Josh Conerly Jr.

Draft Trade Notes: Chargers, Campbell, Loveland, Cowboys, Ravens, Conerly

April 25th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles wound up moving one spot up the first-round order last night. The move ensured the Super Bowl champions were able to select Jihaad Campbell, but that was not the only effort made to trade up the board.

Philadelphia negotiated with the Chargers about acquiring the No. 22 pick, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports. He adds Los Angeles was in conversation with multiple teams while on the clock, but the proposed deal with the Eagles may very well have fallen through due to an “issue” communicating it to the league.

By rule, both teams must contact the NFL separately to report the terms of a trade agreement. Since that did not take place in time, the Bolts retained their pick and drafted North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. The Eagles still wound up acquiring Campbell – the target of the attempted Chargers trade, per Florio – at No. 31. The Alabama product will look to make an immediate impact at the second level and/or on the edge during his rookie season.

Here are some other draft-related notes from last night’s opening round:

Colston Loveland was the first tight end to hear his name called on Thursday night. The Michigan alum went 10th overall to the Bears, a team which received interest for their top selection. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Loveland was the subject of trade calls leading up to Chicago’s pick. Movement on the trade front only took place much later in the round after the Bears committed to staying put. When speaking to the media on Friday, Loveland revealed (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports) he is halfway through his shoulder rehab; with progress continuing to be made, he will aim to return to full health in time for the start of his rookie campaign.
For the third time in the past four years, the Cowboys looked to the offensive line during the first round of the draft. Alabama Guard Tyler Booker went 12th overall, a move which came as no surprise considering where the team’s board stood at the time. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports Booker was the highest-rated player available at that point out of the remaining prospects. Moore adds the Cowboys had 12 prospects with a first-round grade, which helps explain the decision to remain in place instead of trading down.
When speaking to the media, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) opportunities were presented to move down the order. Instead, Baltimore stayed put at No. 27 and took Georgia safety Malaki Starks. DeCosta said the team’s strong Starks evaluation allowed for the potential of a trade-down move to be outweighed by the upside of selecting him.
The Browns and Texans own the top two selections in the second round, and to no surprise both teams are receiving calls. Last night, though, Cleveland and Houston showed interest in acquiring a late Day 1 selection; Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports the target in both cases was Josh Conerly Jr. The Oregon tackle came off the board at No. 29 (Commanders), which put an end to those efforts. Of course, that suggests help along the O-line will be a priority tonight for those teams.

Commanders Draft Josh Conerly Jr. At No. 29

April 24th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders have added further along the offensive line with their first-round pick. Washington has selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29.

Following Oregon teammate Derrick Harmon off the board in the 20s, Conerly represents the second big swing the Commanders have taken at tackle this offseason. They traded for Laremy Tunsil on Day 1 of free agency; on Day 1 of the draft, they have likely landed their other tackle.

A Washington O-line investment came up this week, and Conerly had been rumored as a target. Rather than potentially replacing Nick Allegretti at guard, the Commanders appear prepared to displace Andrew Wylie at right tackle. Wylie is returning but doing so after accepting a pay cut. The team is prepared to slide Brandon Coleman to the right side, but the 2024 third-round pick — a 12-game LT starter as a rookie — now looks more likely to end up as the Commanders’ swing tackle. Wylie has a past as a guard, but his future in the nation’s capital suddenly looks foggy.

Conerly will head to D.C. after elevating his stock during the Ducks’ Big Ten debut. Working as Oregon’s left tackle, Conerly finished as a first-team all-conference pick for a team that advanced to the CFP quarterfinals. Tunsil has not played anywhere but left tackle since giving way to Branden Albert as a Dolphins rookie in 2016, when he played guard, so Conerly will need to shift to the right side. Most of the tackles chosen in last year’s first round flipped sides, and Conerly will have a full offseason program to develop at RT.

