2024 NFL Draft

Community Tailgate: Broncos, Raiders’ Quarterback Plans

April 17th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Broncos and Raiders‘ most recent quarterback plans not working out, the AFC West presents a stark have/have-not disparity at the game’s glamour position. Going into the draft, Denver and Las Vegas have uphill climbs to find passers who could provide hope of matching up with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Yes, the Broncos and Raiders have enjoyed some success against the Chiefs and Chargers (more so the Bolts) during these two Pro Bowlers’ stays. But this era of roster building has mandated either a franchise QB or a stacked roster is necessary to be a true contender. Denver and Las Vegas meet neither criteria, and the rivals’ current draft real estate does not leave clear paths to acquiring such help.

Holding the No. 12 pick, the Broncos did not match the Raiders’ urgency to add a bridge-type starter. The Raiders (No. 13) have Gardner Minshew signed to a two-year, $25MM deal ($15MM guaranteed). If they are unable to piece together a trade or do not see good value in picking one of the draft’s second-tier options, the Minshew bridge merely extends.

The Broncos, conversely, have only Jarrett Stidham — a player best known as the emergency starter as Derek Carr and then Russell Wilson were parked largely for contractual reasons — as a realistic starter option. While rumors about the Broncos being fine with Stidham beginning the season as the starter have emerged, it is difficult to envision Sean Payton entrusting the career backup/third-stringer to that role without a better option being acquired.

The Broncos are planning to add another arm via free agency or through a trade, but options are scarce at this point. As far as the draft goes, the team has been tied to Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy. A recent report suggested a “heavy expectation” exists the Broncos will leave the first round with a QB, and while Denver has been viewed as wanting to trade up, the Payton and Wilson trades make this a dicey proposition.

Denver has not held a first-round pick since 2021 (Patrick Surtain). Unless the Broncos want to entertain trading their best player to help acquire draft assets, they would need to return to the treacherous road of trading first-round picks. Denver unloaded two in the Wilson swap and sent the Bradley Chubb-obtained choice to New Orleans for Payton’s rights. That Saints swap also stripped the Broncos of their 2024 second-rounder, creating a daunting task for the again-QB-needy club. Eating a record-smashing $85MM in dead money over the next two years on Wilson’s contract, the Broncos obviously would best benefit from a cost-controlled passer.

The Raiders do hold their second-round pick, but the player they have not made a great secret of coveting is viewed as unavailable. Reuniting Antonio Pierce and Jayden Daniels became a Raiders goal early this offseason, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter said this week a climb from No. 13 into Daniels territory is likely impossible. Michael Penix Jr. consolation-prize rumors have surfaced, and while the Washington product is seen by some coaches as having skills in line with this draft’s top QBs, scouts have seen some mechanical issues that could pose a problem for the deep-ball maestro’s NFL acclimation.

It also will be worth monitoring how serious the Raiders’ trade-up efforts will become in the days leading up to the draft. A recent report suggested Pierce was in favor of doing what it takes to move up the board for a long-term answer while GM Tom Telesco was OK with hanging onto draft assets and using Minshew as a full-season starter if need be. That will create an interesting backdrop ahead of the duo’s first draft together.

Trade routes for the Raiders and Broncos also stand to be complicated by the fact the Chargers sit in one of the spots that could be used to move up. At No. 4, the Cardinals hold prime real estate to collect a major haul from a QB-needy team. If the Cardinals opt to stay at 4 and draft a wide receiver, the Chargers suddenly become the gateway team. L.A. will probably not be inclined to help one of its two division rivals climb to 5 for a franchise-QB hopeful — at least, not without increasing the price tag. The Giants and Vikings also have the AFC West clubs outflanked in terms of draft assets, with New York sitting at No. 6 and Minnesota holding two first-rounders (Nos. 11 and 23).

With the 2025 draft class not viewed — as of now, at least — as rivaling this QB crop, the stakes could soon rise for the Broncos and Raiders. The teams have done their homework on this class, meeting with passers that will be difficult to impossible to obtain (Daniels, McCarthy). Nix, who profiles as a player the AFC West teams would not need to craft a monster trade haul for, also visited the Raiders. These teams coming out of Round 1 without a QB raises major questions about each’s viability.

