2019 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Colts, Funchess, Mathis, Texans, Mills, Bills, Ravens

March 30th, 2019 at 6:13pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Colts made it very clear they were looking for a number two receiver this offseason. Ever since the season ended with a loss to the Chiefs in the second round of the playoffs, the front office and coaching staff had emphasized the need for a consistent second option behind T.Y. Hilton. The Colts mostly rotated lesser-known role players like Ryan Grant and Chester Rogers as their number two last season, and needed to upgrade. When free agency opened they went out and got their guy, signing Devin Funchess to a one-year deal worth up to $13MM.

Speaking to the media from the owners meetings this week, Colts coach Frank Reich revealed he banged the table for Funchess. When GM Chris Ballard first approached Reich about signing Funchess, Reich said he was immediately all-in, according to Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star. “I was like, ‘Please, let’s get this guy.’ That was the guy we really wanted to get,” Reich explained. Funchess was up and down during his time with the Panthers, but has always been high on talent. Funchess will provide the Colts’ receiving corp with the big bodied receiver they were lacking opposite the smaller Hilton, and will be a nice weapon for Andrew Luck in 2019. The Colts are clearly confident in his ability to improve his consistency, and Reich seems genuinely excited about the addition.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Speaking of the Colts, Indianapolis is making a notable change to their coaching staff. Robert Mathis will no longer be a full-time coach, according to Keefer. The Colts’ legend had served as an assistant coach helping out with the team’s pass-rushers the past two seasons. Mathis will now transition into a role as a consultant, giving him more time to develop his private training business. Mathis spent 14 years in the NFL, all with the Colts, and racked up 123 sacks. He’s also the league’s all-time leader in forced fumbles.
The Texans recently signed Matt Kalil, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily done adding offensive tackles. The team hosted former Bills tackle Jordan Mills on a visit before signing Kalil, but they’re apparently still interested in adding Mills, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson writes that Houston has “remained in contact with Mills” and that he’s “still a candidate to potentially join the team.” Offensive line was the team’s main weakness last year, and it looks like they’re trying to add as many pieces as possible. Mills started all 16 games for Buffalo in each of the last three seasons, but graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 70th-best tackle last season.
The Bills and Ravens are two teams that could desperately use receiver help, that much isn’t really a secret. Both teams have young quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, and they both need to upgrade their receiving corp. They’re both likely to draft a wideout early next month, and they’re each showing interest in one of the top receivers available in the upcoming draft. Buffalo and Baltimore will both meet with Ole Miss receiver D.K. Metcalf ahead of the draft, James Palmer of NFL Network hears (Twitter link). Metcalf blew up the combine with freakish athletic testing, and should go sometime in the first round.

Latest On Oklahoma WR Marquise Brown

March 28th, 2019 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown had the boot on his foot removed and has been cleared to begin running, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Brown could still be available for mini-camp after the draft, which should help his stock.

Brown is still projected to go in the first round, despite undergoing Lisfranc foot surgery in January. The early word was that Brown would be ready for training camp in the summer, but the latest update on his health shows a faster track to recovery.

There has been buzz about Brown’s 40-yard-dash time being in the low 4.3s, or perhaps even the high 4.2s, so his speed and potential still makes him a tantalizing selection. History is on Brown’s side – Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis was also sidelined for key workouts in 2017, but he wound up going fifth overall to the Titans.

Over the last two seasons, Brown caught 132 passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns for Oklahoma. Those numbers and Brown’s speed, which he didn’t get to show off in Indianapolis, should lead to him coming off of the board early.

Brown put himself on the map in 2017 with 57 catches for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. He stepped his game up even further in 2018 when he reeled in 75 passes for 1,318 yards and ten TDs.

Browns Rumors: Hunt, Simmons, Draft, OBJ

March 26th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are asking the NFL to allow Kareem Hunt to remain with the team during his eight-game suspension, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Players are typically banned from the team facility and all activities during personal conduct policy suspensions, but the club is looking for an exemption in Hunt’s case.

Given Hunt’s history, this could be an uphill battle for the Browns. While we wait for developments on that front, here’s more from Cleveland:

It sounds like GM John Dorsey will consider Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the upcoming draft, despite his red flags. “I think from your standpoint, what you should do is you should talk to the coaches and the support system at Starkville, Mississippi State, and just see what kind of man that guy really is,” Dorsey said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The Browns might not be able to land Simmons with their first pick at No. 49 overall, but trading up is always a possibility.
Dorsey expects Odell Beckham Jr. to arrive in Cleveland for the start of the voluntary offseason program on Monday, April 1 (via Cabot). “He’s excited,’’ Dorsey said. “There’s a genuine excitement there. There’s familiarity with some teammates. There’s familiarity with his position coach. I’m sure he’s … he’s got a relationship with Baker so I’m sure he’s excited to be part of this new beginning for him.’’

West Notes: 49ers, Draft, Bosa, Broncos

March 24th, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 49ers are in the midst of a pivotal offseason. They dealt with a mountain of injuries last year which excused their poor record, but with Jimmy Garoppolo back healthy next season expectations will be very high. Fortunately for San Francisco, they have the second overall pick at their disposal. For a long time, Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa was the favorite to go first overall to the Cardinals. But with many now expecting Arizona to take Kyler Murray, Bosa could fall into San Francisco’s lap.

