The Daily Briefing Wednesday, November 2, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

Ten years ago, the NFL moved the trade deadline from the Tuesday after Week Six to the Tuesday after Week Eight. Last year, the NFL expanded the season from 17 weeks to 18. Thus, it’s time to move the trade deadline again.

At a minimum, it should move to Week Nine. At most, it should go even deeper into the regular season.

Why prevent teams from doing arm’s-length transactions with an arbitrary deadline that comes before some potential sellers are ready to admit they need to sell? As more game are played and more teams lose, they possibly would be more willing to fold the tents and do a deal.

Why shouldn’t they be allowed to do it? What’s wrong with free enterprise? What’s the harm in allowing trades to happen deep into the regular season?

If a contender wants to sacrifice future assets in an eff-them-picks all-in play to capture a Super Bowl, so be it. If a bad team hopes to dangle a great player or two in exchange for draft selections that will help the bad team get better, why not let them? In a league premised on parity, nothing smoothes out competitive disparities more than letting the haves give up too much to get players they want from the have-nots.

Really, there’s no compelling argument against allowing trades to happen well after Week Eight other than “it’s always been this way.” It doesn’t have to be this way. There could be a better way, with more drama and intrigue flowing from a deadline that arrives when the line between contender and pretender is far brighter.

So move it back, NFL. Or give us a better reason than “it was like that when I got here.”

MINNESOTA

A Vikings loyalist of our acquaintance presented this as a caution to getting too hyped on the 2022 Vikings:

Teams the Vikings beat in Green, team they lost to in Red

Current NFC Seed

1          Philadelphia               7-0                                                                              

2          Minnesota                  6-1                                                                                          

3          Seattle                        5-3

4          Atlanta                         4-4

5          Dallas                          6-2

6          NY Giants                   6-2

7          San Francisco             4-4

8          Washington                 4-4

9          LA Rams                     3-4

10        Tampa Bay                 3-5

11        Green Bay                  3-5                                                                                          

12        Arizona                      3-5                                                                                          

13        New Orleans              3-5                                                                              

14        Chicago                      3-5

15        Carolina                       2-6

16        Detroit                                    1-6                                                                                                                              

Minnesota’s one AFC game so far was a win over the 4-4 Dolphins (but with Skylar Thompson at QB).

The last five wins are all in one-score games.

Remaining on the Vikings schedule – Washington 4-4. Dallas 6-2, Giants 6-2, the three NFC North rematches, the 3-4-1 Colts and the three teams in the AFC North that are not Miami including Buffalo in Buffalo.

– – –

This from LB Za’DARIUS SMITH:

@zadariussmith

God Is a Awesome God!! Just a year ago I thought my football career was over!!! Look at how the tables have turned!

Quote Tweet

@Vikings

Z‼️

@zadariussmith has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

WASHINGTON

And, Daniel Snyder may have been broken.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Minutes after Forbes published an article reporting that the Commanders have hired BofA Securities to sell the team, the team issued a statement.

“Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BofA Securities to consider potential transactions,” the statement explains. “The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.”

One league source proposed a translation: “If we get our price, we’re sellers.”

Forbes reported that “Snyder already has at least four calls from groups interested in buying the team,” and that “Snyder and his bankers are exploring all options and a transaction could be for the entire NFL team or a minority stake.”

It would be hard to find anyone to purchase a minority stake at this point, given the questions swirling around the majority owner. The only benefit would be to have a foot in the door, in the event Snyder is later forced to sell.

Choosing to sell all of it now would potentially increase the suitors and, in turn, the price. The Broncos went for $4.65 billion earlier this year. Snyder bought the Commanders for $750 million in 1999. He could now sell for at least $5 billion, if not more.

The process officially has begun to find the best offer. If the Snyders get a number they like, they’ll cash out and move on.

It’s a stunning turn of events. Recent statements from the team consistently have insisted that the Snyders won’t sell. Then again, Dan Snyder once said as to when he would never ditch the team’s since-abandoned nickname.

The primary reason, among many, is that no one wants to build a stadium with the contaminated Snyder.  Florio:

Here’s one theory, from someone who routinely moves in league circles. A new owner will likely be handed the site of RFK Stadium for the construction of a state-of-the-art facility in D.C. Snyder, on the other hand, has no chance of getting anything done. No public official, from either side of the aisle, will want to deal with him.

There likely will be more than a few suitors. From Jeff Bezos (who didn’t try to buy the Broncos) to Josh Harris (who did, and who would have paid $5 billion for it) to Matt Ishbia (who also did) to various private equity/hedge fund billionaires who aren’t widely known. (Remember, private equity/hedge fund billionaires, the only thing better than being rich and famous is being rich.)

Regardless, and as the source said, there will be “no shortage” of bidders for the Commanders. That’s very good news for Commanders fans who very much want there to be a shortage of Snyders, as soon as possible.

TAMPA BAY

For all games, QB TOM BRADY is approaching 100K in passing yards.  Stephen Holder of ESPN.com:

Most passing yards — including playoffs

The top three in passing yards — including playoffs — feature 45-year-old Tom Brady and two guys who aren’t going to catch him.

PLAYER                         YARDS

Tom Brady                      99,836

Drew Brees                     85,724

Peyton Manning 79,279

On Nov. 23, 2000, in a forgettable game during a forgettable season, quarterback Tom Brady recorded the first passing yards of his career.

They came in the form of a 6-yard pass to tight end Rod Rutledge in garbage time of a Detroit Lions blowout of the New England Patriots. The pass would go down as the lone completion of Brady’s rookie season.

Now, more than two decades later, Brady finds himself on the verge of the ultimate mark of endurance, a milestone that has never been reached and might never be matched: 100,000 career passing yards (regular season and postseason).

And when it’s all over, Brady will likely shrug and display deference about it all, because, well, what’s one more record for someone who has rewritten the NFL’s record book?

Just consider what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said after throwing his 700th touchdown pass (regular season and postseason combined) last year.

“I don’t think about those things,” Brady said in December. “People kinda tell me they happen. That’s pretty cool. I keep some jerseys and stuff like that. It’s just amazing to have people share in all those great accomplishments, but, obviously, to me, I feel like they’re all team awards, anyway.”

