Jets, Saints, Packers Looking To Move Up
There are a number of teams pushing to move up in the first round. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Falcons, Jets, Saints, and Packers are among the teams “who have made some noise about potentially moving up.” We previously heard that Atlanta was looking to make a deal.
Rapoport notes that the Jets are “presumably” looking to move up to take an offensive tackle. Gang Green currently has the 11th-overall pick, meaning they should get their hands on one of Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills Jr., Andrew Thomas, and Mekhi Becton. However, if there is a sudden run of lineman, the Jets may be required to make a move.
It might be tough for the Saints to make a trade considering their limited draft capital. New Orleans is currently in possession of only five picks, and the only have a pair of selections in the first three rounds (No. 24 and No. 88).
On the flip side, the Packers are loaded with draft picks, as they’re currently armed with 10 selections. Of course, it’s worth noting that six of those selections are in the fifth round or later. The Packers have the No. 30 pick in the first round. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst discussed the team’s trade prospects earlier this week.
Saints Won’t Rule Out Drafting QB
Although the Saints have long been said to be planning for Taysom Hill to succeed Drew Brees when Brees retires — which could be as soon as the end of the 2020 season — the team will not rule out selecting a signal-caller in this year’s draft, as GM Mickey Loomis noted (via John DeShazler of the team’s official website).
New Orleans’ very public confidence in Hill, as shown by the team’s tendering the RFA passer at the first-round level this offseason, has raised plenty of eyebrows. After all, Hill will turn 30 in August and has thrown a mere 13 passes in his professional career. Although he has excelled as a gadget player and is expected to see more action as a pocket QB in 2020, a little youthful competition couldn’t hurt.
If the Saints do select a collegiate QB, it would almost certainly not be with their No. 24 overall pick. Barring a trade of some kind, New Orleans would not be on the clock again until the No. 88 selection, and the team also has picks in the fourth through sixth rounds. Players like FIU’s James Morgan, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, and Washington’s Jacob Eason could all be Saints targets if the board falls in a certain way.
“I think that any time you have a chance to get a quality quarterback prospect, regardless of your quarterback situation, you’d like to take advantage of that,” Loomis said. “For us, it hasn’t come. There hasn’t been the match where we’re picking with a prospect that we really like. Our approach is exactly the same this year: If there’s someone there that we really like and have a vision for at the time we’re picking, then we’re not afraid to pull that trigger.”
Hill is not expected to sign his RFA tender anytime soon, though he has until June 15 to put pen to paper.
Saints Won’t Conduct Offseason Program
While many NFL teams have kicked off “virtual” offseasons, with players taking part in online meetings and workout sessions, the Saints don’t plan on doing the same. Head coach Sean Payton recently told New Orleans’ players that the club won’t hold a virtual offseason at all, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Saints players won’t be required to show up at the team facility even if league rules change. Payton told his players to take care of their families and “show up for training camp in the best shape of [their] lives,” per Russini.
While not holding an offseason program may give Saints players peace of mind, it could have complicated the payment of workout bonuses, which were intended to be earned through the virtual program. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets, linebacker Demario Davis is due a $250K workout bonus, while other players like Terron Armstead, Cameron Jordan, and Larry Warford have bonuses of $100K in their contracts.
However, the Saints have already contacted the NFLPA about their plan to not hold virtual sessions, tweets Jane Slater of NFL.com. Players who have workout bonuses will still receive them, per Slater.
Taysom Hill Won't Sign Tender Soon
The Saints used a first-round RFA tender on Taysom Hill. However, the gadget player/backup quarterback is not expected to sign it in the near future, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Hill will, however, participate in New Orleans’ virtual offseason program, per Florio. RFAs have until June 15 to sign their tenders or teams can rescind them and pay 120% of their 2019 salaries. No noise on a potential Hill offer sheet surfaced this offseason, but Drew Brees‘ backup did say he was open to leaving New Orleans if he felt the Saints would not give him an opportunity to start. Despite coming into the league in 2017, the BYU alum will turn 30 this year. It’s been widely reported that the Saints intend to have Hill take over whenever Brees hangs up his cleats. Hill stands to make $4.7MM this year on the first-round tender.
