2023 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Darnell Wright Visits Saints, Bears, Packers, Bills; Several More Planned

April 9th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the fastest risers in the 2023 NFL Draft, Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright is currently such an enigma that even NFL teams don’t seem to have an idea on when his name will be called. Normally, a tackle prospect who takes Top 30 visits is targeted by teams in similar areas of the draft who believe he will be available when they have their opportunity to select. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, nearly 20 teams believe Wright will be there when they are on the clock.

We already reported that Wright was starting to climb boards back in February, noting that, after attending the Senior Bowl, the 21-year-old was not expected to slip past the first round of the draft. While many first-round linemen from Power 5 schools tend to find their way to the NFL as underclassmen, Wright is a rarity after playing four years with the Volunteers. The decision appears to have been the correct one as Wright was rewarded with a first-team All-SEC selection following his best year of collegiate play. Wright was a Lombardi award semifinalist after allowing zero sacks as a senior in one of the nation’s top offenses of 2022.

Wright began his reportedly lengthy tour with visits to New Orleans, Chicago, Green Bay, and Buffalo, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Following his visits with the Saints, Bears, Packers, and Bills, Wright is expected to visit the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Commanders, and Lions in the coming weeks leading up to the draft. That’s only nine teams. At least that many more are expected to spend time with Wright before the end of the month.

There’s a reason so many teams are under the assumption he’ll be available. He entered the Senior Bowl with many thinking he had plenty still to prove. Two months later and some consider him to be the top tackle prospect in this year’s draft. So far, he’s covered the full gamut from not a first rounder to top tackle on the board. Some teams may just be kicking the tires themselves to see what all the fuss is about, doing their own research, but teams in the later part of the first round shouldn’t entertain the thought of drafting Wright too much more if he continues to fly up draft boards.

NFC Draft Notes: Lions, Bears, Falcons

April 8th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

As many as four quarterbacks could hear their names called within the top 10 picks in the 2023 draft, leaving many questions to be answered for teams in position to land a top signal-caller. The Lions hold the sixth selection, which could allow them to make an addition at the position.

That seems unlikely, given the presence of incumbent Jared Goff and the team’s needs at other areas, though. When speaking about the matter of quarterback evaluations, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed his approval of Goff, while leaving the door open to a rookie passer being added at some point.

“What we were hopeful and thought we were going to get [in Goff] is a guy who, man, he’s our guy,” Campbell said (video link via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones). “He’s bought us time here. We believe we can win with Jared Goff. In the meantime, we also know he’s not going to be here for the next 10 years… It’s not like Jared Goff’s a rookie, so certainly our eyes are on, potentially a quarterback. And the question is, where do you acquire that at? And that’s something that [GM] Brad [Holmes] and I kick around all the time… We don’t feel like we’re pressed. But that doesn’t mean our eyes aren’t on a quarterback.”

Goff is under contract for two more years, but the Lions could move on from him after the 2023 season given the nature of his contract. The team has the 18th and 48th selections this year; the latter could be used on Tennessee product Hendon Hooker, who has a visit lined up with Detroit. How that process goes could determine the team’s willingness to use a high pick on a potential Goff successor.

Here are some other draft-related items from the NFC:

The Bears have, as expected, been active so far in free agency. Their spending to date has not, however, yielded an addition at offensive tackle. General manager Ryan Poles said (via The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain) Chicago will “keep an eye” on the remaining veteran options, a group which was thinned out considerably during the opening days of the new league year. Poles confirmed that the next move will likely come at the draft, where they hold pick No. 9. That spot could land them Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Ohio State alum Paris Johnson Jr., as they also look to find the best long-term position for 2022 fifth-rounder Braxton Jones. The latter played full-time on the blindside as a rookie, but could move to right tackle depending on how the first round plays out.
The offensive front is considered a strength for the Falcons, especially with right guard Chris Lindstrom in place on the largest contract in league history signed by an interior lineman. That has led many to expect Atlanta to look at other positions with the eighth overall pick, but NFL Network’s James Palmer notes the team is looking into o-line options with their top selection (video link). In particular, the Falcons could be eyeing Skoronski or Johnson on the inside to start their career, with the potential to take over from Jake Matthews at left tackle. The latter, 31, is on the books through 2026 but only has guaranteed money on his deal for two more seasons. A defensive addition would come as no surprise on Atlanta’s part, but they will have at least done their homework on the top lineman prospects.

