Tag: Washington DC News

Kevin Eck Overwhelming Majority of Pundits Pick Baltimore to Win ‘Battle of the Beltways’

It’s unlikely anyone circled the Week 6 matchup between the Ravens and Washington Commanders when the NFL schedule was released, but now the “Battle of the Beltways” is being talked about as the Game of the Year and even a potential Super Bowl preview.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the AFC North-leading Ravens (3-2) look like the Super Bowl contender they were expected to be. The reason Sunday’s game at M&T Bank Stadium is being hyped is because of the Commanders’ surprising start.

NFC East-leading Washington (4-1) has won four straight as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has taken the league by storm, similar to how Lamar Jackson did in his first full season as a starter in 2019. The Commanders lead the league in scoring at 31 points per game, just ahead of the Ravens (29.4).

The Ravens are easily Daniels and the Commanders’ biggest test to this point, and an overwhelming majority of pundits we sampled (46 of 54) believe Baltimore will win.

Here’s what pundits are saying about the game:

Jackson could have a big passing game for the second week in a row.

NBC Sports’ Chris Simms: “If the Ravens stay with the run, they are going to put Washington in a spot to where it’s either going to be like, ‘We continue to gash you in the run game because you’re worried about the pass game too, or you go all in on the run game and now your secondary isn’t all that good and you can’t cover Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.’ So this could be another game like I called last week where I said this could be the week probably that Lamar Jackson throws for 350 yards. I could see that happening again this week because I think the Commanders are at a severe disadvantage in that department.”

Expect another shootout.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox: “The Ravens secondary has struggled without Mike Macdonald running the show, and the Commanders have shown that they can score in a hurry. I have a feeling this will more closely resemble Baltimore’s overtime win over Cincinnati than its blowout victory over the Bills.”

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.: “First to 40 [points] wins again this week for the Ravens, who I think will be able to get Derrick Henry back on track and play some ball control against Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Daniels.”

The Ravens’ rushing attack could overwhelm the Commanders defense.

CBS Sports’ John Breech: “The Commanders problem is that they’ve given up 5.1 yards per carry on the ground this year. That’s the second-worst number in the NFL and it’s literally the worst weakness you can have when you’re about to face a Baltimore team that leads the NFL in rushing. The Ravens are currently averaging 211.2 yards per game on the ground, which is such an absurd number that I can’t even hit that average in Madden. Also, the Ravens are averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Basically, Derrick Henry might not get tackled in this game. Every carry he has might go for a touchdown. If the Ravens are able to run the ball, that will allow them to control the clock, which will keep Daniels off the field, which would be another good thing for Baltimore, because when Daniels is on the field, no one can stop him.”

ESPN’s Mina Kimes: “The thing that jumps out to me about the Ravens offense against the Commanders defense [is] what the Ravens are doing with their heavy personnel groupings right now when they put multiple tight ends, backs on the field. I just don’t know how the Commanders handle that. The Commanders versus 12 personnel, they almost exclusively play nickel – 99 percent of the time this year. If you play the Ravens in nickel in 12, they are happy to run that ball down your throat. In fact, in 12 personnel, they are averaging six yards a carry and .24 EPA per play. … I think particularly running the ball out of those looks is going to be a huge problem for Washington.”

The Ravens’ “four bigs” present a matchup problem for the Commanders defense.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: “The Ravens offense has four bigs when it comes to [tight ends] Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, and [fullback] Patrick Ricard. … They have to treat Isaiah Likely as a tight end at times, but then also a wide receiver. But then you have to treat Patrick Ricard as an offensive lineman at times, so you might add another defensive lineman on the field, but then the guy’s running routes. I think that’s the big challenge for Washington here, how everyone defensively they want to line up. They can’t against that set in Baltimore.”

Daniels is rolling, but the Ravens have been tough on rookie quarterbacks under John Harbaugh.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: “The struggling Ravens defense, which has allowed the seventh-most points per game this season (25.2), faces QB Jayden Daniels and the highest-scoring team in the NFL (31.0). But Baltimore has historically dominated young quarterbacks. Since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008, the Ravens are 23-7 (.767) against rookie starting quarterbacks, which trails only the Steelers (24-5). Baltimore prides itself on how it disguises coverages, which can keep a first-year quarterback off-balance.”

The Ravens prevail in a tight game.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco: “This is a proving game for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. Baltimore has issues on defense that show up each week. Daniels will play well and keep his team in it, but he won’t be able to outplay Lamar Jackson. Ravens will win a close one.”

Daniels leads the Commanders to the upset.

The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: “Baltimore felt vulnerable enough on defense to bring in longtime assistant Dean Pees this week, and it could take a little more time to sort out the problems in the secondary. Jayden Daniels frustrates the Ravens’ pass rush and makes enough big plays to keep Washington within striking distance before leading a late drive for the game-winning field goal.”

Analytics Indicate Ravens’ Pass Defense Is Better Than One Might Think

One of the more shocking developments this season is that the Ravens are second-to-last in the league in pass defense. However, a deeper dive into the numbers by ESPN’s Aaron Schatz indicates that the unit is not as much of a concern as one might think.

“It’s not [bad], it’s average,” Schatz said of the pass defense on “Glenn Clark Radio.” “I know that seems like a shock, but if you look at efficiency on a per play basis and you adjust for schedule, which is really important, then they are an average pass defense.”

Given the talent in the secondary and the defense as a whole, it’s reasonable to believe the pass defense will be even better than average as the season progresses. The Ravens have faced some of the best quarterbacks and wide receivers in the NFL through the first five weeks.

On a side note, Schatz noted in an article on ESPN.com that the Ravens are the sixth-best 3-2 team by DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) since 1979.

“The Ravens are going to have to live with two losses in their first five games,” Schatz wrote. “First, they lost by the length of Isaiah Likely’s toe against the defending champion Chiefs. Then they lost a game to the Raiders, despite outgaining Las Vegas by 123 yards with the same number of turnovers (1). Follow that up with three wins over strong opponents, including a blowout of the Bills, and Baltimore comes out as the second-highest team in DVOA so far (behind Minnesota but ahead of Kansas City). That also makes it one of the highest-rated 3-2 teams in DVOA history.

“At this point, it’s hard to imagine the Ravens not rebounding from their 0-2 start to make the postseason.”

Rashod Bateman-Jackson Connection on the Rise

The Ravens showed their faith in Rashod Bateman by giving the wide receiver a two-year contract extension in the offseason, and the 2021 first-round pick has rewarded their belief in him.

On an offense that is spreading the ball around, Bateman is second on the team in receiving yards (202), first in yards per catch (15.5), second in targets (22), and second in touchdown catches (two). He leads the league in separation percentage at 72.7.

Bateman is coming off his best game of the season, as he had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 41-38 overtime win over Cincinnati. He converted a third-and-5 in overtime with a 15-yard reception that moved the Ravens into Bengals territory.

Bateman’s solid start to the season has quieted the talk that he and Jackson lack chemistry.

“It takes time,” Bateman told The Sun’s Brian Wacker. “Everybody is so quick to judge. People who think Lamar and I don’t have a connection or we don’t have a bond is kind of insane to me. Nobody is in here every day. Me and Lamar have been close since I’ve been here.”

After being hampered by injuries his first three seasons, Bateman entered this season healthy and motivated.

“I feel great,” Bateman said. “I feel like I’m a rookie all over again. I got through the nicks and the bruises and this is actually my first real, true season. People can say what they want, but people are judging me off of time I barely played and barely got opportunities.”

Quick Hits Yesterday’s Most Read: Late for Work: Ravens Reportedly Not Pursuing Davante Adams

Geoff Hobson

As the Bengals get ready to celebrate the 25th season in Paycor Stadium, here’s a look at 25 memorable moments in stadium history.

Paul Brown Stadium Opens to Huge Touring Crowds (Aug. 16, 2000)

When the gates open for the first time in the riverfront’s super-structure, a celebratory crowd of 130,000 streamed through the award-winning building named after the Bengals founder on a behind-the-scenes tour at the anchor of what becomes The Banks. The stadium was renamed Paycor Stadium in 2022.

Stadium Era Begins with Win Over Bears (Aug. 19, 2000)

The Paycor Stadium Era in Bengals history begins in a preseason game the Bengals beat the Bears, 24-20, when breath-taking first-round pick Peter Warrick scores his first NFL touchdown on a trick play and ends up touching the ball seven times for a first down or touchdown.

Bengals Get First Stadium Win on Dillon’s Record Day (Oct. 22, 2000)

In one legendary swoop, Bengals Pro Bowler Corey Dillon runs down the past and blazes a trail. He broke Walter Payton’s iconic single-game NFL rushing record that had stood for a quarter of a century on a mere 22 carries for 278 yards and gave the Bengals their first victory in the stadium with a 31-21 win over the Broncos.

Bengals Take Down Undefeated Chiefs (Nov. 16, 2003)

Chad Johnson guaranteed it during the week. Peter Warrick sealed it in the fourth quarter before a sell-out crowd with two stunning touchdowns on a 68-yard punt return and a 77-yard catch as the Bengals knocked off the 9-0 Chiefs, 24-19, and moved into first place in the AFC North for the first time in November.

Bengals Win Stadium Debut of Carson, Sunday Night Football (Sept. 19, 2004)

More than 65,000 electrify the stadium’s first appearance of Sunday Night Football and 2003 overall No. 1 pick Carson Palmer in a 16-13 victory over the Dolphins fashioned by the defense. Linebacker Brian Simmons returns an interception 50 yards for a touchdown early in the second half as they hold Miami to 226 yards.

Bengals Win 106-Point Shootout with Browns (Nov. 28, 2004)

In the highest-scoring game by both teams since the 1970 merger and the second-highest scoring game in NFL history, the Bengals race to a 58-48 win over the Browns. Running back Rudi Johnson’s 202 yards feature a day the Bengals run and pass for at least 250 yards for the third time in their history.

Chad, Bengals Snow Giants (Dec. 26, 2004)

A snowstorm blanketed Cincinnati during the Christmas weekend the Bengals hosted overall No. 1 pick Eli Manning’s Giants and fans answered the call to shovel out the seats. The next day in a blinding sun, they used the snow as confetti when T.J. Houshmandzadeh leaped to corral Jon Kitna’s fourth-and-10 pass to set up a four-yard touchdown pass to Chad Johnson with 44 seconds left in a 23-22 win.

Chad Dogs Broncos on Opening Day (Sept. 13, 2009)

Showman Chad Johnson started the season by asking fans for a hot dog during the Opening Day game against the Broncos. The Bengals go on to win the AFC North title that year during a season they sweep their division foes.

Cardiac Cats Catch Steelers in Final Seconds (Sept. 27, 2009)

The 2009 AFC North champion Cardiac Cats were born on this day when they erased an 11-point lead with 9:20 left. Carson Palmer’s four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left gave them a 23-20 win featuring Johnathan Joseph’s pick-six and Brian Leonard’s patented “Leonard Leap,” converting a fourth down on the winning drive.

Bengals Clinch AFC North As Chad Salutes Slim (Dec. 27, 2009)

A week after attending the funeral for teammate Chris “Slim,” Henry, the Bengals clinched the AFC North when quarterback Carson Palmer led a 98-yard drive that ended on Chad Johnson’s full-extension-flat-on-his-back six-yard touchdown catch on third down with 2:03 left that gave them a 17-10 win over the Chiefs. Johnson got off the ground flashing his fingers signifying Henry’s No. 15.

Jerome Simpson Flips Bengals into Wild Card (Dec. 24, 2011)

Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson committed highlight film immortality to help the Bengals get that ninth win that put them into the playoffs, making Andy Dalton the first rookie quarterback to throw 20 TDs and win nine games. He hit Simpson on a short pass over the middle and then Simpson planted his feet at about the 1, somersaulted over Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington into the end zone, and stuck the landing for a 17-0 lead in a 23-16 victory.

Bengals Camp Out Downtown (July 27, 2012)

After 45 summers of holding training camps at Wilmington College and Georgetown College, the Bengals stay home to work amid Cincinnati’s stunning skyline on the practice fields adjacent to the stadium. On the first day of training camp, fans are treated to the amenities of The Banks as well as the red-hot connection of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton that took the Bengals to the playoffs as rookies.

Halftime Show Stopper Punctuates Bengals Rout (Dec. 22, 2013)

The good times continued to roll at Paycor Stadium as the Bengals closed in on an unbeaten home season and the AFC North title. While the Bengals took a break from beating Minnesota on four Andy Dalton touchdown passes, fans kept roaring through a halftime show of monkeys riding dogs herding sheep before watching the Bengals corral the Vikings, 42-14.

Princess Leah Brings Down the House (Nov. 6, 2014)

The riverfront shakes with emotion at the end of the first quarter during a Thursday night game with the Browns. Leah Still, four-year-old daughter of Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still battling a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, appeared as the Bengals presented a check for $1.3 million to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The Bengals sold Devon Still’s No. 75 jersey to help his crusade to bring awareness to childhood cancer and the sell-out crowd roared a salute.

