HEADLINES

Drake London

Jets Interested In Jameson Williams?

April 18th, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Involved in the Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper trade talks, the Jets acquired neither. They have since been linked to D.K. Metcalf, having discussed the fourth-year wideout with the Seahawks. Those talks were not believed to have been substantial.

This points the Jets to a receiver in a draft featuring several ready-made contributors but one appearing to lack the top-end talent of last year’s class. It is not certain which of this year’s receiver crop will be the first to go off the board, but the Jets are believed to be interested in Alabama’s Jameson Williams, a source informed ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. While the Jets are continuing to monitor the potential availability of Metcalf and 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, Cimini notes, they will continue to be connected to using one of their first-round picks on this position.

The Jets-Williams connection comes shortly after a report indicating the Alabama receiver, despite the ACL tear he suffered in the national championship game, is moving toward being a top-10 pick. With linemen and defensive backs atop draft boards, it is possible the Jets would have their pick of the top wideout in this draft. The Jets hold the Nos. 4 and 10 picks in this year’s draft, and even taking their persistent receiver interest into account, it would surprise if the team used that No. 4 choice on one.

Williams’ tear is not likely to cost him much in this draft, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. noting a rise into the top 10 is not out of the question. The Jets have Corey Davis, the recently re-signed Braxton Berrios and second-rounders Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims. While Mims has not come especially close to justifying his draft slot, helping lead the team to this wideout-needy place, the Jets have some options at the position. They also have two picks atop the second round (Nos. 35 and 38, the latter coming via the Sam Darnold trade), should Joe Douglas and Co. opt to address other needs in Round 1. The Jets have not drafted a wideout in the first round since Santana Moss in 2001.

Prior to his knee injury, Williams broke through after transferring from Ohio State to Alabama. The 179-pound pass catcher posted a 79-catch, 1,572-yard, 15-touchdown season to help Bryce Young to the Heisman Trophy. Should he regain that form post-surgery, Williams would provide a tremendous speed injection to whichever offense he joins. ESPN gives he, ex-Buckeyes teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and USC’s Drake London top-20 grades among this draft’s receiver class. The Jets have met with Wilson, Olave and London, Cimini adds.

NFL Draft Notes: Hutchinson, Willis, London, Hall

April 16th, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Rumors about what Jacksonville is likely to do with it’s top overall draft pick later this month have been pretty far-ranging. Last month it was looking like new head coach Doug Pederson had his sights set on NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu. Some of their moves since around the opening of free agency, though, have Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer thinking differently.

Right before free agency, the Jaguars placed a second-consecutive franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson. They then went and spent good money on offensive guard Brandon Scherff. This has Breer thinking that Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke may be content to address the offensive line through free agency and use their number one pick on Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

It’s long been assumed that Hutchinson won’t make it past his hometown Lions at number two overall, but, unless the Jaguars decide to triple-down on building the offensive line up around quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Detroit may not even get the chance to take Hutchinson.

Here are some other rumors surrounding the 2022 NFL Draft, starting in Lynchburg, VA:

  •  We talked in December about the top quarterback prospects in the Draft this year with evaluators back then thinking Pitt’s Kenny Pickett or Ole Miss’s Matt Corral were the most likely to hear their names called first. Breer seems to believe that the current leader of that race is Liberty’s Malik Willis. After seeing players like Patrick Mahomes come up from a below-average Texas Tech team and Josh Allen make the leap from a Wyoming team with talent far below the NFL squads he would eventually lead, teams are putting more stock into unproven quarterbacks with high ceilings, and Willis fits the bill. His meetings with teams have done more than enough to convince most that he is ready to take the next step and handle NFL-level schemes.
  • One of the top wide receivers in the Draft, USC’s Drake London, will make his way to DC this week to be hosted by the Commanders, according to John Keim of ESPN. With Washington’s top receivers after Terry McLaurin last year being running backs J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson, followed by now free agent wide receiver Adam Humphries, London would fill a huge position of need for the Commanders. Having a big-bodied, sure-handed, NFL-ready wide receiver like London opposite McLaurin could pay big dividends for the Commanders’ offense this year.
  • Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported that the University of Houston’s Logan Hall visited the Bengals yesterday. Hall was named first-team All-AAC after producing 13.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks as a defensive tackle for the Cougars last year. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Hall as the 33rd best overall prospect this year, while NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah slotted him at 50th overall. The Bengals have defensive tackles D.J. Reader and B.J. Hill under contract through 2024 and 2025, respectively, but Hall may be viewed as a long-term replacement, in case one of the two moves on.

WR Draft Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Bucs, Saints, Jets

April 5th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of two Ohio State wide receivers expected to become first-round picks later this month, Chris Olave will tour two NFC East teams’ facilities this week. The Cowboys are hosting Olave on a visit Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud pass catcher will also meet with the Commanders on Thursday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Olave and Terry McLaurin were teammates in 2018, Olave’s freshman year, and Breer adds the wideouts are close. Having traded for Carson Wentz, the Commanders (pick No. 11) are in need of a complementary pass catcher alongside McLaurin. They have not chosen a first-round wideout since Josh Doctson in 2016. The Cowboys (No. 24) have pulled the trigger on a first-round wideout recently — CeeDee Lamb in 2020 — but Jerry Jones based the Amari Cooper trade on resource allocation, and Dallas adding a low-cost wideout alongside Lamb and the rehabbing Michael Gallup would make sense. Though, the Cowboys are interested in offensive linemen as well.

Here is the latest from the wide receiver draft landscape:

  • Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.
  • Also holding two first-round selections, the Jets have met with this draft’s top-graded wideout (per Scouts Inc.). Checking in as the No. 6 overall prospect, Garrett Wilson visited the Jets on Monday, Schefter adds (on Twitter). Wilson and Olave formed a top-end duo last season, with the former leading the Buckeyes with 1,058 receiving yards. The Jets have the Nos. 4 and 10 picks and have been linked to receivers throughout the offseason.
  • The tallest of this year’s elite receiver prospects will hold a late pro day. Drake London pushed his pro day to April 15 due to a hamstring issue, Rapoport tweets. The 6-foot-3 USC product ranks as Scouts Inc.’s No. 9 overall prospect.
  • John Metchie checks in as a second-round prospect, but teams are still doing work on the Alabama contributor. The Commanders are using a “30” visit on Metchie on Friday, Breer adds. The former DeVonta Smith/Jaylen Waddle sidekick joins Crimson Tide first-round prospect Jameson Williams in coming off a major injury. A December ACL tear damaged Metchie’s draft stock.