Re-drafting for the Saints in latest Draft Wire mock

We’re re-drafting for the New Orleans Saints in the latest Draft Wire mock, taking that scenario and making our own selections based on who was available:

We’re coming up on the annual Senior Bowl college all-star game, which has prompted our own Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire to publish a two-round mock draft scoping out what’s ahead for teams like the New Orleans Saints. And he has the Saints getting a first round pick back from the Denver Broncos (who got it from the San Francisco 49ers, who had sent it to the Miami Dolphins), which would be very good news for New Orleans. We’ve already discussed the Saints picks in this mock, but what would we do differently in the same situation?

It was too soon for me to comfortably spend that first rounder on any of the quarterbacks still available, and I’m assuming that’s a problem the Saints will solve one way or another ahead of the draft. Whether that means trading for a veteran or signing a free agent remains to be seen, but I get the sense that’s their preference anyway.

Wide receiver prospects for Chargers to watch at 2023 Senior Bowl

Profiling the wide receivers at the 2023 Senior Bowl that could be on the Chargers’ radar.

The Senior Bowl game kicks off on Saturday, February 4th, after a full week of practice, evaluation, and interviews for nearly 100 of college football’s top senior players. To get prepared, Chargers Wire will preview each position group set to compete in Mobile, Alabama, continuing today with the wide receiver group.

Los Angeles will, presumably, be looking for speed at receiver this offseason after failing to consistently stretch the field all season despite Justin Herbert’s talents. But Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley have been clear: speed is nice, but any future Chargers receiver also needs to be able to win at every level of the field.

2023 Senior Bowl preview: Wide receivers

We continue our preview series with the wide receivers

One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.

Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.

As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, both managing editor Tyler Forness and columnist Matt Anderson will be there in person to break everything down.

We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. Here is the wide receiver position.

Previous:

Quarterbacks
Running backs

2023 NFL draft: Vikings’ Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

The second 2023 NFL mock draft roundup includes a few new names

Mock draft season is upon us and that means our mock draft roundup is back!

What we do every week is track the mainstream outlets mock drafts and aggregate how many times a player gets selected. Last season, we tallied up 173 mock drafts and only 10 of them were on offense. This season could end up being much of the same.

We will track them and try to determine trends and patterns, along with giving my own analysis on how they could fit with the Minnesota Vikings

Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

Draft Wire mock sends Vikings SMU WR Rashee Rice

The SMU wide receiver would be a tremendous complement to Justin Jefferson

Cornerbacks are on the rage for the Minnesota Vikings in mock drafts. Analysts have sent five of them so far to the Vikings and I wouldn’t expect it to stop anytime soon.

In the meantime, cornerback isn’t the only position that the Vikings need, as I believe that wide receiver is the top position of need.

In the latest mock draft from Draft Wire, Luke Easterling believes the same, as he sent the Vikings SMU WR Rashee Rice. Here is what Easterling had to say about the Mustang speedster.

“Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger, and the Vikings should find a younger understudy to eventually take over as Justin Jefferson’s running mate at receiver. Rice has the size/speed combo that would make him a perfect complement to Jefferson.”

I am a huge fan of Rice, as he currently ranks as my WR5 in this class and you can read all about him in my scouting report. If he were to end up with the Vikings, it would be a great get.

[mm-video type=video id=01gpkfeztrnygmp7qnx0 playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpkfeztrnygmp7qnx0/01gpkfeztrnygmp7qnx0-c9578834a5f73cbe5ad45fabad39f07c.jpg]

Vikings land dynamic receiver in latest Draft Wire mock draft

The SMU speedster could be a great addition to the Vikings

The first group of scouting reports that I have been doing for the SKOL Search series has been on wide receivers. This class isn’t as top-heavy as the ones we have seen in previous seasons, but the depth through day two is excellent.

In his latest mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Minnesota Vikings selecting wide receiver Rashee Rice. Here is what Easterling had to say about Rice.

“Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger, and the Vikings should find a younger understudy to eventually take over as Justin Jefferson’s running mate at receiver. Rice has the size/speed combo that would make him a perfect complement to Jefferson.”

I agree completely, as Rice is currently my fifth-ranked receiver in the 2023 class. You can find my scouting report here. Needless to say, he would be a nice addition to the Vikings.

Vikings go wide receiver in latest Draft Wire mock draft

There is a need for a wide receiver to compliment Justin Jefferson

The Minnesota Vikings are in a position to prioritize a premium position with their first pick in the NFL draft. Wide receiver should be the position that they go after early in the draft and Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling agrees.

In his latest mock draft, Easterling has the Vikings selecting SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice. Here is what Easterling said about Rice.

“Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger, and the Vikings should find a younger understudy to eventually take over as Justin Jefferson’s running mate at receiver. Rice has the size/speed combo that would make him a perfect complement to Jefferson.”

I am a big fan of this. Rice currently ranks as my fifth-best wide receiver in the 2023 class and his combination of speed and physicality is rare. As Easterling said, it would make him a perfect complement to Jefferson.

SKOL Search: Rashee Rice scouting report

The speedster from SMU has a lot of talent. How is he as a prospect?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.

The Vikings are slated to have four picks before compensatory selections are awarded and they need to make the most out of them.

Browns reenforce defensive interior with Byron Young in 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The Cleveland Browns need to overhaul their defensive front, and they do just that here in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft

We would be doing a 2023 NFL Mock Draft even if the Cleveland Browns were undefeated at this point in the season. However, starting with a record of 2-5 in 2022, draft season is getting highly incentivized once again as the Browns might be offloading some of their expiring contracts for additional draft picks before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

This year is a bit different for the Browns, however, as they do not have a first round pick for the third time since 2019. Last year the Browns traded out of the second round as well to then select Martin Emerson in the third.

Who do the Browns land here in this 2023 NFL Draft simulation? Let’s dive right in and take a look as we work through their eight current picks. Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator was used for this exersize.