The Jacksonville Jaguars’ interest in Ashton Jeanty still feels like a bluff. Yes, they could use another dynamic playmaker, but this is a roster largely lacking talent. Trading down a few spots for an early second-rounder makes a lot more sense.
There’s also been talk of interest in Tetairoa McMillan, but that likely only makes sense in a trade-down scenario. Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen has said the passing game will run through Brian Thomas Jr. It’s hard to imagine them taking a wide receiver with their top pick after saying that — especially on a team thin on quality players.
More NFL Draft day rumors below…
- If the top five currently plays out as expected (Ward, Hunter, Carter, Campbell, Jeanty), then the Las Vegas Raiders will be looking at Armand Membou. Shoring up the offensive line to help Geno Smith will be a priority for Pete Carroll and Co.
- The Kelvin Banks Jr. buzz will not stop/ Ran Carthon – the recently fired Tennessee Titans general manager – shared some draft thoughts on CBS recently. While you can doubt Carthon for the job he did, he likely still has solid intel. He mocked Banks to the New York Jets and emphasized that it wasn’t too early for the Texas tackle.
- Speaking of Carthon and the tackle class: He voiced concern about Josh Simmons but admitted he doesn’t know the medicals firsthand. He did add that a bone-on-bone injury could shorten Simmons’ career. Simmons played just six games last season before leaving Ohio State to rehab and prepare for the draft. His tape was excellent, but his medicals will determine his draft slot.
- The Carolina Panthers may like the idea of trading out – GM Dan Morgan has openly said as much – but it is quite possible they are staring at least one, if not multiple borderline elite talents at the pick. Going to be hard to pass on Mason Graham or Tyler Warren, even the potential of a Jalon Walker, or perhaps giving Canales a Mike Evans lite version in McMillan and allowing Bryce Young to have a potential true WR1.
- The New Orleans Saints are one of the more unpredictable teams. Some reports link them to McMillan, which would make sense given their need for a big-bodied receiver.
But I offer a bit of something not discussed much; Josh Conerly Jr.
Multiple respected people – Fran Duffy and Nick Underhill – have said things along the lines of Conerly could go higher than people expect, and Underhill specifically mentioned that Conerly could be in play at 9. Duffy said, “don’t be surprised if it’s a name that catches a lot of us by surprise.”
All this comes the same day the Saints declined Trevor Penning’s option, and GM Mickey Loomis said he and HC Kellen Moore are aligned on building from the trenches — hallmark of the Dallas Cowboys from Moore’s playing and coaching days. - Speaking of Dallas: If the Cowboys veer away from their usual trench-heavy approach, keep an eye on Emeka Egbuka. He tested better than expected, has a strong connection with new WR coach Junior Adams, and the Cowboys sent a large group to Ohio State’s pro day. And there was a report today that head coach Brian Schottenheimer was pounding the table for good character players. Egbuka is highly regarded in league circles for his professionalism and football IQ.
Sure, T-Mac and the speed of Matthew Golden are also intriguing, but Egbuka could be the surprise. - I would not be surprised if he went earlier, but Omarion Hampton going to the Denver Broncos at pick 20 has been floating for months. Benjamin Allbright projected them to go TreVeyon Henderson over Hampton, while Meghan Payton – the daughter of Broncos head coach Sean Payton – slated Hampton in the slot (as discussed yesterday).
- Duffy also noted that the Los Angeles Chargers have been heavily linked to a pass catcher for a while. Mike Williams is back, and they signed Tyler Conklin at tight end, but these feel like patch jobs. Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey could still use some further assistance, and Colston Loveland still screams as a great fit, if he falls that far. If not, could be a spot where Matthew Golden may end up falling to that could fit.
- Finally, keep an eye on Jalen Milroe. He’ll be in attendance Thursday night. He tested like an athletic marvel and has drawn rave reviews for his character. Don’t be shocked if he sneaks into the back end of Round 1 via trade-up. Could the Raiders find a way to trade up using their second-round pick and grab him to be their QB of the future, or could he fall to them at No. 37 overall?