When it comes to the NFL Draft, there are a lot of people involved in the decision-makings process for each team, from executives to coaches to scouts. The Baltimore Ravens are also getting their quarterback involved.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Lamar Jackson is sharing his opinions on who Baltimore should pick in the April event. During NFL’s Annual League Meeting, Harbaugh noted that he and Jackson have similar thoughts regarding college prospects.
“He is looking at guys now,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN). “He and I agree on a few guys. We haven’t disagreed on anybody yet. We’re sharing our vision together.”
This is not Jackson’s first run at being a part-time quarterback, part-time scout. Jackson broke down every receiver in the draft from South Florida after the 2022 season, giving Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta his notes. With the No. 22 pick in that following draft, the Ravens took pass catcher and Fort Lauderdale native Zay Flowers, who led the team in receiving yards last season.
It is no surprise the defending NFL MVP wants a say in who he throws to and with wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay both exiting this offseason and other receivers nearing the end of their contracts, the team has a hole to fill on offense.
Last year, DeCosta said Jackson has “strong opinions” on the prospects and it seems those strong opinions are also present this year.
The Ravens’ first three picks are currently No. 30, No. 62 and No. 93.
Baltimore has drafted seven wide receivers over the past six years and whether the Ravens take someone at that position with their first-round pick is something we will have to wait until April 25 to find out. The team also has to address its offensive line.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, DeCosta spoke about wide receivers, complementing the prospects in this year’s draft.
“That’s a position where some of these guys are like race cars; they break down at times,” DeCosta said. “And so, having depth at that position is critical, [and] we saw that this year. We think we built the room out pretty well this year and were able to sustain some injuries along the way. So, we will look at that. I think it’s a very, very deep year in the draft. This draft class is pretty impressive from a receiver standpoint.”
The Ravens offense already got a major addition, when the team added running back Derrick Henry in free agency.
Harbaugh says there is “no doubt” that the offense will “look different.”
“That’s the one thing we believe in — keeping it moving. You can never keep it the same,” Harbaugh said.
When figuring out how the Ravens often will look next season, Harbaugh wants Jackson to have a lot of say.
“He’ll come back, and he’ll look at everything, and we’ll want to know what he thinks,” Harbaugh said. “Like, ‘Do you prefer this or this? Are you comfortable in this direction or that direction? What do you like? [Are there] any other ideas you had since we talked last?’ I believe he’ll be a big part of the architecture of the offense.”
The Ravens are once again expected to make a deep playoff run and Jackson says he is more motivated than ever to win a championship. The Ravens were just eight points away from a Super Bowl appearance, but fell to the defending and eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.
Welcome to the ceremonial kickoff of Year 2 of the With the First Pick newsletter, and we’re launching today because we know the insatiable need for NFL Draft nuggets will only intensify as the month progresses. Here, you’ll get NFL Draft news, prospect evaluations, and enough mock drafts to make your head spin … on a daily basis. As the internet’s preeminent NFL newsletter creator John Breech wrote Friday, we’re rebranding the Pick Six newsletter for the next month, starting today, continuing through the end of April, and maybe into early May. I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way.
I’ll be tracking everything that transpires in the NFL and spin everything into a draft angle. There’s always a draft angle! Trust me. At least in my head there is, and with this newsletter you’ll be getting a daily glimpse inside my draft-obsessed brain from now until the morning of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Before I begin, this paragraph will be your daily reminder to tell all your buddies and that one uncle who’s always texting you the importance of drafting mid-round offensive linemen to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. All you have to do is click here and then share this link with them.
Today’s NFL mock draft 🔮: Three-rounder with trades! williams-maye.jpg Top QB prospects Caleb Williams (left) and Drake Maye Getty Images My esteemed NFL Draft analyst colleague Josh Edwards completed no easy task: a three-round mock with a few swaps included. Instead of only highlighting some fascinating Round 1 selections, I’ll dip into the imaginary Day 2 here.
Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Washington Commanders – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Cincinnati Bengals – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
Detroit Lions – Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
Los Vegas Raiders – Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Philadelphia Eagles – Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
New York Giants — Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
Pittsburgh Steelers – Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami
Of course, there’s plenty to digest here in this three-rounder, including history being made with quarterbacks off the board with the first four picks. As every day goes by, this feels more like a lock to actually happen in real life, doesn’t it?
I’d love Robinson to Detroit to give Aidan Hutchinson a legit running mate rushing around the corner — although James Houston is no slouch when healthy. Benson is my RB1, and the Giants need a back after watching Saquon Barkley sign with the rival Eagles. I seriously think Benson deserves Breece Hall-type buzz. He’s that big, fast and elusive.
And for the Steelers, an instinctive, playmaking, hard-hitting safety is essentially part of that organization’s DNA. The poor pre-draft workout sinks Kinchens’ stock, but he and Minkah Fitzpatrick would formulate a stellar pairing on the backend in Pittsburgh.
