HEADLINES

Shemar Turner

NFC North Notes: Reed, Bears, Lions, Vikes

May 24th, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Since trading Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022, the Packers have relied on the draft to add wide receivers rather than pursuing veteran talent.

They did so once again this year, drafting Matthew Golden with the 22nd overall pick and double-dipping with Savion Williams in the third round (No. 87 overall). Those picks raised questions about the future of their current receiver corps. Both Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are entering the last year of their rookie contracts, and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are schedule to hit free agency after the 2026 season.

That uncertainty caused Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to meet with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in an effort to “clarify the wide receiver’s status in Green Bay,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Reed was the team’s leading receiver in his first two NFL seasons, and the Packers intend to keep him in that role moving forward.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed surprise when asked about Reed by NBC Sports’ Chris Simms and praised the 2023 second-rounder’s leadership and production in Green Bay.

“He’s coaching up Matthew Golden, so he’s a guy I don’t worry about,” said LaFleur.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Isaiah Simmons‘ versatility was one of the main reasons that he was a top-10 pick in 2020, but he has struggled to find a positional fit in the NFL. He signed with the Packers this offseason and will play linebacker in Green Bay, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. Simmons spent his first five years in the NFL in a hybrid box/slot role; streamlining his responsibilities at LB could help him unlock his athleticism and finally live up to his draft billing.
  • Lions second-round pick Tate Ratledge primarily played guard at Georgia and will compete for starting jobs with veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-rounder Christian Mahogany as a rookie, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley added that Ratledge would also see time at center during OTAs to train for a backup role to Frank Ragnow.
  • Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said that rookie Shemar Turner will focus on playing along the interior of the defensive line before the team tests his edge versatility (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network). Turner lined up off the edge at Texas Tech in 2022 and 2023 before bulking up for interior work in 2024. Chicago has depth at both spots this year, but they’re thinner at DT in the long-term, which is where Turner will spend most of his time. Still, his athleticism and experience should give him a chance to contribute as an edge defender at some point in his NFL career.
  • A jury trial for Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been scheduled for June 16 in the Superior Court of California, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison received a citation for a DUI in July 2024 and pleaded not guilty in December.

2025 NFL Draft Visits: Schwesinger, Cowboys, Nolen, Ezeiruaku, Burden, Turner, Bond, Steelers, Emmanwori

April 6th, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Ely Allen

This isn’t exactly a visit in the sense of top-30 visits, like most of the rest of bullets that follow this will be, but UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger held a private pro day earlier this week in Los Angeles and had 30 teams in attendance, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While, obviously, not a comprehensive list, Schefter specifically mentions the Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Chargers, and Broncos, and notes that the linebackers coaches from Dallas, New York, and New Orleans all met privately with Schwesinger.

Schwesinger is not currently the top-ranked linebacker prospect in most analysts’ eyes, but he often slides in as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the class behind Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — third if you count Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who has the ability to play every linebacker spot at the next level. Some thought Schwesinger may sneak into the back end of the first round at the end of the month, but more likely is that he hears his name on Day 2. Per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, it would be surprising to see him fall past the first half of the second round.

Here are some more prospect-NFL team connections we’ve seen recent reports on:

  • The Cowboys have certainly been very busy in the runup to the 2025 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team held their invite-only “Dallas Day,” hosting draft prospects without the visits counting towards their top-30 visits. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton met with the team at “Dallas Day.” The well-balanced rusher continues to skyrocket up draft boards, is likely to join Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and has several other visits lined up.
  • Jeanty was also in attendance on Friday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. We had relayed that Jeanty would be taking a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear whether this is what was meant in that original report. Also in attendance for “Dallas Day” were Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, TCU wide receivers Savion Williams and Jack Bech, Texas quarterback and offensive lineman Quinn Ewers and Cameron Williams, and Miami tight end and running back Elijah Arroyo and Damien Martinez.
  • Also in attendance at “Dallas Day” was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Nolen will follow up his Dallas visit with a visit with the Panthers on Monday and a visit with the Bengals some other time this week.
  • Joining Nolen in Carolina on Monday will be Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a hot topic with multiple scouts of late, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He’s currently viewed as an early-Day 2 prospect, and his stock continues to rise.
  • Speaking of another “Dallas Day” athlete, Wilson of KPRC 2 provided an updated list of teams that Turner, from Texas A&M, is set to visit with. We already noted his recent visit in New Orleans, but Wilson tells us that Turner has also visited the Texans and plans to visit the Ravens, Rams, Eagles, Dolphins, Colts, Buccaneers, and Cardinals.
  • According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden for a top-30 visit last week. The talented wideout fell off in 2024 after an incredible sophomore campaign with the Tigers, but his high ceiling makes him a borderline first-round prospect. Denver would love to bring in another talented weapon for young quarterback Bo Nix.
  • We already reported recent visits for Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond in Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but we now have a couple sources adding some new locations for the Longhorn. Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Bond had dinner with the Bills before a private workout Friday and a top-30 visit as well as visits with the Browns and Packers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that Bond has visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Titans, as well.
  • Brooke Pryor of ESPN tells us that the Steelers hosted a full house on Thursday. Prospects on hand last week included Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
  • Lastly, Pryor adds that Pittsburgh was one of the recent teams to host South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The pre-draft standout had reportedly lined up visits with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Miami already. The Steelers’ interest in the Gamecock is no surprise as he’s trending towards being a Day 1 selection at this point.

Saints Host Will Campbell; Team Showing Interest In James Pearce, Shemar Turner

March 29th, 2025 at 8:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ draft preparation is ongoing, and prospects on both sides of the ball are on the team’s radar. Offensive lineman Will Campbell visited today, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

A Louisiana native and LSU product, Campbell’s visit will be classified as a local one and thus not count toward the Saints’ allotment of 30 for other prospects. Seen as the top offensive linemen in this year’s class for much of the pre-draft process, Campbell has faced plenty of questions about his arm length. His measurement at LSU’s Pro Day offered a slightly more encouraging figure compared to the Combine (33 inches), but the possibility of a move to guard will no doubt persist.

The Saints used a first-round pick on Trevor Penning in 2022, then added Taliese Fuaga with their top selection last spring. That pairing operated as a tackle tandem last season, and it would come as no surprise if that continued into the future. Pro Bowler Ryan Ramczyk restructured his contract in January in a move which signaled he will not be back due to his major knee injury. New Orleans could use depth at tackle, but Campbell’s path to immediate playing time would likely be on the interior if the Fuaga-Penning partnership were to remain intact.

The Patriots – who own the No. 4 pick in April’s draft – were recently reported to be high on Campbell (among other O-linemen). Left tackle looms as a major need for New England despite the team’s busy offseason, and it would come as little surprise if addressing it during Day 1 of the draft became the plan. That would leave the New Orleans (set to select ninth overall) in need of pivoting to other options in the first round.

The Saints have met with a number of Tennessee prospects recently, and Underhill reports they also conducted a James Pearce workout. Pearce is one of several first-round prospects for edge rushers in the 2025 class, with his speed representing a major source of interest for NFL teams. A first-team All-SEC producer for each of the past two seasons, he totaled 17.5 sacks over that span; as a result, Pearce is firmly on the Day 1 radar (although a top-10 selection could be seen by some as a slight reach).

The Saints also used Saturday to host defensive tackle Shemar Turner on a visit, per Underhill. The Texas A&M product’s stock is not as high as that of teammate Shemar Stewart, but drafting him could help a New Orleans team which ranked 31st against the run last season. While Stewart is not seen as a first-round prospect, several of those who are will no doubt continue to receive attention from New Orleans over the coming days and weeks.