The Commanders had worked with a Day 2 pick and a stopgap (Cornelius Lucas) at LT last season, with a middling veteran (Wylie) on the right side. After Jayden Daniels dazzled as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year, the franchise is serious about upgrading their new star QB’s edge protection. Although Conerly has much to learn at the pro level, Daniels will be in line to be better protected in 2025.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

NFC Draft Rumors: Cardinals, Bears, Loveland, Commanders, Coleman, Panthers

April 24th, 2025 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pass rushers and guards have come up as early-round Cardinals targets, but the team also appears to be strongly considering using a first-round pick on a wide receiver for a second straight year. Arizona is believed to want to add an impact weapon to its receiving corps, per ESPN.com’s Matt Miller. Arizona did not come off No. 4 overall, despite trade interest, last year, leading to Marvin Harrison Jr. heading to the desert. The Cardinals have Michael Wilson as a capable auxiliary option, but Miller points to offensive “firepower” being the team’s top priority heading into the draft. This is not viewed as a strong wide receiver class; options will still be available to Arizona at No. 16. The Cowboys have been closely tied to Tetairoa McMillan at 12, but Matthew Golden (he of a 4.29-second 40 clocking), Luther Burden and ex-Harrison college teammate Emeka Egbuka could well be available.

Here is the latest from some NFC draft blueprints:

The Bears‘ interest in Ashton Jeanty is either a elaborate smokescreen or quite legitimate, but if the 2024 Heisman runner-up is not available, Chicago has also been tied to rounding out its skill-position corps with a tight end pick. As the Colts would seemingly monitor this draft slot closely (due to their reported interest in the position), Miller adds the Bears are believed to have Colston Loveland slotted higher than Tyler Warren on their big board. This does not appear a universal view, as SI.com’s Albert Breer sends Warren to Chicago in his final mock draft. The Chargers, at 22, are Loveland’s rumored floor. The Colts, at 14, are expected to have a major say in where the two Big Ten-developed TE prospects go.
Favored to become a Patriot, Will Campbell is unlikely to be available for Chicago at No. 10. But the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jason Lieser notes the team informed the LSU product he would play left tackle were he to wind up in the Windy City. This may not be relevant to the Bears’ No. 10 overall slot, but it seems pertinent to Braxton Jones‘ future. The three-year Bears LT starter is recovering from an ankle injury, one likely to prevent him from starting training camp on time, and entering a contract year.
Holding a pick two spots earlier, the Panthers are interested in trading down. In fact, Breer adds Carolina is “doing everything they can” to move down. The Panthers were mentioned as a team considering taking a less-than-ideal offer to move down from No. 8, as the team can still be classified as rebuilding — especially after circling back to Bryce Young following the September benching. While linked closely to Jalon Walker, Carolina sounds open for business — in a draft not featuring many teams angling to move into the top 10.
The Commanders added Laremy Tunsil and kept Andrew Wylie (via a pay-cut agreement), but they are still interested in bolstering their O-line in Round 1. The team is interested in adding a starter here, ESPN.com’s John Keim notes, indicating the team has shown interest in Alabama guard Tyler Booker and Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. The team’s Tunsil addition will allow for a Brandon Coleman (12 rookie-year left tackle starts) move to right tackle, Keim adds, but the draft will determine the team’s strategy here. Washington has Wylie signed for one more season and has eight-figure-per-year interior linemen Sam Cosmi and Tyler Biadasz. Left guard and right tackle appear areas the team will explore upgrading, however.
If the Commanders do not like the blockers available at No. 29, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter connects them to UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger. Also a potential Bills target, Schwesinger profiles as a potential late first-rounder. The team re-signed Bobby Wagner and saw Frankie Luvu make significant contributions after signing in 2024. Wagner, however, will be 35 soon and is attached to another one-year contract.

Draft Rumors: Visits, Green, Nolen, RBs

March 25th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nigh, teams are beginning to do their due diligence on each prospect, including hosting several for visits.

A perfect example of this saw the Saints host a bevy of Longhorns for a dinner last night, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The list of Texas prospects included possible first-rounders cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden as well as defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The Saints weren’t the only team to spend time with Ewers yesterday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both the Jets and Raiders sent staffers to meet with the 22-year-old in Austin prior to the team’s pro day. Ewers has several visits planned following today’s pro day, as well, including meetings with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders, again, in early April.

Another potential Longhorn first-rounder, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, has also reportedly set up a number of visits following today’s pro day, per CJ Vogel of On Texas Football. Bond apparently has top-30 visits scheduled in the next month with the Falcons, Bears, Packers, and Rams.

