Giants Considered Trading Up For Shedeur Sanders; Teams Took QB Off Draft Boards?
The NFL may never see a fifth-round pick overshadow its draft again, but it certainly happened this past weekend. Shedeur Sanders‘ fall to No. 144 perplexed most, but it came after rumblings of the QB’s stock having tumbled ahead of the selection event.
Countless instances of players with criminal backgrounds becoming early-round picks have been part of the draft’s history, but it appeared as though teams determined Sanders’ skillset was not worth any potential off-field distractions he and his family might provide. As we move away from the draft, more evidence toward that case is emerging.
[RELATED: Which QB Will Make Most Starts For 2025 Browns?]
Before Round 4 began, a report that indicated Sanders not being a first-round pick pertained to a lack of high-level traits while then pointing to the Day 2 snub coming from teams not wanting their backup to bring a “circus” atmosphere. A Monday offering indicated Sanders indeed run into issues during the pre-draft process, particularly with coaches. Quarterback-turned-veteran media presence Boomer Esiason has offered more to this end.
Esiason said during his Boomer and Gio WFAN Sports Radio show (video link) that multiple teams took Sanders off their draft board due to his attitude during interviews. Owners drove these decisions, Esiason added, with perceived Sanders entitlement a central issue here. Deion Sanders having also mentioned potential intervention with regards to steering his son away from certain teams also “didn’t help.”
Shedeur Sanders fell from a player in contention for the No. 1 overall pick, before Cam Ward evaluations separated the Miami product, to someone not expected to drop out of the top 10 to a player not a lock to go in Round 1. Coaches becoming more involved in the process are believed to have affected this, at least it is believed to have impacted the Giants’ approach, and Esiason adds that Sanders’ brash attitude proved off-putting to “many, many” GMs and coaches. Clubs were certainly hesitant on Sanders becoming the face of a franchise, as the three-day fall illustrated.
We heard before Round 2 the Saints were unlikely to choose Sanders, despite carrying QB uncertainty going into the draft. They indeed went another way, taking Tyler Shough at No. 40. The Seahawks (Jalen Milroe) and Browns (Dillon Gabriel) followed suit. It was fairly clear the Browns were not planning to draft Sanders, having made Gabriel their choice in Round 3. But as he fell into the fifth round, a Cleveland team attempting to move past the Deshaun Watson mistake traded up for him. Sanders and Gabriel will vie for the starting job along with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
While the Browns were not one of the teams whose owner put a reported kibosh on a Sanders selection, the Giants moved three Day 2 picks to the Texans for Jaxson Dart. They did this after extensive Sanders homework. Big Blue is believed to have done more work on Sanders compared to Dart, but Brian Daboll — who was believed to have been among the coaches who did not see eye-to-eye with the Colorado QB — is believed to have driven a push for the Ole Miss passer. That said, the Giants still considered moving up for Sanders — had Dart been off the board — per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The Giants were believed to be leery of the Browns for a Dart move, and their trade offers appeared to emerge after the Steelers passed on Dart at No. 21. This brought New York’s long-debated Dart-or-Sanders decision to the forefront, and as Daboll and GM Joe Schoen attempt to make cases to last beyond Year 4 in their respective roles, Dart will be in line to eventually replace Russell Wilson.
As reports of teams being miffed at Shedeur Sanders’ tactics ahead of the draft multiply, the historic slide begins to make a bit more sense. The former Colorado and Jackson State signal-caller potentially overplaying his hand regarding his approach to the interview process will likely come up for many years during draft time. For 2025, he will attempt to prove the league — which includes his own team, which drafted Gabriel 50 spots before him — wrong for its determination on his prospect value.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/25
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed (from Raiders): CB M.J. Devonshire
- Signed: LB Mapalo Mwansa (International Pathway Program)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Zayne Anderson
- Waived: DT Leonard Payne
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL Jake Andrews, DL Marcus Harris, WR JaQuae Jackson, LB Titus Leo, S Mark Perry, TE Giovanni Ricci
The Raiders’ Tom Telesco-led regime chose Devonshire in last year’s seventh round. After seeing no game action as a rookie, Devonshire will vie for a roster spot with the Panthers. Three seasons remain on Devonshire’s rookie contract.
