2021 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Alabama’s Devonta Smith, Najee Harris Pass Medical Checks

April 14th, 2021 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

Two of Alabama’s brightest stars got good news on Wednesday. Running back Najee Harris’ ankle checked out well with “no concerns,” according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Meanwhile, wide receiver Devonta Smith’s dislocated finger is said to be healing fine, despite his torn ligaments.

Harris is viewed as one of the best running backs in this year’s class. Teams have been keeping tabs on his recovery, but his ankle shouldn’t affect his stock, according to sources who spoke with RapSheet. Harris, a skilled pass-catcher, set Alabama records with 57 total touchdowns, 3,843 rushing yards, and 46 rushing TDs. His pass-catching ability is a major plus, though teams are equally intrigued by his combination of power and elusiveness.

Smith, meanwhile, is viewed as one of the three best wide receivers in this year’s class — somewhere behind Ja’Marr Chase and neck-and-neck with teammate Jaylen Waddle. While Waddle is known for his high-end speed, Smith has drawn rave reviews for his soft hands and ability to win 50/50 balls. His finger shouldn’t cause any long term issues, so it’d be a surprise to see him slip outside of the top ten.

NFL Teams Expect Falcons To Draft Kyle Pitts?

April 13th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

There’s no shortage of suitors for the Falcons’ No. 4 overall pick, but it’s not a given that they’ll trade down. There’s also the possibility that they’ll stay put and draft a quarterback. Meanwhile, a number of league sources tell Peter King of NBC Sports that they expect the Falcons to stand pat and select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Falcons connected to the dynamic athlete. Pitts personally believes that the Falcons are high on him and new head coach Arthur Smith would reportedly prefer to take a non-quarterback while banking on the continued health of Matt Ryan. For all intents and purposes, the Falcons know that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson won’t be available at No. 4, which leaves two of the three remaining QBs (Mac Jones, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields) on the table for them. That’s not a bad group to choose from, but they may prefer Pitts’ combination of wide receiver skills coupled with an offensive lineman’s wingspan.

There’s little doubt that the Falcons are high on Pitts, because just about every team is drooling over his potential. That includes teams like the Cowboys, who are well out of range. Jerry Jones has more pressing needs to fill than the tight end position, but some believe it’s possible that he could move up the board for him anyway.

Trey Lance, Justin Fields To Run 49ers Drills

April 13th, 2021 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

Justin Fields and Trey Lance are clearly gearing their workouts towards the 49ers. When they do their second pro days, both quarterbacks will run drills that are favored by Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, prospects are not able to do individual workouts for specific teams. That’s led to some scheduling conflicts throughout the process. As a result of that – plus their own separate chess game to keep their plans under wraps — Shanahan and GM John Lynch have yet to get an up-close look at Lance or Fields. Meanwhile, many believe that the Niners are leaning towards Alabama’s Mac Jones at No. 3 overall, so both players are eager to show their stuff. By tailoring their drills towards Shanahan, the hope is that they can unseat Jones for the most lucrative rookie contract possible.

Even if the Niners go with Jones, both quarterbacks seem likely to fall inside of the top ten. The Washington Football Team, for example, is said to be eyeing a trade up from No. 19 to grab Lance. Meanwhile, the Patriots will be on hand for Fields’ pro day — they would also have to slingshot up the board to guarantee his availability.

Panthers Considered Trading Up For QB

April 12th, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford this offseason, the Panthers moved to Sam Darnold. They sent three draft choices (two in 2022) for the former Jets top-five draftee, who is on track to replace Teddy Bridgewater next season.

But the Panthers, whose quest to land a franchise quarterback was no secret this offseason, also considered making the kind of move the 49ers did. Carolina held internal discussions about vaulting up the draft board for a quarterback, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. However, the franchise that entered the 2020 offseason in rebuilding mode deemed the price to do so too extreme for its present situation.

It cost the 49ers their No. 12 pick, a 2021 third-rounder and 2022 and 2023 firsts to climb up nine spots to No. 3. The Panthers, who resumed Darnold talks with the Jets in Columbus while there for Justin Fields‘ first pro day, do not boast the roster talent the 49ers do at this point. Dealing away two future first-rounders for this draft’s second- or third-best quarterback, though the Jets are not believed to have received a firm offer for No. 2, would cost the Panthers chances at adding long-term starters. That said, Carolina did offer its No. 8 pick, Bridgewater and a fifth-rounder for Stafford in January.