Here are some more rumors concerning the 2025 NFL Draft:

East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is making the rounds, as well. After previously meeting with New Orleans, Revel reportedly visited the Texans on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Revel is attempting to make a speedy recovery from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games. He’s reportedly on track to be ready to return in time for training camp.
One of Revel’s top competitors at the position in this year’s class, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, is set to meet with the Raiders, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Johnson has already met with the Falcons and reportedly met with the Cardinals already, as well.
Already having met with the Saints and Falcons, Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is set to meet with several other franchises, per Wilson. One of the top tackle options in the class, Conerly has visits planned with the Texans, Eagles, Commanders, Bengals, and Bears. Wilson adds that, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Conerly already formerly met with the Texans, Jets, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Commanders, and 49ers.
Marshall’s pro day garnered a few more visitors than usual today, thanks to the presence of potential first-round pass rusher Mike Green. According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, while several teams sent personnel to check Green out, the Falcons sent most of their front office as well as head coach Raheem Morris. Pauline adds that the Commanders also held a significant presence at the pass rusher’s pro day.
Due to the draft being more deep than top-heavy, there are several prospects who receive a wide range of opinions on when and where they’ll go in the draft. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, though, no player has a wider range than Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Transferring within the conference from Texas A&M for the final year of his collegiate career, Nolen had a strong, consensus All-American season with the Rebels, totaling 48 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. Despite the impressive performance, Miller claims that “teams are torn on (Nolen’s) lack of refined pass-rush moves,” resulting in projections from the top 10 all the way back to the second round.
Last year was the second time in the three years that we saw no running backs taken in the first round of the draft. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, we could see two running backs hear their names called on Day 1 of the event this year. A running backs coach told Schultz that “there’s no way (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) falls outside the top 15-20 picks.” Jeanty has been projected in multiple mock drafts to both the Raiders at No. 6 overall and the Cowboys at No. 12. While the position is deep, with players like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Miami’s Damien Martinez, and several others, it’s North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton who may have played himself into the first round with Jeanty. Schultz claims that a personnel director told him the only thing Hampton needed to do in order to go in Round 1 was run in the 4.4’s at the combine, and Hampton ran a 4.46. He may not get taken as high as Jeanty, but he should still be considered a first-round candidate come the end of April.

NFC South Notes: Visits, Saints, Legette

March 22nd, 2025 at 10:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the Combine in the books and Pro Days taking place, top-30 visits are currently a key aspect of the pre-draft process. Several notable prospects have already met with prospective teams, and that will continue over the coming days and weeks.

Shemar Stewart is one of many highly-regarded edge rushers in the 2025 class, and he impressed at the Combine. The Texas A&M product likely helped his stock in the process, and he recently met with the Falcons, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Adding along the edge would be a logical move on Atlanta’s part after the team ranked 31st in sacks last season.

2024 trade acquisition Matt Judon remains unsigned, and he could very well depart on the open market. The Falcons added a veteran in the form of Leonard Floyd, but a long-term investment with the 15th overall pick in April’s draft would not come as a surprise. After totaling only 4.5 sacks in three college seasons, questions loom about Stewart’s lack of production, but the 6-5, 267-pounder is viewed as having considerable upside based on his size and athleticism.

Beginning with more visits, here are some other NFC South notes:

Both the Falcons and Saints have lined up meetings with offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The Oregon product operated as the team’s full-time left tackle starter for each of the past two seasons, and he could operate as a first-team option at either tackle spot at the NFL level. The 2025 class is not seen as being strong at the OT position, but Conerly is among the prospects routinely labeled as a first-rounder.
New Orleans has also met with cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., per Wilson. The East Carolina product entered the season with high expectations, but an ACL tear ended his campaign in September. Revel continues to make progress in his recovery, and he is expected to be cleared in time for the summer. That should help his draft stock to an extent, and the Saints (having lost Paulson Adebo in free agency) will not be the only team to host Revel.
Xavier Legette missed only one game as a rookie, but the Panthers wideout dealt with a number of ailments along the way. The first-rounder underwent foot surgery after the campaign, general manager Dan Morgan said (via ESPN’s David Newton). No procedure took place on his wrist despite the lingering issues it caused in 2024, though. Head coach Dave Canales said he is unsure if Legette will be cleared in time for OTAs (h/t Joe Person of The Athletic), but being at full strength at least in time for training camp can be expected.
Cedrick Wilson is one of many Saints who has worked out a restructured deal this offseason. The veteran wideout agreed to a pay cut, as detailed by Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Wilson was due $2.9MM in 2025, but he will now receive $1.17MM with $342K guaranteed. The 29-year-old – who made 20 catches in his debut Saints campaign – is a pending 2026 free agent.
Another defender the Falcons have met with (along with Stewart and safety Nick Emmanwori) is cornerback Will Johnson. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports Johnson has visited Atlanta, a team which already has A.J. Terrell in the fold and re-signed Mike Hughes on a three-year deal last week. Johnson earned third-team All-American honors in 2024, cementing his status as one of the top corner in the 2025 class. He will generate considerable interest as the pre-draft process continues.
New Orleans recently became Velus Jones‘ latest team. The former Bears draftee did not develop as hoped in Chicago, with a position change (from receiver to running back) proving to be short-lived. The 27-year-old briefly switched back to WR upon joining the Panthers late in 2024, but he will find himself in the backfield this offseason. Triplett’s colleague Nick Underhill notes the Saints view Jones as a running back. It is at that position that he will therefore compete for a roster spot this summer.