Ricci saw extensive action for the Panthers from 2021-23, starting four games in that span. He caught eight passes for 100 yards in 2022. The Colts used a sixth-round pick on Leo in 2023; he played in four Pats games last season.
Titans Expected To Decline Treylon Burks’ Fifth-Year Option
The player the Titans tabbed to be their hopeful A.J. Brown replacement, Treylon Burks has not panned out. The 2022 first-round pick has battled injuries regularly and has not made a tremendous impact when available.
It should come as no surprise to see the Titans decline Burks’ fifth-year option. Now two GMs removed from the exec who selected Burks (Jon Robinson), Tennessee is expected to decline Burks’, per football ops president Chad Brinker (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport).
[RELATED: 2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
No official announcement has been made, but considering Burks’ career path and the cost to exercise this option, no drama exists here. Burks missed most of last season due to injury, and although he is only eligible for the bottom-tier option price at his position, a $15.49MM guarantee will be a non-starter for the Brinker-Mike Borgonzi regime.
The Titans drafted Burks 18th overall, doing so with the Eagles’ No. 18 overall pick. A less-than-thrilled Mike Vrabel, as it seemed at the time, moved forward with Burks along with Robinson. But the Arkansas product has not come close to justifying the selection. As Brown has become a locked-in No. 1 wide receiver in Philadelphia, Burks has totaled just 699 career receiving yards. The big-bodied target has one career touchdown reception, and it came in 2022.
Entering the NFL after two productive Razorbacks seasons, Burks missed time during his first Titans offseason. He then missed six games apiece in each of his first two seasons. Burks, 25, is coming off an ACL tear. The Titans on IR in mid-October, but word on the injury’s severity did not come until December. It was then revealed Burks underwent ACL surgery. Brinker said the fourth-year receiver is still rehabbing.
Robinson’s tenure produced four playoff berths and a number of winning seasons, but it also included first-round misfires. Burks, Caleb Farley (2021) and Isaiah Wilson (2020) factored into the Titans’ decision to can Robinson late in 2022; so did the Brown trade. The Titans fired Ran Carthon after two years, elevating Brinker. Carthon signee Calvin Ridley remains Tennessee’s top receiver, but the team added Tyler Lockett as a complementary piece before the draft. The Titans, who also added Van Jefferson in free agency, then used fourth-round picks on Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike to help round out Cam Ward‘s receiving corps. It remains to be seen if Burks will be part of that cadre.
Seahawks Exercise LT Charles Cross’ Fifth-Year Option
The Seahawks are making a bit of history with their fifth-year option decision. They will exercise Charles Cross‘ 2026 option, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, moving into uncharted territory for a team draft pick.
This is not the first time the Seahawks have exercised a fifth-year option, as they moved Noah Fant‘s rookie contract to five years previously. But Fant was a Broncos draftee; Cross will be the first Seahawk pick to have his option exercised.
[RELATED: Seahawks Select G Gray Zabel In First Round]
Fant and Cross were each part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster three years ago, with the tight end being one of three veterans sent over and Cross being one of the five draft choices sent Seattle’s way in the swap. Cross and Devon Witherspoon were the first-round pick the Seahawks made with the choices obtained in the Wilson trade; Witherspoon’s fifth-year option cost has already risen thanks to his two Pro Bowl nods. Cross has not ascended to that level at his respective position, but the former No. 9 overall pick will still see a nice 2026 guarantee as a result of Monday’s move.
This transaction will lock Cross into a $17.56MM salary guarantee for 2026. Cross having not made a Pro Bowl makes him eligible for the third option tier, which covers players who have established themselves as regular starters. Cross, 24, has started 48 games in three seasons. This includes perfect attendance in 2022 and ’24.
