Tag: 2022 NFL draft

Eagles coach on drafting 2 more Bulldogs: That’s huge for these guys to have each other

Nick Sirianni on Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith being able to join former Georgia teammates Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean: “I think that’s a huge part for these guys to have each other.”

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted three more Georgia defensive players in last week’s draft, bringing the total number to five after Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in 2022.

Head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about drafting two more Bulldogs and made a heartwarming statement to the media explaining the selections.

“I think that’s a huge part for these guys to have each other.”

Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean stayed in Atlanta with Nolan Smith, while Jalen Carter traveled to Kansas City.

Then all four players made trips back to Philadelphia for the introductory press conference at the NovaCare Complex.

The notion that the Eagles will draft a player from Athens every year is a stretch, but it helps to add Championship culture from the SEC to an organization with a standard.

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WATCH: Commanders WR Jahan Dotson reflects on his draft night from 1 year ago

Jahan Dotson looks back on his draft night.

The Washington Commanders held the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and most believed they were targeting a wide receiver.

After a run on wide receiver began at No. 8 when the Atlanta Falcons selected USC’s Drake London, the Jets followed two picks later by taking Garrett Wilson of Ohio State.

With Chris Olave and Jameson Williams available at No. 11, Washington accepted a trade with the New Orleans Saints to move to No. 16, picking up two additional picks in the process.

The Saints picked Olave, and the Lions followed with Jameson Williams [Alabama].

What would the Commanders do?

At No. 16, Washington selected Penn State wide receiver, Jahan Dotson. Some were critical of the selection, feeling it was a bit too high, but Dotson was always high on the Commanders’ board.

The rookie missed multiple games with a hamstring injury yet still led Washington with seven touchdown receptions.

Washington senior vice president of media content, Julie Donaldson, spoke with Dotson, who reflected on his draft night one year ago.

Washington fans are undoubtedly happy Dotson is a Commander.

WATCH: Commanders share portion of Sam Howell’s NFL combine interview

Sam Howell meeting with Washington’s coaches at the 2022 NFL combine.

As we inch closer to the 2023 NFL draft, some teams are taking a look back at 2022.

The Washington Commanders selected quarterback Sam Howell with the first pick of the fifth round in 2022. Some believed Howell was one of last year’s draft steals, including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

While the Commanders were able to select Howell in the fifth round, they reportedly would have chosen him much sooner if not for the trade for Carson Wentz.

It was Howell’s film Washington liked. Howell possessed a strong arm, with a nice touch on deep passes, and was also an underrated runner. But Howell also impressed the Commanders throughout the interview process, which began at the 2022 NFL combine.

On Tuesday, the Commanders released a portion of Howell’s interview with Howell from that combine.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was also included in the video.

The Commanders are first on the clock at No. 16 overall in the first round of the draft Thursday night.

Looking back at the Bears’ 2022 rookie draft class

Ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, we’re taking a look back at the Bears’ rookie class from last year.

The Chicago Bears drafted 11 players in the 2022 NFL draft, as well as added a handful of undrafted rookies, where a number of them made significant contributions on offense, defense or special teams during their rookie season.

There were some rookies that shined brighter than others and some that made the most of their limited opportunities. But it’s clear the future is bright with this 2022 draft class, general manager Ryan Poles’ first.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, we’re taking a look back at Chicago’s rookie class from last year, featuring both draft picks and undrafted free agents.

Where would Sam Howell be ranked in the 2023 quarterback class?

Sam Howell surprisingly went in the fifth round in the 2022 NFL draft. Where would he stack up in 2023?

If you had talked to NFL evaluators after the 2020 college football season, many would have had North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell among their top prospects for the 2022 NFL draft. But Howell struggled during his junior season with the Tar Heels in 2021, leading some to consider him a mid-round prospect in last year’s draft.

Howell lasted until the first pick of the fifth round when the Washington Commanders selected him. Washington reportedly had Howell ranked as its top quarterback prospect in 2022, and if the Commanders hadn’t traded for Carson Wentz, they would’ve selected Howell higher in the draft.

