NFL Player News

Mariota will be joined by fellow Heisman winner and No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels in Washington's QB room.

The incoming rookie was a four-year college starter (five if you count a COVID-shortened season) and is already 23 years old, making him a strong bet to quickly take over as QB1 in Washington. Mariota presumably knew the Commanders were likely to use the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback when he signed with them in March, but the team at least traded Sam Howell to Seattle, leaving the 30-year-old unchallenged for a backup role. It remains to be seen how the Commanders divide reps between Daniels and Mariota this spring and into summer.

GM Tom Telesco said Thursday that he excepts Mayer to "take a leap this year" even though the Raiders drafted fellow tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall, Nick Walters of KTNV Las Vegas reports.

The Raiders presumably plan to use a lot of multi-TE formations, but the new competition for snaps and targets is nonetheless terrible news for Mayer's fantasy value. He and Bowers were arguably the most productive tight ends in college football over the past half-decade, with Mayer recording 2,099 yards and 18 TDs in three seasons at Notre Dame and Bowers putting up 2,538 and 26, respectively, over three seasons for Georgia. While Mayer is both taller and heavier, Bowers is faster, more agile and an earlier draft pick (Mayer went 35th in 2023). On the bright side, Telesco said there's "no concern" about the foot injury that brought Mayer's rookie season to an early end after 14 games (12 starts) and a 27-304-2 receiving line, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com.

The Panthers selected Legette in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 32nd overall.

Legette (6-foot-1, 223 pounds) is a uniquely explosive athlete (4.39-second 40, 40-inch vertical) for such a heavy receiver, and in 2023 his production at South Carolina went crazy as he made big play after big play downfield. He's more comfortable running in a straight line than sideways, which limits the number of ways you can get him the ball and makes it easier for defenses to stop him once opponents determine which parts of the field he'll avoid. While he showed great hands and even yards-after-the-catch ability in 2023, Legette might face more jamming troubles from NFL corners, which would threaten to delay his otherwise compelling downfield speed. Indeed, it's a red flag that he was so athletically explosive all along but couldn't produce until his fifth collegiate season. Given Bryce Young's 2023 struggles, it is in any case difficult to see much fantasy opportunity for Legette in 2024 specifically.

The 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 31st overall.

This pick was very much unexpected and certainly won't do anything to quiet the trade rumors surrounding both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The 49ers presumably wouldn't pick Pearsall in the first round to play the function of the WR3 role in San Francisco; they use the fullback position too much to make it worth it. Regardless of what the 49ers' front office might be up to, Pearsall is a very likable prospect out of Florida (and Arizona State before that). Pearsall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) was an above-baseline producer for Florida and Arizona State on target shares in the low-20 percents, which are generally figures that imply WR2 or WR3 utility at the next level. Even if he's not a WR1, there's reason to think Pearsall can be uniquely explosive with WR2-type usage, especially after he dominated the combine with a 4.41-second 40, 42-inch vertical, 129-inch broad jump and 6.64-second three-cone drill.

The Ravens selected Wiggins in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 30th overall.

Wiggins is awfully skinny at 6-foot-1, 173 pounds, and with such a light frame comes reasonable concerns about run defense. He won't turn 21 until Aug. 28, however, and his frame clearly has room to add some weight if necessary. Wiggins can add mass to his frame with time, but the other cornerbacks in this class can't acquire what Wiggins has innately: elite speed (4.28-second 40) and proven coverage ability. He was the top defender on a smothering Clemson pass defense in 2023, and the Ravens have to be one of the best teams in the league for developing defensive talents. Perhaps he's a slight project, but Wiggins should fully arrive for Baltimore at some point in the near future.

The Cowboys selected Guyton in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 29th overall.

Dallas might have preferred a tackle target like Troy Fautanu or Amarius Mims, but both were off the board when Dallas originally went on the clock at the 24th pick. There's likely a drop-off from those two to Guyton, so Dallas did well to get some compensation for said drop-off. Guyton (6-foot-8, 322 pounds) is super toolsey (34.5-inch vertical) and has good reach (34 and 1/8-inch arms), so in terms of physical traits he checks all the boxes for a starting left tackle. What's less clear is whether Guyton has the skill element necessary to emerge as a standout starting tackle. Guyton transferred to Oklahoma from TCU and did not earn consistent playing time until late in his career, and even then only at right tackle. Dallas has little choice but to throw Guyton into the fire at left tackle, in any case, as they've otherwise done nothing to replace former left tackle Tyron Smith.

The Chiefs selected Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 28th overall.

The Chiefs traded up from the 32nd pick to secure Worthy, the owner of the fastest combine 40 time on record (4.21 seconds). Worthy (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) and free-agent pickup Marquise Brown are both tiny speedsters who are loath to face much physicality from a defense, so it remains to be seen how well the two coexist in 2024, but in the meantime it's clear that the Chiefs are hammering a speed emphasis this offseason. Despite Worthy's struggles with contact and his history of dropped passes at Texas, he could prove uniquely dangerous with a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes.

The Cardinals selected Robinson in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 27th overall.

Robinson took some time to develop into a star at Missouri but once things clicked, they clicked in a big way. It culminated in Robinson being named first-team All-SEC as a fifth-year senior in 2023 on the strength of 8.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss. At 285 pounds with offensive tackle-level arm length (34.5), he's a powerful rusher who can stand up against the run (43 tackles in 2023). Look for Robinson to challenge either Zaven Collins or BJ Ojulari for defensive end snaps right away.

The Buccaneers selected Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 26th overall.

Barton was an excellent left tackle at Duke but will likely play guard or center for the Buccaneers. Barton (6-foot-5, 313 pounds) has a close to maximum skills grade and supplements that with excellent athletic metrics (4.97-second 40, 7.31-second three-cone drill). Barton isn't a mauler like some of the other standout linemen in this class, but because of his technical proficiency and excellent movement he's able to seize land as a blocker even if he does it more by finesse than brute strength.

The Packers selected Morgan in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 25th overall.

Green Bay is set at quarterback and has a young corps at receiver, so the front office turned its attention to bolstering the offensive line. Morgan is a highly experienced player with 41 career games played and 37 starts, all of which came at left tackle. Scouts believe that Morgan can play tackle in the NFL but that his best fit would be at guard due to his 32 and 7/8-inch arms, which are in the eighth percentile among tackles. Green Bay can elect to have Morgan compete with Rasheed Walker at tackle or at either guard spot.