Category: 2021 NFL draft

Ravens are confident that WR Rashod Bateman will have a big year

Rashod Bateman is at or near the top of every “these Baltimore Ravens players really need to have a breakout season” list.

Rashod Bateman is at or near the top of every “these Baltimore Ravens players really need to have a breakout season” list. He hasn’t come close to living up to expectations in his first three years in the league.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that Bateman also tops every “these Ravens are poised to have a breakthrough season” list.

Several members of the Ravens player roster and coaching staff have expressed their belief that the former Minnesota Golden Golden will excel this season.

Perhaps no one is stronger than the Ravens’ tight end, Mark Andrews.

“I think he looks incredible,” Andrews said.

“Everything — his route flying, catching the ball, being where he’s supposed to be — he has it down to a science. I know he’s worked really hard, but he looks about as put together as he’s ever been.

“So, it’s going to be a big year for Rashod Bateman. I’m calling it now.”

That’s a bold statement, as Bateman is yet to reach 50 receptions or 600 yards receiving in a single campaign.

He also has just four career touchdown receptions. Still, the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft is said to have had a fantastic offseason, and he looks to be in great shape in the video below, which shows him jumping hurdles.

Bateman has said that he’s feeling as healthy as ever, and the video above certainly backs up that claim.

Andrews isn’t the only Raven who’s bullish on Bateman this offseason.

“[It would] probably [be Rashod] Bateman,” first round draft pick Nate Wiggins said, when he was asked who the toughest receiver to cover in practice was.

“He’s just shifty [and] has a lot of quickness in the route.”

Then you have coach John Harbaugh saying back at the combine that Bateman will take “a big step” this upcoming season.

Not to mention general manager Eric DeCosta, who proclaimed that Bateman’s “best football is ahead of him” during the draft in April.

Titans go in a different direction in 2021 NFL re-draft

As you’d expect, the Titans go in a different direction in a recent 2021 NFL re-draft.

If the Tennessee Titans could re-do the 2021 NFL draft, they certainly would not take cornerback Caleb Farley with the No. 22 overall pick again.

As much as we like Farley as a human being and feel bad for the terrible struggles he’s had to go through, his career has been a disappointment, to say the least.

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher recently did a re-do of the 2021 NFL draft and had the Titans taking linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was originally taken with the No. 52 overall pick (second round) by the Cleveland Browns.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is the prototypical linebacker in the 2020s. He can fly to the football and excels in coverage. He is coming off the best season of his career and should be better in Year 4. There aren’t very many linebackers in the NFL that are more valuable than “JOK” heading into the 2024 season.

While the Titans are all good at cornerback after the additions of L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, the linebacker position is a question mark going into training camp.

Free-agent addition Kenneth Murray has his own concerns, but the team also has to figure out who it will start next to him. The options include a lackluster starter from last year, Jack Gibbens, a rookie in Cedric Gray, and a second-year player and former UDFA in Otis Reese.

As Mosher notes, Owusu-Koramoah can do it all on a football field and he would have been a fantastic duo with former linebacker David Long, who is now in Miami. And, the Titans would be in much better shape at linebacker in 2024.

However, taking a linebacker that early would be no guarantee based on the record of former general manager, Jon Robinson. The highest he drafted a linebacker during his tenure was Monty Rice in the third round of the same draft, and we all know how that went.

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Giants understandably pass on Kadarius Toney in 2021 NFL re-draft

In a 2021 NFL re-draft conducted by The 33rd Team, the New York Giants understandably steer clear of troubled WR Kadarius Toney.

The 2021 NFL draft was the final one under general manager Dave Gettleman for the New York Giants.

They were outmaneuvered for their top choice (Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith) by division rivals in the first round and ended up trading back in the order with Chicago from No. 11 to No. 20.

With that 20th overall pick, they selected Florida wideout Kadarius Toney — a selection that would go wrong in so many ways.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team recently took a swipe at redrafting the 2021 class. Here’s how he saw it flushing out.

Instead of Smith getting poached one pick before the Giants at No. 10 by Philadelphia, he goes two spots before to Denver. The Eagles take guard Landon Dickerson, a player they would take in Round 2.

The Giants still trade back with Chicago, who doesn’t use the pick to take Justin Fields. Instead, they select offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

Dallas, at No. 12, takes center Creed Humphrey with Micah Parsons long gone to the Jets at No. 4.

The Giants use the 20th pick on Tennessee guard Trey Smith, who wasn’t selected until the sixth round by Kansas City due to injury concerns.

