Lions GM: No Conversations About Trading Jameson Williams
The Lions doled out another market-setting extension this week, making Kerby Joseph the league’s highest-paid safety. Last April, the team gave Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell position-record extensions during an offseason in which Jared Goff, Taylor Decker and Alim McNeill scored big-ticket extensions.
As the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs have either reached extension eligibility or are moving toward it, Detroit will need to make tough decisions. One potential avenue to recoup value for a player potentially not in the team’s long-term plans surfaced this week, with a Jameson Williams trade rumor coming out. As of now, however, GM Brad Holmes said nothing along those lines is in the offing.
“That’s something that we have never entertained,” Holmes said (via Detroitfootball.net’s Justin Rogers). “I don’t know where that report came from, but that’s not a conversation that me and Dan [Campbell] have ever had.”
Williams has shown flashes of high-end talent, most notably during a 2024 season in which he posted 1,001 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns, but he has also run into off-field trouble. The 2022 first-rounder has been suspended under the NFL’s PED and gambling policies, and an arrest last fall — a gun-related incident not expected to produce an NFL suspension — transpired as well. The former Alabama and Ohio State pass catcher also missed most of his rookie season due to ACL rehab, but the Lions still started to see their 2022 plan for the receiver come to fruition via his 2024 performance.
The Lions can keep the 24-year-old weapon signed through 2026 by exercising his fifth-year option by next week’s deadline, and Holmes confirmed last month the team will likely do so. That would tie Williams to a fully guaranteed $15.49MM 2026 salary, which would impact the receiver’s trade value. The Lions could land a notable asset by moving the deep threat, but having a rookie-scale asset to complement St. Brown for another season may be too valuable to pass up — especially as costs rise at other spots on the roster.
Williams’ past points to the Lions proceeding cautiously regarding a potential extension, even as his price could spike with another 1,000-yard season in 2025. The Lions have the former No. 11 overall pick tied to a $2.64MM base salary in 2025, and the fifth-year option would give the team more evaluation time — as St. Brown’s cap numbers rise.
Commanders Draft Josh Conerly Jr. At No. 29
The Commanders have added further along the offensive line with their first-round pick. Washington has selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29.
Following Oregon teammate Derrick Harmon off the board in the 20s, Conerly represents the second big swing the Commanders have taken at tackle this offseason. They traded for Laremy Tunsil on Day 1 of free agency; on Day 1 of the draft, they have likely landed their other tackle.
A Washington O-line investment came up this week, and Conerly had been rumored as a target. Rather than potentially replacing Nick Allegretti at guard, the Commanders appear prepared to displace Andrew Wylie at right tackle. Wylie is returning but doing so after accepting a pay cut. The team is prepared to slide Brandon Coleman to the right side, but the 2024 third-round pick — a 12-game LT starter as a rookie — now looks more likely to end up as the Commanders’ swing tackle. Wylie has a past as a guard, but his future in the nation’s capital suddenly looks foggy.
Conerly will head to D.C. after elevating his stock during the Ducks’ Big Ten debut. Working as Oregon’s left tackle, Conerly finished as a first-team all-conference pick for a team that advanced to the CFP quarterfinals. Tunsil has not played anywhere but left tackle since giving way to Branden Albert as a Dolphins rookie in 2016, when he played guard, so Conerly will need to shift to the right side. Most of the tackles chosen in last year’s first round flipped sides, and Conerly will have a full offseason program to develop at RT.
The Commanders had worked with a Day 2 pick and a stopgap (Cornelius Lucas) at LT last season, with a middling veteran (Wylie) on the right side. After Jayden Daniels dazzled as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year, the franchise is serious about upgrading their new star QB’s edge protection. Although Conerly has much to learn at the pro level, Daniels will be in line to be better protected in 2025.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Vikings Draft G Donovan Jackson At No. 24
The Vikings were busy adding up front in free agency, and that has continued via the draft. Minnesota has selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson at No. 24.
Only entering the draft with four picks, the Vikings nevertheless used their top 2025 draft asset to complete an interior O-line overhaul. After signing ex-Colts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency, Minnesota is adding Jackson, who played both guard and tackle at Ohio State last season. In the NFL, however, Jackson is expected to line up inside.
Set at tackle, in rostering Brian O’Neill and a recovering Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings changed up significantly inside. They traded benched guard Ed Ingram, a 2022 second-round pick, to the Texans. Dalton Risner, a two-year stopgap of sorts, has not re-signed. It should be expected Jackson will usurp Blake Brandel at one of the guard positions, while Fries mans the other spot after the Vikes won a free agent derby to land one of this year’s top available blockers.