To that end, the “consensus opinion at this stage appears to be that Bosa will end up with the 49ers,” writes Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports. One NFL front office member told Maioccio at a recent pro day that the 49ers were going to take Bosa. The 49ers are in desperate need of outside pass-rush, so Bosa makes a lot of sense if he’s available. He would provide a massive boost to Kyle Shanahan’s defense.

Here’s more from the league’s western divisions:

The 49ers were expected to be players for Earl Thomas, but ultimately didn’t end up signing any of the big name safeties available. Safety was seemingly a position of need, but the 49ers opted not to make any splashes there. In a recent interview, 49ers GM John Lynch elaborated on the decision to more or less stay pat. “We feel good about our free safety depth. We feel we’re pretty well stocked there,” Lynch said, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports. Lynch did leave the door open for a future acquisition, saying “it’s not to say, if an opportunity presents itself, that we won’t go there, but we feel pretty good at our free safety spot.”
The Broncos may have traded for Joe Flacco, but that isn’t going to preclude them from looking for a quarterback of the future in the draft. Denver will host Kyler Murray, Drew Lock, Dwayne Haskins, and Daniel Jones on visits before next month’s draft, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Broncos have the tenth pick in the draft and seem to be seriously considering taking a signal-caller then, although Murray and Haskins are likely to be off the board by the time they’re scheduled to pick.
The Broncos didn’t pick up their option on linebacker Brandon Marshall, and as such might need to add an inside linebacker to replace him. New head coach Vic Fangio said earlier today that “we like the guys we have but we’re always looking to add guys to all the personnel positions. … I do like Josey and Todd, but we’re always looking to get better” referring to second-year UDFA Josey Jewell and veteran Todd Davis, per Mike Klis of Denver 9News (Twitter link). The Broncos’ run defense has been very inconsistent the past couple of years, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see them add a run-stuffing linebacker either in free agency or through the draft.

OLB Josh Allen To Visit 5 Teams

March 23rd, 2019 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top prospects in a draft pool chock full of front-seven talent, Josh Allen has much of his pre-draft itinerary scheduled.

The Kentucky linebacker has five visits on tap. He will meet with the 49ers, Jets, Raiders, Giants and Lions, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. While more visits could be scheduled, this quintet represents what Allen confirmed he has lined up so far. Teams can host up to 30 non-local prospects before the draft.

At this point, Allen sits behind Nick Bosa among edge rushers. But it might be difficult for a team drafting outside the top three to land the four-year Kentucky contributor.

Many evaluators at Allen’s pro day believe the Jets will draft him at No. 3 overall, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The Jets, as expected, have been active in free agency. They authorized a massive deal for C.J. Mosley, became the Le’Veon Bell destination and added Jamison Crowder. But New York did not address its edge-rushing need, seeing potential edge convert Anthony Barr back out of an agreement to stay with the Vikings.

Allen benefited from staying in school, registering 17 sacks as a senior. He finished his Wildcats career with 31.5 sacks, improving his draft stock.

The 49ers have been linked to Bosa, in the event the Cardinals leave him on the board at No. 1 overall. While other up-front presences — like Quinnen Williams, Montez Sweat, Rashan Gary and Ed Oliver — are expected to go early in Round 1, Allen figures to be off draft boards within the event’s first few picks.

2019 NFL Draft Capital By Team

March 21st, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While each NFL team is organically handed seven draft picks per season, trades involving draft choices and the compensatory pick process ensures that many clubs end up with more (or fewer) than their original seven selections. As always, you can view the complete 2019 draft order, but here we’ll look at how much draft capital each club has amassed.

Let’s take a look at how many draft picks each NFL club currently possesses:

Updated: 4-23-19 (12:57pm CT)

12 picks

New England Patriots
New York Giants

11 picks

Cincinnati Bengals

10 picks

Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers

9 picks

Atlanta Falcons
Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts
Washington Redskins

8 picks

Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos
Minnesota Vikings
Oakland Raiders

7 picks

Carolina Panthers
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6 picks

Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans

5 picks

Chicago Bears
Seattle Seahawks

Of course, not all draft picks are created equally, as holding more early-round selections is eminently more valuable than collecting mid-to-late round picks. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, we can calculate how many draft capital points each team owns heading into the 2019 NFL draft:

New York Giants: 75.0
Oakland Raiders: 74.1
Arizona Cardinals: 66.5
Green Bay Packers: 63.1
San Francisco 49ers: 57.0
Buffalo Bills: 53.8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 52.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 51.8
New England Patriots: 51.7
Indianapolis Colts: 50.7
Pittsburgh Steelers: 50.1
Cincinnati Bengals: 49.0
Denver Broncos: 49.0
Atlanta Falcons: 48.3
Detroit Lions: 47.8
Carolina Panthers: 47.4
New York Jets: 47.3
Washington Redskins: 45.2
Houston Texans: 42.6
Philadelphia Eagles: 42.5
Miami Dolphins: 41.9
Seattle Seahawks: 40.8
Tennessee Titans: 39.9
Baltimore Ravens: 39.4
Minnesota Vikings: 38.4
Los Angeles Chargers: 34.3
Los Angeles Rams: 29.9
Cleveland Browns: 29.2
Kansas City Chiefs: 26.6
Dallas Cowboys: 23.7
New Orleans Saints: 12.7
Chicago Bears: 12.4

