Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith’s Fifth-Year Option
The Cowboys will soon need to make a decision on Tyler Smith‘s fifth-year option. The team’s top offensive lineman can be counted on to remain in Dallas for at least two more years, though. 
Smith’s 2026 option is expected to be picked up, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 24th overall pick in 2022 has one Pro Bowl nod on his resume. As a result, Smith will be in line to collect $21.27MM guaranteed for the ’26 campain in the likely event his option is exercised.
Of course, an extension could very well be in store as well. Smith is among the players known to be on the Cowboys’ radar for a long-term arrangement. The 24-year-old was drafted with the intention of starting his career along the interior, but an injury to Tyron Smith changed those plans. Tyler Smith spent much of his rookie campaign on the blindside and flashed the potential to operate as a long-term answer at left tackle.
The team’s preference is to keep the Tulsa product at guard, though, something which was the case in 2023. Last spring, Dallas selected Tyler Guyton in the first round of the draft and gave him a large workload at the left tackle spot. Smith primarily played at left guard, and with Guyton in place for the foreseeable future that setup can be expected to continue moving forward.
Offensive linemen are grouped together for the purposes of franchise tags, something which could lead to complications if team and player reached that point after the 2026 campaign. An extension could be in place well before that point, especially if Smith is seen as one of Dallas’ top priorities for a new deal. Micah Parsons is atop that list, and the process of working out his extension (as was the case last year with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb) is widely seen as taking much longer than needed.
Considering the Cowboys’ track record on that front, it would come as little surprise if talks on a long-term agreement took place over an extended period. The top of the guard market now has four players attached to multi-year deals averaging $20MM or more per year, while Trey Smith is set to earn over $23MM on the franchise tag (or a similar amount if a Chiefs extension agreement can be worked out). A top-15 guard in terms of PFF grades each of the past two years, Tyler Smith could find himself among the top earners at his position by 2026 or sooner depending on how contract talks progress.
Falcons Unlikely To Take Day 3 Pick For Kirk Cousins
APRIL 21: The Falcons are aiming for an acquiring team to take on $20MM of Cousins’ remaining guarantees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. To no surprise, he adds that asking price has not been met and is not expected to at any point this offseason. A more realistic figure could be closer to $10MM, he adds, but of course the willingness of a team to absorb compensation will affect the trade price in terms of draft capital. With Day 3 selections insufficient to work out an agreement, it will be interesting to see if movement occurs on this front in the coming days.
APRIL 19: Kirk Cousins has made it clear that he wants out of Atlanta, but the Falcons aren’t letting him go without some compensation after giving him $90MM in fully-guaranteed money last offseason.
Cousins’ situation has been the subject of much scrutiny this offseason, and he and the team are at odds over the best resolution. Cousins, who has a no-trade clause, would prefer to be released; the Falcons would rather trade him to recoup some draft capital and shed as much of his $27.5MM salary as possible.
A post-draft trade has always made the most sense. Cousins doesn’t want a repeat of the 2024 season with a highly-drafted rookie quarterback breathing down his neck, and a post-June 1 trade would allow Atlanta to spread the dead money across two years.
However, recent comments from Falcons owner Arthur Blank indicate that facilitating a trade won’t be as simple as the team accepting an offer and Cousins waiving his no-trade clause.
“Kirk understands his situation. He understands our own situation. He understands we’ve committed a lot of funds to him,” Blank said at league meetings earlier this month (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones). That reflects the Falcons’ primary desire to get Cousins’ salary off the books. If they have to absorb most of his 2025 salary, they’ll need more than just a Day 3 pick to facilitate a deal.
“I told (Cousins) that we will be as thoughtful and sensitive to him as we can be,” continued Blank, “but we have a responsibility to the franchise — which we do.”
But Cousins has a responsibility to himself and his family, too. On the football side, he wants to start without the threat of being replaced during the season. On the personal side, he has two elementary school-aged children who moved three times last year, which will be a “huge consideration” for Cousins to permit a trade later in the year, according to Jones.
This sets up a precarious timeline for the Falcons. It’s hard to see them getting their desired cap relief or draft compensation in a trade unless another team suddenly has a need for a quarterback, which is unlikely to arise until closer to the season when more injuries occur. But if Cousins’ children start another year of school in Atlanta, he may be less inclined to waive his no-trade clause unless he lands in the perfect situation.
Whether or not the Falcons are able to move Cousins, they’re still expected to sign a cheap veteran passer in the coming months, according to Jones. That QB would serve as additional depth during training camp and potentially replace Cousins as Michael Penix‘s backup this season.