Neither of these franchises has enjoyed much luck drafting QBs in Round 1. The Raiders made one of the biggest mistakes in draft history by selecting JaMarcus Russell first overall in 2007 (16 years after drafting quick bust Todd Marinovich). Like the Broncos, the best QBs in team history (Ken Stabler, Rich Gannon, Daryle Lamonica, Carr) were either outside additions or a second-round pick.

Denver’s history here is also checkered, with the franchise having traded 2006 first-rounder Jay Cutler after three years and made the strange moves of drafting a first-round QB ahead of John Elway‘s age-32 season (Tommy Maddox) and then trading up 18 spots to draft Tim Tebow in 2010. These decisions both provided more value than the 2016 Paxton Lynch whiff. Lynch is among the 12 QBs/Phillip Lindsay (the 2020 COVID-19 game against Payton’s Saints) to start for the Broncos since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.

Appearing to reside in the backseat among teams with chances of acquiring draft real estate necessary to acquire one of the class’ top arms, the Broncos and Raiders’ QB situations double as two of the top storylines going into the draft. How will the rival teams navigate their complex tasks of upgrading early in the draft? Weigh in with your thoughts on these situations in PFR’s latest Community Tailgate.

Cardinals Not Committed To Trading Out Of No. 4; Team Eyeing Marvin Harrison Jr.?

April 17th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Viewed by many as the gateway for the Giants or Vikings (or Broncos or Raiders) to trade up for a quarterback, the Cardinals’ No. 4 draft slot could certainly bring back a nice haul for a rebuilding team.

This Cardinals regime did opt to move down last year, but rookie GM Monti Ossenfort decided to come back up to draft Paris Johnson Jr. at No. 6. Arizona has intriguing options coming into the draft, as offers should be expected to come in for its first-round pick. But the team is not committed to moving down, per SI.com’s Albert Breer.

Staffers around the league are not convinced this is an automatic trade-down team, with Breer then pointing to Marvin Harrison Jr. as a player who would be a “wheelhouse pick” for a Cardinals team that needs to upgrade at wide receiver. Amid an unusually structured pre-draft program, Harrison visited the Cardinals recently. Of course, these rumblings could also be a call for other teams to up the ante in trade proposals. But Arizona obviously needs WR help.

Having cut DeAndre Hopkins last year and having seen Marquise Brown join the Chiefs in free agency — after the 2022 trade acquisition discussed an extension last year — the Cardinals are in dire need of weaponry for Kyler Murray. Viewed by many as the draft’s best non-quarterback, Harrison would qualify as the team’s biggest receiver investment since the 2004 draft brought Larry Fitzgerald to the desert at No. 3 overall. Trading Rondale Moore for Desmond Ridder, the Cardinals have 2023 third-rounder Michael Wilson, Zach Pascal, Chris Moore and ERFA Greg Dortch as their top receivers. It is within reason the team will want to add more than one player here during the draft.

Harrison made the rare move of not participating at the Combine or Ohio State’s pro day, communicating to teams a plan to train for an NFL offseason rather than pre-draft workouts. Teams are believed to have been fine with the second-generation wide receiver standout’s plan — one that illustrates how well-regarded his college tape is — and Breer adds Buckeyes coaches are believed to have clocked the 6-foot-3, 209-pound player in 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

The top-tier WR prospect would check off a key box for the Cardinals, who had been linked to Johnson before last year’s draft. Arizona collected a 2023 second-rounder and 2024 first- and third-round picks from Houston in moving from 3 to 12 last year. It cost the Cards their own 2023 second-rounder and a 2023 fifth to move back up to 6 for Johnson. But Arizona later moved down in Round 2 to pick up more draft capital, giving Tennessee Will Levis.

Due to the deals with the AFC South clubs, the Cardinals go into this draft with two first-round picks, a second and three thirds. If the Cardinals are willing to move out of No. 4 and then trade back up (perhaps with the Chargers at 5), Ossenfort could forge a near-identical trade route and still end up with Harrison.

That best-of-both-worlds scenario would stand to appeal to a Cardinals team still squarely in rebuild mode. If the team takes an offer from the Giants or Vikings (or someone else) and does not opt to move back up, it would risk — barring a drop to New York’s No. 6 slot — missing out on the Harrison-Rome Odunze–Malik Nabers WR tier (the Washington and LSU prospects also visited). But this is viewed as another deep receiver draft, putting the Cardinals in a good spot no matter how they proceed.

