Giants Sign 9 UDFA Rookies
The Giants are keeping their rookie class fairly small this year. After drafting seven prospects in the draft last weekend, New York will add nine more rookies of the undrafted variety. Here is the full list:
- DE Habakkuk Baldonado (Pittsburgh)
- LB Troy Brown (Mississippi)
- S Alex Cook (Washington)
- QB Tommy DeVito (Illinois)
- WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (West Virginia)
- CB Gemon Green (Michigan)
- LB Dyontae Johnson (Toledo)
- TE Ryan Jones (East Carolina)
- LS Cameron Lyons (UNC-Charlotte)
Johnson, not to be confused with Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson who came out of Toledo four years ago, was second on the Rockets defense with 109 total tackles this year, adding eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble to his stat sheet in 2022. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Giants lured him in with an undrafted deal that has a guaranteed amount of $175K consisting of a $25K signing bonus and $150K of the first year’s base salary (worth $750K total).
New York also provided a strong contract offer to Ford-Wheaton, according to Wilson. Ford-Wheaton was offered a guaranteed amount of $236K consisting of a $20K signing bonus and $216K of his $750K first-year base salary. Ford-Wheaton was second on the Mountaineers in receiving yards behind only Sam James, who signed with the Rams after also going undrafted, but surpassed James and the rest of the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2022.
DeVito arrive in Champaign as a transfer after five years at Syracuse, utilizing his extra COVID-year of eligibility. After being unseated as the Orange starting quarterback in 2021, DeVito took hold of the starting job with the Fighting Illini and had a career year. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes while throwing 15 touchdowns to four interceptions with Illinois, leading the Illini to their first winning season since 2011.
Lyons comes in as some expected camp competition for Casey Kreiter, who has served as the team’s long snapper for the last three years. Kreiter has only ever played in New York on one-year contracts, which may indicate that the Giants are hesitant to commit to the veteran long-term. Lyons could earn himself a roster spot if he shows more upside than Kreiter.
Jets Targeted T Broderick Jones; Latest On Patriots’ Trade Process
The Jets exited draft week with one of the biggest quarterback upgrades in many years, but they paid far more than it took to execute a similar transaction 15 years ago. It cost the Jets a conditional third-round pick to acquire Brett Favre‘s rights in 2008; the Aaron Rodgers trade cost New York a second-rounder, a likely 2024 first and a first-round pick swap this year. The last component here became key to start this draft.
Connected to tackles for weeks leading up to the draft, the Jets saw three of this year’s top four options — Paris Johnson, Darnell Wright, Peter Skoronski — go off the board between Nos. 6-11. With Broderick Jones still available at No. 14, the Steelers traded up one spot in front of the Jets — who moved from No. 13 to 15 in the Rodgers trade — to obtain the former Georgia blocker. This maneuver generated some attention in the days since.
Some around the league believe the Patriots made an effort to help ensure the Jets did not land the tackle they coveted at No. 15, with Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post noting select staffers viewed the Jets’ choice of Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald as a bit of a panic move. The Jets were reported to have given Jones positive feedback on their “30” visit with the tackle, and La Canfora adds the team was targeting him at No. 15. Several GMs also said (via NBC Sports’ Peter King) they believed the Jets were planning to select Jones at No. 13, but the Rodgers trade gave the Packers that pick (which became Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness).
The Patriots sold the 14th pick to the Steelers, moving down three spots and picking up a fourth-round pick (No. 120) to do so. One GM whose team was monitoring a potential trade-up move with the Pats told La Canfora that Pittsburgh should have needed to fork over a third-rounder to move from 17 to 14 to land its potential long-term left tackle. The Giants gave up more than that — a fourth and a seventh — to move up from No. 25 to No. 24 later Thursday night. Rival execs viewed the Pats as giving the Steelers a friendly route to leapfrog the Jets, given the AFC East rivalry in play and Bill Belichick‘s checkered history (the 2000 hiring snafu and the 2007 Spygate whistle-blowing incident) with the organization.
Scouts Inc. rated McDonald 25th on its big board. Even if this was a perceived reach, far worse stretches have occurred in modern draft history. The undersized pass rusher joins a Jets team rostering Carl Lawson, Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers. Lawson’s contract expires after this season. At tackle, the Jets face more uncertainty.
Left tackle Duane Brown‘s two-year contract runs through 2023, but the veteran will turn 38 this year and is coming off surgery. The team declined Mekhi Becton‘s fifth-year option, and the once-promising left tackle has played one game over the past two seasons. Becton has lost more than 40 pounds and is on track to compete for the right tackle job again in training camp, but he cannot exactly be relied upon to anchor that spot. The team signed ex-Nathaniel Hackett Broncos and Packers charge Billy Turner on Monday; Turner missed nine games last season. Jones would have offered Gang Green a high-ceiling option, and if the one-year Georgia starter develops in Pittsburgh, the Jets’ 2023 draft plan will encounter more scrutiny.
