2018 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Move Into Ravens’ No. 75 Position

April 27th, 2018 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after trading out of the No. 65 draft slot, the Ravens are moving down again. The Chiefs will now pick at No. 75, and they’ll supply the Ravens with an additional fourth-round selection to do so.

Kansas City will send the No. 86 and No. 122 picks to Baltimore, per Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), and will use the pick on Derrick Nnadi — a defensive lineman from Florida State.

This marks the second time the Chiefs have traded up tonight and the second time they’ve used a pick on a college defensive lineman, although they’ve said Breeland Speaks will start out at outside linebacker in their 3-4 set.

Whereas Speaks will play on the outside in K.C., Nnadi figures to help inside. The Chiefs lost Bennie Logan in free agency and don’t have an obvious successor at nose. The 312-pound Nnadi registered 9.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss while playing inside for the Seminoles the past two seasons.

Raiders Acquire Ravens’ No. 65 Pick

April 27th, 2018 at 8:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are moving to the top of the third round and will use multiple picks to make that jump, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

Oakland acquired the No. 65 choice from the Ravens and will send Nos. 75, 152 and 212 to Baltimore. The Raiders used the pick to draft another offensive lineman, North Carolina A&T’s Brandon Parker.

The 6-foot-7 Parker will follow the 6-9 Kolton Miller to the Bay Area as offensive line reinforcements. The Silver and Black are in need of right tackle help and have Donald Penn entering his age-35 season on the left edge. Each of Oakland’s three 2018 picks so far have come on the lines, with second-round defensive lineman P.J. Hall joining the blockers as the newest Raiders.

Browns Trade No. 64 Pick To Colts

April 27th, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts moved back into the second round and will make the final pick. They acquired the Browns’ No. 64 overall choice to do so.

One of the picks acquired in the 2016 Carson Wentz trade now goes to the Colts, who used it to draft Ohio State defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis.

Indianapolis will send its third-round pick, No. 67, to Cleveland, which also will receive a sixth-rounder (No. 178), per Nate Ulrich of ohio.com (on Twitter). Lewis served as a consistent weapon for the Buckeyes, going back to Joey Bosa‘s final season. Lewis combined to register 23 sacks from 2015-17, never dropping below 7.0 sacks in those seasons.

Patriots Notes: Brown, Evans, Ragnow

April 27th, 2018 at 9:04am CST by Zachary Links

Some news on a potential Patriots trade target + more out of New England:

The Patriots will have to do their medical homework on tackle Trent Brown before pulling off a trade for him with the 49ers. Brown was terribly out of shape at minicamp and San Francisco has reservations about him coming off of shoulder surgery, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com (on Twitter) hears. The Niners’ concerns over Brown prompted them to select Mike McGlinchey with the No. 9 pick.
The Patriots had interest in linebacker Rashaan Evans at the No. 23 pick and the Steelers were looking to trade up to get the Alabama product, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. Ultimately, the Titans gave up a fourth-round pick to move up three spots and leapfrog two AFC rivals. Tennessee also received a sixth-round pick in that swap.
The Patriots also had Frank Ragnow as a top target at No. 23 overall and tried to move up to get him, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press hears. The Bengals also had the Arkansas center as a top target, but the Lions pounced on the opportunity to take him at No. 20 overall.

Bills Acquire No. 16 From Ravens

April 26th, 2018 at 8:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are having a busy night. After acquiring the No. 7 pick earlier this evening (which they used on quarterback Josh Allen), the team has now acquired the No. 16 pick from the Ravens. The team tweeted that they’ll be sending Baltimore picks No. 22 and No. 65, and Buffalo will also be receiving No. 154. ESPN’s Mike Rodak was the first with the news (via Twitter).

The Bills are using the pick on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Virginia Tech product is considered to be one of the top defenders in the entire draft, as Daniel Jeremiah listed him sixth in his top-5o rankings. Edmunds had a productive junior season, compiling 108 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. The rookie will likely compete with Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo for a starting gig.

The trade will give the Ravens a second third-rounder, and it will give the organization nine picks for the entire weekend. Reports had indicated that the organization was eyeing offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Kolton Miller. With the two off the board, the team switched their focus to a trade.

Saints Acquire No. 14 Pick From Packers

April 26th, 2018 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints and Packers have pulled off a deal. New Orleans has acquired the No. 14 pick from Green Bay, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Packers will receive No. 27, No. 147, and a 2019 first-rounder.

The Saints have used their selection on UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport. We heard earlier today that the pass rusher could end up being selected earlier than initially thought, although he was listed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s prospect rankings. Davenport had another productive season in 2017, finishing with 55 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. The rookie will provide the Saints with another talented defensive end to play alongside Cameron Jordan and Alex Okafor.

There were rumblings earlier today that the Saints had made a number of calls in an attempt to move up in the first round. It was thought that New Orleans could be targeting a potential Drew Brees replacement, but the front office apparently focused in on defense.