Patriots Host DE Nolan Smith, WR Zay Flowers

April 8th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots are set to pick 14th overall in this month’s draft, a position which will give them a number of options to choose from on both sides of the ball. They have recently met with one of the top pass-rushing and pass-catching prospects in the 2023 class.

New England hosted Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith earlier this week, as detailed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. That adds to the widespread interest the highly athletic defender has received in the build-up to the draft, which includes his contributions to the Bulldogs’ national title and an impressive combine performance. The Buccaneers, Ravens and Jaguars have all met with Smith recently, and further visits would come as no surprise given the widespread expectation that he is a first-round lock.

The 6-3, 235-pounder never put up massive pass-rushing numbers during his four years at Georgia, with his best campaign coming in 2021. That year, he racked up 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 12 games. Smith was limited to just eight contests this season due to a torn pectoral muscle, but still sits near the top of most edge rush prospect rankings. The Patriots ranked fourth in the league in sacks last season, with Matt Judon and Josh Uche each hitting double-digits. Judon is under contract through 2024, but Uche is entering a contract year and could be replaced down the road if they elected to draft Smith.

New England has also had a sit-down with Boston College wideout Zay Flowers, Wilson tweets. Flowers has already taken meetings with the Giants, as well as the Cowboys and Raiders. He is firmly on the first-round radar as one of the most elusive and effective downfield prospects in the class. Interestingly, Wilson reports that multiple NFL teams have graded the 5-10, 177-pounder in the top half of the opening round.

The Patriots struggled on offense in 2022, in no small part due to their lack of efficiency in the passing game. New England signed JuJu Smith-Schuster in a move which should offset the loss of Jakobi Meyers, but an impact addition in the draft should be expected. Flowers – who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in 2022 – could significantly boost a Patriots offense which ranked 26th in the NFL in yards per contest (315) last season.

Given the interest already showed in both Smith and Flowers, New England may face the possibility of both hearing their names called before they are on the clock. If one or both are still available, though, the team will be well-versed in each prospect.

DE Tyree Wilson Visits Texans, Bears

April 8th, 2023 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyree Wilson‘s final Texas Tech season ended early; a foot injury closed the book on the talented edge defender’s college career. That has not stopped him from becoming one of the top prospects available.

Most teams who are holding top-10 picks will look into Wilson. The Texans and Bears started this process this week, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reporting the 6-foot-6 D-lineman met with both teams. Tyree Wilson’s pre-draft tour will be extensive. He will visit nearly every team in the top 10, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Wilson grades as the second-best edge player in this class — behind only Will Anderson Jr. — and neither ESPN’s Scouts Inc. nor NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks the former Big 12 pass rusher too far behind the SEC star. Wilson sits as Jeremiah’s No. 4 overall player and slots fifth in ESPN’s view. He finished with seven sacks in each of the past two seasons, compiling the seven in 2022 despite playing only 10 games.

It makes sense Wilson is a popular name on the pre-draft interview circuit. Medical intel serves as one of the central purposes for “30” visits, and it is interesting that Wilson has surged near the top of the prospect board after suffering an injury that required surgery. Wilson underwent a foot procedure in November, but Aaron Wilson adds the coveted prospect has been medically cleared. He should not have an issue being ready for minicamp or training camp. Wilson only performed bench press reps at the Combine and did not participate

The Texans eschewing a long-rumored quarterback pick for an edge rusher has entered the equation at No. 2 overall, and while Anderson is rumored to be the prospect Houston would consider if it took that unexpected route, Wilson has obviously generated considerable buzz during the pre-draft process. The defensive line led the way for DeMeco Ryans‘ 49ers defenses; San Francisco used a No. 2 overall pick — Nick Bosa — to reshape that unit in 2019. The Texans also have another first-round pick this year (No. 12) and two next year, in the event Ryans and GM Nick Caserio view one of this class’ pass rushers as too good to ignore. Having lost Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Rasheem Green in free agency, the Texans are certainly need on the edge.

The Bears, who hold the No. 9 pick after their blockbuster Panthers trade, have made multiple signings up front, but neither Green nor DeMarcus Walker profile as players who would prevent the team from making a major investment at the position in the draft. Chicago, which dealt Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn last year, finished last in sacks (20) last season and is eyeing pass-rushing help in the draft. The Bears have already brought Jalen Carter in for a visit.

