The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft was full of surprises, as is usually the case, and there are still a few highly-rated players available. Here’s the latest on what I’m hearing.
NFL Draft Rumors: Will the Steelers Trade Pick 32?
There’s been talk several teams have contacted the Pittsburgh Steelers about the possibility of trading for the top pick of Round 2 with the hopes of selecting one of the remaining quarterbacks.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
The belief in league circles is the Titans want to move up for Will Levis. I also continue to hear something I posted more than a week ago — the Las Vegas Raiders are really high on Hendon Hooker.
Word is they tried to move into the back end of Round 1 last night to select him. It would be a surprise if they don’t select Hooker with the 38th selection, assuming he is still on the board.
Jonah Williams, Trey Lance Trades?
We could see Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams traded this evening. I’m told there have been discussions with several teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars had shown interest before selecting Anton Harrison in the first round yesterday.
The offensive tackle-needy New York Jets are also showing interest in Williams, but the team would need about $2 million in additional cap space to accommodate the $12.6 million needed to fit Williams on the roster.
Most people I’ve spoken with don’t feel Trey Lance will be traded tonight. There’s too much unknown about the elbow injury to Brock Purdy. If Tommy John surgery is required to repair Purdy’s elbow, the team may need Lance despite signing Sam Darnold in free agency. Another consideration is selecting a quarterback at the end of Round 3. The Niners have shown a lot of interest in Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The New Orleans Saints are another team with a veteran QB who could draft a signal-caller tonight or in the early rounds on Day 3. The names being passed around for New Orleans are Aidan O’Connell and Jarren Hall.
All Eyes on Tyler Scott and Luke Wypler
Expect Cincinnati receiver Tyler Scott to be a hot commodity on Day 2 of the draft. I’ve spoken about the New York Giants’ admiration for the speedy wideout. The Atlanta Falcons are another team that like Scott. Besides giving the offense a field-stretching weapon, selecting Scott would pair him with his college quarterback, Desmond Ridder.
MORE: 2023 NFL Draft Team Grades
Center Luke Wypler has been mentioned as a possible pick for several teams, including the Jets, Cardinals, and Texans. One team that highly rates the Ohio State underclassmen is Buffalo. The Bills have two picks this evening, the 59th and 91st selections.
Some Centers Might Go Early
Wypler, Joe Tippman of Wisconsin, and John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota are three Big Ten centers expected to be drafted tonight. They could be joined by a fourth — Juice Scruggs of Penn State.
Scruggs has received a lot of love from teams recently despite falling by the wayside in the outside world. He was a terrific guard for the Nittany Lions in 2021 before making the successful transition to center last season. His official top-30 visits included the Bears, Browns, Bills, and Dolphins.
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