As right tackle Abraham Lucas has dealt with steady injury trouble, Cross has only missed three career games. The reliable left tackle, who had been closely linked to the Giants going into the 2022 draft, has moved onto the Seahawks’ extension radar. The tackle the Giants ultimately took at No. 7 that year, Evan Neal, saw his option declined Saturday night. Cross joined a Seahawks team that had both been missing a cornerstone left tackle for years, since Russell Okung‘s departure, and one that did not have a 2022 first-round pick prior to the Wilson trade (thanks to the Jamal Adams deal).
A team still making option history in 2025 is rather alarming, as the Seahawks had passed on its other first-rounders’ options since the first wave of option calls emerged in 2014. The team declined fifth-year options on James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Penny, L.J. Collier and Jordyn Brooks. This is a long-running trend, but the Wilson trade helped the team move in the other direction. Fant played out his rookie contract and signed a two-year, $21MM deal in 2024. It will cost far more for the Seahawks to extend Cross.
The lack of a Pro Bowl on Cross’ resume may leave him without a real case to become the NFL’s highest-paid LT, as Tristan Wirfs holds that title (at $28.13MM per year). Cross would stand to see his price rise toward that point, however, with a strong 2025. The Seahawks have no significant O-line commitment on their books, and the cap continues a steady rise. The NFL’s salary ceiling has climbed by a staggering $71MM since Cross came into the league. He profiles as the Seahawks’ top extension candidate right now, though Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be in that mix come 2026.
Packers To Sign LB Isaiah Simmons
The Packers are signing former No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Simmons will head to Green Bay after two years in New York.
Not coming especially close to living up to his draft slot, Simmons still maintained his status a role player for the Giants. This comes two weeks after Simmons paid a free agency visit to Green Bay.
After acquiring him in a 2023 trade from the Cardinals, the Giants deployed Simmons in all 34 of their games over the past two seasons. He only started five, but the former Clemson hybrid performer still carries some value heading into a sixth NFL season.
Simmons logged 377 defensive snaps in 2023 but saw that number drop 181 last season. Having experience at safety and in the slot, Simmons will come to Wisconsin as one of the NFL’s most versatile defenders. Of course, the former high-end prospect not being able to establish himself as a dependable starter at any of those spots over the long haul has led to a steep value decline.
The Giants re-signed Simmons on a one-year, $2MM deal in 2024. This marked a sharp reduction for a player who locked in a fully guaranteed $20.66MM as a Steve Keim-era first-round pick. Months after Keim’s Arizona exit, replacement Monti Ossenfort traded Simmons — during a three-trade day for the rebuilding team — for just a 2024 seventh-round pick. The Giants stint did not boost Simmons’ value much, but the Packers will see what he can provide.
Simmons, 26, is the rare linebacker to be given a regular slot role. The Cards stationed him in the slot on 409 plays in 2022. Eighty-six of Simmons’ 181 defensive snaps last season also came in the slot. It will be interesting if the Packers, who slid Keisean Nixon to more of an outside role last season, attempt to tap into this unusual skillset as well.
The Cardinals did not pick up Simmons’ fifth-year option in 2022, though that has become commonplace — as off-ball linebacker options are annually being declined due to a formula that groups on- and off-ball linebackers under one umbrella. But Simmons’ play fell well short of option consideration.
The Packers are likely to decline Quay Walker‘s fifth-year option by Thursday’s deadline, though they are still open to working out an extension — likely at a reduced rate. The team used two draft choices on off-ball LBs last year, adding Edgerrin Cooper in Round 2 and Ty’Ron Hopper in Round 3. Cooper became an every-down player, while Hopper settled in as a backup. Simmons’ steadiest role for the Giants came on special teams, though they had designs on deploying him as a DB. It will be interesting to see how the Packers use Simmons, who will likely be positioned as a depth piece heading into OTAs.
Poll: Who Will Make Most Starts At QB For 2025 Browns?
As the Browns follow the Texans in constructing an extended departure ramp for Deshaun Watson, they have since added four quarterbacks. Each of the players would have a path to starting for a team that saw its highest-paid passer wildly disappoint before suffering two Achilles tears.