Jets To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson
Plenty of attention remains focused on the draft at this point, but the deadline for fifth-year option decisions is looming as well. When speaking to the media on Monday, Jets general manager Darren Mougey made it clear all three of the team’s first-rounders from 2022 will remain in place for at least two more years. 
Mougey said the Jets will pick up the fifth-year option on cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. In all three cases, the news comes as no surprise. Johnson’s Achilles tear did not create an expectation New York would choose to put him on track for free agency next spring; Gardner and Wilson, meanwhile, profile as logical extension candidates.
As a two-time Pro Bowler, Gardner qualifies for the most lucrative tier regarding his 2026 option year. The No. 4 pick in 2022 will therefore earn $21.19MM on the option. Plenty of time still exists for a long-term extension to be worked out, of course, and in that case Gardner would be in line for much higher earnings. The top of the cornerback market recently reached $30MM in annual compensation thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension.
Gardner earned first-team All-Pro honors during each of his first two campaigns, helping his case to become the league’s highest earner at the CB spot when he first became eligible for a second contract. The 24-year-old was unable to match his success in 2024, but with 40 career pass breakups and a better track record with respect to availability than Stingley, he has a strong case to reset the position’s market. Gardner has publicly expressed a desire to remain in New York for the long term.
Wilson’s future seemed less certain at times last season, with the acquisition of Davante Adams affecting his role in the Jets’ passing attack. Neither Adams nor Aaron Rodgers are in the fold anymore, though, and Wilson will be reunited with former college teammate Justin Fields in 2025. It remains to be seen how effective that tandem will be, but Wilson has managed at least 1,042 yards in each of his first three seasons despite underwhelming QB play for the Jets during that span.
The receiver market has surged in recent years, and Ja’Marr Chase now leads the way at $40.25MM per season. Wilson, 24, would be hard-pressed to reach that figure on an extension, but he could command a deal worth much more than the $16.82MM he is scheduled to earn in 2026. Once the draft has concluded, extension talks with Gardner and Wilson (along with offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker) will begin.
Johnson handled a rotational role along the edge as a rookie, but he took on a much larger workload in 2023 and took a step forward with 7.5 sacks. His performance that year resulted in a Pro Bowl nod and created high expectations for the 2024 campaign. Johnson was limited to just a pair of games as a result of his injury, though, and it would come as no surprise if the Jets waited until he returned to action to explore a long-term arrangement. For now, the Florida State product is on track to collect $13.41MM in 2026.
Teams have until May 1 to decide on fifth-year options. It will take until that date for clarity to emerge one way or the other in many cases, but with respect to the Jets questions related to the short-term futures of the Gardner-Wilson-Johnson trio can now be put to rest.
Browns Sign CB Nik Needham
Nik Needham will not need to wait until after the draft to find his next deal. The veteran cornerback signed with the Browns on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Needham saw his role and playing time fluctuate over the course of his time in Miami. The former UDFA handled a snap share of 89% in 2019 and 78% in 2022. In between, he served as a key (but less involved) figure in the Dolphins’ secondary. The past two seasons played out much differently, however.
After playing on an RFA tender in 2022, Needham saw sparse usage on defense and special teams the following year. The 28-year-old remained in Miami for last season, but he was among the Dolphins’ final roster cuts. Needham was quickly retained on the practice squad and he made a pair of appearances in 2024. His departure will not make as much of an impact as it would have earlier in his career, but losing Needham nevertheless represents another member of the secondary which is no longer in place for Miami (like Kendall Fuller,who was released) or who could soon be on the move (in the case of trade candidate Jalen Ramsey).
Needham has seen time at outside corner, in the slot and (on occasion) as a box safety. He could therefore compete for a number of roles in a backup capacity upon arrival with the Browns. Cleveland still has Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson and Greg Newsome under contract at corner, with the same being true of safety Grant Delpit. Rodney McLeod played a key role last season, but he is expected to retire and has therefore not been re-signed. Safety represents a need ahead of the draft, and the signing of Needham – whose 2022 campaign was ended by an Achilles tear – will not affect the team’s plans at that spot.
The Browns entered Monday with just over $19MM in cap space. Much of that figure will need to be devoted to signing the team’s incoming rookie class, but Needham will give Cleveland a low-cost option in the secondary regardless of how the draft shakes out.
