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2022 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Packers To Sign First-Rounder Devonte Wyatt

May 5th, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this week, the first 2022 draftee signed his rookie contract. Today, the first prospect selected on Day 1 has inked his NFL deal. The Packers have agreed to terms with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

Wyatt was the second of two Packers first-round choices, going 28th overall. He is set to join former Georgia teammate Quay Walker, who went at No. 22. Wyatt was the second interior defensive linemen selected, behind another former Bulldog, Jordan Davis (taken 13th by the Eagles).

The six-foot-three, 315 pounder was a mainstay of Georgia’s defensive front, and played a key role in the team’s national championship. The 2021 campaign was his most productive, as he totalled 39 tackles (including seven for a loss) and 2.5 sacks. Seen as the more trusted prospect in terms of pass rushing compared to Davis (albeit the one with less overall upside), Wyatt was projected by many to be taken in the latter stages of the first round.

As Rapoport notes, the deal is for four years (with a fifth-year team option) carrying a fully guaranteed value of $12.86MM. The contract also includes a $6.533MM signing bonus. In Green Bay, Wyatt will join a defensive line led by Kenny Clark, but which faces uncertainty beyond the 2022 season. Both Dean Lowry and free agent signee Jarran Reed have only void years left on their respective contracts after the coming season, so Wyatt will provide a long-term answer on the defensive front as the Packers try to keep their Super Bowl window open as long as possible.

Panthers Still Open To Veteran QB Addition

May 4th, 2022 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers came away with a Day 2 quarterback in this draft (Matt Corral), third-round picks do not necessarily block teams from further investments at this position. The team will continue to look into the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield and now Nick Foles, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.

GM Scott Fitterer said post-draft the team would go with its current group — one headlined by Sam Darnold and Corral — but Garoppolo or Mayfield would provide an upgrade. The Panthers and Browns had discussed Mayfield ahead of last week’s second round but could not determine how to divvy up the since-replaced QB’s fifth-year option salary ($18.9MM). Darnold is already attached to that sum, which would make Carolina eating all of Mayfield’s option price a non-starter. As such, Mayfield is in limbo.

This marks the second Garoppolo connection to form in the past few days, with the Texans also believed to have the longtime 49ers starter on their radar. Houston did not draft a quarterback last week. Few Garoppolo connections emerged this offseason, with the 49ers’ high asking price limiting teams’ interest. The eight-year veteran’s shoulder surgery provided a roadblock as well.

Foles, 33, languished on the Bears’ bench for most of last season. The former Super Bowl MVP also lost his starting job in both 2019 (to Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville) and ’20 (to Mitchell Trubisky, after having taken it from the incumbent earlier that year). Last season, Andy Dalton and Justin Fields ran Chicago’s offense in all but one game — a Foles-directed win in Seattle — and the Bears finally cut bait after the draft.

Corral became a Panther after the team traded into the third round, giving up its 2023 third-rounder to do so, but the team might have had its eye on a different QB. The Panthers had a deal on the table to trade back into Round 2, when Corral, Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder were on the board amid their Friday-night freefalls.

“I had the card in my hand, and [owner David Tepper] looks at me and says, ‘What do you want to do?’” Fitterer said, via Breer. “And we both just kind of took a moment, and we looked at the board, and we decided the right thing to do was to be patient. Let’s not overpay. Let’s be smart about this. Let’s not dig ourselves in a hole for next year. Let’s inch back on trading with these quarterbacks.”

The Falcons and Titans took Ridder and Willis, respectively, and Breer adds the Panthers would have been fine going with Sam Howell instead of Corral. They decided on the Ole Miss product, and the in-state product fell all the way to Washington atop Round 5.

Latest On Jalen Reagor Trade Rumors

May 1st, 2022 at 10:40pm CST by Ely Allen

In the weeks leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, word was going around that Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor‘s days in Philadelphia were numbered. It stood to reason that it would be more financially favorable to seek a trade partner, rather than cut Reagor and incur dead cap charges of over $6MM. 

There was some reported interest, according to Tim Kelly of 94WIP, but the Draft came and went, and no trade occurred. Now, that doesn’t mean that a trade couldn’t still happen, but if it were going to, it would’ve been most likely to occur during the Draft.

Zach Berman of The Athletic did provide an update on the situation with a quote from Eagles general manager Howie Roseman saying, “Jalen Reagor is a Philadelphia Eagle and he’s going to be here…He’s worked tremendously hard to get in shape and come into this off-season program, and now he has an opportunity. We don’t anticipate anything changing.”

