I've gotten to the point of draft season where I'm scouring the internet for any human being with around a 40-inch vertical or who can run close to 4.50 in the 40-yard dash to get a scouting report done on said human being. And that means, we're getting ever so close to the 2024 NFL Draft being here. By the way, if you are one of those rare humans or maybe know someone who is, send the pertinent information my way. Much appreciated.
As for actual, groundbreaking news on the draft front, everything's quiet. Potentially too quiet? However, it does feel like the closer we get to the draft, the more I feel like the Vikings -- or whichever team(s) wants to trade up for a quarterback -- will simply wait until they're on the clock. But I'm 99.9% sure those trade parameter phone calls are taking place from now through mid April.
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 ????: Pete Prisco's mock 2.0My idol Pete Prisco wrote his second mock of draft season, and it features the Chargers as the club trading out of the top five to allow the Minnesota Vikings to pick their quarterback, but it's not J.J. McCarthy.
1. Chicago Bears -- Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders -- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England Patriots -- J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
4. Arizona Cardinals -- Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. Minnesota Vikings (via mock trade w/ Chargers) -- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
10. New York Jets -- Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
22. Philadelphia Eagles -- Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
28. Buffalo Bills -- Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
In this episode, Rick Spielman and Ryan Wilson ran through their comprehensive thoughts on the tight end class, which I promise features more than just Georgia's Brock Bowers, although he is a lock to be the only tight end selected in the first round. For the sneak peek I always include here, I thought it was fascinating -- and very much agree -- with Rick's comparison for Kansas State's Ben Sinnott, which is none other than Sam LaPorta! YO!
3. Prospect of the day ????: Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri StateI felt like going into the weeds today, because you're a smart draft-following fan -- you know everything about the big names in this class. Let's go deep. And, it's not like prospects from Southeast Missouri State normally get shine. That changes now.
Flournoy is a fascinating Day 3 option in a crowded collection of highly regarded receiver prospects. Here's why. At 6-foot and 202 pounds, the small-school star ran a blistering 4.44 in the 40-yard dash along with a 39.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump. As receivers are getting lighter and lighter, Flournoy is one of the more sizable, thick pass catchers in the class with elite-level explosiveness and serious field-stretching speed.
And, vitally, after the catch, Flournoy was freaky in college. His missed tackle forced rate was 27.2%, the fourth-best in the class among qualifying receivers except Malik Nabers, Malik Washington, and Ainias Smith. He is a horse in the open field. Flournoy is one of my favorite wideouts for clubs wanting to "double-dip" at the position later in the draft.
Notable combine results: 4.44 in the 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical, 11-foot broad Combine measurements: 6-foot, 202 pounds Current CBS Sports positional ranking: WR44 4. Ravens allowing Lamar Jackson to be part of draft process ????Baltimore's organization has been a pillar of success since becoming part of the NFL in 1996 -- only eight sub-.500 years in 28 seasons -- and going from Ozzie Newsome at GM to Eric DeCosta in that role has been key in maintaining its success. The Ravens have traditionally been one of the best drafting teams in football, and they recently made public one of their draft strategies -- getting their franchise quarterback involved in the process.
In a piece written by NFL staffer Jordan Dajani, citing the team's website, head coach John Harbaugh was quoted saying "He looks at guys on tape. Lamar has never been shy about sharing his opinion about draft picks or free agents. He hasn't weighed in quite yet, but he will."
5. News & Notes ????