With legal issues ensnaring Watson, his top would-be suitor will have Darnold under contract for two more seasons — on a rookie salary in 2021 and an fifth-year option price ($18.9MM) in 2022 — unless the sides agree to an extension. Darnold’s presence should not take the Panthers out of the running for Watson down the road, and Breer notes they should be expected to draft a quarterback at No. 8 — should one they like fall that far. Mac Jones and, to a lesser degree, Trey Lance have been the passers connected to the 49ers at 3. Lance and Fields seemingly have the best chance of falling to the eighth spot.

The Panthers did not want to part with their second- or third-round picks in this year’s draft for Darnold, Breer notes, so they and the Jets settled on a package that included a 2022 second-rounder as the centerpiece. The Panthers were offering their 2021 fifth-rounder, the same one they dangled as a Stafford throw-in, but swapped that out for a 2022 fourth to sweeten their offer to the Jets. The sixth-rounder Carolina gave up this year was a compensatory pick, the lowest of the team’s three 2021 sixths.

Malcolm Butler, A.J. Bouye Expressed Interest In Joining Cowboys

April 12th, 2021 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the draft approaches, cornerback continues to be a need area for the Cowboys. While they re-signed Jourdan Lewis this offseason, the Cowboys received interest from multiple veterans with more experience.

Both Malcolm Butler and A.J. Bouye expressed an interest in joining the Cowboys, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes, and each third-contract-seeking vet was willing to take a discount to do so. However, Dallas was not open to that prospect — even at lower rates than the corners ended up signing for — and moved on, Hill adds.

The Titans and Broncos, respectively, made Butler and Bouye cap casualties this offseason. Butler ended up signing a one-year, $3.25MM deal with the Cardinals. Bouye joined the Panthers late last week, agreeing to a two-year, $7MM pact. Butler’s contract is fully guaranteed, while Bouye will receive $3.5MM fully guaranteed. That will tie him to the Panthers for the 2021 season. These third contracts represent steep downgrades. Butler, 31, signed a five-year, $61.25MM deal with the Titans in 2018; Bouye, 29, landed with the Jaguars on a five-year, $67.5MM deal in 2017. They joined many free agents in taking major discounts this offseason, which featured a near-$20MM salary cap reduction.

The Cowboys communicated to both defenders they did not have the money to sign them, Hill notes. The team has added a host of free agents, but they have largely been on low-end contracts. As of Monday, Dallas holds just less than $8MM in cap space. Much of that will go to signing draft picks.

Dallas drafted Trevon Diggs in last year’s second round and used a fourth-round pick on Reggie Robinson. Slot corner Anthony Brown is signed through the 2022 season. Lewis re-signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal; only $4.75MM of that is fully guaranteed. Despite these investments, the Cowboys are expected to add a corner early in the draft, Hill adds, perhaps with the No. 10 overall pick.

49ers, Patriots To Attend Justin Fields’ Pro Day

April 12th, 2021 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers and Patriots have committed to attend Justin Fields’ second pro day, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. Fields’ showcase has been set for April 14th at Ohio State, while fellow quarterback Trey Lance will take the field on April 19th.

Fields and Lance plan to have the NFL staffers run the throwing sessions, rather than their throwing coaches. Both players are eager to show that they can adapt to any system — specifically, the 49ers’ system, because they hold the No. 3 overall pick. In recent weeks, the buzz out of SF has largely pointed to Mac Jones, the Alabama quarterback who may be viewed as a safer choice than Lance or Fields.

The 49ers and Patriots are the only clubs to have committed to Fields’ pro day part two, Breer hears. Ideally, Fields would probably like a larger group, one that includes teams like the Bears. The Bears are currently out of range for this year’s top five QBs, but they could trade up as high as No. 4 to find a younger alternative to new QB Andy Dalton.

Niners brass skipped Fields’ first pro day, opting instead to see Jones at Alabama. However, assistant GM Adam Peters was still on hand, a sign that they still have Fields in consideration.

Latest On Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley

April 11th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Rory Parks

For a consensus first-round prospect, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley has had an unconventional rise to the top of NFL draft boards. A high school quarterback, it became clear during the recruiting process that he would probably not be a passer for a top collegiate team, so when he committed to the Hokies in 2017, he did so with the intention of becoming a wide receiver.

