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Draft Rumors: Stroud, Wilson, Carter, Kancey, Bears, Van Ness

April 23rd, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Ely Allen

When the Panthers traded up for the No.1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the betting odds for who would be selected swung from Alabama’s Bryce Young to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. As we have crept towards the pivotal day, Young has forced his way back into the favorite position. Questions about how the teams following Carolina will approach their picks have some believing in a potential slide for Stroud on Thursday. According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the current belief is that Stroud won’t make it past the Raiders at No. 7 overall.

While some believe that quarterbacks could be the focus of the first four picks, there are possibilities for each pick. The Panthers could choose Young, and there’s a chance the Texans will go pass rusher. Arizona likely won’t take a passer after paying Kyler Murray, and the Colts have Kentucky quarterback Will Levis as an option opposite Stroud. The Seahawks and Lions follow them, but both have veteran quarterbacks coming off of strong seasons.

That brings us to the Raiders. Even after Las Vegas brought in Jimmy Garoppolo, rumors have claimed that the team will still look into drafting a passer with their top pick. If Stroud somehow pinballs his way past the first six picks, it would be extremely difficult for the Raiders to pass him up.

Here are a few other rumors as we close in on Draft Day:

  • As we mentioned above, if the Texans pass on quarterback, they could choose a pass rusher with the second-overall pick. Many believe Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson could be that selection, but according to Pauline, Houston has some problems with his medicals. If Wilson is not their selection as a pass rusher, Alabama’s Will Anderson would likely be the other option.
  • There has been some reported certainty that Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter will be the Seahawks choice at No. 5 overall. According to Pauline, that certainty is coming from more external sources than internal. Reportedly, Seattle has some hesitancy about handing over the $30MM of guarantees that Carter would get in that draft slot. We’ll have to wait and see if that hesitancy wins out.
  • One name that continues to rise up draft boards is that of Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. Despite the lack of ideal size, at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds, Kancey has convinced many that he is a lock to be selected on Day 1, according to Pauline. The Saints, in particular, are a team that have really done their due diligence on Kancey. They could feel really good about nabbing a certain first-round talent with the 29th pick of the draft.
  • According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears could be looking to add a tight end in a year that is incredibly deep at the position. Chicago won’t likely use a top ten pick on Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer or Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, but thanks to the Roquan Smith-trade, the team has two second-round picks and may use them on such prospects as Georgia’s Darnell Washington, South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft, or Iowa’s Sam LaPorta.
  • Speaking of Iowa, a recent mock draft by Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan slotted Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness as a top ten pick. Caplan explains that he’s spoken with several executives that believe Van Ness won’t make it past the Eagles at No. 10 overall. Philadelphia had been looking into pass rushers in free agency with an aging Brandon Graham, and Van Ness may be the answer.

Latest On DT Jalen Carter’s Draft Stock

April 22nd, 2023 at 10:06am CST by Ben Levine

Jalen Carter‘s troubling pre-draft process reportedly led some teams to completely remove the Georgia defensive lineman from their draft boards.. Carter is unlikely to climb back into the top-four, but his draft stock may not have taken as big of a hit as initially anticipated. Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that teams still have the defensive tackle as the top-graded player on their draft boards.

Carter will not face jail time in connection with the misdemeanor charges he faced after two members of Georgia’s football program, offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy, died in car accident. Further, the defensive lineman had a weak pro day, but it sounds like the prospect did some work to repair his image during his private workouts with NFL teams.

Sources told Tashan Reed of The Athletic that Carter remains atop the Raiders draft board. While the organization is aware of “how drafting Carter could garner a negative reaction” following Henry Ruggs‘ fatal DUI felony charge, the front office has also done their due diligence on the prospect.

“We looked at Jalen like every other player that’s in the draft,” Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said. “I don’t think we want to cheat the process with any prospect in that regard. We want to hit those bases for each individual prospect. And, of course, on some prospects it’s deeper; there’s just more things to look at and more things to consider based on their situation. Jalen, in that regard, was similar to a lot of players in the draft and we feel very comfortable with the work that we’ve done on him.”

Lions general manager Brad Holmes shared a similar sentiment about Carter. While the executive didn’t elaborate as much as Ziegler, he did acknowledge that the front office “felt better” about the lineman following his in-person visit (per NFL Network’s James Palmer on Twitter).

