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JUST RANDOM DRAFT NEWS FROM THE LAST COUPLE DAYS.
March 21, 2023 - 9:46 pm
Pro day updates … No surprise here as there was a big crowd at today’s Iowa State pro day workout with all 32 teams represented. And again no surprise that Pittsburgh lead the way with both G.M. Omar Khan and head coach in attendance, along with defensive co-ordinator Teryl Austin and several other senior staffers. Green Bay G.M. Brian GuteKunst was also there along with contingents from Tennessee, Dallas, Jacksonville and Arizona. The leading attraction drawing the crowd to Ames was ER Will McDonald who did not run at the combine. His time today was listed as ‘somewhere’ between 4.62 and 4.65 seconds which probably puts him somewhere in the 4.7 range. That’s good, but not necessarily elite, although his short shuttle time in the 6.60 range is exceptionally quick and McDonald is known as one of those guys with terrific flexibility and bend. Its also interesting that the three teams deepest at the ISU pro day – Tennessee, Green Bay and Pittsburgh – pick 11th, 15th and 17th respectively in this year’s opening round. And given that G.M.s don’t usually travel to pro days to look at 2nd round candidates, is this maybe a hint that teams are looking at McDonald in that range. At the same time, though, there is some evidence that the Steelers’ people, who do go to just about all the pro days may have been just as interested in ISU WR Xavier Hutchinson.
Meanwhile, we already noted that the USC pro day turned into mostly a swamp because of heavy rains in the area so nobody did a whole lot. In particular, DE Tuli Tuipulotu, another player who did not run at the combine, opted not to run again today. He still reported plenty of interest from other teams as he already has pre-draft meetings planned for Baltimore and Pittsburgh, while he also reportedly talked at length with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and the NY Giants today. At Rutgers, S Christian Izien, who was not invited to the combine, but may have earned an extra look or two from pro scouts as he ran the 40 in 4.40 seconds (a 2nd report actually had him at 4.32) and posted a 41.5-inch vertical. And while he was never a star with the Knights he did have over 300 career tackles and almost 20 career pass breakups including 4 picks.
March 21, 2023 - 2:53 pm
USC pro day turns into swim meet … The Southern California pro day has turned into something of a disaster because of heavy rains in the area. USC’s main field is essentially a lake and the program does not have an indoor facility long enough to conduct 40-yard dashes. Apparently, they were able to find part of the field that wasn’t totally covered by water but it still looks like very treacherous conditions. More to come.
March 20, 2023 - 10:36 pm
Emerging list of ‘draftable’ players not invited to the combine … Every draft process, we make the point that in many ways the draft starts in Indy. That’s because upwards of 85% of the players who are selected every April had been invited to the combine. However, also every year somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 players who were not at the combine do still get drafted. And GBN Associate Editor Pigskin Paul Guillemmete has been putting together a list of this year’s non-combine players most likely to be drafted. Read more
March 20, 2023 - 9:51 pm
Steelers out in numbers at Iowa pro day … All 32 NFL teams were represented at the Iowa pro day earlier today. In fact, there were something like 66 total NFL people at the Hawkeyes’ work out. One team that we can verify was there in numbers was Pittsburgh which was represented by GM Omar Khan, head coach Mike Tomlin and Director of College Scouting Dan Colbert among others. Of course, the Pittsburgh head office is known to go to a lot of pro days, although they don’t usually travel quite as far west. All that had Steelers’ fans buzzing all day wondering whether the Pittsburgh party was there to watch DE Lukas Van Ness or MLB Jack Campbell. Fact is it could very well b either or both; however, we wondered if maybe the Steelers’ people just might have been there a day early or so as the guy in the area they really want to see is Iowa State ER Will McDonald who is scheduled to work out at the Cyclones pro day tomorrow. In fact, all the Hawkeyes’ top prospects had previously worked out at the combine so there really wasn’t new to report today … All 32 teams were not at the Bowling Green pro day today, although there was a goodly number. And BGSU DT Karl Brooks, one of the biggest combine snubs this year, reportedly had a pretty good day, despite reportedly battling some kind of bug. At 6-3, 295, Brooks was credited with a 5.06 40 clocking (which we’ll round up to 5.10). He also had a 28.5-inch vertical which would have been middle of the pack among DTs at the combine … Former Auburn QB Cam Newton, now 34-years old and looking for a job, will throw at the Tigers’ pro day tomorrow.
March 20, 2023 - 4:46 pm
SU RB Tucker sits out pro day … Syracuse RB Sean Tucker did not participate in the Orange’s pro day because of an undisclosed, on-going health issue. Tucker, an early 3rd day prospect for the upcoming draft, also sat out the combine with what was described as a ‘medical exclusion.’ Tucker did post a video here, though, saying that he hopes to everything cleared up ‘shortly.’ In the video, Tucker claims to have been timed in 4.33 and 4.39 for the 40 – and while self-reported 40 times are notoriously unreliable, we will note that Tucker did run track at SU. He also posted a verifiable 41.5-inch vertical, which is very good. Syracuse CB Garrett Williams also didn’t work out as he is still rehabbing from a mid-season torn ACL.
