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2021 NFL Draft: Team By Team

April 29th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! Soon, picks will soon be swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. But, before the trading frenzy starts, here’s a look at the draft picks owned by each team:

Arizona Cardinals – Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders)

Atlanta Falcons — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 4 overall
Round 2: No. 35
Round 3: No. 68
Round 4: No. 108
Round 5: Nos. 148, 182, 183
Round 6: Nos. 187, 219

Baltimore Ravens – Picks: 10

Round 1: Nos. 27, 31 (from Chiefs) overall
Round 2: No. 58
Round 3: Nos. 94 (from Chiefs), 104
Round 4: Nos. 131, 136 (from Chiefs)
Round 5: Nos. 171, 184
Round 6: No. 210

Buffalo Bills — Picks: 7

Round 1: No. 30 overall
Round 2: No. 61
Round 3: No. 93
Round 5: Nos. 161 (from Raiders), 174
Round 6: No. 213
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers)

Carolina Panthers — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 8 overall
Round 2: No. 39
Round 3: No. 73
Round 4: No. 113
Round 5: No. 151
Round 6: Nos. 191 (from Broncos), 193, 222

Chicago Bears — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 52
Round 3: No. 83
Round 5: No. 164
Round 6: Nos. 204, 208 (from Seahawks through Dolphins), 221, 228

Cincinnati Bengals — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 5 overall
Round 2: No. 38
Round 3: No. 69
Round 4: No. 111
Round 5: No. 149
Round 6: No. 190
Round 7: Nos. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans), 235 (from Lions through Seahawks)

Cleveland Browns — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 26 overall
Round 2: No. 59
Round 3: Nos. 89, 91 (from Saints)
Round 4: Nos. 110 (from Eagles), 132
Round 5: No. 169 (from Rams)
Round 6: No. 211
Round 7: No. 257 (from Bills)

Dallas Cowboys — Picks: 10

Round 1: No. 10 overall
Round 2: No. 44
Round 3: Nos. 75, 99
Round 4: Nos. 115, 138
Round 5: No. 179
Round 6: Nos. 192 (from Lions), 227
Round 7: No. 238

Denver Broncos — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 9 overall
Round 2: No. 40
Round 3: No. 71
Round 4: No. 114
Round 5: No. 152
Round 7: Nos. 237, 239 (from Giants), 253 (from Browns)

Detroit Lions — Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 7 overall
Round 2: No. 41
Round 3: Nos. 72, 101 (from Rams)
Round 4: No. 112
Round 5: No. 153

Green Bay Packers — Picks: 10

Round 1: No. 29 overall
Round 2: No. 62
Round 3: No. 92
Round 4: Nos. 135, 142
Round 5: Nos. 173, 178
Round 6: Nos. 214, 220
Round 7: No. 256

Houston Texans — Picks: 8

Round 3: No. 67
Round 4: No. 109
Round 5: Nos. 147, 158 (from Patriots)
Round 6: Nos. 195 (from Cowboys through Patriots), 203 (from Washington through Raiders, Dolphins), 212 (from Saints)
Round 7: No. 233 (from Bengals)

Indianapolis Colts — Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 21 overall
Round 2: No. 54
Round 4: No. 127
Round 5: No. 165
Round 6: No. 206
Round 7: No. 248

Jacksonville Jaguars — Picks: 10

Round 1: Nos. 1, 25 (from Rams) overall
Round 2: Nos. 33, 45 (from Vikings)
Round 3: No. 65
Round 4: Nos. 106, 130 (from Rams)
Round 5: Nos. 145, 170 (from Browns)
Round 7: No. 249 (from Titans)

Kansas City Chiefs — Picks: 8

Round 2: No. 58 (from Ravens), 63 overall
Round 3: No. 94
Round 4: Nos. 136, 144
Round 5: Nos. 175, 181
Round 6: No. 207 (from Steelers through Dolphins)