Carter’s agent declared no visits to teams without a top-10 pick would take place, putting the Lions (No. 6) and Raiders (No. 7) in prime position to select the Georgia product without making a trade. In addition to those two organizations, Carter has also visited with the Seahawks (No. 5), Falcons (No. 8), Bears (No. 9) and Eagles (No. 10).

Raiders Still Considering First-Round QB?

April 22nd, 2023 at 9:37am CST by Ben Levine

Even after adding veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo earlier this offseason, the Raiders are still considering a rookie QB. We heard earlier this week that the organization was eyeing projected second-round quarterback Hendon Hooker, but the front office is also keeping their options open in the first round. General manager Dave Ziegler told reporters that the Raiders “haven’t ruled anything out” in regards to a first-round QB.

“Having Jimmy does supply us with a very high-quality starting player at the position. And so, we feel comfortable with that,” Ziegler said (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “But I think to close that door and say that’s not something you would do because of X, Y and Z. That’s not the business we’re in.

“…Any time you can find a young player at that position that’s going to have an impact on your team, you have to keep an open mind to that.”

As Bonsignore writes, the Raiders “were as active as any team in the NFL” when it came to evaluating quarterback prospects. Currently sitting with the No. 7 pick, the Raiders could even move up the draft board in pursuit of their preferred player. The Raiders are armed with selections in each round of the draft, including extra picks in the third, fifth, sixth, and seventh.

However, the Raiders might not even have to make a trade. If the Cardinals keep their pick (coupled with the possibility that the Texans could pivot away from a rookie QB at No. 2), then the Raiders may find that one of Florida’s Anthony Richardson or Kentucky’s Will Levis falls to them at No. 7. Further, thanks to the addition of Garoppolo, the Raiders are in no rush to add a player at the position, and a rookie QB would surely be redshirted behind the Raiders’ free agent acquisition for at least the 2023 campaign.

The Raiders have plenty of holes on defense, so even if a QB does fall to No. 7, there’s still a chance the front office goes for a player who could contribute now. In that scenario, the front office could make a push for Hooker. The Tennessee product visited the Raiders earlier this month and are believed to have been impressed with the prospect. Coming off a November ACL tear, Hooker isn’t expected to be a serious option for the organization with the seventh-overall pick.

Latest On Texans’ No. 2 Overall Pick

April 21st, 2023 at 1:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

A stream of skepticism about the Texans taking C.J. Stroud second overall has come out over the past few weeks. With Bryce Young all but certain to go No. 1 overall to the Panthers, Stroud’s chances to be the next name announced may depend on trade offers the Texans receive.

Nick Caserio said teams have called regarding Houston’s No. 2 pick, and if genuine interest exists in Stroud, rumblings about a Texans trade-down will intensify as we move closer to the draft. The Texans passing on a QB at 2 and rolling the dice ahead of Caserio’s third season in charge — which the GM insists will take place, rather than an abrupt exit — would be one of the more interesting draft decisions in recent memory, but that appears to be where this is headed.

Some on Houston’s staff do not appear as high on Stroud compared to Young, whom the Texans presumably targeted when they entered trade talks with the Bears for No. 1, and Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the team’s interest in taking Will Levis or Anthony Richardson that high does not appear strong. A previous report indicated a value gap between Young and the other QBs existed in Houston as well. This would open the door to a pass rusher pick, and La Canfora adds more fuel to the Tyree Wilson-over-Will Anderson Jr. fire by indicating execs expect the Texans — should they be unable to trade the pick — to take the Texas Tech edge rusher over Alabama’s two-time Bronko Nagurski award winner.

Stroud’s choice of agent may at least be a fringe issue for the Texans. Deshaun Watson‘s agent, David Mulugheta, is representing Stroud. The bad blood between Mulugheta and Texans ownership dates to Watson — before the run of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced — asking for a trade months after signing a four-year extension. One anonymous GM offers that Mulugheta’s top 2023 rookie client becoming the face of the Texans would be a “nonstarter” for owner Cal McNair, La Canfora adds. As could be expected, the Texans are not exactly over the Watson ugliness that included a paid full-season absence and a settlement with 30 Watson accusers who had sued the team or were preparing to do so.

While the agent component would serve as an interesting reason to pass on a well-regarded quarterback, Texans coaches also being iffy on Stroud may bring enough concerns to follow through with a non-QB pick or trade-down scenario. In the event the Texans can move down, La Canfora adds the Texans would want to stay in the top 10. That would wall off the Titans at No. 11; Houston trading up so Tennessee can take a quarterback would be an unusual development as well. The Titans, who joined the Raiders in venturing to QB pro days but not in hosting passers on visits, loom as a wild card. They have both been connected to moving up and being too iffy on the QB crop to do so.