Going back to Howell’s final season at UNC, a lot changed for him. Gone were his top two wide receivers and top two running backs — all to the NFL. Howell was burdened with more responsibility and struggled early in the season. As the season progressed, Howell improved, taking on more of a rushing role to lift the North Carolina offense.

The Commanders had no plans to play Howell as a rookie, hoping Wentz could lead the team back to the playoffs. That plan backfired miserably, with Taylor Heinicke saving Washington’s season until a late-season collapse. That collapse led to Howell receiving his first NFL start in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Howell played well in the blowout win, showing his ability as a deep thrower and a runner. That game, combined with what he showed his coaches and teammates throughout practice last season, led head coach Ron Rivera to give him a chance to be Washington’s starting quarterback in 2023.

On the cusp of the 2023 NFL draft, it’s fair to wonder where Howell would stack up against what is considered a solid quarterback class.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. would give Howell a second-round grade, according to John Keim.

If you remember, going into that final season at Carolina in August of that year, he had a first-round grade. He looked really good going into the year. He has the talent to be a starting quarterback in this league. It’s a leap of faith to say he’s our guy, but he could have gone a lot higher than the fifth round.

Where would Kiper stack him in this class?

He’d be in there with Hooker and ahead of [Stetson] Bennett, ahead of Max Duggan, Jake Haener so either at five or six. I would have a second-round grade.

Todd McShay had Howell rated lower, giving him a third-round grade:

I had a third-round grade on Howell. I obviously liked him a bit more than teams in the QB market last year. I always viewed him as a good backup in the NFL and someone who could win some games and keep a team competitive if the starter went down for a handful of games.

McShay said he’d have Howell as his No. 8 quarterback for 2023, behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jake Haener. Sorry, just don’t see that, and neither did Kiper Jordan Reid or Matt Miller.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what Kiper, McShay, or any armchair GM thinks of Howell. He has the ultimate opportunity to prove he belongs as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The talent is clear; if Howell can clean up some of the mechanical issues that caused him to fall, he has a chance to be good.

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Seahawks RT Abe Lucas goes in top 10 of this 2022 redraft

According to one redraft, he might even be a top-10 pick in a do-over scenario.

The Seahawks struck it rich in the 2022 NFL draft, getting promising long-term starters at several key positions. If all 32 teams were to redraft knowing what we know now, it’s a sure thing that a few Seattle picks wound wind up coming off the board much sooner than they did.

One example is right tackle Abe Lucas, who was picked at No. 72 overall out of Washington State. According to one redraft, he might even be a top-10 pick in a do-over scenario. In their new 2022 NFL dre-draft, The Athletic has Seattle taking Abe Lucas with the No. 9 overall pick instead of left tackle Charles Cross:

“Well, this is awkward — Cross and Lucas are teammates in Seattle. That happened because the Seahawks grabbed Lucas at No. 72, and that has been a real steal. Wherever you slot him among the 2022 rookie tackles, you have to admit that Lucas massively outperformed his draft slot. The case could be made that Seattle would still take Cross here, as his upside could still be better, but Lucas was the better of the two last season. Either way, it’s great news for the Seahawks, who still have both guys in real life.”

Awkward, maybe. Definitely a great sign for Seattle’s future that they have those two critical spots locked down.

Or do they?

Heading into the 2023 NFL draft, the Seahawks have held official meetings with a couple of offensive tackle prospects: Ohio State’s Dawand Jones and Alabama’s Tyler Steen. The latter is a swing tackle who would provide great depth behind both Lucas and Cross.

However, Jones is a projected second-round pick and exclusively a right tackle – they wouldn’t pick him unless they intendted to start him. If they do pick Jones there’s a chance they could plan to slide Lucas inside, where he’d instantly become one of the most athletic and feared right guards in football.

In any case, the draft is now 10 days away, so silly season is almost over.

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All of Notre Dame’s first round NFL draft picks since 1975

Which had the best NFL career?

Notre Dame has had a long history of winning a lot of football games and putting a bunch of talent in the pros.  You know plenty of the names that turned into NFL stars and plenty would didn’t have as great of professional careers, either.

