NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/18/22
Here are the latest draft pick signings from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- DE Myjai Sanders (third round, Cincinnati)
Washington Commanders
- RB Brian Robinson (third round, Alabama)
Chargers Sign DL Morgan Fox
The Chargers have added to their defensive line. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), the Chargers have signed defensive end Morgan Fox.
Fox went undrafted out of CSU–Pueblo before catching on with the Rams. He ended up spending five seasons with the organization, seeing time in 52 games. After missing the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL, Fox managed to return and appear in each of the Rams’ 32 games over the next two years, including a 2020 season where he collected six sacks. Per ESPN, Fox is the third member of the 2020 Rams defense to join the Chargers this offseason (along with defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day and linebacker Troy Reeder).
Fox inked a two-year pact with the Panthers last offseason and ended up getting into all 17 games for his new squad, compiling a career-high 34 tackles, seven QB hits, and 1.5 sacks. He was released by the organization back in March.
The Chargers made a major upgrade to their pass-rushing corps when they acquired edge rusher Khalil Mack from Chicago. Fox should play a secondary role on the depth chart, and the Chargers will likely turn to him for special teams reps.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Parnell Motley
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Jack Coco
- Waived: T Jahmir Johnson
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: TE Roger Carter, DB T.J. Carter, DB Daniel Isom, WR Lance McCutcheon
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: QB Chris Streveler
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DL Josh Black
- Placed on IR: LB Sharif Finch
Washington Commanders
- Waived (failed physical): T Drew Himmelman
Giants Sign Jalyn Holmes, Maurice Canady
Restrained in their approach to bolstering their edge rush for a few years, the Giants certainly changed that strategy this year via their Kayvon Thibodeaux pick. The team added another piece to its Thibodeaux-fronted edge mix Wednesday.
Former Vikings defensive end Jalyn Holmes signed with the Giants, who also added three more defenders. That includes cornerback Maurice Canady, a six-year veteran who spent last season with the Cowboys. Big Blue rounded out the signings by inking cornerback Khalil Dorsey and safety Henry Black.
A fourth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2018, Holmes received his most run as a Danielle Hunter replacement during the 2020 season. Despite starting nine games for that Vikings edition, Holmes did not record a sack. While he did add four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and two pass deflections that year, his only NFL sack came during his rookie season. Holmes spent last season with the Saints.
The Giants have 2021 second-rounder Azeez Ojulari positioned to play alongside Thibodeaux and still roster 2019 third-rounder Oshane Ximines. Lorenzo Carter joined the Falcons as a free agent. New York also signed pass rusher Jihad Ward this offseason.
Canady, a Ravens sixth-rounder in 2016, has bounced around a bit and has worked mostly as a backup. He has started six games in six years but has extensive experience in new Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale‘s system. Canady’s third and fourth Ravens seasons overlapped with Martindale’s Baltimore DC run. The soon-to-be 28-year-old defender played eight games for the Cowboys last season.
Black, 25, contributed for the Packers last season, playing 24% of their defensive snaps and intercepting a pass. He joins a safety corps that lost Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers this offseason. Dorsey played six games for Martindale’s Ravens defense in 2020; he was nontendered as an RFA in March.
Commanders To Sign Rookie WR Jahan Dotson
Another Day 1 wideout from last month’s draft is set to officially join the league. The Commanders are signing Jahan Dotson to his rookie deal (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). 
As the No. 16 pick, Dotson’s contract will be worth just over $15MM. The Penn State product had a four-year college career, which included significant production in his final two seasons. After playing behind fellow speedster KJ Hamler, he took on a larger workload in 2020. That year, he posted 884 yards and eight touchdowns despite the campaign being limited to just eight games.
With increased expectations as the Nittany Lions’ top pass-catcher, Dotson took another step forward in terms of production. He ranked third in the Big Ten in both receptions (91) and yards (1,182) and scored 13 total touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams as a punt returner. That ranked him near the top of this year’s class at the position, with many pegging him as a first round-caliber prospect.
Expected by many to be eyeing a wideout with the No. 11 pick, the Commanders traded down from that spot. They swapped with New Orleans, who gave up No. 16 to take Chris Olave. Situated at the end of a run on receivers as a result of the move, the Commanders had fewer options to choose from, but were still able to boost their passing game. Dotson will join the likes of Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown in their WR room, as they look to take a step forward on offense with Carson Wentz.
Jets Reach Agreement With First Round WR Garrett Wilson
The Jets are about to have all three of their first round picks under contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that the team has reached an agreement with wideout Garrett Wilson on his rookie deal, worth $20.55MM. 
Connected to a number of veterans at the position throughout the offseason, the Jets were unable to make a sizeable addition via trade. That led many to believe they would target a receiver with one of their two top-ten picks in last month’s draft. After selecting cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 4, they did just that by picking the former Buckeye.