As Watson rehabs, the Browns are effectively moving on (though, a monumental dead money hit will loom if that happens in 2026). And the draft brought an unusual outcome. The Browns surprised most by taking Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel late in the third round. Gabriel came off the board 94th, shortly after Jalen Milroe but a full round before Shedeur Sanders. Widely anticipated to go in the first or second rounds, Sanders tumbled to 144th overall. The Browns stopped his skid hours after Andrew Berry had deemed Gabriel a better fit.
Becoming the rare team to select two quarterbacks in the same draft, the Browns added the rookies to a position group housing Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. (Flacco’s return and the ensuing draft moves will cut off a Kirk Cousins-to-Cleveland path.) The former arrived via trade in March, while the latter is back for a second tour of duty in Cleveland. Both veterans, Flacco especially, have extensive starting experience and could serve as placeholders. Though, we do not know yet who the bridge QBs will be setting up just yet.
Carrying the cheapest contract of the bunch, Sanders will undoubtedly bring by far the most attention. The Browns were once connected to potentially drafting the two-year Colorado starter second overall. A historic draft fall then commenced, allowing the team to trade up (via the Seahawks) for the polarizing prospect in the fifth round. Cleveland certainly did not plan to draft Sanders, but the value proved too enticing. A player viewed as a top-35 (or top-five, in Mel Kiper Jr.’s case) overall prospect will begin training for a potential starting role.
QBs chosen in Round 5 or later obviously have a low percentage shot of hitting, and the NFL effectively showed how it viewed Sanders this weekend. Sanders’ draft slide dwarfed Malik Willis‘ from 2022, as it appeared teams deemed Deion Sanders‘ son/pupil not worth the potential distractions he may bring. Shedeur’s attitude during pre-draft visits came up as one of the reasons he fell, and he is not going to a team that has done well at the quarterback position, for the most part, since rebooting in 1999. That said, Sanders could also make the highly unusual trek from fifth-round rookie to starter. Not too much is blocking him, should outside evaluators’ view be accurate (compared to a perception within the league).
The Browns saw Flacco deliver one of the most memorable QB stretches since they reemerged at the turn of the century, having seen the then-38-year-old join the practice squad and serve as a stunningly effective emergency replacement for Watson. Although Flacco earned Comeback Player of the Year acclaim for his five-game run that lifted an injury-plagued Browns offense to the playoffs, he is now 40 and coming off an unremarkable Colts cameo.
Indianapolis had benched Anthony Richardson in hopes Flacco could stabilize the offense, as a potential playoff berth was deemed a priority over Richardson development. After already subbing for an injured Richardson early last year, Flacco could not hold the job as an non-injury fill-in.
Shane Steichen benched Flacco after a three-INT game in Minnesota, and although he did return to replace Richardson late in the season (featuring a 330-yard loss to the Giants — in a game that cost the NFC East team Cam Ward), the Browns stand to have a diminished version of the former Super Bowl MVP compared to their 2023 edition. Still, Flacco has a path to the Week 1 gig as well.
Pickett could also lay claim to the role, but the Browns picking two quarterbacks by Round 5 also could lead him out of town. The former Steelers No. 20 overall pick has now been traded in back-to-back offseasons, with the second sending historically ineffective Browns backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Philly. Pickett did not impress in his second Steelers season, wrapping a 24-start tenure with 13 TD passes. Pittsburgh traded Pickett after he did not respond well to the Russell Wilson signing, as the Pitt alum sought a new team. Pickett’s struggles against the Commanders led to a late-season Eagles loss, and he left his lone Jalen Hurts relief start with a rib injury.
One season remains on Pickett’s rookie deal, which calls for a $2.62MM base salary. The Browns would take on that amount in dead money if they were to waive Pickett. That did not appear much of a possibility before the draft, as 2022’s top QB choice arrived before Flacco to at least compete for the starting job. But subsequent events complicate that route. Although, two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski having a crack at Pickett — after embattled OC Matt Canada did not do much with him — at least represents an intriguing wild card here.