Panthers Leaning Toward Bryce Young?

April 7th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what looks to be signaling a shift, Bryce Young is looking like a strong candidate to go No. 1 overall now. Although C.J. Stroud continues to be the leadoff man in the major mock drafts, Young-Panthers links are multiplying.

Even as Panthers-Stroud connections persist, Frank Reich-driven height concerns re: Young might be overblown. Carolina’s trade-up may have been Young-centered all along, with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen indicating during a recent TV appearance (h/t Panthers On Tap) the Alabama prospect will likely be the No. 1 overall pick.

A report from longtime NFL insider Peter King revealed Young has plenty of support in Carolina’s building, and Mortensen confirms the Panthers are big fans of the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. While Young’s 5-foot-10 stature and slender frame has injected uncertainty into an otherwise standout prospect’s viability, he displayed high-level accuracy and pocket movement during a dominant two-year run as the Crimson Tide’s starter.

Young is set to become the third straight Alabama starting quarterback to be a first-round pick, and he will undoubtedly be selected higher than Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5) and Mac Jones (15) were in their respective drafts. Mortensen also likened this Panthers situation to the 49ers’ 2021 process, doubling down on the notion San Francisco indeed had Jones in mind when it traded up nine spots to No. 3 that year. The 49ers’ course change to Trey Lance is close to being viewed as one of the bigger draft missteps — considering what the team gave up to obtain that pick — in recent draft history, and Mortensen said the Panthers should be expected to stick with their initial preference (Young) instead of going through with a size-based Stroud pivot.

Young would obviously bring a considerably different type of QB into the building compared to the last time Carolina selected a passer at No. 1. At 6-3 and 214 pounds, Stroud is also not especially close to Cam Newton here (6-5, 245). Reich has been mentioned as preferring big-frame QBs, but this will be his first significant draft choice at the position as a head coach. Though, he was the Eagles’ OC when they traded up for the 6-5 Carson Wentz in 2016. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer was with the Seahawks when they drafted Russell Wilson. While drafting a quarterback 75th overall is rather different than a No. 1 pick, Fitterer has obviously seen a short quarterback enjoy tremendous success up close.

Reich and Fitterer have brought several Panthers staffers into this process, and the new HC is not viewed as likely to overturn a consensus. The Panthers taking this route would leave Stroud on the board for the Texans, who have been more connected to Young during the pre-draft process. Stroud met with the Texans on Wednesday.

QB Hendon Hooker To Visit Bucs, Lions

April 7th, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The fifth-rated quarterback prospect in this year’s class is continuing to garner interest from potential NFL employers. Hendon Hooker is set to visit the Buccaneers next week, as noted (on Twitter) by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that the Lions will also meet with the Tennessee product (video link).

Four signal-callers – Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson – are expected to hear their names called on Day 1 of this month’s draft. Hooker is widely seen as the next best option, with his final Volunteers campaign being cut short by an ACL tear. That injury has hurt his draft stock, though Garafolo notes that Hooker is expected to available for part of the 2023 season.

Age (25) is the other main factor which has been named as a cause for concern regarding Hooker. That has not stopped analysts from connecting him to teams like the Buccaneers. Tampa is entering the post-Tom Brady era under center, and has 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask set to compete with veteran signing Baker Mayfield at the moment. The former has nine regular season pass attempts to his name, and the latter inked a one-year deal. Given that, many have pointed to the Bucs as a landing spot for a second-tier passer to develop over the long term.

Detroit has a known commodity in Jared Goff on the books. The former top pick is under contract for two more years, but only has guaranteed compensation in 2023 remaining. That could set up the Lions for a transition to a younger option in the near future, though Goff earned his third Pro Bowl nod in 2022 after he had a strong season leading one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses.

Tampa and Detroit own picks No. 19 and 18, respectively; the Lions are also scheduled to pick sixth overall. It would be considered a reach by many for the teams to use any of those picks to add Hooker, though they could have the option of doing so in the second round. Detroit owns the 48th pick, while the 50th belongs to Tampa Bay, although Hooker may well have come off the board by that point.

These visits follow a number of others which have previously been reported. Hooker already met with the Saints and has sit-downs planned with the Commanders and Raiders. Wherever he lands, his first NFL franchise will be well-versed in his skillset and recovery timeline, and quite possibly have faced significant competition to acquire him.