Las Vegas Raiders — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 17 overall
Round 2: No. 48
Round 3: Nos. 79 (from Cardinals), 80
Round 4: No. 121
Round 5: Nos. 162 (from Dolphins), 167 (from Seahawks)
Round 6: No. 200

Los Angeles Chargers — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 13 overall
Round 2: No. 47
Round 3: Nos. 77, 97
Round 4: No. 118
Round 5: No. 159
Round 6: Nos. 185 (from Jaguars through Titans), 198
Round 7: No. 241

Los Angeles Rams — Picks: 6

Round 2: No. 57 overall
Round 3: Nos. 88, 103
Round 4: No. 141
Round 6: No. 209
Round 7: No. 252

Miami Dolphins — Picks: 8

Round 1: Nos. 6 (from Eagles), 18 overall
Round 2: Nos. 36 (from Texans), 50
Round 3: No. 81
Round 5: No. 156 (from Cowboys through Eagles)
Round 7: Nos. 231 (from Texans), 244 (from Washington)

Minnesota Vikings — Picks: 10

Round 1: No. 14 overall
Round 3: Nos. 78, 90 (from Ravens)
Round 4: Nos. 119, 125 (from Bears), 134 (from Bills), 143
Round 5: Nos. 157, 168 (from Steelers through Ravens)
Round 6: Nos. 199

New England Patriots — Picks: 10

Round 1: No. 15 overall
Round 2: No. 46
Round 3: No. 96
Round 4: Nos. 120, 122 (from Cardinals through Texans), 139
Round 5: No. 177
Round 6: Nos. 188 (from Texans), 197
Round 7: No. 242

New Orleans Saints — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 28 overall
Round 2: No. 60
Round 3: Nos. 98, 105
Round 4: No. 133
Round 6: No. 218
Round 7: Nos. 229 (from Jaguars), 255

New York Giants — Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 11 overall
Round 2: No. 42
Round 3: No. 76
Round 4: No. 116
Round 6: Nos. 196, 201 (from Cardinals)

New York Jets — Picks: 10

Round 1: Nos. 2, 23 (from Seahawks) overall
Round 2: No. 34
Round 3: Nos. 66, 86 (from Seahawks)
Round 4: No. 107
Round 5: Nos. 146, 154 (from Giants)
Round 6: Nos. 186, 226 (from Panthers)

Philadelphia Eagles — Picks: 11

Round 1: No. 12 overall (from 49ers through Dolphins)
Round 2: No. 37
Round 3: Nos. 70, 84 (from Colts)
Round 4: No. 123 (from Dolphins)
Round 5: No. 150
Round 6: Nos. 189, 224, 225
Round 7: Nos. 234, 240 (from 49ers)

Pittsburgh Steelers — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 24 overall
Round 2: No. 55
Round 3: No. 87
Round 4: Nos. 128, 140
Round 6: No. 216 (from Buccaneers)
Round 7: Nos. 245 (from Dolphins), 254 (from Ravens)

San Francisco 49ers — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 3 overall (from Texans through Dolphins)
Round 2: No. 43
Round 3: No. 102
Round 4: No. 117
Round 5: Nos. 155, 172 (from Saints), 180
Round 6: No. 194
Round 7: Nos. 230 (from Jets)

Seattle Seahawks — Picks: 3

Round 2: No. 56 overall
Round 4: No. 129
Round 7: No. 250

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 32 overall
Round 2: No. 64
Round 3: No. 95
Round 4: No. 137
Round 5: No. 176
Round 6: No. 217
Round 7: Nos. 251 (from Steelers), 259

Tennessee Titans — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 22 overall
Round 2: No. 53
Round 3: Nos. 85, 100
Round 4: No. 126
Round 5: No. 166
Round 6: Nos. 205, 215 (from Chiefs)
Round 7: No. 232 (from Falcons through Dolphins)

Washington Football Team — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 19 overall
Round 2: No. 51
Round 3: Nos. 74 (from 49ers), 82
Round 4: No. 124
Round 5: No. 163
Round 7: Nos. 244 (from Vegas), 246, 258 (from Chiefs through Dolphins)

Cardinals’ Marcus Gilbert Retires From NFL

April 26th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals tackle Marcus Gilbert has retired from the NFL (Twitter link). The veteran joined the Cards in 2019, but never actually played a down for them.