Dre Picks Peyton and Bengals Go to The Playoffs (Dec. 22, 2014)

The Bengals had never beaten Peyton Manning, but they couldn’t have picked a better time to get the first one when a win on Monday Night put them into the playoffs. The Bengals ride the 147 rushing yards of Jeremy Hill to a 30-28 lead before Manning, author of 54 game-winning drives, gets the ball back one last time. With snowflakes swirling, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick steps in front of Manning and takes an interception 30 yards for a touchdown with 2:41 left to put them in the playoffs a fourth straight year.

Furious Fourth-Quarter Comeback Lifts Bengals Over Seattle (Oct. 11, 2015)

The unbeaten Bengals celebrated one of their most significant wins in history when their second-biggest comeback ever produced a 27-24 overtime win over two-time NFC champ Seattle. Down 24-7 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Andy Dalton threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, and engineered a 69-yard drive with no timeouts to get Mike Nugent’s 31-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. In OT, Nugent’s 42-yarder that bounced off the left upright won it.

Bengals Become First AFC North Team to Start 8-0 (Nov. 5, 2015)

The Steelers of the ’70s and ’90s didn’t do it. The Bengals of the ’80s and the turn-of-the-century Ravens didn’t do it. But in a Thursday nigher the Bengals dominated the Browns 31-10 before a raucous 65,816. The Bengals became the first AFC Central and first AFC North team to start a season 8-0 and do it for a crowd Domata Peko called the loudest of his 11 seasons.

Legends Help Bengals Salute 50th Anniversary (Sept. 10, 2017)

In what would be a staple of every halftime of the 50th anniversary season, the Bengals on Opening Day honored some of their 50 greatest players as voted by the fans. The team played that season in uniforms with the anniversary logo patch that was also displayed on signs throughout the stadium and city.

A.J. Green’s Three Early TDs Flatten Ravens (Sept. 13, 2018)

In a Thursday night game, that notorious Raven-killer A.J. Green struck again against Baltimore. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who once wondered openly if his team could cover him just once before he retired, watched Green catch touchdown passes of four, 32 and seven yards, in the first 17 minutes of a 34-23 Cincy victory.

Burrow Comeback Caps Inaugural Ring of Honor Night (Sept. 30, 2021)

On a Thursday night in front of their biggest crowd in five years, the Bengals saluted their inaugural Ring of Honor class and the 40th anniversary of their first Super Bowl team with a stirring fourth-quarter comeback fashioned by quarterback Joe Burrow’s cool and pinpoint 78% passing. His improvisational screen pass to tight end C.J Uzomah set up Evan McPherson’s last-snap field goal for a 24-21 win over the Jaguars.

No Pat Answer as Burrow, Chase Claim AFC North (Jan. 2, 2022)

In his first stare down with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow erased three 14-point deficits and pitched for 446 yards in a 34-31 victory that gave them the AFC North title. A Bengals record and rookie NFL record 266 went to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, including a 30-yarder on third-and-27 that set up Evan McPherson’s last snap field goal.

Pratt Interception Seals Postseason Victory (Jan. 15, 2022)

In front of one of the ten biggest Paycor Stadium crowds, the Burrow Era claimed its first postseason victory with one of the biggest defensive plays in franchise history. Protecting a 26-19 lead on fourth down from the Bengals nine with 17 seconds left, linebacker Germaine Pratt stepped in front of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s pass intended for wide receiver Zay Jones at the 4 and picked it off to send the Bengals to Tennessee and the AFC Divisional.

Super Bowl Rally Gives Bengals Championship Sendoff (Feb. 7, 2022)

The Bengals took the field in their Super Bowl LVI white sweat suits as an estimated crowd of about 30,000 braved the 28 degrees to offer a thunderous sendoff to Los Angeles. They serenaded Joe Burrow with an “MVP, MVP,” chant. They went nuts when tight end C.J. Uzomah ripped off his knee brace. “I’ve never seen anything like that before or experienced anything like that in my life,” said running back Joe Mixon as he filmed the crowd.

Hubbard’s Rumble in The Jungle Wins Wild Card (Jan. 15, 2023)

Every Cincy school kid knows how one of their own made the legend. How the Bengals and Ravens were locked at 17 in a Wild Card game early in the fourth quarter when Baltimore quarterback Tyler Huntley tried to sneak it over from the Bengals 1 to take the lead. How linebacker Logan Wilson knocked the ball out and right to left end Sam Hubbard. How Hubbard grabbed it and took off on an NFL-record 98-yard fumble return that gave them just enough to win, 24-17. And how during the run, NBC’s Mike Tirico reminded everyone that Hubbard is “The Cincinnati Kid.”

Fans Stripe The Jungle (Nov. 5, 2023)

In the inaugural Stripe The Jungle game, the second biggest crowd in Paycor Stadium history seamlessly pulled off the orange and black motif on an electric Sunday night and then watched the Bengals offense execute just as perfectly. Quarterback Joe Burrow hit 70% of his 44 passes for 348 yards and led the Bengals to a 24-18 win over the Bills.

Home schedule includes Bears, Lions, Patriots, Jets Darren Urban

This story was originally published on Jan. 1, 2024.

There will be no mystery to the Cardinals’ opponents in 2024 heading into the final week.

With still a game to play in the 2023 season, the three teams that had been unknowns are now known — the Chargers, Panthers, and Commanders — and the Cardinals know who they must face in Jonathan Gannon’s second season.

The schedule, in which the NFL announces when all these games will take place, is announced in May.

The Cardinals have the NFC North and AFC East as their main competition next season, as well as their usual NFC West work. Aaron Rodgers is expected to play in State Farm Stadium as he makes his return to the Jets, with both Justin Herbert and Justin Fields potentially quarterbacking their teams in Arizona, as well as a visit from the NFC North champion Lions.

There are potential cold weather games in Buffalo and Green Bay on the road.

HOME Chicago Bears Detroit Lions New England Patriots New York Jets Washington Commanders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks ROAD Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings Miami Dolphins Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks

Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. – The NFL’s 2024 schedule release is almost here.

The Vikings have known their opponents for the upcoming season since the 2023 campaign ended.

Minnesota will face the following teams in 2024:

Home (includes one team to be named as playing the Vikings in London): Bears, Lions, Packers, Falcons, Cardinals, 49ers, Colts, Texans and Jets)

Road: Bears, Lions, Packers, Giants, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars and Titans

Why nine regular-season home games and eight on the road?

Through a format introduced in 2021 when the NFL expanded to 17 regular-season games, NFC teams host nine regular-season games in even-numbered years.

Strength of Schedule

Based on the records of teams in 2023, the Vikings are tied for the “16th toughest” schedule.

Opponents the Vikings face this season were a combined 145-144 for a winning percentage of .502, which is equal to the win percentage compiled by teams the Commanders and Chiefs will face in 2024.

The AFC North filled the top three slots for toughest schedules based on that metric with the Browns (.547), Ravens (.536) and Steelers (.533) ranking ahead of the Texans and Packers, who tied for fourth (.526).

Three NFC South teams are among the four with the easiest schedules. The Saints and Falcons opponents this season combined for winning percentages of .453. The Panthers and Bears opponents this season combined for winning percentages of .467.

Why is there such a difference between the Packers and Bears?

The schedule annually includes home-and-away division games and then uses rotational formulas to determine the other 11 contests.

Green Bay finished second in the NFC North, and Chicago landed in fourth after a tiebreaker with Minnesota put the Vikings ahead of the Bears. The NFL uses a respective order-of-finish to determine three matchups each season. This year, NFC North teams have a home game against an NFC South team, a road game against an NFC East team and a home game against an AFC East team.

NFC North teams’ order-of-finish opponents in 2024

Lions: Buccaneers (9-8), Cowboys (12-5), Bills (11-6)

Packers: Saints (9-8), Eagles (11-6), Dolphins (11-6)

Vikings: Falcons (7-10), Giants (6-11), Jets (7-10)

Bears: Panthers (2-15), Commanders (4-13), Patriots (4-13)

Divisional Rotations

The other eight matchups are determined by a divisional rotation pattern.

In 2024, each NFC North team is playing each NFC West and each AFC South team.

Is there any relationship between this metric of strength of schedule and making the playoffs?

Much changes from year to year with every NFL team, but the squads facing the toughest schedules at the start of a season (by this metric) have missed the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons (2017 Broncos, 2018 Packers, 2019 Raiders, 2020 Patriots and 2022 Rams). The exceptions have been the 2021 Steelers, who made the postseason with a 9-7-1 record, and the 2023 Eagles, who opened 10-1 before a late-season swoon.

Four of the past seven teams with the easiest schedules have made the playoffs.

The 2023 Falcons schedule featured opponents with a combined winning percentage of .417 in 2022 games.

The 2022 Cowboys and Commanders were tied for the easiest based on 2021 results. Dallas did make the playoffs, but Washington did not.

Washington also missed the postseason after opening 2019 with the easiest slate. The 2018 Texans, 2020 Ravens and 2021 Eagles all made the playoffs.

2024 NFL Strength of Schedule

Browns, .547 win percentage (158-131) in 2023 by 2024 opponents Ravens, .536 (155-134) Steelers, .533 (154-135)

T-4. Texans, .526 (152-137)

T-4. Packers, .526 (152-137)

T-6. Giants, .516 (149-140)

T-6. Bills, .516 (149-140)

T-8. Jaguars, .512 (148-141)

T-8. Raiders, .512 (148-141)

T-8. Patriots, .512 (148-141)

Lions, .509 (147-142)

T-12. Rams, .505 (146-143)

T-12. 49ers, .505 (146-143)

T-12. Cowboys, .505 (146-143)

T-12. Jets, .505 (146-143)

T-16. Bengals, .502 (145-144)

T-16. Commanders, .502 (145-144)

T-16. Vikings, .502 (145-144)

T-16. Chiefs, .502 (145-144)

Broncos, .495 (143-146)

T-21. Colts, .491 (142-147)

T-21. Eagles, .491 (142-147)

T-21. Titans, .491 (142-147)

T-24. Cardinals, .488 (141-148)

T-24. Seahawks, .488 (141-148)

T-24. Dolphins, .488 (141-148)

T-27. Buccaneers, .478 (138-151)

T-27. Chargers, .478 (138-151)

T-29. Panthers, .467 (135-154)

T-29. Bears, .467 (135-154)

T-31. Saints, .453 (131-158)

T-31. Falcons, .453 (131-158)

Kevin Eck Three Veteran Free Agents Who Could Help Ravens

The draft is in the books and the free agency frenzy is last month’s news, but the Ravens’ roster construction remains fluid.

Some of General Manager Eric DeCosta’s shrewdest signings last year took place during the summer and even a few weeks into the regular season.

With that in mind, The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer looked at a handful of free agents the Ravens could still target. Here’s a look at three, along with Shaffer’s comments:

G Dalton Risner

“News flash: The Ravens don’t have a sure thing at left guard. Andrew Vorhees hasn’t played in a game in 17 months, Sala Aumavae-Laulu hasn’t played since an unimpressive preseason last year, and Josh Jones hasn’t lined up at guard since Week 1.

“Risner, 28, is the best option remaining in a depleted guard class. He finished ninth among interior linemen in ESPN’s pass block win rate in 2023 and has started 73 games over the past five seasons. In 11 starts at left guard for the Minnesota Vikings last year, he graded out poorly as a run blocker on Pro Football Focus. According to Sports Info Solutions, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound Risner fared far better as a blocker on gap runs (1.7% blown-block rate) than zone runs (3.9%).”

WR Michael Thomas

“Depending on his price tag, Thomas could fit the Ravens’ mold for a low-risk wide receiver signing. The three-time Pro Bowl selection hasn’t finished with more than 450 receiving yards in a season since 2019, when he won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.

“Injuries have limited Thomas, 31, to 20 games with the New Orleans Saints over the past four seasons. An ankle injury sidelined him in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, it was a foot injury. Before a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 last season, Thomas had 39 catches on 64 targets for 448 yards and a touchdown – but he was averaging a career-low 1.38 yards per route run, according to TruMedia.”

EDGE Carl Lawson

“Lawson’s one of a handful of notable edge rushers available, along with Bud Dupree (6.5 sacks in 2023), Emmanuel Ogbah (five), Yannick Ngakoue (four) and Markus Golden (four). The return of Kyle Van Noy will give the Ravens a veteran presence at the position, but Lawson could be another low-cost renovation project. With David Ojabo and Malik Hamm combining to play just three games last year, the team’s depth at the position is a question mark.

