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Draft Rumors: Skoronski, Young, Robinson

April 20th, 2023 at 10:06pm CST by Ely Allen

We spoke a bit about Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski‘s size when he declared for the draft back in April, thinking that while some may question his lack of size as a tackle, he would still follow his former college teammate Rashawn Slater in remaining at the tackle position. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, that’s no longer the case.

Breer says that, while he too initially thought a few teams would write Skoronski off as a guard, he’s finding that, now, few teams see him at tackle. At the NFL scouting combine, Skoronski measured at 6-foot-4, 313 pounds with an arm length of 32.25 inches. Comparatively, Slater measured at 6-foot-4, 304 pounds with an arm length of 33 inches in 2021.

Regardless of his position, Skoronski is regarded as one of maybe 12-13 players who “carry a true first-round grade” in the draft, according to Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network. While anything could happen, this means that no one sees a possibility where Skoronski falls to Day 2 of the draft next week.

Here are a few other rumors leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft:

We’ve heard comments about Alabama quarterback Bryce Young‘s size being a concern as he makes the transition to the NFL. A recent report by Joe Person of The Athletic seems to confirm that his height is not considered the issue, his weight is. Young weighed in at the combine at a surprising 204 pounds, just three pounds shy of Kyler Murray‘s combine weight. If he ends up going No. 1 overall, like many expect, it sounds like the Panthers have a plan in place to put some meat on his bones.
Many are under the impression that, after just severing their connections to their last first-round running back, Ezekiel Elliott, there is no way that the Cowboys would go right back and take Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the first round this year. Well, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, the team remains open to the possibility. Dallas’s executive vice president, Stephen Jones, emphasized that Robinson is almost certainly going on Day 1 of the draft and “you never know” if it’ll be the Cowboys who select him. With Tony Pollard coming off injury, the team may need a strong RB2 to help carry the load.
The Buccaneers are another team to keep an eye on for Robinson after he visited Tampa Bay recently, something he mentioned during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. With the departure of Leonard Fournette to free agency, the Buccaneers return last year’s third-round pick Rachaad White, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and Patrick Laird from last year’s rushing offense that ranked last in the NFL. They added Chase Edmonds in the offseason, but a top prospect like Robinson could be really valuable to Tampa Bay’s offense.

Cowboys’ Terence Steele Signs RFA Tender

April 20th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have Terence Steele back in the fold. More than a month after Steele received a second-round restricted free agent tender, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes the fourth-year tackle signed it to lock in that second-tier RFA price (Twitter link).

Steele will be tied to a $4.3MM salary as a result of this signing. While Steele has a ways to go before completing rehab from ACL surgery, he is again under contract with the Cowboys. A player not signing his RFA tender would allow teams to rescind the tender and pay the player 120% of his 2022 salary. Steele having made $895K last year made this an easy decision.

This will be an interesting year for Steele. The Cowboys reached an agreement to bring back Tyron Smith on a restructured deal, keeping the All-Pro tackle on the NFL’s longest-running contract. They are planning to use the All-Decade left tackle on the right side, where he finished last season. Steele’s injury led to Smith moving to right tackle, a transition that kept first-round pick Tyler Smith at left tackle. This leaves Steele without a surefire starting spot in 2023.

Dallas is planning to give Steele, 25, a look at guard once he returns, though it will be a while before he receives clearance. He suffered the ACL tear in mid-December, though the Cowboys have said the former UDFA is ahead of schedule on his rehab journey.

While the Cowboys will look at Steele as a guard, the 40-game starter is set to be — assuming both Smiths enter the season healthy — the team’s swing tackle. This would be a significant downgrade for Steele, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024. The Cowboys lost left guard Connor McGovern in free agency, potentially creating a best-five scenario in which Steele replaces him. But the Texas Tech product has only played tackle as a pro or in college, when he was a four-year Red Raiders starter at either right or left tackle. Pro Football Focus graded Steele as a top-10 run blocker among tackles last season.

PFF graded Steele 23rd overall among tackles in 2022, marking growth from his 2020 and ’21 seasons. The Cowboys turned to Steele to replace La’el Collins in 2020, when he missed the full season due to injury, and in 2021 during the since-departed blocker’s drug suspension. Tyron Smith‘s extensive injury past does swing open a door for Steele to regain his right-side gig, but the younger lineman enters his walk year in an unusual place.