Giants Meet With Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler

April 17th, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Sam Robinson

While consistent rumors have connected the Giants to trading up from No. 6 for a quarterback, other teams outside the top three will be interested in doing so as well. This could lead to the Giants going elsewhere at 6 and still eyeing a QB investment later in the draft.

On this note, two quarterbacks that are not viewed as in play to go in the top 10 met with the team this week. Oregon’s Bo Nix and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler stopped through New York for “30” visits, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

Nix’s itinerary has featured a few meetings already — with the Raiders, Seahawks and Vikings — and Broncos connections have persisted. A rumor about the Giants circling back to Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. emerged recently, however, even as the Giants have done continued work on this draft’s top QB tier (non-Caleb Williams division).

As we covered in the most recent Trade Rumors Front Office installment, the Giants face a big-picture decision centering on whether they can go into another season with Daniel Jones as the unchallenged starter or if this No. 6 pick needs to be used to acquire a replacement. The Giants also have failed in their attempts to give Jones an upper-crust wide receiver.

Considering the QB needs that will be filled to start the draft, the Giants are guaranteed to have one of this draft’s receiver top tier available to them if they stay at 6. The receiver route would leave Big Blue’s QB position with an uncertain future, but the team can also attempt to move back up for a Nix-type prospect.

The Giants have met with Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. A reality in which each of these passers is unavailable — due to the Cardinals perhaps accepting another team’s trade offer to climb to No. 4 — is not difficult to envision. While the Giants have been mocked recently to be the team that trades up to No. 4, the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders also loom as contenders. Minnesota acquiring a second first-round pick makes the NFC North team the logical top threat to a Giants path up the board.

Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board slots Nix and Rattler, respectively, as the draft’s sixth- and seventh-ranked QB prospects. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com offering places Nix 29th overall, with Rattler not in the top 50. A recent rumor suggested the Broncos not nabbing Nix could induce a Will Levis-like slide down the draft board. This would benefit the Giants, who do not pick again until No. 47. The team traded No. 39 to the Panthers for Brian Burns. The team holds one third-round pick as well. Dane Brugler’s mock draft for The Athletic has Nix remaining on the board until No. 52 (Rams) and Rattler going to the Broncos in Round 3.

Like Nix, Rattler transferred after three seasons (at Oklahoma). Unlike the eventual Pac-12 standout, Rattler did not post elite numbers at his second school. Rattler’s best season came back with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma in 2020. Not eclipsing 20 touchdown passes in either of his two Gamecocks seasons, Rattler did complete a program-record 67.5% of his passes last season. Scouts mentioned Levis and Sam Howell as potential comps for Rattler.

‘Heavy Expectation’ Broncos Draft QB In First Round

April 16th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Operating with Rams-level disregard for first-round picks over the previous two offseasons, the Broncos traded three Round 1 selections in the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton swaps. The team does not have a second-round pick this year as a result of the latter move. As quarterback-needy teams’ draft arsenals are stacked up, the Broncos’ war chest is limited.

Denver holds the No. 12 overall pick, and while it retains its first- and second-rounders beyond this year, Minnesota and Las Vegas are in better position regarding draft capital. Both the Vikings and Raiders also identified clear bridge options for 2024, with Sam Darnold and Gardner Minshew coming off the free agency board early. This certainly leaves the Broncos with work to do, unless they truly are OK with Jarrett Stidham starting a sizable chunk of the 2024 season.

Teams are obviously monitoring the Broncos as a team interested in a QB, and the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora indicates a heavy expectation exists the AFC West club will draft a passer at some point in Round 1.

Options to do so would range from trading up — and parting with a major asset package — to making sure either Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. comes to Colorado via a No. 12 investment. Option three would involve attempting to both grab one of those passers later in the round while picking up some assets by moving down. It could be a complicated night for the Broncos, who are set to eat more than $50MM of Wilson’s record-setting $85MM in dead money this year.