Trey Smith fell to the sixth round due to a medical issue. But in this re-draft, he goes at pick No. 20 to the New York Giants. Smith is a mammoth offensive guard who has started a combined 60 games (including playoffs) for the Chiefs during the last three years. Smith would really help the Giants’ weak interior offensive line.

Lots to unpack here. Philadelphia flipped picks with Dallas to draft Smith before the Giants could. If Smith was no longer on the board, they likely wouldn’t move up, especially for Dickerson who was not considered top 10 material.

Chicago would not likely have moved up, either. They only did so to take a quarterback (Fields). In this scenario, they take a tackle. Although Slater is a top player, it doesn’t seem likely this would have happened.

As for the Giants taking Smith, who was red-flagged with health issues and was dropped off many a team’s board altogether, Kansas City got lucky that he has been able to bounce back physically to become a top lineman in this league.

The Giants naturally would not have gone with Toney at No. 20 knowing what they know now. Players on the board as per Mosher at No. 20 are cornerback Tyson Campbell, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and edge rusher Kwity Paye.

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Saints get the player we wanted all along in 2021 re-draft

The Saints got the player we wanted all along in this 2021 re-draft, but would Greg Newsome II have been a better pick than Paulson Adebo?

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints botched the start of their 2021 NFL draft. They opened the event by drafting defensive end Payton Turner, a surprise pick who many experts didn’t see going off the board so early. And Turner’s career to this point has mostly been frustrating.

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher has the Saints moving differently. Going into  the draft, cornerback was an obvious priority for the Saints. But when top targets like Caleb Farley and Greg Newsome II were taken ahead of them, the Saints chose to go in a different direction, selecting defensive end Payton Turner ahead of Georgia corners Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell, who were both taken in the next five picks.

Using the benefit of hindsight, Mosher redid 2021’s first round, and in his do-over he has Newsome falling to New Orleans. He was the cornerback we wanted all along, having traded up to get him in our final Saints mock draft. Here’s Mosher’s take on why Newsome would be a great fit:

Marshon Lattimore has struggled to stay on the field during the last few years, and the New Orleans Saints have a weakness at cornerback.

Greg Newsome would help fix that need, giving them a cornerback who can play in the slot and on the outside. He falls here due to some injury concerns, as he’s missed at least two games each season. Still, this is a massive value for the Saints at No. 28.

Injuries have limited Newsome to appearing in 42 of the Browns’ 52 games since he was drafted (starting 39 of them, including the playoffs), and he’s intercepted just two passes in his NFL career without forcing or recovering a fumble. So it’s a little wild to see him still being drafted in the first round when Paulson Adebo, who the Saints picked in Round 3, has started 44 of 45 games while intercepting seven passes with two forced fumbles and as many recoveries. Adebo has broken up 33 passes compared to Newsome’s 30.

We should acknowledge that takeaways aren’t everything, and Adebo has drawn three times as many penalties for defensive passing interference or holding (21) as Newsome (7). NFL teams liked Newsome enough to draft him 50 spots higher than Adebo back in 2021, so they clearly saw something special. Either way, the Saints picking him here would have addressed their most important need at the time.

As for Turner? He wasn’t picked at all in this draft do-over, but the pick was a reach when the Saints called it in even at the time. The Saints rightly saw a run coming at the position but they picked the wrong player. All three of the pass rushers drafted after him have bagged at least 13 sacks while playing in at least 45 games. Turner has only suited up for 15 games while recording just 3 sacks through three years, and one of those came against Derek Carr when he still played for the Raiders. It’s a shame they can’t get a real-life do-over, but hopefully Turner finds his way from here while the players the Saints drafted after him find more success.

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Giants get ugly marks in 2021 NFL draft re-grade

After receiving positive grades initially, the New York Giants earned very low marks in a 2021 NFL draft re-grade.

The New York Giants’ 2021 draft class — the last one selected by former general manager Dave Gettleman — drew positive grades from critics in the days and weeks afterward.

Three years later, it’s not looking so good. The Giants made six selections. Only three of those players are still with them and none have made — or are making — significant impacts.

CBS Sports draft analyst Pete Prisco gave the Giants a B+ grade after the draft. In a recent re-draft, however, he lowered that grade to a D, and deservedly so.

They had six picks in the draft, including three in the first 71, and not one will go into the 2024 season as a starter. They whiffed on first-round receiver Kadarius Toney, who was traded to the Chiefs after just 30 catches for the Giants in five starts over two seasons. Second-round pass rusher Azeez Ojulari has 25 starts in three seasons with 16 sacks, but he will be a rotational player with Brian Burns coming over in a trade. The other backups on the roster are third-round corner Aaron Robinson and sixth-round running back Gary Brightwell. Robinson has played 11 games — none last season — as injuries have limited him.

