Titans Select T JC Latham At No. 7
The Titans were long connected to selecting Joe Alt with their top pick, but he is now off the board. Tennessee has still gone O-line at the No. 7 spot, though, drafting Alabama tackle JC Latham.
While Alt was considered the top offensive lineman in the draft, Latham had done a lot of work to separate himself as the number-two player his position. Latham operated as the Crimson Tide’s starting right tackle for the past two seasons, and the accomplished blocker proved that he has a future in the NFL.
The question is if Latham’s NFL future would see him stick as an offensive tackle in the NFL, leading some pundits to believe he could be destined to be an offensive guard. The seventh-overall pick would be a lofty investment in the guard position, so the Titans will surely see if Latham can cut it at OT.
After transferring from Catholic Memorial HS (WI) to the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, Latham signed to the Tide as a consensus five-star, a top-five player in the country, and the top tackle recruit of the class. Latham came off the bench mostly as a true freshman, sometimes subbing in for right tackle Chris Owens or right guard Emil Ekiyor, both of whom would go undrafted.
Latham would take hold of the starting job at right tackle the following year and hold on to it for the next two years. After making 27 starts in the past two seasons, Latham lays claim to a 2023 All-SEC First Team selection and a Pro Football Focus ranking as the 11th-best offensive tackle in the country. Using the offseason to cut fat and gain good weight, Latham became a monstrous lineman with agility. He’s explosive off the line and can use a powerful drive in the run game, so regardless of his ultimate position, he should be a mainstay in Tennessee.
Giants Draft WR Malik Nabers Sixth Overall
The Giants were long connected to a quarterback pursuit, but the team will instead add at the receiver position. New York has retained the sixth overall pick and used it on LSU receiver Malik Nabers.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. having come off the board at No. 4, Nabers represents the second wideout available. The latter was viewed by some as the top prospect at the position, though, and he will be counted on to operate as New York’s No. 1 right away.
This move came with J.J. McCarthy still on the board, clearing the runway for a sixth season of Daniel Jones as the Giants’ unchallenged starting quarterback. While Giants brass once again backed Jones this offseason, he is coming off an ACL tear and was off to a poor start — albeit behind an injury-ravaged O-line — on his four-year, $160MM contract. The Giants can escape that deal in 2025, but as of now, they would not have a replacement lined up. Instead, they are giving Jones the kind of weapon he has not possessed.
Nabers had an impressive sophomore season two years ago with 1,017 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, but he took the college football world by storm in 2023, leading the country in receiving yards (1,569) while finishing third in the country in receiving touchdowns (14). Stats like these helped his quarterback win the Heisman Trophy and get drafted by the Commanders at No. 2 overall. They also contributed to many believing Nabers was the top receiver prospect in this year’s draft. Instead, he comes off the board as WR2 at No. 6 overall.
New York is looking for its first 1,000-yard receiver since fellow LSU product Odell Beckham Jr. accomplished the feat back in 2018. The Giants have spent plenty of high draft capital on the position in the past few years, drafting Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky in the second round two years ago and Jalin Hyatt out of Tennessee in the third round last year, but they’ll turn to the SEC once more, bringing in Nabers to help complete the offense.
Nabers will join Robinson, Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and tight end Darren Waller as the top receiving options for quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants could’ve gone quarterback and drafted Jones’ potential eventual replacement. Instead, they’ve doubled down on the sixth-year quarterback, who they’ll need to rely heavily on after the departure of Saquon Barkley in free agency.
Although McCarthy loomed as a potential Giants target, and the Michigan product said he spent more time with the NFC East club than any other during the draft run-up. But the past two weeks featured a stream of Giants-Drake Maye ties. With the Patriots not moving off the No. 3 pick, where they took the North Carolina passer, the Giants were faced with a McCarthy-or-WR call. They chose the skill player and will see if Nabers can help elevate Jones to justify the $40MM-per-year payment.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Chargers Select Joe Alt At No. 5
The Chargers were one of the few teams with an early first-round pick that didn’t need a QB, leading to plenty of speculation about how they’d proceed. The selection is in, and the organization has opted for Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.