But if there was ever a time for Brady to make it about himself, perhaps this would be it.

Brady is 164 yards shy of reaching the 100,000-yard threshold, a mark that will add yet another layer of separation between the achievements of Brady and everyone else who has played the game. He could reach it as soon as Sunday, when the Buccaneers host the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).

The 100,000-yard plateau, perhaps more than any other mark Brady has reached, puts the totality of his accomplishments in perspective. For starters, it highlights his implausible endurance in the game.

“Wow,” said Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, Brady’s former offensive coordinator in New England. “I mean the number, I think, speaks obviously to longevity.”

But more than that, it is a statistic that accurately reflects Brady’s status as a fixture in the postseason and playoff dominance. It’s why he’s more than 14,000 yards ahead of the second-place quarterback on this list, Drew Brees.

Brady, 45, has not only outlasted his peers. He’s almost always outperformed them, in both the regular season and under the bright lights of the postseason.

They say “quarterback wins” is not a real stat. But we reserve the right to make an exception for the greatest winner in NFL history. Brady’s .744 postseason winning percentage is right on par with his .759 regular-season win rate.

That’s how a quarterback gets to 100,000 yards. Now, with the milestone in sight, let’s take a look at some statistical superlatives from Brady’s journey, with research from ESPN Stats & Information along with some input from those who helped him get here.

‘Not trying to get greedy’

It might be mildly surprising to learn Brady has led the NFL in passing yards in a single season just four times.

His 266.2 career passing yards per game rank ninth all-time. It is an impressive number, to be sure, but it also ranks behind the likes of Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Deshaun Watson.

The underlying principle to Brady’s approach has always been his ability to make the right play, if not the most electric. It is no coincidence an endless parade of slot receivers have excelled while playing with Brady, from Wes Welker to Julian Edelman.

“You can sit back there and just hold on, kind of messing around, going through reads,” said Welker, Brady’s teammate for six seasons in New England. “But he understands that the rush is coming, and that if you have a No. 1 (read), take it. It’s not trying to get greedy. Just trying to stay in positive plays and keeping in third-and-manageable and just moving the ball.

“It’s very frustrating for a defense.”

Considering Brady’s approach, it’s kind of perfect that the longest completion of his career wasn’t a very long pass at all.

Taking the underneath yardage

Considering 65 percent of Brady’s passing yards have gone for 20 yards or fewer, the following list of his top receivers isn’t a surprise.

PLAYER                         YARDS

Rob Gronkowski 10,575

Julian Edelman                 7,674

Wes Welker                     6,986

Deion Branch                    5,149

Troy Brown                       3,913

In a 2011 game against the Miami Dolphins, with the Patriots backed up to their own 1-yard line, Brady dropped a throw over a defender at the 17-yard line and watched as Welker took it the distance for a 99-yard touchdown.

It was quintessential Brady, who delivered the ball after a couple of seconds because he was standing near the back of his own end zone.

“I just took a speed release and took it right up the inside edge of the numbers and Tom kind of put it on a line,” said Welker, now the Dolphins receivers coach.

Brady also helped give Welker a last laugh against Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“He was saying during training camp that I can’t run seam routes,” Welker said, referring to a route down the middle of the field between the hash marks. “He was messing with me, saying all this stuff… It was very fulfilling being able to talk some trash to him on the sidelines. And then he just gave me his classic smirk.”

‘A cannon for an arm’

Of course, no quarterback could reach Brady’s statistical stratosphere without possessing the ability to throw a reliable deep ball.

Just ask Randy Moss and Deion Branch. They caught nine passes apiece of 50 yards or longer from Brady, the most by any receiver with whom he’s played. Moss famously broke the single-season receiving touchdowns record of San Francisco 49ers HOF receiver Jerry Rice while playing with Brady during the Patriots’ explosive 2007 season, catching 23 touchdown passes.

Perhaps one of the most famous examples of Brady’s deep ball is a 2007 completion to receiver Jabar Gaffney in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The play, a double-lateral throw, traveled 56 air yards — a career-high for Brady.

Brady first threw a lateral across the field to Moss, who mishandled the low pass, before scooping it up and quickly throwing another cross-field lateral back to Brady, who ultimately hit Gaffney for the score.

“We had it in the playbook, and that week we had it in the rotation because we saw how their defense was playing us,” Gaffney told ESPN. “It was because of their aggressiveness. They had been seeing all our receiver screens.”

With all eyes on Moss, Gaffney kept streaking downfield. But the early snafu on the play threw off the timing. For Gaffney, the wait for the ball was excruciating after the defense scrambled to recover.

“It was like slow motion,” Gaffney said.

The ball finally arrived, flying right over the outstretched arm of Steelers safety Anthony Smith — a player who had drawn the ire of the Patriots by guaranteeing a Steelers win during locker room interviews with reporters. Don’t think for a second Brady was oblivious to this.

“I think there was a little extra sauce on that one,” McDaniels said.

Of Brady’s deep throws, Gaffney still marvels at their precision.

“That’s a quarterback you can never stop running on,” he said. “He can put it out there. You are never out his reach. He definitely has a cannon for an arm.”

The postseason’s ‘ultimate competitor’

Three of the top four players on the NFL’s list of most postseason games played are associated with the Patriots dynasty. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who went to the playoffs 15 times with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, played in 32 postseason games. Stephen Gostkowski, Vinatieri’s successor in New England, played in 29 (he’s tied with 49ers great Jerry Rice).

But Brady stands alone. He has played in an unfathomable 47 postseason contests. And without his postseason excellence, reaching the 100,000-yard mark would likely be an impossibility.

It isn’t just that Brady has won seven Super Bowl titles, as incredible as that might be. It’s also the annual deep playoff runs that have provided Brady the opportunity to accumulate unprecedented numbers. His postseason performance has allotted him nearly three additional seasons worth of games, and Brady consistently makes the most of them.

On three occasions in Brady’s career he has surpassed 1,000 passing yards in a single playoff run (10 total games in 2016, 2017, 2020).