NFL Draft Rumors: Giants, Herbert, Tua
Will the Giants actually consider quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 4 overall pick, even though they already have Daniel Jones under center? The answer is no, according to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, though GM Dave Gettleman has been eyeing him for quite some time. Had Herbert entered last year, he would have been Gettleman’s top choice, Pauline hears.
Here’s a look at the latest draft rumblings from around the NFL:
- In private conversations, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has indicated that Herbert is not actually in consideration for the No. 5 pick, a source close to Ross tells Pauline. That same source says the pick will either be used on Tua Tagovailoa or a position player, with Jordan Love being selected sometime later. If it’s a non-QB at No. 5, Pauline hears that tackle Andrew Thomas is the most likely choice.
- Multiple NFL execs tell ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler that the Vikings are looking to move back. The Vikings own Nos. 22 and 25, but they could fill their needs at cornerback and wide receiver later on. In the second round, they should be able to land one of this year’s second-tier corners such as Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, or Alabama’s Trevon Diggs – the brother of former Vikes receiver Stefon Diggs.
- Based on what we’ve heard, Washington’s Jacob Eason profiles as a Day 2 pick for QB-needy teams like the Patriots. He could also be a fit for teams looking to groom their next signal caller. One AFC exec pondered the possibility of Eason going to the Buccaneers, where the pure passer serve as the heir to Tom Brady. The Bucs own the No. 45 overall pick in the second round and Eason could be there for them, provided that teams like the Colts (No. 34) don’t pounce first.
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
Draft Rumors: Henderson, Dobbins, Davis
Are you ready for surprises on draft day? It sounds like you should be. “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been,” one NFL general manager told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s undoubtedly because of the ongoing certainly involving COVID-19, which has caused the league to upend its predraft process. As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweets, “group think” is less likely to occur in 2019 because scouts and executives were unable to congregate at pro days, events where evaluators typically will — intentionally or not — develop something of a consensus on prospects.
After deciding whether “wronger” is actually a word, let’s take a look at more on the upcoming draft:
- The Falcons held a predraft video meeting with Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson last week, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta currently holds the 16th overall pick, but recent reports have indicated general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. could be interested in moving up the board. Henderson is considered the draft’s second-best cornerback behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, although some decision-makers may rate Henderson No. 1.
- Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has held video meetings with several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Lions, Saints, Dolphins, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first time Dobbins has been linked to Miami, as he took a predraft visit with the Dolphins before such meetings were shut down due to COVID-19. Indeed, Dobbins left that visit feeling Miami was “infatuated” with him.
- Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis says the 49ers, Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, and Eagles are the teams that have contacted him most, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. A massive presence at 6’6″, 310 pounds, Davis a first-round projection and comparisons to DeForest Buckner from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Davis just 10th among interior defender prospects, noting his lack of development as a pass-rusher.
- The Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, and Seahawks have all held video sessions with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, per Wilson. Blacklock, who stock has risen during the predraft process, missed the 2018 campaign with an Achilles injury but was productive during both his freshman and junior seasons. Last year, he posted 40 tackles (nine for loss) and 3.5 sacks.
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: DB Sherrick McManis
New England Patriots
- Signed RFA tender: OL Jermaine Eluemunor
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: RB Dwayne Washington
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Breon Borders, T Anthony Coyle, C John Keenoy, DB Arrion Springs
Latest On NFL Draft’s Top WRs
The Cardinals have themselves a star wide receiver after trading for DeAndre Hopkins, but this year’s WR class is talented enough to tempt every team. Even though the Cardinals may like Kyler Murray‘s one-time teammate CeeDee Lamb and other WR talents, they’re not expected to use their No. 8 pick on a receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
With Hopkins installed as the Cardinals’ new WR1, Arizona will likely address larger needs with that pick – perhaps a stud defensive player or an offensive lineman. Then, somewhere around Nos. 11 or 12, where the Jets and Raiders pick, Rapoport expects the WR run to take flight. In that scenario, CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy stand out as likely candidates – they’re the consensus top receivers in this wildly talented crop, Rapoport hears.
Further down the board, the Eagles have been heavily connected to LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions that several teams could jump ahead of the Birds at No. 21 to land him. The Vikings (Nos. 22 and 25), Patriots (No. 23), and the Saints (No. 24) are all lurking, and they could make a play for a big-time WR like Jefferson.