Prospect Profile: Shedeur Sanders
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Hall of Fame NFL cornerback and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, has been one of the 2025 NFL Draft class’s most polarizing prospects. At times trending to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Sanders’ draft stock has slowly fallen in the last few months, but he still projects as a first-round quarterback and a potential starter in the NFL. 
Sanders grew up just outside of Dallas, where his father spent five years of his career from 1995-99. When he got to high school, attending Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, he was coached by his father, who served as the high school’s offensive coordinator at the time. Between the different recruit ranking services, Sanders was either a three- or four-star recruit, with 247Sports ranking him as the 37th-best passer in the class.
Likely based on his pedigree, plenty of schools were willing to take a chance on Sanders as a prospect, granting him offers from several Division I programs. The schools that recruited him the most were Alabama, Baylor, Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, FAU, UCF, and Utah State. He committed to the Owls in Boca Raton in the July before his senior season, but when his father was hired as the new head coach at Jackson State two months later, the Tigers became the favorite to land him. He eventually decommitted from FAU, flipping and signing with Jackson State, who would also flip five-star, No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter from Florida State on Early National Signing Day.
After initially being ineligible to perform in football activities during the spring, Sanders was named the starting quarterback for Jackson State as a true freshman. Starting all 13 games, Sanders completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions, winning 11 games. He won the Jerry Rice Award (given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS) becoming the first player from a historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the award. As a sophomore, Sanders’ Tigers went 12-1 while he completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,732 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He sophomore campaign was rewarded with the Deacon Jones Trophy (given to the nation’s top HBCU player).
In early-December, near the end of the Tigers’ season, Deion was named the new head coach at Colorado. Two weeks later, both Shedeur and Hunter entered the transfer portal and, eventually, followed their head coach to Boulder. The newcomers in Colorado started off hot with three straight wins over a ranked TCU, Nebraska, and Colorado State, but the Buffaloes would go 1-8 in Pac-12 play to finish the season 4-8 (4-7 with Sanders as the starter). Sanders completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only three interceptions as he and Hunter shined as bright spots on a struggling team that desperately needed improvements on the offensive line and defense.
Coming back for his final year of eligibility, Sanders, Hunter, and company went 9-3 in the regular season, ranking 23rd in the College Football Playoff rankings, missing the playoffs. They would go on to lose to BYU in the Alama Bowl to end 9-4. Overall on the season, Sanders set career highs in completion percentage (74.0) and passing yards (4,134) while throwing 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He earned honors as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in the school’s first season in the new conference, and the university would eventually announce that it was retiring both Sanders’ No. 2 jersey and Hunter’s No. 12 jersey.
At times during the 2024 season, Sanders was thought to be a potential No. 1 overall pick in the draft, often with Hunter being his top competition for the top honor in the class. Over time, Miami’s Cam Ward eventually took over the odds as the favorite to land in Nashville as the top overall draft pick, making Sanders a likely second overall pick. As the pre-draft process continued, Sanders continued to slip with Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter becoming favorites to land at Nos. 2 and 3. While it’s always a possibility that a team could trade up to No. 4 overall to secure Sanders, the latest projections see him potentially falling back to No. 9 overall with the Saints or even No. 21 overall with the Steelers. There are some that view him almost as highly as Ward and some who don’t even give him a first-round grade.
The majority of concerns that have caused Sanders to slide have to do with his tape. Sanders ranks as QB2 (sometimes QB3 behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart) for a reason. His senior year completion percentage led the NCAA, displaying elite accuracy, and he shows impressive abilities stay cool in clutch situations and avoid turnovers despite excessive pressure from a leaky offensive line. He’s smart, savvy, and tough and plays in a really clean rhythm with Colorado’s offensive system, which he knows well.
Some negatives from his game are actually related to some his strengths. His high completion percentage has been linked to an overreliance on quick throws, screens, and checkdowns as only 23.7 percent of his completions at Colorado were on throws over 10 yards. Much of this has to do with a lack of elite arm strength, forcing him to rely on strong timing to float and arc throws in to his receivers with limited zip. When that elite timing falls apart on him, though, he can roll the snowball down the hill, backpedaling into pressure and holding on to the ball too long while trying to make something out of nothing. When plays fall apart, he has a tendency to get ultra-conservative, which avoids turnovers but doesn’t turn negative plays into positive plays, something Ward excels at. A lot of this stems, as well, from a general lack of mobility, a trait he failed to inherit from his father. 
Further concerns were raised about off-the-field aspects. Though Sanders has kept his nose clean off the field, some organizations came away from interviews with Sanders with concerns about his character, whether warranted or not we can’t necessarily say. There were also concerns about his leadership, mentality, and coachability on a team without his father as a coach, considering Deion has coached his son since their time in high school together.