One look at the NFL’s all-time postseason passing-yardage list provides appropriate context to the level of Brady’s postseason achievements. His 13,049 passing yards in the playoffs are 5,710 yards ahead of the man in second place, Peyton Manning (7,339).

“He’s the ultimate competitor, no matter what the situation,” said former Patriots receiver Troy Brown, who is responsible for 3,913 of Brady’s yards. “His determination to go out and win the game, regardless if you were down 28-3, or you were up, he just had to always finish.”

‘Hard to play until you’re 45’

Has Brady put this mark out of reach? Let’s examine.

The only other quarterbacks with more than 70,000 combined passing yards are retired. Drew Brees (85,724), Peyton Manning (79,279), Brett Favre (77,693) and Ben Roethlisberger (70,060) are not walking through the door anytime soon.

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (63,054) and the Colts’ Matt Ryan (64,415) are the two active players on the list closest to Brady. But neither seems likely to stick around long enough to mount a challenge. Rodgers, 38, has flirted with retirement. Meanwhile, Ryan was benched last week and faces an uncertain future.

That brings us to the younger group of quarterbacks in the league. They have some advantages working in their favor Brady has not for most of his career, like a 17-game regular season and an expanded playoff field.

Can anyone else come close?

It would take sustained excellence over a long period of time and the good fortune to avoid injury for any QB to come close to 100,000 again. Here are the top four candidates, including how many games they would need at their current pace to reach 100k.

PLAYER                        YARDS                          YPG   GMS

Aaron Rodgers                  63,054           262.5    141

Patrick Mahomes             24,531 302.9    250

Justin Herbert                   11,359           291.3    305

Joe Burrow                       10,733           282.5    316

That still isn’t likely to be enough.

Let’s begin with the most realistic candidate: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He could reach the 100,000-yard mark by age 41. All he would have to do is continue averaging 18.3 games per season and 300 passing yards per game for the next 14 seasons.

No big deal, really, so long as you’re willing to ignore the possibility of injuries or the likelihood of a decline with age, which seems to impact most NFL players more than Brady.

Before the Chiefs’ matchup with the Buccaneers earlier this season, Mahomes allowed himself to imagine playing at Brady’s age. It was not easily digestible.

“Obviously, it’s hard to play until you’re 45 years old, and I don’t want to be out there just hanging on,” Mahomes said.

Using the same assumptions (current averages projected over time), it would take the Chargers’ Justin Herbert until age 43 to reach 100,000 yards. The Bengals’ Joe Burrow would need until age 46 to accomplish the feat.

And that’s the thing: It isn’t just that Brady’s still going at 45 — the NFL’s oldest player by five years. He’s still consistently productive, even putting aside the Buccaneers’ current struggles. Brady’s career high in regular-season passing yards (5,316) came last season, at 44. Everything about his production and longevity defies logic.

“That’s the crazy part,” Mahomes said. “I mean, if you look at his career, there’s never really been a down year. He’s always been great and had a great season and found ways to get even better.”

Will anyone ever possess the required endurance, durability and fortitude to duplicate Brady’s feat? Only time will tell. Lots and lots of time.

SAN FRANCISCO

Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea explains why the 49ers felt they could trade away quality RB JEFF WILSON Jr.:

Running back Jeff Wilson came to the 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2018.

He left the organization on Tuesday to reunite with a former 49ers coach who knows him well.

That’s the thing about Wilson: The more coaches and teammates know him, the more they like him.

It might have been a surprise that there was a team willing to give the 49ers the kind of offer it would take for them to part ways with a valued member of the organization. But it makes complete sense that the team that wanted him so much was the Miami Dolphins, whose first-year head coach Mike McDaniel has his team in position to compete for the playoffs.

McDaniel worked with Wilson for four seasons, first as 49ers run-game coordinator, then as offensive coordinator.

Wilson joins a Dolphins backfield that includes former 49ers running back Raheem Mostert.

Mostert was the 49ers’ leading rusher in their Super Bowl season of 2019. Wilson was the 49ers’ leading rusher the next season.

Wilson served a big role for the 49ers this season. He started six games and carried 92 times for 468 yards (5.1-yard average) and two touchdowns.

The 49ers’ trade for Christian McCaffrey made Wilson expendable — for the right price.

And that right price came in the form of a fifth-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Wilson is under contract for just the remainder of the season, and it was unlikely the 49ers would have been in position to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent.

Elijah Mitchell, who opened the season as the 49ers’ top running back, told NBC Sports Bay Area that he expects to be available to play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Nov. 13, after the bye week.

McCaffrey plus Mitchell is a dynamic one-two punch.

Then, the 49ers have veteran Tevin Coleman available on the practice squad, along with rookies Ty Davis-Price and Jordan Mason.

The 49ers were not going to just give away Wilson.

But a fifth-round selection did the trick.

DENVER

GM George Paton couldn’t pass up a first round pick when the Dolphins came calling. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post:

Denver general manager George Paton started Tuesday morning believing he’d likely still have star outside linebacker Bradley Chubb on his roster when the NFL’s trading deadline passed.

In the hours leading up to the 2 p.m. deadline, however, conversations with the Miami Dolphins, “really heated up,” he said.

Those negotiations culminated in Paton dealing Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick to Miami for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick, and running back Chase Edmonds.

“The draft value received was significant,” Paton told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We just felt it was too good to pass up at the end of the day.”

The 2023 first-round pick originally belonged to San Francisco, which is currently 4-4. If the season ended today, it would be the No. 20 overall selection.

Paton said that the deal would not have happened without its inclusion, meaning it ended up on the table sometime Tuesday morning and enticed the second-year general manager to deal one of his best players in Chubb, who is in the midst of his best year as a professional.

“Bradley’s worked as hard as anyone in our building to become a great player, a leader, a captain for this team and we’re going to miss him, I’m going to miss him and we wish him the best,” Paton said. “Decisions like this are not easy.”

Through eight games, the No. 5 overall selection from the 2018 draft has 5.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits. He’s played more than 70% of Denver’s defensive snaps in every game and was a captain on that side of the ball.

