HEADLINES

David Njoku

Draft Rumors: Webb, Njoku, Peppers, Allen

March 25th, 2017 at 7:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Multiple clubs have informed Cal quarterback Davis Webb they view him as a “first-round talent,” tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated earlier this week that Webb could be selected in the first round, and noted as many as five clubs had expressed interest in the 6’5″ signal-caller. That number has now grown to 12, per Branch, and Webb has met with the Cardinals and Steelers, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com.

Here’s more on the 2017 draft:

  • Miami tight end David Njoku visited with the Panthers, as Njoku told the Rich Eisen Show (video link) earlier this week. Njoku, who registered 43 receptions and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to be one of two first-round picks at tight end, joining Alabama’s O.J. Howard. The Buccaneers and Giants are also reportedly eyeing Njoku, who is just 20 years old.
  • The Buccaneers, Saints, and Cardinals have all conducted meetings with Michigan defender Jabrill Peppers, reports Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Debate has emerged regarding what position Peppers will play in the NFL, as though Peppers views himself as a safety, some clubs may see him as a linebacker. Per Peppers, 30 teams wants him to play safety, one wants him to play linebacker, and one outlier views Peppers as an offensive player, tweets Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.
  • Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen says he’s only met with with the Bears thus far in the draft process, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Allen, viewed as one this year’s best defensive prospects, could see his stock fall thanks to a shoulder injury. Some scouts believe Allen could drop into the No. 12-17 range after initially being projected as a top-five pick.

NFC South Notes: Njoku, Bucs, Saints, Te’o

March 22nd, 2017 at 6:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers met with Miami tight end David Njoku earlier this week, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Njoku, who registered 43 receptions and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to be one of two first-round picks at tight end, joining Alabama’s O.J. Howard. The Giants, who sit at pick No. 23 (four spots behind Tampa Bay) are also said to be “very high” on Njoku.

Here’s more from the NFC South:

  • Prior to re-signing with the Saints, defensive back Sterling Moore came close to joining another — as yet unidentified — club, as he detailed to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). A career journeyman prior to 2016, Moore started 12 games for New Orleans last season. As Moore explains, the Saints circled back to him with an offer after he’d been negotiating with another team, allowing him the return he’d always preferred. Moore, 27, earned $760K last year.
  • Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara is expected to meet with the Saints on Wednesday, tweets Sean Fazende of WVUE FOX 8. Kamara, who recently fired his agent, could sneak into Round 1 despite being viewed as a Day 2 prospect for most of last year. A committee back with the Volunteers, Kamara managed less than 1,300 yards rushing during two years in Tennessee, but also averaged more than six yards per carry during that time.
  • The second year of Buccaneers center Joe Hawley‘s two-year deal is an option year, Caplan tweets. As previously reported, the full two-year pact is worth $5.5MM with $1MM fully guaranteed. If Tampa Bay opts to pick up his 2018 option, Hawley will receive a $250K option bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • Manti Te’o‘s two-year deal with the Saints is worth $5MM with $600K guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Te’o can earn $500K annually in per-game roster bonuses, according to Rapoport, and can rake in another $1MM per year in incentives, tweets Wilson.

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Cards, Njoku

February 8th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Texas A&M safety Justin Evans could sneak into the back end of Round 1 in the 2017 draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, who reports the Cowboys are among the clubs currently interested in Evans. Dallas has two safeties headed for free agency — Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox — meaning the club could use depth and potentially a new starter in the defensive backfield. The Cowboys currently hold the 28th pick in the first round.

Here’s more on the NFL draft:

  • The Giants are “very high” on Miami tight end David Njoku, per Pauline. Njoku, who posted eight touchdowns and nearly 700 yards receiving in 2016, placed as the No. 12 overall player on Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com‘s most recent Top 50 rankings, just above of fellow tight end O.J. Howard. New York’s tight end group is currently comprised of Will Tye, Larry Donnell, Matt LaCosse, and Jerell Adams, but the club is clearly looking for an upgrade, as they’ve also been linked to South Alabama’s Gerald Everett.
  • The Packers are expected to target cornerbacks in the draft and free agency, one source told Pauline in a separate post, adding Green Bay will look to acquire “lots” of defensive backs. After fielding an abysmal pass defense in 2016, and releasing veteran Sam Shields earlier today, the Packers could look for a new defender in the first round of the draft, or target help on the open market.
  • Not only are NFL clubs not in unison on who the No. 1 quarterback in the draft is, but teams have varying views on the top-five signal-callers available, writes Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. One scout told Miller that his organization has Pittsburgh’s Nathan Peterman ranked ahead of Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, but graded both as Round 2 players.
  • The Cardinals could still target an early-round wide receiver even after Larry Fitzgerald announced his intention to return for the 2017 season, as Miller reports. Although Fitzgerald will be back, Arizona will be without Michael Floyd, who was released at the end of the season and had been set to hit free agency. I identified wideout as an area of focus for the Cardinals when assessing their top offseason needs.
  • Although CBSSports.com projects Clemson wide receiver Artavis Scott to come off the board in Rounds 3 or 4, one scout isn’t enthused about the Tigers pass-catcher, telling Miller that Scott “lacks the speed to separate in the NFL.”