‘With the First Pick’ podcast 🎧: Three-headed mock draft Above was a three-rounder, but here, in what is Mock Draft 12.0 for the With the First Pick crew, our resident GM Rick Spielman, Super Bowl-winning cornerback Bryant McFadden, and draft analyst Ryan Wilson ripped through a one-round mock draft, alternating selections along the way.
I won’t spoil every juicy pick, but there was a surprise edge rusher sent to the Falcons at pick No. 8. Cowboys fans, Wilson will pique your interest with a massive trade up for arguably the most uber-talented blocker in this class, an offensive tackle who’d fill the void left by Tyron Smith re-locating to New York to play for the Jets. There’s also an Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love esque baton-passing pick for the Chiefs that would be a nightmare scenario for the rest of the league attempting to stop Kansas City from a three-peat. Listen to the entire episode right here.
Prospect of the day 📈: Javon Baker, WR, UCF javon-baker.jpg UCF WR Javon Baker Getty Images All you’ve heard for months now is how good and how deep the 2024 wideout class is, so it’s only natural I feature one of the receivers who represents the depth that has been mentioned ad nauseam since the Senior Bowl in late January.
It was love at first sight for me with Baker on film.He’s got nifty releases to beat press at the line, deceptive route-running salesmanship, and a leaping/rebounding combination that led to the fourth-best contested-catch win rate in the class. He has it all. Well, except for speed. Baker’s slower 40-yard dash time could be the lone reason he’s still on the board well into the second round, and if he’s a third-round pick, no one should be shocked.
But this is a former Alabama pass-catcher who rocked after transferring to UCF with over 100 catches and more than 1,800 yards with 12 touchdowns in Orlando.
Notable combine results: 4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical, 10-foot-1 broad jump Combine measurements: 6-foot-1 and 1/4, 202 pounds Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 46 (No. 9 WR) Pro Day primer: Top prospects to watch 👀 Yale OL Kiran Amegadjie: Pro days are all but officially done — although we will get an individual workout from Iowa’s Cooper Dejean on April 8 — but I’m compelled to keep this section part of the Year 2 kickoff because Amegadjie could be the first non-Power 5 prospect offensive player off the board. He’s that good on film at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds with the second-longest arms among offensive linemen in the class. The Yale Bulldog blocker is a masher in the run game with plenty of athletic gifts, although he probably kicks inside to guard in the NFL. Honestly, I got serious Trey Smith vibes evaluating him, and Smith has been a rock for the Chiefs in their back-to-back Super Bowls. He’s bound for a monstrous payday next offseason, if not before.
News & Notes 📝 Inside how NFL teams handle draft month. We’re thrilled to have Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko contributing to the site over the next month, and as someone who works closely with NFL teams, he wrote an enlightening piece detailing the finishing touches teams put on their respective draft boards starting today. Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott have mutual interest in a reunion. Given the enormous extension Jerry Jones gave Elliott just a few years ago, and the owner’s long standing affinity for bell cow running backs, this should come as no surprise. And if these two link up, I wonder how much it alleviates Dallas’ need at running back in the 2024 draft. Hmmm. Pro day workout incoming for NC State basketball star DJ Burns? The 11-seed Wolfpack have made a Cinderella run to the Final Four, and at the center of it all has been the 6-foot-9, 275-pounder, who scored 29 points in the upset over Duke in the Elite Eight. And the athleticism he’s demonstrated on the court has apparently drawn legitimate NFL interest.
Patrick Peterson is willing to be patient in finding a new team for 2024. As free agency is in the midst of its second wave, the former Steeler will wait things out until he gets the right call.
When that call comes, Peterson wants a warning if he’s going to play a different position than cornerback. He’s open to playing safety, but with certain conditions.
“I don’t want to start at safety because that’s a different animal back there,” Peterson said, via the NFL on Fox podcast. “That’s a different view back there. If that is the case, I would need to be warned going into the season to get my body, my mental prepared. It’s different being at the safety from the cornerback position, having those open-field tackles.”
Peterson has played cornerback for the majority of his 13-year career. He played 1,045 snaps listed as a defensive back, playing 218 snaps at free safety and 105 snaps at box safety (per TruMedia). He hasn’t played safety full time, which might be what some teams want him to be.
“As corners, we’re used to knifing in and slicing guys down,” Peterson said. “When you’re in the open field as a safety, especially if you’re in the middle of the field, that guy’s got 24 yards right and 24 yards left of you. There ain’t no way to cut him off by any means. You’re the last line of defense.
“So if that is something, I would need notice and probably, you know, get one of these old-time safeties like an Ed Reed or (Troy) Polamalu to coach me up.”
Peterson had 42 tackles and two interceptions in 17 games last season in Pittsburgh, as opposing quarterbacks had a 62.8 passer rating targeting him. He can still start in the NFL, even if cornerback appears to be his preferred position.