His trade drew reaction from several teammates.

“Miami got a real one,” defensive tackle D.J. Jones tweeted, adding a GIF in another message that said, “Not cool man, not cool.”

Tweeted defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, “I understand ‘it’s a business’. We ALL get it. We get asked to buy in and care about the organization we work/play for no matter the outcome of our situations. And this one hurts my heart like no other. Gameday won’t feel the same without my G.”

Paton insisted that he would have made the trade regardless of Denver’s record through eight games and that the value, rather than the team’s 3-5 record, drove the decision.

Not only that, but he still thinks the Broncos can compete in 2022.

“We believe in this football team,” Paton said. “We believe in the depth we have at outside linebacker, our young pass rushers. We’ve invested a lot in that position. We believe in the leaders of this football team, especially the defensive leaders we have in D.J. Jones and Josey Jewell and Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, just to name a few.”

Denver is long on experience on defense but entered Tuesday with just five draft picks in 2023 and none in the first two rounds after dealing its first- and second-round picks to Seattle as part of the trade for Russell Wilson.

“It’s no secret we need picks,” Paton said. “It’s going to help us continue to build our football team. One thing for certain: Our goals and our expectations, they do not change. We want to win and we believe we can win. More importantly, we want to sustain success. This is going to help us build this football team moving forward.”

Another certainty: Paton’s been putting plans in place for potential life without Chubb for a while. This offseason, Denver signed Randy Gregory to a long-term deal, drafted Nik Bonitto with its top draft pick and moved Baron Browning to outside linebacker.

Those developments played a role in Paton feeling confident in moving Chubb.

“No doubt. The play of Baron really the entire season and then Nik Bonitto’s coming on,” Paton said. … “Jonathon Cooper, you’ve seen what he’s done the past few years in his role. Randy Gregory, when he was healthy, one of the better pass-rushers in the league and he’ll be back, we’re hoping, soon.”

The team also added Aurora native and fifth-year outside linebacker Jacob Martin in a trade with the New York Jets, acquiring him and a 2024 fifth-round pick for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Paton called Martin, a Cherokee Trails High graduate, “A guy who can play special teams and do multiple things. You can drop him in coverage, you can rush him.”

Chubb may command more than $20 million per season on a long-term deal. Paton said he communicated with Chubb’s agent but did not reveal how serious any talks of an extension got. Denver has other contract extensions to consider in the coming months, including Dre’Mont Jones. The fourth-year player’s rookie deal is up at the end of the season and this year he’s proving to be one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the NFL.

“He’s one of our core players and we want him here for a long time,” Paton said. “So we’ll just leave it at that.”

Paton said teams approached Denver about its young receivers including Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, but he likes how they’re progressing and wanted to keep them. He also said he thinks the team will need tight end Albert Okwuegbunam over the second half of the season despite the fact he’s been inactive the past three games.

KANSAS CITY

Three years in prison for Britt Reid, the son of Andy Reid.  The AP:

Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid was sentenced on Tuesday to three years in prison for driving drunk, speeding and hitting two parked cars last year, leaving a 5-year-old girl with a serious brain injury.

Reid pleaded guilty in September to driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, but prosecutors had agreed to ask for a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Reid sought probation. The injured girl’s family had opposed the plea deal.

Circuit Judge Charles H. McKenzie sentenced Reid on Tuesday and he was set to be taken into custody.

Prosecutors said Reid, the son of Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, was intoxicated and driving about 84 mph (135 kph) in a 65 mph zone when his Dodge truck hit the cars on an entrance ramp to Interstate 435 near Arrowhead Stadium on Feb. 4, 2021.

A girl inside one of the cars, Ariel Young, suffered a traumatic brain injury. A total of six people, including Reid, were injured. One of the vehicles he hit had stalled because of a dead battery, and the second was owned by Ariel’s mother, who had arrived to help.

Reid had a blood-alcohol level of 0.113% two hours after the crash, police said. The legal limit is 0.08%.

After the sentencing, Ariel’s family issued a statement through attorney Tom Porto saying they were outraged that Reid didn’t get the full seven years allowed by law.

“No amount of prison time will ever be enough to punish the Defendant for the pain and suffering he caused this family and the ongoing difficulties that Ariel will continue to endure for the rest of her life,” the statement said.

Reid’s attorney, J.R. Hobbs, said in a statement that Reid respects the court’s decision.

“He sincerely regrets and accepts responsibility for his conduct and hopes and prays for (Ariel’s) continued recovery,” the statement said.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said after the sentencing that she had been confident that Reid’s notoriety would not influence the sentence. She had argued during the hearing that Reid should be sentenced to four years because he made a series of bad decisions that resulted in long-term pain to Ariel and her family.

“I think what happened today was justice,” Peters Baker said.

Before sentencing, a victim impact statement from Ariel’s mother, Felicia Miller, was read into the record. She said the five victims of the crash were offended that Reid sought probation and they did not accept his apologies for his actions.

Miller said her daughter, who was in court Tuesday, has improved but still drags one of her feet when she walks, will see a doctor about leg braces, has terrible balance and must wear thick eyeglasses.

She noted that Reid had a prior conviction and has served time in prison for DUI.

“And he’s asking for probation? On what planet does this conduct deserve probation? Can people really get drunk and give a 5-year-old a brain injury and think they should get probation?” wrote Miller.

Reid apologized before sentencing, turning to look at Ariel and her family as he spoke. He said he has a daughter the same age as Ariel and his family prays for her every night.

“I understand where Ms. Miller is coming from. I think I would feel the same way,” he said.

Reid underwent emergency surgery for a groin injury after the crash. The Chiefs placed him on administrative leave, and his job with the team ended after his contract was allowed to expire.

This is not the first legal issue for Reid, who graduated from a drug treatment program in Pennsylvania in 2009 after a series of run-ins with law enforcement. His father was coach of the Philadelphia Eagles at the time.

The Chiefs reached a confidential agreement with Ariel’s family in November to pay for her ongoing medical treatment and other expenses.