The first QB the Browns chose this year will step into the unusual spot of being overshadowed by a rookie in his own position group. Gabriel will come to Ohio having been Cleveland’s preference over Sanders, but he will now have to prove it in a way he may not have before the latter investment. Ranked 148th on Daniel Jeremiah‘s NFL.com big board (128 spots behind Sanders), Gabriel started throughout his college career — at Central Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon.
The Ducks’ Bo Nix successor played in a tougher conference, after Oregon’s Big Ten move, and won the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award. That did not result in draft gurus viewing the 5-foot-11 QB as anything but a Day 3 prospect, but the Browns disagreed and will give him a chance to start.
While one of these QBs could be sent to the practice squad, it would be unlikely if Sanders or Gabriel cleared waivers. Pickett would also need to clear waivers to be stashed. Though, it is now easier to imagine Pickett reaching free agency than one of Cleveland’s two recent QB draftees. This complicated situation will be the runaway lead Browns story moving forward, as the Myles Garrett matter is settled. The team’s QB future was supposed to loom large in the Browns regrouping with Garrett, but if this plan does not work out, Berry also secured an extra 2026 first-round pick by trading out of the Travis Hunter draft slot.
Who will win the offseason competition? And, more importantly, who do you think will end the season as the team’s primary starter? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this swiftly evolving setup in the comments section.
Panthers Sign WR Hunter Renfrow
Hunter Renfrow will have a chance to complete a comeback this year. Weeks after meeting with the Panthers, the former Raiders slot receiver will join the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Having also met with the new Raiders regime, Renfrow was viewed as unlikely to be re-signed. But the Panthers will give the former 1,000-yard pass catcher a shot. The team has since announced the one-year agreement.
Trekking to Charlotte in March, Renfrow looks to have seen dominoes fall his way in the draft. Despite the Panthers using their first-round pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, they will give Renfrow a chance to impress as a slot option. The duo’s skillsets do not exactly overlap, and even though Carolina drafted Colorado receiver Jimmy Horn in Round 6, Renfrow will be part of its 90-man offseason roster.
After playing in Oakland and Las Vegas previously, Renfrow will return to his home region. The Clemson product is a Myrtle Beach, S.C., native. This addition certainly does not guarantee the 5-foot-10 target will be on Carolina’s 53-man roster come September, but he has at least secured an opportunity after sitting out the 2024 season.
The full-season absence came after the Raiders used a post-June 1 release designation on the five-year veteran last March. The Raiders had given Renfrow a two-year, $32MM extension, but he did not prove a fit in Josh McDaniels‘ offense. Despite McDaniels and then-GM Dave Ziegler signing off on the deal, Renfrow fell out of favor a year after leading the Raiders in receiving. Renfrow had joined Darren Waller as pillars of a Raiders pass-catching group that had sustained multiple setbacks — via the Antonio Brown misstep and Henry Ruggs‘ release following his involvement in a fatal car accident. Renfrow finished the 2021 season with 1,038 yards; he amassed barely half that across the following two seasons.
Renfrow, 29, caught 36 passes for 330 yards in 2022. That came in an injury-shortened season, but in 17 2023 games, the former Jon Gruden-era staple totaled just 255 yards as the Raiders transitioned from McDaniels to Antonio Pierce in charge. The short-lived Pierce-Tom Telesco regime, after trade rumors produced no takers, released him soon after. No close connections between Renfrow and teams emerged while he was on the market last year.
The Panthers moved on from both Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo in-season, but they held onto Adam Thielen. The 13th-year veteran agreed to return on a deal that does not guarantee a roster spot, as it carries just $1.75MM guaranteed. McMillan and Horn join 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette and UDFA find Jalen Coker among the Panthers’ receiving corps, which also houses backup David Moore. Renfrow will join the likes of Dan Chisena, Dax Milne and others vying for roster spots this offseason.
