Mike Tomlin on Steelers’ draft room: Art Rooney is the boss Asked about who has the final say in the Steelers’ draft room, coach Mike Tomlin said it’s owner Art Rooney II. “Mr. Rooney’s the boss,” Tomlin said. “Kevin and I have worked so well and so long together that we can kind of communicate nonverbally in those moments. But at the end of the day, Art Rooney is the boss.” Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said Rooney gives the football people plenty of room to do their jobs, but Rooney is also actively involved in the draft process. “Of course Art will be involved because he is the owner and he knows every step of the process. He sits in on meetings when he can, he gives us input when he can and when he wants to, and of course we’re going to follow those leads, but I think he trusts us,” Colbert said. Those comments are not unlike the comments of Jaguars coach Urban Meyer, who said owner Shad Khan will make the final call with the first overall pick in the draft on Thursday night. Although Jerry Jones is the only owner who actually gives himself the General Manager title, the reality is, the owner is the boss in every franchise. Some owners are more hands-on and some owners are more hands-off, but every coach and GM knows that the owner is the boss. NBC
No one knows what 49ers will do If the 49ers know the name they’ll put on the card when they exercise the third overall pick in the draft, they’re doing a great job of keeping their mouths shut. The prevailing sense in league circles is that no one outside of the building knows what the 49ers will do. As one source put It, the 49ers are “relishing” the attention. It’s also possible that the 49ers may have a current predisposition, and that they will change their minds between now and Thursday, possibly more than once. It wouldn’t be unprecedented. Recently, quarterback Trent Dilfer said that Washington had told him he’d be the third overall pick the night before the 1994 draft. The next morning, the organization had a change of heart, taking quarterback Heath Shuler instead. (Six of one, half a dozen of another.) The notion that the 49ers gave up so much to move from No. 12 to No. 3 without having a specific player shows both that they had a baseline comfort level with multiple players in that spot (on Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan said that they like all five of the top quarterback prospects) and that they have a clear discomfort with Jimmy Garoppolo as the long-term answer, given his chronic inability to stay healthy. “The biggest thing with Jimmy is his injuries,” Shanahan said Monday, “that’s been very tough for us when he’s been hurt. It’s happened two out of these three years, and that’s where it starts and Jimmy knows that. I’ve been very up front with him with everything.” The 49ers haven’t been up front with anyone regarding the plans for the third overall pick, even though they essentially control the board after Trevor Lawrence goes No. 1 to the Jaguars and Zach Wilson goes No. 2 to the Jets. Still, there’s a risk in building and maintaining a mystery. The 49ers may be perceived as being wishy-washy. Also, and as mentioned earlier today, they’re setting up an apples-to-apples comparison between whoever they take and whoever they don’t. Given the inescapable reality that roughly half of the first-round picks don’t work out, they’re walking into a potential minefield. Even if they love Mac Jones, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields equally, odds are that one of them will end up being a bust. The 49ers had better hope he’s not the one they pick. NBC
In case you were wondering... 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 29... will continue with Rounds 2-3 on Friday, April 30, and end with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, May 1.
Eagles close to securing a third 2022 first-round pick as Carson Wentz nears snap count requirement There isn't a countdown clock in the Philadelphia Eagles facility. But make no mistake: They know. Just like hardcore Eagles fans know. Their former franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, now the starter for the Indianapolis Colts, is on the verge of securing another first-round pick for Philly, thanks to his durability this season. As Indy is set to take the field against the Houston Texans, they will do so with Wentz behind center as he's been during every game this season. If he plays every snap as he's done in the 10 previous games, he'll likely clinch taking 75% of the offensive snaps for the Colts for the season. Based on the terms of the blockbuster trade that sent Wentz to Indy, the Eagles received a 2021 third-rounder and a 2022 conditional second-rounder … that becomes a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75% of the plays for Indy. That's why his playing time has been a constant topic on talk radio, in Philly bars and likely in the Eagles building. On websites such as PhillyVoice.com, there is an updated Carson Wentz snap counter that currently lists him as receiving 792 of 804 possible snaps this season -- 98.5%. Indy averages 67 snaps per game and is on pace to hit 1,139 offensive snaps this year. Based on that calculation, he needs 854 total snaps to reach it -- 62 today against the Texans would get him there. Simply, stay healthy for a normal game and Wentz has delivered once again for his former team. It's not just PhillyVoice.com. A quick scan of Google shows at least five Wentz snap trackers, plus it has its own Twitter account. As of right now, if Wentz delivers, the Eagles would have the eighth pick, the ninth pick (from Miami), and the 14th pick (from Indy). The thinking behind the trade compensation was simple: If Wentz starts and plays 75% -- or plays 70% and they make the playoffs -- he's worth a first-rounder. It's one reason why GM Howie Roseman said while making the deal, "We just felt like it was a fair trade, it was a good trade for the Colts, it was a good trade for the Philadelphia Eagles and where we are right now and so, we pulled the trigger." The thoughts remain similar for the Colts, who thought it was a fair deal then and still do. Based on how well Wentz is playing now, plus the up-and-down list of QBs in the draft, they viewed this as their best option. And with Wentz under contract for three more years with the Colts for about $81.7 million (thanks to the front-loaded nature of his Philly extension), it's a more than reasonable sum for their starter going forward. Meanwhile, for the Eagles, they can take the three firsts they are on the brink of having and either build around Jalen Hurts or use it as ammo to improve at the QB position. The definition of a win-win trade. NFL.com