“Lawson, 28, finished last season without a sack for the first time in his career. He dealt with a back injury that sidelined him for much of the New York Jets’ training camp, and after returning he played just six games, stuck behind a deep group of pass rushers. In 2022, when Lawson played in all 17 games, he had seven sacks and 24 quarterback hits. The Ravens should know Lawson well, having faced him regularly during his early years with the Cincinnati Bengals.”

John Harbaugh Reflects on AFC Championship Offensive Plan, Lamar Jackson Contract Negotiations, and More

Head Coach John Harbaugh appeared on “The Rich Eisen Show” yesterday. Here are some highlights of the conversation:

On the pass-heavy offense in the AFC Championship Game: “It definitely wasn’t the goal. I think what the Chiefs basically decided to do, Steve Spagnuolo, their great defensive coordinator, basically said, ‘We’re gonna make you beat us in a certain way,’ and it was going to be by beating press coverage with a loaded box. We need to make plays against that really in the passing game in order to do that, or we had to pack the whole formation and just play an old school, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust game, which we’ve done before, but that really wasn’t our game plan going in, that’s not the way we tried to do it. So the way I look at it and how Lamar [Jackson] looks at it, and he and I have had this conversation, is that we’ve got to build ourselves up in ways that we can handle that in the future and basically make people pay for playing us in that kind of defense.”

Reflecting on the Jackson contract negotiations: “I’m proud about a lot of things. A lot of things get said about your team, and about your choices and decisions, and about your players. Sometimes it’s hurtful. And of course you respect the fact that this is possible, and then you get determined. You say, ‘OK, we’re gonna make this work and we’re gonna find a way to overcome it.’ Whether it was a contract situation, or whether it was that we didn’t have enough good pass rushers, or we didn’t have enough good receivers, or whatever it might be. And then when you do it, even that’s not good enough sometimes because you didn’t win the whole thing.”

How Derrick Henry fits in the offense: “It’s going to be what we do, and it’s going to be Derrick Henry doing it within the structure of what we’ve built around Lamar, and he’s going to be just fine. I think what it’s going to look like is what it’s looked like in Tennessee – him running for a lot of yards. Maybe even in some ways we’ll create some opportunities because we’re gonna possibly spread the defense out just a little bit more. There won’t be as many eyes on him, maybe not as many helmets directed toward him when he gets the ball, and we’ll be able to create just a little more space for him.”

Thoughts on first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins: “He’s got some things he has to learn, but the thing I liked about Nate is that he knows that. He’s very self-aware. Here’s very reflective on where he’s come in the last three years, where he needs to grow. I saw some humility. We saw a guy with work ethic. I like the way he played – he played hard. And he’s super talented. I thought he was the most talented cover corner in the draft. He’s just got natural cover skills. He’s not afraid to hit you. He’s not afraid to run under the ball. Those are things we like in Baltimore.”

Iowa EDGE Joe Evans Named UDFA to Watch for Ravens

The Athletic identified one undrafted free agent to watch for every team. For the Ravens, who have kept an undrafted free agent on their roster 19 times in the past 20 years, it was Iowa edge rusher Joe Evans.

“If Evans (6-1, 246) stood 2 inches taller or weighed 25 pounds more, a team would have grabbed him by the fourth round,” The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman wrote. “At his pro day, Evans posted a 41.5-inch vertical, and his shuttle and three-cone times were faster than any edge at the combine. He finished his Iowa career with 29 sacks, including four in the Citrus Bowl. He’s a John Harbaugh type of player, as is fellow Ravens UDFA Beau Brade.”

Evans led the Hawkeyes last season with 9.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures, and 13.5 tackles for loss.

Ravens Take EDGE, WR in 2025 Mock Drafts

The draft may be over but mock draft season never ends.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid and PFF’s Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman have released their way-too-early 2025 mock drafts. Here’s a look at their picks for the Ravens at No. 30.

Reid: Arkansas EDGE Landon Jackson

“At 6-7 and 281 pounds, Jackson fits well with the Ravens. He improved significantly in 2023, posting 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Scouts keep pointing to Arkansas’ game against Alabama last season (10 tackles and 3.5 sacks) to explain his potential, but they want to see him dominate more consistently this season.”

Chadwick/Wasserman: Ole Miss WR Tre Harris

“Baltimore smartly added Devontez Walker in this year’s draft, but Tre Harris gives them a potentially dominant perimeter weapon. He posted the sixth-best receiving grade in college football last season and finished 10th in yards per route run. He has shown that he can be the best player on the field and would add a vertical element to Baltimore’s offense.”

Ravens Defense Ranked in Top 5 After the Draft

The 2023 Ravens were the first team to lead the league in scoring defense, sacks, and takeaways. After losing some key players this offseason, can the defense remain dominant?

The 33rd Team’s Dan Pizzuta believes the Ravens will still be one of the NFL’s best, just not the best. He put the Ravens at No. 4 in his rankings of the top defense’s coming out of the draft.

“Most of the personnel losses will be covered by players brought in or already on the roster,” Pizzuta wrote. “The great thing about the Ravens’ defense is there is a star to work around at every level: Justin Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith on the second level and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary.

Pizzuta noted that Smith’s presence should help smooth the transition from Patrick Queen to Trenton Simpson at inside linebacker, and a healthy season of Marcus Williams and more playing time for Ar’Darius Washington could ease the loss of Geno Stone at safety.

“There weren’t many new additions on the defense, but 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins could make an impact on the outside opposite Marlon Humphrey with Arthur Maulet in the slot,” Pizzuta wrote. “Wiggins is thin but played good press-man coverage at Clemson and could solve Baltimore’s CB2 issue.

“Baltimore also has some signs of regression that could help. Despite being the best defense in the league by points allowed per drive, this unit was one of the worst red zone defenses. That typically trends toward the overall level of the defense from year to year, meaning the Ravens could be better in that area.”

Pizzuta didn’t mention them, but third-round EDGE Adisa Isaac and fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa also could be significant contributors.

Ravens Are One of Two Teams Projected to Have Maximum Number of Compensatory Picks

The Ravens are known to love compensatory picks, and they are one of two teams (the Dallas Cowboys are the other) expected to have the maximum of four comp picks next year.

Baltimore is projected to have one comp pick in Round 4, one in Round 5, and two in Round 6.

“It is a rare year that the Ravens aren’t adding to their draft capital with at least one compensatory pick,” NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “In 2025, they’ll load up with the maximum of four selections after losing key members of the roster in 2024, including Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney and both starting guards (Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson). In total, Baltimore said goodbye to a whopping seven qualifying free agents while only signing Henry as a qualifier. Henry’s modest salary canceled out one of their sixth-round qualifiers (Stone or Zeitler).”

Quick Hits Yesterday’s Most Read: Charlie Kolar Explains His New Braided Haircut That Left Lamar Jackson Dying With Laughter

Mickey Spagnola

FRISCO, Texas – There are football players on the football field out here at The Star, and with the start of the Phase II workouts this week, actual coaches, too, for the first time in the offseason.

This will last for three weeks, and includes next weekend’s rookie minicamp before OTAs commence the week of May 20.

Also good to see back out here on the practice fields Ezekiel Elliot and linebacker Damien Wilson already, not to mention veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, the team’s most significant free agent signing – so far – taking part, too. Voluntarily, of course.

So, let’s get right to it with a whole bunch of leftover shots to clean up after the draft.

Rules Are Rules: Many are asking what took the Cowboys so long to sign Zeke to this one-year, max $3 million deal with $2 million guaranteed, which signals the Cowboys are serious about their former 2016 first-round draft choice being part of this 2024 team. Same with former linebacker Damien Wilson, who spent the final two weeks of last season on the practice squad. Well, there are rules pertaining to the awarding of compensatory picks based on the quality of unrestricted free agents lost against those signed. Well, the Cowboys lost five starters but had only signed Kendricks and Chuma Edoga. That should give them a pretty good haul of compensatory picks in 2025. And any free agents signed after the draft, i.e. Zeke and Wilson, do not factor into that compensatory formula. One reason why the Raiders likely waited until after the draft to sign Cowboys’ June 1 release Michael Gallup. Inflation: Seems at every turn the price for a top-quality wide receiver continues to inflate. What had once been a high of $30 million a year now rises to $32 million thanks to the Eagles extending A.J. Brown with a three-year, $96 million deal. Not only that, $84 million in a convoluted way is guaranteed, with an untenable $45.4 million cap hit in 2026. That now becomes the negotiating basement for the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, all probably having quarterback-money hopes at the end of their financial rainbow. And as for another negotiating nugget in CeeDee’s favor, his yards receiving total of 5,145 through four years is the fourth most in NFL history, behind just Jefferson (5,899), Michael Thomas (5,512) and Randy Moss (5,396) and more than the likes of Tory Holt, Jerry Rice and A.J. Green. Big Board: Better factor this in when grading the Cowboys’ selection of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland with their second-round pick, 56th Saw one Big Board from a trusted analyst ranking the Western Michigan defensive end 32nd. Another had the guy – who reminds me of DeMarcus Lawrence the way he plays the run, and goodness knows the Cowboys are in dire need of upgrading their run defense – ranked 39th. Also saw this comp: Veteran DE Za’Darius Smith, a nine-year, three-time Pro Bowl veteran with 60 career sacks and 156 career QB hits. Plus, returning defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, the former Minnesota head coach, had to play against Smith twice a year for two seasons when with Green Bay. Don’t Forget: With the release of Gallup and knowing 11-year veteran Brandin Cooks turns 31 in September, many expected the Cowboys to select a wide receiver much higher than the sixth round when taking Ryan Flournoy (Southeast Missouri State). They did not, leaving them with a void of experience behind Lamb and Cooks, banking on the likes of Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin to step up. But am reminded there still is the curious case of Martavis Bryant, the 32-year-old, 6-4, 210-pound receiver with three-and-a-half years of NFL experience before interrupted by various suspensions for violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He last played eight games in 2018 with the Raiders before being indefinitely suspended for violation of his conditional reinstatement terms. After being reinstated in 2023, the Cowboys signed him to their practice squad on Nov. 8, released him to make room the final week of the season for insurance veterans like La’el Collins and Damien Wilson and then re-signed him as a futures free agent Jan. 18. He’s still here. Still 6-4. Still has 145 NFL receptions for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. And they liked what they saw of him on the practice squad after not playing in the NFL for the previous five years. Let’s see, because after kicking around in the CFL, XFL and indoor leagues, his 145 NFL reception total is 102 more than all the rest of the receivers on the roster not named Lamb or Cooks combined (43). 7: NFL.com ranked the Cowboys’ first meeting with Washington (date TBD) as its seventh-ranked top-10 game of the 2024 season. Kind of weird pointing out Commanders’ No. 2 pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, will be playing his first game in this longtime rivalry, also facing Micah Parsons. In addition, Cowboys former players leaving in free agency, Tyler Biadasz, Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong, will be facing their former team for the first time. Great. Good matchup. But, duh, what about new Washington head coach Dan Quinn, the Cowboys defensive coordinator the past three seasons, facing his former team with intimate knowledge of the Cowboys roster? Trey, Trey: During last week’s draft, San Francisco general manager John Lynch was reminded the Niners were participating in the first round for the first time in three years since trading away three firsts and a third to Miami for the No. 3 pick to select quarterback Trey Lance. And in trying not to disparage his former QB, only receiving a fourth last year from the Cowboys for the deposed Lance, Lynch said, “I always am careful of this because Trey Lance’s story hasn’t been written yet. He’s in Dallas right now and I still think Trey’s got good football in him. We’ll see. That will play out.” Big time this offseason, training camp and preseason. No Shame: The Cowboys are being ridiculed for not selecting a running back in the three-day NFL Draft. But does every critic realize only 20 running backs were selected over seven rounds, but none in the first, one in the second (Jonathon Brooks 10 picks before the Cowboys were on the clock at 56), three in the third (Trey Benson going No. 66, seven picks before the Cowboys’ 73rd) and Blake Corum at 83 (four ahead of the Cowboys at 87). After that, seven running backs went in the fourth, where the Cowboys didn’t have a pick (trade for Lance) and then nine over the last two rounds, with nary a one selected in the seventh. By then, probably no running back was any better than Rico Dowdle, so there was no panic to move up drafting for need or for enough quality by spending two precious draft choices on one running back. Over Draft: Only three of the Cowboys’ 16 unrestricted free agents still are unsigned: cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Jayron Kearse and tight end Sean McKeon … Cowboys offensive line coach Mike Solari called first-round offensive tackle Tyler Guyton a “tremendous athlete” with a “lot of upside” and having “blue feet,” meaning in rating colors top notch, not any sort of disorder … Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, probably can vouch for this, the Bears selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick after trading that first selection away last year to Carolina (Bryce Young) is the first time having the No. 1 pick in the draft since 1947 when selecting the now late Bob Fenimore, the then Oklahoma A&M (now State) running back who played just 10 games for the Bears that year before retiring, saying he could make more money selling insurance than the $9,000 he made playing for Chicago . . . And lastly, after the Cowboys only used three first-round picks on offensive linemen from 1961-81, they have drafted five first-round offensive linemen over the past 14 drafts (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Tyler Smith and Guyton).