LAS VEGAS

Of the incoming coaches in 2022, Josh McDaniels seemed to inherit the best team.  They are not so good at mid-season.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

When Josh McDaniels became head coach of the Raiders this offseason, he was taking over a playoff team, and in the offseason, he added one of the NFL’s top playmakers in Davante Adams. Expectations were high.

The results have not been good. The Raiders are 2-5 and turned in a pathetic performance in Sunday’s 24-0 loss to the Saints. McDaniels acknowledges he hasn’t gotten the job done.

“Obviously that wasn’t good enough in any way, shape or form,” McDaniels said immediately following the loss to the Saints. “And that’s my responsibility, so I have to do a much better job of getting ourselves ready to go here. We’re better than that, and I apologize to Raider Nation for that performance and, again, I own that. That’s my responsibility, so we have to do much better, obviously, in every phase of the game to be able to compete with a team like that who’s well coached, has good players, they obviously came ready to play and did a much better job than we did. So it starts with me, and we’re going to work hard. We’re going to fix it.”

McDaniels’ job would seem to be safe for the simple reason that Raiders owner Mark Davis won’t want to make yet another coaching change after going through two different coaches last season in Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia. But McDaniels knows that he has fallen far short of those high preseason expectations.

HOUSTON

The dog that didn’t bark.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Brandin Cooks appeared to be on the verge of history, but is instead staying put with the Houston Texans.

Cooks will remain a Texan following Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, though NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported there were talks involving him.

Cooks’ name had been bandied about plenty as a contender to be moved ahead of Tuesday

Had the wide receiver been traded, it would have been for a record-tying fourth time in his career. Only Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson has been traded four times in NFL history.

A potential hiccup in a Cooks trade could have been his guaranteed salary in 2023. Cooks, who had a guaranteed base salary of $1.16 million this season, is due an $18 million base salary next year.

Cooks did not practice Tuesday due to what head coach Lovie Smith deemed personal reasons and was also listed with a wrist injury. He currently leads the Texans with 32 receptions and 354 receiving yards. The 29-year-old has remarkably posted a 1,000-yard season for each team he’s played for.

Cooks’ reaction was this tweet:

@brandincooks

Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted. Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career

🏹

BUFFALO

In a late trade, the Bills swapped running backs with the Colts.  Alaina Getzenberg and Stephen Holder of ESPN.com:

The Bills added the versatile running back the team has been searching for to add to their top-ranked offense by trading for Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines on Tuesday in exchange for running back Zack Moss and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick that can become a fifth-round pick.

The Bills, who lead the AFC with a 6-1 record, have been looking to add a dynamic pass-catching back for some time, originally almost closing in on a deal earlier this year for Washington’s J.D. McKissic before he decided to re-sign with the Commanders. The team drafted running back James Cook in the second round, to fill a role as a receiving threat, and he has been developing over the course of the season. His best receiving performance came in this past week’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a 41-yard reception.

Since Hines, 25, entered the NFL in 2018, he ranks fifth among running backs in receiving yards (1,725). This season the fourth-round pick out of NC State has 25 receptions for 188 yards on a struggling Colts offense that saw quarterback Matt Ryan benched for Sam Ehlinger.

Hines also has the potential to contribute as a punt returner for the Bills, an area where the team lacks depth after wide receiver Jamison Crowder’s injury. Hines has returned 73 punts in his NFL career and has two punt return touchdowns. He has averaged 11.8 yards per return in his career. The Bills are averaging 10.3 yards per punt return.

Hines, sources said before the deadline, welcomed a potential trade — especially to a team like the Bills with a high-powered offense.

He signed a three-year, $18.6 million contract before the 2021 season and figured to remain a centerpiece of the Colts’ offense. Instead, he went on to post career lows in receptions (40) and targets (57) last season. Additionally, his carries dropped by 33 from 89 in 2020 to 56 last season.

So far in 2022, he’s playing just 30% of offensive snaps — a career low. And with the Colts’ massive struggles on the offensive line, running lanes have been nonexistent. Hines is averaging 2 yards per carry on 18 carries.

With the Colts’ offense falling apart — the team last week benched Ryan and on Tuesday fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady — the previously stated plans to involve Hines more extensively in the Indianapolis offense never truly panned out and took a back seat to other priorities.

In Buffalo, Hines will be joining a running back room that includes Cook and Devin Singletary, who leads the team in rushing yards (323) and attempts (71). Singletary also has the second-most receptions on the team (23) and has averaged 8 yards per reception this season, but his role going forward should be more focused on the ground game with the addition of Hines.

Moss has become expendable for the Bills thanks to the other threats on the offense and needed contributors on special teams. The 2020 third-round pick was a healthy scratch for the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs and did not play a snap against the Packers.

In other moves Tuesday, the Bills acquired safety Dean Marlowe from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 seventh-round pick and officially activated cornerback Tre’Davious White from the physically unable to perform list.

THIS AND THAT

JOHN McVAY

John McVay, a former coach and GM – and the grandfather of Sean McVay, has passed away at age 91. The AP:

John McVay, the executive who helped launch the San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty and grandfather of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, has died. He was 91.

The 49ers announced Tuesday that McVay had died. They did not give a cause of death.

McVay spent 22 seasons with the 49ers starting in 1979 in various capacities. He played an integral role along with coach Bill Walsh in building one of the league’s greatest dynasties that won five Super Bowl titles in a span of 14 seasons.

“This is a very sad day for our organization and the entire football community,” the team said in a statement. “John McVay was a driving force in constructing teams for our five Super Bowl titles. Most importantly, John was a Hall of Fame person who built genuine and sincere relationships with front office staff, coaches and players. John’s commitment and contributions to the 49ers created the standard and tradition we strive to carry on today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the McVay family.”

McVay was inducted into the 49ers Hall of Fame in 2013, and the team dedicated its draft room as the “John McVay Draft Room” in his honor in 2016.

McVay originally joined the Niners in 1979 with Walsh as the director of player personnel. Over the next 17 seasons he had various titles including general manager and director of football operations. He played a role in building the NFL’s model organization with players like Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice and Steve Young.