Instead of moving down in the draft, we had heard rumors that the Packers may instead move up. Reports indicated that the Packers were among a handful of teams “plotting a potential trade up…for a top-tier talent.” Green Bay’s targets were apparently off the board by the time they got to their selection, and they ended up bailing on the pick. The trade now gives the Packers 13 selections this weekend.

Cardinals Acquire No. 10 Pick From Raiders

April 26th, 2018 at 8:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are trading out of the top-10. Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com reports (via Twitter) that Oakland is trading the No. 10 pick. The selection is headed to the Cardinals, who will be sending Oakland the No. 15 pick, a third-rounder (No. 79), and a fifth-rounder (No. 152), according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (via Twitter).

The Cardinals have used the selection on quarterback Josh Rosen, making that four signal-callers taken within the first 10 picks. The UCLA product had a bounce-back season in 2017, connecting on 62.6-percent of his passes for 3,756 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. We had heard earlier this week that the Cardinals were considering trading up in pursuit of a top quarterback.

The rookie will have plenty of competition for playing time, as the Cardinals have acquired both Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon this offseason. The team is also rostering Brandon Doughty and Alek Torgersen, who could end up being roster casualties.

The Raiders were already armed with a number of late-round picks, including seven selections in the final three rounds. The new acquisitions will give them 13 total picks throughout the weekend.

Bills Acquire No. 7 Pick From Buccaneers

April 26th, 2018 at 7:51pm CST by Ben Levine

We have our first trade of the night. The Bills have acquired the No. 7 pick from the Buccaneers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). In return, Tampa Bay will receive the Bills No. 12 pick, a pair of second-rounders (No. 53 and No. 56), and No. 255 (seventh-round).

The Bills will use their newly-acquired pick on quarterback Josh Allen. The Wyoming product was among the top signal-callers available in the draft, and he had been connected to several teams in the top-10 (including the Broncos, who instead opted for Bradley Chubb). Allen had another solid campaign in 2017, completing 56.3-percent of his passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Allen will have to compete with A.J. McCarron, who signed a two-year deal with the Bills earlier this offseason, for the starting gig. The Bills are also rostering Nathan Peterman.

We heard moments ago that Buffalo was unwilling to sacrifice a pair of first-round picks in order to move up. Ultimately, it sounds like general manager Brandon Beane got his wish. The Bills had been connected to a number of early selections, including the first-round picks owned by the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6). With those teams ultimately holding on to their picks, Buffalo shifted their focus to Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers headed into the night with only a pair of picks in the first three rounds. Thanks to the trade, they’ll now have four picks in that span, including three second-rounders (No. 38, No. 53, and No. 56).

Bills Unwilling To Trade Two First Rounders

April 26th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills won’t be selling the farm to trade up. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that general manager Brandon Beane isn’t willing to give up a pair of first-rounders in order to move up from the No. 12 pick.

The Bills have been connected to a number of early selections, including the first-round picks owned by the Browns (No. 4), Broncos (No. 5), and Colts (No. 6). By making a trade, Buffalo would presumably be looking to secure one of the top signal-callers. However, with only Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold off the board (through five picks), a quarterback may end up falling into their lap.

The writing has been on the wall for the Bills to make a move for a quarterback in this draft ever since the team dealt Tyrod Taylor to the Browns. Buffalo is armed with both the No. 12 and No. 22 selections, and it sounds like they’ll be hanging on to those picks for now.

Browns Select Baker Mayfield No. 1 Overall

April 26th, 2018 at 7:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have a new franchise quarterback, as Cleveland has selected Oklahoma signal-caller Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

At various points in the pre-draft process, the Browns had reportedly been eyeing other quarterbacks, such as USC’s Sam Darnold and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Instead, they’ve gone with a former Heisman Trophy winner in Mayfield in an effort to solidify their quarterback position for years to come.

Cleveland, of course, has been trying and failing to land a long-term passer for some time, and notably passed on prospects such as Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson in recent drafts. With a new general manager in place, and the first and fourth overall picks at their disposal, the Browns always seemed likely to use a top selection on a quarterback.

Mayfield, a former walk-on at both Texas Tech and Oklahoma, is a favorite of many in the analytic community, and posted at 3,700 yards and 35 touchdowns in each of his three campaigns for the Sooners. An excellent passer from the pocket, Mayfield stands at just over six feet tall.

The Browns acquired Tyrod Taylor from the Bills earlier this offseason, and also signed veteran backup Drew Stanton, so Mayfield isn’t expected to begin the 2018 season as the club’s starter. Cleveland has pledged to bring its next quarterback along slowly, but Mayfield could conceivably see the field as the year progresses.

As the first overall pick, Mayfield will sign a four-year, fully guaranteed contract that comes with a fifth-year option for the 2022 seasons. Mayfield’s deal should be worth nearly $33MM, per Over the Cap, including a $22MM signing bonus and a 2018 cap charge of roughly $5.9MM.

2018 NFL Draft News & Rumors