Trevor Lawrence didn’t have the season he nor the Jacksonville Jaguars anticipated. Lawrence had 21 giveaways in a season which he regressed after a promising first year under Doug Pederson, as the Jaguars went 0-5 in his last five starts to miss the playoffs.
The turnovers were shades from 2021, a disastrous first season from Lawrence under Urban Meyer. In that season, Lawrence had 22 giveaways (17 interceptions and five fumbles lost). Lawrence lost confidence in his game from that first season with Meyer, something Pederson fixed in his first year under his tutelage.
Has Lawrence reverted back to his ways under Meyer. Pederson was adamant at the NFL Annual League Meeting last week, saying Lawrence was “light years” past there.
“Just where he is mentally, just the mental part,” Pederson said, via a Jaguars transcript. “We’ve got to get better as a football player, but mentally he’s in a good place. Again, I wasn’t here in 2021, so I don’t know, but I can only speculate and say that he couldn’t have been in a very good mental headspace coming out of that year, but now he’s playing meaningful games.
“He’s taken, the last two years, our team right there and now we’ve got to push through that. Now it bothers him. That part bothers him. Football bothers him and that’s a good thing. That’s where we’ve got to get him pushing us through that envelope, that wall. The way we ended our season, that’s his motivation too.”
Lawrence has finished with 20+ giveaways in two of his three seasons. He had 17 in the 2022 season when the Jaguars won the AFC South (eight interceptions, nine fumbles lost). Turnovers have always been a problem for Lawrence since he entered the NFL, which Pederson continues to work on. Pederson wants to cut down the giveaways by reducing the fumbles.
“Obviously, interceptions are going to happen but it’s the pocket stuff. It’s the fumbling in the pocket, out of the pocket. That’s the part that we can help him with, the ball security stuff,” Pederson said. “It’s hard for young players because they feel like they can make every play. It’s okay to throw the ball away.
“We just have to keep educating him in these situations. You can coach it. You are the guy that’s touching the ball every snap. We have to make smart decisions too.”
The NFL on Monday announced its performance-based pay distribution for the 2023 season, and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland were among the top 25 earners.
The performance-based pay program uses a fund “created and used as a supplemental form of player compensation based on a comparison of playing time to salary,” according to the league release. The distribution is computed by using a player index, which the NFL notes uses a player’s “PBP Playtime” (defined as the player’s regular season total plays played on offense, defense, and special teams, divided by the number of plays payed by the player with the most total combined plays on that team) divided by his “PBP Compensation” (defined as regular season full salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives).
Purdy, a seventh-round pick in 2022, started 16 of 17 games and played 93% of San Francisco’s offensive snaps. At just $870,000, he was the league’s lowest-paid starting quarterback. His take-home of $739,765 ranked 24th in the league in performance-based pay, and nearly doubled his pay. Purdy finished fourth in MVP voting and sixth in Offensive Player of the Year voting after throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions while helping lead the 49ers to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Bland similarly drew just $870,000 in base salary last year, and his distribution of $759,759 (20th) nearly doubled his pay as well. A 2022 fifth-round pick, Bland began the season as Dallas’ slot corner but moved outside when Trevon Diggs tore his ACL. He played all 17 games, making 15 starts and playing 90% of defensive snaps. He eventually set an NFL record with five pick-sixes among his league-leading nine interceptions, and he finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting while being named both a Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro.
Former Ravens guard John Simpson, who signed with the Jets earlier this offseason, checked in first in performance-based pay, collecting $974,613 after he played 99% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps.
The Washington Commanders have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and will likely use that selection to bring in what they hope will be a franchise quarterback. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears when the draft kicks off April 25 in Detroit.
CBS Sports mock drafts have either North Carolina’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels going at No. 2 and while neither are a sure bet, as no quarterback is, both are loaded with potential.
Whether it is Maye or Daniels, the Commanders pick will likely be their starter this season. They already have Marcus Mariota as a member of their quarterback room and on Monday, they added a second veteran to the group.
Washington signed Jeff Driskel to a one-year deal, marking the quarterback’s sixth team in seven years. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2016 draft and was waived before that season began. He then played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and most recently the Cleveland Browns. He has started 12 games across those five teams, including one start last season.
Another arm in the QB room@jeffdriskel | #HTTC pic.twitter.com/OAy4ueHljX
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 1, 2024 The 30-year-old has 2,394 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Commanders general manager Adam Peters said he wants four quarterbacks during camp ahead of the 2024 season, per the Washington Post.
Driskel will likely compete with 2020 fifth-round pick Jake Fromm for QB3. Fromm joined the Commanders in 2022 and was waived by the team before re-signing to the practice squad in August 2023. He signed to the active roster in December, after Jacoby Brissett went down with an injury.
Fromm has played in three games, all with the New York Giants, with two starts. He has an 0-2 record with 210 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
While Driskel has more experience, how they look in camp will be a major factor in determining how the depth chart will look.