Utah TE Dalton Kincaid Cleared Before Draft

April 16th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

This year’s draft class is extremely deep at the tight end position, and one of the top prospects faced the additional challenge of a recent injury. Despite a back injury suffered late in the season, Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid has officially been cleared for football activity prior to the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Dr. Robert Watkins sent an email to NFL teams fully clearing the 23-year-old. “Dalton Kincaid sustained a back injury while playing football on 11/26/2022,” the email said. “Subsequent MRIs have shown appropriate healing, and he has been asymptomatic with no pain and no limitation of function for at least 3 months. He is cleared to play football with no restrictions.”

The injury caused him to miss the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine, and a shoulder injury forced him to miss time earlier in the year, as well. The injury issues don’t help concerns about his smaller frame for an NFL tight end. Yet, Kincaid is still a stellar pass-catching option who caught at least eight touchdowns in four of five college seasons (the fifth being the COVID-shortened season).

The full clearance is big for Kincaid, who is expected to be selected in the first round later this month. He and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer are widely anticipated to go on Day 1, while Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Georgia’s Darnell Washington have a chance, as well. With such a deep class, a nagging back injury could’ve really hurt Kincaid’s draft stock; a full clearance should keep Kincaid with his status as a consensus top two tight end in the draft.

With injury concerns out of the way, Kincaid has had several visits planned with NFL teams. The Ute met with the Bengals and Patriots this past week and has plans to visit the Packers in the week to come. Prior to those visits, Kincaid had spent time with the Texans, Raiders, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans, Lions, Chiefs, and Cowboys.

TE Darnell Washington Visits Panthers, Cowboys

April 15th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

This year’s tight end class is said to be far deeper and more talented than any of those in the recent past. Darnell Washington is one of several highly-touted prospects at the position, and has drawn interest from multiple teams in the pre-draft process.

The Georgia product recently met with the Panthers and Cowboys, as noted by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 and ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter links). Those teams are in far different situations with respect to their draft positioning, but they likely aren’t the only ones doing their homework on the uber-athletic pass catcher.

Washington spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, and the 2022 campaign was his most productive. He totaled 28 catches for 454 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all new career highs. Those numbers (along with his prowess as a run blocker) helped lead Georgia to another national championship, and confirmed his status as one of the top tight ends in this year’s class. He followed that up with an impressive showing at the Combine, during which he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash.

The Panthers will use the top pick on a quarterback, the identity of which seems to be coming into focus as the first round approaches. Their next selection is No. 39, which would likely be in the range for Washington and most other seam-stretchers this year. Carolina has already made a big move at the TE spot this offseason, inking Hayden Hurst to a three-year, $21.75MM deal in free agency.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, have yet to make an addition on the open market. Longtime starter Dalton Schultz took a one-year pact with the Texans, despite Dallas reportedly having offered a significantly more lucrative extension. That leaves the latter team in need of a new No. 1 option at the position; while in-house candidates are in place, the Cowboys have frequently been connected to using a Day 1 or 2 selection on a tight end.

Dallas owns pick No. 26, which could be around the time the first tight ends start coming off the board. Washington faces competition from Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid in particular to be the first to hear their name called at the position, and several high-profile prospects will last into the second and third rounds. The Cowboys have the 58th and 90th selections, which will give them multiple chances to add a seam-stretcher, be it Washington or another prospect they take an extended look at.

Latest On Michigan DL Mazi Smith’s Draft Stock

April 12th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Mazi Smith is turning into a popular name leading up to the draft. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Michigan defensive lineman has had more than 20 meetings or visits with teams.

The Bills were one of the most recent teams to meet with Smith, with Rapoport noting that the team had a top-30 visit with the prospect today. The Chiefs and Steelers previously met with the defensive lineman at Michigan, and Rapoport also connects the Bears, Eagles, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Saints to the player.

Over the past two years, Smith had 85 tackles and five tackles for loss in 28 games for the Wolverines. The 2022 campaign had majors ups and downs for the player. He was arrested in October after being found to be in possession of a gun without a license. The ensuing felony charge was later dismissed in favor of a guilty plea on a misdemeanor. Then, following the season, Smith earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, putting him firmly on the NFL map.

