49ers Draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance At No. 3
With the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. The Niners considered a number of QBs at No. 3 overall, but Lance had emerged as a potential frontrunner in recent days.
Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields may be slightly disappointed. Both passers conducted additional pro days specifically geared for the 49ers, but they weren’t able to unseat the North Dakota State phenom.
Despite some (reported) consideration for Jones, the front office ultimately went for Lance, who many say has more upside. Lance did a second audition for the Niners a week and a half ago, using many of Kyle Shanahan‘s favorite drills. Apparently, that Pro Day re-do made an impression. Lance hardly played last year, but he flexed his talent in 2019 as he went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.
While the first two picks of the draft were clear-cut, there were plenty of questions surrounding the third-overall pick. Even the 49ers seemed unsure about who they were going to take when they paired a pair of future first-round picks with No. 12 to trade up for No. 3 from the Dolphins. San Francisco never really showed their hand, although in recent days it sounded like the organization had settled on either Lance or Jones. This made the No. 3 pick the most interesting selection in the draft, and it will have an impact on the rest of the evening.
Despite being selected with the third-overall pick, Lance might not necessarily be under center come Week 1 considering the presence of Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster. Still, despite the front office declaring that they’re fine keeping a pair of high-profile quarterbacks, there’s a good chance the veteran is moved (either via trade or release) prior to the start of the season, providing a clear path to playing time for the rookie QB.
Jets Draft Zach Wilson No. 2 Overall
Trevor Lawrence was a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, but Zach Wilson‘s odds of going to the Jets weren’t far behind. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Jets tapped the BYU passer to be their next quarterback of the future. 
Wilson didn’t earn as much fanfare as Lawrence, but he still offers tons of potential. The 6’2″ passer is fresh off of a breakout season with a 73.5% completion rate, good for No. 2 in the nation. Meanwhile, his 33 passing touchdowns placed him third, and he threw just three interceptions. Wilson’s mobility powered him to ten rushing touchdowns last year, further vaulting him up the Jets’ draft board. It also helped that he hit it off with Jets GM Joe Douglas in the interview process.
The knocks on Wilson are few and far between. Some say his decision making was questionable in 2019, a season cut short by a thumb surgery. But, last year, Wilson kept the turnovers to a minimum and consistently found the open man. Some also wonder if he’ll have durability issues as his ~210-pound frame adjusts to harder hits at the pro level.
Regardless, the Jets are supremely confident in Wilson and his upside, which is why they traded No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold to the Panthers.
Jaguars Draft Trevor Lawrence No. 1 Overall
No surprise here. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 
Typically, teams like to manufacture some mystery with the top overall pick. That wasn’t the case here. New head coach Urban Meyer openly professed his love for Lawrence months ago, all but cementing his arrival in Jacksonville.
“I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed,” Meyer said in March. “Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?”
“The number one common quality of every great player, not just quarterback, is competitive maniac. He’s 34-2. Won a national title as a true freshman. Is a winner. I’ve seen him up close and in person compete. And then character. I see him and I witness with my players, when the guys get drafted high, a lot of people get . . . They have influences in their live. Like, whether it be social media, whether it be other things that really don’t pertain to winning.”
Lawrence was predictably brilliant at his pro day, leaving no doubt for Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and the rest of the Jaguars’ contingent.
In his final season at Clemson, Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. And, with 69.2% of his passes completed, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, despite losing time to injury.
Now, it’s on to the Jets, who fell just short in their #TankforTrevor pursuit.
Steelers To Extend Mason Rudolph
We heard earlier today that things were close, and now it’s official. The Steelers and quarterback Mason Rudolph have agreed to terms on an extension, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette tweets.
It’s a one-year extension that will keep Rudolph under contract through 2022. He had been previously set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. A third-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2018, Rudolph has received plenty of chances to show he can be the guy who takes over for Ben Roethlisberger one day.
He got eight starts in 2019 due to Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow injury, but was ineffective and benched a couple of times in favor of UDFA Devlin Hodges. He was better in his lone 2020 start in Week 17 when the Steelers rested starters against the Browns, but still hasn’t done much to indicate he can be a franchise quarterback.
Roethlisberger seemed on the verge of being shown the door earlier this offseason, and his future beyond 2021 is up in the air to say the least. Pittsburgh also recently signed Dwayne Haskins as a developmental option. The Steelers likely aren’t planning on Rudolph taking over under center long-term, but this move locks in a quarterback for beyond next season that is at least somewhat competent.
Saints Pick Up Marcus Davenport’s Fifth-Year Option
The draft is about to kickoff in a few hours, but as you can see with all the Aaron Rodgers drama, the rest of the league isn’t slowing down. The Saints are still taking care of other business, as they’ve exercised the fifth-year option on Marcus Davenport, a source told Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (Twitter link).
With the changes in the new CBA, it means Davenport’s salary for 2022 is now fully guaranteed. Previously it would’ve been guaranteed for injury only. The UTSA product will now make around $9.55MM in 2022. New Orleans gave up a first-round pick to move up 13 spots in the 2018 draft in order to select Davenport.
He hasn’t lived up to those lofty expectations, but he has shown promise when on the field. He started 13 games in 2019 but was limited to only 11 contests this past year, and started just one of them. He had 4.5 sacks as a rookie, six as a sophomore, and then only 1.5 this past year.
Injuries are a concern, and he only played around 50 percent of the snaps when healthy in 2020. This one was far from a lock, and it’s a strong vote of confidence in a player who’s still only 24. He’s shown flashes of brilliance before, and the Saints are hoping he can fully deliver on that potential over the next two years.
