The second of the Ravens’ two 2022 first-round picks signed his rookie contract Thursday. Tyler Linderbaum is now under contract through 2025, with his fifth-year option giving Baltimore a chance to keep him on this deal through 2026.
Baltimore obtained a second first-round selection by trading Marquise Brown to Arizona during the draft’s first night and traded down from No. 23 to No. 25 overall, allowing Buffalo to climb up for cornerback Kaiir Elam. Soon after, the Ravens drafted Linderbaum, the first center off the 2022 board.
The Iowa product will be expected to take over Ravens pivot responsibilities immediately. The team let 2021 snapper Bradley Bozeman sign with the Panthers. Baltimore will replace Bozeman with last year’s first-team All-American center. While Linderbaum received countless accolades last season, he was also a Rimington Trophy finalist in 2020. The Hawkeyes used Linderbaum as their starting center in 2019 as well, deploying an offensive line that featured two eventual first-round picks — Linderbaum and Tristan Wirfs.
Baltimore had not drafted an interior offensive lineman in the first round since Ben Grubbs 15 years ago. Linderbaum is the first center the Ravens have drafted in Round 1, providing a runway to a long career. Linderbaum joins Ronnie Stanley as Ravens first-round O-linemen, with veterans Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses set to accompany them up front.
The Seahawks’ highest draft pick in 12 years, Charles Crossis now under contract. The Seahawks and the No. 9 overall pick agreed to terms on the customary four-year rookie contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Cross was the last unsigned top-10 pick from this year’s class. Only five first-rounders remain unsigned. The Mississippi State-produced tackle can be kept on his rookie deal through 2026, via the fifth-year option. The slot deal is worth $21.4MM; that amount is fully guaranteed. This transaction is rather unusual, with Rapoport adding Cross is the highest-drafted player to enter the league without an agent.
The Seahawks are hoping for a long-term partnership with Cross, their first top-10 draftee since Russell Okung in 2010. Okung, who became his own agent as his career progressed, stayed with the Seahawks for six seasons. In 2017, the Seahawks traded for Duane Brown, who stayed on as their left tackle through last season. Brown remains a free agent, while the Seahawks reinvested in this prime position.
The two-year Mississippi State starter was the third tackle off the board this year, following Ikem Ekwonu(No. 6, Panthers) and Evan Neal(No. 7, Giants). Despite being closely linked to the Giants throughout the pre-draft process, Cross fell to the Seahawks, who used first- and third-round picks on tackles this year. They selected Abraham Lucas in Round 3.
A 6-foot-4 blocker, Cross will make an interesting transition in going from Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense to one of the NFL’s most run-oriented attacks. Post-Russell Wilson, Seattle’s offense — which added a second-round running back (Kenneth Walker) to the equation in April — could shift further in this direction. Discounting three games played during his redshirt year in 2019, Cross only played for the Rebels under Leach, who moved from Washington State to the SEC program in 2020. The former five-star recruit declared for the draft after his redshirt sophomore season, when he earned first-team All-SEC acclaim.
As players widely linked to first-round destinations fell into the third, the long run of skepticism about this year’s quarterback class manifested itself. While this was the lowest-rated quarterback crop since at least the 2013 class, a few of these passers have paths to early playing time.
Russell Wilson‘s rapid rise notwithstanding, third-round QBs do not have an extensive track record for extended QB1 run as rookies. Only six non-Wilson Round 3 QBs (Joe Ferguson, Mike Glennon, Chris Chandler, Davis Mills, John Hadl and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton) made at least 10 starts as rookies. (Wilson is the only third-round QB to start a full season.) The bar is low for the likes ofDesmond Ridder,Malik Willis and Matt Corral, but they each landed in interesting situations.
Conversations around starter promotions for this year’s class must first include Kenny Pickett, who ended up going 54 spots before the next quarterback came off the board. The Pittsburgh alum, who will turn 24 next month, was a four-year starter at the ACC school. Pickett’s NFL entrance looks similar to new teammate Mitchell Trubisky‘s. The No. 2 overall choice in 2017, Trubisky unseated Glennon after the latter signed with the Bears that offseason. A value gap between being picked second and 20th certainly exists, but the Steelers clearly have Pickett penciled in as their long-term preference.