Raiders Eyed Kelvin Banks Jr. If Ashton Jeanty Was Off Board
Coming into the draft, the Jaguars had become connected to Ashton Jeanty. Even as the team did not conduct any “30” visits, late buzz developed for the 2024 Heisman runner-up to become a weapon in Liam Coen‘s first Jags offense. As it turned out, the team had been planning a move for the Heisman recipient for weeks.
The Jags’ Travis Hunter trade-up still left Jeanty on the board for the Browns, who entered the draft as a running back-needy team after seeing two major injuries end Nick Chubb‘s prime. Even with Chubb in free agency, the Browns tabled their RB need to Day 2 of the draft by taking Mason Graham. This left the Raiders free and clear to draft Jeanty, to whom they had been closely tied as the draft approached.
If Jeanty became the first top-five RB pick since Saquon Barkley, however, the Raiders are believed to have been ready to pivot to their offensive line. The Raiders’ pick in that scenario was expected to have been Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
Las Vegas going with Banks or Missouri tackle Armand Membou surfaced as moves to watch for before the draft, even as Jeanty loomed as the organization’s preference. A subsequent report identified Banks as the team’s likely choice over Membou. With Jeanty still being available at No. 6, this alternate reality did not unfold. Banks is now a Saint, being taken ninth overall.
Not ranked as highly by draft experts going into the event, Banks was viewed higher within the NFL scouting community. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. ranked Banks 26th, while NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had him 27th. He was viewed as a potential Cowboys target at 12; ditto the Dolphins at 13. But teams were higher on the former SEC and Big 12 blocker. Banks earned the Outland and Lombardi awards last year, after earning first-team All-Big 12 acclaim in 2023. The Saints, who went tackle in Round 1 for the second straight year, took him at No. 9 and will entrust him to protect Derek Carr (or Tyler Shough).
With a third GM running their draft in three years, the Raiders did not address their O-line until Round 3. But they added two players (Texas Tech guard Caleb Rogers and William & Mary tackle Charles Grant). Grant stands to join incumbent DJ Glaze, a 2024 third-rounder, as a potential right tackle option. LT Kolton Miller has angled for a new contract as well, adding a potential wrinkle here. The Raiders are set to have Alex Cappa, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith vie for the three interior spots; Rogers will now factor into this mix.
Jaguars Bring In 20 UDFAs
The Jaguars are the latest team to announce their UDFA haul. Here is Jacksonville’s 20-man contingent of post-draft signees:
- Chandler Brayboy, WR (Elon)
- Cam Camper, WR (Boise State)
- James Carpenter, DL (Indiana)
- Branson Combs, LB (Wake Forest)
- John Copenhaver, TE (North Carolina)
- Ethan Downs, DL (Oklahoma)
- B.J. Green, DL (Colorado)
- Seth Henigan, QB (Memphis)
- Patrick Herbert, TE (Oregon)
- Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB (Arkansas)
- J.J. Jones, WR (North Carolina)
- Eli Mostaert, DL (North Dakota State)
- Jabbar Muhammad, DB (Oregon)
- Eli Pancol, WR (Duke)
- Keivie Rose, DL (Arkansas)
- Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, S (Colorado)
- Doneiko Slaughter, DB (Arkansas)
- Danny Striggow, DE (Minnesota)
- Aydan White, DB (NC State)
- Sal Wormley, OL (Penn State)
Striggow is joining the Jaguars for a hefty guarantee. The AFC South team is giving the Big Ten product $254K guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That is certainly on the higher end for UDFAs, but Striggow was productive as a pass rusher over the past two seasons for the Golden Gophers. He combined to reach 11 sacks in that span, accumulating 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles during his final two seasons in Minneapolis as well.
Wormley will receive a $110K guarantee to sign, Wilson adds. This covers a $100K base salary guarantee and a $10K signing bonus. A Nittany Lion going almost as far back as the Saquon Barkley days, Wormley started three seasons as the team’s right guard. Playing six seasons at Penn State, Wormley made 42 starts. This included 16 made during the Nittany Lions’ 2024 season, which ended in the CFP semifinals. The Jags also drafted a guard, West Virginia’s Wyatt Millum, in Round 3.
