Category: 2021 NFL draft

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown remains motivated by his NFL draft slight

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown remains motivated by his NFL draft slight even after two great NFL seasons

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It’s been no secret that Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has used his fourth-round selection from the 2021 NFL Draft for motivation. He remembers the 16 wide receivers taken before him as a way to stay sharp on the field. 

On Monday, St. Brown was interviewed on NFL Network’s Total Access with Mike Yam. During the interview, he was asked about his memory of the receivers selected before him.

He said, “I actually have my goals written down in my notebook. What I want to achieve every year. So, what I want to achieve this year going into the season, my personal goals, and then right below that I have the 16 receivers written down, where they went to college right below that. And so, I read that whole list three times before I go to practice every day. It’s something I’ll never forget. Something I make sure I’m always reminded of.”

While St. Brown was selected after players such as Ja’Marr Chase, Rondale Moore, DeVonta Smith and 13 others; he still has more career receptions than all of them. Through two seasons in the NFL, St. Brown has 196 receptions a figure that is tied with Michael Thomas and Justin Jefferson for most in NFL history. 

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During the rest of the interview, St. Brown talked highly of general manager Brad Holmes and how the front office “did a great job of drafting.” He talked about Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and other weapons that are now part of the Lions offense. 

He admitted it during the interview, it’s safe to say that St. Brown still thinks about the 2021 NFL Draft. For the full interview, you can watch it here. 

Giants select Kyle Pitts in 2021 NFL re-draft

In The Athletic’s 2021 NFL re-draft, everything changes and the New York Giants end up selecting tight end Kyle Pitts.

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The New York Giants got outmaneuvered by two division rivals in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft when the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys traded with one another to keep the Giants from selecting Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith with the 11th overall pick.

The Cowboys traded the 10th pick to the Eagles for the 12th pick, allowing Philadelphia to select Smith. The Giants then traded the 11th pick to Chicago, who drafted Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

Dallas, at No. 12, selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

The Giants, at No. 20, took Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who they eventually would trade away the next season.

In The Athletic’s re-draft of the 2021 NFL draft, none of the above transpires. Dallas stays at No. 10 and takes Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw since Parsons is long gone, taken second overall by the Jets.

With Smith also gone — to Miami at No. 6 — Philadelphia selects Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell at No. 12.

The Giants stay at No. 11 since there are no takers now that Fields is also off the board, taken third by San Francisco. They select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who is high on their board. In reality, Pitts was selected fourth overall by Atlanta.

In terms of pure athletic ability, Pitts is still a top-five prospect in this class.

The Falcons drafted him at the absolute start of the Arthur Smith-Terry Fontenot era with a long-term plan in mind. Pitts’ numbers haven’t been overwhelming through two years, but the situation around him is still developing. Right now, much of his path seems tied to an unproven QB in Desmond Ridder.

The Giants-Pitts connection makes a load of sense. It would have happened had Pitts fallen to them back in 2021. One huge question that many Giant fans are still asking is why they traded the 11th pick instead of taking Parsons for themselves. Instead, they find themselves lining up against him twice a season for the foreseeable future.

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Saints pass on Payton Turner in 2021 draft do-over

The Athletic has the New Orleans Saints passing on Payton Turner in their 2021 draft do-over, a decision that’s easy to understand | @DillySanders

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Having a regret about a past draft pick is not something that is unique to New Orleans Saints fans, but these past few years have felt especially questionable. Given the chance to go back, would Mickey Loomis change any of his decisions? The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner took a look at this possibility with his 2021 NFL redraft.

Of course, the Saints drafted defensive end Payton Turner out of Houston with the No. 28 overall. That hasn’t exactly worked out, so Baumgardner went with another defensive end in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out of Washington. Tryon-Shoyinka originally went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of the first round. Here is Baumgardner’s reasoning for the change:

The Bucs are still looking for that breakout-type season from Tryon-Shoyinka, after taking him at the end of the first round (No. 32). However, he’s been awfully close to delivering, and so much of why he hasn’t yet boils down to technique and time on task. Tryon-Shoyinka has been disruptive through two years with Tampa Bay, but he’s struggled to finish. If (or when) it clicks, it’ll be great.

Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t had an explosive start to his career either but he has been much more reliable than Turner, who fell out of the first round completely in this redraft. Tryon-Shoyinka has eight sacks and has yet to miss a game in his career, while Turner has three sacks in 21 fewer  appearances. Tryon-Shoyinka would make more sense for New Orleans in this scenario, so I think the decision here by Baumgardner was a good one.

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Were the Saints on the wrong end of this viral draft-day phone call with the Broncos GM?

Was New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis on the wrong end of this viral 2021 draft-day phone call with Denver Broncos GM George Paton?

