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Jarran Reed

NFC Draft Updates: Giants, Cowboys, Saints

March 25th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, when Mississippi wideout Laquon Treadwell cited five teams who had shown interest in him, one of the five he mentioned was “New York,” creating some uncertainty about which New York team he meant. As expected, it seems he was referring to the Giants and not the Jets — Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the first-round prospect will pay a pre-draft visit to the Giants.

Unlike the Giants, the Jets have a clear No. 2 option on their depth chart at wide receiver, with Eric Decker complementing Brandon Marshall. The Giants, having lost Rueben Randle this week, will be looking for someone to step up and take that No. 2 role behind Odell Beckham, but it remains to be seen whether that player would be Treadwell — the Giants have been considered more likely to use their first-rounder on an offensive lineman or a defender.

Let’s round up a few more draft updates from around the NFC…

  • The entire Cowboys coaching staff was in attendance to work out Ohio State prospects today, according to the Buckeyes’ director of player personnel, Mark Pantoni (Twitter link). Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa are among the high-end Ohio State players the Cowboys could consider in next month’s draft.
  • Speaking of the Cowboys, they worked out Florida safety Keanu Neal this week, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Neal would likely be a second-round target if Dallas is interested in him.
  • Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed will visit the Saints in April, a league source tells Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link). Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate also provides an update on the Saints’ draft prospects, tweeting that San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin will privately work out for the team.
  • We heard on Thursday that the 49ers recently put Shaq Lawson through a workout, but he wasn’t the only Clemson defensive end to get a look from the team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, GM Trent Baalke also worked out Kevin Dodd. Both players are expected to visit the Niners in the coming weeks.

South Notes: Jaguars, Reed, Panthers, Falcons

March 24th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

While Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell appears confident that the team has improved its pass rush this offseason, it sounds like head coach Gus Bradley wouldn’t mind adding another pass rusher or two, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union details. Caldwell pointed to Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., and Sen’Derrick Marks as three players capable of getting after the quarterback that essentially weren’t a part of last year’s team (in some cases due to injuries). Bradley, meanwhile, suggests that Jacksonville will keep an eye on pass rushers during and after the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:

  • In another O’Halloran piece, the Times-Union scribe notes that the Jaguars appear to have offered punter Bryan Anger a multiyear contract before signing Brad Nortman. Anger ultimately signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay.
  • The Panthers met with and worked out Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed this week, and will have him in for a visit next month, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Reed coming off the board at No. 19 to Buffalo, 11 spots before the Panthers’ first pick.
  • Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee is working out for the Falcons today, telling Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that it’s the first workout on his schedule. “From what they told me at the combine, they need a lot of speed on the defensive side of the ball,” Lee said. Interestingly, McShay’s mock draft from today has Atlanta nabbing Lee with the 17th overall pick.
  • The Titans are taking a close look at a couple University of Florida prospects, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, who writes that the team has worked out and met with inside linebacker Antonio Morrison and defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. Per McCormick, Tennessee has also put Northern Iowa cornerback Deiondre’ Hall through a workout.
  • Before his pro day, Campbell defensive tackle Greg Milhouse had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Head coach Sean Payton said this week that adding to the defensive line is a top priority for New Orleans heading into the draft.

Draft Rumors: Jets, Colts, Packers, Bucs

March 21st, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest 2016 NFL Draft news:

  • Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence has visits lined up with the Jets, Colts, Packers, Bucs, Ravens, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Saints, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Spence, a former star at Ohio State, was dismissed from the Buckeyes after two positive tests for ecstasy. In 2015, Spence shined for the Colonels, but he’ll now have to answer questions about his history. Still, he is extremely talented and teams are not shying away from him.
  • Boston College linebacker Steven Daniels has a workout scheduled with the Saints, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Lions are “doing a lot of work” on Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). The Lions met with Reed last week and they will host him for a visit in April.
  • The 49ers are slated to hold a private workout with Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). Teams are reportedly concerned about Cook‘s leadership abilities, but they’re still lining up to get a closer look at him. Cook also has private workouts scheduled with the Cowboys and Dolphins and he has met with the Rams and Browns.
  • Florida safety Keanu Neal has a workout scheduled with the Falcons this week, according to league source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. McClure notes that Neal was recruited to Florida by Falcons coach Dan Quinn when he was the Gators’ defensive coordinator.

Draft Notes: Cravens, Ayers, Benenoch, Saints

January 1st, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Rob DiRe

USC safety Su’a Cravens has officially signed an agent, guaranteeing his status for the 2016 NFL Draft, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cravens was an All-American, and looks to be a first-round pick at outside linebacker in the draft.

Here are some other notes concerning the 2016 Draft class:

  • UCLA right tackle Caleb Benenoch announced on his Twitter account that he will forego his senior season and enter the 2016 NFL Draft (via Twitter).
  • Houston wide receiver Demarcus Ayers has also decided to leave school early to enter the NFL Draft, writes Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV (via Twitter).
  • With Alabama’s front seven putting on a dominant display in the Cotton Bowl last night, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com gave Saints fans a tip about watching defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed very closely, as both players should be in the mix for the Saints in the first round (via Twitter).
  • Duncan also writes that the Sugar Bowl will feature another one of the Saints’ targets, with Oklahoma State’s pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah (via Twitter).