Dwayne Haskins To Meet With Five Teams

March 20th, 2019 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins will work out for the Raiders and Dolphins in the coming days, and also plans to meet with the Redskins, Broncos, and Giants, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Fully expected to become a top-10 pick in next month’s draft, Haskins will likely embark on a busy schedule over the next several weeks. Haskins performed at OSU’s Pro Day earlier today, giving NFL clubs an up-close look at his abilities, and he’ll surely meet with a number of other teams — in addition to those listed above — in the weeks leading up to the draft.

New York will meet with Haskins despite conflicting reports about its potential interest in the Buckeye signal-caller. While some reports have indicated Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is “all over” Haskins, others have said Haskins isn’t likely to be a target for Big Blue.

Washington is another logical candidate to land Haskins, as the Redskins need a cheap quarterback given that Alex Smith is expensive and unlikely to play any time soon. Given that need, Washington has already begun “sniffing around” about a possible trade up from No. 15 overall, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The Jets, who are looking to recoup draft capital after moving up for Sam Darnold in 2018, might be a trade partner for Washington at No. 3.

49ers To Meet With Nick Bosa

March 20th, 2019 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are set to have a dinner date with defensive end Nick Bosa on Wednesday night, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link). With the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the Niners may be in position to snag Bosa, who is regarded by many as the best overall talent in this year’s class.

Of course, the Niners’ chances of having Bosa on the board hinges on the Cardinals’ plans at No. 1 . It has been widely reported that the Cardinals have set their sights on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, though their plans could still be in flux with five weeks to go before taking the podium.

The Niners already made major upgrades to their defense by acquiring edge rusher Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander earlier this month. Putting Bosa at one of the bookends would give the 49ers a massively improved front seven and a D to be reckoned with.

Despite playing in only three games last year, Bosa looks the part of a game-changer in the NFL, similar to older brother Joey Bosa. As a sophomore, Bosa registered 8.5 sacks and 16 total tackles for a loss and was named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Even in his injury-shortened junior season, Bosa managed four sacks and six tackles for a loss.

Montez Sweat Has Pre-Existing Heart Condition

March 17th, 2019 at 2:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat — who is widely viewed as a potential top-15 selection in the 2019 draft — was diagnosed with a pre-existing heart condition at the scouting combine, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Per Rapoport, doctors gave Sweat a “thorough” evaluation at the combine because of the condition. However, Sweat was still cleared to participate in all combine activities, so it’s unclear how serious of a condition Sweat is working through. Medical professionals deemed Sweat’s issue “low-risk” and didn’t exclude him from the combine, something doctors have done before (including once in 2019, per RapSheet).

“Because of privacy issues we are not allowed to comment specifically,” said Sweat’s agents. “But I will tell you that this is not news. Montez is the same person that was medically cleared to play and dominate the SEC, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL combine. No change in health and no change in domination!”

Sweat, who stands 6’6″, 245 pounds, was a terror for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons, compiling 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss over that span. Following that performance, he proceeded to light up the combine, posting a 4.41-second 40-yard dash, an all-time record speed for a defensive lineman.

NFL Draft Rumors: Murray, Haskins, Giants

March 13th, 2019 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Although Kyler Murray threw at Oklahoma’s pro day Wednesday, and fared well during that portion of his workout, he did not go through the full process. The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner did not add any more fuel to the fire regarding his height, not taking part in another measurement. Murray only weighed in, stepping on the scale at 205 pounds, according to NFL.com’s Andrew Groover, on Twitter). This is two pounds down from Murray’s Combine weight. Murray measured at 5-foot-10 in Indianapolis. Additionally, the tantalizing prospect did not run the 40-yard dash at today’s event, per NFL.com’s James Palmer, despite the school planning on him doing so (Twitter links via James Palmer and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). So, teams will not have that figure going into the draft. Murray remains expected to be a top-10 pick, with a No. 1 overall ceiling.

Tyree Jackson is holding his pro day at the Bills‘ facility, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Buffalo University product is viewed as a rising prospect, with Schefter adding that many believe the 6-foot-7 passer will be a higher-than-expected draft choice.
The Giants now have two of the 2019 draft’s first 17 selections, which could point to them taking a quarterback with one of them. They have been most closely tied to Dwayne Haskins, but the Ohio State product may not enamor the team to the point of being worth the No. 6 overall pick, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes. It’s widely anticipated either Haskins or Murray will be the first quarterback selected, and both are viewed as likely top-10 picks. The Giants have been doing extensive research on Haskins, who burst onto teams’ radars with a dominant 2018.

2019 NFL Draft News & Rumors