George Paton is really popular with Denver Broncos fans these days. He’s executed blockbuster trades for franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton in back-to-back offseasons, but that followed the strong impression he made during the 2021 NFL draft. The Broncos shared video from their war room with fans after the draft in which Paton took phone calls with other teams while negotiating trades

“Hey let me, look I’ve got someone else who’s going to give me more,” Paton said frankly to one speaker, hanging up and switching to another line with applause raining in from around him. The video skips in an edit to Paton speaking with various general managers around the league, leading off with, well: “Hey Mickey.”

Mickey Loomis and the New Orleans Saints did trade with the Broncos in the 2021 draft, sending both of their compensatory third-round picks (Nos. 98 and 105) so they could move up to the Broncos’ pick at No. 76 and select cornerback Paulson Adebo.

So we’ve got Paton chirping to a competitor that he’s about to get a better offer from someone else, we’ve got him addressing Loomis at a later time, and we’ve got a trade the Saints and Broncos executed in that same draft. Does that mean Loomis was on the wrong end of things?

Not necessarily. Paton traded with multiple teams during the 2021 draft, moving down in the second round (with the Atlanta Falcons) and in the third round (with the New York Giants, who gave them the No. 76 pick they traded to New Orleans) while acquiring picks in the later rounds. So that’s three possible teams who could’ve been on the line with the Broncos general manager. We’ll rule this one as inconclusive.

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Trevor Lawrence beats the rest of the 2021 QB class to a playoff win

The No. 1 overall pick in a loaded QB class two years ago, Trevor Lawrence is already delivering on the hype

In what was considered to be one of the most stacked quarterback classes in recent history, the 2021 NFL draft’s group of passers is showing how special it is early on.

That goes especially the first overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller Trevor Lawrence.

He was considered the top of the class and a generational talent at the position, and that has shown on the field as he has developed throughout his second year.

While Justin Fields and Trey Lance have shown a ton of upside in their own right (while Zach Wilson very much has not), Lawrence has eclipsed both of them, at the same time has distinguishing himself by becoming the first quarterback from that class to win a playoff game after his brilliant comeback win against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Lawrence did not make it easy on himself in the first half of his first playoff game, of course, tossing four interceptions in the first half. The Chargers took full advantage, turning the takeaways and gifted field position into a 27-0 first-half lead.

In the second half, however, Lawrence showed us all the tools that made him that first overall pick. He was constantly making elite-level passes, including four consecutive drives where he threw for a touchdown. The game ultimately ended thanks to a 68-yard game winning drive by Lawrence, capped by a 36-yard field goal as the clock hit zero.

Lawrence finished the game with 28 completions on 47 attempts for 288 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. His second half stats tell the story, though, as Lawrence threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns and had a passer rating of 144.5 after the halftime mark.

It will be interesting to see if Lawrence can carry that second-half performance into Saturday’s road tilt against Patrick Mahomes and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, and perhaps be the first of his class to make it to a conference title game, as well.

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Giants agree to terms with rookies Wan’Dale Robinson, Dane Belton

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with rookie safety Dane Belton and rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with two new rookies from their 2022 NFL draft class.

The Giants have agreed to terms with both their second- and fourth-round draft picks to their rookie contracts. The entire Giants draft class (all 11 picks) will now soon be under contract.

Their second-round pick, Wan’Dale Robinson, adds another playmaker for Big Blue at the wideout position. He was an electric athlete in college and broke out his junior year as he totaled 1,445 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Pairing Robinson with another shifty receiver, Kadarius Toney, should give the Giants a lot of opportunities to diversify the game plan and spread defenses out.

As for the Giants’ fourth-round draft pick, Dane Belton should have an opportunity to get Week 1 reps at the safety position.

The team is paper thin in the defensive backfield. After Julian Love and Xavier McKinney, the Giants have no players on the roster that have played snaps at the safety position. Belton has had three years of experience as an Iowa Hawkeye where he was a star, even recording five interceptions in his final season.

This combination of skill and experience gives Belton the opportunity to play right away for New York.

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Packers CB Eric Stokes is the best 2021 NFL rookie you need to know

Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick dives into Eric Stokes’ film to break down how the young cornerback elevates the Packers’ defense.

Packers cornerback Eric Stokes had one of the best rookie seasons that almost nobody is talking about. After being drafted by Green Bay Packers 29th overall in 2021, Stokes led his team in pass breakups (14) and also led all rookie defensive backs with the lowest completion rate allowed in coverage at 51.0%, per Pro Football Focus.

Stokes wasn’t just dominant among the rookies, though. He also had the lowest percent of open targets allowed among all NFL cornerbacks with 24%, and to put that into perspective, four-time pro bowler Marshon Lattimore finished the season with 24.5%.