Alt was previously described as “(Jim) Harbaugh‘s guy,” so this pick doesn’t come as a huge surprise. There was some thought that the team could look to trade back and pick up extra assets, and there was also a belief that they’d pursue a wide receiver to replace the departed Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Instead, they’ve opted for OL help.
The run game will clearly be a higher priority for the Bolts this season, with the team hiring Greg Roman and reuniting the well-traveled OC with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Alt will presumably be kicked to right tackle with the Chargers, as Rashawn Slater has been the Bolts’ LT since being a 2021 first-round pick. An Alt investment would stand to displace Trey Pipkins, the Bolts’ RT regular for the past two seasons.
A two-time first-team All-American, the 6-foot-8 Alt played left tackle for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame LTs have been coveted prospects and moved to other spots in the pros. Zack Martin operated as a left tackle for the Division I-FBS independent; so did Mike McGlinchey. Alt has widely been considered the top offensive line in the draft, and he was considered one of the top non-QB prospects. Being selected at No. 5 is pretty much in line with most pre-draft mock drafts.
The team has invested heavily in offensive line help in recent years. An Alt selection represents the Bolts’ third O-line first-round pick in four years. In addition to Alt and Slater, the team has 2022 first-round guard Zion Johnson going into Year 3.
Joe Alt becomes a first-round pick 40 years after his father (John) went off the draft board in Round 1. John Alt played 13 seasons for the Chiefs, operating as the franchise’s left tackle starter for most of that span. Despite this Chargers operation still being in dire need of receiving help, Harbaugh has not built his past teams around aerial attacks. It will be interesting to see how the Bolts go about addressing the void created by the Allen and Williams exits.
Cardinals Draft WR Marvin Harrison Jr. At No. 4
The first non-quarterback has come off the board. Turning aside trade interest, the Cardinals have retained the No. 4 pick and used it on Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Kyler Murray gets a new WR1 with an NFL pedigree. 
The son of Hall of Fame Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, the younger Harrison has been on the radar of NFL scouts since his sparse freshman year with the Buckeyes. In the next two seasons, though, Harrison proved why he deserved their attention, combining for 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air as a sophomore and junior.
In Arizona, Harrison becomes the immediate WR1. The Cardinals saw Marquise Brown depart for Kansas City in free agency and only return Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch while adding Chris Moore in free agency. Murray will now be able to rely on Harrison and budding tight end Trey McBride as his top targets in 2024.
There had been lots of speculation of teams trading up to the No. 4 overall pick in order to draft a fourth quarterback in a row. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though, all such rumors were hearsay as the Cardinals took part in “no trade talks prior” to making their pick.
This makes sense when you look at the roster and the team’s recent struggles in the wide receiver room. The Cardinals have said goodbye to Christian Kirk, DeAndre Hopkins and Brown over the past three offseasons. After 2023 negotiations with Brown, they let the 2022 trade pickup defect to the Chiefs. That left a gaping hole at wideout, one the Cards did not fill in free agency.
This marks the first significant investment in the position during the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon era. Although some teams were believed to have placed LSU’s Malik Nabers — he of a 4.35 40-yard dash — as this draft class’ best wideout prospect, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Harrison has hovered on the top tier of this prospect pool for several months. The latest Ohio State receiving sensation made a point to inform teams he would not train for the Combine or pre-draft workouts, instead taking the rare step to prepare his body for his NFL team’s offseason program. This unorthodox strategy did not end up docking Harrison.
The Cardinals have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Hopkins did so in 2020, which also happened to be Larry Fitzgerald‘s final season. It looks like Arizona fans only had to wait three years for another potential legacy wideout. The team gets the No. 1 wide receiver on the board at fourth overall.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Patriots Select QB Drake Maye At No. 3
After suffering their worst record in more than 30 years, it was an offseason of change in New England. The Patriots are hoping to get back to their winning ways sooner than later, and the organization will be counting on their No. 3 pick to help guide the way. The Patriots have selected North Carolina QB Drake Maye with the third-overall pick.
This is New England’s first selection in a post-Bill Belichick era. While de facto GM Eliot Wolf was reportedly open to making a trade, he was reportedly seeking an unprecedented haul. That’s why most signs pointed to the organization selecting a new franchise QB.