March 19, 2023 - 10:39 pm
Pro day circuit heads into critical week … Its like the preliminaries are over and it is down to real business with the busiest week on the pro day calendar set to get underway Monday morning. Indeed, it kicks off Monday with a work out at Iowa, while Southern Cal heads a bigger group on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday its on to Ohio State, while Alabama is the headliner of Thursday, which also includes work outs at Utah, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati and California among other schools. And it wraps on Friday with pro days at Penn State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Boston College, Missouri, Houston and BYU. Of course, three of those workouts – Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky – will feature the top three rated QBs for the upcoming draft in CJ Stroud of the Buckeyes, the Tide’s Bryce Young and UK’s Will Levis. And we believe the NFL Network will be at all of the latter workouts with full coverage of the QBs’ passing sessions. For the record, here is the full pro day schedule as we have it.
Meanwhile, just a couple of updates of note. It does not appear that rising Michigan DT Mazi Smith ran in the end at the Wolverines’ pro day last Friday and there was no announcement of a private workout in April. UM DE Mike Morris, who had a very disappointing combine clocking 0f 4.95 did run again on Friday, but it doesn’t appear as it went the way he wanted as the school listed a 5.08 time for him. And UAB RB DeWayne McBride, one of this year’s really deep class at the position won’t run at the Blazers’ pro day on Wednesday because of a tweaked hamstring.
March 19, 2023 - 10:31 pm
Post first-wave free agency mock posted … With the frantic first wave of free agency now pretty much in the books, we figured now was as good as any time to update our last first-round mock done post-combine. In that mock, we did include a projected trade with Arizona trading away the 3rd pick overall to Las Vegas for the 7th who took a QB. We still think the odds of the Cardinals trading the pick to a QB-needy team are still better than even; however, after the Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo it is not as clear that the Raiders really have no choice but to trade up to address the situation, although they still may. And when we do include projections we kind of like to have some evidence that the respective teams are at least talking about it. Meanwhile, a number of other picks remain pretty much unchanged, but the majority have. Here is the full, updated projection.
March 19, 2023 - 2:17 pm
Texans back into tie for most picks … With the acquisition of that 5th round pick (#161) from Dallas in the trade for WR Brandin Cooks earlier today Houston now has an even dozen picks at the 2023 draft and are tied with Las Vegas for the most picks of any team at that number. At the same time, three teams – the LA Rams, New England and San Fracisco – have 11 each while Chicago, Green Bay, Kansas City, Seattle and the NY Giants have 10 apiece. Here is the updated list of 2023 picks by team.
March 19, 2023 - 10:21 am
Cowboys get Texans WR Cooks for late picks … Updated: The 5th round pick the Texans acquired in the trade for WR Brandin Cooks is being reported as #161. Dallas has completed a deal with cross-state rival Houston in which the Cowboys will acquire veteran WR Brandin Cooks in exchange for a 5th round pick this year and a 6th in 2024. Cooks is 30 and has a 2023 cap hit of $18M, although the Texans reportedly absorb close to a third of that. The Cowboys have been looking for a #2 receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
March 17, 2023 - 9:55 pm
Reasons why the NFL is the world’s greatest game … Football is more than just a sport for many people—it’s a way of life. From the first Sunday of regular season play to the Super Bowl, NFL football captivates fans from every corner of the globe and creates an energy like no other sport can. Whether you’re watching from your living room or in person at a stadium surrounded by tens of thousands cheering on their team, there’s something truly magical about experiencing the excitement and drama that comes with pro football. But why does this great game have such massive appeal? In this blog post, we’ll explore why NFL Football is widely regarded as one of the most exciting sports in existence. Read more
March 17, 2023 - 9:20 pm
End of week pro day updates … Still not a whole lot of info coming out of the various pro days around the country. We did get a second report, for example, that Georgia Tech DE Keion White was timed in the 4.65-4.75 range on his one 40 run yesterday, but again that doesn’t tell us very much. White, though, did manage a 34-inch vertical which is a very good number for someone his size (6-5, 285); plus he posted 30 reps in the bench press which is good for any size. we also never did get an official 40 time for Army DE Andre Carter, but sources close to that program have reported that he timed ‘somewhere’ in the 4.90 range. And that’s not going to move the needle much for a 6-6, 255-pound edge rusher. At the same time, Wagner LB Titus Leo, who was not invited to the combine, also worked out at the Army pro day and ran somewhere in the 4.75-4.80 range at 6-3, 245.
