Patrick Mahomes - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Notes: Trubisky, Mahomes, Steelers

March 31st, 2017 at 8:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky figures to go early in this year’s draft, though Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is concerned that he only started one year with the Tar Heels. “A really talented player,” Arians said of Trubisky (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “The growth potential is obviously there. The question is why wasn’t all that talent starting for the last three years? That’s always bugging me. So you have to go and answer those questions with him, with his coach, but the physical talent is there.” Arians isn’t the only talent evaluator around the NFL who’s leery that Trubisky was a backup prior to 2016, as another one told Cabot he has similar concerns.

Miller’s Latest: Panthers, 49ers, Saints, Mixon, Webb, Mahomes, Chiefs, Tabor

March 31st, 2017 at 6:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers, who own the eighth pick in the draft, are interested in trading up to No. 2, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears. If they were to swing a deal to acquire the 49ers’ selection, the Panthers would draft either LSU running back Leonard Fournette or Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera will attend Fournette’s pro day April 5, and he attended Thomas’ last week. San Francisco, meanwhile, has expressed a willingness to move down, and Miller notes that the Panthers could use the second-rounder they received from New England in the Kony Ealy swap (No. 64) to help facilitate a trade. The 49ers would hope to land Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster at No. 8.

Here’s more from Miller:

At least five teams won’t consider drafting controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, per Miller, who notes that “many” others “are digging in hard” on the 20-year-old. The Saints are among the latter clubs, with Miller reporting they could reel in Mixon in Round 2 (No. 42). Head coach Sean Payton said earlier this week that the Saints plan to meet with Mixon soon.
Count Miller among the latest pundits who expects Cal quarterback Davis Webb to come off the board in the opening round – in the late 20s, to be specific. Someone could trade up from the second round to draft Webb in order to get his rights for an extra year, Miller adds.
Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has visited with the Chiefs, according to Miller. Kansas City is set to pick 27th overall, when Mahomes still might be available. The second-round-graded Mahomes has drawn plenty of interest from around the league.
Florida cornerback Teez Tabor gave an interview at the combine that was “the worst we had all year,” one scout told Miller. Between that and his poor 40 times, it’s possible Tabor will be a Day 3 selection, writes Miller. That would be a notable drop for a player who entered the season as a prospective first-rounder.

Jets Have Strong Interest In Mahomes

March 31st, 2017 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are showing strong interest in Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Mahomes also met with the 49ers on Thursday night and spent a good amount of time with the Giants, Pauline adds. Giants coach Ben McAdoo, 49ers GM John Lynch, and Seahawks GM John Schneider were all at Texas Tech’s pro day to watch Mahomes throw (Twitter link via Andrew Groover of the NFL Network). It should be noted that McAdoo doesn’t usually attend pro days, so this could be a sign that the Giants’ interest in Mahomes is also at an advanced level.

The stock of Mahomes has been on the rise for the last couple of months. In February, the NFL’s College Advisory Committee gave the quarterback a second-round grade. Meanwhile, with an overall underwhelming crop of quarterback’s in this year’s class, it’s not hard to see Mahomes going somewhere in his first round. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com previously estimated that his floor could be No. 25 overall when the Texans are scheduled to be on the clock. His ceiling, according to JLC, could be as high as top three overall.

The Jets signed Josh McCown this offseason and while he could be the team’s starter in 2017, they haven’t committed to anything of that nature just yet. Gang Green also has Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg on the roster, but it’s not likely that any of those QBs would preclude the Jets from drafting a high-end guy if they felt strongly about him.

The Jets own the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft and it seems possible that Mahomes might be a consideration there. It’s also possible that the Niners could beat them to the punch or another intensely-interested club could trade up to nab him. With roughly one month to go before the draft, it’s clear that Mahomes is a player to watch, but his possibly range is still murky.