The Patriots ended up with Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17. Scouts Inc.’s No. 8 overall prospect, Gonzalez was not expected to fall that far. It is worth wondering what the Patriots’ tackle plan will be, seeing as Trent Brown is an annual injury risk and UFA pickup Riley Reiff is 34 and did not begin last season as the Bears’ right-side starter. But the Pats passed on Jones and loaded up on interior O-linemen on Day 3.
Belichick’s well-earned reputation for trading down aside, Pats director of player personnel Matt Groh said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss) a move up was in play. The team placed Gonzalez in a cluster of players with similar value, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds second-round Pats pick Keion White was in that cluster. The Pats not viewing the Jets as likely to draft a corner contributed to the team’s decision to resume talks about trading down with the Steelers, Breer adds. Belichick hired ex-Steelers O-line coach Adrian Klemm to the same position. Klemm spent last season at Oregon, helping with Gonzalez intel. The Pats had not drafted a pure corner in Round 1 during Belichick’s previous 23 years at the helm.
The Pats attempted to move back into Round 1 later Thursday night, with Reiss indicating the team engaged multiple clubs in those talks. New England’s actual trade, depending on who you believe, may have left the Jets scrambling. Jones’ Pittsburgh path could make for an interesting “what if?” for the Jets, who may need to make another tackle investment as Rodgers readies for his New York debut.
Post-Draft Notes: Seahawks, Washington, Jaguars
The Seahawks were able to obtain both the top cornerback and top wide receiver on their board last Thursday when they drafted Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall and Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20 overall. There had been rumors that Seattle had their eyes on Jalen Carter at No. 5, but with some troubling pre-draft issues, Carter wasn’t likely worth a top-five pick anymore.
A few teams had ideas of trading into Seattle’s pick and there’s a chance the Seahawks would’ve listened. General manager John Schneider, though, clarified that there were two players who would’ve prevented the Seahawks from trading down, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Witherspoon happened to be one of them.
It’s unclear who the other player might have been or if they were even still available, but the Seahawks didn’t trade out of their top draft spot, so it’s clear that they were able to get their guy in Witherspoon.
Here are a few other rumors following the 2023 NFL Draft:
- New Steelers tight end Darnell Washington experienced a bit of a slide in the draft this weekend. The former-Georgia Bulldog had a first- to second-round grade going into the Thursday with many expecting him to be the fourth or fifth tight end off the board. Especially after a run of tight ends started in the second round, it was surprising not to hear Washington’s name called. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, injuries were the reason for the slide. Washington’s knee was a concern, but reportedly, there were other things on his medical that contributed to teams’ hesitancy, as well. The scout giving this information also called the slide “laughable,” asserting that he expects Washington to play for a long time in the NFL.
- The Jaguars had a number of Day 3 picks that they used on Saturday. 10 to be exact. It sounds like they tried to sell some of them off and failed. According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Jacksonville’s general manager, Trent Baalke, attempted to trade up in the draft’s later round and got denied. Multiple times. “We went through 15 or 16 teams when we were trying to trade up,” Baalke told the media. “Every team behind us and not one would make a move.”
Steelers Announce Seven-Man UDFA Class
The Steelers will be keeping their rookie class extremely small in 2023. After drafting seven college prospects this weekend, Pittsburgh will only be adding seven more undrafted rookies:
- WR/RS Jordan Byrd, San Diego State
- C Trevor Downing, Iowa State
- QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
- DE James Nyamwaya, Merrimack
- LB David Perales, Fresno State
- FB Monte Pottebaum, Iowa
- K B.T. Potter, Clemson
We covered the addition of Morgan after his signing last night. With only two quarterbacks (Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky) currently on the roster, Morgan should have a legitimate chance to earn a roster sport. At the very least, barring the signing of another passer, Morgan should at the very least be a shoo-in for a practice squad spot.
Pittsburgh listed Byrd as a wide receiver despite his status on the Aztecs as a running back. While Byrd contributed as a rotation back, his true impact came on special teams. He earned All-Mountain West first-team honors thanks to 571 kick return yards, 118 punt return yards, and touchdowns on each type of return in 2022. It was his second straight year on the All-Conference first-team as a kick returner. The team’s main returner from last year, Steven Sims, signed with the Texans, so Byrd will compete with Gunner Olszewski for returning duties in 2023.