Regardless of these concerns, Sanders has shown that he can overcome his shortcomings to find some success at the collegiate level. It remains to be seen whether he can find that same success without a Heisman winner weapon to throw to or his father as a mentor and coach to support him, but Sanders has done enough at this point to warrant a first- or second-round chance. While Sanders’ elite timing and ability to avoid turnovers makes him one of the most pro-ready passers in the class, he may project best on a team with whom he can sit, learn, and develop, a team with a veteran in place that Sanders can either beat out or learn from.
Later this week, we’ll find out which locker room he’ll be joining. And, in May, when the rookies report to camp, we’ll begin to see just how well he fares out from under the shadows of his father and Hunter.
Steelers Have 1st-Round Grade On Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.
Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.
The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.
Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.
The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.
Aaron Rodgers’ Age, Durability Were Giants’ Biggest Concerns
The Giants seriously considered pursuing Aaron Rodgers, but concerns about his age and durability were too significant for team president John Mara to move forward with a potential signing, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll preferred Rodgers to the other quarterbacks available in free agency, but Mara needed to be convinced. Rodgers has a reputation as an intense personality in the locker room with no shortage of off-field controversies
The Giants reached out to three members of the last Jets regime – head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel – who said that Rodgers was “no problem in the locker room,” per Dunleavy. (Manuel was hired in January as the Giants’ new defensive pass game coordinator.) There was no way around the mercurial quarterback’s attention-grabbing words and antics, but the team was willing to overlook that, especially for how cheap Rodgers would be.
What the Giants could not get past, according to Dunleavy, was the potential for Rodgers to miss time this season due to injury. Mara has repeatedly expressed his lack of patience with the team’s lack of results in the last two years, and Rodgers showed signs of limited mobility in 2024 after tearing his Achilles a year prior. He’s also openly debated retirement in each of the last few offseason, including this one, making it clear that he’s not a long-term answer at quarterback.
Instead the Giants went with younger players in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on incentive-laden one-year deals to see if one can emerge as a plus starter in 2025. They’ve also done their homework on the current draft class and could add a new franchise quarterback next week.
Prospect Profile: Donovan Ezeiruaku
Boston College doesn’t always act as a pipeline of talent into the NFL, but often, the players they do put into the league (e.g. Matt Ryan, Luke Kuechly, Chris Lindstrom) have potential to be some of the best at their respective positions. Premier pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku has potential to do the same for the Eagles as a possible first-round pick this coming Thursday. 
Originally a Philadelphia native, Ezeiruaku grew up and went to high school just half an hour south of the city at Williamstown HS (NJ). Even after leading his high school to back-to-back state championships, Ezeiruaku didn’t have a rank on most recruiting sites. He ended up being ranked as a three-star athlete, with 247Sports ranking him as the country’s 195th-best linebacker.
After getting his second ring at the high school level, Ezeiruaku started to garner some attention, picking up offers from FCS programs like Holy Cross, Stony Brook, and Wagner. His intelligence was on display, as well, as he saw offers come in from Harvard and Princeton. Eventually, FBS offers would arrive with Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Temple, Boston College, and Vanderbilt all soliciting his services. Without the availability to take visits because of COVID-19, Ezeiruaku committed to head coach Jeff Hafley and the Eagles sight unseen.
As a true freshman, Ezeiruaku didn’t start but played a huge role off the bench, logging three sacks and four tackles for loss in 10 game appearances. Becoming a full-time starter in 2022, he earned All-ACC second-team honors with a breakout season that saw him lead the team in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (14.5). Despite a down season for the Eagles defense the following year, Ezeiruaku still led the team in both categories while only recording two sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 starts.
Whatever Ezeiruaku lacked in production in 2023, he made up for in his senior season. This past year, Ezeiruaku finished second in the country with 16.5 sacks (behind only Marshall’s Mike Green) and fourth in the country with 20.5 tackles for loss (behind Green, Penn State’s Abdul Carter, and Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau). Because he played in one fewer game than Green, Ezeiruaku passed him on avergae as first in the country with 1.38 sacks per game (over Green’s 1.33). Similarly, Carter and Tuimoloau both played in 16 games, so Ezeiruaku passed them to finish second in the country with 1.71 tackles for loss per game (behind only Green’s 1.73).