Meanwhile, there was a full house at the Big House today with all 32 teams represented. There were reports that DT Mazi Smith, who didn’t run at the combine, worked out really well today, but so far there isn’t any hard data to back it up. One former Wolverine who maybe did help himself today was CB Gemon Green, who wasn’t invited to the combine, but put up some decent numbers today including a 4.55 40 clocking and a 37.5-inch vertical. And just for the record, the guy everyone seemed to be gushing about coming out of the UM workout was junior QB JJ McCarthy, who isn’t draft eligible this year, but reportedly threw the ball with real authority today as he threw passes to his graduating teammates. And speaking of Michigan, at least the state of, we would be remiss in not mentioning Michigan State LB Ben VanSumeren (6-1, 237), who may have had the best workout of the week earlier this week, when he ran a reported sub-4.5 40 while posting a 42.5-inch vertical, a 10-11 long jump, along with 29 BP reps.
March 17, 2023 - 9:30 am
Second week of pro days to wrap … The second week on the pro day schedule wraps up later today with a big workout at Michigan. Of course, the majority of major programs are still to come in the next two weeks including Ohio State and Alabama on back-to-back days next Wednesday and Thursday when star QBs CJ Stroud and Bryce Young will throw. For some reason, though, there really hasn’t been much news out of the various pro days so far. We do know, for example, that all 32 teams had reps at yesterday’s Georgia Tech pro day; we also know that rising DE Keion White pulled up with a tweaked hamstring on his second 40 run. The school did report that pro scouts had his first run timed between 4.65 and 4.75 seconds which would be good enough if those numbers could be trusted, but we’re guessing the actual number was something in the 4.82 range. Yellowjackets’ TE/WR EJ Jenkins also reportedly had a pretty good day running in the 4.6 range at 6-6, 245, although he only had a 32-inch vertical. At the same time, the best we have been able to find on Army DE/LB Andre Carter’s work out yesterday was a quote from the player that he felt that he had ‘done okay.’ Meanwhile, Senior Bowl exec director Jim Nagy tweeted that Tulane RB Tyjae Spears was timed in just under 4.5 seconds in the 40 at the Green Wave pro day yesterday, although those were likely hand held times. Interestingly, it was the NY Giants, who are looking for a 2nd back to pair with Saquon Barkley, that took Spears out to dinner after the workout.
March 16, 2023 - 7:11 pm
UGA DT Carter accepts plea deal … Georgia DT Jalen Carter, one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft, plead no contest to two misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing earlier today. As a result, Carter was sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $1,000 fine, and forced to perform 50 hours of community service; he must also complete a state approved defensive driving course and faces a 3-month driving suspension in the state. The charges stem from an incident back in January when Carter and a Georgia staffer were reportedly racing while returning to Athens from a national championship celebration in Atlanta earlier that day. The other car crashed and two people, including the staffer and a second Bulldog player, were killed. However, there were no more serious charges brought against Carter as there was no evidence that he caused the accident. And while he is now technically legally in the clear, needless to say the whole scenario hasn’t helped Carter’s draft status. He was arguably the top-rated non-QB prospect for 2023, if not the top prospect overall, at the time of the accident, but he’s been in something of a free fall since; a free fall that wasn’t helped when he showed up almost 10 pounds overweight and somewhat out of shape at the Dawgs’ pro day yesterday. Time will tell.
March 16, 2023 - 9:56 am
Couple of interesting stops on pro day circuit … Its actually a relatively quiet day on the pro day schedule today. However, there are a couple of potentially intriguing players that scouts will be focused on. Indeed, most of the big crowd that was at Georgia yesterday will likely be heading down to Atlanta this morning to check out rising Georgia Tech DE Keion White, one of the hottest players in the 2023 draft. and just to make it all a little more interesting, the 6-5, 285-pound White, who is now being talked about as maybe even a top 20 prospect this year, is expected to run the 40 today after opting no to at the combine. Same story for Army DE/LB Andre Carter who also didn’t run at the combine. Big difference though in that while White will be looking to enhance his grade, Carter just needs to stop the bleeding as it appears he may have fallen farther and faster than any other 2023 candidate in the past 6 weeks. Meanwhile, there will also be pro day workouts today at Arizona and Eastern Michigan. At the same time, the Saints will be hosting a rather unique pro day in New Orleans for players from the 5 traditional HBCU schools in the area including McNeese State, Nicholls State, Southern, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. Good luck to those folks!
March 15, 2023 - 2:24 pm
UGA DT Carter struggles at pro day … Just another quick update on the Georgia pro day which is now underway. Star UGA DT Jalen Carter reportedly really struggled at today’s workout. He showed up almost ten pounds heavier than at the combine and then was not able to complete the positional drills because of cramping. And that was after he chose not to run the 40 or participate in the other physical tests. No word on whether he plans to run at a private workout closer to the draft, but none of this can be reassuring to NFL teams wondering where to take him in this year’s draft. Carter, of course, was very much in the discussion to be the top-rated prospect overall this year, but his status was thrown for a loop when he was arrested and charged with a couple of driving offences stemming from an accident in which a couple of people were killed.