McVay was named The Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year in 1989 following the team’s fourth Super Bowl title. After retiring following the 1995 season, he later rejoined the organization officially in 1999 and served as vice president and director of football operations through the 2003 season.

Before joining the 49ers, McVay was the coach of the Giants for two-plus seasons. He had a 14-23 record for New York and his most memorable game featured a late fumble by Joe Pisarcik when the Giants could have kneeled out the clock. Herm Edwards returned it for a winning TD for Philadelphia in a 19-17 win on Nov. 19, 1978, that is now known as the “Miracle at the Meadowlands.”

“John was an outstanding executive and a class act,” Giants co-owner John Mara said in a statement. “He was a Hall of Famer professionally and especially as a person.”

DRAFT 2023

Here is how Dane Brugler of The Athletic has the top 50 NFL draft prospects at the moment:

There are 14 new names in this top 50, including a pair of Tennessee offensive playmakers. These rankings will continue to evolve during the next few months as evaluators finish the tape-study portion of the draft process.

(Note: Asterisk represents draft-eligible underclassmen.)

1. Will Anderson Jr., edge, Alabama*

After a truly elite season in 2021, Will Anderson Jr., hasn’t quite been on that same level this season but hasn’t been far off, either. Despite opposing teams game planning against him, he ranks top seven in the FBS in pressures (37) and leads the SEC in tackles for loss (12.0).

Although his missed tackles (especially in the backfield) are bothersome, Anderson has the lower-body twitch, flexible body type and crafty hands to be an impactful NFL defender, both at stopping the run and rushing the passer.

2. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia*

After playing sparingly over the first month due to a knee injury, Jalen Carter returned Saturday against Florida and played 20-plus snaps for the first time since Georgia’s opener. In doing so, he looked like the same disruptive force we’ve come to expect. Carter has special block-destruction skills due to his explosiveness and body control. He will be one of the first players drafted, if his medicals are clean.

3. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama*

“If Bryce Young were bigger, he would be the clear top quarterback” is something we’ll hear a lot over the next six months. While he is an outlier due his size, Young (listed at a generous 6-foot-0, 194 pounds) is well above average in several critical factors at the position. He processes very quickly and has uncanny vision to understand everything going on around him and deliver accurate throws.

Not everyone will be able to overlook his diminutive size, but I’ll bet on his special instincts.

4. Myles Murphy, edge, Clemson*

For similar reasons to why Travon Walker went No. 1 last year, Myles Murphy is going to be a high draft pick in April. At 6-5 and 275 pounds, he pounces out of his stance with long arms and outstanding speed for his size. There are several future NFL starters on that Clemson defensive line, yet it is Murphy who leads the team in tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (5 1/2).

5. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State*

With only nine career starts, Olu Fashanu might not have a great body of work just yet. But he has been outstanding in those nine starts, especially considering he is just 19 years old. Against speed rushers, Fashanu moves like he is 50 pounds lighter to cut off and close space. Against power, he can get a tad upright in his pass sets but is so strong that it usually doesn’t matter. Considering how good he is right now and how much better he can get, Fashanu has earned this high ranking.

6. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia*

After Kelee Ringo’s standout 2021 season, including a national championship game-clinching pick six, some might argue that his play has declined in 2022 (three pass breakups, zero interceptions). However, Ringo doesn’t see many opportunities: He’s been targeted by opposing QBs just 27 times this season, which ranks 331st in the FBS.

Ringo, who has allowed only one catch each of his last five games, is still a premier athlete with impressive speed and fluidity at 6-2 and 210 pounds.

7. Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern*

Remember all the hubbub about how Rashawn Slater’s 33-inch arms were too short for him to play tackle in the NFL? Prepare for it again with another Northwestern left tackle, because Peter Skoronski’s arm length is even shorter than Slater’s (likely somewhere between 32 and 32 1/2 inches). While Skoronski could make the transition inside and be an outstanding NFL guard, I believe he has the movements and processing to survive outside. I hope he gets that opportunity.

8. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas*

Do I think Bijan Robinson will be drafted top 10? Probably not. Even so, it’s an easy argument to make that he is one of the 10 best prospects in the 2023 draft class. Robinson has a unique combination of power and elusiveness, and he catches the ball like a wide receiver. A lot of the things we said about Ezekiel Elliott’s talent coming out of Ohio State will be repeated about the Texas running back.

9. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson*

After his Freshman All-America season, Bryan Bresee missed most of 2021 with an ACL injury. During a challenging 2022 season, he’s had to play through other nagging injuries and the tragic loss of his 15-year-old sister, Ella, who died of cancer in mid-September.

Even though the production won’t pop off the page, Bresee’s disruptive talent is evident every time he takes the field.

10. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State*

Quarterbacks in today’s NFL can’t just be passers. They also have to be creators. When everything is on time and stays structured, C.J. Stroud has impressive pacing and accuracy to carve up defenses (his fourth-quarter toss to Emeka Egbuka last Saturday was gorgeous).

However, my concerns with Stroud entering the season have been highlighted the last two weeks against Iowa and Penn State. The stats have looked nice, but he has been inconsistent negotiating pressure and doesn’t look nearly as comfortable outside of structure.

11. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State*

After starting at right guard last season, Paris Johnson Jr., has moved to his more natural left tackle position in 2022 and thrived. He keeps his feet underneath him with terrific body control to adjust to pass rushers and protect the pocket. Through eight games this season, Johnson has allowed zero sacks and committed zero penalties.

12. Tyree Wilson, edge, Texas Tech

At 6-6, 270 with 35 5/8-inch arms, Tyree Wilson is big, long and strong. He is more powerful than crafty, flashing violence in his reach/hands and improved secondary moves. With his long-striding acceleration, it is easy to underestimate his closing speed in the pocket or when chasing outside. He ranks No. 2 in college football with 41 quarterback pressures.

13. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon*

The Pac-12 leader in passes defended with eight, Christian Gonzalez is long, athletic and can run, which is a great foundation for a man-coverage corner in the NFL. There are areas of his game that require further maturing, but he does a great job keeping receivers within arm’s length and covering up airspace.

14. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson*

While not on the same level as Micah Parsons as a prospect, Trenton Simpson is in a similar mold as a do-everything weapon because of his impressive physical traits. He has sideline-to-sideline range as an off-ball linebacker with burst to close. The Clemson defense also will line him up against slot receivers or unleash him from different angles as a blitzer.

15. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State*

A physical press-man corner, Joey Porter Jr., has the movement skills and length to jam and ride receivers down the field. His aggressive nature does make him a flag magnet in coverage, which is a legitimate concern, but he loves to mix things up against the run and the pass. His ball skills and bloodlines (his father, linebacker Joey Porter, was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s) are both positives.

16. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame*

With his combination of focus and play strength through contact, Michael Mayer is one of the best contested-catch tight ends in recent memory. As one NFL scouting director put it, “This guy is made out of vibranium.” While Mayer lacks suddenness in his routes, there are no wasted movements.  Everything he does looks natural.

17. Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU*

After producing zero touchdowns over his first four games, Quentin Johnston has scored in each of TCU’s last four outings. He is an impressive athlete for 6-4 and 215 pounds, consistently showing that he can adjust to throws and make the first man miss after the catch. His route running and inconsistent physicality are areas of his game that require maturity, but he can play across the formation and win at every level of coverage.

18. Jordan Addison, WR, USC*

A twitchy athlete, Jordan Addison plays with outstanding body quickness, both as a route runner and after the catch. He is undersized, and his play strength is a concern, but he has done a nice job cutting down on his drops while thriving in the Trojans’ offense. Addison has some routes on tape where you’d swear Stefon Diggs suited up in a USC jersey for the afternoon.

19. Brian Branch, SAF, Alabama*

Playing the star position in Nick Saban’s defense, Brian Branch has the movement skills and footwork to play sticky coverage against slot receivers. He leverages well in the run game, taking proper angles and breaking down to finish in space. His versatility as a free safety or nickel defender boosts his draft grade.

20. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia*

In his first full season as the starting left tackle, Broderick Jones has been impressively consistent in pass protection. He comes close to losing his balance more than you’d like to see, mostly due to inconsistent punch timing, but Jones moves well laterally and actively reworks his hands to counter rushers.

21. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama*

Jahmyr Gibbs is an offensive line’s best friend as a running back. His keen understanding of football geometry allows him to press, set up blocks and hit the hole. Listed at only 200 pounds, he doesn’t have an ideal body type, but his full-speed cuts make him a nightmare for defenders in space.

Gibbs is also a dynamic pass catcher, which is why the “mini-Alvin Kamara” comparison fits.

22. Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia*

One of the most unique draft-eligible prospects, Darnell Washington is an impressive athlete for his lean, 275-pound frame. Even though he has only one career touchdown (and none in 2022), he has large, accepting hands to catch the ball away from his body and consistently moves the chains (78.9 percent of his catches are for first downs). As a blocker, Washington looks like a sixth offensive lineman with the physical hands to latch onto and drive defenders.

23. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

One of the more complicated players in the 2023 draft class, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is the prototype in terms of his physical tools: size, mobility, arm strength. He is durable with a high pain tolerance and has the intelligence to handle an NFL playbook.

But the on-field results have been too inconsistent. How much upside does he offer? The answer to that question is all over the map.

24. Nolan Smith, edge, Georgia

With 7 1/2 sacks in 22 games since the start of last season, Nolan Smith hasn’t been a volume sack producer. Within the Bulldogs’ scheme and heavy rotation, though, he doesn’t have the opportunity to consistently let loose off the edge. Smith is the vocal leader on defense, a savvy run defender and has the athletic profile that suggests there is untapped pass-rush ability.

While he is a first-round talent, the season-ending pec injury he suffered against Florida could complicate his draft projection.

25. Lukas Van Ness, edge, Iowa*

An exciting up-and-coming prospect, Lukas Van Ness has impressive talent and is still figuring out just how good he can be. He rushes like a grizzly bear, using his initial quickness, body flexibility and powerful hands/reach to defeat blocks both inside and outside. Van Ness also shows up on special teams, as seen on the pair of blocked punts he had against Iowa State.

26. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State*

Sidelined by a hamstring injury most of this season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba hasn’t been able to build on a standout sophomore season that saw him lead the Buckeyes in catches. While he is average from a size/speed perspective, Smith-Njigba is a polished route runner with strong tracking skills and instincts after the catch. He will be a slot weapon in the NFL for a long time.

27. O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

At 6-5 and 347 pounds, O’Cyrus Torrence is a massive man with huge, vice grip hands to bounce defenders around the field. He is guilty of leaning in pass protection, but his athleticism at that size is impressive. With his play strength, Torrence strikes with authority at contact and quickly gains control.

28. Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina*

Like his former teammate Jaycee Horn, Cam Smith will get himself in trouble with the way he hangs on receivers, but his length and aggressive nature are positives to his game. He also has the light feet to shadow routes from press.

29. Antonio Johnson, SAF, Texas A&M*

Listed at 6-3 and 195 pounds, Antonio Johnson is physically impressive with the lower-body agility to break down and make open-field stops or react to route runners. He has missed the last two games due to injury, and his absence from the Aggies’ defense has been glaring.

30. Zach Harrison, edge, Ohio State

Based on freaky measurables alone, Zach Harrison might get into the first round. At 6-6 and 266 pounds, he has 35 3/4-inch arms, 10 1/4-inch hands and will run (at worst) a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. On top of all that, Harrison is also playing the most impactful football of his career, which is a welcome sight for evaluators.

31. BJ Ojulari, edge, LSU*

While Anderson has better backfield numbers, no one in the SEC has a better pass-rush win rate than BJ Ojulari, who has missed a few games this season due to injury. He is a tick undersized, and that shows up in the run game, but he has outstanding speed and dip as a rusher with noticeable burst to close quickly on the quarterback.

32. Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah*

Listed at 5-10 and 185 pounds, Clark Phillips III’s lack of ideal size will be an issue for some teams. But the talent is NFL-ready. An above-average athlete, he moves with fluid change of direction and closing speed to regain phase and challenge throws. Phillips trusts his skills and film study, which often leads to production. He’s tied for the FBS-lead with five interceptions and two pick sixes.

33. Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State*

Sidelined by an ankle injury on the season’s opening drive, Tucker Kraft is back in action and has a touchdown catch in each of the last two games. An intriguing combination of athleticism, size and strength, he might reside at a “small school,” but Kraft plays big. He has the receiving talent to be drafted higher than Dallas Goedert, another South Dakota State alum, who was a top-50 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

34. Jared Verse, edge, Florida State*

Although an injury slowed him down after a hot start, Jared Verse has still been an explosive force when on the field. Despite missing time, he leads the ACC in tackles for loss (11.0) and leads the Seminoles in sacks (4 1/2). The FCS-level transfer is tough to contain due to his athleticism, active hands and power through his frame.

35. Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M*

Not much has gone right for the Texas A&M offense in 2022, but Devon Achane absolutely has been a bright spot. His speed and vision make him a nightmare for defenses, and his maturation in the passing game has been a promising development. While his lean body type makes him an outlier for the RB position, Achane has averaged 21.9 offensive touches per game this season as a featured back.

36. Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

The second Ohio State offensive tackle to make the top 50, Dawand Jones is a massive human at 6-8 1/2 and 360 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms and an 89 1/8-inch wingspan. On his junior-year tape, he struggled with his balance and posture against wide rushers. As a senior, though, Jones has made substantial strides with his control and strike timing mid-slide to counter speed and protect the pocket. Jones, still just 21 years old, is one of the most unique players in this draft and continues to rise.

37. Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee*

A prospect who has emerged as a big-play weapon, Jalin Hyatt leads the FBS with 14 receiving touchdowns (11 of those scores have come over the last four games). He is raw in areas, especially as an underneath receiver, but his elite vertical speed and trust in his hands are two elements worth betting on for his long-term projection.

38. Andre Carter II, edge, Army

Andre Carter II has missed some time this season, and his production has declined as he learns to handle extra attention from blockers. However, he has agile athleticism, long arms (33 3/4 inches) and plays with outstanding effort. It’s an intriguing mix of foundational skills for a developmental pass rusher.

While I don’t grade him as a first-rounder, Carter has a strong case to go top 50, which would make him Army’s highest-drafted player since 1947.

39. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU*

Kayshon Boutte was the most difficult player to rank in this top 50. His pliable body movements and acceleration make him dangerous as a route runner and after the catch. However, he might be relegated to the slot in the NFL, and the drops he has are bothersome.

Once in the NFL, Boutte could become as a productive starter or sink on the depth chart. Neither would be surprising.

40. Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor*

At 6-4 and 354 pounds, Siaki Ika is a boulder: tough to move at the point-of-attack, but can get rolling when he plays downhill. With only 14 tackles and one tackle for loss in seven games this season, Ika’s stat sheet isn’t impressive, but his nimble quickness and natural power are NFL-quality.

41. Will McDonald IV, edge, Iowa State

At 6-4 and 230 pounds with 34 5/8-inch arms, Will McDonald IV is an incredibly impressive athlete with NFL-level flexibility and speed off the edge. While he has strong career backfield production, his tape leaves you wanting more. It is fair to wonder if he will evolve from being a toolsy athlete into more of a complete player.

42. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State*

Emmanuel Forbes is an interesting prospect with clear strengths and weaknesses. The good? He is an impressive athlete with decent length and superior ball skills (five interceptions, tied for the FBS lead). The bad? He tends to freelance in coverage and has play-strength concerns. He looks like he is sub-170 pounds and there are missed tackles on each of his game tapes.

43. Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss*

Despite battling a few injuries this season, Zach Evans has been productive when on the field, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He has already scored a career-high seven touchdowns and 23.1 percent of his carries this season have gone for 10-plus yards, which ranks top three in the FBS.

44. Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford*

A tough evaluation because of a lackluster supporting cast, Tanner McKee’s touch, vision and accuracy remain among the best in this class. While he isn’t a rush threat and won’t create many second-chance plays, he is efficient in his drops/slides or when moving the pocket on sprintouts. On some plays, he looks like Matt Ryan; on others, like Mike Glennon. The truth likely falls somewhere in between those two quarterbacks.

45. Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan*

Mazi Smith is a powerful defender at contact and hard to move, even for double-teams. He doesn’t get to show it consistently, but he also brings juice as a pass rusher. An underrated part of his game is his ability to stay on the field in any situation (he’s averaging 42.6 defensive snaps per game).

46. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

In 19 starts since he took over at Tennessee last season, Hendon Hooker has accounted for 59 total touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. He is the clear Heisman front-runner but also a complicated NFL evaluation because he’s playing in a quarterback-friendly offense with half-field reads and a deep wide receiver depth chart. There is some Geno Smith to his game, which has become a positive considering the way Smith has played in 2022.

47. Isaiah Foskey, edge, Notre Dame*

An active player off the edge, Isaiah Foskey leads the Irish in tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (7.0) and also has a pair of blocked punts this season. He tends to be overly reliant on his long-arm techniques and must improve his block-destruction skills, if he’s going to crack the first round. There are also questions about his best NFL position, but his high-energy play style is an appealing part of his game.

48. Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

My top-ranked senior wide receiver in my preseason rankings, Rashee Rice has lived up to that high billing. He’s leading the FBS with 982 receiving yards through eight games. With his body control and hand-eye coordination, he is a ball winner who also brings value after the catch.

49. Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas*

An Alabama transfer, Drew Sanders is an impressive size/speed athlete. The Razorbacks have used him as both a mike linebacker and pass rusher, and he leads the SEC with 6 1/2 sacks. Sanders needs to improve his take-on skills and cut down on the wasted steps, but he is a young player with a ton of talent.

50. Cody Mauch, OT/G, North Dakota State

North Dakota State has had a good run of producing draft picks along the offensive line, but Cody Mauch has the talent to be the best of the group. A former walk-on tight end, Mauch has impressive athletic traits with the glass-eating personality that NFL coaches covet up front. Regardless if he stays at tackle or moves inside to guard, Mauch has NFL starting potential.