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2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Jets Have Interest In Deshaun Watson

February 8th, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are putting in “extensive work” on Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, a team source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).Deshaun Watson

[RELATED: Jets Targeting QBs Coach Jeremy Bates]

New York holds the sixth pick in the 2017 draft, and could conceivably target Watson at that point, but they’ve also been linked to other quarterbacks this offseason. The Jets are reportedly high on North Carolina signal-caller Mitch Trubisky, who, like Watson, is a projected Day 1 pick. Meanwhile, general manager Mike Maccagnan & Co. also have interest in pending Buccaneers free agent Mike Glennon, whom the Jets attempted to acquire two years ago.

Watson, 21, has been linked to a number of clubs so far this offseason, and both the Browns and Cardinals reportedly have interest in the Clemson product. Cleveland could take a look at Watson with the first overall pick, but could also target him at pick No. 12, while Arizona currently sits at pick No. 13 and could be in the market for a quarterback if Carson Palmer retires.

The Jets have two quarterbacks under contract for the 2017 season, but the club has concerns about the viability of both Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, each of whom were selected in the top four rounds of recent drafts. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be a free agent, but New York will incur $5MM in dead cap space due to a 2017 voidable year in his contract.

Jarrad Davis Won’t Work Out At Combine

February 7th, 2017 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

Florida’s Jarrad Davis will not perform drills at the draft combine because of a lingering ankle injury, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). However, he expects to be 100% by UF’s Pro Day where he can do all drills, including the 40-yard-dash. Jarrad Davis (vertical)

[RELATED: 2017 NFL Draft Order Set]

Davis is widely projected as a mid-to-late first round pick but he’ll have to work hard to slot himself against other top LBs in this year’s class like Alabama’s Reuben Foster and Tim Williams, UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley, and Missouri’s Charles Harris. Rapoport estimates Davis to be a “top two” linebacker in this year’s class, but that’s not necessarily everyone’s take.

Working in Davis’ favor is his ability to play both inside and outside linebacker at the next level. He has also drawn praise for his wortk ethic and character. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper feels that he’s not capable of being a sack machine as a 3-4 OLB, but he is an every down player which can’t be said for others at the top of this linebacker crop. As with every prospect, he has holes in his game, but one AFC talent evaluator tells Lance Zierlein of NFL.com that the drawbacks don’t faze him:

“He’s good. I don’t care about some of those holes you are talking about. Kill him so maybe somebody will listen to you and he can fall to us. We’ll take him.“

2017 NFL Draft Order Set

February 6th, 2017 at 7:28am CST by Zachary Links

With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the offseason is officially underway for all 32 teams. We now have the complete draft order for the entire first round, with one exception which is noted below.

The Patriots, of course, will have the honor of having the last pick. The Falcons, after losing in heartbreaking fashion, will have the penultimate selection in the first round.

Here is the complete order, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter links):

1. Browns

2. 49ers

3. Bears

4. Jaguars

5. Titans

6. Jets

7. Chargers

8. Panthers

9. Bengals

10. Bills

11. Saints

12. Browns

13. Cardinals

T-14. Eagles (via the Vikings)

T-14. Colts (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)

16. Ravens

17. Redskins

18. Titans

19. Buccaneers

20. Broncos

21. Lions

22. Dolphins

23. Giants

24. Raiders

25. Texans

26. Seahawks

27. Chiefs

28. Cowboys

29. Packers

30. Steelers

31. Falcons

32. Patriots

Cards Eyeing Deshaun Watson, Tyrod Taylor

February 2nd, 2017 at 7:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals are “very high” on Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and are willing to trade up in the draft in order to select him, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. If Arizona fails to land Watson, the club could instead target Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who’s expected to hit the free agent market.Deshaun Watson

[RELATED: Larry Fitzgerald To Return In 2017]

Arizona, of course, already has an incumbent signal-caller in Carson Palmer, but he’s reportedly considering retirement and the Cardinals are unsure if he plans to play in 2017. Given that wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald announced that he’ll play at least one more season in the desert, Palmer may be more apt to return, too, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds that Palmer and Fitzgerald are “tied at the hip.”