Giant fans will recall the first-round trade between their two rivals — Dallas and Philadelphia that edged them out of their top target, Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith.

Dallas held the 10th pick, the Giants the 11th, and Eagles the 12th. Dallas and Philly swapped picks, allowing the Eagles to poach Smith away from the Giants. Gettleman then traded back to No. 20 with Chicago, who took quarterback Justin Fields. Dallas immediately snatched up Linebacker Micah Parsons.

Gettleman chose Toney at No. 20 and then traded back in Round 2 from No. 42 to No. 50, grabbing more picks while still landing Ojulari. In the third round, the Giants moved up from 76 to 71 and selected Robinson.

Two of the three other picks in that draft — linebacker Elerson Smith and cornerback Rodarius Williams — are no longer with the team and running back Gary Brightwell is in the final year of his contract.

More from Prisco:

I loved the pick of Ojulari, who I said could be a major steal. He hasn’t been that, but he’s been solid. I did question taking Robinson in the third, but medicals make that a tough evaluation now. I said I liked the way the Giants moved down and took Toney and still got a first the next year. That pick is starting right tackle Evan Neal, taken seventh overall. He hasn’t played up to expectations, but injuries have hurt his growth.

Let’s not forget the other players the Giants would take with the picks Gettleman got in those draft day deals. New general manager Joe Schoen selected cornerback Cor’Dale Flott and tight end Daniel Bellinger. He had also traded a fifth-round pick from the draft for defense lineman Leonard Williams.

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Rashod Bateman opens up on contract extension, growing expectations

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman opens up on contract extension, growing expectations

Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman recently inked a three-year, $15.25 million contract extension.

The 27th overall pick, out of Minnesota in 2021, Bateman hasn’t produced at a level befitting a first-round draft choice.

In three seasons, during which he spent a substantial amount of time on the injured list, the Tifton, GA native has a career stat line of 93-1,167-4. Despite starting 12 games, he only had 32 catches for 367 yards and one touchdown. Thus far, his rookie season was his most productive, and he’s been declining.

Bateman appeared on Glenn Clark Radio on Wednesday, where he discussed his health and fitness, the struggles he’s had in his young career, his goals for this season, and more.

“I want to prove to myself that I can be a star,” the 2019 Howard-Richter Receiver of the Year (Big Ten’s best WR) award winner said.

“Be a player, be someone the team can depend on. Reliable. There’s been ups and downs in my career. I’m in a good spot right now, feel good, I’m healthy. Should be a good year.”

Bateman was asked if he ever doubted he had a future in Baltimore.

“For sure,” he answered.

“Has to do with my injury history, nothing to do with Baltimore…I don’t blame anybody for how they feel, the fans, the coaches.

“They have a right to feel. I was a first round draft pick, there’s expectations with that.”

The entire interview can be found via YouTube embedded below:

Mac Jones trade keeps dropping the 2021 draft QB class into deeper ignominy

5 QBs were drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Only one has done enough to stay with the team that drafted him 3 years later.

Back in the 2021 NFL draft in Cleveland, Mac Jones famously strode his way into legend with his long, purposeful walk to the podium to be the next quarterback of the New England Patriots. Jones was the 15th overall pick in that draft and the fifth quarterback off the board in that draft class.

Now Jones gets to walk back to his hometown, Jacksonville. The Patriots kneecapped the Jones experiment and traded him to the Jaguars on Sunday. The price? A sixth-round pick in next month’s draft.

It didn’t work for Jones in New England. Unfortunately, that’s become the prevailing theme for the teams that took quarterbacks in the first three rounds of the 2021 draft.

In fact, Jones will now back up the only quarterback drafted in the first round of 2021 who will be with the team that selected him in 2024. Trevor Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, and to this point, he’s the only one of the five that hasn’t been a failure.

Sure, Justin Fields has had his moments and successes with the Chicago Bears. However, the Bears are moving on from Fields with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, presumably Caleb Williams. Chicago earned the top overall pick in 2023 in part because Fields wasn’t successful enough. Fields is expected to be traded any day now for pennies on the initial draft dollar — just as Jones was.

That too will happen with the No. 2 overall pick, Zach Wilson. The Jets gave up on Wilson quickly, choosing to mortgage their future on Aaron Rodgers. Heck, they brought in Tim Boyle to play ahead of Wilson. He’s expected to be off the Jets roster before the ’24 draft, either via trade or release, if no team wants to give anything up for him. That wouldn’t be a surprise either, after three short seasons.