The Steelers recently signed kicker Chris Boswell to an extension, so bringing in Potter likely is not a threat to Boswell’s job. Boswell did miss some time with a groin injury last year, forcing Pittsburgh to scramble. This wasn’t the first time Boswell missed games, so Potter may be destined to sit on the practice squad in case of emergency.
2023 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team
As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)
Baltimore Ravens
Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)
Buffalo Bills
Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)
Carolina Panthers
Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)
Chicago Bears
Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)
Cincinnati Bengals
Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)
Steelers Sign UDFA Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan
The Steelers will end up adding some quarterback help this offseason, signing undrafted Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets that his deal includes a $25K signing bonus. After setting several Golden Gopher records, Morgan will try to make his mark at the NFL level.
Morgan became a starter at Minnesota about halfway through his true freshman year after initially losing a quarterback competition to walk-on true freshman Zack Annexstad. Once Morgan took the reins, though, he didn’t give them back, becoming the Golden Gophers’ go-to passer for the next four years.
Morgan would go on to win a Gopher-record 33 games and set Minnesota single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns in 2019. He missed some games down the stretch for Minnesota but had shown some toughness with 46 straight starts before missing any time with injury. Morgan slipped out of the draft due to concerns over his lack of an NFL arm. His accuracy really suffers the further downfield he throws. Morgan is a true competitor, though, who showed development and improvement in each passing year.
In Pittsburgh, Morgan joins a quarterbacks room that lost Mason Rudolph to free agency but still rosters second-year starter Kenny Pickett and veteran Mitchell Trubisky. With only two quarterbacks on the roster, there’s no reason to believe that Morgan can’t stick on the roster, at the very least on the practice squad. He’s shown that he can improve and compete when instructed, and he’ll get the chance to do so in the Steel City.
Steelers To Sign CB Chandon Sullivan
Carving out some late headline space on Day 3 of the draft, veteran slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan is signing with the Steelers. The former Packers and Vikings defender’s agency announced the move Saturday afternoon.
After four Green Bay seasons, Sullivan spent 2022 in Minnesota. He will join a Steelers team that lost Cameron Sutton but has added Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr.
Sullivan, 27, came to Minneapolis to replace Mackensie Alexander in the slot last year. Pro Football Focus did not view the veteran as being especially reliable for the Vikings, who have revamped their defense after a one-and-done Ed Donatell season. PFF rated Sullivan just inside the top 100 at corner last year, though the five-year vet gave up only one touchdown during his Vikings slate.
The former Eagles UDFA, however, has extensive experience patrolling the slot and has never missed a game due to injury. Prior to playing a career-most 945 defensive snaps last season, Sullivan surpassed 700 defensive plays in his final two Packers seasons. The 5-foot-11 defender ranked among the top five slot corners in snaps per target and snaps per reception in his Packers finale, intercepting three passes. But he has been unable to score a notable payday since hitting free agency initially in 2022. Sullivan played on a one-year, $1.75MM deal last season.
In addition to Peterson and Porter, the Steelers have Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre and Arthur Maulet under contract. Maulet logged the most snaps of any Steeler in the slot last season; PFF ranked Maulet just ahead of Sullivan at corner, slotting him 90th. The team has seen its top corners depart in each of the past two offseasons, losing Joe Haden (eventually to retirement) in 2022 and letting Sutton join the Lions this year.
Panthers Acquire No. 80 From Steelers
The latest Day 2 deal will see the Panthers acquire pick No. 80 from the Steelers. Pittsburgh will add the 93rd and 132nd selections, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Carolina has selected defensive end D.J. Johnson.
The Panthers gained the ability to make moves up the board in no small part due to the capital added in the Christian McCaffrey trade, including each of the selections used in this swap. Johnson will add to their edge rushing stable, a spot the team made clear was a point of emphasis leading up to the draft.
Carolina has Brian Burns at the top of their depth chart in that department, but depth additions such as this one will be welcomed. Johnson wore a number of hats at Oregon, but his play on the defensive side of the ball highlighted his abilities as a disruptive force both against the pass and run.
The 6-4, 260-pounder racked up 39 tackles (including 8.5 for loss) and six sacks in 2022, making it by far the most productive season of his career. He was one of many mid-round edge rushing prospects in this year’s deep class, and he will look to continue his progression as a full-time player in that regard at the NFL level.
The Steelers have already filled arguably their two biggest needs (offensive tackle and cornerback) with their first two selections, making it especially beneficial to move down the board with this move. Carolina, meanwhile, still has fourth- and fifth-rounders as things currently stand.
Steelers Select CB Joey Porter Jr. At No. 32
Although the Steelers received multiple offers to move out of No. 32 overall, the team will follow through and partner with a familiar face. They are taking cornerback Joey Porter Jr. atop the second round. 