Watson could still make sense for the Cardinals even if Palmer does continue his career, as the latter is now 37 years old and nearing the end of his NFL run. Long projected as a first-round pick, Watson has a chance to be selected within the top-10, and may not get past the Browns at pick No. 12. Arizona sits one pick later at No. 13, and could need to move up in order to find its long-term franchise quarterback, an area of focus I pointed to when assessing the Cardinals’ top offseason needs.

Taylor, on the other hand, probably isn’t a fit for Arizona unless Palmer hangs up his cleats, as Taylor is unlikely to accept an offer to become a backup quarterback. Buffalo is expected to decline an option on Taylor that would guarantee him north of $30MM, and instead allow him to reach the open market. Over the past two seasons, Taylor has completed 62.6% of his passes while averaging 18 touchdowns and six interceptions per year, adding more than 1,000 yards on the ground during that span.

Corey Davis To Miss Combine With Injury

February 2nd, 2017 at 6:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis underwent ankle surgery and will not run at the scouting combine, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds Davis’ injury is considered “extremely minor.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported Davis’ ankle ailment earlier this week (Twitter link).Corey Davis (vertical)

[RELATED: Could Miami QB Brad Kaaya Fall To Day 3?]

Last year, Davis had 97 receptions for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. Most mock drafts have him and Clemson’s Mike Williams as the top two receivers in this year’s class. If Williams participates fully in the combine and Davis does not, that could give him a leg up in the bid to become the first WR off the board in April.

The 6’3″, 213-pound receiver has drawn praise for his advanced route-running ability and his performances against quality opposition. Overall, Davis has done quite well against Big Ten teams and that could help ease concerns about his mid-major background. On top of that, MAC receivers like Randy Moss, Greg Jennings, and Antonio Brown have excelled at the next level.

OTHER NFL DRAFT NEWS:

Traded NFL Draft Picks For 2017

February 2nd, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While many 2017 NFL draft picks that get traded won’t be moved until later in the offseason, or during next year’s draft itself, plenty of selections have already changed hands. This list will continue to be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back after trades have been consummated for an updated look at which picks are on the move for 2017. If you have any corrections, please contact us.

Here are 2017’s traded draft picks:

Updated 4-4-17 (2:49pm CT)

Round 1

  • Titans acquired pick from Rams in deal for No. 1 overall pick.
  • Browns acquired pick from Eagles in deal for No. 2 overall pick.
  • Eagles acquired pick from Vikings in deal for QB Sam Bradford.
  • Saints acquired pick from Patriots in deal for WR Brandin Cooks.

Round 2

  • Browns acquired pick from Titans in deal for No. 8 overall pick.
  • Panthers acquired pick from Patriots in deal for DE Kony Ealy.

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Lost draft picks

  • Patriots lost fourth-round pick due to NFL discipline (Deflategate).
  • Giants‘ fourth-round pick was downgraded a maximum of 12 spots due to NFL discipline (walkie-talkies).
  • Seahawks lost fifth-round pick due to NFL discipline (offseason contact policy).
  • Chiefs lost sixth-round pick due to NFL discipline (anti-tampering policy).

ProSportsTransactions.com was used in the creation of this post.

Malik Hooker Won’t Participate In Combine

February 1st, 2017 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Ohio State safety Malik Hooker had two surgeries this week and as a result he will not be able to work out at the scouting combine, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Hooker had operations on a torn labrum plus a hernia injury that he played through late in the season. Malik Hooker (Vertical)

Hooker is widely projected as a top ten pick but it is fair to wonder if missing the combine could put his stock in flux. The Chargers are in need of a safety and the OSU product would make a lot of sense at No. 7, but if they don’t get to fully evaluate him they could shift their focus elsewhere to someone like LSU’s Jamal Adams.