From earlier today: There are just three GMs in attendance at the Georgia pro day earlier today including Omar Khan of the Steelers, who tends to go to them all; Terry Fontenot of the hometown Atlanta Falcons; and Chicago’s Ryan Poles, who is there with a full contingent including head coach Matt Eberfus. Interesting that the Bears, who were in Chicago yesterday at the Northwestern pro day, could be looking at a pair of former Bulldogs for the 9th pick which they now have after trading with Carolina. One is OT Broderick Jones, a rising OL candidate who one would think would be in the discussion along with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Ohio State’s Paris Johnson should OT be the position the Bears look to address at that spot. The other guy of interest to the Bears has to be Carter who was linked to the Bears when they still had the #1 pick overall.
March 15, 2023 - 1:30 pm
Rodgers to play; looking at Jets … Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers just confirmed on the Pat McAffee online show that he in fact intends to play in 2023 and that he plans to play for the NY Jets. Of course, he is still under contract with the Packers, although they seem to want to move on just as much as Rodgers does. So now it is about the compensation. Stay tuned!
March 15, 2023 - 9:26 am
Big pro day at UGA … Just about every NFL team circled March 15th on their pro day calendars as defending national champion Georgia will do its on-field thing later today. A goodly turnout is expected, although some team execs that might otherwise have gone to the Bulldogs workout may stay closer to home to be near the action as the new NFL year also kicks off today. Unfortunately, it does not appear as if there will be any live coverage of the Georgia workout as the NFL Network will be focused on covering the ‘free agent frenzy.’ However, the Network will have a wrap up show at 9 PM ET later this evening. And there will be a little special interest in the Georgia pro day as star DT Jalen Carter did not work out at the combine as he was embroiled in the legal proceedings surrounding his arrest for his part in the accident that resulted in the death of two people in January. However, it is not clear at this time exactly how much Carter will be involved today.
Of course, Georgia isn’t the only school to hold its pro day today. Others that will be working out today include UCLA, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Louisiana.
March 15, 2023 - 9:13 am
Its D-Day in the NFL with new football year set to start … The new football year is set to start this afternoon at 4 PM ET. By that time, all 32 teams have to be under the 2023 salary cap; the trades and free agent signings that have been reported over the past few days can be made official and teams can begin to sign other free agents and make further trades at will.
March 14, 2023 - 9:26 pm
Pro day updates: Clemson DE Murphy sits again; LB Simpson sizzles … All 32 NFL had reps at today’s pro day workout at Clemson. Unfortunately, Tigers’ DE Myles Murphy, a top 10-20 prospect who didn’t run at the combine because of a hamstring issue, wasn’t able to participate again today. Murphy, along with fellow Tigers’ DE KJ Henry, will hold private work out for NFL teams on April 4th. Tigers’ LB Trenton Simpson also didn’t run today as he stood on his excellent 4.43 time from the combine. Simpson, though, did the rest of the workout and put on a show posting a 40.5-inch vertical as well as quick times of 6.89 in the 3-cone drill and 4.22 in the short shuttle. Somewhat surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin was the only head coach in attendance; he was there with Steelers’ GM Omar Khan, one of only two GMs to appear along with Carolina’s Scott Fitterer. One wants to be a little careful reading too much into the attendance of Khan and Tomlin as the Steelers’ brass has historically attended far more pro days than any other team. However, they were the ones that took Simpson to dinner after the workout and it should be noted that the Steelers have reportedly never selected anyone in the opening round in the modern era from a team whose pro day their GM/HC did not attend. The Giants also appear to have some interest in Simpson as DC Wink Martindale was there along with the team’s LB and DB coaches; indeed, the Giants’ OL coach ran the positional drills. for the record, Baltimore DC Mike McDonald was the only other co-ordinator at Clemson today.
Interestingly, the Steelers were also out in force in Chicago for the Northwestern pro day where G/T Peter Skoronski was the featured attraction. Included in the Steelers delegation in Chicago was OL coach Pat Meyer who was there along with several senior scouting people. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise, though, that the Bears were also out in force at the Northwestern workout with a delegation that included GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, along with the team’s OL coach who ran the positional drills, as well as many as 5 other staffers. Ever since the Bears sent the #1 pick overall to Carolina for a package including this year’s 9th pick there has been speculation that Skoronski would be very much in the Bears’ sites.
Out on the far coast 31 of the 32 teams had reps at the Oregon pro day. Strangely, the LA Rams were the one laggard team despite the proximity. For the most part, the Ducks’ top prospects stood on their combine numbers, but WR Chase Cota, who was not invited to Indy this year, had a decent day as he ran an unofficial 4.50 40 clocking with a 37.5-inch vertical at 6-4, 200.
March 14, 2023 - 7:12 pm
Colts get 5th from Cowboys for top CB Gilmore … Indianapolis continued to clean house today as the released veteran QB Matt Ryan and then traded CB Stephon Gilmore to Dallas for a 5th round pick this year, #176 overall. That is one of the two comp picks the Cowboys received at the end of the round last week.