The six-foot-three, 323-pound lineman has been lauded for his size and athleticism. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com previously compared Smith’s “rough-and-tumble style” to that of fellow defensive line prospect Bryan Bresee‘s “finesse.” NFL.com ultimately gave him the third-highest combine grade among defensive tackles, although the site questioned his ability to produce behind the line of scrimmage. That lack of pass-rushing prowess could end up forcing Smith into the second round, but his growing collection of top-3o visits certainly bodes well for his chances of being selected on the first day of the draft.

Draft Rumors: Murphy, Banks, Branch, Forbes, Torrence

April 12th, 2023 at 12:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top edge defenders available in the draft, Clemson’s Myles Murphy will have a busy week. The 6-foot-5 pass rusher met with the Jaguars earlier this week, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and Bengals, Falcons and Texans visits are on tap for one of Clemson’s two first-round-caliber D-line talents. Joining D-tackle Bryan Bresee on this front, Murphy submitted a consistent resume at the ACC power. In three seasons, the 268-pound edge recorded 18.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss. The Jaguars, who have drafted an edge in Round 1 three times since 2019, go on the clock at No. 24. The Bengals, who have Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard signed beyond 2023, hold the No. 28 pick. The Texans (Nos. 2, 12) and Falcons (No. 8) are needier on the edge, but their draft slots might not align with a player ranked just outside the top 20.

Here is the latest from the draft:

Both Scouts Inc. and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah grade Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks just outside the top 20 as well, but he appears to be interviewing well with teams and trending upward. The Commanders, Ravens and Steelers are three of the teams impressed by Banks, per the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, who adds others are intrigued by the 6-foot cover man. The Raiders will host the former Big Ten defender today, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. The Steelers will be connected to Round 1 corners, having lost Cameron Sutton, and the Ravens have not re-signed Marcus Peters. Both Washington and Pittsburgh cut William Jackson over the past seven months. The Raiders, who have not re-signed Rock Ya-Sin, seemingly have a perpetual cornerback need.
In addition to Emmanuel Forbes‘ Lions visit, the Mississippi State corner is a popular pre-draft guest. The Cowboys, Eagles, Patriots, Steelers, Titans and Vikings are on his visit schedule, Jon Sokoloff of WCBI tweets, with Wilson adding the Bengals and Commanders will take a look as well. Forbes’ frame will certainly come up at these meetings. Despite posting a Division I FBS-record six pick-sixes and intercepting 14 passes in three seasons, Forbes being 6-foot and 166 pounds will be an issue for teams. Nevertheless, he profiles as a late-first-round talent.
Staying on the DB front, Alabama’s Brian Branch might be the best bet for safety-needy teams in what is viewed as a weak class at the position. The Falcons, Commanders, Raiders, Texans and Vikings are on Branch’s pre-draft itinerary, per Wilson, who adds the Bills have a workout scheduled for the multiyear Crimson Tide contributor as well. Branch has extensive slot experience as well, providing potential flexibility for teams considering him in the late first round.
Like Branch, Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence profiles as the top player at his position going into the draft. The Louisiana transfer became a consensus All-American in 2022, and the Bills, Commanders and Steelers have auditioned him thus far, per Wilson and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter links). Each of these teams have added at guard already this offseason. The Steelers signed both Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig, while the Bills signed Connor McGovern. The Commanders signed ex-Giant Nick Gates but have plans to use him at center, where he played before a severe September 2021 injury sidetracked his career.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Visits Falcons; WR To Meet With Ravens, Texans, Bills, Cowboys

April 10th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 draft class isn’t seen to have the star power at the top of the board that previous ones did when it comes to the receiver position. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is seen by many as the headliner in this year’s class, though, something which is reflected by his travel schedule this month.

The former Ohio State receiver has already visited the Falcons, and will also do so with the Ravens, Texans, Bills and Cowboys (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). That list is sure to grow given his status as one of the most highly-touted players at the position, but it already covers a large stretch of the first round in terms of draft positioning.