Wilson was an immediate contributor at Ohio State in his freshman season, totaling 432 receiving yards and scoring five touchdowns. He took a major step forward the following year, notching 43 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns in only eight contests. Competing for targets with fellow first-rounder Chris Olave and the highly-touted Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wilson topped 1,000 receiving yards and found the endzone 13 total times last season.
That production put him in the conversation to be the top WR off the board; while that distinction ultimately went to Drake London, Wilson was seen by some as the most complete receiver in the class. He should have a path to immediate playing time with the Jets alongside Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. While the play of his namesake, quarterback Zach Wilson, will most determine the Jets’ success in the immediate future, Garrett has the potential to be an impact player on the team’s offense in the short- and long-term.
Bengals To Sign First-Round Pick Daxton Hill
The Bengals have agreed to terms Daxton Hill (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Michigan defensive back is expected to put pen to paper today, making it all official. 
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Hill was viewed as the consensus second-best safety prospect heading into the draft, behind only Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton. After the Ravens nabbed Hamilton at No. 14 overall, the Bengals came in to pounds towards the end of Round 1. Many anticipated that Hill would still be on the board to start Day 2, but the Bengals weren’t willing to risk it.
Hill’s versatility is viewed as a major plus — he could see time at free safety, strong safety safety, or even reps as a slot receiver. On the defensive side, Hill notched 69 tackles for the Wolverines last year, including 4.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He also nabbed eight passes defensed and two interceptions, giving him four picks across his three seasons.
In accordance with his slot, the No. 31 overall pick will earn $13MM over the course of his four-year rookie contract. This year, he’ll start with a modest $705K base salary and carry a $2.4MM cap figure. His salary will escalate over the life of the deal, ending with a $4.2MM cap charge in 2025. Of course, by then, the Bengals will reserve the right to keep him for ’26 via the fifth-year option.
Cardinals Sign Second-Round TE Trey McBride
The Cardinals are almost finished signing their draft class. The team announced that they’ve signed second-round tight end Trey McBride, seventh-round cornerback Christian Matthew, and seventh-round offensive lineman Marquis Hayes to their rookie contracts.
Following a standout college career at Colorado State, the Cardinals made McBride not only their first selection of the draft. They also made him the first tight end off the board when they selected him in the second round (No. 55). After collecting 74 receptions through his first three collegiate seasons, McBride exploded in 2021, hauling in 90 catches for 1,121 yards. The performance earned him a number of accolades, including a unanimous All-American selection and the John Mackey Award, which is given to the top tight end in college football.
The Cardinals held on to Zach Ertz, so McBride will be playing behind the veteran to start his career. However, in a creative and (usually) high-flying offense, it shouldn’t take look for McBride to carve out a role.
As our team-by-team 2022 NFL Draft results show, the Cardinals only have a pair of unsigned draft picks:
- Round 2: No. 55 Trey McBride, TE (Colorado State) (signed)
- Round 3: No. 87 Cameron Thomas, DE (San Diego State)
- Round 3: No. 100 (from Ravens) Myjai Sanders, DE (Cincinnati)
- Round 6: No. 201 Keaontay Ingram, RB (USC) (signed)
- Round 6: No. 215 Lecitus Smith, OG (Virginia Tech) (signed)
- Round 7: No. 244 Christian Matthew, CB (Valdosta State) (signed)
- Round 7: No. 256 Jesse Luketa, OLB (Penn State) (signed)
- Round 7: No. 257 Marquis Hayes, OG (Oklahoma) (signed)
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/22
Here are the latest draft pick signings around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- WR Velus Jones (third round, Tennessee)
Dallas Cowboys
- DE Sam Williams (second round, Ole Miss)
- WR Jalen Tolbert (third round, South Alabama)
Detroit Lions
- S Kerby Joseph (third round, Illinois)
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Alec Pierce (second round, Cincinnati)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/22
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed: OLB Jessie Lemonier (from Lions)
- Released: DL LaRon Stokes
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DL Daniel Joseph
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OT Shon Coleman
- Waived: P Ryan Winslow
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed: S Luther Kirk (from Falcons), CB Reggie Robinson II (from Texans)
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OG Zack Johnson
- Waived: DB Cortez Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: OL Jahmir Johnson
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Kolby Harvell-Peel
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed: OG Zack Bailey (from Commanders)
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: TE Roger Carter, CB T.J. Carter, LB Andrzej Hughes-Murray, S Daniel Isom, WR Lance McCutcheon
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: OG Eric Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed: WR Josh Hammond (from Jaguars)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: CB Bryce Watts
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Troy Fumagalli
- Waived: TE Garrett Walston