The third QB selected was also the No. 3 overall pick. Trey Lance has already been traded away by the 49ers, sent to Dallas last year for a 2024 fourth-rounder. After two seasons of barely playing — Lance threw 102 passes in two years for the 49ers — San Francisco happily accepted a Day 3 pick for Lance, a player they sacrificed three first-round picks to acquire in 2021.

Diving a little deeper in the 2021 QB class, Kyle Trask was the last pick of the second round. The Buccaneers brought in Tom Brady and then Baker Mayfield to play over him. He’s thrown 10 career passes, completing three of them. Mayfield is a free agent and there’s been zero talk about Trask maybe taking the reins.

The third-rounders didn’t work either. The Vikings abandoned ship on Kellen Mond (No. 66 overall) after just one game. He ended 2023 on the Colts practice squad. David Mills got a shot with the Texans as the No. 67 pick. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2022, winning just five of his 25 starts in two seasons. He now backs up C.J. Stroud.

Even Lawrence has taken some quiet criticism as the top pick. He led the league in INTs as a rookie and has had an up-and-down career with the Jaguars. He followed a deserved Pro Bowl berth in 2022 with an underwhelming 2023 when he lost his final five starts and threw as many INTs as TDs in that critical late-season collapse by Jacksonville.

Let the 2021 draft class serve as a cautionary tale for teams going crazy with dreams of grandeur stemming from their shot at drafting a first-round quarterback in 2024. Those dreams quickly proved delusional for 80 percent of the 2021 class.

Raiders winners and losers in historic 63-21 victory vs. Chargers

Raiders winners and losers in historic 63-21 victory vs. Chargers

A week after being shut out at home the Raiders exploded for a team-record 42 first-half points against the Chargers and won going away, 63-21 at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday night.

The Raiders’ 63 points were the most in team history, and quarterback Aidan O’Connell’s four first-half touchdown throws were the most in the NFL this season. It was a team effort, as the Raiders converted five Chargers turnovers into five touchdowns, including a pick-6 interception and a fumble return for a touchdown on consecutive possessions.

Here are the winners and losers after this historic Raiders victory with a historic amount of winners to match.

Winner: RB Zamir White

The Raiders first touchdown came on their first possession on offense, after a three-and-out from the Chargers. Running back Zamir White got the start for injured RB Josh Jacobs and took advantage, converting a 1st-and-goal run for six points. It was his first career touchdown.

White ended up with 69 yards rushing on 17 carries and added 16 receiving yards. Las Vegas had 124 team rushing yards without Jacobs.

Winner: Offensive line/OT Thayer Munford

The Raiders played with a makeshift offensive line due to injuries to offensive tackle Kolton Miller and center Andre James. They paved the way for White and didn’t allow a QB sack in the first half, shutting down superstar DE Khalil Mack, who had six sacks the last time these teams met.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

After a turnover by the Chargers, wide receiver Tre Tucker caught a touchdown pass from O’Connell and gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead. It was his first career touchdown, and he wasn’t done. Tucker also notched a second TD grab near the end of the first half to give the Raiders their historic 42-0 lead, the second-largest first-half lead in NFL history.

Winner: WR Jakobi Meyers

After Tucker’s first score, the Chargers turned it over again and the Raiders quickly converted with a O’Connell touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Meyers also had a touchdown throw — yes a touchdown throw — to WR Davante Adams later in the game.

Winner: TE Michael Mayer

After the teams traded second-quarter punts, the Chargers turned it over on special teams. The Raiders quickly capitalized with another O’Connell touchdown pass, this one to tight end Michael Mayer for a 28-0 lead. Mayer looked impressive overall on his four catches on five targets.

Winner: DE Malcolm Koonce/S Marcus Epps

Defensive end Malcolm Koonce looked incredible all evening and forced two fumbles, the first setting up Tucker’s first touchdown. His second strip-sack was on a vicious hit and resulted in a fumble return for a touchdown from defensive tackle John Jenkins. Safety Marcus Epps forced an early fumble to set up Meyers’ score.

Winner: DT John Jenkins

Simply put, Jenkins lived every defensive lineman’s dream with his scoop-and-score. The touchdown gave Las Vegas a 56-7 lead.

Winner: Cornerback Jack Jones

Just when the national TV audience didn’t think it could get any worse for the Chargers, it did, thanks to an incredible one-handed pick-6 by cornerback Jack Jones. The score gave the Raiders their franchise record in points.