Four of the five QBs taken in last year’s first round were full-time starters by September, while three of the four 2020 first-rounders moved to the top depth chart position by October. The Steelers bumped 2004 No. 11 overall pick Ben Roethlisberger into their lineup in Week 3 of his rookie year, following a Tommy Maddox injury. How eager will they be to put Pickett out there? Trubisky has 50 career starts to his credit, and the oft-maligned Bears draftee rebuilt his value in Buffalo — to some degree — to create a bit of a market in March. A Trubisky-Mason Rudolph depth chart adds some fuel to a scenario in which Pickett waits a bit before taking the reins.
The second quarterback chosen this year, Ridder joins a Falcons team amid a full-scale rebuild. This is a similar situation to the one Mills walked into in Houston. Ridder started four seasons at Cincinnati, topping it off by helping the Bearcats become the first Group of Five team invited to the College Football Playoff. Marcus Mariota resides as Atlanta’s stopgap starter, and while Ridder’s No. 74 overall draft slot does not mandate a lengthy look as the team’s long-term arm, Mariota has not made it past October as a starter since 2018.
The former Arthur Smith Titans pupil would stand to buy Ridder time in a low-expectations season post-Matt Ryan, but Ridder has a clear path to an extended look — if he proves worthy in the coming months.
Willis’ tumble doubled as one of the modern draft’s most notable freefalls. Linked to teams in the top half of the first round, the Liberty prospect fell to No. 86, when the Titans traded up for him. Of the top QBs taken this year, Willis seemingly has the best chance for a full-on redshirt. Ryan Tannehill has not seen his job threatened since taking over for Mariota midway through the 2019 slate, though the Titans have featured one of the lowest-profile QB2 situations since Mariota left for Las Vegas.
Willis’ all-around skillset, which allowed the Auburn transfer to nearly put up a 3,000-1,000 season during a year in which he accounted for 40 touchdowns, will make things interesting for Tennessee — if the Titans struggle after losing a few key offensive starters.
Perhaps the biggest wild card here, Corral resides on a Panthers team that spent the past two offseasons trying to made a big quarterback splash. Sam Darnold still represents Carolina’s projected Week 1 starter, unless the team finally decides to acquire Baker Mayfield. The Panthers have balked at trading for the disgruntled Browns QB for several weeks, due to his $18.9MM fully guaranteed contract. Darnold and Corral’s performance this offseason may well determine if Mayfield ends up a Panther, with Matt Rhule on the hot seat and Darnold showing little — albeit behind a bad offensive line — in 2021. Corral finished last season with a 20-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio, adding 11 rushing scores, and led Ole Miss to its first major bowl game in six years.
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The Jaguars became the latest team to wrap up the draft pick-signing portion of their offseason. Two third-rounders — centerLuke Fortner and linebacker Chad Muma— rounded out this process by signing their four-year rookie deals Wednesday.
Fortner’s deal at the No. 65 overall slot will be worth $5.5MM, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, who adds the Kentucky alum will collect a $1.18MM signing bonus (Twitter link). Muma, chosen 70th overall out of Wyoming, will be entitled to a bonus just north of 2021 No. 70 selection Brady Christensen‘s; the Panthers tackle collected $1.15MM guaranteed.
Brandon Linder‘s retirement created an immediate need for Jacksonville. Linder had been the team’s longest-tenured starter, and although he battled injuries for much of his career, the talented blocker had been the Jaguars’ starting center since 2016 after beginning his career at guard. Fortner played center and guard at Kentucky, starting 36 games played after taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility schools provided after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Fortner moved from right guard to center before last season. He stands to vie for the Jags’ center spot with previous Linder backup Tyler Shatley, who is the team’s longest-tenured player. Shatley has been with the Jags since 2014; he started eight games last year.
Jacksonville aggressively pursued upgrades at linebacker this year. The team gave ex-Atlanta starter Foyesade Oluokun a three-year, $45MM deal and traded back into the first round for Utah standoutDevin Lloyd. The Jags selected Muma with the pick obtained in last year’s C.J. Henderson trade. They moved on from longtime starter Myles Jack this offseason as well. Muma broke out last season by making 142 tackles (eight for loss), earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference acclaim. It will be interesting to see where he fits with a Jags team that reloaded at this position.
As they finished their first week of OTAs, the Cardinals also wrapped up their draft class signings. Third-round pick Cameron Thomas signed his four-year rookie contract Wednesday.
Arizona made nine selections in this year’s draft. Coming off the board 87th overall, Thomas will be expected to help the Cardinals early. The team lost Chandler Jones in free agency and did not sign a replacement for the decorated edge rusher, leaving Thomas alongside the likes of Markus Golden, Devon Kennard and third-round edge Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati) at outside linebacker.