The Raiders and Falcons continue to generate buzz as a trade-up candidates, per La Canfora, who adds a Titans move up — be it to No. 2 or the Cardinals’ No. 3 slot — would most likely be for Stroud. The Raiders have done extensive homework on QBs, meeting with the five top prospects, while the Falcons hosted Stroud on a visit this week.

Were the Texans to pass on a QB, they would essentially be further delaying their rebuild. The team trading down only to use its No. 12 overall pick to move back up for a passer would bring some odd complications to a process that could wrap by simply drafting a passer at 2. While other roster areas appear somewhat improved from 2022, Houston waiting until 2024 to acquire its franchise-QB hopeful would extend this already-lengthy rebuild. Then again, team connections to using a top-10 selection on a quarterback often include talk of that franchise not expecting to be picking high again. That has not been an issue for the Texans, who have either landed a top-three pick or seen their draft choice fall in that territory in each of the past three years.

And, if the Texans actually exit the first round with Case Keenum and Davis Mills as their top QBs, Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (North Carolina) continue to generate considerable attention around the NFL a year away from their draft eligibility.

Raiders Impressed With QB Hendon Hooker?

April 19th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The rare team to meet with all five of this year’s top quarterback prospects, the Raiders also must strongly consider using early-round picks to bolster their long-downtrodden defense. But if the Silver and Black use the No. 7 overall choice on a defender, it leaves the door open to its second-rounder being a tool to address their QB spot.

Hendon Hooker visited the Raiders earlier this month, and Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the team is impressed with the Tennessee prospect. This intrigue includes Hooker, per Pauline, sitting third on the Raiders’ QB board — behind only Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. With the team viewing both players as likely to be off the board by No. 7, exploration of a Hooker investment enters the equation.

Coming off a November ACL tear, Hooker is not expected to be a consideration for the Raiders at No. 7. The team is indeed aiming to bolster its defense — potentially on all three levels — but Pauline adds it would be major surprise if Hooker slid past the Raiders at No. 38. Hooker has developed some momentum during the pre-draft interview period, and the notion of a team using late-first-round pick on the two-year Volunteers starter does not appear farfetched.

The Raiders trading back into the first round for Hooker would be a risk, considering the QB’s age (25) and injury past. Hooker would not be expected to play in 2023, given the Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo investment, and the team only has Brian Hoyer as an option behind Garoppolo. Hooker being a nonfactor behind Garoppolo would make Hoyer, who will turn 38 this season, the only true option if Garoppolo suffers another injury. The Raiders would also enter the QB-development business with a passer who would be 26 at the earliest point he could conceivably start for the team. Garoppolo signed a three-year contract that includes $33.75MM fully guaranteed, giving the Raiders the option of using the 31-year-old passer for multiple seasons.

Hooker is meeting with the Giants today. While New York seems like an unrealistic destination, he has also met with the Texans, Commanders, Saints, Lions and Buccaneers. The Vikings have also been connected to Hooker, though they are not believed to have used a “30” visit on him. The Saints also seem a stretch for Hooker, given Derek Carr‘s guarantees, but the Raiders could still be competing with a few other teams — depending on where this draft’s higher-rated QBs go — as the first round progresses. The Commanders hold picks 16 and 47; the Bucs sit at 19 and 50. Disregarding the Lions’ No. 6 pick, they also hold Nos. 18, 48 and 55. The Texans, who continue to be mentioned as a candidate to pass on Stroud at No. 2 overall, carry Nos. 12 and 33. Minnesota sits at No. 23 and does not have a second-round pick.

Both Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rank Hooker just outside the top 40. Prior to his ACL tear, the 6-foot-3 prospect piloted Tennessee to five wins over ranked competition — including a shootout conquest over Alabama. Hooker finished his two-year Vols run with 58 touchdown passes and five interceptions; the six-year collegian was far less prolific at Virginia Tech. As our Ely Allen points out, Hooker playing in what is viewed as a QB-friendly offense at Tennessee could affect his NFL development.

While Hooker joins Anthony Richardson and Will Levis in carrying risk as a first-round-caliber prospect, teams without a top-10 pick — or those who do not wish to use one on a non-Young QB — figure to have done extensive homework on Hooker going into the draft. The Raiders appear to be one of those teams.

