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2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Saints, Packers, Falcons, Revel

March 27th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints continue to stay busy having visits with 2025 NFL Draft prospects, according to multiple reports from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Last night, the team hosted several Georgia players for dinner, including a top defensive end prospect in Mykel Williams as well as wide receiver Arian Smith. They also reportedly had dinner this week with Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew, a likely Day 3 prospect whose name has not been making the rounds this early in the process. Lastly, the team was in Knoxville today reportedly meeting with some Tennessee players, including running back Dylan Sampson and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott.

Underhill adds that the team has been doing a ton of work during the pre-draft process on running backs. Even though lead back Alvin Kamara had a career-high 950 rushing yards in 2024, combined with 543 receiving yards, the sheer depth of this year’s class of running back prospects nearly ensures that quality backs will be available into the fourth or fifth round. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has eight running backs listed in his top 100 prospects list, so it makes sense that New Orleans is doing its homework on the position.

Here are a few other rumors concerning possibilities in the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • The Packers currently have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but if general manager Brian Gutekunst has anything to say about it, they could be angling for more. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, when asked about not having many picks this year, Gutekunst added the addendum “yet” to the end of the statement, indicating that he would have some interest in acquiring more picks via trade. Green Bay currently sits at No. 23 overall in the first round. It’s been posited that many teams from pick No. 20 on are looking to trade back out of the first round due to a lack of elite, top-end talent in this year’s class, as opposed to the tremendous depth the class seems to provide. Unfortunately, due to that same issue, there are going to be few, if any, takers willing to give up precious draft capital to move up into the first round.
  • One trend we seem to be seeing shows the Falcons as likely candidates to go defense in the first round of the draft. Josh Kendall of The Athletic selected safety Nick Emmanwori in the site’s beat writer mock draft, and the other players he says he considered with the pick, safety Malaki Starks, linebackers Jalon Walker and Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Will Johnson, and edges Mike Green and Shemar Stewart, all reside on the defensive side of the ball. Kendall bases this belief that the team will go defense off of new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich wanting to build a new, uniquely hybrid defense.
  • Lastly, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network reported today that the Cowboys will be hosting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel for a top-30 visit next week. We know that Revel is attempting to make a comeback from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games and that he is projected to be back in time for training camp. What makes this an interesting visit is that, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, Revel’s ACL repair surgery was performed by Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper, likely giving the franchise a uniquely exclusive insight on his prognosis and recovery.

Falcons To Sign German-Born K Lenny Krieg

March 27th, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Falcons are signing German-born kicker Lenny Krieg to a three-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

The 22-year-old Krieg is a converted soccer player who previously played in professional football in Europe. He drew the attention of NFL scouts when he converted all 14 field goal attempts at the Combine, the only kicker to do so. He impressed once again at the NFL’s International Player Pathway pro day on Wednesday and scheduled visits with multiple teams.

Atlanta was his first and ultimately only stop. Expecting competition for Krieg’s signature, the Falcons offered him a three-year deal with a signing bonus and a base salary guarantee, per Garafolo. He will enter training camp competing with Younghoe Koo to be the team’s kicker in 2025.

Koo emerged as one of the league’s best kickers after his first three years in Atlanta, earning a five-year, $24.25MM extension to become one of the highest-paid players at his position. He took a step back over the next three years, culminating in a disappointing 2024 season. He ended the year on injured reserve after converting just 73.5% of his field goal attempts, his lowest in six years with the Falcons.

Krieg’s arrival in Atlanta – especially on a multi-year deal with guaranteed money – is a clear sign that Koo’s time as a Falcon may soon come to an end. The 30-year-old is due $8.75MM over the next two years, significantly less than Krieg is likely to earn on his contract. The Falcons would save $4.25MM in 2025 cap space by moving on from Koo after June 1, with $2.5MM in dead money split between 2025 and ’26.

Draft Rumors: Visits, Green, Nolen, RBs

March 25th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nigh, teams are beginning to do their due diligence on each prospect, including hosting several for visits.

A perfect example of this saw the Saints host a bevy of Longhorns for a dinner last night, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The list of Texas prospects included possible first-rounders cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden as well as defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The Saints weren’t the only team to spend time with Ewers yesterday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both the Jets and Raiders sent staffers to meet with the 22-year-old in Austin prior to the team’s pro day. Ewers has several visits planned following today’s pro day, as well, including meetings with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders, again, in early April.