The Falcons are set to pick eighth overall, and most analysts have tapped them for a defensive addition. The team is also looking into its options along the offensive line, however. Atlanta has used its top choice on a pass-catcher in each of the past two years, taking tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 4 in 2021 and wideout Drake London with the No. 8 selection last year. Using a premium pick for that purpose once again in 2023 would come as a surprise, though the Falcons ranked second-last in passing yards last season, and have yet to make a major addition to their WR room in free agency.

Houston owns the second overall pick, which is expected to be used on a quarterback (though the door remains open a different course of action). The Texans also have the 12th selection as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade, and that spot could be used on Smith-Njigba to boost their passing game. With the trade of Brandin Cooks, Houston is lacking in established receivers outside of Robert Woods. The arrival of Cooks in Dallas, on the other hand, has eased the pressure the Cowboys face to use their top selection (No. 26) on a wideout.

Both the Bills and Ravens have been linked to splashy additions to their pass-catching corps this offseason. The latter made one yesterday with the signing of Odell Beckham Jr., something which could free them up to look elsewhere with the 22nd pick. The Bills, scheduled to select 27th, continue to search for a consistent secondary option to effectively compliment Stefon Diggs. It appears unlikely Smith-Njigba will be in range of teams at the back half of the opening round, in any case.

The Buckeyes alum had a massive campaign in 2021, but was limited to just three games this past season due to a hamstring injury. A strong showing at the Combine, however, helped garner interest from the Giants along with today’s list of potential suitors. The strength of his sophomore performance has many teams assigning Smith-Njigba the only first-round grade amongst this year’s receivers, as noted by Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy (Twitter link).

While that could have a notable effect on other top prospects at the position later this month, Smith-Njigba can comfortably be considered a lock to hear his name called on Day 1. Teams could find themselves jockeying for position to acquire him if their interest in him on draft night is matched by the breadth of meetings he has and will continue to take part in.

Darnell Wright Visits Saints, Bears, Packers, Bills; Several More Planned

April 9th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the fastest risers in the 2023 NFL Draft, Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright is currently such an enigma that even NFL teams don’t seem to have an idea on when his name will be called. Normally, a tackle prospect who takes Top 30 visits is targeted by teams in similar areas of the draft who believe he will be available when they have their opportunity to select. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, nearly 20 teams believe Wright will be there when they are on the clock.

We already reported that Wright was starting to climb boards back in February, noting that, after attending the Senior Bowl, the 21-year-old was not expected to slip past the first round of the draft. While many first-round linemen from Power 5 schools tend to find their way to the NFL as underclassmen, Wright is a rarity after playing four years with the Volunteers. The decision appears to have been the correct one as Wright was rewarded with a first-team All-SEC selection following his best year of collegiate play. Wright was a Lombardi award semifinalist after allowing zero sacks as a senior in one of the nation’s top offenses of 2022.

Wright began his reportedly lengthy tour with visits to New Orleans, Chicago, Green Bay, and Buffalo, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Following his visits with the Saints, Bears, Packers, and Bills, Wright is expected to visit the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Commanders, and Lions in the coming weeks leading up to the draft. That’s only nine teams. At least that many more are expected to spend time with Wright before the end of the month.

There’s a reason so many teams are under the assumption he’ll be available. He entered the Senior Bowl with many thinking he had plenty still to prove. Two months later and some consider him to be the top tackle prospect in this year’s draft. So far, he’s covered the full gamut from not a first rounder to top tackle on the board. Some teams may just be kicking the tires themselves to see what all the fuss is about, doing their own research, but teams in the later part of the first round shouldn’t entertain the thought of drafting Wright too much more if he continues to fly up draft boards.

Contract Notes: Jaguars, Singletary, Packers

April 8th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars reworked safety Rayshawn Jenkins‘ contract earlier this week, creating a chunk of cap space. Per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, the team converted more than $6.4MM of Jenkins’ salary into a signing bonus and added three void years to the contract. As a result, the team dropped the defensive back’s cap number from $10.5MM to $5.3MM, thus opening more than $5MM in cap space.

Jenkins’ 2024 cap number will rise by more than $1MM. In the event the Jaguars eventually move on from the player, they’ll be left with a dead cap hit of $5.1MM in 2024 or $3.85MM in 2025.

