Tag: 2021 NFL draft

Panthers reportedly signing former 1st-round pick to roster

Now that he’s out of elevations from the practice squad, CB Caleb Farley is reportedly headed to the Panthers’ 53-man roster.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Caleb Farley may have found a home at home.

According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Panthers are set to add Farley to their 53-man roster. The 26-year-old Maiden N.C. native had been elevated from the practice squad to the team’s game-day roster in each of their last three games.

Farley, a standout at Virginia Tech, was selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans. But a number of injuries, specifically to his back and knee, limited him to just 12 games for the Titans between 2021 and 2022.

Tennessee parted ways with Farley back on Aug. 27.

The Panthers would then sign the local product to their practice squad on Oct. 1. Farley was brought up from the group for Carolina’s Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos as well as the Week 9 and Week 10 wins over the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.

He has played 29 snaps on defense and 23 on special teams.

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Broncos’ 2021 draft class is paying off big time

The Broncos picked Pat Surtain, Quinn Meinerz and Jonathon Cooper in the 2021 NFL draft. They’re now all signed through at least 2028.

The Denver Broncos made 10 picks in the 2021 NFL draft. Half of those players started for the team this season, and at least three of them will remain core players for the foreseeable future.

The Broncos used their first-round pick that year to select cornerback Pat Surtain, who received a four-year, $96 million contract extension in September. The team’s second-round pick was running back Javonte Williams, who remains Denver’s starting RB.

In the third round, the Broncos picked guard Quinn Meinerz, who signed a four-year, $80 million deal in August. In the final round of that draft, Denver picked pass rusher Jonathon Cooper. He received a four-year, $60 million extension earlier this week.

That’s three players at three key positions — cornerback, pass rusher and offensive line — who are now signed through at least the 2028 season. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix also has a fifth-year option in his contract for 2028.

Building through the draft is the most sustainable way to build a winning roster in the NFL and three years later, Denver’s 2021 class is paying off.

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Key stat shows just how bad Jackson Carman pick was for Bengals

The Bengals ended the Jackson Carman era…and this says it all.

The Cincinnati Bengals officially cut ties with former second-round draft pick Jackson Carman when they cut the roster down to 53 last week.

The Bengals took him in the 2021 NFL draft with the 46th overall pick and despite being given the chance to start in six games in his rookie season, he never was able to work his way into consistent playing time.

Jay Morrison, the Bengals beat reporter for Pro Football Network, posted a graphic that listed every second-round pick from the same year Carman was drafted, along with how many games those players have started in the NFL, and it didn’t look good for Carman.

He was 26th of the 32 players taken in the round with the six games he started in three seasons, ahead of only Day Odeyingbo, who started five games, Kelvin Joseph, who started three games, and four players tied with zero starts. They are the only seven players to start fewer than 10 games.

Leading the list are Creed Humphrey with 51 games started, Tre’von Moehrig with 47 games started and Landon Dickerson, who has started 46 games.

Whatever Carman’s problems might have been on the field, Morrison showed how bad that draft pick ended up being for the Bengals in retrospect.

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Penei Sewell is the most valuable offensive tackle over past two seasons

Lions star Penei Sewell is the most valuable offensive tackle over past two seasons in PFF grading

When looking at Pro Football Focus (PFF), there’s a bunch of tools, data and analytics that help paint a picture on how good players in the NFL are at their position. These tools help rank these players by position and overall groupings.

For Penei Sewell, he’s been one of the highest ranked offensive tackles since he entered the league in 2021. According to PFF, Sewell earned a 93.1 PFF run-blocking grade — one of the best single-season marks of the past 18 seasons.

Meanwhile, he only allowed one sack in pass protection last season. Over the last two seasons, Sewell has been the highest rated offensive tackle according to the PFF WAR Data over the last two seasons. The PFF WAR data helps determine the following on a player:

  • Positional Value
  • Stability
  • What to expect moving forward

Looking at the PFF WAR for other offensive tackles selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, Sewell has been the highest ranked tackle to this point. Penei Sewell has a WAR of 1.24. Meanwhile, Christian Darrisaw has a WAR of 0.78 and Rashawn Slater is at 0.72 for his WAR.

Overall, Sewell is ranked as the 28th player in the PFF Top-50 players list for last season. He wasn’t ranked higher than Lane Johnson or Tristan Wirfs but regardless, PFF still recognizes Sewell as one of the best tackles in football. At 23-years old, there’s no doubt that we’re witnessing not just one of the best tackles in football but one of the best players in football. For more on the PFF Top-50 for 2024, you can check out the list here!