The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2020. Reagor was highly touted as a vertical threat after a productive college career at TCU, but that hasn’t yet translated to his NFL tenure. In 28 games, Reagor has averaged a healthy 10.9 yards per reception, but only totaled 64 catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns. With that said, he has also contributed on special teams as a returner.

So, as of right now, it appears Reagor will be returning for another opportunity to contribute. He currently is the third wide receiver on the depth chart behind last year’s first-round pick, DeVonta Smith, and Quez Watkins. He won’t need to pass either of them on the depth chart, necessarily, but needs to really improve his contribution if he wants to remain in Philadelphia.

Jets Tried To Trade Into First For RB Hall

May 1st, 2022 at 9:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Early in the second round, the Jets drafted former Iowa State running back Breece Hall with the 36th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, making Hall the first running back to come off the board for the year. Despite the annual debate over whether or not it’s worth it to use a first-round pick on a running back, this marked the first Draft since 2014 that a running back did not get selected in the first round. 

It was almost a continuation of the 7-year trend, though. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, New York was so high on Hall that they attempted to trade back into the bottom of the first round to draft him. Whether they just wanted to be extra sure Hall became a Jet or whether they sought to add a fifth-year option to his rookie contract is unclear at the time.

If New York had succeeded in this endeavor, it would’ve been the first time that an NFL team had used four first-round selections since the Jets, themselves, did it in the 2000 NFL Draft. The 2000 Draft saw the Jets select future-Pro Bowl defensive ends Shaun Ellis and John Abraham back-to-back at No. 12 & 13 overall. Five picks later, New York selected quarterback Chad Pennington, who would become their starter two years later and take them to the playoffs three times. Lastly, they drafted tight end Anthony Becht who became a red-zone threat throughout his tenure in New York.

The Jets are certainly hoping to get the same, if not better, success out of this year’s class. With two top-ten picks in cornerback Ahmad Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, in addition to No. 26 overall pick defensive end Jermaine Johnson II and Hall at No. 36 overall, New York has added key pieces to positions of need.

Stacked up with last year’s high value picks of quarterback Zach Wilson, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and wide receiver Elijah Moore, the Jets are looking to build draft success into success on the gridiron, something they haven’t seen since their last winning season in 2015, a year in which they still failed to qualify for the postseason. They will look to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 NFL season.

Brock Purdy Is 2022’s Mr. Irrelevant

April 30th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has been announced and the 49ers have selected Brock Purdy. Quarterback. Iowa State. The 22-year-old has officially earned the moniker of Mr. Irrelevant for this year’s draft after being selected by San Francisco with the 262nd overall pick. 

In 2018, after then-senior Cyclones quarterback Kyle Kempt suffered an early season injury and his replacement, Zeb Noland, proved ineffective over the next few games, Purdy was elevated into the starting role as a true freshman in a Week 5 game at Oklahoma State and led Iowa State to their first Power 5 win of the season. He went on to start every game for the rest of the year, taking the Cyclones from 1-3, when he took over, to 8-5 by the end of the season, amassing a record of 7-2 as a freshman starter.

Purdy went on to start the next three years for the Cyclones, as well. Under Purdy, Iowa State never suffered a losing season and finished the 2020 season ranked 9th in the Final AP Poll, the only time they’ve ended the season ranked in the Final AP Poll since the 2000 season and their highest final ranking ever. Purdy leaves Iowa State as the Cyclones’ all-time and single season record holder for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense, and total touchdowns.

With incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo long-rumored to be on the way out, Purdy would be coming into the Bay Area to compete for the backup job behind 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance. His competition for the position would be Nate Sudfeld, who signed with the 49ers in March. Despite being in the league since 2016, Sudfeld only has 37 pass attempts in his career.

It will be interesting to see if Purdy can justify the 49ers signing him to a four-year rookie contract, as opposed to merely signing him as an undrafted free agent. Purdy should have every opportunity to beat out Sudfeld and earn his roster spot this preseason.

Commanders Draft Sam Howell At No. 144

April 30th, 2022 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

This draft’s slow-paced approach with non-Kenny Pickett quarterbacks affected Sam Howell, whose wait lasted well into Day 3. The Commanders stopped the skid.

Washington led off the fifth round by taking the North Carolina passer at No. 144. Howell is this draft’s sixth QB selected, coming in behind Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, Matt Corral and Bailey Zappe.