Another potential Longhorn first-rounder, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, has also reportedly set up a number of visits following today’s pro day, per CJ Vogel of On Texas Football. Bond apparently has top-30 visits scheduled in the next month with the Falcons, Bears, Packers, and Rams.

Here are some more rumors concerning the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is making the rounds, as well. After previously meeting with New Orleans, Revel reportedly visited the Texans on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Revel is attempting to make a speedy recovery from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games. He’s reportedly on track to be ready to return in time for training camp.
  • One of Revel’s top competitors at the position in this year’s class, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, is set to meet with the Raiders, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Johnson has already met with the Falcons and reportedly met with the Cardinals already, as well.
  • Already having met with the Saints and Falcons, Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is set to meet with several other franchises, per Wilson. One of the top tackle options in the class, Conerly has visits planned with the Texans, Eagles, Commanders, Bengals, and Bears. Wilson adds that, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Conerly already formerly met with the Texans, Jets, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Commanders, and 49ers.
  • Marshall’s pro day garnered a few more visitors than usual today, thanks to the presence of potential first-round pass rusher Mike Green. According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, while several teams sent personnel to check Green out, the Falcons sent most of their front office as well as head coach Raheem Morris. Pauline adds that the Commanders also held a significant presence at the pass rusher’s pro day.
  • Due to the draft being more deep than top-heavy, there are several prospects who receive a wide range of opinions on when and where they’ll go in the draft. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, though, no player has a wider range than Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Transferring within the conference from Texas A&M for the final year of his collegiate career, Nolen had a strong, consensus All-American season with the Rebels, totaling 48 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. Despite the impressive performance, Miller claims that “teams are torn on (Nolen’s) lack of refined pass-rush moves,” resulting in projections from the top 10 all the way back to the second round.
  • Last year was the second time in the three years that we saw no running backs taken in the first round of the draft. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, we could see two running backs hear their names called on Day 1 of the event this year. A running backs coach told Schultz that “there’s no way (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) falls outside the top 15-20 picks.” Jeanty has been projected in multiple mock drafts to both the Raiders at No. 6 overall and the Cowboys at No. 12. While the position is deep, with players like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Miami’s Damien Martinez, and several others, it’s North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton who may have played himself into the first round with Jeanty. Schultz claims that a personnel director told him the only thing Hampton needed to do in order to go in Round 1 was run in the 4.4’s at the combine, and Hampton ran a 4.46. He may not get taken as high as Jeanty, but he should still be considered a first-round candidate come the end of April.

NFC South Notes: Visits, Saints, Legette

March 22nd, 2025 at 10:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the Combine in the books and Pro Days taking place, top-30 visits are currently a key aspect of the pre-draft process. Several notable prospects have already met with prospective teams, and that will continue over the coming days and weeks.

Shemar Stewart is one of many highly-regarded edge rushers in the 2025 class, and he impressed at the Combine. The Texas A&M product likely helped his stock in the process, and he recently met with the Falcons, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Adding along the edge would be a logical move on Atlanta’s part after the team ranked 31st in sacks last season.

2024 trade acquisition Matt Judon remains unsigned, and he could very well depart on the open market. The Falcons added a veteran in the form of Leonard Floyd, but a long-term investment with the 15th overall pick in April’s draft would not come as a surprise. After totaling only 4.5 sacks in three college seasons, questions loom about Stewart’s lack of production, but the 6-5, 267-pounder is viewed as having considerable upside based on his size and athleticism.

Beginning with more visits, here are some other NFC South notes:

  • Both the Falcons and Saints have lined up meetings with offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The Oregon product operated as the team’s full-time left tackle starter for each of the past two seasons, and he could operate as a first-team option at either tackle spot at the NFL level. The 2025 class is not seen as being strong at the OT position, but Conerly is among the prospects routinely labeled as a first-rounder.
  • New Orleans has also met with cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., per Wilson. The East Carolina product entered the season with high expectations, but an ACL tear ended his campaign in September. Revel continues to make progress in his recovery, and he is expected to be cleared in time for the summer. That should help his draft stock to an extent, and the Saints (having lost Paulson Adebo in free agency) will not be the only team to host Revel.
  • Xavier Legette missed only one game as a rookie, but the Panthers wideout dealt with a number of ailments along the way. The first-rounder underwent foot surgery after the campaign, general manager Dan Morgan said (via ESPN’s David Newton). No procedure took place on his wrist despite the lingering issues it caused in 2024, though. Head coach Dave Canales said he is unsure if Legette will be cleared in time for OTAs (h/t Joe Person of The Athletic), but being at full strength at least in time for training camp can be expected.
  • Cedrick Wilson is one of many Saints who has worked out a restructured deal this offseason. The veteran wideout agreed to a pay cut, as detailed by Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Wilson was due $2.9MM in 2025, but he will now receive $1.17MM with $342K guaranteed. The 29-year-old – who made 20 catches in his debut Saints campaign – is a pending 2026 free agent.
  • Another defender the Falcons have met with (along with Stewart and safety Nick Emmanwori) is cornerback Will Johnson. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports Johnson has visited Atlanta, a team which already has A.J. Terrell in the fold and re-signed Mike Hughes on a three-year deal last week. Johnson earned third-team All-American honors in 2024, cementing his status as one of the top corner in the 2025 class. He will generate considerable interest as the pre-draft process continues.
  • New Orleans recently became Velus Jones‘ latest team. The former Bears draftee did not develop as hoped in Chicago, with a position change (from receiver to running back) proving to be short-lived. The 27-year-old briefly switched back to WR upon joining the Panthers late in 2024, but he will find himself in the backfield this offseason. Triplett’s colleague Nick Underhill notes the Saints view Jones as a running back. It is at that position that he will therefore compete for a roster spot this summer.

S Nick Scott Considering Offer From Panthers, Mystery Team

March 22nd, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have already made one notable move to shore up their secondary, as the team inked Tre’von Moehrig to a lucrative contract. Despite the addition, the team is still considering a reunion with a key 2024 contributor.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, safety Nick Scott is considering an offer to return to the Panthers. Joe Person of The Athletic backs this report, noting that the Panthers “are interested” in bringing the veteran back to Carolina.

Wilson notes that Scott is also considering an unnamed team in a move that would reunite the player with a “former coach.” While Wilson is playing coy with this report, there are two obvious candidates. The Falcons would offer Scott a chance to reunite with current head coach Raheem Morris, who was the defensive coordinator when the safety was on the Rams. The Colts could also be an option after the team added former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo for the same role.

A former seventh-round pick, Scott saw more defensive responsibility during his four years in Los Angeles. This culminated in a 2022 season where he started all 16 of his appearances while compiling 86 tackles and two interceptions. He inked a three-year deal with the Bengals in 2023 and started 10 of his 17 appearances that season before getting cut.

He quickly caught on with the Panthers, where he was intended to play a backup role to Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller. Scott saw an increased role when Fuller went down with an injury, including a four-week stretch where he didn’t miss a defensive snap. A hamstring injury resulted in a nearly two-month stay on IR, and Scott exclusively saw special teams work following his late-season return.

Woods and Fuller are now out the door, although Moehrig’s three-year, $51MM deal suggests he’ll soak up a lot of those lost snaps. Demani Richardson got an extended look at the position in 2025, and the former UDFA could end up competing with Scott for a significant role in the secondary.

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins Drawing Trade Interest?

March 21st, 2025 at 10:38am CST by Adam La Rose

A shortlist of veteran free agents remain at the quarterback position, but one potential trade option looms for teams still in need of a signal-caller. Kirk Cousins remains in place with the Falcons, although a deal sending him elsewhere remains a talking point around the league.

Atlanta is prepared to move forward with Michael Penix Jr. atop the depth chart after the 2024 first-rounder took over from Cousins as starter late last season. The latter’s Achilles injury healed as planned, but he dealt with other ailments while playing through a downturn in production prior to his benching. A Cousins release has long been predicted based on the Falcons’ plan under center, and the 36-year-old would welcome it. At multiple points this offseason, however, the team has indicated a willingness to keep Cousins in place as an expensive backup.

Around the Combine, trade talks were not believed to be taking place; with Atlanta clearly not proceeding with a release, though, that appears to be changing. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports Cousins is now being discussed as a potential trade target. She adds the Falcons have received calls about the four-time Pro Bowler, with a third-round pick being floated as part of a potential compensation package. Cousins has a no-trade clause, but his desire to play elsewhere in 2025 has been made clear to ownership.

