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2022 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Latest On Lions’ Jameson Williams Process

July 20th, 2022 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

The clubhouse leaders for first-round wide receiver picks during the 2000s, the Lions passed on such investments from 2008-2021. But second-year GM Brad Holmes gave his team a potential impact wideout talent this year, trading up for Jameson Williams at No. 12 overall.

This move cost the Lions the Nos. 32 and 34 overall picks, along with a third-rounder, though the team added the Vikings’ No. 46 overall selection. Holmes addressed why Williams both convinced him to trade up 20 spots and to deviate from a general policy of not taking injury risks in the first round. After an April film session, the former Rams college scouting director separated Williams from the other receivers in this draft.

“I had Jameson in his own box,” Holmes said, via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You want to be as sure as possible with first-round players, of course, and I was absolutely convicted on Jameson … the speed, how fluid he was, how confident he played. I consulted with our medial team, and they felt it was a clean ACL tear.

“So now I had to get comfortable with picking an injured player. I thought, I can’t preach to our organization to be open-minded with their decisions if I’m not going to be open-minded myself.”

Williams was the fourth receiver taken this year, going behind Drake London and ex-Ohio State teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. After hauling in 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns, the Alabama transfer suffered an ACL tear in the national championship game. Were it not for that injury, the slender speedster would have been in the conversation to be the first wideout chosen. Williams, 21, had made it back to that tier anyway, going four spots after London.

The injury likely to keep Williams out for a chunk of his rookie Lions season; he is expected to begin training camp on Detroit’s active/PUP list. Beginning the season on the reserve/PUP list would result in Williams missing at least four games. Given the long-term investment the Lions made, Williams starting the regular season on the PUP list appears likely.

Holmes did not hesitate in trading with a division rival, per King, saying the deal made “a ton of sense for both teams.” Minnesota chose Georgia safety Lewis Cine at No. 32 and traded the No. 34 choice to another division rival, Green Bay, to collect additional second-round capital. The Vikings ended up with Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth, after a Colts trade-up, and LSU guard Ed Ingram.

The Lions, who famously took top-10 wideouts in three straight drafts (Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams) before hitting big on Calvin Johnson two years later, have made their move for a receiver centerpiece. Jameson Williams should help Jared Goff, who will also have free agent DJ Chark to target this season, but Williams should be expected to be a key starter alongside Goff’s successor. Williams can be kept under Lions control through 2026, via the fifth-year option. Amon-Ra St. Brown is signed through 2024. With two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, which is viewed as far superior to this year’s quarterback class, Holmes and Co. figure to have that position on their front-burner next April.

Nine Second-Round Picks Remain Unsigned

July 19th, 2022 at 12:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

All 32 first-round picks have signed their rookie deals, and only a few players drafted from Rounds 3-7 — most notably quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral — have not signed their four-year contracts. But nearly a third of the second-round draftees remain unsigned as rookie camps open.

The Falcons, Ravens, Chargers, Dolphins, Patriots, Saints, Giants and Jets begin their rookie camps Tuesday. That will soon classify Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo as a holdout. In addition to Baltimore, six other teams — the Buccaneers, Packers, Titans, Seahawks, Vikings and Bears — have unsigned Round 2 picks.

While the Jets and Saints have avoided holdout situations with their respective second-rounders — Breece Hall (No. 36 overall) and Alontae Taylor (No. 49) — already on Tuesday, here is the remaining unsigned contingent:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

  • No. 34: Christian Watson, WR (North Dakota State)

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Desmond Ridder also came to terms on his rookie deal Tuesday, avoiding a Falcons holdout situation. But, whereas third-rounders have less bargaining power due to only their signing bonuses being guaranteed, second-round picks have made inroads with guarantees. Second-rounders have made gains since the 2011 CBA changed the rookie salary model. The player to start off the 2011 second round (Patriots wideout Ras-I Dowling) did not receive any fully guaranteed money beyond Year 2. Although previous years have seen incremental guarantee progress, the 2022 offseason has brought substantial developments on this front.

Certain Round 2 picks’ guarantee structures have caused this year’s signing gridlock. The Texans’ decisions to guarantee three full years of No. 37 overall pick Jalen Pitre‘s rookie deal and give No. 44 choice John Metchie 56% of his third year guaranteed have understandably led to players drafted in these neighborhoods to clamor for the same structure, causing a slowdown in signings compared to where Round 2 picks normally are at this point on the calendar.