Although Howell waited much longer to hear his name called than expected, he lands in an interesting place. The Commanders took on Carson Wentz‘s full salary in their trade with the Colts, but the twice-traded quarterback is a year-to-year proposition. Wentz is on Washington’s books at $28.3MM this year, with $22MM of that figure being guaranteed. None of Wentz’s money over the next two years is guaranteed.

While the prospect of Howell becoming a starter is jumping the gun, as there are currently no fifth-round QBs penciled in as their teams’ starters, the Commanders have started five Week 1 QBs in the past six years. Wentz will become No. 6, with the former North Carolina passer set to develop behind he and Taylor Heinicke. The latter’s contract runs through 2022.

The Giants were also linked to Howell, viewing him as a possible late-Day 2 addition. ESPN rated the 6-foot Howell as its No. 50 overall prospect. But teams’ collective views on this quarterback class checked in even lower than the public’s, allowing for other positional attention as QBs slid. Howell was once viewed as a potential first-round pick. He exited his sophomore year with a 68-to-14 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, playing with the likes of Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown. Howell and Brown are now reunited in Washington, which used a third-round pick on the wideout last year.

Without those players last season, Howell’s stock fell a bit. Although, he still entered the draft after his junior year. He was viewed as a likely Day 2 selection, behind the bulk of the aforementioned passers. Zappe going in front of the ex-Tar Heel was somewhat surprising, given their pre-draft stocks, but Howell may have landed in a better spot for potential playing time down the road.

Patriots Draft QB Bailey Zappe At No. 137

April 30th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite using a first-round pick on a QB last year, the Patriots have used a 2021 fourth rounder on another. The Patriots have drafted Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe.

Zappe had a prolific 2021 season, setting single-season FBS records for most passing yards (5,967) and passing TD (62). The 23-year-old wasn’t considered to have the same upside as some of the QBs taken before him, but he was still a popular name in the workout circuit. The Panthers were among the teams that expressed interest in Zappe.

It’s a bit of a curious move for the Patriots, after Mac Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie in 2021. Of course, Bill Belichick and co. weren’t afraid to use draft picks on QBs during Tom Brady‘s tenure in New England. During Brady’s time with the Patriots, the team used first- to fourth-round picks on six QBs (Rohan Davey, Kevin O’Connell, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, and Jarrett Stidham). In other words, the Patriots will use an early(ish)-round draft pick on a high-quality backup. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets, one scout believes Zappe will be a “great backup forever.”

Jones will surely be the starter in 2022, but the rest of the depth chart will be interesting to watch. Zappe will compete with veteran Brian Hoyer for the number-two spot. The Patriots are also still rostering Stidham, a fourth-round pick in 2019.

Ravens Select P Jordan Stout At No. 130

April 30th, 2022 at 12:24pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got a fourth-round punter. The Ravens have selected Penn State’s Jordan Stout with the No. 130 pick. San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, who many considered the best punter in the draft, is still on the board.

The last punter selected this high was Bryan Anger, who was selected at No. 70 by the Jaguars in 2012.

Stout made a name for himself during his time in college thanks to both his punting and kicking prowess. He had 100 punts between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, averaging 46 yards on his attempts. He also served as their kicker, converting 16 of his 23 field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder.

“It’s definitely huge,” Stout said of his versatility (via Oliver Hodgkinson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “There’s a lot of good punters in the league. There’s a lot of good kickers in the league. But, there aren’t a lot of people who are great at both. I’ve always prided myself as a combo guy. I’ve figured out how to do all three at a high level.”

This move means the Ravens will surely move on from punter Sam Koch, the team’s longest-tenured player. Cutting the veteran will save the Ravens $2.1MM in cap space.

Browns Draft K Cade York At No. 124

April 30th, 2022 at 12:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The first kicker is off the board. The Browns used pick No. 124 to select LSU kicker Cade York.

Alongside Tennessee’s Cade Mays, York was considered to be one of the best kickers in the draft. The LSU product firmly established himself as an NFL prospect in 2021 after connecting on 15 of his 18 field goal attempts and all 39 of his extra point tries. This followed a 2020 campaign where York connected on 85.7 percent of his field goals and 100 percent of his extra points.

This is the highest a kicker has gone off the board since 2016, when the Buccaneers selected Roberto Aguayo in the second round.

The Browns relied mostly on Chase McLaughlin as their kicker in 2021. The 26-year-old saw time in 16 games, but he only connected on 71.4 percent of his field goal attempts (15 for 21). He did, however, make 36 of his 37 extra point tries. The Browns re-signed McLaughlin back in March, so a kicking competition is surely coming.

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