A lot of “welcome backs” for sure already for the Cowboys franchise this year, not only the returns of Zeke and Wilson this week, but good to see 1998 first-round pick Greg Ellis in the building again. He’s back with the Cowboys as the defensive end assistant coach after paying some coaching dues at the NAIA level.

So why not turn this week’s last word over to Greg, somewhat of an expert on the position, talking about the second-round draft choice Kneeland on DallasCowboys.com’s The Draft Show, giving some insight into the 6-3, 237-pound defensive end from Western Michigan. At one point during the interview, Ellis, who spent 11 seasons with the Cowboys, points out his agent sent a play into the Cowboys from his college days at North Carolina when playing, he said, against TCU or SMU (had to be TCU in 1997).

“I’m rushing the quarterback, and they throw a flair pass out to the flats. I spin out and hustle to the ball to make the tackle,” Ellis says of the play on video. “Kneeland reminds me of that, kind of a Greg Ellis. That guy hustles, hustles, hustles. You see him running down the field. You don’t see him taking plays off. And I’ll be honest with you, nowadays that’s kind of hard to find.

“I haven’t seen another guy who plays as hard as him. I’d say the same thing even if we didn’t draft him. I haven’t seen another defensive guy, defensive-line guy that plays as hard as this, as hard as Marshawn does.”

A comp for those of us watching Greg play all can understand.

Nick Harris

FRISCO, Texas – The 2024 NFL Draft is here.

On Thursday night, the first of 257 players will be selected in Detroit, Michigan to one of the 32 clubs. Months of research, data-pulling and context-grabbing following the conclusion of the 2023 season leads into the weekend where it will all come together for 32 separate draft classes.

Position groups on the offensive side of the ball will dominate headlines in the early days, with intriguing crops of talent on the offensive line, at quarterback and receiver.

Here are the top 10 players at each offensive position, as ranked by DallasCowboys.com.

Quarterback Caleb Williams – USC Jayden Daniels – LSU Drake Maye – North Carolina J.J. McCarthy – Michigan Michael Penix Jr. – Washington Bo Nix – Oregon Spencer Rattler – South Carolina Michael Pratt – Tulane Jordan Travis – Florida State Sam Hartman – Notre Dame Running Back Jonathon Brooks – Texas Trey Benson – Florida State Jaylen Wright – Tennessee Blake Corum – Michigan Braelon Allen – Wisconsin Bucky Irving – Oregon MarShawn Lloyd – USC Isaiah Davis – South Dakota State Ray Davis – Kentucky Isaac Guerendo – Louisville Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. – Ohio State Malik Nabers – LSU Rome Odunze – Washington Brian Thomas Jr. – LSU Xavier Worthy – Texas Ladd McConkey – Georgia Keon Coleman – Florida State Adonai Mitchell – Texas Malachi Corley – Western Kentucky Xavier Legette – South Carolina Tight End Brock Bowers – Georgia Jared Wiley – TCU Ja’Tavion Sanders – Texas Tanner McLachlan – Arizona Theo Johnson – Penn State Ben Sinnott – Kansas State Cade Stover – Ohio State Tip Reiman – Illinois AJ Barner – Michigan Brevyn Spann-Ford – Minnesota Offensive Tackle Joe Alt – Notre Dame Taliese Fuaga – Oregon State JC Latham – Alabama Olu Fashanu – Penn State Amarius Mims – Georgia Tyler Guyton – Oklahoma Kingsley Suamataia – BYU Patrick Paul – Houston Blake Fisher – Notre Dame Roger Rosengarten – Washington Offensive Guard Troy Fautanu – Washington Jordan Morgan – Arizona Christian Haynes – Connecticut Cooper Beebe – Kansas State Dominick Puni – Kansas Mason McCormick – South Dakota State Isaiah Adams – Illinois Zak Zinter – Michigan Christian Mahogany – Boston College Sataoa Laumea – Utah Center Graham Barton – Duke Jackson Powers-Johnson – Oregon Zach Frazier – West Virginia Sedrick Van Pran-Granger – Georgia Tanor Bortolini – Wisconsin Hunter Nourzad – Penn State Charles Turner III – LSU Beaux Limmer – Arkansas Jacob Monk – Duke Matt Lee – Miami

Tim Twentyman

The Detroit Lions return starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu next season. Joseph is coming off his second straight four-interception season, while Melifonwu finally got a chance to start at the end of last year after making the switch from cornerback to safety and really shined in that spot. That’s a young duo Detroit has to be excited about.

The depth at safety, or lack thereof, isn’t something that’s been talked about a lot this offseason. Second-year nickel cornerback Brian Branch is being cross-trained at safety, but he’s clearly the top nickel on this team and moving him to safety in a pinch would lessen the talent at nickel.

“Certainly, Branch has flexibility to be able to play the safety position we believe here in time,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this offseason at the Annual League Meetings. “We already feel very confident about the nickel, and he’ll only get better and better.

“It’s how fast do we get him there? Because what you don’t want to do is, ‘Alright, he can play nickel and safety, but it takes away from his nickel play.’ How good he is as a nickel or how good he can become. So, it’s finding that fine balance between the two.”

They still need to add competition at the safety spot.

“But look, we’re still going to look for safety help. It’s not over either,” Campbell said. “We know we need to bring in some competition in that room. Our eyes are there as well.”

Safety class draft strength: This isn’t a great class of safeties. That’s not to say there aren’t players who can help teams right away, but there isn’t a Kyle Hamilton is this draft. In fact, not one safety made NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent list of the Top 50 players available in the draft.

There are defensive backs in this class with versatility to play both cornerback and safety, like Iowa’s Cooper DeJean, but in terms of true safeties this isn’t a highly ranked class.

Lions safety depth chart: Joseph, Melifonwu, Brandon Joseph

Lions safety draft priority: High. As Campbell stated at the league meetings, Detroit needs more depth. Melifonwu took a big step last year playing in all 17 regular-season games and the three playoff games after injuries were a big part of his story his first two years in the league. Joseph missed a couple games last year due to injury.

As it stands right now with the NFL Draft a little more than a week away, safety might be the spot with the least depth on the entire roster.

Five safeties who could fit the Lions:

1. Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

6-1, 205. 4.59 40-yard dash (1.65 10-yard split)

A really instinctive player in the back end with a history of ball production. Over the last three seasons starting for the Gophers, Nubin racked up 12 interceptions and defended 21 passes. His 13 career interceptions are the most in Minnesota school history. He’s a field general with good instincts and ball skills. He’ll be a Day 2 pick but could be an immediate starter for a lot of teams.

Meet the Prospect: Braden Fiske Lions offseason questions: Second-year player to watch 2024 NFL Draft preview: 5 tackles that could interest Lions

2. Jaden Hicks, Washington State

6-2, 215. 4.5 40-yard dash (1.58 10-yard split)

Stout, physical safety who really excels playing up in the box and against the run. Was a really good blitzer at Washington State with 2.5 sacks last season. A former cornerback, he’s got the skills to cover tight ends and running backs, but his strength is playing in the box. His play style will make him a beast on special teams Day 1 in the NFL.

3. Javon Bullard, Georgia

5-10, 198. 4.47 40-yard dash (1.51 10-yard split)

A big-hitting safety with range and speed, Bullard played both safety and nickel in Kirby Smart’s defense. He didn’t allow a touchdown in his coverage area all last season, per Pro Football Focus. He doesn’t have elite size, but he makes up for it with toughness and speed. He’s got the potential to be a position-versatile player on defense.

4. Kamren Kinchens, Miami

5-11, 202. 4.6 40-yard dash (1.53 10-yard split)

Kinchens has a nose for the football. He compiled 11 interceptions and 22 passes defended over the last two seasons. He joined Ed Reed and Sean Taylor as the only Hurricanes in the last 25 years to record double-digit interceptions, per The Athletic. He doesn’t have elite traits, but neither did former Lions Pro Bowl safety Glover Quin, and Kinchens reminds me a lot of him.

5. Calen Bullock, USC

6-2, 188. 4.48 40-yard dash (1.56 10-yard split)

Defended 19 passes and picked off seven passes over the last two seasons as a full-time starter for the Trojans. Watching him in pass coverage he looks like a receiver. Tracks the ball well with terrific hands. He’s got a lean frame and will need to add muscle if he’s going to play the run like teams want from the position in the NFL. He’s got the versatility because of his cover skills to play free safety or nickel.

Sleeper: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

5-10, 197. 4.41 40-yard dash (1.54 10-yard split)

The fastest safety in the class, Taylor-Demerson’s speed definitely stands out. It allows him to be a really rangy player in the backend of the defense. He recorded 208 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 23 passes defended and 10 interceptions over 38 games and 32 starts the last three seasons. He’s got a lot of upside as he’s still learning the position after switching from running back in college.

Craig Peters

Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the Vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we’ll post several comments and/or questions as part of the Vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can’t post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the Mailbag. Remember to include your name and town in the email. If Twitter is your jam, you can send a question to me that way as well.

Last week’s Annual League Meeting included the major overhaul by NFL Owners of what kickoffs will look like in 2024, as well as media sessions with Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell.

Wilf, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell addressed multiple offseason talkers, providing assessments of the offseason so far and offering a couple of details for how the team is approaching this month’s – yep, THIS MONTH’S – NFL Draft. I think we’re all looking forward to that event, which will be hosted by Detroit this year and Green Bay next year. Wilf mentioned the Vikings hope to help bring an NFL Draft to Minnesota.

“It’s been going around the NFC North, and why not Minnesota? We’ve proven we can do big events in an incredibly special way. Our facilities, and more importantly, the community steps out in a way that’s special,” Wilf said. “I think we’ve put a lot of effort into the draft, and we’d love to have a draft here in the not-too-distant future. [The NFL is] well-aware of that interest, and there’s a process. We’re working with the community to try to see if we can get toward that window.”

It was such a treat to see the way Minnesota hosted Super Bowl LII, and I’m quite confident the community would do a tremendous job if awarded a draft bid.

I also have great intrigue in seeing how the kickoff rule, which is going into effect for a one-year trial basis, impacts games. Coaches also will be able to have a third challenge in games if at least one of their first two is successful (previous rules required a coach to be successful on both challenges to receive a third within a game).

Most of the mock drafts have the Vikings trading up with picks 11 and 23. Many of them have the Vikings adding even more to the pot, including next year’s first. Your analysis of QBs taken in the first round (or first 3 taken) shows very clearly that the selection of QB is really a toss-up. It’s that way for every position, but maybe more so for QBs.

I think, like in 1983, six QBs go in Round 1. In 1983, [John] Elway, [Jim] Kelly, and [Dan] Marino became superstars. [Todd] Blackledge, [Tony] Eason, and [Ken] O’Brien – not so much. I really think time will yield the same for this year’s six. Who fits in which category???? With that in mind, I think it’s better to use one pick per choice, rather than bundle two or three firsts into one choice. I’d stick at 11 and 23. If one of the top four QBs drop to 11, then take him. If they don’t value [Bo] Nix or [Michael Penix, Jr.] that highly, then likely the first CB off the board is there. At 23, Nix or Penix would be a value pick, but if they aren’t there, then the No. 2 DT would be, or the No. 2 or No. 3 IOL.

In the fourth round or later, they could take one from the next tier. [Spencer] Rattler will be gone, but [Jordan] Travis and [Michael] Pratt will be there. Maybe they work out, maybe they don’t. But the last time the Vikings were a game away from the Super Bowl, Case Keenum was the QB. Cousins is a much better QB than Keenum, but the Vikings only made the playoffs twice in his six years. It really is a team sport, and you really need a complete team with plenty of reserves, not just an excellent QB.

– David Sinclair in Rio Rancho, New Mexico (patiently waiting since Super Bowl I. Please once before I die.)

And

Hope, as in free agency and the draft. This 50-plus-season-forever Vikings fan sure HOPES the brain trust does not trade away any draft selections to move up in the first round. Just my impressions. QBs seem to be one of the most difficult positions to predict success in the NFL. Guessing if the 11th selection is a QB, the long-term difference in the first, second or third choice will depend on the coaching staff to develop the person and design an offensive system around that choice. (Just my humble opinion), to give away the current two selections in the first round just to move up and hope you made the correct choice vs. option two or three is too much of a “calculated gamble.” Thinking, hope that Sam Darnold may have found a coaching staff that will maximize his potential. We need to give the man and the coaches an opportunity before we dump on them. The season HOPE. Top 5 defense. Top 5 running offense. Solid passing offense. Hang on to the football.

SKOL!!!!