With Pitre being drafted after Logan Hall, Watson and McCreary, the agents for the Houston, North Dakota State and Auburn talents are undoubtedly calling for their clients to see three years fully guaranteed. To end their long negotiation with Breece Hall, the Jets fully guaranteed the running back’s third year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Last year, that draft slot received just 58% of Year 3 salary guaranteed, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). Only seven 2021 second-rounders received even a partial Year 3 guarantee, illustrating the gains being made this offseason. The Hall, Watson and McCreary deals will likely reflect this soon.

The Falcons and Giants recently signed draftees chosen in this now-murky draft sector, and Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes both Arnold Ebiketie and Wan’Dale Robinson received major guarantee bumps compared to the previous players chosen at these respective draft slots (Nos. 38 and 43). Just more than 90% of Ebiketie’s third season is fully guaranteed, per Wilson, who adds just more than 60% of Robinson’s 2024 salary is guaranteed (Twitter links).

The jump from 2021’s No. 43 pick (Trevon Moehrig, Raiders) to Robinson perhaps best shows the contractual strides second-round picks have made this year. Moehrig’s rookie deal does not include any fully guaranteed money in Year 3. Ebiketie’s third-year guarantee is up 20% from last year’s No. 38 slot (Christian Barmore, Patriots), per Wilson. These deals should provide road maps for the other second-round deals yet to be inked while giving future second-round picks more security.

Saints Sign Round 2 CB Alontae Taylor

July 19th, 2022 at 12:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As rookies begin reporting to training camp, teams are ending unusually lengthy negotiations with second-round picks. After the Jets came to terms with Breece Hall on Tuesday morning, the Saints signed their second-round pick — cornerback Alontae Taylor — to wrap their draft class, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter).

One of 10 unsigned second-rounders, Taylor finishes out New Orleans’ five-man 2022 draft class. The holdup likely stemmed from how much of Taylor’s third-year salary would be guaranteed. That issue has led to a gridlock atop the second round, and a few mid-second-round draftees have taken months to sign as well.

The Saints chose Taylor 49th out of Tennessee. This marks the second straight year the Saints have used a second-day pick on a corner, with the team choosing Stanford’s Paulson Adebo in the 2021 third round. Taylor and Adebo together gives the Saints a rather crowded corner cadre. New Orleans still rosters Bradley Roby alongside Marshon Lattimore, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back to patrol the slot. Gardner-Johnson is going into a contract year. The team also has corner/safety P.J. Williams rostered; this will be Williams’ eighth NFL season.

Taylor represents the Saints’ top draft investment at the position since Lattimore came off the 2017 draft board in Round 1. ESPN ranked Taylor as this year’s 109th-best prospect, but the Saints clearly see more in the 6-foot defender.

At Tennessee, Taylor started a chunk of games in each of his four seasons. He intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, last season and broke up six more. Taylor’s rookie deal runs through 2025. Here is how the Saints’ draft class rounds up:

Round 1: No. 11 (from Commanders) Chris Olave, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 1: No. 19 (from Eagles) Trevor Penning, OT (Northern Iowa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 49 Alontae Taylor, CB (Tennessee)
Round 5: No. 161 D’Marco Jackson, LB (Appalachian State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 194 (from Colts through Eagles) Jordan Jackson, DT (Air Force) (signed)
Round 6: No. — Selection forfeited

Falcons, Round 3 QB Desmond Ridder Agree To Deal

July 19th, 2022 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

With Falcons rookies reporting to camp Tuesday, the team finally came to terms with its third-round quarterback. Desmond Ridder is now under contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

While the Cincinnati prospect is the final Falcons 2022 draftee to sign, he is the first of this year’s third-round QBs to agree to the terms of his four-year rookie contract. Not as much wiggle room exists for third-rounders, as only their signing bonuses are guaranteed, but the CBA has annually made third-round contract agreements drag out a bit. Ridder’s camp appears to have done well in these lengthy negotiations.

Ridder’s draft slot comes with a $5.36MM price and includes a $1.1MM signing bonus. The deal will also include bonuses on Day 5 of the 2023, ’24 and ’25 training camps, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). Although the bonuses are for $78K (2023), $207K (2024) and $336K (2025), they represent sweeteners for a quarterback who was expected to come off the draft board earlier than he did. The bonuses should factor into the other two teams’ negotiations with third-round QBs.

