2018 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Ohio State OL Billy Price Suffers Injury

March 2nd, 2018 at 9:39am CST by Zachary Links

Ohio State offensive lineman Billy Price suffered a partially torn pec while doing the bench press on Thursday, sources tell TomPelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that the MRI results are in and a doctor tells Price that surgery is not required (Twitter link via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Price says he will seek a second medical opinion but, as of right now, he believes that he will not miss any time in 2018.

“I’m not worried about this at all. This is something where I’m gonna come back stronger,” Price said of his “incomplete” tear. “You’re gonna really have to put a bullet between us Ohio State guys’ eyes to put us down. So I’m looking to get back out there and whatever team ends up selecting me, we’re going to be 100 percent going into it.”

Price is one of the draft’s top offensive lineman and widely viewed as a first or second-round prospect. Depending on the news he receives from this point, he could still be in range for the top 64 picks.

Weeks ago, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote that Price was expected to “crush the bench press at the Combine.” Unfortunately, what was meant to be a statement event for Price turned awry. Still, with accolades including the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award in 2017 plus All-Big Ten and/or All-American honors in each year from 2015-17, his future looks bright.

Ohio State OL Billy Price Believed To Have Torn Pec

March 1st, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ohio State offensive line prospect Billy Price is believed to have suffered a torn pectoral while bench pressing during the scouting combine today, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link).

Price is considered one of the best interior line prospects available in the 2017 draft, and was expected to be selected in the first round. His stock doesn’t necessarily have to slip, especially since a torn pectoral’s recovery time is typically five-to-six months, meaning Price could still be ready for the start of the regular season in September. But it would be surprising if Price didn’t experience a slight drop, possibly into Day 2.

Price, who started 55 games for the Buckeyes, has “freaky strength and explosiveness,” per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. He was named as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2017, and earned All-Big Ten and/or All-American honors in each year from 2015-17.

Browns Open To Trading No. 1 Pick

March 1st, 2018 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns, once again, own the top pick in the draft. Many expect Cleveland to stand pat and draft one of this year’s top quarterbacks, but new GM John Dorsey says the team has not ruled out trading the pick, as Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com tweets.

“Give me a call and see what’s up,” Dorsey said with regards to the top selection.

Of course, the Browns have misfired in each of the last two drafts by trading down instead of selecting franchise quarterbacks themselves. In 2016, they sent the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to the Eagles, who selected Carson Wentz. Last year, they gave up the No. 12 pick to the Texans, clearing the way for Houston to select Deshaun Watson. The trades yielded considerable draft capital for Cleveland – including this year’s No. 4 overall pick, courtesy of Houston – but those deals may haunt the Browns for years to come.

The Browns will likely ask for a king’s ransom if they are to move out of the top spot, but it’s conceivable that Dorsey is not completely sold on Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or Josh Allen, all of whom would be candidates for the No. 1 pick. If Dorsey is higher on a QB such as Baker Mayfield, he’ll likely be able to select him at either No. 4 or a pick further down the line while filling one of the team’s many holes elsewhere. The Browns could also punt on all of this year’s top prospects if they are able to snag an established veteran such as Kirk Cousins in free agency.

Browns fans may not want to hear that Dorsey is willing to trade down from No. 1, but it would be foolish for Dorsey to not at least listen to offers.

Extra Points: Vander Esch, Cousins, Brees

February 26th, 2018 at 5:41pm CST by Zachary Links

During his teleconference on Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock opined that Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch could shoot up the charts if he clocks in at under 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard-dash at the combine. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link) hears that Vander Esch has been beating that number in practice, which means that we could see him climb the boards in the coming weeks.

Last year, Garafolo was hearing similar rumblings about Temple’s Haason Reddick and he catapulted from the second round to No. 13 overall where he was snagged by the Cardinals. Recently, a scouting director told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that LVE will go in the first round, though he is unlikely to crack the top 15.

Vander Esch, a high-end athlete for his position, broke out in 2017 with an eye-popping 141 tackles, the most by any Boise State player in an individual season since 1988. He also had 8.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, and two interceptions.

Here’s more from around the league:

Mike Florio of PFT wonders if this year’s free agent quarterbacks could fall victim to collusion. Already, we’ve heard talk that the Jets will not simply hand Kirk Cousins a blank check, despite their desperate need for a franchise QB. Florio anticipates similar talk to emerge about Drew Brees, who would likely garner $30MM/year from a contender in a fair market. Meanwhile, there’s talk that lesser options like Case Keenum and A.J. McCarron may get less than the value of Blake Bortles‘ now exercised $18MM option with the Jaguars. If QBs of that caliber are stifled, then injury-prone players like Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater will certainly feel it too. Ultimately, teams will be able to find leverage in this year’s draft, which has multiple QB candidates for the first round.
This year, free agent blocking tight ends like Darren Fells (Lions), Lee Smith (Raiders), and Virgil Green (Broncos) figure to earn more than expected, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The reason, Rapoport says, is because of poor draft talent in that area and a lack of other options. Last offseason, tight end Rhett Ellison landed a four-year, $18MM free agent deal from the Giants despite averaging just ten catches per season over the course of his five-year career, so there is precedent for TEs to cash in even without gaudy stat lines.
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NFL Awards Compensatory Picks To 15 Teams

February 23rd, 2018 at 3:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has awarded 15 compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained.