– Noel in Bayfield, Wisconsin

And

I would be highly disappointed to trade three [first-round picks] for a QB. One of our executives said a lot of offensive players will go off the board early leaving a very good defensive player available at 11. I feel we will keep both picks and make our team better overall. A franchise QB cannot do anything if the franchise around him is not good.

– Gerald Goblirsch

It’s a little rare to group three questions out of the gate, but I thought these were a nice blend to go with your morning coffee.

When I’ve been putting together the Mock Draft Tracker versions, I’ve kind of chuckled at the willingness of prognosticators to deal away Vikings draft picks and the different offers they suggest as what will be required to vault up to a particular spot. Some think the current two first-round selections this year will do the trick, but others have added even more, almost as if playing with Monopoly money instead of the valued currency that draft picks represent.

A trade up might be the route the Vikings choose, and if so, I guarantee they’ve weighed detail in considering that approach and concluded the value obtained will be worth the value dealt.

In case you missed last week’s Mailbag, I briefly summarized first-round picks (or first three quarterbacks selected) in each of the past 10 drafts.

The projections for so many quarterbacks – (listing alphabetically by last name) Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Jr., Caleb Williams all have been projected as first-round selections – to potentially be drafted in a first round is quite rare, and I love David’s reference to the 1983 NFL Draft, which was chronicled so well in the Elway to Marino 30 for 30 documentary by ESPN in 2013.

Elway, Kelly and Marino accounted for three of the seven Hall of Famers who were selected in the first round (28 selections at the time).

The addition of Darnold provided Minnesota with a quarterback whose college traits and pro projections made him the No. 3 overall pick of 2018. It was done before Minnesota added the 23rd overall pick by sending a second this year as part of that deal to Houston.

That deal boosted Minnesota’s flexibility to either make another big move before or on draft day; stay put with both spots and boost the roster; or nudge up or down from either or both picks, depending how the board falls.

Which QB should the Vikings take? Preferably, if possible J.J. McCarthy at 11 and use 23 on defense. If not, trade up for Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy. Either one should be great in Vikings offense.

– Kevin Harris in Christiansburg, Virginia

I’ll leave the evaluations of quarterbacks (and other positions) to people with more expertise than me, and I’ll focus my efforts on trying to help connect the draft picks with this awesome fan base by relaying their stories.

Most think Daniels will be off the board by pick No. 11. Some think McCarthy will last that long, although he’s picked up plenty of steam since the Wolverines claimed the CFP National Title.

His former Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who coincidentally already has a franchise QB on his Chargers roster, as well as the No. 5 overall pick, has been championing McCarthy’s stock at every turn.

A head coach should be able to have a penalty reversal – two per half.

– Michael H.

I’m not exactly sure if there’s a specific type of penalty that is being referenced here, but I do think it’s a positive that coaches will now have an opportunity to have a third challenge by getting just one of the first two within a game correct.

Beyond the kickoff rule, this change has the potential to impact multiple games every week.

Still wondering when you are going to address the back end of the defense. We got killed in the end of games because of it last year and need some veterans back there.

– Tre P.

The Vikings have all six safeties they rostered in 2023 under contract for 2024 and have added Shaq Griffin to their cornerbacks room.

O’Connell mentioned last week that adding Griffin, who has 79 starts under his belt, will enable Byron Murphy, Jr., to play more of an inside defensive back role (nickel).

The Vikings obviously directed considerable attention to multiple levels of their defense.

I wonder where Sam Darnold is compared to Kirk Cousins’ progression at the same point in his career? I would think Kirk was maybe slightly ahead, but considering the level of talent in Washington at the time, is he really that far ahead or was showing that much more potential than Darnold? Seems like Kirk improved a lot over his career and especially during his time in MN with decision making, ability to affect the game at the line before the play, and willingness/ability to make tough throws. I am not implying Darnold will be able to make the same progress but seems like the potential and talent is there.

– Josh in South Dakota

Darnold has started 56 of the 66 games he’s played, passing for 12,064 yards with 63 touchdowns against 56 interceptions. His completion percentage is 59.7, and his passer rating is 78.3.

Cousins started 57 of the 62 games he played in his first six pro seasons (all with Washington), passing for 16,206 yards with 99 touchdowns against 55 interceptions. His completion percentage was 65.5 percent, and his passer rating was 93.7 during that time.

So the traditional stats were in Cousins’ favor, but subtexts can often accompany stats.

I try to approach every addition to the roster with an optimistic neutrality that’s aware of what players have done elsewhere in the NFL or in college on their way to the draft but also lets them start from scratch when they become Vikings.

Vikings fan since 1972. Suffered through three Super Bowls – as the first one, I was a little young. Fran Tarkenton was the best quarterback of the ’70s in my opinion, but if you don’t win the big one you don’t get remembered too much. I think we are headed in the right direction. You always need luck – something the Vikings have not had since I’ve been a fan, so all I gotta say is keep your fingers crossed. Whoever we get, whether it’s 11, three or four, we need the luck. The curse must be broken.

– Rick Tafoya in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Tarkenton’s place in the franchise, with direct and indirect impact, is singular. He was an original Viking who came off the bench in the franchise’s Inaugural Game to stun the Bears. Former Minnesota General Manager Jim Finks (in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Tarkenton) executed a trade with the Giants for first- (1967 and 1968) and second-round (1967 and 1968) picks that were used on RB Clinton Jones, WR Bob Grim, T Ron Yary and G Ed White, respectively.

After five seasons in New York, Tarkenton headed back to Minnesota in a deal for QB Norm Snead, Grim, RB Vince Clements, a 1972 first-round pick and a 1973 second-round pick.

His career – he led the NFL in so many major categories when he retired – cast a long shadow that the Vikings have tried to replicate in terms of success and continuity.

What’s going on in “TACKLE” football? How, please tell me, I really want to know, you have a 220-pound running back coming at you full speed, how do you tackle him? Granted I only played in high school before joining the Marine Corps and then played football in the Marine Corps. We took players down, give no inch! PUT FLAGS ON THEM? SMH (shaking my head).

– Rick O. in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Rick’s email references the unanimous vote by NFL Owners to eliminate the hip-drop tackle, which was viewed as a way that a smaller defender could help bring down a larger offensive player with momentum.

Appreciate your service in the Marine Corps, and I’m glad you were able to play football during that time. I’d imagine it’s pretty fierce action.

There’s a much better and comprehensive assessment of that decision by someone much more qualified than me to weigh in on it.

I think this could be a possibility for the Vikings and want your thoughts.

Since the Vikings are looking to move up for QB. Something I’ve yet to hear about which seems at least an obvious option. Here you go!

Since the Chargers and Harbaugh have the No. 5 pick, Harbaugh loves and coached McCarthy. And the fact that the Chargers dumped their WRs, RB and TE, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to trade [Justin] Herbert to the Vikings for No. 11 and No. 23 and 2025 first-rounder. Then, the Chargers draft McCarthy and reset their QB pricing.

The Vikings, with the moves, can win now with Herbert; the Chargers aren’t winning now, they are rebuilding.

I say the Vikings pursue trade talks with the Chargers. It makes sense for both teams. The only downside for the Vikings is Herbert’s contract that they can restructure. For the Chargers, why pay Herbert big money now when you have no one else on offense?

I think it could be an option unless the Vikings think McCarthy is better than Herbert. I think it’s worth pursuing; then, 2024 could be a Super Bowl run.

– Kevin Flynn

I mentioned Harbaugh’s frequent flowery comments regarding McCarthy, and although I don’t know Harbaugh, I believe they can be two-fold. One motivator is continuing the relationship with the player and showing support for him; the other is piquing interest and trying to maximize offers the Chargers might receive for the fifth pick.

Herbert is under contract through 2029, and his cap hit is about to increase dramatically over the next few years. It seems the Chargers made some of their other moves with managing Herbert’s contract and building around his talent in mind.

When thinking about moving up to No. 3 or No. 4 and giving up three No. 1 draft choices for a quarterback, how do you balance that against keeping your draft choices, picking a top-5 defensive player, a No. 5-6 “ranked quarterback (Penix?), and keeping a No. 1 for 2025? We built a four-time Super Bowl team with the second option.

Fan since ’61.

– Rocco W.

And

The theory is that the Vikes could probably get No. 4 from Arizona with this year’s two first rounders only. Trading up any higher could cost those two, plus next year’s first round pick. Since it seems that one of the two QBs targeted should be there at No. 4, why would we part with next year’s first round pick?

– Phil Zupetz, in Monroe, North Carolina

There’s been so many projections, and some seem more favorable to the Vikings than others.

If there’s a huge swell for quarterbacks in the top 10 picks, and Minnesota chooses not to move up or is unable to negotiate a deal it agrees with as fair, then that will only increase the pool of players available on defense or at other positions.

If the Vikings want to move up, then predicting the top of the board will be important in figuring out how competitive other teams may try to be with their offers to vault up the board.

I’ve been a Vikings fan for 55 years. Seen what I thought were some pretty good teams that had everything in place to make a Super Bowl run. Seems like [Bud] Grant was the only person that was good enough to pull everyone together and get there.

What is it going to take to get back to those glory days? I know it’s more of a business nowadays, and back then it was more of a true game. Is it coaching, ownership, players or a combination of all of it that makes it so we just can’t get back to the Super Bowl? What’s it gonna take for the Vikings to get it done? Just once before I die!

Forever a Vikings fan, I bleed purple, and I’ll cheer until my last breath! SKOL! Vikes!

– Jeff Wiebold

The report cards from the NFL Players Association have rated the Vikings No. 1 and 2, respectively, in their first two years of existence, with Ownership and coaching receiving high marks.

The Wilf family is entering its 20th season as stewards of the franchise, and they have been consistent in supporting the organization in its quest for its first Super Bowl victory.

Minnesota has come close multiple times, including a pair of appearances in the NFC Championship during that time.

The Vikings will be in their third season with Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell at the helm. The 2022 team won 13 games but didn’t advance in the playoffs. The 2023 team could have returned, but injuries mounted on the way to the disappointing finish.

The roster continues to be reshaped, but the goal has not changed.

WHY are the Vikings dragging their feet in signing J.J. (Justin Jefferson)?? Seems to us that he has been more than patient in waiting for a deal. He wants to remain with the Vikings. He wants to continue to be a team leader both on the field and in the locker room, so why the delay in giving him the long-term contract he wants? After all, he is THE BEST receiver in all of football, and the longer he remains unsigned the more he begins to feel unwanted and will be willing to listen to other offers, which by the way now seem to be increasing in number. Latest rumor today is the Rams are very interested.

VIKING BRASS: please do the right thing and get this very valuable player under contract ASAP. Otherwise, we fear we will lose him!

– Jerry & Bev Haremza in Le Sueur, Minnesota

We led our takeaways story last week with an update on Jefferson and how O’Connell has kept in communication with the star receiver this offseason.

I understand how popular Jefferson is, and I also understand that some fans were with the team when Randy Moss was traded in March 2005, but Jefferson is under contract through this year (and the Vikings could deploy a franchise tag beyond it). While he is under contract, teams should not be making overtures because of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy.

Adofo-Mensah said the negotiations were quite close to becoming finalized in 2023, but the fact there were two years remaining prompted further negotiations. When he and O’Connell say they have good dialogue with Jefferson, I take them at their word and don’t really worry about things.

While I hate to see us lose anyone, I am loving this enthusiasm of our new players!

You can see the pride in their faces and hear it in their voices – the pride of being a Minnesota Viking!

We’re already ready for some football! SKOL!!!!

– Barbara Jean Maggert (now in St Augustine, Florida – displaced from the great city of Minneapolis, but with my Vikings love and memories, going all the way back to Metropolitan Stadium and Bud Grant! Dear Bud, always and forever.)

Appreciate these thoughts to close us out. Bud was truly special and continues to be beloved.

It was really cool to see John Randle in the Minnesota Vikings Museum, as well as Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen hopping on video chats, to welcome free agent newcomers. They are continuing a Purple Thread that Bud used to talk about, uniting generations of Vikings the way that our fans for decades have helped connect newer fans.

Tim Twentyman

The first wave of free agency is complete, and most teams around the league feel like they filled some needs and have improved their rosters from where they were at the start of the league year.

When it comes to the draft, the good teams will draft best available and not pass up on better players for need, but that’s not always how the draft works.

Here’s my third prediction with Mock Draft 3.0 coming out of the bulk of free agency. Feel free to disagree.

1. Chicago Bears (7-10) (via Carolina)

Chicago traded quarterback Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, which opens the door for the Bears to select a quarterback No. 1 overall.

Pick: QB Caleb Williams, USC. Williams comes with some baggage, the Combine made that clear, but Chicago gets a chance to reset the rookie pay structure at the most important position in football with the consensus No. 1 signal caller in this draft.

2. Washington Commanders (4-13)

It’s a new regime in Washington led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. It makes sense to kick off this era with their guy at quarterback after moving on from Sam Howell.