Winner: WR D.J. Turner

Wide receiver D.J. Turner caused a fumble on a Chargers punt return, setting up the touchdown reception for Mayer. It was a huge play for a player who’s been on and off the active roster over the last season-plus.

Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell

During a week when many wondered if he’d be benched, O’Connell led the Raiders onslaught. At night’s end, he had 248 passing yards and four touchdowns, good for a 120.7 QB rating.

Winner: OC Bo Hardegree

Many wondered whether offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree was up to the task as well. Such is the case after being shut out less than a week ago. Hardegree moved to the coaches’ booth and worked magic, even calling multiple successful trick plays, two resulting in touchdowns.

Hardegree diled up not one but two WR passes from Meyers to Adams. They were 2-2 with one touchdown.

Earlier in the game, Hardegree called a direct snap to seldom-used RB Brandon Bolden. The play worked like a charm, and also exposed the Chargers’ lack of will this Thursday night.

 

Winner: Coach Antonio Pierce/GM Champ Kelly

Team owner Mark Davis said that his coach and GM search is “wide open” but he’d like his interim coach and GM, Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly, to get the job. A week after being shut out, the Raiders’ historic night against a division rival gives their chances for permanent roles a major boost.

Winner: WR Davante Adams

One more winner, and that’s Davante Adams. He broke free for some nice catch-and-runs, ending up with 101 receiving yards on eight receptions, along with his touchdown.

Loser: RB Josh Jacobs

The Raiders were without Jacobs, but it didn’t matter much. It’s certainly no indictment on Jacobs — you simply never know what will happen in the NFL or any sport for that matter. Although it can’t be discounted that Jacobs is without a contract for next season, and Las Vegas must decide on his future as a Raider soon.

But regardless, seeing the rout unfold, Jacobs certainly must have wished he was out there with his teammates. That’s the real loss.

Loser: CB Amik Robertson

Whether CB Amik Robertson is playing well or playing poorly, he’s often in the middle of the action.

He got run over with a stiff arm early in the game, and when he met the Chargers receiver later on and made a nice tackle, he got called for taunting. In the second half, he allowed a Chargers wide receiver to run by him for a 79-yard touchdown catch, though there appeared to be a miscommunication with S Tre’von Moehrig on the play.

If it wasn’t already clear, this game proved that anything can happen in the NFL. The Raiders have struggled to score more than 20 points all season and they surpassed that total in the first quarter. Their 42 first-half points were the most in NFL history after being shut out the previous week.

How much this win will mean for Pierce, Kelly, O’Connell, and others remains to be seen. But for now, Raiders fans can simply enjoy a historic beatdown of a division rival. As for the Raiders, they have to find a way to keep their intensity at a high level until their next game at Kansas City on Christmas.

Former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance demoted and could be traded

Trey Lance has been a bust after going No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers announced that veteran Sam Darnold would be the team’s No. 2 quarterback, backing up starter Brock Purdy. This means that former first-round and No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance has been pushed to the No. 3 quarterback spot and could find himself being traded.

Lance has been an absolute bust since coming into the NFL in 2021. Despite and impressive career at North Dakota State, Lance has never been able to catch up to the speed in the NFL.

In college, Lance got by due in large part to a big arm and amazing athleticism. However, Lance struggles a great deal to pick up the complexity of NFL passing concepts and the speed of NFL defenses.

The Niners will almost certainly try to trade Lance. Is there a team out there who thinks they can coach up this impressive athlete and turn him into a competent passer?

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List of Jon Robinson’s draft picks still on Titans’ roster

With Chris Jackson gone, an updated look at the draft picks made by former GM Jon Robinson who are still on the Titans’ roster.

When the Tennessee Titans parted ways with defensive back and 2020 seventh-round pick, Chris Jackson, he was just the latest player from one of former general manager Jon Robinson’s draft classes to get the boot.

This was not the first time Jackson had been cut, though, as he did not make the team’s initial 53-man roster in 2022 before being brought back on the practice squad and later promoted to the active roster.

While it’s possible Jackson will eventually be brought back, the fact that he was let go weeks before final cuts makes this one feel a bit more final.

With Jackson gone, cornerback Kristian Fulton is once again the last man standing from the 2020 draft class, which is one of three Robinson draft classes that has one player remaining on the Titans’ current roster.

The others are the classes of 2017 and 2018.

With Jackson’s recent departure, we thought it would be fun to see how many of Robinson’s picks from 2016-2022 are remaining on the 2023 squad as of right now.

We’ve also included a list of the departed players (and the teams they currently play for, if applicable) if you want to pour one out for them.