March 21, 2023 - 9:46 pm
Pro day updates … No surprise here as there was a big crowd at today’s Iowa State pro day workout with all 32 teams represented. And again no surprise that Pittsburgh lead the way with both G.M. Omar Khan and head coach in attendance, along with defensive co-ordinator Teryl Austin and several other senior staffers. Green Bay G.M. Brian GuteKunst was also there along with contingents from Tennessee, Dallas, Jacksonville and Arizona. The leading attraction drawing the crowd to Ames was ER Will McDonald who did not run at the combine. His time today was listed as ‘somewhere’ between 4.62 and 4.65 seconds which probably puts him somewhere in the 4.7 range. That’s good, but not necessarily elite, although his short shuttle time in the 6.60 range is exceptionally quick and McDonald is known as one of those guys with terrific flexibility and bend. Its also interesting that the three teams deepest at the ISU pro day – Tennessee, Green Bay and Pittsburgh – pick 11th, 15th and 17th respectively in this year’s opening round. And given that G.M.s don’t usually travel to pro days to look at 2nd round candidates, is this maybe a hint that teams are looking at McDonald in that range. At the same time, though, there is some evidence that the Steelers’ people, who do go to just about all the pro days may have been just as interested in ISU WR Xavier Hutchinson.
Meanwhile, we already noted that the USC pro day turned into mostly a swamp because of heavy rains in the area so nobody did a whole lot. In particular, DE Tuli Tuipulotu, another player who did not run at the combine, opted not to run again today. He still reported plenty of interest from other teams as he already has pre-draft meetings planned for Baltimore and Pittsburgh, while he also reportedly talked at length with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and the NY Giants today. At Rutgers, S Christian Izien, who was not invited to the combine, but may have earned an extra look or two from pro scouts as he ran the 40 in 4.40 seconds (a 2nd report actually had him at 4.32) and posted a 41.5-inch vertical. And while he was never a star with the Knights he did have over 300 career tackles and almost 20 career pass breakups including 4 picks.
March 21, 2023 - 2:53 pm
USC pro day turns into swim meet … The Southern California pro day has turned into something of a disaster because of heavy rains in the area. USC’s main field is essentially a lake and the program does not have an indoor facility long enough to conduct 40-yard dashes. Apparently, they were able to find part of the field that wasn’t totally covered by water but it still looks like very treacherous conditions. More to come.
March 20, 2023 - 10:36 pm
Emerging list of ‘draftable’ players not invited to the combine … Every draft process, we make the point that in many ways the draft starts in Indy. That’s because upwards of 85% of the players who are selected every April had been invited to the combine. However, also every year somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 players who were not at the combine do still get drafted. And GBN Associate Editor Pigskin Paul Guillemmete has been putting together a list of this year’s non-combine players most likely to be drafted. Read more
March 20, 2023 - 9:51 pm
Steelers out in numbers at Iowa pro day … All 32 NFL teams were represented at the Iowa pro day earlier today. In fact, there were something like 66 total NFL people at the Hawkeyes’ work out. One team that we can verify was there in numbers was Pittsburgh which was represented by GM Omar Khan, head coach Mike Tomlin and Director of College Scouting Dan Colbert among others. Of course, the Pittsburgh head office is known to go to a lot of pro days, although they don’t usually travel quite as far west. All that had Steelers’ fans buzzing all day wondering whether the Pittsburgh party was there to watch DE Lukas Van Ness or MLB Jack Campbell. Fact is it could very well b either or both; however, we wondered if maybe the Steelers’ people just might have been there a day early or so as the guy in the area they really want to see is Iowa State ER Will McDonald who is scheduled to work out at the Cyclones pro day tomorrow. In fact, all the Hawkeyes’ top prospects had previously worked out at the combine so there really wasn’t new to report today … All 32 teams were not at the Bowling Green pro day today, although there was a goodly number. And BGSU DT Karl Brooks, one of the biggest combine snubs this year, reportedly had a pretty good day, despite reportedly battling some kind of bug. At 6-3, 295, Brooks was credited with a 5.06 40 clocking (which we’ll round up to 5.10). He also had a 28.5-inch vertical which would have been middle of the pack among DTs at the combine … Former Auburn QB Cam Newton, now 34-years old and looking for a job, will throw at the Tigers’ pro day tomorrow.
March 20, 2023 - 4:46 pm
SU RB Tucker sits out pro day … Syracuse RB Sean Tucker did not participate in the Orange’s pro day because of an undisclosed, on-going health issue. Tucker, an early 3rd day prospect for the upcoming draft, also sat out the combine with what was described as a ‘medical exclusion.’ Tucker did post a video here, though, saying that he hopes to everything cleared up ‘shortly.’ In the video, Tucker claims to have been timed in 4.33 and 4.39 for the 40 – and while self-reported 40 times are notoriously unreliable, we will note that Tucker did run track at SU. He also posted a verifiable 41.5-inch vertical, which is very good. Syracuse CB Garrett Williams also didn’t work out as he is still rehabbing from a mid-season torn ACL.