Potential first-round QB Carson Strong enters NFL draft, skipping Nevada’s bowl game Nevada quarterback Carson Strong, a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has announced that he is turning pro and will skip the upcoming bowl game. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Strong was the offensive player of the year in the Mountain West Conference in both 2020 and 2021. A three-year starter, Strong completed 70 percent of his passes in 2021 and threw 36 touchdown passes with eight interceptions. “As much as I would like to play one more season or even one more game in my Nevada uniform, after a lot of thought and consideration, I have decided that it is best for me to begin my preparation for the 2022 NFL draft,” Strong wrote on Twitter. Few draft commentators consider Strong the best quarterback in this year’s draft class, but he’s generally recognized as being in the mix to be either a first-round or second-day pick. Other top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft will include Matt Corral of Ole Miss, Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh, Sam Howell of North Carolina, Malik Willis of Liberty and Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati. PFT
Philadelphia Eagles to receive Indianapolis Colts' first-round pick from Carson Wentz trade The Indianapolis Colts' first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is firmly in the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. That became abundantly clear on Saturday when Carson Wentz took all 63 offensive snaps in the Colts' 22-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Per the terms of the trade that sent Wentz from Philly to Indy this past offseason, the Eagles received a conditional second-rounder that would become a first-rounder if Wentz played 75 percent of the Colts' snaps in 2021. The trade also stipulated that the second-rounder would become a first-rounder if the Colts make the playoffs and Wentz took 70 percent of the snaps. But while the Colts have yet to clinch a playoff berth, Wentz has clinched the 75-percent threshold. Wentz has now played 97.7 percent of the Colts' snaps (923 of 945), per Next Gen Stats. Through Week 16, the Colts have averaged 63 snaps per game and are on pace for 1,071 for the season. For Wentz to fall below the 75% benchmark, he would have to miss Indy's final two games and the Colts would have to average 143 snaps per game over that span -- clearly not a possible outcome. In Philadelphia, Wentz endured injuries, including torn knee ligaments (2017) and a back problem (2018), as well as a benching (2020) over five seasons. The Eagles spent a second-round pick on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2020, and eventually turned to Hurts as their starter, which made Wentz more expendable. Back in August, with Wentz hobbled by a preseason foot injury that required surgery before he'd even taken his first snap for Indianapolis, the chances that he would meet the 75-percent requirement looked far more bleak. However, Wentz's speedy recovery allowed him to start the team's opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Since then, the Wentz-Colts marriage has been a healthy and smooth one under coach Frank Reich, who worked with Wentz for two seasons as the Eagles' offensive coordinator. Wentz and budding-star running back Jonathan Taylor have invigorated the offense and helped the team to an 8-6 record heading into Saturday. The Eagles hold three first-round selections for the 2022 draft: their own, plus that of the Dolphins and Colts. The extra picks put the club in an enviable draft position, with heavy needs on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles also acquired a 2021 third-round pick from the Colts in the Wentz trade, which they later dealt to the Dallas Cowboys in order to trade up in the first round and select wide receiver DeVonta Smith. NFL.com
There may be debate over which Ohio State receiver should go first in the draft... I love both of these kids after watching them so much these past few years. I would welcome either to the Browns, along with a couple other guys. My guess is the Browns will be looking WR in the draft.
First-round prospect Matt Corral carted off after leg injury in Sugar Bowl Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, a first-round prospect in the 2022 NFL draft, limped off the field and was carted to the locker room after taking a hit to his leg in the Sugar Bowl tonight. There was no immediate word on the severity of Corral’s injury, but it once again raises the question of whether players who are going to be drafted in April should play in bowl games in December and January. The debate about players sitting out bowl games intensified just this morning, when Kirk Herbstreit asserted on ESPN that players skipping bowl games are showing that they don’t love football as much as the players of old. (Herbstreit made no such assertion about coaches who leave their teams before their bowl games to take higher-paying jobs.) Many top draft prospects have decided not to play in their bowl games in recent years, and NFL teams don’t seem to hold that against them. NFL talent evaluators recognize that players sometimes have to look out for their own interests, and protect themselves from injuries in glorified exhibition games. Corral’s injury is another reminder of what players are risking when they agree to play in bowls. PFT
Michigan is going to be starting over. Harbaugh built this year up as a last ditch effort to be relevant. As soon as the Bulldogs pushed that dream away, that was it. Harbaugh may be joining him in the NFL. When the going gets tough, Harbaugh gets going, to something new..
For reference, Harbaugh spent longer at Michigan than Urban did at any of his coaching stops in his career. And he's not leaving by "retiring" to avoid a scandal of his own creation. Just for context.
He’s leaving because he just had his best season possible and knows that he will only go backwards from here. Maybe he’ll be the next coach for the bears.
When the going gets tough, Urban gets to blaming his grandkids, his wife, his health, his assistant coaches, society at large, agents, money, leakers, the media... This is fun.
The Jaguars had the best day the organization has had in a long time. Jacksonville won its season finale over the Colts and still secured the No. 1 overall choice after the Lions beat the Packers. The Jaguars also had the No. 1 overall choice last year and drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Giants have two choices in the top seven in the 2022 draft, and the Jets have two top-10 selections. The Eagles have picks 15 and 16 as well as their own choice, which won’t be determined until their postseason ends. The 2022 draft will take place in Las Vegas on April 28-30. Here are the top 16 choices with the rest of the draft order pending the Sunday night game and the postseason: 1. Jaguars (3-14) 2. Lions (3-13-1) 3. Texans (4-13) 4. Jets (4-13) 5. Giants (4-13) 6. Panthers (5-12) 7. Giants (via 6-11 Bears) 8. Falcons (7-10) 9. Broncos (7-10) 10. Jets (via 7-10 Seahawks) 11. Washington Football Team (7-10) 12. Vikings (8-9) 13. Browns (8-9) 14. Ravens (8-9) 15. Eagles (via 9-8 Dolphins) 16. Eagles (via 9-8 Colts)