Draft Rumors: Panthers, QBs, Broncos

March 24th, 2017 at 8:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier today, the Panthers extended Jonathan Stewart through 2018, what would be an 11th year in Charlotte for the running back. However, this transaction won’t preclude the team from drafting a running back high next month, GM Dave Gettleman said (via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, on Twitter). Viewed as a landing spot for Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook at No. 8, Carolina won’t use Stewart’s latest agreement as a reason to avoid the position in Round 1. While the Panthers have some other needs, Stewart turned 30 this week and hasn’t played 16 games in a regular season since 2011. Taken at No. 13 in 2008, Stewart represents the most recent Panthers Round 1 running back investment.

Here’s more from this draft class.

Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is working out with the Chargers on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Kizer already worked for the Jets and Browns, Rapoport adds. “(Kizer) makes some throws that Trubisky and Watson cannot make,” ESPN.com’s Todd McShay said during the Notre Dame passer’s pro day (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “But Kizer also misses a lot of throws that typically you wouldn’t see from (Mitchell) Trubisky or (Deshaun) Watson. I think probably he has the strongest arm. He has the biggest upside of all of these quarterbacks.” Potentially ready to tab a successor to Philip Rivers, the Bolts have been linked to Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes as well.
Speaking of Mahomes, the rising Texas Tech quarterback had dinner with Bears brass recently, Rapoport tweets. Both Kizer and Mahomes also worked out for the Browns recently. While not a likely candidate for Chicago’s No. 3 pick, Mahomes could be in range when the Bears’ second-round selection comes up at No. 35.
Michigan edge defender Taco Charlton has visits lined up with the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Dolphins and Saints, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Registering 9.5 sacks during a season in which he played with a high ankle sprain, Charlton believes he’s a top-15 player. He met Thursday night with the Steelers, Ravens, Titans and Saints. There’s definitely one team that appears to be interested here, if the overlap is any indication.
If pass-rusher serves as a glaring Saints need, the Broncos have one at left tackle. Alabama’s Cam Robinson will visit as a potential candidate to fill that spot, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. The Broncos did not pick up Russell Okung‘s option and signed Menelik Watson likely to serve as their right tackle. Although they restructured Donald Stephenson‘s contract, the team might not view the 2016 UFA signing as a left tackle starter after he struggled on the right side last season. They have not selected a tackle in first round since Ryan Clady in 2008.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Latest On Browns’ Draft Plans

March 24th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns remain expected to take Myles Garrett with their No. 1 overall pick, and the team has already observed the Texas A&M edge defender during a private workout, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. However, more mystery surrounds Cleveland’s second first-round selection.

Acquired after the Eagles traded up to take Carson Wentz, the Browns’ designs for the No. 12 pick appear to be rather quarterback-centric at this point. Cleveland’s brass conducted private workouts with both DeShone Kizer and Patrick Mahomes. The Browns are also expected to observe Mitchell Trubisky and Deshaun Watson soon but will do so privately. The team has been skipping pro days in lieu of focusing on potential draft targets privately. Hue Jackson did attend Malik Hooker‘s in Columbus, however.

While the Kizer has been rated as the better prospect, with the Notre Dame passer almost unanimously expected to go off the board in Round 1, the Browns are believed to prefer Mahomes. Cabot reports the Browns indeed like the Texas Tech air raid conductor better than Kizer and notes both are under consideration, along with Watson and Trubisky, for Cleveland’s No. 12 overall choice.

In addition to the private workouts, the Browns plan to bring top prospects to their Berea, Ohio, headquarters for official visits. Unless one of the quarterbacks “blows the team away” during the next month, Cabot writes the Browns are expected to take Garrett and focus on aerial help after that pick.

Mahomes’ status may be the most difficult to pin down of the upper-tier quarterback prospects. Given a second-round grade, the ex-Red Raiders signal-caller has been linked to a possible early first-round 1 selection as well. Three teams with aging quarterbacks — the Saints, Chargers and Cardinals — each are interested as well.

