Evan Neal states his case to be the No. 1 overall pick As Detroit Lions fans, we sometimes get too wrapped up in what might happen with the team’s No. 2 overall pick. But what happens with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the No. 1 spot is critically important. One of the top candidates for that spot proved why he’s worthy of being the first pick this week with a display that even the hapless Jaguars cannot ignore. Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal still gets some run in mock draft projections as the top pick. Rightly so. His game tape for the Crimson Tide is outstanding, and the Jaguars do have a long-term need at left tackle. After Neal’s pro day, which capped a fantastic workout circuit for the freakishly athletic 21-year-old, expect to see more mocks circling back to Neal as the top pick. Neal is 6-foot-7 and weighs in at 337 pounds. He’s been one of the most consistent blocking forces in college football for the last two seasons, playing in the physical and challenging SEC. The Jaguars currently have one of Neal’s Crimson Tide predecessors, Cam Robinson, as their left tackle. But Robinson is playing on the franchise tag. He’s not locked in for the long term, and the Jaguars are right for being hesitant about paying Robinson big money in the long haul. Robinson ranked 25th in pass blocking amongst tackles who played at least 200 snaps in 2021, per Pro Football Focus. It was far and away his best season since joining the Jaguars in 2017, too. Robinson is a short-term situation at left tackle. Neal can be the long-term standout solution the Jaguars sorely need to build around last year’s No. 1 pick, QB Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville isn’t exactly set at right tackle either, though last year’s second-rounder, Walker Little, flashed some potential in a late-season trial replacing Robinson at left tackle. But neither approaches the talent ceiling of Neal, who also played some guard at Alabama earlier in his career. As with all the top prospects in this draft class, Neal does have questions to answer. In Lions’ parlance, he’s not a kneecap-biter, not a guy who always plays through the echo of the whistle. Neal isn’t a fiery personality on the field. But he’s a high-floor, NFL-ready pass protector for a Jaguars team that desperately needs to make their precious passer work out. It’s still a few weeks before we find out who the Jaguars are taking at No. 1. Don’t be surprised if the pick is Evan Neal. YAHOO
Bears General Manager Ryan Poles knows his team needs wide receivers. He also knows the Bears don’t have a first-round draft pick, having traded it away to get Justin Fields last year. But he’s not overly worried. Poles said he believes there’s talent in the second round at wide receiver, and that if the board doesn’t fall the right way for the Bears to get one, they’re not going to sweat it. “It’s funny, because there’s a lot of panic, like, ‘You need receivers,’” Poles said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “I think Davante [Adams] was taken in the second, right? So there’s talent there. It’s not always going to be like that, I get it. And we’re going to be patient. If it’s not there, we’re not going to do it and force it, either.” The Bears need to build a good enough offense around Fields that either he thrives, or he fails and the Bears know they need to move on. But the reality of the roster Poles inherited from former General Manager Ryan Pace is that it’s going to take time, and it may not happen this year. PFT
Poles is inheriting a complete dumpster fire, and Pace never should've been allowed to run things this past year (I'd easily argue 2-3 years). The priority needed to be offensive line, then receivers. I get the high price on WR's this off-season meant Chicago probably wasn't in the market, but I also think they failed to meaningfully upgrade the OL as much as was needed. I'm just not comfortable with Jenkins being the starting LT, for example. I guess we'll see. I know that it's going to take 3-ish years before this roster is competitive, I was just hoping we'd protect the damn QB in the meantime.
Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux remains one of the biggest curiosities in the current draft class. How high, or low, will he go in the top 10? Will he slide out of it altogether? At Oregon’s Pro Day on Friday, Thibodeaux addressed those who would suggest his stock isn’t as high as it could be. “The most ridiculous thing I’ve heard is that I’m not the best player in this draft,” Thibodeaux told reporters, via Antwan Staley of the Eugene Register-Guard. “I really don’t listen to anything else, but that to me, that’s outrageous. . . . With the film, with the numbers and what I can do as far as my ability, I have confidence in what I can do.” Some have questioned his motor, his effort. Does he bring it every single play? “It is easy to see a snippet of something because that’s what media does,” Thibodeaux said. “They cut stuff up and frame it how they want to. Just watch the whole tape, you will be able to see.” The other reality of the pre-draft skullduggery is that teams that like a player will push narratives that could cause a player to slide, just far enough so that those teams will have a chance to snag him. And teams that don’t like a player will take him up, in the hopes that someone drafting earlier will burn a selection on him. Wherever he goes, Thibodeaux possesses skills that are very valuable to the NFL. PFT
3 years? In today’s NFL does anyone get that long? Shoot for 2. It’s possible if he handles things right.