It cost the 49ers two future first-round picks and a third-rounder to move from No. 12 to No. 3 for Trey Lance in 2021. For the Broncos to consider a similar package to climb into the top three would shove them into Rams territory. While Los Angeles famously did not made a first-round pick from 2017-23, that team reaped rewards for the bevy of moves out of Round 1. The Wilson trade burned the Broncos, and making another big move because the 2022 swap failed would deprive the franchise of opportunities to add high-end talent at low costs. Given the dead money from the Wilson contract, the Broncos need cost-controlled assets — even though they also need a quarterback.

On this note, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager adds the team would love to move into the top four to draft a QB but, due to the cost of such a move, stops short of predicting they will do this. Denver also possesses needs at cornerback opposite Patrick Surtain and perhaps at edge rusher.

Unless the Broncos want to entertain a Surtain trade — something one GM informed La Canfora they could be willing to do, given the rumblings at the 2023 trade deadline — future draft capital would need to be used to climb up the draft board. The Broncos are eyeing a long-term Surtain extension, and they wanted at least two first-rounders for the All-Pro cornerback in the fall. A separate GM, however, said the Broncos were more likely to hang onto Surtain due to Payton not viewing this as a long-term rebuild project.

Both the Broncos and Vikings were mentioned as having done early work on QBs (with regards to moving up) back in February, but Minnesota acquiring No. 23 overall from Houston has led to far more buzz on the NFC North team moving up. Still, a recent offering from ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reveals multiple teams believe the Broncos or Vikings could loom as destinations for J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan alum looks to have rocketed up the draft board during the pre-draft process, impressing at his pro day after winning a national championship.

A fit in Payton’s scheme points to the Denver tie, Fowler adds. McCarthy could be the target for teams outside the top four, with the Cardinals making it known they are willing to trade down. It would cost the Broncos at least one future first and perhaps two. That will be a big decision to make, as Payton’s choice to re-enter the coaching ranks would see a radically adjusted arc if the team he ended up with sacrifices more future firsts as his tenure takes shape. The Broncos did host McCarthy on a “30” visit this year.

While Payton famously said the Saints were eyeing Patrick Mahomes as a Drew Brees heir apparent in 2017, a move to secure the Broncos a potential long-term option — unless the Nix ties prove genuine — could be quite costly. This will be an interesting team to watch in the coming days and once the draft starts.

QB Prospect Notes: Williams, Patriots, Commanders, Giants

April 16th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Caleb Williams is still expected to hear his name called first during next week’s draft, but the USC quarterback didn’t make the best impression on teams during the pre-draft process. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Williams’ interviews with teams were described as “good, not great” and “just OK.”

As Fowler notes, Williams declined medical exams and only did a handful of interviews, where he didn’t show the same poise and preparation as his fellow QB prospects. Naturally, some teams assumed this was a “byproduct of being a player who knows he’s going No. 1.” While Williams’ pre-draft strategy wasn’t considered a personality red flag by scouts, one AFC executive believes Williams left the door open for the Bears to pivot.

“I don’t think he’s had a great spring,” the executive told Fowler. “He’s still going first. That’s pretty much a done deal. But while he was a no-brainer three months ago, there’s at least a conversation now. Even still, I think he’s a smart kid, a good kid. He just knows where he’s going.”

Perhaps partly due to Williams’ offseason showing, there are some coaches who have actually graded LSU’s Jayden Daniels over the USC QB, per Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com. Of course, the only opinion that matters belongs to the Bears, but this recent grading adjustment at least leads Caplan to surmise that Daniels will be selected ahead of North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

While Maye is an underdog to be selected in the top-two, it’s no longer a guarantee that he’s even chosen with the third-overall pick. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, there’s a “healthy debate” in New England between Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. While there’s still a chance the Patriots trade out of the No. 3 spot in pursuit of future picks, Breer believes owner Robert Kraft “views this as a rare chance to get a quarterback at this level.” The organization has certainly made it clear they’re eyeing all of the top-tier prospects, as the Patriots have met with Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy.

Washington is currently sitting with the second-overall pick, and they’ve been equally active in scouting QB prospects. Interestingly, the team will be hosting all of Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and Washington’s Michael Penix for their top-30 visits at the same time, per Breer. This stems from GM Adam Peters‘ experience from San Francisco, where the 49ers would bring in groupings of prospects to see how they interact with peers.