The team moved on from former first-round QB Mac Jones this offseason. They added a clear seat-warmer in Jacoby Brissett as a replacement, so it seemed pretty clear the Patriots would walk away from the draft with a rookie QB.
Sitting with the third-overall pick, the team seemed destined to select whichever QB was left over from the grouping of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Maye. With Williams locked in at No. 1 and Daniels trending towards the No. 2 pick, there have been plenty of rumblings in New England surrounding their interest in Maye. There was some speculation that J.J. McCarthy could break into the top-three, but the Patriots didn’t end up straying from the projected pick.
Maye put himself firmly on the NFL map following a 2022 campaign where he earned ACC Player of the Year after passing for a school-record 4,321 yards. He didn’t put up nearly the same numbers during his follow-up 2023 season, but that didn’t end up hurting his draft stock.
The Patriots left the door open to a potential trade-down move, but they are not believed to have seen quality offers emerge. Teams like the Giants and Vikings were closely tied to Maye in recent days, but the Patriots — by virtue of their 4-13 record — held the right of first refusal once the Commanders chose Jayden Daniels. New England was never seriously connected to trading the pick, and the team will try again at QB after a rocky final two years with Jones.
After striking out on Jones, the Patriots will be hoping Maye provides the QB longevity they’ve been seeking since moving on from Tom Brady. With Brissett currently atop the depth chart, the team can bring Maye along slowly until he’s ready to go. New England’s arsenal of weapons leaves plenty to be desired, so with their future QB secured, it wouldn’t be shocking if the front office looks to improve their receiver corps ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Commanders Draft QB Jayden Daniels With No. 2 Overall Pick
The Commanders have not had a single quarterback start the majority of their games for two seasons in a row since Kirk Cousins did so in 2016 and 2017.
Since then, the team has seen Alex Smith, Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz, and Sam Howell all start games under center in Washington. While the trend of consecutive seasons is set to continue 2024, the Commanders will hope to put an end to that trend by drafting Jayden Daniels, quarterback out of LSU. 
While Daniels was linked heavily to the Raiders, due to his history with new head coach Antonio Pierce during their time at Arizona State, it is Washington who walks away from Day 1 of the draft with the 23-year-old on their roster.
Pierce and the Raiders reached out late to inquire about a possible trade up to the No. 2 overall spot, but despite their efforts, no trade transpired. There were also rumors that Daniels would refuse to play for Washington and could force a trade, but the LSU quarterback denied those rumors, and Daniels will head to the nation’s capital to compete with Howell for the starting job.
Daniels started his college career at Arizona State, where he became the first ever true freshman to start the season opener for the Sun Devils. After a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Daniels struggled in his third year in Tempe, resulting in his transfer to Baton Rouge. At LSU, Daniels was back to his old self and more. In 2022, he matched his impressive freshman passing stats while leading the country in rushing yards for a quarterback.
This past year, Daniels not only improved his rushing prowess, running for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 135 carries, but he also showed a stark improvement in his passing abilities. After previously failing to surpass 3,000 passing yards or 20 touchdowns, Daniels completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards and an incredible 40 touchdowns while only getting intercepted four times. He finished 2023 seventh in the FBS in completion percentage, fifth in passing yards, first in passing yards per attempt, second in passing touchdowns, and first in rating. He also, once again, led the nation’s quarterbacks in rushing yards. These impressive efforts resulted in Daniels being awarded the Heisman Trophy and the Davey O’Brien Award (awarded to the NCAA’s best quarterback).
In Washington, Daniels will now have the opportunity to compete with Howell for the starting job. Howell led the Commanders to a 4-13 record in his first season as a full-time starter. While he was able to amass 3,946 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns, he and the team’s struggles were highlighted by Howell leading the NFL in pass attempts (612), interceptions (21), and sacks taken (65).
Daniels will also be inherited by a new coaching staff that includes former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the new head coach. Daniels’ new mentor, though, will be new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury who famously brought up Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech before handling Kyler Murray‘s first few seasons in Arizona. It will be interesting to see if the Commanders make Daniels earn the starting job in a position battle with Howell, or if they decide to instill their confidence in him by announcing him as the future at the position.