The Cardinals acquired Gilbert from the Steelers via trade in 2019, with the intention of installing him as their starting right tackle. Unfortunately, a knee injury forced Gilbert to injured reserve in the first month of that season. Then, last year, Gilbert opted out due to the pandemic.

Before all of that, Gilbert started in 87 of his 88 game for the Steelers across eight seasons. Towards the end of that run, he was limited by injuries, appearing in just 12 total games from 2017-18 — his last full slate came in 2015.

With Gilbert out of the picture, the Cardinals will look for new blockers to back starters D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum. That’ll factor into their draft plans this week, along with needs at cornerback, wide receiver, tight end, and the defensive line.

Larry Fitzgerald’s Decision Won’t Impact Cardinals’ Draft Plans

April 25th, 2021 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals are waiting to hear whether Larry Fitzgerald will play in 2021. But, in the interim, his retirement decision will not impact the team’s board in this week’s draft, GM Steve Keim says.

“No matter what Larry decides, it does not affect our draft plans,” Keim said (via ESPN.com). “Again, to me, you can’t have enough good players at one position. There [are] guys on a one-year contract. So, again, as far as building your team and the type of depth that you have, you can never have enough good players and, obviously, Larry Fitzgerald is a great one, so you wouldn’t say no to him either.”

The 37-year-old hasn’t tipped his hand to anyone — including Keim. Technically speaking, Fitzgerald is a free agent, but it’s believed that he’ll either return to the Cardinals or call it a career. For what it’s worth, executives “anticipate” that Fitzgerald is going to retire.

Either way, the Cardinals have to start thinking about the future of the position beyond Fitzgerald, who turns 38 in August. With that in mind, Keim anticipates that there will be five or six receivers taken in Round 1, which would leave plenty of quality options for them at No. 16 overall.

Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1

April 23rd, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.

As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cardinals Eyeing CBs, Jaylen Waddle?

April 21st, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Quarterbacks and other top-10 prospects have dominated this year’s draft discussions, overshadowing the rest of this year’s class. The Cardinals hold pick No. 16 and are considering multiple paths, including one that involves a highly coveted pass catcher.

Arizona is interested in cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn, per ProFootballNetwork.com’s Tony Pauline, who adds the team is also eyeing Jaylen Waddle. However, it is quite possible all three of these players will be gone by the time the Cardinals go on the clock. This would point the Steve Keim-run team to a trade-up scenario.

The Cards gave A.J. Green a one-year, $6MM deal to see if he can rediscover his pre-2019 form. They have Christian Kirk, but he is going into a contract year and has not been especially consistent as a pro. Larry Fitzgerald remains unsigned and is expected to retire after 17 seasons. Waddle would certainly make for a flashy DeAndre Hopkins complementary piece, but the Cards would almost certainly have to trade up to land him.

Patrick Peterson defected to the Vikings in free agency, and although Arizona agreed to terms with Malcolm Butler, he is going into his age-31 season. The Cardinals have Byron Murphy signed through 2022 but could use additional help at corner. Surtain has been viewed as a player likely to go off the board in the top half of the first round for months, while Horn has made a late climb. However, Todd McShay’s latest ESPN.com mock has the South Carolina corner falling to the Cards at 16.

The team is believed to view linebacker Zaven Collins as a potential contingency plan, according to Pauline. A Tulsa product, Collins has a versatile skill set that could be utilized as a pass rusher or pure linebacker. The Cards going in this direction would be interesting, given Haason Reddick‘s struggles in a hybrid role for most of his Arizona tenure and the team’s selection of versatile ‘backer Isaiah Simmons in last year’s first round.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/21

April 15th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Re-signed: LB Dennis Gardeck (RFA), LB Kylie Fitts (ERFA)
Signed: WR Andre Baccellia, DL Ryan Bee, RB Tavien Feaster, LB Jamell Garcia-Williams, WR Darece Roberson