Pick: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU. Daniels had a terrific pro day last week and I think he is a better fit for the kind of offense new Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is going to want to install in Washington.

3. New England Patriots (4-13)

The Patriots reset the franchise this offseason moving on from Bill Belichick and hiring Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. Now I see them creating some competition at quarterback.

Pick: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan. I had Drake Maye here in my previous two mocks, but I think McCarthy has aced the pre-draft process. The combination of his arm talent, footwork, athleticism and moxie puts him in the top three at quarterback in this class.

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-13)

The Cardinals are still behind quarterback Kyler Murray and now they have to work on getting him some more weapons.

Pick: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State. I think the Cardinals also do a lot of work on Malik Nabers after he wowed at his pro day last week, but strictly going off the tape Harrison gives the Cardinals a legitimate No. 1 receiver with good bloodlines and a track record of success.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)

New head coach Jim Harbaugh has the quarterback in Justin Herbert but needs weapons around him.

Pick: WR Malik Nabers, LSU. Offensive line help makes sense here too, especially with Harbaugh wanting to run the football, but LA has to give Herbert more weapons to throw to after the loss of receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in free agency/trade.

6. New York Giants (6-11)

The Giants need a lot of help on offense as they had the league’s 29th scoring offense this past season.

Pick: WR Rome Odunze, Washington. With good size, terrific speed and elite ball skills, Odunze could bring a big play element to the Giants’ offense.

Campbell likes current cornerback room, could still add competition Meet the Prospect: Nate Wiggins Campbell ‘absolutely in favor’ of new kickoff rule

7. Tennessee Titans (6-11)

The Titans are rebuilding under second-year quarterback Will Levis and job No. 1 is protecting last year’s investment.

Pick: T Joe Alt, Notre Dame. Arguably the best tackle in the draft is terrific value at No. 7 and allows Tennessee an opportunity to improve both phases of their offense in one pick. The Titans allowed 64 sacks this past season, tied for the third most in football. Levis gets a new blindside protector.

8. Atlanta Falcons (7-10)

Now that Atlanta has their quarterback situation figured out with the signing of Kirk Cousins, they can focus on improving the other side of the football.

Pick: Edge Dallas Turner, Alabama. Atlanta could look to trade out of this spot, but if not, this is a great spot to see the first defensive player off the board. Turner tore up the Combine with his athletic traits and he’d instantly help an Atlanta defense that ranked 21st in sacks with 42 this season.

9. Chicago Bears (7-10)

With a quarterback in hand, the Bears can now give Williams another weapon to throw to alongside D.J. Moore.

Pick: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia. Receiver is definitely an option but giving Williams two terrific TE options in Cole Kmet and Bowers could be key. This is a deep receiver class, and the Bears can find more help there later.

10. New York Jets (7-10)

All the drama in New York this offseason can go away if quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to form and the Jets do this year what they were supposed to do last year.

Pick: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State. Fashanu’s workout at the Combine was cut short due to a thigh injury but before that he showed off terrific athletic traits for a man his size. Jets quarterbacks were sacked 64 times last season, third most in the NFL.

11. Minnesota Vikings (7-10)

Adding another first-round pick via trade means the Vikings are giving themselves options to move up. I’ll include trades in my final mock ahead of the draft but for now I have them taking the best quarterback available and that’s Maye.

Pick: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina. He’s a prototypical passer with size, arm strength and good athleticism. He and Sam Darnold can battle it out for the starting job.

12. Denver Broncos (8-9)

With the release of Russell Wilson, the Broncos need a quarterback. I think they try to trade up to get McCarthy, but if they can’t, taking a quarterback just to take one isn’t a good strategy. Denver takes their lumps this year and has a Top 5 pick in 2025 to address the quarterback position.

Pick: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama. Arguably the best cornerback in this draft, he would pair with Patrick Surtain II to give the Broncos one of the best young cornerback tandems in the league. Denver’s defense allowed the third highest passer rating (98.0) to opposing quarterbacks this past season.

13. Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell showed some potential going 5-5 after becoming the starter. They also have veteran Gardner Minshew in the fold at quarterback. I think they look to add defense and could end up getting the best pass rusher in the class when it’s all said and done.

Pick: Edge Jared Verse, Florida State. An ultra-athletic and rangy edge rusher to pair opposite Maxx Crosby is a huge win for Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

14. New Orleans Saints (9-8)

The Saints have a big need at guard. Why not get a player who can play guard and tackle.

Pick: OL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State. An absolute mauler in the run game, he didn’t allow a sack in his time starting at right tackle at Oregon State.

15. Indianapolis Colts (9-8)

Adding some beef and extra depth along the defensive line should be a priority for a defense that ranked 29th in points allowed and 24th against the run in 2023.

Pick: DT Byron Murphy II, Texas. Not a bad first day haul getting arguably the best defensive tackle in the class in the middle of the draft.

16. Seattle Seahawks (9-8)

With offensive linemen Damien Lewis and Evan Brown moving on in free agency and Phil Haynes still unsigned, there is a need upfront along the offensive line, especially inside, even after signing Tremayne Anchrum in free agency.

Pick: OL Troy Fautanu, Washington. Fautanu can slide inside and fill an immediate need there, but his versatility to play tackle as well will be a welcomed addition in Seattle.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

Adding an offensive lineman or a receiver makes sense too, but I think the allure of getting one of the top cornerbacks in the draft, even after signing Ronald Darby in free agency, is too good to pass up.

Pick: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo. He really stood out at the Senior Bowl practices and then he went to Indy and had a terrific Combine. Plus, his production in college matched – five interceptions and 20 pass breakups in 2022.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

The Bengals could go a lot of different ways here but after addressing the safety position in free agency they look to add a young cornerback to the mix.

Pick: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson. Wiggins has good length at 6-foot-1 and ran a blazing 4.28 at the Combine with a 10-foot-7 broad jump.

19. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

The Rams could look to add a quarterback to develop under Matthew Stafford, but the more immediate help would be adding to a pass rush that ranked 23rd in sacks this year and just lost Hall of Famer Aaron Donald to retirement.

Pick: Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA. A mature and powerful pass rusher who registered 13.0 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss for the Bruins this past season and answered some medical concerns about his neck at the Combine.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

The Steelers addressed the quarterback position with the signing of Wilson and trade for Fields. Now they look to protect them with arguably the best interior offensive lineman in the class.

Pick: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon. A physical and nasty football player with movement skills and versatility to play all three spots inside. A classic Steelers pick that pays dividends for a decade.

21. Miami Dolphins (11-6)

The Dolphins were active in free agency adding to the defense and now address the offensive line with a versatile player.

Pick: OT JC Latham, Alabama. A two-year starter at right tackle for the Crimson Tide, Latham is a human bulldozer in the run game with versatility to play tackle or guard. More and more teams are looking for this kind of versatility upfront.

22. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)

Opponents tore the Eagles’ defense up in the pass game this past season. Philadelphia ranked 31st against the pass and 29th in opponent passer rating against (97.6). The addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson will help in the nickel, but Darius Slay isn’t getting any younger at cornerback.

Pick: DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa. A really versatile defensive back who can play cornerback, safety, return kicks and probably be one of the best special teams players on the team. He had seven interceptions the last two seasons combined for the Hawkeyes.

23. Minnesota (7-10) (via Houston/Cleveland)

Gaining a second first-round pick gives Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah some options. I still think they package 11 and 23 to move up, but if not, this seems like a good landing spot for secondary help in this class.

Pick: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama. After adding help on the offensive side of the ball, the Vikings snag a cornerback who has a chance to help them right away.

24. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

The Cowboys were pretty quiet in free agency and could go a lot of different ways in the draft. When in doubt, adding talent and depth upfront along the offensive line late in the first round is usually great value.

Pick: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia. A prototypical tackle prospect with terrific length (6-8, 340) and technique. Adding a player like Mims gives the Cowboys options upfront.

25. Green Bay Packers (9-8)

The Packers could use some secondary help, but they’re going through a transition this offseason upfront along their offensive line and adding talent and depth there could give them more options.

Pick: OL Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma. Guyton could come in and compete for a starting spot right away at left tackle or right guard after they lost Jon Runyan and David Bakhtiari this offseason.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)

Wide receiver Mike Evans signed a two-year extension this offseason but he’s turning 31 before next season and the Bucs need to start thinking about the future of the position.

Pick: WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU. Thomas has terrific size (6-3, 209) and speed (4.33 in 40 at Combine) to be a playmaking threat right away. He’s coming off a 17-touchdown season. That would be a heck of a trio in Tampa Bay with Evans, Chris Godwin and Thomas.

27. Arizona Cardinals (4-13) (via Houston)

After adding a top-tier weapon in the passing game with their first pick in the first round, the Cardinals address their defense with their second first-round pick.

Pick: Edge Chop Robinson, Penn State. The Cardinals added some defensive line help in free agency, but teams can never have too many good pass rushers. Robinson showed out at the Combine as an athletic freak, and his twitchy, athletic traits could fit in Arizona.

28. Buffalo Bills (11-6)

Most have Buffalo going receiver, but they added Curtis Samuel in free agency and Khalil Shakir is an underrated receiver heading into his third season after having over 600 receiving yards last year. The Bills re-signed DaQuan Jones this offseason, but he is 32 years old.

Pick: DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois. A disruptive and productive player in college who led the Illini with 7.5 sacks from the interior last season. He led the FBS with a school-record 4 blocked kicks and finished with 52 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss.

29. Detroit Lions (12-5)

Lions GM Brad Holmes made it clear at Annual League Meetings last week that he doesn’t draft for need and will take best available at 29.

There’s a lot of options here for Holmes and the Lions. Could they go with the best interior offensive lineman left in Duke’s Graham Barton? What about adding at cornerback? Maybe another edge rusher in Darius Robinson? Could a receiver be on top of Holmes’ board?

Pick: WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas. Mitchell had himself quite the Combine measuring in at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and then testing through the roof with a 4.34-second 40, a 39.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-4 broad jump.

The Lions return their top two receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams but lost No. 3 receiver Josh Reynolds in free agency. They also have Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green back, but adding a player like Mitchell could be very tantalizing. Between Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Mitchell the Lions would rival the Dolphins in terms of fastest skill weapons in the league without losing any of the toughness they’re built on.

Geoff Hobson

For the past ten days, free agency has consumed the NFL, but it barely nudged the second edition of the 2024 Bengals.com Media Mock Draft.

There is barely a blip between this one and the Feb. 25 Media Mock published before the NFL scouting combine and free agency. Before the Bengals pick at No. 18, six teams took the same player they took last month and three who didn’t took the same position. And only two players, Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, are the only players available to the Bengals who weren’t there in February.

(The only real response to free agency came at No. 11, when the Vikings reacted to the loss of quarterback Kirk Cousins by taking Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy instead of Wiggins.)

That’s a pretty solid universe of 15 players who have a good shot of not being there for the Bengals: Five quarterbacks, three receivers, three offensive tackles, two cornerbacks, an edge rusher, and a tight end.

Here’s the breakdown before No. 18 in this Media Mock: Five quarterbacks, four wide receivers, four offensive tackles, two cornerbacks, a tight end, and an edge rusher.

The new players in the top 17 are LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (to New Orleans at 14) and Washington guard-tackle Troy Fautanu (No. 16 to Seattle). That may set off some alarm bells for the Bengals, clearly perusing one of the best tackle classes in years. And the 6-4, 317-pound Fautanu is one of them, a really intriguing guy who is big enough and athletic enough that he may be able to play any spot on the line.

So how deep does that tackle class go? And do the Bengals even consider a tackle at No. 18 now that they filled out their offensive line earlier this week with the signing of right tackle Trent Brown?

Here’s how the Bengals.com Media Mock panel called the run-up to Cincinnati’s pick:

2024 Mock Draft Roundup 5.0: Another LSU Wide Reciever To Cincinnati? 2024 Mock Draft Roundup 4.0: Pundit Picks SEC Corner for Round One 2024 Mock Draft Roundup 3.0: Two Pundits Select TEs for First-Round Pick

1.BEARS: QB Caleb Williams, USC; Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune: They’re banking on Williams’ drop-back accuracy to go with his playmaking as the inconsistent Justin Fields tries to turn it around with Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson.

2.COMMANDERS: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU; John Keim, ESPN.com: New owner Josh Harris is a process guy. If anything, they’ll check all the boxes. Last media mock, it was Drake Maye. Now it is Daniels and his game-changing ability. In two weeks it could be someone else as the process plays out.

3.PATRIOTS: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina; Karen Guregian, MassLive.com: They signed Jacoby Brissett as soon as they could in free agency and he would seem to be the obvious bridge guy in what looks to be an obvious move.

4.CARDINALS: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State; Darren Urban, azcardinals.com: They could trade back as the quarterback sweepstakes heat up, but now that Hollywood Brown is in Kansas City, they may be better off just staying put and getting Kyler Murray the best receiver in the draft.