Pace got seven years. Hell, even Emery got four. Poles will get at least three. The Bears are nowhere near competitive, and will need at minimum two years to dig themselves out of the hole Pace dug. I don't see a way they're competitive in less than three years at the earliest. Could they pull a Cincinnati? Maybe, but Fields hasn't shown that he's Joe Burrow, yet...
Eagles trade 16th, 19th picks to Saints for No. 18, 2023 first-rounder and more The Eagles were set to have three first-round picks this year by virtue of trades with the Dolphins and Colts, but they’ve agreed to another trade that will leave them with two first-rounders this year and two more in 2023. According to multiple reports, the Eagles will be sending the 16th, 19th, and 194th picks in this year’s draft to the Saints for the 18th, 101st, and 237th picks as well as a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick. The Eagles still hold the No. 15 pick in addition to No. 18 in the first round this year. The 101st pick gives them two third-rounders this season and they are the fifth team to acquire an extra first-round pick for the 2023 draft. New Orleans picked up the 101st pick through the compensatory pick process. They still have the 98th overall pick to go with their two first-rounders and the 49th overall selection. The additional draft capital in this year’s first round could be used to bring in a quarterback as the Saints continue to move forward in the post-Drew Brees era. The Eagles could find themselves in the market for a quarterback next year if Jalen Hurts doesn’t progress, so the extra pick next year would be helpful in such a scenario. PFT
Eight teams have two first-round draft picks after flurry of trades The 2022 NFL draft is still more than three weeks away, but we’ve already seen a flurry of first-round trades. Eight teams have two first-round picks, eight other teams have none, and in all 11 first-round picks have been traded. Two first-round picks have already been traded twice. Here’s the full breakdown of teams with two first-round picks: Giants have their own first-round pick (No. 5) and the Bears’ (No. 7) from last year’s trade that allowed the Bears to draft Justin Fields. Jets have their own first-round pick (No. 4) plus the Seahawks’ (No. 10) from the Jamal Adams trade. Texans have their own first-round pick (No. 3) plus the Browns’ (No. 13) from the Deshaun Watson trade. Eagles have the Dolphins’ first-round pick (No. 15) from last year’s trade that allowed Miami to draft Jaylen Waddle, plus the Saints’ first-round pick (No. 18) from an exchange of picks that also netted Philadelphia the Saints’ first-round pick in 2023 and second-round pick in 2024. Saintshave the Colts’ first-round pick (No. 16), which was sent to the Eagles in the Carson Wentz trade and then sent by the Eagles to the Saints in an exchange of multiple picks that also gave the Saints the Eagles’ first-round pick (No. 19). Packers have their own first-round pick (No. 28) plus the Raiders’ (No. 22) from the Davante Adams trade. Chiefs have their own first-round pick (No. 30) plus the 49ers’ (No. 29) which was originally sent to the Dolphins so the 49ers could draft Trey Lance, and then sent from the Dolphins to the Chiefs in the Tyreek Hill trade. Lions have their own first-round pick (No. 2) plus the Rams’ (No. 32) from the Matthew Stafford trade. PFT
Wow. That's unreal. This is going to be a wild draft. I have a feeling that we will see a record number of trades.
6 top prospect QB's to visit the Panthers. I wonder if they are going QB in the 1st round this draft up-coming?
Six top QB prospects set to visit Panthers next week Panthers General Manager Scott Fitterer said recently that he doesn’t want to force taking a quarterback in the draft, but acknowledged the team doesn’t have a long-term answer at the position and “at some point you have to take a shot” if you’re picking at the top of the first round. The Panthers have the sixth overall selection to use for such a shot this year and they’ll be spending time with most of the top quarterback prospects in the draft in the near future. Word on Monday was that Liberty’s Malik Willis will be visiting with the team next week and Albert Breer of SI.com reports that he’ll have plenty of company. Kenny Pickett of Pitt, Matt Corral of Ole Miss, Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati, Sam Howell of North Carolina, and Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky will also be meeting with the team between Monday and Wednesday. The visits don’t mean that the Panthers will definitely be taking a quarterback this month, but their need and a willingness to find the right match in this year’s class make it a very realistic possibility. PFT
I don't think there is any doubt that possible suitors for Baker Mayfield are trying to powerplay the Browns into eating the contract. IMO, the smart move for Cleveland is to exercise patience. Depending on the team, a simple QB injury could turn into a boom for Cleveland. Feel free to insert favorite Baker joke here, just know we keeping receipts. We aren't going to give him away.
Rash decisions like, trading a first round pick for Trent Richardson? Or trading a #1 for Carson Wentz? Or banking on $35M a year QB whose best years are long gone? Idk.