This year, the 32 comp picks were dispersed to 15 different teams. Here is the complete rundown:

Round 3

No. 97 overall – Cardinals
No. 98 overall – Texans
No. 99 overall – Broncos
No. 100 overall – Bengals

Round 4

No. 133 overall – Packers
No. 134 overall – Cardinals
No. 135 overall – Giants
No. 136 overall – Patriots
No. 137 overall – Cowboys

Round 5

No. 170 overall – Bengals
No. 171 overall – Cowboys
No. 172 overall – Packers
No. 173 overall – Cowboys
No. 174 overall – Packers

Round 6

No. 207 overall – Packers
No. 208 overall – Cowboys
No. 209 overall – Chiefs
No. 210 overall – Raiders
No. 211 overall – Texans
No. 212 overall – Raiders
No. 213 overall – Vikings
No. 214 overall – Texans
No. 215 overall – Ravens
No. 216 overall – Raiders
No. 217 overall – Raiders
No. 218 overall – Vikings

Round 7

No. 251 overall – Chargers
No. 252 overall – Bengals
No. 253 overall – Bengals
No. 254 overall – Cardinals
No. 255 overall – Buccaneers
No. 256 overall – Falcons

The Bengals, Cowboys, Packers and Raiders lead the way in comp picks this year with four. The Cardinals and Texans each snagged three, the Vikings own two, and the Falcons, Ravens, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Giants, and Buccaneers each have one.

Draft Notes: McGlinchey, Edmunds, R. Smith

February 16th, 2018 at 8:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2018 offensive tackle class is setting up to underwhelm, as Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.net observes in his latest look at this year’s prospects. So far, most NFL clubs only rate one tackle — Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey — as worthy of a first-round pick, and given that he may be the only available tackle capable of starting on day one, his stock figures to rise even more as draft day approaches. Meanwhile, Orlando Brown (Oklahoma) is viewed as a right tackle, while Connor Williams (Texas) is only on some teams’ guard boards. Further down the list, Western Michigan’s Chukwuma Okorafor, Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill, and UCLA’s Kolton Miller are considered Day 2 selections, while Martinas Rankin (Mississippi State) isn’t believed to be a left tackle at the pro level, per Pauline.

Here’s more on the 2018 draft, all courtesy of Pauline:

With NFL teams searching for athletic linebackers, Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Teach) and Leighton Vander Esch (Boise State) are likely to come off the board earlier than many expect, according to Pauline. In fact, Edmunds is rising up draft boards so quickly that he may become a top-12 selection. However, the scouting combine will prove to be an important test for Edmunds, per Pauline, who says the former Hokie lacks “quick change-of-direction skills.” Vander Esch, meanwhile, is being compared to former Bears linebacker and 2018 Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, and most clubs believe he can be a three-down defender.
While Edmund and Vander Esch are drawing rave reviews, fellow linebacker Roquan Smith is trending in the other direction, reports Pauline. Given that the pass game now dominates the pro ranks, Smith’s problems playing man coverage against opposing running backs and tight ends could prove troublesome. However, Pauline says Smith can be effective when used in zone coverage, which should make the Georgia product viable for a good number of NFL teams.
Wake Forest edge rusher Duke Ejiofor underwent surgery for a torn labrum in late January, but Pauline doesn’t believe the operation will affect Ejiofor’s draft stock. Projected as a Day 2 pick, Ejiofor is expected to run a 4.75 40-yard dash despite sitting at nearly 270 pounds. Scouts are impressed by Ejiofor’s “explosiveness, power, and athleticism,” and given that his labrum injury occurred in October, teams can account for any drop in performance after that time.

NFL Invites 326 Players To Combine

February 6th, 2018 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL announced that it has invited 326 players to attend this year’s NFL Draft scouting combine. This year’s scouting combine is scheduled for February 27 to March 5.