Bears Draft Caleb Williams First Overall
As expected, the Bears have kicked off the 2024 draft by adding their quarterback of the present and future. Chicago has selected Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. 
The 2022 Heisman winner entered the past campaign in pole position to be the first player off the board. His highly productive campaign that year – upon following Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC – led to massive expectations and many evaluators deeming him a generational prospect. While the Trojans did not have a stellar showing in 2023 and Williams’ statistical output (both in the air and on the ground) regressed slightly, he has long remained the favorite for the No. 1 slot.
The Bears acquired Carolina’s first-round pick as part of last year’s blockbuster deal which delivered Bryce Young to the Panthers. Now, Chicago general manager Ryan Poles has taken advantage of the 2024 draft’s top choice to add a replacement for Justin Fields. The latter spent the past three years at the helm of Chicago’s offense, and he entered 2023 as a critical evaluation period. With the Bears still struggling to move the ball through the air and Fields failing to show tangible signs of improvement, Poles and Co. elected to start over at the QB spot.
Following through on the stated goal of “doing right by” Fields, Chicago dealt the 2021 first-rounder to the Steelers in March. That swap yielded less compensation than what other teams are believed to have been willing to offer, but it allowed Fields to go to his preferred destination. It also, of course, cleared the way for Poles to draft his own franchise QB in his third season in charge.
Williams’ pre-draft process was not seen as the greatest amongst 2024 quarterbacks, and some teams reportedly have Jayden Daniels ranked as the class’ top signal-caller. Chicago only hosted one QB prospect this spring, though, and Williams in turn only met in-person with one potential employer. Team and player can now officially move forward with a relationship which has long been foreshadowed.
The Bears’ offense has seen a number of changes this offseason, including the hiring of new OC Shane Waldron. Chicago has also signed running back D’Andre Swift and traded for wideout Keenan Allen, adding those players to a skill-position corps already featuring D.J Moore and Cole Kmet. That unit may see another notable move made at a pass-catching position or along the offensive line with the No. 9 pick.
Williams will thus enter a situation where he will not need to be as much of a catalyst as he was with the Trojans. If things go according to plan, though, he will provide Chicago with a long-term solution under center and thus fill a massive organizational need.
Packers Sign Andre Dillard; T Met With Chiefs
APRIL 25: Dillard’s deal contains no signing bonus or any guaranteed money, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. The former Eagles and Titans tackle will be tied to a veteran-minimum accord ($1.13MM for a five-year vet) if he makes Green Bay’s 53-man roster.
APRIL 18: The Titans bailed on their Andre Dillard contract after one season, making the former first-round pick a cap casualty in March. Dillard has not justified his draft status, but the five-year veteran tackle will have another chance in 2024.
Dillard is signing with the Packers; the team announced the move Thursday. The Packers parted ways with 11-year veteran David Bakhtiari, amid a run of knee trouble, and will bring in a player who has experience as a left tackle starter and swingman. Prior to making this Packers commitment, Dillard met with the Chiefs, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
[RELATED: David Bakhtiari Not Planning To Retire]
Bakhtiari’s latest effort to return from the lingering knee trouble — brought on by the ACL tear sustained during a December 2020 practice — lasted all of one game. The Packers cut Bakhtiari shortly after the legal tampering period began. The Packers are taking on $18.1MM in dead money via the release, which was not a post-June 1 cut; all the Bakhtiari dead cap will hit Green Bay’s payroll in 2024.
Dillard, 28, represents a potential starting option, though his career to this point may make a swing role more appropriate. The Pack also lost swingman Yosh Nijman in free agency; Nijman signed with the Panthers in March.
Known for aiming to move ahead of the curve on their offensive line, the Eagles traded up for Dillard in 2019. But the team’s hopes of having the Washington State alum become Jason Peters‘ heir apparent did not come to fruition. In a lower-profile case that reminds of the 49ers’ Trey Lance–Brock Purdy development, the Eagles found their Peters successor in 2018 seventh-rounder Jordan Mailata. The latter took over, while Dillard became the swingman. Teams inquired about Dillard at multiple trade deadlines, and while he fared well at points replacing Mailata on the left side, the Titans season brought another setback for the former No. 22 overall pick.