Seahawks Sign DT Robert Nkemdiche
The Seahawks added some defensive tackle depth in advance of tonight’s draft. Robert Nkemdiche, a first-rounder five years ago, has agreed to join Seattle, per a club announcement. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Nkemdiche, 26, had lots of hype coming out of Mississippi in 2016. The Cardinals snagged him with the No. 29 overall pick, but he was hardly seen in his first two pro seasons. Then, in 2018, things started to look up for the imposing lineman as he registered 4.5 sacks, 36 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits in ten games (six starts). Unfortunately, that progress was halted by a knee injury, which led to his release in 2019.
The Dolphins picked Nkemdiche up and deployed him twice in ’19 before putting him back on the curb. After sitting out for the 2020 season, Nkemdiche will now look to revitalize his career with Pete Carroll & Co.
Panthers Pick Up D.J. Moore’s Option
The Panthers have picked up D.J. Moore‘s option (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver is now under contract for the 2022 season at a guaranteed salary of $11.116MM.
This was the expected move, given Moore’s steady improvement across the last three years. In total, Moore has 208 catches, 3,156 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns across 46 career games. Last year, Moore managed 66 receptions for 1,193 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in an otherwise turbulent year for Carolina.
Moore, the former No. 26 overall pick, now has fiscal security beyond the ’22 season. The same can’t be said for quarterback Sam Darnold — the No. 3 pick in the 2018 class. At least, not yet. The Panthers have until May 3rd to decide on the ex-Jet’s future, so they’ll likely hold off until after this weekend’s draft. Tonight, a first-round QB is very much in play for them at No. 8 overall.
Ohio State’s Justin Fields could be one option, but they could also target Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle to potentially supplant Robby Anderson in 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/21
Today’s minor, er, move:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: TE Hunter Bryant
Bryant played three seasons at Washington, including a 2019 campaign where he earned First team All-Pac-12 honors. He went undrafted during last year’s draft, but he eventually overcome an ankle injury to make the Lions active roster. He ultimately appeared in five games for Detroit, hauling in a single 44-yard pass while appearing on 25 offensive snaps. Bryant also had a stint on the injured reserve with a concussion.
As Kyle Meinke of MLive.com points out, Bryant was a favorite of the former front office, with the tight end earning the most money among last year’s grouping of undrafted free agents. New general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t have that same connection to the Lions’ young players, leading to today’s move.
The Lions added a blocking tight end in Josh Hill earlier this offseason, pairing the veteran with starter T.J. Hockenson.
Giants Pick Up RB Saquon Barkley’s Fifth-Year Option
As we all expected, Saquon Barkley will be sticking around New York through at least the 2022 season. The Giants have picked up the star running back’s fifth-year option, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 2022 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Barkley will earn a guaranteed base salary of $7.217MM during that 2022 campaign. As things currently stand, Barkley would have the ninth-highest cap hit at his position that season.
Considering the modest salary, it’s hardly a surprise that the Giants have made this move. Since he was selected with the second-overall pick in the 2018 draft, Barkley has establish himself as one of the top running backs in the NFL. He had a historic rookie campaign where he compiled 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in 16 games. He had an equally impressive 5.4 yards per touch in 2019, but he missed three games thanks to a high ankle sprain.
Most of us are familiar with Barkley’s 2020 campaign. The 24-year-old only saw time in two games before succumbing to a torn ACL. The injury ultimately ended his season, although Schefter reported earlier today that the running back is on track to be ready for the start of the 2021 season. Considering the short shelf life of running backs, it’s a good sign that Barkley is seemingly recovering well from the injury.
Following the recent trend of teams dumping first-round running backs following their rookie contracts, there have been some questions about whether Barkley would stick around New York long term. While Giants owner John Mara previously stated that the organization wasn’t in any rush to extend the Pro Bowler, he also made it clear that he wants Barkley to stick around New York.
“We’re not in any hurry to do that,” Mara said at the time. “We fully expect him to be as good as new. … We hope he’s going to be a Giant for life. At the appropriate time, we’ll start those discussions.”
Panthers Trade Teddy Bridgewater To Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater is going to the Broncos. The Panthers have agreed to send the quarterback to Denver in exchange for a sixth-round pick, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. 
As a part of the deal, the Panthers will pay out $7MM of Bridgewater’s salary for the coming year. The Broncos will only take on a fraction of his pay, at $3MM. With the Panthers eating the lion’s share of what’s owed to Bridgewater, the Broncos remain open to quarterbacks in the first-round of Thursday’s draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears.
Bridgwater represents new competition for Drew Lock, who was already facing the possibility of competing with rookie QB selected with the No. 9 pick. Last year, Lock’s QBR put him near the bottom of the league. In turn, the Broncos tried to swing a deal for Matthew Stafford, but the Rams beat him to the punch. The Broncos didn’t see Carson Wentz or Sam Darnold as worthwhile upgrades, but Lock’s seat has stayed hot throughout the offseason.
Broncos GM George Paton had an up close look at Bridgewater during his salad days with the Vikings. Paton was with the team when they selected the Louisville product in the first round of the 2014 draft. That familiarity likely put Bridgewater ahead of Gardner Minshew, Jimmy Garoppolo, and other available passers on their wish list.
Bridgewater has two seasons left on the three-year, $63MM deal he inked with Carolina. The 28-year-old (29 in November) completed 69% of his passes in 2020 with just 15 touchdown throws. While the Panthers chose Darnold’s upside over another year with the veteran, he still profiles as a solid alternative to Lock.
The Panthers now own the No. 191 overall pick, but the real upside comes in the form of financial relief. Now, GM Scott Fitterer has a few more dollars to work with, plus a substantially lighter cap for 2022. Meanwhile, Darnold may have a little more confidence moving forward as he looks to reboot his career in the NFC South.