March 19, 2023 - 10:39 pm
Pro day circuit heads into critical week … Its like the preliminaries are over and it is down to real business with the busiest week on the pro day calendar set to get underway Monday morning. Indeed, it kicks off Monday with a work out at Iowa, while Southern Cal heads a bigger group on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday its on to Ohio State, while Alabama is the headliner of Thursday, which also includes work outs at Utah, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati and California among other schools. And it wraps on Friday with pro days at Penn State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Boston College, Missouri, Houston and BYU. Of course, three of those workouts – Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky – will feature the top three rated QBs for the upcoming draft in CJ Stroud of the Buckeyes, the Tide’s Bryce Young and UK’s Will Levis. And we believe the NFL Network will be at all of the latter workouts with full coverage of the QBs’ passing sessions. For the record, here is the full pro day schedule as we have it.
Meanwhile, just a couple of updates of note. It does not appear that rising Michigan DT Mazi Smith ran in the end at the Wolverines’ pro day last Friday and there was no announcement of a private workout in April. UM DE Mike Morris, who had a very disappointing combine clocking 0f 4.95 did run again on Friday, but it doesn’t appear as it went the way he wanted as the school listed a 5.08 time for him. And UAB RB DeWayne McBride, one of this year’s really deep class at the position won’t run at the Blazers’ pro day on Wednesday because of a tweaked hamstring.
March 19, 2023 - 10:31 pm
Post first-wave free agency mock posted … With the frantic first wave of free agency now pretty much in the books, we figured now was as good as any time to update our last first-round mock done post-combine. In that mock, we did include a projected trade with Arizona trading away the 3rd pick overall to Las Vegas for the 7th who took a QB. We still think the odds of the Cardinals trading the pick to a QB-needy team are still better than even; however, after the Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo it is not as clear that the Raiders really have no choice but to trade up to address the situation, although they still may. And when we do include projections we kind of like to have some evidence that the respective teams are at least talking about it. Meanwhile, a number of other picks remain pretty much unchanged, but the majority have. Here is the full, updated projection.
March 19, 2023 - 2:17 pm
Texans back into tie for most picks … With the acquisition of that 5th round pick (#161) from Dallas in the trade for WR Brandin Cooks earlier today Houston now has an even dozen picks at the 2023 draft and are tied with Las Vegas for the most picks of any team at that number. At the same time, three teams – the LA Rams, New England and San Fracisco – have 11 each while Chicago, Green Bay, Kansas City, Seattle and the NY Giants have 10 apiece. Here is the updated list of 2023 picks by team.
March 19, 2023 - 10:21 am
Cowboys get Texans WR Cooks for late picks … Updated: The 5th round pick the Texans acquired in the trade for WR Brandin Cooks is being reported as #161. Dallas has completed a deal with cross-state rival Houston in which the Cowboys will acquire veteran WR Brandin Cooks in exchange for a 5th round pick this year and a 6th in 2024. Cooks is 30 and has a 2023 cap hit of $18M, although the Texans reportedly absorb close to a third of that. The Cowboys have been looking for a #2 receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb.
March 17, 2023 - 9:55 pm
Reasons why the NFL is the world’s greatest game … Football is more than just a sport for many people—it’s a way of life. From the first Sunday of regular season play to the Super Bowl, NFL football captivates fans from every corner of the globe and creates an energy like no other sport can. Whether you’re watching from your living room or in person at a stadium surrounded by tens of thousands cheering on their team, there’s something truly magical about experiencing the excitement and drama that comes with pro football. But why does this great game have such massive appeal? In this blog post, we’ll explore why NFL Football is widely regarded as one of the most exciting sports in existence. Read more
March 17, 2023 - 9:20 pm
End of week pro day updates … Still not a whole lot of info coming out of the various pro days around the country. We did get a second report, for example, that Georgia Tech DE Keion White was timed in the 4.65-4.75 range on his one 40 run yesterday, but again that doesn’t tell us very much. White, though, did manage a 34-inch vertical which is a very good number for someone his size (6-5, 285); plus he posted 30 reps in the bench press which is good for any size. we also never did get an official 40 time for Army DE Andre Carter, but sources close to that program have reported that he timed ‘somewhere’ in the 4.90 range. And that’s not going to move the needle much for a 6-6, 255-pound edge rusher. At the same time, Wagner LB Titus Leo, who was not invited to the combine, also worked out at the Army pro day and ran somewhere in the 4.75-4.80 range at 6-3, 245.