There are typically 300+ players invited to the combine and that tends to be a pretty comprehensive group given that there are 256 picks in the draft. However, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com details, there are always a handful of quality prospects who miss the cut for one reason or another. He notes that N.C. State guard Tony Adams, Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford, Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain, Missouri defensive end Marcell Frazier, Sam Houston State defensive lineman P.J. Hall, Central Michigan defensive end Joe Ostman, and Washington State guard Cody O’Connell are among this year’s notable snubs. Frazier may be the biggest surprise as he recorded a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his final season on campus.

The combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In addition to the evaluations of the players, the combine will also be the site of the coin toss between the 49ers and Raiders to determine who will get the No. 9 or No. 10 overall pick in the draft.

Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order

February 5th, 2018 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:

1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)

2. New York Giants (3-13)

3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)

4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)

5. Denver Broncos (5-11)

6. New York Jets (5-11)

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

8. Chicago Bears (5-11)

T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)

T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)

11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)

13. Washington Redskins (7-9)

14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)

15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

20. Detroit Lions (9-7)

21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)

23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)

25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)

30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)

31. New England Patriots (13-3)

32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

Pauline’s Latest: Giants, Jets, Colts, Cowboys

January 26th, 2018 at 9:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants are expected to make a run at pending free agent guard Andrew Norwell, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. New Giants general manager Dave Gettleman originally signed Norwell as an undrafted free agent when he was still Panthers GM, so there is an obvious connection and familiarity level between the two. Additionally, the G-Men have a clear need to improve an offensive line which could theoretically lose guard/tackle Justin Pugh to free agency. Norwell is not only young (26 years old), but extremely talented, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s third-best guard in 2017. Fellow guards such as Kelechi Osemele and Kevin Zeitler have recently inked contracts with $11.5MM+ annual values, and Norwell should meet or exceed that threshold.

Here’s more from Pauline:

If the Giants push hard to sign Norwell, they likely won’t have the funds available to sign free agent center Weston Richburg. That doesn’t mean Richburg will necessarily leave New York, however, as the Jets reportedly have interest in pursuing the 26-year-old pivot, per Pauline. Gang Green is in need of a new center given that Wesley Johnson — who started 15 games a season ago — is set to hit the open market in March. Football Outsiders ranked the Jets 29th in adjusted line yards when running towards the guard/center gaps in 2017, so Richburg would offer clear improvement. Richburg appeared in only four games last season (after missing only two contests during his first three years in the league), but he’s been cleared of any ongoing concussion concerns.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard could be active during his second offseason at the helm, as Pauline hears Indianapolis is hoping to acquire as many as three new linebackers plus several cornerbacks during the free agent period. Former Cowboys linebackers coach Matt Eberflus is expected to become the Colts’ next defensive coordinator under presumptive head coach Josh McDaniels, so any additions will likely be made with Eberflus’ scheme in mind. At cornerback, specifically, Indianapolis could seek to re-sign 2017 breakout star Rashaan Melvin, who will hit free agency coming off the best campaign of his career.
The Cowboys, too, have potential need areas in mind that could be addressed over the coming months, and linebacker and edge rusher are among them, reports Pauline. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is the top free agent defender on the market, and Dallas will almost certainly retain him via the franchise tag if a long-term deal can’t be arranged. Meanwhile, the Cowboys could express interest in Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, per Pauline, who is expected to “blow up” the scouting combine with an athletic performance.

Browns Notes: Allen, Mayfield, Thomas

January 24th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns GM John Dorsey holds the No. 1 pick in the draft and he is considering a larger pool of players than you might expect. Speaking to reporters at the site of the Senior Bowl this week, Dorsey indicated that both Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are in the mix.

“In 2013, I had the first pick in the draft with the Kansas City Chiefs, and there really wasn’t a quarterback prospect there,” Dorsey said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Actually in this class there are four to five prospects that make you think at least are they worthy of that position. So now I think what you do is you let the process unfold.”

USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen, of course, are also believed to be in the running. It’s not immediately clear who the fifth player might be, if there is one.

Here’s more on the Browns:

We’ve heard rumblings of rookie quarterbacks not wanting to go to the Browns in the past, but Allen says that he would embrace the opportunity to help engineer Cleveland’s comeback. “If I’m fortunate enough to become a Cleveland Brown, you can expect everything from me,” Allen told 92.3 The Fan. “I want to be the guy that turns around the Cleveland Browns. The guy that does that is going to be immortalized in Cleveland forever.”
Tackle Joe Thomas, who is still undecided about whether he’ll play in 2018, endorsed the team’s decision to retain coach Hue Jackson in an essay for The MMQB. Thomas was also optimistic about what the future may hold for the Browns, citing the team’s cap room and draft capital. It’s possible that these factors will motivate Thomas to return, but he may also wait until we get closer to the start of free agency to announce his plans.
On Wednesday, the Browns formally announced the hiring of former Pittsburgh play caller Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator.

2018 NFL Draft News & Rumors