The Browns have also been linked to Jimmy Garoppolo with their No. 12 pick and have been attached to Watson and Trubisky during the draft process, the Clemson passer in particular with the No. 12 pick.

Draft Rumors: Mahomes, Kizer, Thomas

March 23rd, 2017 at 7:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who could go anywhere from the top of the first round to the second round in this year’s draft, is drawing interest from three teams with aging franchise signal-callers. A Chargers contingent consisting of head coach Anthony Lynn, offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen put Mahomes through a private workout in Lubbock, Texas, last week, reports Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The Bolts have a starting passer in Philip Rivers, but he’ll be 36 in December, so they’ll at least consider taking a QB early. The club is set to pick seventh and 38th in the first two rounds.

New Orleans, meanwhile, has a 38-year-old under center in Drew Brees, meaning there’s more urgency for the club to find its next passer than there is for the Chargers. With that in mind, Saints head coach Sean Payton, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and members of the team’s front office traveled to Lubbock to work out Mahomes on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. “They said every time they see me under center, I look better and better,” Mahomes said of the Saints, who currently own three of the draft’s first 45 selections (Nos. 11, 32 and 42).

The Cardinals, who are led by 37-year-old quarterback Carson Palmer, attended a Mahomes workout on Thursday, relays Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Owner Michael Bidwill and head coach Bruce Arians were on hand for the Cards, who hold the 13th and 45th selections in the opening two rounds.

More of the latest on the upcoming draft:

Even though the Bears handed quarterback Mike Glennon a significant contract in free agency, they aren’t necessarily content under center. Evidence: The club is likely to conduct a private workout with Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer next week, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Kizer as the 33rd-best player in this year’s class, which could make him a possibility for the Bears in Round 2 (No. 36).
The Panthers had a meeting with Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas on Thursday, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Thomas figures to come off the board quickly and might be gone by the time Carolina’s on the clock at No. 8.
The Bills have scheduled a private April workout with Pittsburgh quarterback Nathan Peterman, the player told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Earlier this year, one scout informed Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that Peterman has a chance to pull a Dak Prescott and go from a mid-round pick to a viable starter as a rookie.
A Saints representative had dinner with Utah free safety Marcus Williams on Wednesday, writes Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. Williams is a ballhawk “who will make plays in the passing game, but he needs to improve in run support,” observes Jeremiah, who ranks him as this year’s 47th-best draft-eligible player.

Mitch Trubisky Will Throw At Combine

February 23rd, 2017 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky could be the first quarterback off the board and possibly the first player drafted in April. Sometimes, elite QB prospects like him forego drills at the combine, but he’ll be throwing for scouts in Indianapolis, his father tells Mark Podolski of the News Herald.

Trubisky will participate in most of the drills offered at the combine, including the 40-yard dash. However, he will not do the bench press. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has a similar gameplan and will not attempt to bench 225 pounds as many times as possible (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson told The Associated Press that he plans to do “everything” when it comes to combine drills (link via The Associated Press). Ditto for Cal’s Davis Webb (via Dalton Johnson of CSNBayArea.com). Overall, it sounds like most of this year’s top quarterbacks will be full or near full participants in the Underwear Olympics.

Trubisky’s biggest test might not be in the drills, but in the measurements portion of the combine. His high school coach told the News Herald that he is a legit 6’2″, but there are rumors that he is actually under 6’1″. That may not sound like a big deal, but only two QBs at 6’1″ and under (Johnny Manziel and Rex Grossman) have been selected in the first round in the last 15 years.

Patrick Mahomes Gets Second-Round Grade

February 22nd, 2017 at 1:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Patrick Mahomes II’s stock appears to be on the rise. Today, the Texas Tech quarterback said that he received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee (via Mike Florio of PFT).