Cleveland Browns

Re-signed: DE Porter Gustin

Jacksonville Jaguars

Re-signed: LB Dakota Allen (ERFA)

Las Vegas Raiders

Cut: QB Kyle Sloter

New Orleans Saints

Signed: WR Jalen McCleskey

Contract Details: Conner, Cockrell, Stephen

April 13th, 2021 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled a handful of details on recent contracts, including the newest member of the Cardinals offense:

James Conner, RB (Cardinals): One-year deal. Deal is worth $1.75MM, including $500K signing bonus and fully guaranteed $1.25MM salary. Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter.
Ross Cockrell, CB (Buccaneers): Two-year deal. Contract is worth $2.11MM. League-minimum salaries in both 2021 ($990K) and 2022 ($1.12MM). Up to $450K in playing-time incentives each season. Via Greg Auman of The Athletic on Twitter.
Shamar Stephen, DT (Broncos): Signed. One year, $2MM deal, including $750K guaranteed. $415K signing bonus, $1.075MM base salary (of which $335K is guaranteed), $30K per-game roster bonuses (up to $510K max). Via Mike Klis of 9News in Denver on Twitter.

James Conner Addresses Offseason Injury

April 13th, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Cardinals running back James Conner underwent toe surgery recently. He suffered the injury in an ATV accident, he said Tuesday. The former Pro Bowl back is expected to be 100% by training camp.

Cardinals Sign James Conner

April 13th, 2021 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

That didn’t take long. One day after visiting the Cardinals, running back James Conner agreed to join Kyler Murray & Co. in Arizona (Twitter link via Jay Glazer of FOX Sports). The Cardinals have since confirmed the deal, making the one-year pact official.

Earlier today, we learned that Conner recently underwent surgery to fix a turf toe-type injury. That could help to explain why he was still on the board in mid-April. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t all that serious and Conner is expected to be fully cleared by June.

Conner made his mark in 2018, after emerging from Le’Veon Bell‘s shadow. That year, he rushed for 973 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns, plus 55 catches for 497 yards. Then, in 2019, he was limited to just 464 yards on the ground and six games, thanks in part to knee and shoulder trouble.

This past year, he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season up until he tested positive for COVID-19 in November. Ultimately, he finished 2020 with 721 yards on the ground and six scores, plus 35 grabs for 215 yards.

The Steelers didn’t show much interest in a reunion, even though Conner always said that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for the long haul. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to play in warmer weather as he joins Chase Edmonds, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward, and Khalfani Muhammad in the Cardinals’ running back group. With Conner towards the top, the Cardinals hope to replace the production of Kenyan Drake, who left in free agency to join the Raiders.

Cardinals Meet With James Conner

April 12th, 2021 at 11:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals will meet with James Conner today, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. This marks Conner’s first known visit of the offseason.

Conner made his mark in 2018, after emerging from Le’Veon Bell‘s shadow. That year, he rushed for 973 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns, plus 55 catches for 497 yards. Then, in 2019, he was limited to just 464 yards on the ground and six games, thanks in part to knee and shoulder trouble.

This past year, he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season up until he tested positive for COVID-19 in November. It was a scary situation for the cancer survivor, but, fortunately, he was okay. Ultimately, he finished 2020 with 721 yards on the ground and six scores, plus 35 grabs for 215 yards. The Steelers haven’t shown a ton of interest in re-signing Conner and he remains available for the league’s other 31 teams.

“My goal is to win,” Conner said last year when asked about the possibility of a Pittsburgh extension. “I have the opportunity to do that. The special team we got, pieces that were out last year coming back healthy. I’m not playing for a contract or playing not to get hurt. I’m playing to win, that’s what it’s about, to be part of Super Bowl No. 7 for the organization.”

With the Cardinals, he could help replace the production of Kenyan Drake, who has since left to join up with the Raiders. Currently, the Cardinals have Chase Edmonds, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward, and Khalfani Muhammad on the RB depth chart.

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