1 day agoThe Baltimore Ravens selected North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker with the No. 113 overall pick on Saturday in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. Walker was highly productive at Kent State before eventually transferring to play for the Tar Heels and with quarterback Drake Maye, who went third overall to the Patriots in the first round on Thursday. The 22-year-old ended up playing in only eight games in 2023, but he still led the team in touchdowns. His 4.36-second 40-yard dash speed will make him a threat deep down the field at the NFL level, although he's unlikely to make a big impact right away for a run-first Ravens team that already has receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as their top two options, not to mention tight end Mark Andrews.Source: NFL.com
1 day agoThe New England Patriots continue to try and beef up their receiving corps for new franchise quarterback Drake Maye, taking Central Florida wide receiver Javon Baker with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. The Pats also added wideout Ja'Lynn Polk with the 34th overall pick early in the second round on Friday. Before starring at Central Florida, the 22-year-old spent two years trying to make a name for himself at Alabama before eventually transferring. He showed his big-play abilities when he finally got playing time at Central Florida, catching 108 passes for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns in the last two seasons. Baker will have to overcome his mediocre speed at the NFL level and will merely be a receiver project for a team looking for players to step up at the position.Source: NFL.com
1 day agoThe New York Giants selected Penn State tight end Theo Johnson with the No. 107 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. This pick makes a lot of sense with the Giants still unsure if Darren Waller will hang up his cleats. The 23-year-old Johnson is extremely athletic with plenty of speed to spare despite standing at a monstrous 6-foot-6 and 259 pounds. In his final year with the Nittany Lions in 2023, he had seven touchdowns, although it came on just 34 receptions and 341 yards. Even if Waller decides to retire, Johnson may have an uphill battle to climb to reach any kind of fantasy relevance in single-year leagues with Daniel Bellinger still around. At best, he'll probably be a red-zone weapon for quarterback Daniel Jones.Source: NFL.com
1 day agoThe Carolina Panthers selected Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders with the 101st overall pick to start the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. This appears to be a pretty good value pick as tight ends begin to come off the board in the fourth round. The 21-year-old Sanders was considered one of this year's best prospects at the position and will now join Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas at the tight end position in Carolina to give second-year quarterback Bryce Young some more help. Tremble and Thomas are more of the blocking variety, so Sanders could have an impact on offense in his rookie year in 2024 after posting the fourth-most receiving yards after the catch in college last year. Still, in an offense that looked awful in 2023, we'd be surprised if Sanders is on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues in 2024.Source: NFL.com
1 day agoThe Los Angeles Chargers exercised the 2025 fifth-year option on left tackle Rashawn Slater on Saturday, according to a source. Slater and Joe Alt, the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night, will now bookend the team's offensive line for quarterback Justin Herbert going forward. This one comes as no surprise as new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman look to shore up the team's offensive line with a new emphasis on the ground game in 2024 and beyond. Slater graded out as Pro Football Focus' fourth-best pass-blocking offensive lineman on Herbert's blind side. The addition of Alt to the right side should only strengthen Herbert's protection while also being good news for LA's ground game.Source: ESPN.com - Field Yates
1 day agoThe Denver Broncos traded up to the No. 102 spot with the Seattle Seahawks to select Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin in the fourth round of this year's draft. Franklin now reunites with his former quarterback, Bo Nix, who the Broncos selected on Thursday evening with the 12th overall pick. Franklin has elite speed and can easily create separation from the defense. The 21-year-old has excellent YAC ability and should be considered an explosive playmaker. Franklin totaled 1,383 receiving yards and 14 scores on 81 catches last year. Franklin joins a wide receiver room in Denver that finished towards the bottom in total receiving yards last season, which could open the door for him to contribute immediately in fantasy. He should slot behind veteran Courtland Sutton at the start of the season but could easily carve out a role, making him viable in redraft formats. Franklin should be a popular second-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.Source: Adam Schefter
2 days agoAfter plenty of trade rumors swirling around wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk leading up to this year's draft, the San Francisco 49ers have not dealt either of them through the first three rounds. "We didn't entertain any of that today. We're happy with our wide receiver group. Actually, more than happy. We're thrilled with it. And thrilled to add Ricky to it to make it stronger," general manager John Lynch said. The Niners have definitely been listening to trade offers for both wideouts, but apparently they just haven't been able to work anything out. Aiyuk is looking for a new long-term deal as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal, while Samuel is set to count over $20 million against the salary cap next year. Something's got to give. Now that we're onto Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft, it's more likely than not that both Aiyuk and Samuel will stick around for the 2024 season.Source: San Jose Mercury News - Cam Inman