But an ACL tear wiped out his true freshman season, and when he returned to the field in 2018, he was asked to play cornerback. Despite the usual growing pains that could be expected with such a position switch, he showed plenty of promise as a DB, and he was tremendous in 2019, racking up four interceptions and 12 passes defensed en route to First-Team All-ACC honors. He also allowed a completion rate of less than 50% on passes thrown in his direction.

He had intended to return to college in 2020, but he opted out of the season due to COVID-19. That made sense, as he didn’t have much left to prove and already had a first-round grade.

The only real concern was the back injury that ended his 2019 season prematurely. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes, Farley underwent a microdiscectomy procedure in March, which is the same procedure that Rob Gronkowski has undergone three times in his career. But according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, Farley “did well with his physical regarding his back and is still expected to go in the first round” (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Of course, physicals are a little different this year due to COVID-19 protocols. Per Volin, the team doctor and head trainer from all 32 teams were able to meet with the top 75 prospects in this year’s draft — along with an additional 75 players with medical red flags — a few days ago in Indianapolis for in-person physicals. That event was critical for the evaluation process, as teams were not allowed to bring their doctors to a prospect’s pro day this year and could not host pre-draft visits at team facilities.

Farley was one of the lucky 150 to be invited to Indianapolis — other prospects were reduced to virtual “physicals” — and if what Rosenhaus says is true, then the 6-2, 207-lb defender should certainly hear his name called within the top 20 picks. He might even have a chance to slide into the top-10, and teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, and Cardinals could all have interest.

He might still be a bit raw, but his size, speed, and physicality should be enough to get him a starting spot right away, and he could develop into a true shutdown corner down the road.

Credit to Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network for details on Farley’s recruiting history and scouting profile.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle

April 10th, 2021 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

If you haven’t been tracking Jaylen Waddle for the last three years, you could be forgiven. Early on in his career, Waddle was largely overshadowed by the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III – two eventual first-round picks. After they left Tuscaloosa, Waddle was primed to assert himself as Bama’s top wide receiver in 2020.

In his first six games, Waddle went off for 28 catches and 591 yards — good for 21.2 yards per catch on average — plus four touchdowns. He also kept up his strong work in the return game, giving evaluators even more opportunities to gawk at his speed on film. Unfortunately, his final return of the regular season came against Tennessee, couching his season up until the National Championship game against Ohio State.

Despite the ill-timed injury, Waddle remains one of this year’s most highly-coveted prospects. His injured ankle even kept him from running the 40-yard-dash for scouts this year — that hasn’t slowed him down either. Waddle was clocked at 4.37 seconds before he even stepped foot on campus. And, depending on who you ask, he could even be a shade faster than Ruggs on the field. Ruggs, for reference, clocked a 4.27-second 40-time last year.

With explosiveness and sustained speed down the field, it would almost be too easy to compare Waddle to Chiefs star Tyreek Hill. Almost. Both players have the ability to wreck one-on-one coverage with their speed and, like Hill, Waddle can accelerate, stop on a dime, and throttle his way past the coverage. Former teammate Najee Harris – viewed by many as the best running back in the 2021 class — also sees the similarities.

“He’s small but he’s dynamic. He’s explosive. Really really explosive,” Harris told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “The closest thing to Tyreek Hill. You gotta see him in person. How he plays how he gets in and out of cuts. How he stops and goes 60 [mph] right away.”

The knocks on Waddle are few and far in-between. Many of them were out of his control. Waddle never put together a full season like LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase did in 2019 (1,780 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns, both SEC records), but he was buried behind an All-Star cast in 2018 and 2019. Then, 2020’s ankle injury effectively ended his year. His hands aren’t quite as reliable as Chase’s either. Still, Waddle has already crossed a lot of the “cons” off of his list – concerned chatter about his catching ability and upper body strength have turned into mere whispers. Blessed with serious wheels, route running, and tons of tools to make opponents miss, Waddle has cemented himself as this year’s WR2 or WR3, depending on how you rate him vs. ‘Bama teammate DeVonta Smith.

