Hello, friends. As long as I do this NFL Draft newsletter through April, I will always begin with that Jim Nantz lede on the first round of The Masters. But you're here for football, not golf, so let's get to it.
We're kind of in a waiting game now, aren't we? Below, in the news section, I have featured an intriguing quasi-development regarding a top quarterback prospect and a team in that quarterback market in this draft, but other than that, all is quiet on the Western front, as teams are finalizing draft boards before putting it in cruise control before the draft in two weeks.
Yeah right, they'll be doing 5,000 mock trades and get potential trades in place from now until April 25. As for me, I'm continuing my quest to watch and evaluate as many prospects as humanly possible until then as I prepared for another year running the draft tracker from Rounds 2-7. Pete Prisco will have the real-time grades in Round 1.
We started last week, but if you're new here, I got you covered. We're rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April. I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way. Honored.
Before I begin with today's newsletter, this paragraph will be your daily reminder to tell all your buddies and that one friend who's adamant your team NEEDS to trade up in the first round to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. All you have to do is click here and then share this link with them.
1. Today's NFL mock draft 🔮: Jets get Aaron Rodgers an offensive weapon
Staffer Jeff Kerr is up in the mock carousel today, and it features the Jets going with a certain pass catcher to boost the offense with the return of Aaron Rodgers.
1. Chicago Bears -- Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders -- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England Patriots -- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
4. Arizona Cardinals -- Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. Los Angeles Chargers -- Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
11. Minnesota Vikings -- J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
20. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Cooper Dejean, DB, Iowa
30. Baltimore Ravens -- Graham Barton, OT, Duke
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
How fun would Legette be in Kansas City? While he's not quite the YAC specimen it feels like people believe he is -- his analytics profile backs that up -- but this is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound wideout with 4.39 speed. Back up near the top of the draft, I wonder how Vikings fans would feel about simply staying put at No. 11 and landing McCarthy?
Of course, that would come with Minnesota keeping No. 23 overall. But you'll have to check Jeff's mock to see who the Vikings pick at No. 23 overall. Oh, and who the Jets select at No. 10. Before we move on, Barton feels like a vintage Ravens pick who can play all five offensive line positions and has such a high floor with upside because he does need to get stronger. Baltimore always keeps the blocking unit rock solid.
2. 'With the First Pick' podcast 🎧: Finding the next ...
This was a blast of an episode -- cool idea to whoever thought it up -- in which Rick and Ryan pinpoint the 2024 class version of some big hits from the 2023 class. For example, they give their selections for this year's Puka Nacua and who will be the 2024 C.J. Stroud, Rams instant star defensive tackle Kobie Turner and Dolphins burner De'Von Achane.
On the Stroud comparison, I will say that Rick and Ryan have different answers, but both are, unsurprisingly, quarterbacks expected to be picked very, very early in the 2024 NFL Draft.
3. Prospect of the day 📈: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Let's discuss a former SUNY Albany Great Dane. That's what Verse was in 2021, and the story goes that a member of the Florida State staff was scouting Syracuse as a conference opponent of the Seminoles and Verse, then playing at Albany, jumped off the film. After that game, he was on the Florida State transfer-portal radar.
Verse ultimately made the rare jump from the Coastal Athletic Association to the Atlantic Coast Conference and erupted. He had 36 pressures on 206 pass-rushing snaps in 2022, and then, in a full-time role with plenty of attention, Verse registered 62 more on 329 pass-rushing opportunities.
He plays with immense point-of-attack power, a fully-loaded arsenal of pass-rush moves and plenty of energy. He feels like a future top-20 pick and is one of the biggest transfer success stories in this class.
- Notable combine results: 4.58 in the 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical, 10-foot-7 broad jump, 7.31 three-cone
- Combine measurements: 6-foot-3 3/7" and 254 pounds, 33 4/8" arm length
- Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 9 overall (EDGE1)
4. Trust The Traits Team 👀
Last week, I hand-picked my "Trust The Tape" Team. Today, I provide the other end of the spectrum with my "Trust The Traits" Team, players who may not have been amazing on film or maybe lacked elite-level productivity but I still like as prospects mostly because of their athletic profiles.
And here's a glimpse into this year's team, featuring, believe it or not, an Illinois tight end -- Tip Reiman!
"Reiman was a blocking extraordinaire in the Big Ten then turned heads with an equally as impressive workout in Indianapolis, especially at his massive 271 pounds. He ran an impressive 4.64 with a 33.5-inch vertical, a 10-foot-1 broad and a freaky 7.02 time in the three-cone drill. Reiman only caught 19 passes for 203 yards in 2023 and that came after a 19-catch 2022. But being close to 6-foot-5 with serious explosiveness and flexibility indicates he can be a better, more productive part of the pass game in the NFL, and he's unlike the vast majority of the tight ends in this class because he consistently moves people as a blocker."
5. News & Notes 📝
- O.J. Simpson dies at 76. Simpson, a Pro Football Hall of Famer known for being acquitted of double murder in 1995 and convicted of armed robbery in 2008, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer, his family announced on social media. He was 76 years old.
- Nick Chubb reworks contract. To essentially guarantee he stays with the Browns for 2024, the rehabbing superstar running back has agreed to lower his salary but can earn back most of that money via incentives. Despite this, don't be surprised if Cleveland adds one of the top runners in this draft.
- Jayden Daniels has pre-draft meeting with Vikings. Most don't believe the LSU quarterback will be available even after a potential trade up from Minnesota, but hey, you never know with the NFL Draft. Tyler Sullivan also maps out how Daniels could land with the Vikings.