With the Cardinals and Chargers likely out of the running for a top QB prospect, the Giants are next in line at the position behind Chicago, Washington, and New England. There’s been recent buzz that the Giants could look to move up (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) or even move back (per Fowler, via WBG84), but either way, it’s pretty clear the organization is targeting a signal-caller.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the Giants are high enough on Maye that they’d swing a trade up the draft board. The writer also believes the organization isn’t enamored with McCarthy, perhaps necessitating a trade back if the Michigan QB is there at No. 6. If the Giants do end up trading back, Duggan could see a scenario where the team is actively pursuing Penix or Oregon’s Bo Nix in the back half of the first round.

Packers Unlikely To Pursue Trading Up?

April 16th, 2024 at 9:31am CST by Adam La Rose

As the countdown to the draft continues, teams around the league are finalizing their strategies for Day 1 in particular. Those which are flush with draft capital are generally among the ones to watch with respect to a trade up the board, but in the case of the Packers such a move may be unlikely.

Green Bay has 11 total selections in 2024, tied for the most picks in the league this year. Coming off a surprise run to the divisional round of the postseason, the Packers’ first-rounder currently sits at No. 25. A trade-up maneuver is of course something which will be considered, but general manager Brian Gutekunst recently expressed hesitancy on that front.

“I think it’s very expensive to do that,” Gutekunst said of an aggressive move up the order (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “From what you have to give up to go that far up, you’re giving up a lot. So unless it’s a quarterback or a rare, rare player, I think you have to be careful there. You guys know the numbers, what it takes to get from back in the 20s up into the top 10, you’re giving up quite a bit, and you may think at the time that it’s the right thing to do.

“But to give up the kind of picks you’re going to have to do, which are probably going to be future picks and you don’t know what’s going to transpire down the road and what you might need, it’s never really made a ton of sense for me.”

The Packers own two selections in each of the second and third rounds owing to the Aaron Rodgers and Rasul Douglas trades. That capital could help the team jump ahead of others slated to pick in the middle of the first round, or at least pull off a small move higher in the 20s. The latter type of deal is one being considered by the Buccaneers – who own the 26th selection – but Gutekunst’s comments suggest Green Bay (a team which is positioned to continue its youth movement this April) is less likely to surrender Day 2 or 3 capital.

In other Green Bay draft news, a linebacker addition appears to be in play after Round 1. ESPN’s Jordan Reid reports that finding a new starter to pair with Quay Walker (with De’Vondre Campbell having been released) “seems to be high on the priority list.” No LB prospects in this year’s class are expected to hear their names called on Day 1, but a number of options after that point will be available for Green Bay, especially if no first round trade-up takes place. Reid names Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and Kentucky’s Trevin Wallace as players who could be on the Packers’ radar.

Raiders Interested In QB Michael Penix Jr.?

April 15th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Raiders hopes of forging a path that ends with Jayden Daniels is increasingly unlikely, despite the run of rumors indicating how much the team wants to pair Antonio Pierce with the former Arizona State recruit. A consolation prize is now being brought up.

The Raiders would have “loved” to find a way to trade up for Daniels, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter offers, before adding that route will be “impossible” to complete. Las Vegas holds the No. 13 overall pick, while the 2023 Heisman winner may be the frontrunner to go off the board at 2.

With the Commanders presumably interested in adding Daniels to their roster, the Raiders — who sit behind the QB-needy Vikings (No. 11) and Broncos (No. 12) — would stand to be effectively stonewalled on this front. As our Ely Allen noted recently, the Raiders probably lack the capital to make a move that big. A recent report indicated the team may not be in lockstep on trading up at all, with Pierce perhaps higher on climbing to land a QB than GM Tom Telesco.

While this rumored disagreement would create an interesting conflict ahead of the duo’s first draft together, the Raiders do have Gardner Minshew on a two-year, $25MM deal. The recent Colts fill-in starter could mentor a young QB in need of seasoning. With a route to the top four set to be difficult to make happen, the Michael Penix Jr.–Bo Nix tier would be worth looking into.

On that note, Schefter adds some chatter in the QB community has pointed to the Raiders eyeing Penix. Raiders-Penix whispers are growing louder, Vic Tafur of The Athletic adds (subscription required). Though, Tafur does not mock Penix to Las Vegas. The impressive deep-ball thrower has generated more interest among coaches than scouts, with the latter contingent iffy on his overall package — due to his past injuries and some accuracy issues beyond the deep ball. Some coaches have ex-Washington southpaw rated higher than some of the top-tier arms in this draft class.