The Titans gave Dillard a three-year, $29MM deal to replace Taylor Lewan, but the team wound up benching the free agency pickup midway through the season. Another Titans injury-plagued season involved a number of O-line setbacks, and the team’s plan to slide Nicholas Petit-Frere to the left side preceded an immediate injury. Dillard received another chance but saw rookie Jaelyn Duncan play in front of him as well. Pro Football Focus ranked Dillard 71st among tackles in 2023.
The Chiefs are set to return four members of a quality offensive line. While Jawaan Taylor went through a rocky first season, Kansas City still rosters an elite interior trio (Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith). But the team has not re-signed Donovan Smith, who joined the team as a post-draft stopgap last year. The two-time reigning Super Bowl champs likely will add a left tackle — through free agency or the draft — but Dillard will end up in Green Bay.
As for the Packers, they turned to former seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker as their primary blind-sider (15 starts) in 2023. Bakhtiari suited up for 11 games in 2022 but was done after one last year. With Elgton Jenkins entrenched at guard (after being Bakhtiari’s replacement in 2021), the Pack received interesting work from Walker despite his late-round pedigree. PFF rated Walker just outside the top 40 at tackle and viewed the 2022 draftee as a top-25 pass blocker at the position.
A competition between Walker and Dillard could commence, which would almost definitely — given the latter’s value at present — bring a low-cost matchup. If nothing else, Dillard provides some insurance for a team that saw its LT plan change thanks to Bakhtiari’s run of surgeries.
Commanders Decline LB Jamin Davis’ Fifth-Year Option
None of the teams to select a linebacker in the 2020 first round opted to exercise a fifth-year option; each member of that quartet joined another team in free agency last month. The Commanders are moving down a similar path with the ILB they chose in the 2021 first round.
Washington is declining Jamin Davis‘ fifth-year option, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Chosen 19th overall in 2021, Davis carried a $14.48MM option for the 2025 season. With Davis not yet living up to his draft slot — and seeing how teams proceeded with 2020 Round 1 ILBs last year — it is unsurprising to see the Commanders punt on that fully guaranteed number.
[RELATED: 2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
None of the 2020 ILB class carried a Pro Bowl honor from 2020-22; that placed their option prices between $11.73MM and $12.72MM. This proved too much for the Cardinals (Isaiah Simmons), Chargers (Kenneth Murray), Ravens (Patrick Queen) and Seahawks (Jordyn Brooks). Each player moved on in free agency in March. With a new regime in place in Washington, Davis’ arrow is pointing in that direction ahead of what is now a contract year.
The Commanders signed Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in March; the Wagner agreement, like several Washington pacts this offseason, brought a reunion with new HC Dan Quinn. Washington also signed Jeremy Chinn, a hybrid player who spent extensive time as a box defender with Carolina. These transactions leave Davis’ role uncertain, as the Kentucky product has not become a difference-maker since the Ron Rivera-led regime selected him 19th overall three years ago.
After struggling as a rookie, Davis received criticism from then-DC Jack Del Rio early in the ’22 season. He did play better on the whole over the past two years, and Pro Football Focus slotted the 25-year-old defender inside the top 40 at the position last year. Davis has totaled 17 tackles for loss and six sacks over the past two years combined. He also forced two fumbles and broke up four passes last season, before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury in December.
Davis underwent knee surgery last year as well, and the one-year SEC starter has run into trouble off the field. He was hit with a reckless driving charge in March 2022. While Davis appealed his conviction and avoided a 180-day sentence, Jhabvala adds he also drew a reckless driving charge (later reduced) three months before that. Additionally, Davis joins cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and former safety Deshazor Everett as defendants in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from the crash that killed Everett’s girlfriend. Washington cut the safety in March 2022, but the civil suit — brought on by the victim’s mother — alleges Davis, St-Juste and Everett were racing when Everett’s vehicle crashed.