The Falcons stopped the near-two-round quarterback drought by taking Ridder 74th overall. Ridder joined Malik Willis and Matt Corral in being linked to a potential first-round destination, but the non-Kenny Pickett wing of this year’s scrutinized QB class waited until late Friday night to be selected. Of the three, Ridder has the best chance of seeing extended starter run as a rookie.

After falling short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes — a derby in which the Falcons were believed to have finished second to the Browns — the team quickly pivoted from its quarterback plan of the past 14 years. The Falcons traded Matt Ryan and signed ex-Arthur Smith pupil Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman winner has not been a full-season QB1 since 2018, opening the door for Ridder. The Falcons being on a clear rebuilding track would stand to give Ridder a window at making several rookie-year starts, though Mariota is expected to open the season in the starter’s role.

Ridder started for four seasons with the Bearcats. The most notable of those came in 2021, when the seasoned signal-caller helped the American Athletic Conference team become the first Group of Five program to be selected for a College Football Playoff slot. Ridder finished his senior season with 3,334 passing yards, 30 TD throws and eight INTs. He also showed rushing chops throughout his career, topping 500 yards in a season twice and finishing his Cincinnati career with 28 rushing TDs.

As Atlanta’s rookie contingent breaks for camp, here is the now-fully signed group:

Round 1: No. 8 Drake London, WR (USC) (signed)
Round 2: No. 38 (from Panthers through Jets and Giants) Arnold Ebiketie, OLB (Penn State) (signed)
Round 2: No. 58 (from Titans) Troy Andersen, LB (Montana State) (signed)
Round 3: No. 74 Desmond Ridder, QB (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 3: No. 82 (from Colts) DeAngelo Malone, LB (Western Kentucky) (signed)
Round 5: No. 151 Tyler Allgeier, RB (BYU) (signed)
Round 6: No. 190 Justin Shaffer, OG (Georgia) (signed)
Round 6: No. 213 John FitzPatrick, TE (Georgia) (signed)

Jets To Sign Round 2 RB Breece Hall, Wrap 2022 Draft Class Deals

July 19th, 2022 at 11:01am CST by Sam Robinson

Jets rookies report to training camp Tuesday, and the team will not have any official holdouts. The Jets will have Breece Hall under contract before the team’s first workout, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Iowa State product has been in the team’s building Tuesday morning and will soon be under contract through 2025. Hall entered the day as one of 11 unsigned second-round picks. He is the final Jets 2022 draftee to sign.

It has been seven years since the Jets rostered a 1,000-yard rusher (Chris Ivory), but Hall will likely be put in position to snap that streak while attached to his rookie deal. The Jets traded up to No. 36 with the Giants to land him; they had tried to trade back into the first round for the former Big 12 star. A trade back into Round 1 would have been historic, seeing as the Jets made three previous first-round picks this year. Only the 2000 Jets have made four first-round picks in a draft.

Although the Jets have Michael Carter and Tevin Coleman on their roster, Hall is expected to be their backfield centerpiece this season. Hall, 21, dominated with the Cyclones, scoring 23 touchdowns in each of his final two seasons. He surpassed 1,450 rushing yards in each of those campaigns and became this year’s first running back selected.

The Jets have made a few attempts to staff their running back position since Ivory’s departure. The most notable of those, of course, being Le’Veon Bell. Since Bell’s Big Apple flameout, the Jets had not made major investments at the position. Hall, who was connected to a few teams as a first-round pick, changed that. Here is how Gang Green’s 2022 draft class rounded out:

Round 1: No. 4 Ahmad Gardner, CB (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 1: No. 10 (from Seahawks) Garrett Wilson, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 1: No. 26 (from Titans) Jermaine Johnson II, DE (Florida State) (signed)
Round 2: No. 36 (from Giants) Breece Hall, RB (Iowa State) (signed)
Round 3: No. 101 (from Saints through Eagles and Titans) Jeremy Ruckert, TE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 111 (from Panthers) Max Mitchell, OT (Louisiana) (signed)
Round 4: No. 117 (from Vikings) Michael Clemons, DE (Texas A&M) (signed)

Giants Sign Round 2 WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Round 4 S Dane Belton To Wrap Draft Class

July 18th, 2022 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will not go into training camp with any unsigned rookies. They became the latest team to round out their draft class deals Monday, signing both second-round wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and fourth-round safety Dane Belton.