As they did with ex-Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers have extensive intel on Porter. He is the son of longtime Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and attended a Pittsburgh-area high school and Penn State. The second-generation NFLer worked out at the Steelers’ facility at points leading up to the draft.
The Steelers hosted Porter on a pre-draft visit, going through an official meeting with a player they knew well. Pittsburgh also met with other corners during the visit window, but after addressing their tackle need in Round 1, the team will tab Porter. The Steelers lost Cameron Sutton in free agency and are planning to experiment with Patrick Peterson at safety.
Porter declared for the draft after his redshirt-junior season, and although he did not intercept a pass in 2022, Pro Football Focus charged him with just one 15-plus-yard completion allowed. The second-team All-American deflected a career-high 11 passes last year. He will join a Steelers team that signed Peterson but one that entered the draft with a dire need at corner. The Steelers still have Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon on their roster, but each is going into contract years. And each is signed to a lower-middle-class contract.
While the No. 32 pick normally comes with a fifth-year option, the Dolphins being stripped of their first-rounder for tampering moved this into the second round. Porter’s rookie contract will run through 2026.
Steelers Mulling Offers For No. 32 Overall
2:20pm: This interest has progressed to offers. The Steelers have received multiple offers to move down from 32, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Mike Tomlin‘s .500-or-better streak has restricted the Steelers from the kind of access they have tonight. During Tomlin’s tenure, the team has never made a second-round pick higher than 46th. The team will need to weigh the offers against this rare Day 2 real estate.
Pittsburgh has done well despite mid- to late-Round 2 draft windows during Tomlin’s tenure. George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Stephon Tuitt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Le’Veon Bell, Marcus Gilbert and LaMarr Woodley have gone to Pittsburgh in the second round since Tomlin’s 2007 arrival. Current GM Omar Khan was on Kevin Colbert‘s staff throughout, but this marks his first draft in the GM chair.
9:59am: As the No. 32 overall pick is part of this year’s second round, the Steelers will have a decision to make. Will Levis was steadily rumored to land in the top 10, but the Kentucky product’s Kansas City stay has not yet produced an NFL destination.
Levis remaining unattached Friday has generated interest, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the Steelers were fielding calls before Round 1 ended. Other teams holding picks near the bottom of the first round received interest for Levis-related trades, Pelissero adds (on Twitter). Four teams have contacted the Steelers about a trade, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. This sets up an interesting scenario to start Day 2.
The Colts passing on Levis at No. 4, after being consistently tied to the two-year Wildcats starter in the weeks leading up to the draft, began a tough night for the latest player to hover atop “best available” boards for an extended stretch. Teams with quarterback interest (or reported QB interest) went with value elsewhere. The Raiders, Seahawks, Falcons, Lions, Titans, Commanders and Buccaneers all chose position players, with running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs going in the top 12. But teams with long-term QB questions or those with shaky 2023 situations can circle back to Levis ahead of Round 2.
The Steelers obtained the 32nd pick by moving Chase Claypool to the Bears at the trade deadline. Pittsburgh reversed course on the 2020 second-round pick and chose Chicago’s offer over a Green Bay proposal, expecting the Bears’ record to produce a better draft slot. That bet paid off, as Chicago sank to 3-14. The Steelers have a chance to fill a key need, and a legacy option — Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. — joins Levis as being unexpectedly available. Porter visited his father’s former team early in the pre-draft process. The Steelers filled a tackle need, trading up three spots for Broderick Jones, but met with a few corners ahead of the draft. The team losing Cameron Sutton and being set to experiment with Patrick Peterson at safety points to corner being a point of emphasis tonight.
Should the Steelers go with Porter or stay at 32 and select another player, the Cardinals would seemingly be prepared to deal down. They moved back from No. 3 to No. 12 on Thursday night, and while Monti Ossenfort‘s team was hit with a tampering penalty just before Round 1 began and climbed back to 6 for Paris Johnson, the rebuilding squad still holds No. 33 and acquired first- and third-rounders in 2024. Both the Lions and Seahawks passed on Levis twice; each team holds a pick early in Round 2 (Nos. 34 and 37, respectively). The Titans hold No. 41; the Falcons sit at 44, Commanders at 47 and Bucs at 50. The Vikings do not have a second-round pick.
Tennessee entered Round 1 as the team most closely connected to moving up for a quarterback and held pre-draft trade talks with Arizona about moving to No. 3. But the Texans, after weeks of reported QB skepticism, went with C.J. Stroud — a player the Titans were believed to be targeting. If the Steelers pass on a trade at 32, the Titans and Cardinals could resume trade talks. Tennessee hosted Levis on a pre-draft visit. Which team will ultimately end up with the freefalling QB tonight?