Falcons Hosting DT Jalen Carter

April 18th, 2023 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

After his agent declared no visits to teams without a top-10 pick would take place, Jalen Carter is wrapping up his run of meetings with teams in that range. The last stop: the Falcons, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Carter visited the Lions (No. 6) on Monday, Schefter adds (on Twitter), and has met with the Seahawks (No. 5), Bears (No. 9) and Eagles (No. 10). A report last week indicated Carter had not yet visited the Raiders (No. 7), but Schefter notes the oft-discussed defensive tackle did make a trip to Las Vegas for that previously reported meeting. Carter will close out his pre-draft itinerary with the Falcons meeting today.

[RELATED: Falcons Taking “Serious Look” At QB Prospects?]

Seeing as teams use their “30” visits to look into players with injury pasts or off-field concerns, Carter has been a popular player on the interview circuit. An arrest warrant emerged in connection with the car accident that killed two members of the Georgia football program, breaking up Carter’s Combine. Carter has since reached a plea agreement and will not serve jail time for his alleged role in the January accident, but teams understandably want to do as much work as they can before considering a Carter investment.

Multiple teams are believed to have taken Carter off their draft boards. In addition to being present at the scene on the night of the accident and drawing charges of reckless driving and speeding, the top-tier prospect was previously ticketed (by Athens, Ga., police) for driving 89 mph in a 45-mph zone in September 2022; Carter received a $1K fine for that violation.

While Carter’s reputation has taken a significant hit during this pre-draft process, he continues to be viewed as a top-10 pick. Carter expects the arrest to affect his draft stock but appeared to indicate not every team that has hosted him asked him about it.

“A couple teams asked me about it, but they really didn’t get too in depth about the accident,” Carter said during an HBO Real Sports piece (h/t Pro Football Talk). “They just wanted to hear my side and that was it. … Yeah, I feel like [the January incident] is gonna matter a little bit. Because, you know, NFL teams look deep into your life. But it could’ve been something I did back in elementary [school]. You know, I’m pretty sure they’d know. So you know, this coming out at the time it did come out I’m pretty sure is going to affect a little bit.”

The Falcons have made multiple major moves to address their defensive line this offseason, agreeing to terms with David Onyemata shortly after the legal tampering period began and later signing Calais Campbell despite the Jets pushing to add him. Only the Bears finished with fewer sacks than the Falcons (21) last season.

An Apopka, Fla., native, Carter became an integral part of Georgia’s back-to-back national championships before declaring for the draft after three seasons. Both ESPN’s Scouts Inc. and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah rank the 314-pound defender as this year’s fifth-best prospect.

Josh Jacobs To Skip Raiders’ Offseason Program

April 17th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Monday marks the first day in which all teams are able to begin phase one of their offseason programs, and attention is of course being paid to notable absences. One player choosing to skip his team’s voluntary workouts is Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, as noted (on Twitter) by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The news comes as little surprise, considering Jacobs has yet to sign his franchise tag. Vegas’ decision to use the one-year tender kept Jacobs off the market, thus preventing him from trying to parlay his career-year into a long-term payday. The former first-rounder joined Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard as backs receiving the franchise tag this offseason; only the latter has signed his so far.

Jacobs, 25, seemed to be on his way out of Vegas heading into the 2022 season given the team’s decision to decline his firth-year option. His performance this past year, though – including 12 touchdowns and a league-leading 2,053 scrimmage yards – earned him Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. That made his retention (at least in the short-term) a priority for the Raiders, who have to date joined most of the rest of the league in not making a lucrative investment at the position on a second contract.

In fact, serious extension talks have yet to take place between the Raiders and Jacobs. The latter is set to earn $10.1MM on the tag if no long-term agreement can be reached this offseason. With July 17 representing the deadline for talks on that front, though, plenty of time still remains for a breakthrough. Jacobs’ market could be influenced by Barkley’s, though the Giants appear very content to let their star play out the 2023 season without any long-term security. The Raiders taking a similar approach with Jacobs would cloud his financial prospects.

As expected, the free agent market led to a number of modest deals at the running back position this offseason. Only Miles Sanders and David Montgomery landed new contracts averaging $6MM or more per season, a further illustration of the devaluation of the position. How Jacobs fits into the changing RB landscape could be worth monitoring next offseason, if no new deal is agreed upon by that time. In the short-term, progress (or a lack thereof) made in contract talks as he aims to use his limited leverage in the spring will be a key storyline for the team.

