HEADLINES

Zay Flowers

Patriots Host DE Nolan Smith, WR Zay Flowers

April 8th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots are set to pick 14th overall in this month’s draft, a position which will give them a number of options to choose from on both sides of the ball. They have recently met with one of the top pass-rushing and pass-catching prospects in the 2023 class.

New England hosted Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith earlier this week, as detailed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. That adds to the widespread interest the highly athletic defender has received in the build-up to the draft, which includes his contributions to the Bulldogs’ national title and an impressive combine performance. The Buccaneers, Ravens and Jaguars have all met with Smith recently, and further visits would come as no surprise given the widespread expectation that he is a first-round lock.

The 6-3, 235-pounder never put up massive pass-rushing numbers during his four years at Georgia, with his best campaign coming in 2021. That year, he racked up 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 12 games. Smith was limited to just eight contests this season due to a torn pectoral muscle, but still sits near the top of most edge rush prospect rankings. The Patriots ranked fourth in the league in sacks last season, with Matt Judon and Josh Uche each hitting double-digits. Judon is under contract through 2024, but Uche is entering a contract year and could be replaced down the road if they elected to draft Smith.

New England has also had a sit-down with Boston College wideout Zay Flowers, Wilson tweets. Flowers has already taken meetings with the Giants, as well as the Cowboys and Raiders. He is firmly on the first-round radar as one of the most elusive and effective downfield prospects in the class. Interestingly, Wilson reports that multiple NFL teams have graded the 5-10, 177-pounder in the top half of the opening round.

The Patriots struggled on offense in 2022, in no small part due to their lack of efficiency in the passing game. New England signed JuJu Smith-Schuster in a move which should offset the loss of Jakobi Meyers, but an impact addition in the draft should be expected. Flowers – who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in 2022 – could significantly boost a Patriots offense which ranked 26th in the NFL in yards per contest (315) last season.

Given the interest already showed in both Smith and Flowers, New England may face the possibility of both hearing their names called before they are on the clock. If one or both are still available, though, the team will be well-versed in each prospect.

Cowboys, Raiders Host WR Zay Flowers

April 5th, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of draft speculation pertains to how this year’s QB class will shake out, but intrigue also exists at the wide receiver position. One of the wideouts receiving attention in the build-up to the draft is Boston College product Zay Flowers.

The Cowboys and Raiders met with Flowers this week, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter links). In both instances, the encounters counted towards the team’s top-30 allotments. Interest shown by Dallas and Vegas follows a sit-down Flowers had with the Giants, and it will surely be matched by other teams eyeing additions to their pass-catching corps.

Flowers spent the past four seasons with the Eagles, taking on a major role within the team’s offense starting in his second campaign. In each of the last three years, he led Boston College in receiving yards, making the most catches on the team in 2021 and 2022. In the latter campaign, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time, adding new career highs in catches (78) and touchdowns (12).

Size has been raised as a potential concern for the 5-10, 177-pounder. Even in the event he is able to add to his frame in advance of adapting to the pro game, he is likely to operate primarily in the slot at the NFL level. Flowers flashed potential as a punt returner this past season, though, and should be able to carve out a notable role for himself as a rookie given his elusiveness and vertical speed.

The Cowboys’ receiver group looked significantly different in 2022 after they traded away Amari Cooper, a move which has led to a reaction this offseason. Dallas traded for Brandin Cooks to give them a veteran presence on the outside, but further additions could easily come at the draft. Currently set to pick 26th, Flowers could fall within range for the Cowboys (who have also done their homework on Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt) toward the back of round one.

The situation is different on Day 1 for the Raiders, who own pick No. 7. A quarterback could be in play at that spot for Vegas, or if not, a host of more highly-touted prospects will likely be considered. The Raiders have added Jakobi Meyers with one of the most lucrative deals of free agency amongst receivers, but they also lost a dependable producer by trading away Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. Even though slot man Hunter Renfrow remains under contract for two more years, Vegas could thus be well-served to target an impact pass-catcher in the draft. Their second-round selection (38th overall) would represent solid value if Flowers waits that long to hear his name called.

Giants Meet With Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers; Veteran WRs Still On Radar

March 31st, 2023 at 10:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants used a first-round pick on a wide receiver in 2021, connecting them to a dive back into that pool is not especially difficult. Kadarius Toney is gone, and the team’s lot of free agency moves led complementary-type options coming in or staying put.

Unsurprisingly, this year’s top receiver prospects have heard from the Giants. The team has now met with TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Boston College’s Zay Flowers at pre-pro-day dinners, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links). Johnston’s meeting occurred Thursday. The other top-four wideout in this year’s class, USC’s Jordan Addison, said the Giants were the most recent team to contact him.

Mentioning Smith-Njigba as a wideout GM Joe Schoen is doing extensive homework on, NJ.com’s Darryl Slater notes the team filled its quota of signings in this year’s unremarkable free agency class. The next step would be to take a swing at a player with a better chance of becoming a lead pass catcher.

“I think we’re better than we were,” Schoen said of the team’s receiver situation. “I think Daniel [Jones] has a better group. It goes back to: It’s not fantasy football. So to say, ‘Go get a No. 1 receiver,’ you’re only afforded what’s on the market and what’s available. So all these things sound great. But with the receiver group that was out there…”

Schoen’s voice trailing off effectively illustrated the leaguewide view of this year’s free agent receiver class. No top-25 contract at the position ended up going to a wideout, which marks a change from recent years, when the likes of Christian Kirk, Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay and Corey Davis scored such deals as UFAs. John Mara said the team might not be done in free agency, and the owner said earlier this week the team is not out on Odell Beckham Jr.