Meanwhile, there was a full house at the Big House today with all 32 teams represented. There were reports that DT Mazi Smith, who didn’t run at the combine, worked out really well today, but so far there isn’t any hard data to back it up. One former Wolverine who maybe did help himself today was CB Gemon Green, who wasn’t invited to the combine, but put up some decent numbers today including a 4.55 40 clocking and a 37.5-inch vertical. And just for the record, the guy everyone seemed to be gushing about coming out of the UM workout was junior QB JJ McCarthy, who isn’t draft eligible this year, but reportedly threw the ball with real authority today as he threw passes to his graduating teammates. And speaking of Michigan, at least the state of, we would be remiss in not mentioning Michigan State LB Ben VanSumeren (6-1, 237), who may have had the best workout of the week earlier this week, when he ran a reported sub-4.5 40 while posting a 42.5-inch vertical, a 10-11 long jump, along with 29 BP reps.
March 17, 2023 - 9:30 am
Second week of pro days to wrap … The second week on the pro day schedule wraps up later today with a big workout at Michigan. Of course, the majority of major programs are still to come in the next two weeks including Ohio State and Alabama on back-to-back days next Wednesday and Thursday when star QBs CJ Stroud and Bryce Young will throw. For some reason, though, there really hasn’t been much news out of the various pro days so far. We do know, for example, that all 32 teams had reps at yesterday’s Georgia Tech pro day; we also know that rising DE Keion White pulled up with a tweaked hamstring on his second 40 run. The school did report that pro scouts had his first run timed between 4.65 and 4.75 seconds which would be good enough if those numbers could be trusted, but we’re guessing the actual number was something in the 4.82 range. Yellowjackets’ TE/WR EJ Jenkins also reportedly had a pretty good day running in the 4.6 range at 6-6, 245, although he only had a 32-inch vertical. At the same time, the best we have been able to find on Army DE/LB Andre Carter’s work out yesterday was a quote from the player that he felt that he had ‘done okay.’ Meanwhile, Senior Bowl exec director Jim Nagy tweeted that Tulane RB Tyjae Spears was timed in just under 4.5 seconds in the 40 at the Green Wave pro day yesterday, although those were likely hand held times. Interestingly, it was the NY Giants, who are looking for a 2nd back to pair with Saquon Barkley, that took Spears out to dinner after the workout.
March 16, 2023 - 7:11 pm
UGA DT Carter accepts plea deal … Georgia DT Jalen Carter, one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft, plead no contest to two misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing earlier today. As a result, Carter was sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $1,000 fine, and forced to perform 50 hours of community service; he must also complete a state approved defensive driving course and faces a 3-month driving suspension in the state. The charges stem from an incident back in January when Carter and a Georgia staffer were reportedly racing while returning to Athens from a national championship celebration in Atlanta earlier that day. The other car crashed and two people, including the staffer and a second Bulldog player, were killed. However, there were no more serious charges brought against Carter as there was no evidence that he caused the accident. And while he is now technically legally in the clear, needless to say the whole scenario hasn’t helped Carter’s draft status. He was arguably the top-rated non-QB prospect for 2023, if not the top prospect overall, at the time of the accident, but he’s been in something of a free fall since; a free fall that wasn’t helped when he showed up almost 10 pounds overweight and somewhat out of shape at the Dawgs’ pro day yesterday. Time will tell.
March 16, 2023 - 9:56 am
Couple of interesting stops on pro day circuit … Its actually a relatively quiet day on the pro day schedule today. However, there are a couple of potentially intriguing players that scouts will be focused on. Indeed, most of the big crowd that was at Georgia yesterday will likely be heading down to Atlanta this morning to check out rising Georgia Tech DE Keion White, one of the hottest players in the 2023 draft. and just to make it all a little more interesting, the 6-5, 285-pound White, who is now being talked about as maybe even a top 20 prospect this year, is expected to run the 40 today after opting no to at the combine. Same story for Army DE/LB Andre Carter who also didn’t run at the combine. Big difference though in that while White will be looking to enhance his grade, Carter just needs to stop the bleeding as it appears he may have fallen farther and faster than any other 2023 candidate in the past 6 weeks. Meanwhile, there will also be pro day workouts today at Arizona and Eastern Michigan. At the same time, the Saints will be hosting a rather unique pro day in New Orleans for players from the 5 traditional HBCU schools in the area including McNeese State, Nicholls State, Southern, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. Good luck to those folks!
March 15, 2023 - 2:24 pm
UGA DT Carter struggles at pro day … Just another quick update on the Georgia pro day which is now underway. Star UGA DT Jalen Carter reportedly really struggled at today’s workout. He showed up almost ten pounds heavier than at the combine and then was not able to complete the positional drills because of cramping. And that was after he chose not to run the 40 or participate in the other physical tests. No word on whether he plans to run at a private workout closer to the draft, but none of this can be reassuring to NFL teams wondering where to take him in this year’s draft. Carter, of course, was very much in the discussion to be the top-rated prospect overall this year, but his status was thrown for a loop when he was arrested and charged with a couple of driving offences stemming from an accident in which a couple of people were killed.