Utah TE Dalton Kincaid Cleared Before Draft

April 16th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

This year’s draft class is extremely deep at the tight end position, and one of the top prospects faced the additional challenge of a recent injury. Despite a back injury suffered late in the season, Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid has officially been cleared for football activity prior to the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Dr. Robert Watkins sent an email to NFL teams fully clearing the 23-year-old. “Dalton Kincaid sustained a back injury while playing football on 11/26/2022,” the email said. “Subsequent MRIs have shown appropriate healing, and he has been asymptomatic with no pain and no limitation of function for at least 3 months. He is cleared to play football with no restrictions.”

The injury caused him to miss the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine, and a shoulder injury forced him to miss time earlier in the year, as well. The injury issues don’t help concerns about his smaller frame for an NFL tight end. Yet, Kincaid is still a stellar pass-catching option who caught at least eight touchdowns in four of five college seasons (the fifth being the COVID-shortened season).

The full clearance is big for Kincaid, who is expected to be selected in the first round later this month. He and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer are widely anticipated to go on Day 1, while Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Georgia’s Darnell Washington have a chance, as well. With such a deep class, a nagging back injury could’ve really hurt Kincaid’s draft stock; a full clearance should keep Kincaid with his status as a consensus top two tight end in the draft.

With injury concerns out of the way, Kincaid has had several visits planned with NFL teams. The Ute met with the Bengals and Patriots this past week and has plans to visit the Packers in the week to come. Prior to those visits, Kincaid had spent time with the Texans, Raiders, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans, Lions, Chiefs, and Cowboys.

Raiders Targeting Defensive Upgrades, Meet With DE Tyree Wilson

April 14th, 2023 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reliable defenses have eluded the Raiders for most of this century. Last season marked the franchise’s 20th straight ranking in the bottom half in scoring defense. Patrick Graham‘s unit ranked 26th in points allowed and 27th in DVOA, making it logical to expect the AFC West franchise to seek help in the draft.

The team will do so, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore notes help will be sought on all three defensive levels. Although the Raiders have added a few pieces on defense, they have not devoted much money beyond the midlevel Marcus Epps contract. After the Davante Adams trade cost Las Vegas’ first- and second-round picks last year, the team should be expected to add defensive help early in this draft.

Substantial guarantees remain on Chandler Jones‘ deal, but after the former Cardinals All-Pro did not live up to expectations last season, Bonsignore adds the Raiders are eyeing edge help that would both prepare them for Jones’ departure — which could happen in 2024 — and give the veteran pass rusher more rest in 2023. The team met with Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson on Thursday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

Jones, 33, finished with just 4.5 sacks last season; three of those came in one game. His 2023 base salary and roster bonus represent a $16MM guarantee for the Silver and Black. Due to the void years tacked onto Jones’ three-year contract, it would cost the Raiders $7.2MM in dead money to cut him (without a post-June 1 designation, that is) in 2024. The Raiders signed ex-49er Jordan Willis as a backup but look to be targeting edge help. Both NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rate Wilson as a top-six player, but teams’ quarterback maneuvers could push him down to the Raiders at No. 7. Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness also sits as a possible edge upgrade for the Raiders, who have also done considerable homework on quarterbacks.

The Raiders have hosted each of the top quarterbacks available this year, including Hendon Hooker, but their defense may have too many needs for Josh McDaniels’ team — which already signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year deal that guarantees him $33.75MM — to take a quarterback in Round 1. Instead, cornerback looks like a strong consideration. The Raiders should be monitored for a corner at 7, Jordan Reid of ESPN.com notes. They hosted Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. and Maryland’s Deonte Banks on visits, and Reid adds the team has also work on top corners Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon). Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent mock sends Witherspoon to Vegas.

Robert Spillane (two years, $7MM) could be ticketed for a full-time role with the Raiders, being on the radar to wear the green dot signifying communication. The Raiders should be expected to look into this year’s linebacker class, per Bonsignore, but that will not happen until at least Round 2. On Day 2, Las Vegas holds the Nos. 38, 70 and 100 overall picks.

A Jalen Carter visit surfaced, with word of that meeting coming out shortly after a report indicated the Raiders would not consider the Georgia defensive tackle, and could be in position to select the high-risk proposition. But The Athletic’s Vic Tafur adds the Carter meeting has not yet transpired. The Bears (No. 9) and Eagles (No. 10) have both emerged as potential Carter landing spots, though the Seahawks (No. 5) have as well.

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