Chosen in what became a gray area, thanks to the guarantees in the No. 37 overall pick Jalen Pitre and No. 44 choice John Metchie‘s Texans contracts earlier this offseason, Robinson represents the latest early-second-round pick to sign. Eleven second-rounders remain unsigned. This year’s No. 43 overall choice will vie for playing time in a crowded Giants wideout situation.

[RELATED: Assessing Giants’ Offseason Decisions]

Although Big Blue’s receiver setup is currently jampacked, Robinson profiles as the safest bet to stay with the team into the mid-2020s. The Giants roster Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton. But Robinson is the only member of this intriguing wideout quintet to be brought in by the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime. Slayton has become a trade candidate, while Shepard restructured his deal to stay for a seventh season. The longest-tenured Giant is now set to be a 2023 free agent. Golladay underwhelmed after signing a four-year, $72MM deal in 2021, and unavailability has been Toney’s defining NFL trait thus far.

Robinson zoomed onto the second-round radar after a 104-catch, 1,334-yard, seven-touchdown 2021 season at Kentucky. The 5-foot-8 slot player had been a Wildcats contributor during his underclassman years, but 2021 brought a breakthrough. Even without the Giants’ offseason injury issues at receiver and Slayton’s potential preseason departure, Robinson should be expected to have a steady role as a rookie. Both he and Belton are now signed through 2025.

The Giants are less situated at safety, giving Belton an interesting opportunity. The team cut Logan Ryan and allowed Jabrill Peppers to sign with the Patriots this offseason, leaving some uncertainty opposite Xavier McKinney. Julian Love is tentatively expected to start alongside the former second-round pick, but Belton — a first-team All-Big Ten player last season — will have a say in that plan during camp. As a junior at Iowa, Belton intercepted five passes in 2021. That tally tied for the second-most in the conference last season.

Here is how the Giants’ draft class looks ahead of camp:

Round 1: No. 5 Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 1: No. 7 (from Bears) Evan Neal, OT (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2: No. 43 (from Falcons) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Kentucky) (signed)
Round 3: No. 67 Joshua Ezeudu, G (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 3: No. 81 (from Dolphins) Cor’Dale Flott, CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears) Daniel Bellinger, TE (San Diego State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 114 (from Falcons) Dane Belton, S (Iowa) (signed)
Round 5: No. 146 (from Jets) Micah McFadden, LB (Indiana) (signed)
Round 5: No. 147 D.J. Davidson, DT (Arizona State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 173 (from Chiefs through Ravens) Marcus McKethan, OG (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 6: No. 182 Darrian Beavers, LB (Cincinnati) (signed)

Raiders Not Expecting Any Rookies To Start In 2022

July 16th, 2022 at 8:07pm CST by Ely Allen

A rumor that isn’t totally surprising given the situation, after not making a selection in the 2022 NFL Draft until near the end of Day 2, Las Vegas does not expect any of their rookies to man starting roles this season, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

This marks a departure from the recent trend for the Raiders, when desperate needs on the depth chart forced players like Josh Jacobs, Henry Ruggs, Kolton Miller, Clelin Ferrell, and others onto the field as rookies. The lack of Day 1 and 2 picks combined with a more well-staffed roster puts Las Vegas in a situation wherein they don’t have to rush the development of their rookie class.

The Raiders spent two picks on running backs in April. The team selected Georgia running back Zamir White in the fourth round and UCLA running back Brittain Brown in the seventh. White is a talented back once considered the top recruit in the country at his position in high school. A couple of ACL injuries and a logjammed running backs room in Georgia led to a less impactful career with the Bulldogs than expected, but White still led the team in rushing yards the past two seasons with 779 yards in 2020 and 856 yards in 2021 while scoring 11 touchdowns in each season. Brown had his best season as a freshman at Duke but transferred to UCLA after Deon Jackson took over in Durham. He was the No. 2 running back in a two-back system in Los Angeles both years with Demetric Felton in 2020 and Zach Charbonnet in 2021.