For a while, the consensus seemed to be that UNC’s Mitch Trubisky would be the first QB off the board in this year’s draft with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer following afterwards. Now, it seems like Mahomes could crack the top three at the position and, according to one report, possibly go inside of the first three overall picks. The Browns, 49ers, and Bears hold the first three picks and they could all be in search of a QB come draft time. If Mahomes doesn’t hear his name called that early, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says that the Texans at No. 25 likely represent his floor.

The scouting combine in Indianapolis should give us a better idea of where Mahomes might go in April. In a draft class that has no slam dunks at the quarterback position, we could see lots of board shuffling between now and the spring.

Patrick Mahomes A Potential Top-3 Pick?

February 12th, 2017 at 4:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes should be considered a near-lock to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, and could be selected within the top three picks depending on how the Browns, 49ers, and Bears address the quarterback position in free agency and/or via trade, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The Texans, who hold the 25th pick, likely represent the floor for Mahomes, per La Canfora.

Mahomes, 21, has been widely viewed as a Day 2 pick, so the suggestion that he could be chosen not only in the first round, but within the first thirty minutes of the draft, is quite surprising, to say the least. On most draft boards, including that of Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com, Mahomes is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback available behind UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.

The scouting combine will be significant for Mahomes, says Kiper, while La Canfora agrees Mahomes will be considered a “rising” prospect by the time the draft rolls around. The 2017 quarterback draft class is considered the worst crop of signal-callers since 2013, so it stands to reason that certain QBs will be artificially pushed up boards as the draft approaches. Still, many scouts believe Trubisky is the only passer guaranteed to be selected in the top-five.

Mahomes has served as the Red Raiders’ full-time starter for the past two seasons, and has averaged 4,853 yards and 39 touchdowns during that time.

Albert Breer On Draft, Mixon, Trubisky

February 10th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Could teams strike gold in this year’s draft? Those in the know tell Albert Breer of The MMQB that this is an exceptionally deep class.

“Depth-wise, it’s great,” said one AFC executive. “What I like about it is, if we do our job, and have faith in our scouts, we can get starters into the fifth round.”

“It’s a very good draft,” a top personnel executive for an NFC team added. “If you’re in a position like Cleveland is with a lot of picks—and you still gotta pick the right guys—but it’s an excellent draft. Very deep across the board.”

Breer’s entire column is worth a read, but here’s a look at some of the highlights:

There has been a lot of talk about Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon going undrafted, but one area scout is insistent that he’ll be taken. “It needs to be the right market, a team that can handle the onslaught, the right PR staff, because you’ll have to weather the storm,” said one area scout assigned to the Sooners. “But the guy the Chiefs drafted (Tyreek Hill), Joe Mixon isn’t half the douchebag that guy was. … You’d have to search to find people that don’t like him. Maybe the parking-lot attendant. Everyone there loves him. And I believe them.”
This year’s class of quarterbacks might not be as weak as advertised, according to some officials. “It’s a good quarterback class,” said our NFC exec. “Realistically, all five of those guys (Mitch Trubisky, DeShaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, and Davis Webb) go in the first two rounds.” That’s a bold prediction on the part of that anonymous exec since there have been only five drafts (2014, ’12, ’11, ’07, ’06) since 2000 in which five QBs went inside the first two rounds.
Meanwhile, it sounds like Trubisky is still the leader of the pack. “I’ll be shocked if Trubisky’s not the first one off the board,” said one AFC exec. One AFC scout is confident that he’s a “top two or three pick.” However, as Breer notes, the UNC QB doesn’t project as a superstar and it remains to be seen whether a team is willing to burn a top pick on someone who projects to be more of an Andy Dalton than a Tom Brady.
The strength of this year’s class will be in the secondary and at running back, Breer writes. There’s also depth when it comes to wide receiver and tight end. Where this class is lacking, however, is on the offensive line. NFL execs tell Breer that they are worried this is not a one-time instance, but a sign of things to code. The spread offense and practice restrictions, they say, are hurting the quality of college offensive linemen.