Steelers land All-Pro safety in 2021 NFL re-draft

The Steelers pass on Najee Harris in this re-draft.

Many NFL teams look back on their previous drafts and wish they had a time machine to go back and undo their mistakes. This is the exercise Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team undertook when he did a re-draft of the 2021 NFL draft. 

In the original 2021 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers went with running back Najee Harris out of Alabama. Since joining the NFL, Harris has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first three seasons. A feat no other NFL running back can claim.

But in the re-draft, Harris falls out of the first round completely. Instead, Mosher has the Steelers selecting safety Talanoa Hufanga. He played his college ball at USC and the San Francisco 49ers got a steal in the fifth round.

Here’s what Mosher had to say about the pick:

Talanoa Hufanga has established himself as one of the NFL’s best box safeties, but a torn ACL ended his 2023 season prematurely. Still, he is a fantastic fit with Minkiah Fitzpatrick, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers one of the best safety duos in the league.

Hufanga was an All-Pro selection during the 2022 season, recording four interceptions and two forced fumbles. His playmaking and physicality would allow him to fit in perfectly in Pittsburgh.

As much as we love Harris, Hufanga is a better player and would be tough to pass on knowing what we know now of his potential.

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Bleacher Report says Christian Darrisaw extension is most important for Vikings

The Jefferson extension was a major hurdle for the Vikings franchise, now it is time to focus on the next one for another franchise pillar.

The Justin Jefferson extension was a major hurdle for the Vikings franchise, now it is time to focus on the next one for another franchise pillar. It is one thing to draft great players if you are a front office, it is another to be able to retain them.

For Christian Darrisaw, all signs point to him not only deserving of an extension but also making it a priority to get one done.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Ryan Fowler discussed which team’s most important player should be extended next. Christian Darrisaw was the obvious answer, and he agreed. What, again, is the interesting discussion around Darrisaw is the money for his extension.

“Darrisaw’s likely average per year will land near $28 million. But, with Penei Sewell’s recent deal and the expected extension to come with Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay), Minnesota would present themselves with leverage monetarily if they are able to get a deal done sooner rather than later.”

That Tristan Wirfs detail is most important because the Vikings did this to the Cowboys and 49ers. They extended Justin Jefferson before they could extend Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb. Had they extended their players before Jefferson, who knows what the situation would’ve turned into.

Thankfully, the Darrisaw deal seems like a foregone conclusion, like Jefferson, but that doesn’t change the fact the Vikings are better to get a deal done as soon as possible.

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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Penei Sewell was the only offensive tackle to accomplish this feat last season

Lions standout Penei Sewell was the only offensive tackle to accomplish this pass protection feat last season

In 2021, the Detroit Lions sprinted to the podium to select Penei Sewell with the 7th overall pick. Since then, he’s become a foundational piece to the Lions franchise.

He’s played and started in 50 games in his career and was only inactive for the last regular season game of his rookie season. With that, Sewell has been voted to the Pro Bowl twice in his career (2022 and 2023) and last season he earned First-Team All-Pro Honors.

Adding to this, Sewell was the only offensive tackle to accomplish a rare feat in the NFL last season. According to data compiled by The 33rd Team, Sewell was the only OT last season to allow less than 20 pressures while having over 500 pass-blocking snaps.

In addition to that data, he was PFF’s highest-graded offensive tackle in the NFL last season. He also led all tackles in total snap count across the regular season and playoffs. He only committed seven penalties and only allowed one sack.

This has helped Sewell earn a four-year contract extension with the Lions that is worth $112 million dollars. The contract makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history and keeps him in Detroit through the 2029 season. Rank him where you want but for my money, he’s the best right tackle in football.

Trevor Lawrence becomes only quarterback from the 2021 draft class to receive an extension

Top Jaguars pick Trevor Lawrence becomes only quarterback from the 2021 draft class to receive an extension

Former first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft Trevor Lawrence cashed in on a brand new contract on Thursday, receiving a five year, $275 million dollar extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This puts Lawrence in a bit of a shocking position, he is the only first round quarterback from that class to receive an extension and be on the same NFL team that drafted him.

The 2021 draft class is bound to go down in infamy should the current trajectories continue for the quarterbacks selected in that class. With all but one quarterback becoming a ‘bust’ it cements the lottery that the quarterback position remains for any NFL team.

Lawrence is poised to be the long term franchise quarterback for the Jaguars and looks like a slam dunk of a first round pick that most people expected. While he has fallen a bit behind on the super high expectations as one of the best prospects ever at the position, there is clear faith in the Jacksonville building that Lawrence is every bit the player they thought he was when they selected him with the number one overall pick.