2 days agoThe Washington Commanders have selected Rice University wide receiver Luke McCaffrey with the 100th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The pick marked the end of Round 3 and Day 2 of the draft. McCaffrey is a converted quarterback who transferred from Nebraska to Rice during the middle of his collegiate career. He truly broke out during his final season with the Owls, catching 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for an additional 117 yards on the ground. The brother of 49ers star Christian McCaffrey and son of three-time Super Bowl champion Ed McCaffrey, Luke demonstrated extreme leadership, football IQ, physicality, athleticism, and route running skills at Rice. He excelled in contested catch scenarios and should be a very reliable weapon for the Commanders and new quarterback Jayden Daniels. He figures to enter training camp as Washington's No. 3 wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.Source: Adam Schefter
2 days agoThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan with the 92nd overall pick in the NFL draft. McMillan totaled 559 yards on 45 catches with five scores in 11 games last season. He plays mostly from the slot and did have a nagging knee injury that limited his catches considerably compared to 2022, where he caught 79 passes. The 22-year-old does well in changing speeds in a route to put defensive backs on their heels. McMillan joins a veteran-led wide receiver room with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. McMillan should be in contention to serve as the number three option with Trey Palmer, who Tampa selected last season. McMillan should be a popular pick in rookie drafts and could carve out a role in redraft as well.Source: NFL.com
2 days agoThe Green Bay Packers selected USC running back MarShawn Lloyd with the 88th pick in the NFL draft. Lloyd is credited for having great acceleration and the ability to bounce outside the tackles. He averaged over seven yards per carry last season, which showcases his big-play ability. The 23-year-old ran for 820 yards and nine scores last season. Lloyd joins a running back room that just welcomed Josh Jacobs, which will limit his fantasy value early on, but he could grow into a part-time contributor over the course of his rookie season.Source: NFL.com
2 days agoThe Cardinals selected University of Illinois tight end Tip Reiman with the No. 82 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played four years at Illinois, totaling 420 yards and five touchdowns off 41 catches. While the 22-year-old has plenty of positive attributes, he wasn't as productive at the collegiate level as others in his class. With that said, Reiman will have a chance to carve out playing time in Arizona, a team in a transition phase. However, he'll need to compete for snaps with Trey McBride, one of the league's emerging tight ends.Source: NFL.com
2 days agoThe Pittsburgh Steelers have selected University of Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson with the No. 84 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old was one of J.J. McCarthy's favorite targets on the national champion Wolverines. He caught 49 passes for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023, showcasing his speed, hands, and route running skills on a national stage. The Steelers have been looking for wide receiver help ever since trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. Wilson could immediately slot into the Steelers' No. 2 wide receiver role alongside George Pickens, giving him appeal in both redraft and dynasty leagues.Source: Jordan Schultz
2 days agoThe Los Angeles Rams have selected University of Michigan running back Blake Corum with the No. 83 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The national champion is the third running back off the board following Texas' Jonathon Brooks and Florida State's Trey Benson. He totaled 2,905 scrimmage yards and a whopping 47 touchdowns over his last two seasons. He's not a major contributor in the passing game but clearly carves out plenty of work on the ground and near the goal line. Kyren Williams is still Los Angeles' top running back, but Corum should carve out a role and could even have immediate fantasy appeal given his nose for the end zone.Source: Jordan Schultz
2 days agoThe Bengals selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton with the No. 80 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The 22-year-old began his collegiate career at Georgia. However, he played at Alabama in the last two seasons. During his time with the Crimson Tide, he totaled 79 catches for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also averaged 20.5 yards per catch as a senior. It will be tough for anyone to get consistently involved offensively with Ja'Marr Chase and potentially Tee Higgins in the equation. However, If Burton gets snaps, he could flourish catching passes from Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.Source: Jordan Schultz
2 days agoThe Arizona Cardinals selected Florida State running back Trey Benson with the 66th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Benson could be the most complete running back in the draft class. He excelled at breaking tackles, setting the single-season FBS record by forcing 0.51 missed tackles per run. The 21-year-old also possesses great breakaway speed with 14 runs of 20 or more yards (ninth in FBS). Last season, Benson ran for 906 yards on the ground and 227 through the air and 15 total scores. He will join veteran James Connor, who could limit his fantasy value early on, but he should be an early second-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.Source: NFL.com