Chase ran away with the WR1 crown at his pro day when he posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, a number that even surprised the LSU star (“I was going for a low 4.4,” Chase said.) If Chase’s absolute ceiling is No. 4 overall after three QBs come off the board, then Waddle’s should top out at the Bengals’ No. 5 pick. After that, it’s the Dolphins at No. 6 and the Lions at No. 7, two clubs that want/need a game-changing WR like Waddle. Even with lots of variables in play, it’s hard to imagine Waddle waiting past the top ten.

Washington Interested In Trey Lance?

April 9th, 2021 at 9:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

On Day 1 of the legal tampering period, Washington moved to add its bridge quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick joins Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke on Washington’s roster, and while he will have to win a competition for the QB1 job, it is expected Fitz will be the team’s starter. But Alex Smith‘s injury and Dwayne Haskins‘ quick exit leaves Washington without a long-term option. They may use this draft to acquire one.

Washington “loves” Trey Lance as a prospect and may be willing to part with considerable assets to acquire him, The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi said during his latest GM Shuffle podcast. Lance is expected to be drafted somewhere in the top 10. Washington holds the No. 19 overall pick.

How much capital Washington would be willing to part with for Lance may depend on how the draft unfolds, but moving up from No. 19 into Lance range may mean climbing 15 spots to No. 4 overall. Although the Chiefs and Texans made similar trades for Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017 — Kansas City climbing from No. 27 to No. 10 and Houston moving from No. 25 to No. 12 — and gave up just one future first-rounder to make those jumps (the Chiefs also threw in a third), the 49ers trading up from 12 to 3 this year took their 2021, ’22 and ’23 first-rounders and a 2021 third. The Falcons are open to dealing their No. 4 choice, but Washington would likely have to sacrifice future first-rounders and change to acquire that pick.

It does not sound like the Bengals are willing to trade down from No. 5 to 19. Were Lance to drop to No. 6, the Dolphins may be interested in accumulating another haul of picks. The rebuilding Lions (No. 7) would surely listen as well, should the North Dakota State prospect fall that far. The Panthers have indicated they are still interested in QBs at No. 8, even though Sam Darnold is Charlotte-bound, and the Broncos have not made a move to bolster their position. Denver has started an NFL-high 10 quarterbacks since 2016, and GM George Paton indicated the team will bolster its QB group this offseason.

Of course, the 49ers could render all of this moot if their trade-up was for Lance. Mac Jones has emerged as the early clubhouse leader to go third overall, but Lance is not out of the picture. Both Lance and Justin Fields will hold second pro days, seemingly with the partial purpose of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch — who were not present at either’s initial workout — traveling to watch.

While a move into the top 10 would be costly, Washington does reside in an unusual situation. The team tried to land a long-term option by trading for Smith and extending him in 2018. After Smith’s injury, the team selected Haskins a year later. Haskins is now in Pittsburgh, having seen his stock crater after two rough Washington seasons. Fitzpatrick will turn 39 in December, and Allen and Heinicke are ex-UDFAs either coming off a major injury (Allen) or were out of football entering last season (Heinicke). Washington attempted to trade its first-rounder and change for Matthew Stafford and inquired on Darnold.

Lance is one of the most unusual prospects in modern draft history, having played one season at a Division I-FCS school. The 20-year-old QB played 17 college games, flashing immense promise as a dual-threat talent (28 TD passes, zero INTs, 1,100 rushing yards in 2019), but his profile points to him benefiting from a season developing in a backup role. With Fitzpatrick signed to a one-year deal, Washington could offer such an arrangement.

Trey Lance Set For Second Pro Day

April 9th, 2021 at 1:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Trey Lance’s second pro day has been officially scheduled. The North Dakota State product will show his stuff on April 19th, as ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen tweets.

Lance will re-take the field ten days before the draft and five days after Ohio State’s Justin Fields holds his second session on Wednesday, April 14. 49ers GM John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan did not attend Lance’s first session, so the hope is that they’ll show up for pro day part two. The Niners haven’t necessarily ruled out Lance. That showcase came before SF traded for the No. 3 overall pick, so Lynch and Shanahan kept their distance in order to keep their plans under wraps.

Depending on who you ask, Lance may be trailing Alabama’s Mac Jones in the bid to be drafted third overall. Still, Lance offers tons of potential, as demonstrated in his 2019 season. That year, Lance went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.

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