There’s lots to like about Ereizuaku as a pure pass rusher. He has great bend and acceleration during an outside speed rush. He also has a range of pass rushing moves that utilize his lateral mobility and quickness. He also has the flexibility to rush from both sides of the ball. He showed durability throughout his time in Chestnut Hill, starting 36 straight contests after missing three games his freshman year. He also showed leadership characteristics as a team captain in his last two years of school.
Ezeiruaku isn’t a perfect pass rushing prospect, though. Ideally, he needs to add size and strength in order to compete with NFL linemen, particularly since he doesn’t have an effective bullrush move. That lack of muscle moves can limit him if he gets pinned inside on a pass rush. While he’s an elite disruptor, he lacks elite abilities on other parts of the field. He rarely showed an ability to drop into coverage, and if a quarterback or ball carrier slips away from him, he doesn’t have great speed to pursue.
These shortcomings haven’t stopped teams from doing plenty of homework on Ezeiruaku as a potential first-round pick. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American (the school’s first since running back Andre Williams in 2013) was a hot topic among scouts at the start of the month and has only seen his stock rise from there. While some view him as an early-Day 2 prospect, a run on pass rushers could help Ezeiruaku slip into some first-round money, and with how deep this year’s pass rushing group is, a run is likely to occur.
Draft Rumors: Hunter, Sanders, Banks
With the 2025 NFL Draft just four days out, the Browns are increasingly expected to select Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the first round. Several sources have told FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano that Cleveland will take the multi-positional talent at No. 2 overall, clearing the path for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter to land with the Giants.
The Hunter-to-Cleveland steam has been building over the last few weeks, especially following comments from general manager Andrew Berry indicating the team’s willingness to play Hunter on both sides of the ball. The reigning Heisman has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue his two-way exploits in the NFL, even saying he would consider sitting out if he’s only permitted to play one position.
It seems, though, that Hunter can avoid that potential outcome in Cleveland, and the closer we get to Thursday, the more likely that outcome is to occur.
Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:
- Hunter’s teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, has been one of the draft’s most polarizing prospects in the last few months. According to ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, some scouts believe Sanders’ head coach at Colorado and father, NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, is contributing to the wide range of evaluations. Typically, when scouts or position coaches visit a university to either watch tape or conduct a workout with a prospect, they will visit with a staff member, usually a head strength coach or NFL liaison to elicit some frank and honest information about the prospect. Some believe that Deion being the father of Shedeur and the superior of these employees has created a conflict wherein NFL personnel have had difficulty getting an understanding of who Shedeur is because of Deion’s influence.
- After missing half of his junior year after undergoing hip surgery, Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison did not participate in drills and workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or the Fighting Irish’s pro day. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though, Morrison will conduct “a positional workout for teams on Monday” at his former high school in Arizona. Morrison currently grades as a potential Day 2 pick, and his father, former Washington safety Darryl Morrison, is currently the team chaplain for the Cardinals.
- Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been a popular prospect leading up to the first-round of the draft. We noted a visit for Banks two weeks ago with the Falcons, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 updated his visit list to include the Panthers, Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys, Raiders, and 49ers. He adds that the Texans spoke with Banks at his pro day in Austin, as well.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Commanders Looking To Draft A WR
The Commanders are interested in adding a wide receiver during next week’s draft, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, though their lack of a third-round pick could complicate their strategy.
Washington traded for Deebo Samuel to pair him with Terry McLaurin as one of the league’s most exciting starting WR duos, but both are in the last year of their contracts. In fact, the team currently only has one receiver – 2024 third-rounder Luke McCaffrey – under contract past the 2025 season with a number of veterans on one-year deals. That makes wideout a clear priority for the Commanders, who only have two picks across the first two days of the draft after trading for Marshon Lattimore at the 2024 trade deadline.
One of the team’s coveted targets is Tai Felton, according to Pauline. Felton is a local product who was born and raised in Ashburn, Virginia and played college football just outside of Washington, D.C. at the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played sparingly across his first two seasons as a Terp before emerging as a starter in 2023 and a star in 2024. Last season, he recorded a school-record 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns and led the Big 10 in catches and yards per game. That production, as well as strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, have positioned Felton to be drafted late on Day 2 of the draft.
The Commanders have shown interest in Felton throughout the pre-draft process, attending his pro day in College Park and hosting him at the team’s local pro day where they worked him out as a returner. His draft projection poses a strategic dilemma for general , who have a large gap between their second and third selections (Nos. 61 and 128). There may be better players available at the end of the second round, but Felton may not last to the Commanders’ next pick at the end of the fourth.