There were only a handful of cornerbacks since 2015 to register a sub 80.0 passer rating in coverage their rookie seasons: Marcus Peters (2015), Jalen Ramsey (2016), Marshon Lattimore (2017), Marlon Humphrey (2017), Tre’Davious White (2017) and now, Stokes (2021); putting him in elite company.

Let’s not forget that this was also against the top No. 1 receivers in the league last year: Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Ja’Marr Chase, Deebo Samuel, Allen Robinson. And Stokes still finished as a top cornerback statistically.

Despite all these numbers, Stokes really isn’t getting the early recognition he deserves. This could be due to the Packers’ defensive scheme overall. So, let’s dive into the film to see how he was able to perform at an elite level and why we should start giving him the love he deserves!

How the Packers’ defense could get Green Bay to Super Bowl LVII

Giants select DL Christian Barmore in 2021 NFL re-draft

In a 2021 NFL re-draft, the New York Giants pass on WR Kadarius Toney and select DL Christian Barmore.

The New York Giants held the 11th overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft and were eying a wide receiver to fill a huge need at the position.

They were reportedly honing in on Alabama’s Devonta Smith and it appeared they were going to get their man when the Dallas Cowboys, who held the 10th pick, traded back with the Philadelphia Eagles who would then steal Smith out from under New York.

That prompted a deal with a team looking to trade up for a quarterback. The Chicago Bears offered the Giants their first rounder (No. 20) plus their fifth rounder (No. 164), and first- and fourth-round selections in the 2022 draft.

Chicago selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11. The Giants took Florida wideout Kadarius Toney with the 20th pick and used the fifth rounder to move up to the take Central Florida cornerback Aaron Robinson.

With the two 2022 selections (Nos. 7 and 112), the Giants took Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and tight end Daniel Bellinger of San Diego State.

Not a bad deal for the Giants in the end, huh? But the folks at Pro Football Focus believe they could have made better use of the first rounder they spent on Toney.

In a re-draft of the 2021 NFL draft, they have the Giants taking Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who was drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots.

Barmore was the best interior defensive lineman in this draft, but he slid to the second round for a reason that wasn’t obviously apparent from his tape. As a rookie, he had 48 total pressures — 11 more than any other first-year interior player. Barmore looks set to have a huge second season, and the Giants could have used a presence like him on their defensive line even with the talent they already have there.

Most Giant fans would have balked at the Barmore pick. But knowing now what wasn’t known then — that Toney would be so inconsistent and have a hard time staying on the field — they would likely agree this would have been a better pick here.

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Texans earn B-minus in 1-year later assessment of 2021 NFL draft class

The Houston Texans’ draft grade for the 2021 NFL draft class improved to a B-minus after a one-year evaluation.

The Houston Texans’ 2021 NFL draft class was paltry, and didn’t get started until the No. 67 overall pick in Round 3. The fact Houston earned C’s from general manager Nick Caserio’s first draft is understandable.

However, the Texans may have nailed their five picks after a one-year reassessment. Quarterback Davis Mills, receiver Nico Collins, tight end Brevin Jordan, linebacker Garret Wallow, and defensive tackle Roy Lopez may be better than initially realized.

According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ 2021 class upgraded from a C-minus in their evaluations to a B-minus.

The Davis Mills pick saves the Texans to a degree, as he flashed in enough games that he’d go considerably higher in a re-draft today. He earned overall grades of 85.9, 76.3 and 78.0 in three separate starts last season despite finishing with a 58.8 overall grade. That was enough to make him the starter this season and bump this re-grade up a touch.

While the Mills’ pick may have saved the Texans’ grade, Lopez deserves credit. For Houston to take a sixth-round pick and he starts 15 of 16 games on the defensive line is a testament to what type of value the Texans found in Lopez.

The general agreement is the Texans at least had a B-plus grade when it came to the 2022 NFL draft class. If the Texans can similarly improve the grade of that draft class by a full grade point, then Houston should be primed to contend by the start of the 2023 season.

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4 Things to know about new Dallas Cowboys OL Tyler Smith

A walk through Tyler Smith’s journey to the NFL and he he’ll fit in with the Dallas Cowboys, from @TimLettiero

The addition of Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith shocked the system of Dallas Cowboy fans across the nation. While some had strong opinions one way or the other about the selection, some were left asking who this player is, similar to the reaction of former All-Pro center Travis Frederick back in 2013.  The Cowboys’ brass can only hope Smith’s career has some measure of resemblance to what Frederick carved out.

While a collegiate tackle who will play guard at the next level is far from the sexiest pick, especially given the man-made holes Dallas has created for themselves this offseason, there is a lot know about Smith the person and the player. Here are some interesting background tidbits about the Ft. Worth native.