The former Giants Pro Bowler has received multiple offers, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds, though they have clearly not met with the mercurial talent’s approval. Attempting to pair him with Aaron Rodgers, the Jets remain the most likely Beckham destination, per Graziano, who adds OBJ may be waiting on the Rodgers deal to be finalized before he commits.

Schoen said a trade for a receiver remains in play. The Giants made a push for Jerry Jeudy before the 2022 deadline, but the Broncos want a first-round pick for their top wideout. That seems like a non-starter for the Giants, who prioritized draft capital — a third-rounder, which turned into Darren Waller — over waiting on Toney’s potential. Denver also wants a second-rounder for Courtland Sutton. Barring a big offer, the Broncos are standing pat at wide receiver.

The Giants could be a DeAndre Hopkins suitor as well; they will have competition for the Cardinals standout. The Waller move makes it a bit more difficult to envision the Giants dealing away another prime draft asset for a veteran pass catcher.

The Giants doing work on Smith-Njigba adds up, after the promising playmaker finished an abbreviated junior year. JSN broke through for 95 receptions, 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, leading the Buckeyes in receiving by a substantial margin despite that squad housing 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. That included a monstrous 347-yard showing in that season’s Rose Bowl. Smith-Njigba, however, only played three games last season, catching just five passes. ESPN’s Todd McShay said in December Smith-Njigba had healed from his nagging hamstring injury by the Buckeyes’ semifinal game against Georgia but was protecting his draft status. That claim drew backlash from the junior wideout’s family, but his third-season no-show has undoubtedly prompted teams to examine the lengthy absence.

This year’s receiver class has not generated the buzz of recent crops, but ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates Johnston, Addison, Smith-Njigba and Flowers as first-round talents. Johnston is coming off an MCL injury in TCU’s semifinal win over Michigan. None are viewed as top-10-level talents, though the top three here are each listed in the scouting service’s top 20 at the position. New York holds the No. 25 overall pick in next month’s draft. Mel Kiper Jr. mocks Addison to New York at 25.

The Giants, who retained Isaiah Hodgins as an RFA, re-signed Sterling Shepard and 2022 receiving leader Darius Slayton and added Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder. Wan’Dale Robinson still represents the centerpiece here, being signed through 2025. Though, the Kentucky-developed slot player is coming off an ACL tear. There probably will not be room for this sextet to each be part of Brian Daboll‘s second roster, and how the Giants proceed early in the draft will play a major role in determining this position group’s 2023 outlook.

Draft Notes: Seahawks, Eagles, Carter, Steelers

March 25th, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

Armed with a pair of top-20 picks, the Seahawks have been busy evaluating their first-round options. This past week, the organization was busy scouting some of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks sent a “contingent” led by head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to meet privately with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Seahawks also checked out the Pro Days for C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.

The Seahawks inked quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year extension, but the team-friendly nature of that deal shouldn’t preclude the organization from selecting a QB prospect in the upcoming draft. Seattle is in possession of picks No. 5 and No. 20, meaning they even have the ammo to trade up for one of the preferred targets. The more realistic route would see the organization staying pat at No. 5 and potentially selecting a signal-caller.

More draft notes from around the NFL…

  • One of the league’s most dynamic offenses is eyeing one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers. Texas running back Bijan Robinson had a predraft visit with the Eagles earlier this week, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The Eagles lost top RB Miles Sanders this offseason, but they’ve added Rashaad Penny to a RB room that still features mainstays Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott. As Garafolo warns, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never selected a running back in the first round, and the organization hasn’t taken a first-round RB since 1986.
  • Jalen Carter has had a concerning predraft process. He had to leave the combine while facing charges of reckless driving and draft racing following a deadly car accident that killed a Georgia teammate and staffer. As Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, the defensive lineman also “put on considerable weight” before his pro day, and his performance was described as “less than stellar.” When coupled with the potential run on QBs, Carter could fall out of the top-five, something that was unthinkable only a few months ago. However, one executive doesn’t believe Carter will experience a significant fall down draft boards and attributed the poor performance to tough coaching. “It really wasn’t as bad as how it was reported,” the exec told La Canfora. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. [Chiefs defensive line coach] Joe Cullen was leading the drills, and he went pretty hard on the kid. I don’t know if he was trying to make a point, but he had him doing the same drills as [much smaller linebacker] Nolan Smith, and he was really trying to wear the kid out.”
  • The Steelers could use the draft to add a defensive tackle, and the organization has already met with Michigan lineman Mazi Smith. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com believes Pittsburgh would select Smith over Clemson’s Bryan Bresee at pick No. 17, but there’s a “a battle between the two.” Ultimately, Wilson says Smith’s “rough-and-tumble style” would better fit the Steelers’ mold than Bresee’s “finesse.” Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Minnesota OL John Michael Schmitz met with the Steelers earlier this week, so the team is definitely keeping their options open in the middle of the first round.
  • Before yesterday’s pro day, Boston College wideout Zay Flowers met with the Saints and Giants, according to Pelissero (on Twitter). The projected first-round pick has put on 13 pounds of muscle during the pre-combine process, and Pelissero believes the wideout could add even more weight before the draft.