Jackson gave the Vikings plenty of tape to study. He started at guard throughout the 2022 and ’23 seasons, at a program known for churning out O-line talent, and slid to left tackle after Josh Simmons suffered a patellar tendon tear last season. Despite this Buckeyes nucleus’ profile rising thanks to the late-season charge to the national title last season, Jackson was already on the NFL radar after earning first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2022 and ’23 as a guard. He repeated that feat last season, helping Ohio State (and transfer QB Will Howard) to a championship.
The Vikes having Jackson also should help them from a roster-building sense, as Darrisaw is on a top-five LT contract while O’Neill is attached to an upper-crust RT deal. The team also gave Fries top-10 guard money to commit to the Twin Cities, while Kelly is signed to a short-term deal at a mid-market center rate.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers Draft DT Derrick Harmon At No. 21
The Steelers have neither added a quarterback at No. 21 nor traded down. Pittsburgh has instead selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
As the shots of Shedeur Sanders created intrigue leading up to the pick, the Steelers went another way with their first-round choice. Harmon will bring a younger piece alongside Cam Heyward up front in Pittsburgh, which has tabled its much-publicized QB need.
A recent report also indicated the Steelers had placed a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart, but that same offering noted Harmon was a Round 1 target. Harmon relocated to Eugene after three years at Michigan State, using his Ducks stay to solidify first-round status. He had entered Thursday as a lock to go in Round 1, and the Steelers made him the fourth interior D-lineman off the board. The Steelers brought Harmon in on a “30” visit as well. Although he checked in as a lower-profile pick compared to Sanders, it is becoming clear the gap between Cam Ward and the other QB talents in this prospect pool is wide.
A three-star recruit, Harmon entered the transfer portal after the Spartans fired HC Mel Tucker. After briefly recommitting to Michigan State, he reentered and chose Oregon. With the Ducks, Harmon put up career-best numbers by registering five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The 311-pounder’s quickness and power make him a menace inside the tackles, but he also showed the ability to line up outside. This could give the Steelers options, as Heyward prepares to play an age-36 season after securing an extension last year.
The Steelers have been connected to Dart as recently as today, but they came into the draft not planning to use a first-round pick on a quarterback. They join the Browns, Giants and Saints to have punted on a QB need in Round 1, creating an interesting situation to close out the night. The Steelers are still courting Aaron Rodgers, after nearly two months, and could circle back to Kirk Cousins. Omar Khan and Co. wanted to make a QB investment in this draft or in 2026. The Steelers traded their second-round pick for D.K. Metcalf, however, limiting their options after the Harmon move.
Giants Attempting To Trade Back Into First Round
Abdul Carter‘s status as the clear-cut top prospect available to the Giants at No. 3 led to the team bolstering an area at which it already had made considerable investments. As a quarterback need remains, the team is following through on a previously rumored effort to attempt to move back into Round 1.
The Giants are indeed attempting to climb back into the first round, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. It would stand to reason this effort is aimed at landing a quarterback. The Giants were unable to leapfrog the Steelers, however, though it is not known if they made a firm offer to climb in front of the QB-needy team.
Linked to both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart today, the Giants have done extensive homework on both players. Both remain on the board, as the Steelers went with Oregon D-lineman Derrick Harmon. The Giants would have more avenues back into Round 1, obviously, and it will be interesting to see what they are willing to give up. New York holds the No. 34 overall pick. At this rate, one of Dart or Sanders could still be on the board by then.
Both might, but the Browns, Saints and Steelers stand to join them in the much-rumored derby to trade up for a passer. The Browns also have an extra second-round pick to use for such a purpose. Brian Daboll-Dart connections had emerged, but a Thursday report indicated Sanders sat second among QBs on the Giants’ big board. That being true would certainly point to a Sanders-based trade-up, but Dart rumors have been fairly steady here. And the Rams (No. 26) were connected to Dart — along with the Saints and Steelers — earlier today.
With Daboll and Joe Schoen on hot seats, the Giants may need to come out of this draft with a long-term hopeful. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston do not inspire much confidence, even if Carter strengthens their pass rush. The second wave of QB options awaits, and the Giants are a key place to monitor.
Colts Draft TE Tyler Warren At No. 14
Without needing to trade up, the Colts have landed a prospect they have long been connected to. Indianapolis has selected Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
Late Warren-Indianapolis rumors swirled this afternoon, but the Colts have been linked to bolstering their long-dormant tight end cadre for a while. The Colts have not churned out a 400-yard tight end receiving yardage season in the 2020s; they are now bringing in a player coming off a 1,200-yard campaign during his final college slate.