Hooker started only one year in college but scouts have been salivating about his potential at the next level. As a redshirt sophomore, he had seven interceptions and returned three of those picks for touchdowns.

This week we learned that Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis could also miss the combine due to injury.

Draft Rumors: Kaaya, Trubisky, King, Mixon

January 27th, 2017 at 7:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

At least one NFL scout believes that Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya made a “huge mistake” by declaring for the 2017 draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. In fact, nearly every source at the Senior Bowl thinks that Kaaya will still be on the board on Day 3 of the draft, when Rounds 4-7 take place. The Bears, for one, have already been linked to Kaaya, whom some scouts have called the smartest of this year’s QB crop.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • Several NFL teams are moving Iowa defensive back Desmond King from their cornerback boards to their safety lists, per Pauline. King, whom Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com (Insider link) ranks as the sixth-best CB available, has teams worried due to his lack of speed, which could be negated by shifting to the back end. King manged 14 interceptions and 33 passes defensed during his four-year run with the Hawkeyes.
  • Clubs are split on North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky due to his lack of starting experience, Pauline writes in a separate article. Trubisky started only 13 games, all in 2016, before deciding to enter the draft, but is still likely to become a first-round selection. The Jets are reportedly high on the Tar Heel signal-caller, but Pauline said that enthusiasm has been somewhat “tempered,” though New York is still among the cadre of teams that will consider Trubisky.
  • Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon did not receive a first-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board as he previously stated, and in fact, did not receive a grade at all as Oklahoma did not submit his name to the committee, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Mixon, of course, was caught on video striking a woman during an altercation in a restaurant, and some evaluators believe he may now go undrafted. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, however, hears Mixon could be selected as high as the second round.
  • Miller passes on quite a few more notes in his must-read Scouting Notebook, including the fact that Florida’s Quincy Wilson has surpassed Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore on many cornerback boards, and that scout are infatuated with the depth of this year’s running back class.

Browns Could Trade No. 1 Overall Pick

January 25th, 2017 at 9:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns received a haul in exchange for trading away the second overall pick in 2016, and the club is willing to do the same thing with the first overall selection this year. Speaking to reporters today, Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson refused to rule of the possibility of another deal, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes.Hue Jackson (Vertical)

[RELATED: Browns Sign Jamie Collins To Extension]

“Everything for right now is going to be negotiable and talked about,” Jackson said. “Until we sit down and talk about where we are and what we’re trying to do, then will we know. I think we haven’t had those discussions. I think right now we’re just in the beginning phases of all of it. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to that decision.”

Cleveland, of course, holds two picks in the first round (Nos. 1 and 12), and could be eyeing multiple players at each slot. The Browns front office reportedly has an “astronomical” grade on Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett, who currently looks like the favorite to be selected first overall. Quarterbacks, of course, are also an option for the Browns in the first round, and the club has been linked to Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and DeShone Kizer, the top-three signal-callers in the draft.

“We all a know a quarterback is very important to our football team,” Jackson said. “But is he the best player? We’ve got to find that out. We need to put one on our team. We’re going to find one. I promise you guys that. We’re going to do that. I think that’s imperative. I think we all know that, and that’s what we’re going to accomplish.”

Scouts Down On Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer?

January 25th, 2017 at 8:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL scouts are “cooling” on Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Not only are evalutors questioning Kizer’s 2016 production, but they’re worried about potential character concerns, per Pauline.DeShone Kizer (vertical)

[RELATED: 103 Underclassmen Enter 2017 Draft]

Kizer is generally considered one of the top three quarterbacks in this year’s class along with UNC’s Mitch Trubisky and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, and is projected to be selected in the first or second round. Browns scout Lake Dawson reportedly spent an “inordinate” amount of time in South Bend scouting Kizer, and Cleveland could potentially be interested in the Fighting Irish QB with pick Nos. 12 or 33.

In his second season as Notre Dame’s starter, Kizer completed 212 of 361 passing attempt for 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Comparing him to Carson Palmer, Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com calls Kizer a loose athlete who “understands ball placement and not intimidated by tight windows.”

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