We’ve collected more contract notes below:

Calais Campbell‘s one-year, $7MM deal with the Falcons includes a $4MM guaranteed salary and a $3MM signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). He can earn another $2MM via incentives, including marks for sacks and playing time. According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter), $500K of Campbell’s incentives are likely to be earned.
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins inked a one-year, $1.16MM deal with the Cowboys that also includes an $152K signing bonus, per Wilson (on Twitter). After starting 116 of his 117 appearances between 2014 and 2021, Hankins only started four of his 10 appearances for the Raiders and Cowboys last season.
Running back Devin Singletary‘s new deal with the Texans includes up to $1MM in incentives, per Wilson (on Twitter). Half of those bonuses come via playing time incentives, and he can earn another $500K for certain statistical milestones above 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Dallin Leavitt’s one-year contract with the Packers is worth $1.4MM, including a $1.08MM base salary, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter). He can earn up to $170K in roster bonuses, all via $10K per-game roster incentives. Demovsky also passes along that Justin Hollins got an $155K signing bonus and $45K workout bonuses from the Packers, while Eric Wilson got an $152K signing bonus.
Defensive lineman Carlos Watkins got a one-year, $1.67MM deal from the Cardinals, according to Howard Balzer (on Twitter). This includes a $250K signing bonus, an $1.08MM signing bonus, and up to $340K in per-game roster bonuses. That all results in an $1.57MM cap hit.
Jordan Phillips‘ contract with the Bills is for one year worth $3MM, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). He’ll earn $1.22MM in guaranteed money, and he can earn up to $4.6MM thanks to incentives.

Chiefs, Cowboys, Ravens Meet With WR Quentin Johnston

April 6th, 2023 at 10:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks last month, they continue to do extensive homework on this draft’s top wide receiver prospects. After meeting with Zay Flowers and Jalin Hyatt, Dallas hosted TCU pass catcher Quentin Johnston on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Johnston, who met with the Chiefs on Monday, is Baltimore-bound today for a Ravens meeting. Those two teams present needier wide receiver situations, but the Cowboys’ intel-gathering operation at receiver is a bit more interesting. The Giants have been connected to Johnston as well.

Dallas did not appear to capitalize fully on Amari Cooper‘s value last year, trading the Pro Bowler to Cleveland for fifth- and sixth-round picks. The team dealt the $20MM-per-year receiver just before the market boomed, and Cooper’s presence ended up being missed during a year that featured trade offers — one for Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy — and a nonstop Odell Beckham Jr. free agency courtship. But the Cowboys now have Cooks, Lamb and Michael Gallup — more than a year out from his ACL tear — in the fold now. It would represent an interesting best-player-available move for Mike McCarthy‘s team to pull the trigger on a receiver early in this draft.

Then again, the Cowboys did let Dalton Schultz walk in free agency and have Cooks going into an age-30 season. Cooks’ contract runs through 2024, but the oft-traded speedster is only on the team’s books at $6MM and $10MM over the next two seasons. The veteran makes for an affordable Lamb complement. Gallup’s five-year, $57.5MM deal runs through 2026. Lamb is signed through 2023, but the team will undoubtedly exercise their WR1’s fifth-year option. Lamb is also on Dallas’ extension radar.

The Chiefs and Ravens have each been connected to both Beckham and DeAndre Hopkins. Baltimore has made Beckham an offer, though the ex-Giants Pro Bowler may well be waiting on a Jets-Aaron Rodgers trade to be finalized. But that process has stalled, potentially opening the door for other suitors. The Ravens have used first-round picks on receivers twice in the Lamar Jackson era, selecting Marquise Brown in 2019 and Rashod Bateman in 2021. The team also chose Breshad Perriman in the 2015 first round. Kansas City, conversely, has not taken a wideout in Round 1 during Andy Reid‘s tenure. The team’s last such investment — Jonathan Baldwin — came 12 years ago and did not provide much help.

ESPN’s Scouts Inc. grades Johnston as this draft’s top wide receiver, slotting him as the pool’s 12th-best prospect. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah is slightly less bullish on the ex-Horned Frog, placing him 30th overall as the fourth-best receiver talent available — in a draft that has not generated receiver hype on the level with the previous 2020s crops. Todd McShay’s most recent mock sends Johnston to the Ravens at No. 22. Johnston, who goes 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, was instrumental in the Big 12 program completing an unexpected journey to the national championship game; he hauled in 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

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