Indianapolis scheduled an early meeting with Warren, who shredded defenses last season to the tune of 104 catches, 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. Although Warren posted a seven-touchdown 2023 season, last year was a full-on breakout showing for a dynamic player who played a central role in the Nittany Lions reaching the CFP semifinal round. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher will be expected to step in immediately to help Anthony Richardson (or Daniel Jones).
Warren-Bears ties emerged during the draft runup as well, but a late report indicated Chicago preferred Michigan’s Colston Loveland. That turned out to be accurate, as the NFC North team went with the ex-Wolverines contributor at No. 10. Despite Warren-Jets connections also coming out, the Colts did not need to trade up to address perhaps their biggest need.
With Jelani Woods missing the past two seasons, Colts tight ends have largely been M.I.A. Although the team brought back Mo Alie-Cox, Indy gave the ex-basketball player a pay cut upon re-signing him. The Colts simply have been unable to count on anyone at tight end this decade, but that should change with Warren.
The five-year Big Ten performer will join a host of rookie-contract wide receivers, players whose talents have largely been unable to boost Richardson. The wildly inaccurate passer is entering a crossroads season, with Jones representing real competition. Warren stands to serve as a key short- and mid-range option for Richardson and/or Jones, and the Colts predictably used Round 1 to check a rather important item off their offseason to-do list.
49ers Select DE Mykel Williams At No. 11
The 49ers have, unsurprisingly, added along the defensive front in the opening round of the draft. Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams is headed to San Francisco.
D-line loomed as a 49ers need for months heading up to the draft, and the NFC West franchise will make Williams the first Georgia defender taken in this draft. Jalon Walker had been expected to hold that honor, but the hybrid defender remained on the board at No. 11. San Francisco will go with Williams, a former top-10 national recruit who contributed for the Bulldogs across three seasons.
Williams took a “30” visit to the Bay Area to meet with 49ers brass, and the 49ers will take him with their highest pick since the 2021 Trey Lance misfire. Williams profiles as a bookend to Nick Bosa. The 49ers have gone with veterans in that slot in recent years, cycling through the likes of Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu, Arden Key and Leonard Floyd. San Francisco cut Floyd earlier this offseason, freeing up a spot opposite Bosa. Williams’ draft position points to a clear starter path, and the 49ers will line him up on a D-line that could still use some help up the middle.
Williams’ size (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) and athleticism gave him some of the highest upside amongst edge rushers in the 2025 class. He posted 4.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, but a lingering ankle injury limited his production in 2024. Williams recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, figures short of what many other Day 1 prospects managed but enough for a second-team All-SEC nod. Williams joined Walker in participating in a late pro day this month in Athens, and the 49ers evidently liked the final returns from the one-time elite prospect.
Lingering injury concerns do not appear to exist with Williams, who also worked out at Georgia’s pro day. The 49ers had also been viewed as a potential landing spot for defensive tackle Walter Nolen, but they will take a player whose production did not quite match his recruiting profile in college. That said, the 49ers still employ well-regarded D-line coach Kris Kocurek. Rather than having a midlevel free agent to use opposite Bosa, the veteran assistant now has a high-profile prospect to develop.
Broncos Pushing To Acquire Top-10 Pick
The Broncos have been linked to moving up or down in the first round of tonight’s draft. It is clear a trade closer to the top of the board is the team’s goal at this point.
Denver is making an “aggressive push” to acquire a top-10 pick, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. This runs counter to what came out — from both Russini and ESPN’s Adam Schefter over the past 24 hours — but the Broncos had been tied to potentially moving up earlier this week. As Denver plans appear fluid (or the messaging, or both), the team may well become the second tonight to trade up inside the top 10 — foll0wing Jacksonville’s blockbuster move.
The team has been tied to adding skill-position help. George Paton confirmed the Broncos will draft a running back, but it is worth wondering if the team would be ready to pull the trigger early. The Browns now sit at No. 5, having bailed on the Travis Hunter draft slot for a major haul. While Cleveland could use RB help post-Nick Chubb, Denver would make sense as an Ashton Jeanty suitor. Though, it would take a monster trade package to climb from No. 20 to Jeanty real estate.
Russini’s Wednesday offering indicated the Broncos were content at No. 20 and were not inclined to pay a trade-up price to climb up for a running back. ESPN.com’s Matt Miller also noted the Broncos viewed a wide receiver or tight end as a first-round priority over the much-mocked RB move. It might take a climb into the top 10 to land either Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, and the Broncos lessened their need to upgrade there by giving Evan Engram a two-year, $23MM deal.
It would be interesting if the Broncos, who focused otherwise on defense during free agency, opted for a non-skill-position pick via a trade-up maneuver. The team re-signed D.J. Jones and added Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw in March, fortifying a defense that ranked in the top five last season. Denver also has its five O-line starters returning, with all but center Luke Wattenberg signed beyond 2025. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, as the Broncos could also use their No. 20 pick as a destination for clubs eyeing a vault in front of the QB-needy Steelers (No. 21). Rumored earlier today, this scenario might be Plan B for the AFC West team.