Dane Brugler’s The Athletic big board placed Henigan 14th among QBs, while ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slotted him 15th at the position. Henigan started four years for Memphis; although the American Athletic Conference has not been around too long, the 6-foot-3 QB leaves as the league’s all-time passing leader (14,266). This worked out to between 3,300 and 3,900 passing yards each season, and Henigan threw 32 TD passes as a junior in 2023. He finished with a 104-31 TD:INT ratio. He will join a QB depth chart housing Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens and John Wolford.
Scouts Inc. ranked Downs as the top prospect in this Jags UDFA group, slotting him 286th in the 2025 class. A two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection, Downs produced 30 TFLs from 2022-24. He added 12 sacks in that time. He comes to Jacksonville having not used his fifth year of college eligibility, which is now atypical for NFL UDFAs in the post-COVID era.
Jets Not Discussing Breece Hall Trade; Team Was Prepared To Draft Jahmyr Gibbs In 2023
Breece Hall made it back on time from an October 2022 ACL tear, returning in Week 1 of the 2023 season. The former second-round pick, however, has not quite recaptured his rookie-year explosiveness. And his future with the Jets is in doubt.
The new Jets regime is unlikely to authorize an offseason extension for the contract-year player. Hall was mentioned as a player who could generate trade interest, but he remains on the Jets’ roster post-draft. The Jets did not draft a running back, but they saw early promise from 2024 fourth-round pick Braelon Allen last season.
A pre-draft report on Hall (via The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson) indicated some around the league viewed him as available. That may be the case, but he remains a Jet. New GM Darren Mougey (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) referred to Hall as “on the team” and noted he has not spoken with teams on the back.
That stops short of a ringing endorsement, but with teams regularly discussing non-star players in swaps, the Jets considering a trade is logical due to Hall’s contract-year status. A team did hear of Hall’s availability for “the right price,” according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, but he did not get the sense the team was shopping him. These draft-week rumors, however, further point to 2025 potentially becoming a free agency audition for Hall.
Showing strong form upon arrival, Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie. He scored an 62-yard touchdown during the game in which he went down. The Iowa State product has missed just one game over the past two seasons, boding well for his chances at a quality contract year. But he has averaged 4.5 and 4.2 yards per tote, respectively, in those years. Though, Allen only checked in at 3.6 per handoff as a rookie. Going into only his age-24 season, Hall should still have a chance to make a case for an extension or a lucrative 2026 free agency deal. Hall joins Travis Etienne and 2022 draftees James Cook, Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker and Isiah Pacheco as RBs on track to become — barring extensions — first-time free agents in 2026.
A back who is unlikely to reach free agency when he becomes eligible, Jahmyr Gibbs factored into past Jets RB plans as well. With Hall coming off his ACL tear, the Jets were prepared to use their 2023 first-round pick (No. 15 overall) on Gibbs. Since-fired GM Joe Douglas said (via Fox’s Jay Glazer) the Jets were “100%” drafting Gibbs 15th overall in 2023. The team did not expect the Alabama alum to go until at least the 20s. The Lions, after trading down from No. 6 (via the Cardinals), took Gibbs 12th.
Douglas said the Jets, shortly after acquiring Aaron Rodgers, had planned to add the dynamic weapon to pair with the team’s would-be QB savior. The Lions received criticism for taking Gibbs that high, but he has become an impact presence on a team that used the 2023 draft — which also included second-rounders Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch — as a key avenue to building one of the NFL’s best rosters. The Jets stuck with Hall, signing Dalvin Cook as a potential bridge while the team’s RB1 returned from injury.
At the time, reporting pointed to the Jets eyeing Georgia tackle Broderick Jones. Many viewed that as the team’s plan, as the Steelers swooped in and chose Jones, who has yet to justify the No. 14 draft slot. Jones, however, could have been the team’s Plan B option after the Lions had taken him at 12. The Jets had swapped first-round slots with the Packers as part of the Rodgers trade, dropping from 13 to 15, and they added promising edge rusher Will McDonald with their pick.