The Raiders’ starting running back job is not up for competition. Even after a down year in 2021, incumbent Josh Jacobs will return as the lead-back in Las Vegas. Kenyan Drake returns as the primary backup, as well. White will likely have a talent edge over Brandon Bolden, but Brown will need to work hard to displace Bolden for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Also on offense, the Raiders spent their first pick of the draft on Memphis offensive lineman Dylan Parham in the third round and added Ohio State offensive tackle Thayer Munford in the seventh. Parham is an athletic lineman, moving from tight end to the offensive line while redshirting for the Tigers. He started all four seasons after redshirting and worked at left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle during his tenure, starting games at every position except center. Munford was a four-year starter (utilizing his extra year of eligibility granted due to COVID-19) after spending his freshman year as a reserve lineman. He started his sophomore through senior seasons as a tackle, but moved to left guard for his super-senior season.

Parham has the best chance of any of the Vegas rookies to start next year, but certainly won’t be forced to, as the Raiders have some position battles going on within the offensive line. Andre James and Kolton Miller should return to their respective starting positions of center and left tackle. Some combination of John Simpson, Denzelle Good, and Alex Leatherwood are expected to fill out the right tackle and guards positions. Parham could potentially find his way into one of the starting guard spots, depending on how the dominos fall, but more likely will find himself as the sixth-man of the offensive line who can fill in at any position, similar to Patrick Mekari‘s role in Baltimore. Munford on the other hand is cemented a bit further down the depth chart as a reserve tackle. Munford has a lot of the physical tools to become a contributor in the NFL and his situation in Las Vegas will allow him to develop his ability to use those tools over time.

The other two draft picks the Raiders used in 2022 were spent on defensive tackles. The team selected LSU’s Neil Farrell Jr. in the fourth round and Tennessee’s Matthew Butler in the fifth. Farrell won a national championship with the 2019 Tigers and went on to use his extra year of eligibility in 2021. Butler played in 52 games for the Volunteers and earned 9.5 sacks during his tenure.

Neither Butler nor Farrell are expected to have much of an impact on the Raiders defensive line this year. Entrenched behind Johnathan Hankins, Bilal Nichols, Kyle Peko, and Vernon Butler on the depth chart, the rookie Butler and Farrell are depth pieces in the middle. If the rookies develop quickly and prove to be more impactful than Peko and the older Butler, they can really get some substantial playing time. As it is, though, the two rookies will find their playing time as reserves for a position that rotates often.

After running through the picks, the initial comment makes a lot of sense. It’s not necessarily that the rookie picks aren’t talented enough to be starters in the NFL, but, with the Raiders’ current roster, there’s no need to force any of their first-year players into a starting role for which they aren’t yet ready.

Ravens Sign Two Of Three Remaining Unsigned Rookies

July 16th, 2022 at 6:27pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the few teams who still have unsigned rookies from this year’s draft, Baltimore continued to chip away today, signing two of their three remaining unsigned players. Offensive tackle Daniel Faalele and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis signed their rookie contracts today with a little under two months to go until their first regular season commences.

Faalele is an Australia-native who moved to the states with no football experience. Faalele was discovered by recruiting staff at the University of Hawai’i while playing basketball and rugby. He had tremendous athleticism for someone his size and, after attending a Jim Harbaugh satellite camp, Faalele was recruited to learn the game of football at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. IMG’s football team is notorious for taking five-star high school athletes from remote areas of the country and exposing them to some of the highest levels of high school football. After joining the football team in 2016, Faalele became a starter for IMG in 2017 and enrolled early at the University of Minnesota in 2018.

After beginning his freshman year as a backup, Faalele started the final eight games of the season, holding onto his starting job as a sophomore, as well. When Faalele announced he would sit out of the 2020 college football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many assumed he would declare for the draft. Instead, Faalele came back for his senior year and helped return the Golden Gophers to a winning season.

Faalele could potentially see a situation similar to his freshman year during his rookie season. Right now the Ravens are set to trot out Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses as their starting tackles. Moses is competing with Ja’Wuan James for the starting right tackle position currently. Moses and James both have plenty of starting experience, but Moses graded out as only the 40th best offensive tackle last season according to Pro Football Focus and James hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2019 NFL season. Not to mention, Stanley is expected to start the season but has only played in one game since signing an historic contract back in 2020. Any number of situations could play out that see Faalele force his 6’9″, 400 lb. frame into the starting lineup.