Certainly fans of the long game for much of their history, the Raiders once upon a time would have been a natural team to tie to Penix. The recent CFP national championship game starter finished his sixth and final college season with a Division I-FBS-most 4,903 passing yards (8.8 per attempt) and 36 TD passes, forming a lethal combination with likely top-10 wideout pick Rome Odunze. This included a 430-yard outing to move Washington past Texas in the CFP semifinals. A transfer from Indiana, Penix averaged more passing yards per game in his first year at Washington (2022).

The Raiders hosted Penix on a “30” visit, being among the eight teams to have scheduled a meeting with the first-round-caliber prospect. Some might view grabbing Penix at 13 a reach, but the draft regularly bumps up QBs due to their towering positional value. Nix has also trekked to Las Vegas for a meeting.

This draft will be quite interesting for the futures of two AFC West franchises, with the Broncos appearing in worse QB shape than their rivals. The Penix-Nix prospect tier will be one to monitor closely in connection with both teams, as the Vikings — who acquired the No. 23 overall pick from the Texans last month — have more ammo to trade up by comparison.

Patriots To Host QB Michael Penix Jr.

April 15th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Doing extensive homework on this draft’s quarterback class, the Patriots will squeeze in another meeting with a prospect before Wednesday’s deadline to conduct “30” visits.

Michael Penix Jr. is heading to Foxborough for a meeting, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Washington quarterback will meet with team brass tonight and go through a traditional visit Tuesday. Penix has logged a busy visit schedule leading up to the draft, and the team holding the No. 3 overall selection — and one also linked to potentially trading down — is up next on his docket.

Looming as a player who could make his way toward the middle of the first round (depending on trades made and which QBs go where early), Penix could be of interest to the Pats if they trade down from No. 3 overall. A late-March report indicated the Patriots could be in play to move down and still acquire a quarterback. That risky path — not seen as the most likely play for the QB-needy team — could certainly involve Penix, who is not projected to be one of the QBs who go off the board in the top five.

The Pats scheduled meetings with Penix, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. New England’s rearranged staff also brought the most representation at the Maye and Daniels pro days. If the Pats stick at No. 3, one of those two passers will almost definitely be available. Unless McCarthy’s rise includes a surprising surge to No. 2 overall and a ticket to Washington, which as of now may be most likely to draft Daniels, the Michigan arm would be available to Pats at 3. Interest in Penix would only further complicate this Patriots situation.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board ranks Penix as this draft class’ 33rd-best prospect; Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com offering has the southpaw QB outside his overall top 25. But coaches are believed to view the ex-Indiana recruit higher than scouts. Leadership traits and tremendous success throwing deep have drawn coaches to Penix, and some coaches have him listed ahead of some of “the presumed top guys.” That said, Kiper does not have Penix going off the board until the second round (No. 37, to the Rams via trade-up). Penix and Bo Nix reside as wild cards in a draft that may well feature QBs (most likely Caleb Williams and then Daniels, Maye and McCarthy in some order) going from Nos. 1-4 for the first time in history.

Penix, whose Commanders meeting is set for Tuesday night and Wednesday (per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, will close the pre-draft visit cycle having met with eight teams. In addition to the Patriots and Commanders, the injury-prone (but largely medically cleared) QB went through meetings with the Broncos, Falcons, Steelers, Giants, Raiders and Vikings. The Seahawks, who now employ recent Washington OC Ryan Grubb as their play-caller, also came up on the Penix radar.

Despite two ACLs and significant shoulder trouble in his past, Penix powered the Huskies to the CFP national championship game. He spent six years in college, which is no longer uncommon thanks to the COVID-19 period extending college careers. Like Nix, Penix broke through in the Pac-12. Last season, the 6-foot-2 lefty totaled 4,903 passing yards and 36 TDs. Never showing too much as a rusher (one 100-plus-yard college season on the ground), Penix still looms as a potential option for one of the QB-needy teams that does not land one of the top-tier arms. The Pats would certainly throw a wrench into the draft process by making a move that ends with Penix in New England.