Two Oregon Big Men Declare For Draft

January 15th, 2025 at 10:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The Oregon Ducks have come a long way from 2022 when defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was their only selection in the NFL draft, seeing six players selected in 2023 and eight players selected last year. This year, though, the Ducks have a chance at doing something they haven’t done in 10 years: land two players in the first round of the draft. They last accomplished this feat in 2015, when Marcus Mariota and Arik Armstead were taken within the top 17 picks.

The two players that could make it happen this year are defensive tackle Derrick Harmon and offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Harmon announced on his Instagram that he would be forgoing his redshirt senior year to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, while Conerly announced the forgoing of his senior season on X.

Harmon has come a long way since committing to Michigan State as a three-star defensive lineman out of Loyola HS (MI). His biggest offers came from the Spartans, Ole Miss, and Purdue, while he received a few others from Group of 5 and FCS programs, as well. In East Lansing, Harmon redshirted his freshman year after only appearing in four games. He began to make an impact as a redshirt freshman, making 30 total tackles, including three for loss and two sacks in 12 appearances with five starts. He doubled his start total as a redshirt sophomore, racking up 40 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Following a solid 2023 campaign, Harmon entered the transfer portal after the Spartans fired then-head coach Mel Tucker. After taking visits to Oregon, Ohio State, and Auburn, he opted to withdraw his name from the portal and remain with new head coach Jonathan Smith. When he re-entered the transfer portal in April, he immediately became the most-coveted defensive lineman available and eventually committed to the Ducks.

In Eugene, Harmon made an immediate impact, taking his play to another level and performing as one of the top interior defenders in the country. In his single season as a Duck, he set new career highs in tackles (45), tackles for loss (11), sacks (5.0), passes defensed (4), and forced fumbles (2). The stats only tell half the story of how disruptive Harmon is as an interior defender. His quickness and power make him a menace inside the tackles, but he’s handled his own lining up over tackles plenty this season, giving him versatility to play all over the line.

Conerly was the gem of the Ducks 2022 signing class. Coming out of Rainier Beach HS (WA), Conerly was the team’s only five-star recruit and the top tackle in the country, per 247Sports. With offers from all over, Conerly took his time with the recruiting process, taking official visits with Michigan, Oklahoma, Miami, Oregon, and USC. Many believed he was destined to become a Trojan, but he shocked the recruiting world and committed to the Ducks.

Conerly didn’t start at all as a true freshman, but he was too talented to keep off the field. He played often on special teams and established himself as a reliable extra lineman in jumbo packages. It was as a sophomore that Conerly became a full-time starter at left tackle. He was considered the key factor of an offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in the nations (5) and the third-fewest tackles for loss (44). In 2024, he was once again served as the prime example of dependability. He only allowed one sack and five pressures this season.

While Harmon is an almost guaranteed first-rounder, Conerly will be the deciding factor of whether or not the school can get two players selected on Day 1. The talk around Conerly reminds me of the talk around former Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Brown was polarizing in that his technique and combine performance were considered downright poor, but he got the job done time and again. Conerly’s technique is raw when hand-fighting, and he could stand to get stronger, but elite recovery speed has saved him from otherwise damning attributes.

As mentioned before, Harmon should be securely in the first round. ESPN’s Mel Kiper lists him as the 18th-best overall prospect, and he and his colleagues (Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates) all have him as either the No. 2 or No. 3 defensive tackle prospect. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Harmon as the second-best interior defender and the 14th-best prospect. Conerly ranges from the third- to sixth-best offensive tackle prospect among the ESPN analysts, while Brugler has him as the fifth tackle and the 33rd-best overall prospect.

Harmon and Conerly will both be hoping to hear their names on the first night of the draft. Harmon can likely book his ticket to Lambeau for the event. Conerly may be just on the outside looking in for now, but a strong pre-draft performance, combined with a relatively weak class of offensive linemen, could result in a boost into the first round.