Armour-Davis had extremely limited playing time during his first three years at Alabama, spending his freshman season taking a medical redshirt and the next two seasons as a special teamer. As a redshirt junior, Armour-Davis was named a starting cornerback and led the team with three interceptions on the year, adding four passes defensed and not allowing a single touchdown. He played mostly on the outside but has the scheme versatility to fit in with any system.

Baltimore’s secondary is one of the most-talented in the NFL but a lack of depth bit the team hard in 2021 when starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey both suffered season-ending injuries. With the departures of Tavon Young and Anthony Averett, Armous-Davis immediately slots in as the team’s No. 3 or 4 cornerback behind Peters, Humphrey, and, possibly, free agent addition Kyle Fuller. Armous-Davis’ playing will likely come on resting downs for Peters or Humphrey. Due to the team’s enviable depth at safety, a nickel- or dime-package might feature three or four safeties, unless Fuller can cement himself as a slot-cornerback.

With Faalele and Armous-Davis now under contract, Michigan second-round pick David Ojabo remains as Baltimore’s only unsigned rookie. Ojabo announced an early departure from Ann Arbor after one year of starting opposite the second-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Aidan Hutchinson. Considered by most to be a first-round talent, Ojabo slipped into the second round after tearing his Achilles tendon while working out for scouts at the Wolverines’ Pro Day.

Falcons Sign Round 2 OLB Arnold Ebiketie

July 13th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

A handful of second-round picks have not signed their rookie contracts, with Texans decisions on guarantees believed to be holding up early-second-round draftees’ contract agreements. One of those players, Falcons linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, finalized his deal Wednesday.

The Falcons now have Ebiketie, this year’s No. 38 overall pick, signed through 2025. Desmond Ridder is now the only unsigned Falcons rookie. Fewer than 25 draft choices have yet to sign their rookie deals.

Ebiketie is slated to be an edge rusher for the Falcons, who have retooled on the edge this offseason. Ebiketie and third-rounder DeAngelo Malone join Georgia native Lorenzo Carter — a former Giants third-round pick — as new additions to the group this offseason.

Ebiketie is not a lock to start for the Falcons in Week 1, but his draft slot and the team’s lack of impact players on the edge would make such a reality unsurprising. As the new Falcons regime’s top edge investment thus far, Ebiketie should be a full-time player at some point during his rookie season.

A Temple recruit who later transferred to Penn State, Ebiketie broke out as a senior in 2021. He registered 9.5 sacks (third in the Big Ten) and 18 tackles for loss, helping the Nittany Lions rank seventh in Division I-FBS scoring defense. Ebiketie recorded two sacks against College Football Playoff-bound Michigan and notched at least one TFL in all but one game last season.

24 Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

July 2nd, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Nineteen teams have officially signed all of their rookies, but there are still 13 squads that have a bit more work to do. As our 2022 NFL Draft results show (and with some instance from Miguel Benzen on Twitter), there are only 24 rookies who remain unsigned.

More than half those unsigned rookies were second-round picks. The rest of the unsigned draft picks are either third- or fourth-round picks.

The following draft picks remain unsigned:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Round 2: No. 45 David Ojabo, OLB (Michigan)
  • Round 4: No. 110 (from Giants) Daniel Faalele, OT (Minnesota)
  • Round 4: No. 119 Jayln Armour-Davis, CB (Alabama)

Carolina Panthers

  • Round 3: No. 94 (from Chiefs through Patriots) Matt Corral, QB (Ole Miss)

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Round 2: No. 34 (from Lions through Vikings) Christian Watson, WR (North Dakota State)

Minnesota Vikings

  • Round 2: No. 42 (from Commanders through Colts) Andrew Booth, CB (Clemson)
  • Round 2: No. 59 (from Packers) Ed Ingram, G (LSU)

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Round 2: No. 43 (from Falcons) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Kentucky)
  • Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears) Daniel Bellinger, TE (San Diego State)
  • Round 4: No. 114 (from Falcons) Dane Belton, S (Iowa)

New York Jets

  • Round 2: No. 36 (from Giants) Breece Hall, RB (Iowa State)
  • Round 4: No. 111 (from Panthers) Max Mitchell, OT (Louisiana)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Round 2: No. 33 (from Jaguars) Logan Hall, DL (Houston)
  • Round 4: No. 106 (from Jaguars) Cade Otton, TE (Washington)

Tennessee Titans

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