QB Will Levis To Visit Colts, Panthers, Titans

April 7th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the quarterback speculation for this year’s draft has concerned the order in which the presumed top two passers, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, will hear their names called. Will Levis remains an intriguing option for a number of teams set to pick near (or at) the top of the board, though, and the Kentucky product has a busy visitation schedule ahead.

It came out earlier this month that Levis was one of several signal-callers Indianapolis hosted for a private workout, an avenue the team preferred to sending a heavy presence to their respective pro days. To little surprise, the Colts will take that one step further by hosting him on a formal visit today, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Levis will also meet with the Panthers and Titans soon, Wilson notes.

The Colts have shown interest in Young and Stroud, though it is widely expected the team will not be able to land either prospect since they hold the fourth overall pick. Indianapolis is seeking a long-term solution under center, something they have been searching for since Andrew Luck‘s retirement. Team officials have only marginally left the door open to a Lamar Jackson pursuit, something which would carry a massive cost in finances and draft capital; preferring a Levis selection would thus be understandable, in spite of the degree to which he is an unknown after his up-and-down performances with the Wildcats.

Carolina’s move up to the top pick allowed them to have a free choice of their top-rated QB. It appeared for some time that Stroud was the team’s preference, but they now appear to favor Young. In any case, Levis’ frame (6-3, 222 pounds) gives him a profile which could appeal to new Panthers head coach Frank Reich, who has historically worked with larger pocket passers. A trade-down on Carolina’s part would likely need to take place for Levis to realistically be in their range.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has been linked to potentially moving up from the No. 11 slot to add a successor to Ryan Tannehill. The Titans drafted Malik Willis last year, but his limited game action wasn’t sufficient to demonstrate he would be capable of handling a starter’s role this year or next. Jumping ahead of the Colts might be necessary to secure Levis, though his market will likely depend on that of Anthony Richardson, the other X-factor at the position presumed to go on Day 1.

The Raiders (who own the seventh overall pick) have also hosted Levis, demonstrating the widespread interest shown in the former Penn State transfer. Maneuvering up and down the board in the top 10 may take place if teams key on Levis as a project worth a premium investment.

CB Joey Porter Jr. Visits Ravens, To Meet With Raiders

April 6th, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

Most of the headlines surrounding the Ravens and Raiders this offseason have been centered on the quarterback position, but both teams have other positions to address. Cornerback is one of them, and Baltimore and Vegas are checking in on one of the top available prospects ahead of this month’s draft.

The Ravens hosted Joey Porter Jr. on a top-30 visit today, and the Raiders will soon do the same (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). The Penn State alum is, to no surprise, the product of growing interest from teams in need of additions on the perimeter. Porter has already had a local visit with the Steelers, the team which housed his father for years as both a player and coach.

Given that connection, there would be a degree of irony if the rival Ravens were to add Porter with their top pick, No. 22. Rapoport’s colleague Daniel Jeremiah has them doing just that in his latest mock, which sees two other corners (Illinois product Devon Witherspoon and Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez) drafted in the top eight before Porter. That generally falls in line with rankings at the position, with the trait which sticks out for the 6-2 product most being his length and physicality.

That allowed him to total 20 pass breakups across his four seasons with the Nittany Lions, and in some cases draw comparisons to Ravens All-Pro Marlon Humphrey. The latter is under contract in Baltimore through 2026, but fellow starter Marcus Peters remains a free agent. Peters’ likely absence in the 2023 lineup has led to many expecting Baltimore to spend its first pick on a corner like Porter, especially if no notable signings are made before the draft.

Vegas likewise has at least one hole to fill in their CBs room. Anthony Averett and Rock Ya-Sin are both unsigned. The latter had a free agent visit (with the Ravens, no less) soon after the new league year started, but all potentially interested teams are standing pat this close to the draft. Depth additions like Brandon Facyson and Duke Shelly will not deter the Raiders from adding a high-end corner prospect, though taking Porter seventh overall would be seen by many as a reach. Vegas’ next pick is No. 38, a point by which he is likely to be off the board.

Steelers Host CB Christian Gonzalez

April 6th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cornerback has frequently been named as a position of need for the Steelers entering the draft, and the team is unsurprisingly doing its homework on some of the top options in the 2023 class. Among the invitees to Pittsburgh’s Thursday visit is Oregon product Christian Gonzalez (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic).