5.CHARGERS: WR Malik Nabers, LSU; Jeff Miller, The Los Angeles Times: With two long-time franchise receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, this seems to be the only pick.

6.GIANTS: WR Rome Odunze, Washington; Mike Eisen, Giants.com: The Giants are in hot pursuit of that down-the-field threat they’ve seemingly been lacking since the days of the late, great Homer Jones.

7.TITANS: T Joe Alt, Notre Dame; Turron Davenport, ESPN.com: Per Davenport: The Titans offensive line is desperately in need of an overhaul. Adding Alt, the most plug-and-play tackle in the draft, gives Tennessee their left tackle for the next decade beside guard Peter Skoronski, their 2023 No. 1 pick.

8.FALCONS: DE Dallas Turner, Alabama; D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution:As free agency clears with Cousins at quarterback, DLed is sticking with the edge rusher and first defensive player off the board for new head coach Raheem Morris. Morris, an old defensive coordinator, is probably going to stand him up as an outside backer as he transitions the Falcons to his 3-4.

9.BEARS: T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State; Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune: With the top three receivers gone, the Bears opt to get a new quarterback the next best thing: A top ten tackle.

10.JETS: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State; Rich Cimini, ESPN.com: They just signed Tyron Smith, but he’s on a one-year deal and has durability issues. So is Morgan Moses and he’s 33. Still need O-line help.

11.VIKINGS: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan; Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Whatever they have to do to come out of it with the successor to Cousins.

12.BRONCOS: QB Bo Nix, Oregon; Mike Klis, 9News: In the last mock, McCarthy was there and Klis picked Nix instead. If he had it to do over, he’d take McCarthy because he thinks the Broncos have liked what they’ve seen the last few weeks. He also thinks Nix is head coach Sean Payton’s kind of quick-thinking, quick-dealing quarterback.

13.RAIDERS: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama Vinny Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal: Raiders complete their three-headed monster on the corner by adding Arnold to Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs.

14.SAINTS: WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU; Katherine Terrell, ESPN.com: Bengals fans know Kat Terrell well from her days she chronicled the last days of the Marvin Lewis Bengals and the first days of the Zac Taylor regime, so they know the LSU grad loves her Tigers. But she insists this one makes sense:

With Trevor Penning still unproven at left tackle and Ryan Ramczyk’s long-term future in doubt, a top tackle like Fashanu beckons, but he’s gone. So is wide receiver Michael Thomas and they also need a running mate for Chris Olave.

15.COLTS: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia; Stephen Holder, ESPN.com: A versatile weapon like Bowers could thrive in head coach Shane Steichen’s dynamic offense. In Steichen’s last two seasons running the Eagles offense, tight end Dallas Goedert had 111 catches and seven touchdowns.

16.SEAHAWKS: T Troy Fautanu, Washington; John Boyle, Seahawks.com: Per Boyle: A trade back could make a lot of sense for a team that has only one other pick in the top 100, but if the Seahawks do stay put at 16, addressing the offensive line would make a lot of sense. Fautanu looks like he could stick to tackle at the next level, but he might be even better at guard, where the Seahawks also happen to have a need.

17.JAGUARS: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo; Michael DiRocco, ESPN.com: DiRocco took Mitchell last time and he’s sticking with it. In the run-up to free agency the Jags cut Darious Williams and they added Ronald Darby, a 10-year man working on his sixth team. With Tyson Campbell in the final year of his deal, getting one of the draft’s top cornerbacks here seems to be the move.

18.BENGALS: DT Jer’Zhan (Johnny) Newton, Illinois; Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com:

If there’s one thing the last ten days has reminded us, it is just how rare and expensive defensive tackles are out there when they hit free agency. Even rarer are the massive nose tackles such as DJ Reader, the man who filled that role here for four seasons before leaving for Detroit last week.

The Bengals could use a nose tackle for the opener and there doesn’t seem to be one early in the draft. But a team that has to face Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, and Najee Harris knows it needs juice up front no matter in what form.

They still need offensive tackle depth, but now that Trent Brown is here at right tackle for a year, what’s more urgent? (Hint: Chubb averages five yards per carry and 90 yards per game in his career against the Bengals.)

According to a survey of big boards (Scouts, Inc., Pro Football Focus, NFL.com), there are top players at other spots lurking at No. 18 in this scenario: Edgers Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu, Wiggins and Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, and another wideout, Adonai Mitchell of Texas.

But they’ve got plenty of young pass rushers, the secondary is so stocked they have to figure out the talent they’ve got, and when it comes to wide receiver, Tee Higgins is franchised and they may have solved some of the slot puzzle when they signed vet pass-catching tight end Mike Gesicki.

So it gets back to the big guys. Doesn’t it always? Just how deep is that offensive tackle class? If they want one, it may have to go six or seven deep. Four are gone in this one and Arizona, New Orleans, and the Colts seem to be mulling them, too.

In this scenario, the big boards would give the Bengals a shot at Georgia’s Amarius Mims, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, and Alabama’s J.C. Latham. But if the tackle crop is that deep, can’t they wait until the second round and grab that D-tackle first who won’t be there then?

In the last Media Mock, we did pick a three-technique in Texas’ Byron Murphy II and he’s available. And, it seems many, if not most, draft gurus rate Murphy over Newton.

But it’s close and we wanted to mix it up, as well as emphasize Newton’s prowess against the run.

Two things working against the 6-2, 304-pound Newton are his size and he’s recovering from a slight foot fracture and didn’t work at the combine. But, gee, it sounds like he’s got that mindset they seek. He’s not sure which game he did it, but it was somewhere in the middle of the year and he kept playing and still made All-American.

“I forgot, but I’ve been feeling it for a long time,” he’s quoted as saying.

That’s tough. Plus, you have to like he what does against the run. According to Pro Football Focus, since 2022 he’s got a better grade against the run than Murphy. And Newton played 633 snaps on the run, nearly double what Murphy did, although Murphy compiled better pass-rush numbers.

But Newton is well-rounded.

“Newton finished with top-five marks in each stable metric category,” PFF said of his past two seasons. “In large part due to an elite 2022 season in which he earned a 91.5 overall grade, a 91.9 run-defense grade, and an 84.7 pass-rush grade. While those numbers did decrease slightly in 2023, Newton delivered eight sacks, doubling his 2022 season total.”

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah adds, “Against the run, (Newton) generates knock-back at the point of attack and gives effort to chase plays down the line … he’s a very skilled rusher and holds up versus the run.”

Maybe Newton’s a better fit because of his experience against the run. Maybe not. Maybe your guy is Murphy.

It’s just food for thought. Offensive or defensive tackle? It may be neither because with the signing of Brown, it’s so much easier to take their much-coveted best player available.

Nick Harris

FRISCO, Texas – The second day of the legal tampering period saw the Cowboys finally make a move by agreeing to a one-year deal with long snapper Trent Sieg. Elsewhere, the league started picking off players from free agency at positions of need for the Cowboys as the options only dwindled going further into the week.

Here are the major storylines that involve the Cowboys from Tuesday.

The Cowboys started the morning by agreeing to a one-year deal with long snapper Trent Sieg. Let’s put the irony aside for a second and give some respect to Sieg, who was a big reason why Brandon Aubrey had an All-Pro year in his first season in the league and Bryan Anger was able to make his second Pro Bowl. Consistency in the specialist room is so important, and Sieg is a big part of that. The pipe dream of the Cowboys signing Derrick Henry officially fell by the wasteside on Tuesday when the future Hall of Famer agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. An interesting option popped up in the running back market on Monday when the Bengals released Joe Mixon, but instead of officially releasing him, they were able to work a trade with the Houston Texans who had a big day around the league in acquiring talent on both sides of the ball. Another running back that was surprisingly made available on Monday, Aaron Jones grew up a fan of the Cowboys in El Paso and he generated some buzz on social media when he was released by the Packers on Monday. However, he agreed on a one-year, $7 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday instead. The linebackers flew off the board on day two as well, with a similar pipe dream to Henry in former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen being the bigger name to find a new home. The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a three-year, $41 million deal with him. Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David agreed on a one-year, $9 million deal to return to the Buccaneers in 2024. Only one Cowboys free agent found a new home on Tuesday as defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. joined Dorance Armstrong and Tyler Biadasz in following Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders.

Multiple Cowboys free agents remain unsigned as Tyron Smith, Stephon Gilmore, Johnathan Hankins, Rico Dowdle, Jourdan Lewis and more remain without a deal in place.

Notable players at positions of need remain available such as Cordarrelle Patterson, Alexander Mattison, Ezekiel Elliott, D’Onta Foreman, JK Dobbins, AJ Dillon and more at the running back position. The linebacker position still holds players available such as Devin White, Eric Kendricks, Kwon Alexander and more.

Note: All deals agreed upon cannot become official or signed until the opening of the league year on Wednesday.

Geoff Hobson

First things first as Bengals.com convenes its first Media Mock Draft of 2024.

Bengals founder Paul Brown’s take on the draft: “You draft for need and don’t let anybody tell you any differently.”

So what do they need?

In no particular order, right tackle, defensive tackle, cornerback, tight end. Maybe a safety. Maybe an edge. Maybe a running back. But those can wait, right?

With starting nose tackle DJ Reader, right tackle Jonah Williams, and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie potential free agents, those appear to be the prime needs.

It’s still pretty early. The draft may be a scant seven weeks away. But it’s before next week’s NFL scouting combine, next month’s start of free agency, and the relentless parade of pro days that take up all of March and much of April.

Slightly shorter than eternity.

Nothing impacts the draft more than free agency. But at least now we can get an idea of the universe of players that they’ll be staring at the night of April 25 in the first round because no matter what happens in free agency, the Bengals need quarterbacks to go because they’re not in the market. And if they franchise Tee Higgins, they won’t be in the market for a wide receiver, either.

So they have to like the way this mock unfolds. By the time the Bengals pick at No. 18, five quarterbacks and three wide receivers have gone. So has a tight end. A deep crop of tackles and edge rushers has survived.

What would be nice is finding a freak.

We think we’ve got one.

Here’s how our panel called it:

1.BEARS _ QB Caleb Williams, USC; Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune: In the name of Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields, the Bears try again.

2.COMMANDERS _ QB Drake Maye, North Carolina; John Keim, ESPN.com: New owner, new GM, new head coach …

3.PATRIOTS: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU; Karen Guregian, MassLive.com: The first draft pick in the post-Belichickian Epoch is a Joe Burrow heir.

4.CARDINALS_ WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State; Darren Urban, azcardinals.com: Word on the street is the Cards may be looking to trade back to get a tackle. If one of the top quarterbacks fall, they could be open for business.

5.CHARGERS _ T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State; Alex Marvez, Sirius NFL Radio: Protecting Justin Herbert and establishing a strong running game are paramount. At right tackle, he could help do both opposite Rashawn Slater in Greg Roman’s offense.

6.GIANTS: WR Malik Nabers, LSU; Mike Eisen, Giants.com: When was the last time the Giants had a clear-cut No. 1? Go back 10 years to the 2014 draft and another LSU guy, right? Odell Beckham, Jr.

7.TITANS _ T Joe Alt, Notre Dame; Turron Davenport, ESPN.com: Brian Callahan’s first pick, like Zac Taylor’s in 2019, is a tackle.

8.FALCONS _ DE Dallas Turner, Alabama; D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Aren’t the Falcons always picking eight, taking an edge rusher, and never finding one? It’s too early to take the next batch of quarterbacks and they need that edge.

9.BEARS _ WR Rome Odunze, Washington; Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune: Get Williams a weapon right away. They don’t have a lot after D.J. Moore’s 96 catches.

10.JETS _ T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State; Rich Cimini, ESPN.com:With the first three wide receivers gone as well as the top two tackles, this is the worst-case scenario for the Jets. Which is almost redundant. Staring at this, Cimini says they’d be highly motivated to trade down, given they lost their second-rounder in the Aaron Rodgers trade. Footnote: They had 13 different offensive line combos last season.

11.VIKINGS _CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson; Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: With thoughts of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd spinning through their heads.

12.BRONCOS _ QB Bo Nix, Oregon; Mike Klis, 9News: Head coach Sean Payton wants a quarterback and the way Nix processes and gets the ball out quickly appears to be a match.

13. RAIDERS _ QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan; Vinny Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal: They get their athletic quarterback of the future and a fit for new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s offense.

14.SAINTS _ TE Brock Bowers, Georgia; Jeff Duncan, NOLA.com: You know how the 49ers love to use tight ends. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is coming from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff.

15.COLTS _ CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama; Mike Chappell, FOX59.com: The Colts took Julius Brents with the 44thpick last year. They take another cornerback even earlier.