This past NFL draft, [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] became the latest former Notre Dame player to become a first-round NFL draft pick.  He joins a long list of Fighting Irish greats that have had their names called in the first round.

Will Michael Mayer become the latest former Fighting Irish star to hear his name called in the first round of the draft?  We’ll find out the evening of April 27.

[autotag]Jerome Bettis[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Brown[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryant Young[/autotag] are just a few of the greats who have been first-round picks.  Below is the entire list of first-round NFL draft picks that Notre Dame has produced since 1975.

 

2023 NFL mock draft: David Dorey

The Huddle’s David Dorey releases his first NFL mock draft of 2023.

David Dorey’s first mock draft of 2023 is now out. Sound off on social media and let us know what you think.

We’ll be unveiling several more mock drafts leading up to the real thing, so be sure to check back with our 2023 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

*Note: Miami forfeited its No. 21 overall selection for tampering.

Pick NFL team Pos Player School
1 Carolina Panthers (via CHI) QB C.J. Stroud Ohio State
2 Houston Texans QB Bryce Young Alabama
3 Arizona Cardinals EDGE Will Anderson Jr. Alabama
4 Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson Florida
5 Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) DT Jalen Carter Georgia
6 Detroit Lions (via LAR) CB Devon Witherspoon Illinois
7 Las Vegas Raiders OT Peter Skoronski Northwestern
8 Atlanta Falcons EDGE Myles Murphy Clemson
9 Chicago Bears (via CAR) EDGE Nolan Smith Georgia
10 Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) CB Christian Gonzalez Oregon
11 Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis Kentucky
12 Houston Texans (via CLE) WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State
13 New York Jets OT Darnell Wright Tennessee
14 New England Patriots CB Joey Porter Jr. Penn State
15 Green Bay Packers EDGE Tyree Wilson Texas Tech
16 Washington Commanders CB/S Brian Branch Alabama
17 Pittsburgh Steelers CB Deonte Banks Maryland
18 Detroit Lions TE Michael Mayer Notre Dame
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Broderick Jones Georgia
20 Seattle Seahawks DT Calijah Kancey Pittsburgh
21 Los Angeles Chargers WR Quentin Johnston TCU
22 Baltimore Ravens WR Jordan Addison USC
23 Minnesota Vikings CB Emmanuel Forbes Mississippi State
24 Jacksonville Jaguars WR Zay Flowers Boston College
25 New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt Tennessee
26 Dallas Cowboys RB Bijan Robinson Texas
27 Buffalo Bills EDGE Lukas Van Ness Iowa
28 Cincinnati Bengals TE Dalton Kincaid Utah
29 New Orleans Saints (from SF>MIA>DEN) RB Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama
30 Philadelphia Eagles OG O’Cyrus Torrence Florida
31 Kansas City Chiefs OT Paris Johnson Jr. Ohio State

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What’s next for each member of the Eagles’ 2022 NFL draft class?

We’re taking an early look at what’s next for each member of the Philadelphia Eagles 2022 NFL draft class after a busy 2023 NFL Free agency window

The Eagles will look much different when the team reconvenes at the NovaCare Complex for the 2023 off-season program.

Thanks to some draft night deals, Philadelphia finished with five draft picks during the 2022 selection process.

Still, GM Howie Roseman took advantage of a deep undrafted free agent class and had three players see critical snaps during the regular season.

The Eagles lost nine critical contributors during the first wave of free agency due to the yearly NFL salary cap crunch and a looming contract extension for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

With offseason workouts less than a month away, we’re looking at what’s next for Philadelphia’s five-man 2022 draft class and three undrafted free agents.

Watch: Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen offers advice to NFL draft prospects

Woolen was at UTSA’s pro day yesterday and he offered some advice for the next class of prospects.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen was projected to be a Day 2 pick in the 2022 NFL draft but he had to wait until the fifth round to finally hear his name called.

Woolen was at UTSA’s pro day yesterday and he offered some advice for the next class of prospects. Watch.

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