Although Thomas was a San Diego State regular as an underclassman, combining for 9.5 sacks from 2019-20, he broke through as a junior last year. Thomas tallied 20.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, en route to Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021.
Here is how the Cardinals’ draft class breaks down:
Offensive lineman Teven Jenkins was taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft last year by the Chicago Bears, but only got a small portion of his rookie season to earn a spot on the line. Well, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, the new Bears’ staff is giving him the best chance, alongside fellow 2021 Draft pick Larry Borom, to start at right or left tackle.
Jenkins underwent back surgery in the preseason last year and was placed on injured reserve. He returned and made his debut in early December, playing on special teams. An injury to left tackle Jason Peters opened the door for Jenkins and he subbed in for the next two weeks, returning to a reserve role after that.
New offensive line coach Chris Morgan has been pleasantly surprised by the two second-year players, so far, but remarks that “everything changes once the pads come on.” It appears, though, that, for now, the starting tackle jobs are Jenkins and Borom’s to lose.
Here are some other rumors from around the NFC, starting with a rumor out of the City of Brotherly Love:
The Eagles were the franchise that mercifully and excitedly put an end to the slide of presumed first-round pick Nakobe Dean. Dean ended up falling to the third round due to projections about his long-term health. The Eagles could’ve gone another route, though, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. Berman says that Philadelphia reportedly had multiple trade offers to move back from the pick they used to select Dean. Due to their significant lack of of Day 3 picks, it would have made all of the sense in the world for them to take one of those teams up on their offers, but, lo and behold, the Eagles stood pat and drafted Dean, a testament to the confidence they have in his addition.
The Eagles weren’t the only team looking at the possibility of moving. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, “the Seahawks tried to trade up into the late first round” of the 2022 NFL Draft for Penn State outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie. Like Philadelphia, Seattle stood pat, hoping he may slide to them in the second round. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Atlanta moved up to select Ebiketie two spots in front of them. Seattle ended up selecting Minnesota outside linebacker Boye Mafe instead. Mafe is no consolation prize but a strong pick in his own regard, having generated first-round buzz before slipping to the front of the second round. Seattle swung and missed on Ebiketie, but they most certainly did not strike out when they landed Mafe.
The Rams won Super Bowl LVI despite the losses before the game of tight end Tyler Higbee and safety Jordan Fuller. Fuller suffered an ankle injury in the team’s Week 18 loss to the 49ers and Higbee suffered a knee injury in the NFC Championship game. Both players underwent offseason surgery and, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, are “working their way back up to full football activity.”
First-round picks are signing their rookie deals at a much quicker pace than they did last year. While the slot system implemented in 2011 has removed much of the difficulty in teams getting their top draftees signed, players are gaining some noticeable ground this year.
At this point last year, only seven first-rounders had signed. In 2020, an offseason that featured no in-person workouts, only two had inked their rookie pacts, via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. While most of the top 2022 draftees are moving forward with their teams’ offseason programs after having received fully guaranteed contracts, second-rounders are suddenly in the spotlight.
Only eight second-rounders have signed, with only 14 third-round picks doing so. Language in third-rounders’ deals annually causes delays, but the second-round slowdown is new. Guarantee pushes are responsible, and the Texans are complicating other teams’ blueprints. Texans safetyJalen Pitre, the 37th overall pick, received three years fully guaranteed on his slot deal ($8.95MM). John Metchie, Houston’s No. 44 overall choice, received two years fully guaranteed and 56% of his third year guaranteed, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes. That creates a murky range for agents representing mid-second-round picks.
Last year’s second round only featured seven players receive a partial guarantee of their Year 3 salary, Volin adds, illustrating the gains the NFLPA has made here. In 2011, only 21 first-rounders received fully guaranteed deals. Last year, 28 did. With Vikings safety Lewis Cine seeing his four-year, $11.5MM fully guaranteed, it ensured all 32 Round 1 choices would have their money locked in. When Patriots wideout Ras-I Dowling kicked off the 2011 second round, he secured only two fully guaranteed years, Volin notes. Some players in that year’s second round received just one fully guaranteed year. This year, Round 2’s final selection — Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto — scored two years fully guaranteed.
Baltimore obtained a second first-round selection by trading Marquise Brown to Arizona during the draft’s first night and traded down from No. 23 to No. 25 overall, allowing Buffalo to climb up for cornerback Kaiir Elam. Soon after, the Ravens drafted Linderbaum, the first center off the 2022 board.
