate (6.1%) in the NFL, and Murphy could help fix that.

18 – CINCINNATI

Amarius Mims OT

GEORGIA • JR • 6’7″ / 340 LBS

Mims is somewhat of a question mark with only eight career starts in 30 college games. 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. The Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow long term after making him the highest-paid player in the league on a per-year basis ($55 million average per year), and Mims and his 6-foot-7, 340-pound frame would be an affordable and helpful add to achieve that goal. There aren’t many athletes like Mims on this planet: he ran a 5.07-second 40-yard dash at his size. Unreal.

19 – LA RAMS

Jackson Powers-Johnson IOL

OREGON • JR • 6’3″ / 320 LBS

One of the darlings of the Senior Bowl, Powers-Johnson is perhaps the best interior blocker in the entire draft. At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, he could play guard or center. Yeah, Los Angeles just spent big on guards Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson, but McVay goes all in on making his offensive line a strength. Steve Avila, the team’s 2023 second-round pick, started everywhere but left tackle at TCU in college. He could pop out to right tackle and Rob Havenstein could flip to the left side of the line.

20 – PITTSBURGH

Nate Wiggins CB

CLEMSON • JR • 6’2″ / 185 LBS

The Steelers could use another young corner to pair with Joey Porter Jr. with Patrick Peterson getting released and both Levi Wallace and Chandon Sullivan hitting 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, Wiggins is a long, athletic cornerback with high-end speed as evidenced by his 4.28-second 40-yard dash. Mike Tomlin will have fun with this pick.

21 – MIAMI

Quinyon Mitchell CB

TOLEDO • JR • 6’0″ / 196 LBS

The Dolphins were allocating a ton of money to their cornerback position between Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard. Miami made a predictable cap decision on Howard this offseason by releasing him last week. Selecting Mitchell, a 6-foot, 196-pound cornerback equipped with great speed, could help out their defense tremendously both now and later.

22 – PHILADELPHIA

Brian Thomas Jr. WR

LSU • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

Thomas is massive, 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. The Eagles struggled to find a reliable third receiver after A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, which hindered what they were able to do through the air last season. Thomas fixes those issues and provides Philly with a potent trio of wideouts.

23 – HOUSTON (from Cleveland)

Cooper DeJean CB

IOWA • JR • 6’1″ / 207 LBS

Cooper DeJean is one of the top athletes in the entire draft, not just at his position. Iowa moved him around a ton, utilizing his skill set at outside corner, inside corner and at both safety spots. His high school basketball tape is filled with dunks. The 2023 unanimous All-American didn’t allow a touchdown on 374 coverage snaps last season, and he also led the Big Ten in punt return yards (406) the last two seasons. DeJean could be a nice complement across from Derek Stingley Jr. in Houston.

24 – DALLAS

Tyler Guyton OT

OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’7″ / 328 LBS

The Cowboys are unclear on what Tyron Smith’s future is in Dallas, as the 33-year-old is set to enter free agency in March. They could use a long-term answer at that spot with a number of other contracts needing to be addressed soon. Guyton (6-foot-7, 328 pounds) is the anchor they need at left tackle, especially if the long-term plan is to keep Pro Bowler Tyler Smith at left guard.

25 GREEN BAY

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 Packers crave: A versatile player who can line up at tackle and guard. Head coach Matt LaFleur loves to use the term “best five” when talking about deciding which linemen will start in Green Bay, focusing less on specific position placement. Fautanu was a college left tackle, and he could fill in there for David Bakhtiari, who has been released. He could also slide inside to guard, and either Rasheed Walker or Zach Tom could be the long-term blindside protector of Jordan Love.

26 – TAMPA BAY

Adonai Mitchell WR

TEXAS • JR • 6’4″ / 196 LBS

The 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year could make a major impact with the Buccaneers in Year 1. After Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, there is an opening at the WR3 spot. There wouldn’t be many other places for a young receiver to come learn how to win at the NFL level than in Tampa with Evans and Godwin. The Buccaneers continue to support Baker Mayfield by giving him another playmaker.

27 – ARIZONA (from Houston)

Graham Barton OT

DUKE • SR • 6’5″ / 314 LBS

Kyler Murray’s health is of the upmost importance in Arizona, and the selection of Duke’s Graham Barton is a great way to ensure Murray stays upright. He was a left tackle in college, but he profiles as more of a guard or center in the pros. Barton has quick reflexes, an unrelenting base and a physical finish to his blocks.

28 – BUFFALO

Johnny Newton DL

ILLINOIS • JR • 6’2″ / 295 LBS

Newton, a 2023 consensus All-American and the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, racked up 102 quarterback pressures the last two seasons, the most by an FBS defensive tackle in that span by 35 pressures. Buffalo will always have Kansas City in mind when building out its roster, and having a stout defensive tackle next to Ed Oliver who also has pass rush chops is critical for the Bills when they face Patrick Mahomes again.

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

Keon Coleman WR

FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

PROJECTED TEAM

Baltimore         

Keon Coleman is the bigger-bodied target (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) at wide receiver that Lamar Jackson needs. Coleman can line up anywhere, and he is a slick route-runner with phenomenal knowledge of how to best utilize his body to maintain leverage against defenders. Coleman has an argument for being the best contested catcher in this class. He’s a great athlete, and he will be a red zone monster in the NFL.

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 at tackle or guard. 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.