From earlier today: There are just three GMs in attendance at the Georgia pro day earlier today including Omar Khan of the Steelers, who tends to go to them all; Terry Fontenot of the hometown Atlanta Falcons; and Chicago’s Ryan Poles, who is there with a full contingent including head coach Matt Eberfus. Interesting that the Bears, who were in Chicago yesterday at the Northwestern pro day, could be looking at a pair of former Bulldogs for the 9th pick which they now have after trading with Carolina. One is OT Broderick Jones, a rising OL candidate who one would think would be in the discussion along with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Ohio State’s Paris Johnson should OT be the position the Bears look to address at that spot. The other guy of interest to the Bears has to be Carter who was linked to the Bears when they still had the #1 pick overall.
March 15, 2023 - 1:30 pm
Rodgers to play; looking at Jets … Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers just confirmed on the Pat McAffee online show that he in fact intends to play in 2023 and that he plans to play for the NY Jets. Of course, he is still under contract with the Packers, although they seem to want to move on just as much as Rodgers does. So now it is about the compensation. Stay tuned!
March 15, 2023 - 9:26 am
Big pro day at UGA … Just about every NFL team circled March 15th on their pro day calendars as defending national champion Georgia will do its on-field thing later today. A goodly turnout is expected, although some team execs that might otherwise have gone to the Bulldogs workout may stay closer to home to be near the action as the new NFL year also kicks off today. Unfortunately, it does not appear as if there will be any live coverage of the Georgia workout as the NFL Network will be focused on covering the ‘free agent frenzy.’ However, the Network will have a wrap up show at 9 PM ET later this evening. And there will be a little special interest in the Georgia pro day as star DT Jalen Carter did not work out at the combine as he was embroiled in the legal proceedings surrounding his arrest for his part in the accident that resulted in the death of two people in January. However, it is not clear at this time exactly how much Carter will be involved today.
Of course, Georgia isn’t the only school to hold its pro day today. Others that will be working out today include UCLA, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Louisiana.
March 15, 2023 - 9:13 am
Its D-Day in the NFL with new football year set to start … The new football year is set to start this afternoon at 4 PM ET. By that time, all 32 teams have to be under the 2023 salary cap; the trades and free agent signings that have been reported over the past few days can be made official and teams can begin to sign other free agents and make further trades at will.
March 14, 2023 - 9:26 pm
Pro day updates: Clemson DE Murphy sits again; LB Simpson sizzles … All 32 NFL had reps at today’s pro day workout at Clemson. Unfortunately, Tigers’ DE Myles Murphy, a top 10-20 prospect who didn’t run at the combine because of a hamstring issue, wasn’t able to participate again today. Murphy, along with fellow Tigers’ DE KJ Henry, will hold private work out for NFL teams on April 4th. Tigers’ LB Trenton Simpson also didn’t run today as he stood on his excellent 4.43 time from the combine. Simpson, though, did the rest of the workout and put on a show posting a 40.5-inch vertical as well as quick times of 6.89 in the 3-cone drill and 4.22 in the short shuttle. Somewhat surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin was the only head coach in attendance; he was there with Steelers’ GM Omar Khan, one of only two GMs to appear along with Carolina’s Scott Fitterer. One wants to be a little careful reading too much into the attendance of Khan and Tomlin as the Steelers’ brass has historically attended far more pro days than any other team. However, they were the ones that took Simpson to dinner after the workout and it should be noted that the Steelers have reportedly never selected anyone in the opening round in the modern era from a team whose pro day their GM/HC did not attend. The Giants also appear to have some interest in Simpson as DC Wink Martindale was there along with the team’s LB and DB coaches; indeed, the Giants’ OL coach ran the positional drills. for the record, Baltimore DC Mike McDonald was the only other co-ordinator at Clemson today.
Interestingly, the Steelers were also out in force in Chicago for the Northwestern pro day where G/T Peter Skoronski was the featured attraction. Included in the Steelers delegation in Chicago was OL coach Pat Meyer who was there along with several senior scouting people. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise, though, that the Bears were also out in force at the Northwestern workout with a delegation that included GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, along with the team’s OL coach who ran the positional drills, as well as many as 5 other staffers. Ever since the Bears sent the #1 pick overall to Carolina for a package including this year’s 9th pick there has been speculation that Skoronski would be very much in the Bears’ sites.
Out on the far coast 31 of the 32 teams had reps at the Oregon pro day. Strangely, the LA Rams were the one laggard team despite the proximity. For the most part, the Ducks’ top prospects stood on their combine numbers, but WR Chase Cota, who was not invited to Indy this year, had a decent day as he ran an unofficial 4.50 40 clocking with a 37.5-inch vertical at 6-4, 200.
March 14, 2023 - 7:12 pm
Colts get 5th from Cowboys for top CB Gilmore … Indianapolis continued to clean house today as the released veteran QB Matt Ryan and then traded CB Stephon Gilmore to Dallas for a 5th round pick this year, #176 overall. That is one of the two comp picks the Cowboys received at the end of the round last week.
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