Gonzalez spent the first two seasons of his career at Colorado, but put himself on the first-round radar in 2022 in his lone campaign with the Ducks. He notched the only four interceptions of his college tenure at Oregon, adding a career-high seven pass breakups along the way. That helped put him in the conversation for the draft’s top corner this year, along with the likes of Devon Witherspoon, Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks and Emmanuel Forbes as probable first round-locks.

The Steelers met with Porter on a local visit last week, which came as no surprise given his connections to the team through his father along with his skillset. Gonzalez sports a similar length to Porter (6-2), but is generally viewed as a better athlete. That could give him a higher upside, and put him in contention to hear his name called in the first half of Day 1.

Pittsburgh owns the No. 17 pick, which should put them in range for at least most of the CB prospects available. An early addition at the position would come as no surprise, since the Steelers saw Cameron Sutton depart in free agency. His loss was only partially (and, in all likelihood, temporarily) filled by the signing of Patrick Peterson. The 32-year-old could see time at safety as he moves further into the latter stages of his career.

Peterson is the only outside addition the team has made so far in free agency, so at least one notable selection is likely to be used on bolstering the cornerbacks room. The Steelers hold pick No. 32 (a second-rounder this season), which will give them another opportunity to land an impact cover man, though Gonzalez is expected to be off the board by that point.

Raiders To Host C.J. Stroud, Hendon Hooker

April 6th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Sam Robinson

It can be safely assumed the Raiders are giving strong consideration to drafting a quarterback in either the first or second round. The AFC West team will have met with each of the top five prospects at the position before the pre-draft process wraps.

The Raiders have scheduled visits with C.J. Stroud and Hendon Hooker, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Will Levis has already met with the Silver and Black, while Anthony Richardson‘s first visit will send him to Las Vegas. Bryce Young is heading to Nevada on Thursday. Hooker and Stroud will be Vegas-bound next week.

Stroud is widely considered to be out of the Raiders’ range. The latest Ohio State-developed QB standout has been frequently connected to the Panthers at No. 1 overall. Were Carolina to pass and go with Young, Houston would undoubtedly be interested at No. 2. Though, the Texans may not be fully committed to going quarterback at 2. While Josh McDaniels and Nick Caserio worked together for much of their careers, it would surprise if the Raiders were able to pull off a trade with the Texans to move up five spots. But a climb to No. 3 (the Cardinals’ slot) has been rumored.

The Raiders, who have not taken a first-round quarterback since their disastrous JaMarcus Russell choice in 2007, have built an onramp for a potential QB choice. They have Jimmy Garoppolo on a three-year deal that features barely $33MM guaranteed, and the team agreed to terms with Brian Hoyer earlier this week. The team has other needs to address with early-round draft picks, and its 2022 Davante Adams trade prevented McDaniels and Co. from making first- or second-round picks last year. But McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were regulars at QB pro days; the team will now devote a sixth of its 30 allotted pre-draft visits to the game’s premier position.

Following ex-Buckeyes Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields, Stroud will be taken early in the first round — most likely within the top two picks. Stroud quarterbacked Ohio State into the College Football Playoff last season and led the Big Ten power in a semifinal shootout against eventual champion Georgia, throwing four touchdown passes against a dominant Bulldogs defense. Stroud threw at least 40 touchdown passes in each of his two starter seasons, though he targeted nothing but first-round wideouts (Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave), first-round prospects (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) or potential future Round 1-level talents (Marvin Harrison, Emeka Egbuka).

Las Vegas also holds this draft’s No. 38 overall pick. That could be relevant regarding Hooker, who is coming off a November ACL tear. The Tennessee prospect visited the Saints this week and will meet with the Commanders as well. New Orleans holds the Nos. 29 and 40 overall picks; Washington has picks 16 and 47. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah grades Hooker as this year’s 44th-best prospect. He is the only QB in that range and represents an interesting option for teams unable to land one of the draft’s higher-regarded arms.

Hooker finished fifth in last year’s Heisman voting, despite missing two games due to the severe injury, but laid the groundwork for Ohio State’s CFP bid by leading an upset over Alabama. Hooker is 25, which has given some teams pause, but the former Virginia Tech recruit finished his SEC career with a 58-to-5 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio. He led the Volunteers to five wins over ranked teams as a senior. Putting Hooker behind an injury-prone Garoppolo would be an interesting strategy for the Raiders, but Garoppolo staying relatively healthy would also allow for an extended Hooker developmental period.

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