Buccaneers Contemplating First Round Trade-Up

April 15th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers exceeded expectations in 2023, reaching the divisional round of the playoffs. That has left the team near the back of the first round draft order, and a move up the board may be required for Tampa Bay to land a highly-coveted prospect.

The Bucs currently own pick No. 26, and many of the best prospects at several positions will be off the board by that point. Tampa Bay has shown considerable interest in some of the 2024 class’ top edge rushers, and a trade aimed at securing one of them could be in play depending on how Day 1 shakes out. General manager Jason Licht recently acknowledged the team is putting together plans for a potential move up the order in anticipation of the first round.

“Right now, we have five to seven guys we think might be there,” Licht said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). “Then you start kind of falling in love with them and you’re like, ‘Okay, one of these guys is going to be there, and we’re going to be so happy.’ Then, there’s the chance that none of them are. I think that’s the hardest part about picking down there late.”

Dallas Turner is widely considered the likeliest edge rusher to be selected, putting him firmly on the top-10 radar. Other options – such as Jared Verse, Laiatu Latu and Chop Robinson could be in play elsewhere in the first round, though. Tampa Bay has met with Verse, and the team’s pre-draft evaluation process has included work on the latter two prospects. While Robinson could fall to the No. 26 slot, moving into range for Verse or Latu would likely require a trade-up maneuver.

As Licht noted, Tampa Bay has the capital to pull off a small move up the board. The Bucs acquired a third-round pick in the Carlton Davis trade, and the team has seven 2024 selections in total. Licht added the team will wait until around the 20th pick to make a determination on whether or not trading up will be a worthwhile endeavor.

Regardless of what happens in the first round, Tampa Bay could be one of the teams in the market for a running back addition during the draft. Rachaad White is firmly atop the backfield depth chart, but the Buccaneers have finished last in the league in rushing each of the past two seasons. Veteran Chase Edmonds and 2023 UDFA Sean Tucker are in the fold, though Licht noted adding another back capable of providing depth behind White is under consideration. How the team will have operated prior to making such a Day 2 or 3 selection will be worth watching as the first round takes shape.

Jets To Host TE Brock Bowers

April 15th, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets were among the teams on hand to view Brock Bowers‘ recent private workout. To little surprise, that will be followed by an in-person visit with the standout tight end.

Bowers will meet with the Jets on Monday, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reports. The Georgia alum is widely seen as the top tight end prospect in the 2024 class, and he is among the best pass-catchers available. Plenty of Jets-Bowers connections have been made in the build-up to the draft, and New York (owner of the 10th selection) is certainly interested in adding offensive weapons at the top of the board.

The Jets have hosted wideout Rome Odunze on a ‘top-30‘ visit already, and the same will soon be true of Malik Nabers. Each of those prospects could be selected before New York is on the clock, with the top three WRs (Odunze, Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr.) expected to hear their names called within the top 10 picks. Bowers is similarly regarded as one of the best prospects in the class, but his position has led to a wide range of potential outcomes in terms of where he could wind up.

Notably, the Jets – a team which could stand to add help along the offensive line and has met with top tackle Joe Alt – could be open to a move down the board. Swapping out of the No. 10 selection would leave New York out of range for Alt and/or a few of the other members of a deep O-line class, but Bowers could remain an option depending on how far down the order the team would be moving. In any case, the latter will be expected to produce right away given his pedigree stemming from his time in college.

Bowers racked up 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three-year tenure with the Bulldogs. He played a key role in the team winning the national title in 2021 and ’22, and in the latter campaign he earned first-team All-American honors. Bowers took home the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end in each of the past two seasons, making him the only multi-time winner.

As the Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia notes, though, Day 1 draft investments at the TE spot have generally not gone according to plan. Over the past 10 years, Kyle Pitts is the only one of the nine tight ends drafted in the first round to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark. The Browns (David Njoku) are the only team to date to extend a homegrown player at the position during that span, although Pitts and 2023 Bills selection Dalton Kincaid are not yet eligible for a second contract.

In spite of that recent track record, Bowers will face high expectations upon arrival in the NFL. He could have a prominent role in the Jets’ offense in short order, but New York will have a number of other intriguing options to consider at No. 10 or a position lower on the board.

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