A $27.5MM base salary for 2025 would be a large figure for an acquiring team to absorb, to say nothing of the $10MM 2026 roster bonus which recently became locked in. Offset language in Cousins’ contract means Atlanta would see some financial relief in the event the team proceeded with a release (with his new team then signing him to a pact at or near the league minimum). The decision to keep the former Washington and Minnesota starter in the fold this long marked another indication he will not be cut, however.

The report does not name interested parties, but it is not difficult to identify which teams could be in the market for acquiring Cousins via trade. The Browns have already swung a trade for Kenny Pickett, but they are known to still be in the market for a veteran quarterback. Ties to Cousins (based on his history with Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski) have been made, although the team is not in position to take on a lucrative veteran deal with Deshaun Watson still on the books for another two years.

The Steelers, Giants, Vikings and Titans, meanwhile, are all on the lookout for a veteran addition under center (to varying degrees). Aaron Rodgers represents the next major domino to fall, with Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Carson Wentz the names to watch closely once his future becomes clear. Tennessee has been linked to moving on from Will Levis and potentially replacing him with Cam Ward in next month’s draft. Considering Mason Rudolph departed in free agency, the Titans could use a veteran, although adding Cousins would come as a surprise in their case.

No movement on the Cousins front will be possible unless the team’s stance on retaining him changes and his desire to move on yields a willingness to waive his no-trade clause. With new interest being shown, though, it will be interesting to see if anything tangibly changes in this situation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/25

March 20th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Pittsburgh Steelers

Falcons To Sign S Jordan Fuller

March 19th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Sam Robinson

After a half-season of work with the Panthers, Jordan Fuller will attempt to bounce back elsewhere in the NFC South. Fuller is heading to Atlanta, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

This continues a reunion theme for Fuller’s career. The former Rams draftee played under ex-Los Angeles DBs coach Ejiro Evero last season; he will now reunite with ex-Rams DC Raheem Morris. Not much of a market formed for Fuller last year; he played out a one-year, $3.25MM deal. He will have a chance to raise his value in 2025.

Fuller’s addition makes it appear Justin Simmons‘ Falcons stay will be capped at one season. Although the four-time All-Pro indicated interest in staying in Atlanta, Fuller profiles as a lower-cost addition to complement Jessie Bates. At 27, Fuller is more than four years younger than Simmons, who started 16 games for the Falcons last season.

The Rams’ signing Kamren Curl led Fuller elsewhere last year, and despite his low price tag, the former sixth-round pick has considerable starting experience. Earning a starting job as a rookie in 2020, Fuller has lined up as a first-stringer in 55 career games. Morris was not in place when Fuller arrived in L.A., having been on Dan Quinn‘s Falcons staff and then the team’s interim HC that year, but coached him for three seasons with the Rams. Fuller intercepted three passes in 2020 and again in 2023.

Making a career-high 113 tackles as a rookie, Fuller has run into a trend of seeing injuries cost him playoff time. A late-season injury in 2021 kept the Ohio State alum out of the Rams’ four playoff games that year; he later went down with an ankle malady in Week 18 of the 2023 season, preventing a wild-card appearance in Detroit. Fuller returned from a hamstring injury sustained last year, but he still missed eight games for the Panthers. That undoubtedly dimmed his second free agency market. Pro Football Focus graded Fuller as a top-20 safety before his 2021 injury but has viewed him as a worse option since. After placing Fuller 48th in 2023, PFF slotted him 82nd among safety regulars last season.

Although still in his prime at 27, Fuller is running short on time to capitalize on his form. A healthy season in Atlanta would go a long way toward positioning the former Day 3 success story with an opportunity to cash in come 2026. The Falcons, however, will first have a chance to see how Fuller fits next to Bates under new DC Jeff Ulbrich.

NFC South Contract Details: Deablo, Hughes, Rozeboom, Jackson

March 18th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

As we continue to see new details come out for contracts on recent free agency deals, we’ll attempt to corral some of the more important pieces of information here. Specifically, here are some coming from two teams out of the NFC South:

  • Divine Deablo, LB (Falcons): Two years, $14MM. The contract, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, includes $7.66MM of guaranteed money. $6.66MM, including a $6MM signing bonus, is guaranteed at signing, with the remaining $660K coming from his 2025 base salary of $1.66MM. His 2026 base salary of $5.66MM has $1MM guaranteed for injury, which will convert to a full guarantee on the fifth day of the 2026 new league year. Deablo can also earn per game active roster bonuses of $20K for a potential, two-season total of $680K.
  • KhaDarel Hodge, WR (Falcons): Two years, $5.5MM. Per Wilson, the deal has a $6MM maximum value and includes $2.51MM in guarantees including a signing bonus of $1.25MM. The remaining $1.26MM of guarantees is Hodge’s 2025 base salary. Like Deablo, Hodge also has a $20K per game active roster bonus for 2026. Unlike Deablo, his 2025 per game active roster bonus is only $15K. Hodge can also earn an additional $500K annual incentive based on playing time and catches.
  • Mike Hughes, CB (Falcons): Three years, $18MM. Wilson tells us that Hughes’ new deal has $9.64MM guaranteed at signing including a $5MM signing bonus. The remaining guarantees are comprised of his 2025 ($1.32MM) and 2026 ($3.32MM) base salaries. Hughes’ per game active roster bonus for each year will be $40K.
  • Brady Christensen, OL (Panthers): One year, $2.79MM. Per Wilson, Christensen’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing and includes a signing bonus of $167.5K.
  • Sam Martin, P (Panthers): One year, $1.6MM. According to Wilson, Martin’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing and includes a $345K signing bonus. The contract also includes incentives up to $1.4MM based on punt average, a Pro Bowl selection, and playoff qualification.
  • Christian Rozeboom, LB (Panthers): One year, $2.5MM. Wilson tells us that Rozeboom’s contract includes $1.97MM guaranteed at signing, including a signing bonus of $800K and Rozeboom’s base salary of $1.17MM. Rozeboom can earn $1MM of incentives based on playing time and team performance, and he has a per game active roster bonus of $30K for a potential season total of $510K.
  • Michael Jackson, CB (Panthers): Two years, $10.5MM. Per Wilson, Jackson’s new contract includes $7.7MM of total guarantees with $5.7MM guaranteed at signing. $4MM of the initial guarantees come in the form of a signing bonus, while the remaining $1.7MM will come from cash compensation in 2025. The remaining $2MM of total guarantees comes from Jackson’s 2026 salary and becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 new league year. The deal includes $2MM of incentives based on playing time and playoff qualification, and he has a per game active roster bonus of $30K. Lastly, Jackson will receive a workout bonus of $20K in 2025 and $40K in 2026.

S Nick Emmanwori Lines Up Pre-Draft Visits

March 18th, 2025 at 1:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 draft is not viewed as being deep at the safety spot, but two standouts are firmly in contention to be selected in the first round. One of them is Nick Emmanwori, who has lined up several pre-draft visits.

The South Carolina product will meet with the Falcons in the near future, he announced on Tuesday (h/t Josh Kendall of The Athletic). Atlanta still has 2023 free agent addition Jessie Bates on the books, but Justin Simmons is a free agent. The latter (who did not match his previous level of play with the Broncos during his debut Falcons season) hopes to re-sign, but as expected he has reached the open market.

In the event Simmons departs, adding a starting-caliber safety would become a draft priority. The Falcons (who are set to select 15th overall) are far from the only team line up an Emmanwori visit, though. As Kendall notes, he is also set to meet with the Panthers, Seahawks, Bengals and Dolphins.

Carolina made several splashy additions on defense last week, including a three-year deal for Tre’von Moehrig. The former Raider will look to replace Xavier Woods, who joined the Titans in free agency. Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott are unsigned at this point, and losing both could leave the Panthers in the market for a draft addition at the position (although doing so at No. 8 would come as a surprise).

Cincinnati and Seattle are slated to pick 17th and 18th, respectively. Both teams could stand to improve in the secondary in 2025, and the Bengals in particular will need to emphasize defensive additions via the draft with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins attached to lucrative new deals. Adding Emmanwori in that range could very well be on the table; the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Seattle selecting him at No. 18.

Miami has frequently been linked to drafting a safety this spring with Jevon Holland departing on the open market and Jordan Poyer unlikely to be re-signed. Many have pointed to Georgia’s Malaki Starks (the other Day 1 safety prospect in the class) as a logical target as a result. Indeed, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah mocks Starks to the Dolphins at No. 13 with Emmanwori going 24th.

The latter spent three years with the Gamecocks, operating as a full-time starter during that spell. Emmanwori earned all-conference honors in 2024 along with a first-team All-American nod after posting 88 tackles and four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns). He will face high expectations upon arrival in the NFL, and the coming weeks will no doubt include visits with other interested teams.

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