Jaguars Actively Seeking Trade-Up; Browns Aiming To Keep Round 2 Pick
The Jaguars bailed on their GM plan late in their HC search process, and their solution (ex-Rams exec James Gladstone) is captivating interest ahead of his first draft at the controls. Jags trade-up rumors persist.
Mentioned earlier as a team exploring a trade-up, the Jags are now “actively trying” to move up from No. 5, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes. This came shortly after colleague Dianna Russini indicated teams in the top 10 expected Jacksonville to make a splash early.
Potentially trying to move as high as No. 2 overall, the Jaguars look to have Travis Hunter in their sights. It would not take a climb to 2 to acquire rumored target Ashton Jeanty, who has drawn Bears trade-up interest. The Browns are still believed to be dangling their No. 2 pick, but it would certainly take a haul to move them out of range for the two-way phenom.
Although a rumor circulated about the Browns attempting to trade back into the first round for a quarterback, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds they would prefer to hang onto their No. 33 overall pick due to the leverage of holding the top Day 2 choice. Multiple teams have shown interest in coming up, per Fowler. It is not known if a true bidding war is upon us just yet, but the Jags have certainly made it known they are serious about acquiring the Browns’ top pick.
The Jags are coming off a wildly disappointing season, one that came after the franchise authorized the three most lucrative contracts (for Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell) in its history. They fired Trent Baalke late into their HC search process, and that move preceded Liam Coen reconsidering his stance about signing on as the team’s HC. As a result, Coen leads the Jags; Gladstone, however, certainly has significant input as the new GM.
Hunter would quality as perhaps the splashiest draft move in team history, considering his two-way skills and high-end potential at wideout or cornerback. He would provide an elite complement to Campbell and/or Brian Thomas Jr. The Jags kept their cards close to the vest by not conducting any “30” visits this year, a sharp deviation from normal pre-draft protocol. During draft week, the Jeanty and Hunter buzz has leaked out. And we are moving close to time for the Browns to make a decision. Though, two hours remain for Cleveland to hear offers.
Rams, Saints, Steelers Showing Interest In Jaxson Dart
The Brian Daboll–Jaxson Dart connections preceding a report that pegged Shedeur Sanders as the QB2 on the Giants’ big board illustrates where we are on the NFL calendar effectively. This is peak smokescreen season.
Dart, though, was among the QBs to gain momentum as the pre-draft process wore on. The chance he becomes this draft’s second QB chosen, over Sanders, is squarely on the radar, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. While Ely Allen’s PFR mock placed Dart ahead of Sanders, the latter falling to the QB3 slot in this draft — after being viewed as close to Cam Ward late last year — would be a blow for the second-generation NFL prospect. Daniel Jeremiah’s final NFL.com big board places Sanders 20th and Dart 36th.
A Malik Willis-like fall seems unlikely for Sanders, given the number of teams looking for quarterbacks, but his stock has undeniably taken a hit during the pre-draft process. Dart would stand to benefit, with Howe adding the Saints, Steelers and Rams are showing interest in the Ole Miss product. All three hosted Dart on “30” visits.
A Rams-Tyler Shough connection also emerged this week, and while it seemed then like the team would not use its first-round pick (No. 26) on a Matthew Stafford successor (as opposed to arming the roster to help the aging QB), this Dart rumor gives such a decision some legs. Stafford is under contract for two more seasons, but his contract adjustment still has not been revealed.
The Saints were tied to Dart a few weeks ago, and they have certainly done plenty of work on the QB. PFR’s mock sent Dart to New Orleans, but the team is not expected to want to use its No. 9 overall pick for a passer. Of course, if the Saints balk, they run the risk of missing out on their preferred second-tier QB option in this draft. And they still do not have Derek Carr clarity.
If the Saints do delay their QB need at 9, the Steelers will become the team to watch. Clubs already look to be closely monitoring Pittsburgh for a QB pick, as Denver’s No. 20 selection has come up in trade rumors. The Steelers (No. 21) appear to be sending signals in all directions, as Mike Tomlin is believed to back Sanders. Dart has come up on multiple occasions here as well, and a trade-down rumor — as the Steelers initially did not expect Sanders to fall out of the top 10 — also emerged.
As Aaron Rodgers has continued to leave the Steelers hanging, they have a decision to make soon. If Carr is able to play in 2025, the Saints and Rams have starter-caliber options to deploy. The Steelers would have a basement-level option in Mason Rudolph, highlighting their high-stakes draft.