Lions, RT Penei Sewell Reach Record-Setting Extension
On what will go down as one of the bigger days a single franchise has put together on the contract front in recent NFL history, the Lions have another record-setting agreement in place. Not long after Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s deal emerged, Penei Sewell is now locked down long term.
Sewell agreed to terms on a four-year, $112MM extension, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. That $28MM-per-year number shatters a right tackle AAV record. Not only is this the new right tackle standard, Sewell’s second contract doubles as the largest ever given to an offensive lineman.
The contract will average $30MM per year over its first three seasons, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. It would seem this deal will run through 2029, with the Lions having a fifth-year option on Sewell that covered 2025. Indeed, SI.com’s Albert Breer confirms the extension runs through ’29 after an exercised option.
The deal includes $85MM guaranteed, Garafolo adds. That guarantee number comes in well north of any other O-lineman’s figure as well. Andrew Thomas‘ $67MM Giants guarantee previously stood as the current high-water mark. No other OL is tied to a guarantee higher than $64MM. This represents a tremendous commitment to Sewell, who has thus far rewarded the Lions for their first-round investment in 2021.
Despite the Lions having two years of control remaining via the option, they will pass on that process to do an extension now. While Thomas needed to agree to a five-year deal to lock in monster tackle money after his third season, the Lions will reward Sewell while giving him a chance to negotiate a third contract — should he stay in top form — in his late 20s. Sewell will not turn 24 until October.
It is difficult to overstate the commitment the Lions are making to Sewell. The right tackle market finally reached the $20MM-per-year place in 2023, when the Eagles gave Lane Johnson another extension and the Chiefs matched that $20MM-AAV payment for free agent Jawaan Taylor. Sewell effectively has his own salary bracket at the position. His $28MM AAV also comes in $3MM higher than Laremy Tunsil‘s LT-record number. This is a rather big day for a player who joined the Lions after opting out of his final college season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Sewell and St. Brown came to Detroit in the first Brad Holmes-Dan Campbell draft. Each has become an impact player, with Sewell finishing last season as a first-team All-Pro. The Oregon alum has two Pro Bowls on his resume and has extensive experience at both tackle spots. The Lions drafted Sewell seventh overall and kicked him to left tackle after a 2021 Taylor Decker injury. Decker returned in 2022, and the Lions followed through with their initial Sewell plan. They have since seen him become one of the game’s best right tackles.
Sewell’s move back to right tackle coincided with the Lions forming one of the league’s best offensive lines. The team paired a Decker-Sewell tackle tandem with Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. Even as the Lions saw some guard instability crop up due to Halapoulivaati Vaitai‘s health over the past two years, the team offered Jared Goff top-tier protection and opened regular run lanes for the likes of Jamaal Williams, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. This O-line has played a central role in Goff’s Motor City resurgence — one that is on track to produce a big extension for the veteran quarterback, most likely before Week 1 — and the Lions’ journey from a three-win 2021 to last season’s NFC championship game.
The Lions did not give up on keeping four-year guard starter Jonah Jackson in free agency, but the team pivoted to a cheaper alternative upon learning where his market was headed. The club’s Sewell plans undoubtedly factored into that decision. The Lions already have Ragnow on a top-tier center contract and Decker signed to an upper-crust LT deal. Decker is going into a contract year, though he made interesting news by revealing discussions on a third contract have begun.
The Lions are betting big early on a player who has shown dominant form. Pro Football Focus rated Sewell as the NFL’s top tackle last year, particularly lauding his run-blocking ability. ESPN’s pass block win rate placed Sewell sixth. PFF slotted Sewell 10th among tackles in 2022, and the Lions certainly believe a quality prime is ahead for the former No. 7 overall pick.
Detroit landed Sewell after Cincinnati opted for Ja’Marr Chase at No. 5 three years ago, as the Bengals added Joe Burrow‘s former teammate rather than address a then-glaring RT need. This became the Lions’ gain. While Decker is going into his age-31 season — a contract year — the Lions still have the tandem heading into a fourth year together.
It will be interesting to see how this megadeal impacts Decker’s Detroit future, but the defending NFC North champions have two key parts of a high-stakes offseason itinerary checked off via the St. Brown and Sewell deals. In all likelihood, a third Goff contract is up next.