16.SEAHAWKS _ DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois; John Boyle, Seahawks.com: The Seahawks currently don’t have a second-round pick, so Boyle could see trading back depending on how their board looks. But if they go here, they could make a defensive player from Illinois their first pick for the second straight year (cornerback Devon Witherspoon) to bolster new head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

17.JAGUARS _ CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo; Michael DiRocco, ESPN.com: Mitchell wasn’t so small school at the Senior Bowl, where he was clearly the best cover cornerback, and the Jaguars desperately need one with Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams on the final year of their deals.

18.BENGALS _ DT Byron Murphy II, Texas; Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com:

In order to look at the universe, let’s use the telescope of some of the various big boards, such as Pro Football Focus, ESPN’s Scouts Inc., and Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com ratings.

With Seattle and Jacksonville plucking two guys we’d love right in front of us, let’s see the top players left:

PFF: Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, Murphy, and then ranked 16-19 Florida State edge Jared Verse, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, UCLA edge Laiatu Latu, and Alabama tackle J.C. Latham.

ESPN: Latu, Georgia tackle Amarius Mims, Verse, Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman, DeJean, Murphy.

NFL.com: Latham, Verse, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, Mims, Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, Latu, Murphy.

If they franchise Higgins, wide receiver seems to be a 2025 question. They never take linebackers in the first round, they’re set at center, and they haven’t taken a tight end in the first round since 2013.

That leaves us with big guys and cornerbacks. DeJean is interesting because he’s 6-1 and can play both cornerback and safety. Which is nice, but if we’re in the same universe, the tackles on either side of the ball would seem to be a more urgent need.

The edges, Verse and Latu, are really good players, but they took Myles Murphy in the first round last year, defensive dean Sam Hubbard should be back at 100%, and Pro Bowl sacker Trey Hendrickson has two years left on his deal.

The two right tackles that appear twice in the universe are Latham and Mims. But the thing is, they’ve got 31 college starts among them. Jonah Williams, the 11th overall pick for the Bengals in 2019, came in with 44. Latham is a two-year starter and Mims started for a year before he got hurt. They usually like them a little more seasoned. Plus, this is a deep tackle class and, depending on who you ask, you can get one in the second round.

Not so at defensive tackle, where they need bodies with Reader coming off surgery and not under contract. And in the 6-1, 308-pound Murphy, they’ve got the kind of guy you’re not going to get in the second round.

He’s young (he doesn’t turn 22 until the week of the opener) and he’s got just 16 college starts. But he played in 39 games, was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, and he also made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. According to nflfdraftbuzz.com, Feldman wrote, “has been clocked at 18 MPH on the GPS, had a team-best 455-pound front squat, and power-cleaned 375 pounds,” with his strength coach saying he could have done more.

And, Murphy racked up an absurd 40 pressures last season with 30 QB hurries.

Of course, at just 6-1, Murphy’s not the prototypical NFL defensive tackle. No worries at Paycor Stadium, where Geno Atkins bowling-balled to the Hall of Fame.

“Against the run, he can utilize his quickness to penetrate and create negative plays. He also has incredible balance to take on blocks while going to one knee before uncoiling and making plays,” says NFL.com’s Jeremiah. “I haven’t seen anyone else use this technique before, but it’s very effective. He has plenty of range to make plays laterally. Overall, Murphy might lack ideal size, but he’s a leverage machine who makes an impact on all three downs.”

Why not? It’s the 30th anniversary of the last time the Bengals took a defensive tackle in the first round when they took Ohio State’s Dan Wilkinson No. 1 overall.

Tim Twentyman

Mock draft season is upon us and this year I’ve decided to dip my toes into the game. So much still has to happen before April 25 and the kickoff of the first ever NFL Draft in Detroit. The Combine is next week, and free agency is less than a month away.

Detroit has obvious needs at cornerback and along the defensive line, and could look to add to the offensive line too, depending on what happens in free agency.

Here’s my first prediction with Mock Draft 1.0. Feel free to disagree.

1. Chicago Bears (7-10) (via Carolina)

Chicago was 7-10 this past season but gets to select first in the draft after trading out of the No. 1 pick last season so Carolina could take Bryce Young No. 1 overall.

Pick: QB Caleb Williams, USC. Chicago gets a chance to reset the rookie pay structure at the most important position in football with the consensus No. 1 signal caller in this draft.

2. Washington Commanders (4-13)

It’s a new regime in Washington led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. It makes sense to kick off this era with their guy at quarterback.

Pick: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina. The new regime gets their quarterback of the future in the strong-armed Maye, who might get some consideration at No. 1 when the pre-draft process is all said and done.

3. New England Patriots (4-13)

The Patriots reset the franchise this offseason moving on from Bill Belichick and hiring Jerod Mayo as their new head coach.

Pick: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU: I had Marvin Harrison Jr. slated here first and that certainly fits, but the opportunity to get a dual-threat weapon like Daniels coming off a Heisman Trophy campaign doesn’t come along very often.

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-13)

I don’t think the Cardinals will be able to get out from Kyler Murray’s massive $230 million extension, and maybe they don’t want to, so the best thing to do is get him the best weapon in the draft.

Pick: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State: My top player in the draft falls to the Cardinals at No. 4 and gives the Arizona offense a chance at a quick bounce back in 2024.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)

New head coach Jim Harbaugh has the quarterback in Justin Herbert but some aging weapons for him to throw to and hand the ball off to.

Pick: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia. Harbaugh loves the tight end position in his offense and Bowers is a versatile weapon that can line up all over the field.

6. New York Giants (6-11)

The Giants need a boost to the league’s 29th scoring offense this past season.

Pick: WR Rome Odunze, Washington. With good size, terrific speed and elite ball skills, Odunze could bring the big play back to the Giants’ offense.

7. Tennessee Titans (6-11)

The Titans are rebuilding under second-year quarterback Will Levis and job No. 1 is protecting last year’s investment.

Pick: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame. The Titans allowed 64 sacks this past season, tied for the third most in football. Levis gets a new blindside protector.

MOCK DRAFT WATCH: Defense dominates early predictions for Lions O’HARA: A history of who’s been available at 29 2023 position breakdown: Special teams 

8. Atlanta Falcons (7-10)

What the Falcons decide to do at quarterback in the trade market or free agency will influence what they do here.

Pick: Edge Dallas Turner, Alabama. If quarterback is settled before the draft this is a great spot to see the first defensive player off the board. Atlanta ranked 21st in sacks with 42 this season.

9. Chicago Bears (7-10)

With a quarterback in hand, the Bears can now give D.J. Moore a running mate at receiver.

Pick: WR Malik Nabers, LSU. Nabers’ explosive traits are getting him compared to a couple other former LSU starters that are tearing up the NFL right now. That might be too tantalizing for the Bears to pass on.

10. New York Jets (7-10)

A little bit of drama in New York this offseason can go away if quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to form and the Jets do next year what they were supposed to do this year.

Pick: OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State. The Jets get more help protecting Rodgers with the big, physical and powerful Fuaga.

11. Minnesota Vikings (7-10)

They also have some decisions to make at quarterback, but defense makes a lot of sense here.

Pick: Edge Jared Verse, Florida State. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores gets an athletic and rangy edge rusher to mold into his aggressive scheme. Seems like a great scheme fit.

12. Denver Broncos (8-9)

For as much attention as the offensive side of the football got this season, Denver’s defense allowed the sixth most points and the third highest passer rating (98.0) to opposing quarterbacks.

Pick: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama: The best cornerback in this draft would pair with Patrick Surtain II to give the Broncos one of the best young cornerback tandems in the league.

13. Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell showed some potential going 5-5 after becoming the starter, but competition isn’t always a bad thing.

Pick: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan. Something tells me McCarthy is going to intrigue a lot of teams looking to add a quarterback after they get a chance to measure his athleticism and arm and then talk to him in the meeting room.

14. New Orleans (9-8)

If the Saints don’t think Derek Carr is the answer at quarterback, then don’t delay the inevitable.

Pick: QB Bo Nix, Oregon: A five-year starter in college who seems like a plug and play right away in the NFL.

15. Indianapolis Colts (9-8)

Adding some beef and extra depth along the defensive line should be a priority for an Indy run defense that ranked 24th in the NFL in 2023.

Pick: DT Byron Murphy II, Texas. Not a bad first day haul getting arguably the best defensive tackle in the class in the middle of the draft.

16. Seattle Seahawks (9-8)

Seattle has some potential needs in the middle of the defense but continuing to add upfront along the offensive line with prime young talent is always smart drafting.

Pick: OL Troy Fautanu, Washington: Fautanu could step right in and compete for playing time at guard Day 1. He’s also got some versatility to play tackle, which teams like Seattle will love about him given the injuries they had at right tackle this year.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

The Jaguars have needs upfront along the interior of both lines, but cornerback depth is something the Jaguars could look to boost as well.

Pick: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo. He really stood out at the Senior Bowl practices and his production in college matched – five interceptions and 20 pass breakups last season.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

There is a potential need at wide receiver with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd headed to free agency, but if Jonah Williams departs too, that’s immediately a bigger need.

Pick: OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma. Guyton really showed out at the Senior Bowl with terrific length and feet. He might have the highest upside of any tackle in the draft.

19. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

The Rams could look to add a quarterback here to develop under Matthew Stafford, but the more immediate help would be adding to a pass rush that ranked 23rd in sacks this year.

Pick: Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA: A mature and powerful pass rusher who registered 13.0 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss for the Bruins this past season.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

The Steelers will always look to build the trenches when they can, and they have needs along both lines.

Pick: OT JC Latham, Alabama: Latham is a human bulldozer in the run game and that fits the Steelers to a T with his versatility to play tackle or guard. Pittsburgh ranking 13th in rushing this season didn’t feel right.

21. Miami Dolphins (11-6)

Mike McDaniel’s offense could use an upgrade on the interior offensive line with a versatile center/guard prospect.

Pick: IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon: It seems like that offense will value movement skills and versatility from the interior guys up front more than others. Powers-Johnson also has some attitude and swagger to his game the Dolphins could use a little more of.

22. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)

Lane Johnson is getting up there in age and if the Eagles want to continue to be a physical run-first team they have to keep stockpiling along the offensive line.

Pick: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State. Fashanu is a big, powerful prototypical NFL tackle. He’s a little raw but adds depth and talent to the Eagles’ o-line.

23. Houston Texans (10-7) (via Cleveland)

What a terrific story in Houston winning the AFC South and having the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year. They can go in a lot of directions here.

Pick: Edge Chop Robinson, Penn State. Robinson joins No. 3 overall pick last year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Will Anderson, to form a nice young edge combo in Houston. His twitchy, athletic traits could be a perfect complement on the other side of Anderson.

24. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

The Cowboys could be looking for Tyron Smith’s replacement sooner rather than later. If that’s guard Tyler Smith, then there’s still a need upfront for the Cowboys.

Pick: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia: A prototypical tackle prospect with terrific length and technique. Adding a player like Mims gives the Cowboys options upfront.

25. Green Bay Packers (9-8)

Green Bay had only seven interceptions all season and an opposing passer rating of 94.7. They need some more playmakers in the secondary.

Pick: DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa: A really versatile defensive back who can play cornerback, safety, return kicks and probably be one of the best special teams players on the team. He had seven interceptions the last two seasons combined for the Hawkeyes.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)

With Mike Evans turning 31 before next season and headed toward free agency, the Bucs could look to add to that room.

Pick: WR Brian Thomas J.r, LSU: Thomas has terrific size (6-4, 205) and speed to be a playmaking threat right away. He’s coming off a 17-touchdown season. If Evans stays that’s a heck of a trio in Tampa with Evans, Chris Godwin and Thomas.

27. Arizona Cardinals (4-13) (via Houston)

After adding a top-flight weapon in the passing game with their first pick, the Cardinals address their defense with their second first-round pick.

Pick: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson. Wiggins is tall (6-2), long, fast and will test well. He’s got the traits defensive coordinators love with a high ceiling to grow.

28. Buffalo Bills (11-6)

This seems like a perfect spot to give quarterback Josh Allen another playmaker to pair with Stefon Diggs and Dalton Kincaid.

Pick: WR Keon Coleman, Florida State: The former Michigan State Spartan has terrific size (6-4, 215) and ball skills with 18 touchdowns to his credit his last two seasons in college. He makes tons of tough catches that move the chains.

29. Detroit Lions (12-5)

The top three needs in my book heading into free agency are along the defensive line, cornerback and potentially interior offensive line.

Cornerback is certainly an option here, but I think this is a pretty deep class of corners and Lions GM Brad Holmes has proven he can find starting Day 2 talent in the secondary – Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu.

Pick: Edge Darius Robinson, Missouri: The Lions are looking for pass-rush help opposite Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson, and Robinson brings raw athletic traits and a physical brand of football to the table. He certainly fits the mold upfront for the style of play defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wants.

He’s a converted defensive tackle who had 8.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss this year, so there’s some versatility to his game. I also love the fact that he tore up the Senior Bowl with his play a couple weeks back.