QB Derek Carr and the Saints are working out a contract that could be done as soon as Monday afternoon, according to multiple reports. It's not a surprising turn for Carr, who had "lengthy" visit to New Orleans a month ago. His arrival will be good news for Saints second-year WR Chris Olave, who finished his rookie season 10th in yards per route run among all WRs with 30+ targets. WR Rashid Shaheed was among the nine players ahead of him (on far fewer targets), so that pair presents some big-play upside for Carr's stat line. That said, we can't upgrade the QB for leaving Davante Adams and Darren Waller. So the best hopes for Carr's ADP and fantasy football outlook are: 1) The Saints add more talent on offense; and 2) fantasy drafters don't boost him much from his current QB20 position. We'll see what else a cap-strapped New Orleans roster can add. And we'll see who teams such as the Jets and Panthers turn to at QB (after also courting Carr). WR Michael Thomas remains under contract with New Orleans as well. But he looks like a cut candidate that could help with the cap issues. Don't assume too strongly for now that he opens the year with the Saints.
Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Carr agreed to a four-year, $150 million deal, with $100 million in "total guarantees."
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt weighed in at just 176 pounds (on his 6-foot frame) at the NFL Scouting Combine. His testing numbers looked good, though. He led all WRs with an 11'3 broad jump and ranked fourth with a 40-inch vertical. Altogether, Hyatt rated seventh among 44 WRs in Relative Athletic Score. The early draft entrant is coming off a huge receiving line: 67 catches, 1,267 yards, and 15 TDs. His 18.9 yards per catch match the 4.4-second speed he flashed at the Combine. His relatively late breakout -- as a nearly 21-year-old junior -- is a negative, however. We'll dig further into the likely early-round pick for his upcoming prospect profile. Hyatt's current WR49 ADP in Underdog fantasy best ball drafts makes him OK to mix in, though it's hard to imagine a huge spike after he finds his NFL team.
Weighing in at 6’0 and 219 pounds, Texas RB Roschon Johnson showed good promise at the NFL Combine on Sunday. His official 4.58 40-yard time left a little to be desired, but his 1.52-second 10-yard split ranks tied for 3rd with fellow Longhorn teammate Bijan Robinson and Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Johnson looked fairly fluid in running drills and displayed competent pass-catching ability as well. It'll be intriguing to see if he did enough to hear his name called on Day 2 of the NFL Draft in April.
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda chose not to test at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. We’ll have a chance to see the 5’11, 216-pound RB put his skills to the test at Pitt’s pro day scheduled for March 29th. His size is about on par with where he was listed as a collegiate athlete, so that’s 1 less piece of the puzzle to worry about as far as Abanikanda’s profile goes. Tune back in at the conclusion of March for more information.
Though Tulane RB Tyjae Spears chose not to participate in the 40-yard dash at Sunday’s NFL Combine, he had a great day running through drills. Spears displayed his receiving skills and sudden cuts and solidified his status as an intriguing upside prospect. We’re excited to dig more into Spears in our upcoming Dynasty Fantasy Football Value series, previewing the entire 2023 rookie class.
Syracuse RB Sean Tucker opted out of NFL Combine participation on Sunday. The speedster weighed in at 5’9 and 207 pounds. We’ll have an opportunity to see him put his skills on display at Syracuse’s pro day scheduled for March 20th. Stay tuned for our Dynasty Fantasy Football Value profile of Tucker coming later this month.
Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh had respectable performances as a pass-catcher in drills at the NFL Combine on Sunday. Unfortunately, the 6’0, 204-pounder logged a disappointing 40-yard time (4.62) that ranks 3rd-lowest among RBs. This showing in Indianapolis may push McIntosh into Day 3 conversation in the NFL Draft next month. Certainly not the effort the former Bulldog was hoping for.
Ole Miss RB Zach Evans (hamstring) didn’t participate in any drills at the NFL Combine on Sunday. We did confirm his measurements at 5’11 and 202 pounds, though we won’t see the former TCU transfer run drills until the Rebels' pro day scheduled for March 29th in Oxford, Mississippi. A quality pro day performance could see the former top high school recruit work his way into Day 2 draft capital. Check back on Evans as the month unfolds.
Texas A&M RB Devon Achane ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of all RBs at the NFL Combine. The former track athlete logged an official 4.32 time measuring at 5’8½ and 188 pounds. Given Achane’s smaller frame, this weight/speed combination is extremely encouraging. We’re potentially looking at a top-5 RB in this 2023 class with the right scheme fit for his all-purpose skill set. Achane’s performance today solidified the likelihood of receiving early Day 2 draft capital.
UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet looked sharp at the NFL Combine, weighing in at 6’0 and 214 pounds. Though his athleticism didn’t blow the doors off Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Charbonnet’s official 4.53 40-yard time and sound performances in most of the drills on Sunday reflect his profile of a well-rounded RB with a potential 3-down skill set. Look for Charbonnet’s name to be called at some point during Day 2 of the NFL Draft in April.
Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs measured in at 5’9, 199 pounds at the NFL Combine on Sunday. Though he’s slightly shorter than he was listed in college (5'11), the Crimson Tide product wowed in drills. Gibbs recorded the 2nd-fastest official 40-yard dash time (4.36) with a stellar 1.52-second 10-yard split. Sub-200-pound RBs may give fantasy managers some pause, but Gibbs’ speed and agility displayed in both running and pass-catching on Sunday shouldn’t impact his draft stock. We’re still looking at him as a top-2 back in this 2023 class.
As anticipated, Texas RB Bijan Robinson tested superbly well at the NFL Combine on Sunday. The Longhorn standout measured in at 5’11 and 215 pounds and put his smooth movement and burst on display in drills. The biggest takeaway from Robinson’s day is the fact that he logged a sub-4.5 second 40-yard time. His official 4.46 time ranks 6th among RBs, and his 1.52-second 10-yard split ranks tied-3rd with Texas teammate Roschon Johnson and Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson is a smidge faster than expected, and his performance only solidifies his bonafide RB1 status in this 2023 class.
SMU WR Rashee Rice earned the fifth-highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) among receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine. The 6'1, 204-pounder registered the position's second-highest vertical (41 inches) and a strong broad jump (10'8). His 4.51-second 40-yard dash was closer to decent for the position (63rd percentile), but Rice's 1.49-second 10-yard split rated elite. Rice posted huge numbers as a 2022 senior, catching 96 balls for 1,355 yards and 10 TDs. He broke out as a 20-year-old sophomore. Look for much more on Rice in his upcoming dynasty prospect profile.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Chiefs are “bracing to lose” WR Mecole Hardman in free agency. Hardman, who underwent groin surgery in February, appeared in only 8 games this past season. 30% of his fantasy production came in one game (Week 7, at San Francisco). According to Fowler, the Chiefs will “attempt” to re-sign WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. Even if the 26-year-old returns, we expect Kansas City to add WR talent this offseason.
TCU WR Quentin Johnston skipped the 40-yard dash and other drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he showed out in the broad jump and vertical. Johnston tied for second among receivers in the broad (11'2) and ranked third in the vertical (40.5 inches). He also measured in at 6'3 and 208 pounds. Johnston just might be battling Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison for top position among WRs in the NFL Draft. His WR41 ADP on Underdog, however, finds him going more than a round behind JSN and three spots behind Addison in WR ADP. That all makes him an intriguing pick for best ball rosters right now. The right NFL landing spot could vault him well into WR3 territory in fantasy football drafts.
Buckeyes WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba declined to run the 40-yard dash Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also tied for just 23rd at the position in the broad jump (10'5) and 27th in the vertical (35 inches). JSN did, however, lead all WRs with a 6.57-second three-cone drill. Frankly, we're not worried about this performance after the way he performed in a loaded Ohio State WR corps in 2021. Smith-Njigba also continued to look good in the on-field Combine workouts. We'll have much more on the likely NFL Draft first-round pick.
Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims Jr. had a good day Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. His 4.38-second 40-yard dash ranked fifth among all wideouts. Mims also tied for fifth among 40 receivers in the vertical and checked in fourth at the position in the three-cone drill. Mims averaged a strong 19.5 yards per catch across three seasons with the Sooners. Look for much more on him and the rest of the WR class in our Dynasty Fantasy Football Value series.
LSU WR Kayshon Boutte ran a decent 4.5-second 40-yard dash Saturday at the NFL Scouting combine. He didn't have a great day otherwise, though. His 108-inch broach jump rated just 32nd percentile for the position, according to Pro Football Focus' Marcus Mosher. And Boutte's 29-inch vertical rate an even worse second percentile. It was a rough day, but Boutte is still a productive early draft entrant who broke out as a freshman in the SEC. Look for a full breakdown as our Dynasty Fantasy Football Value series gets rolling.
TE Luke Musgrave posted an elite Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.94 at the NFL Combine. At nearly 6’6 and 253 pounds, the Oregon State product turned heads with a 36.0” vertical, a 10’5” broad jump and a 4.61 forty-time. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passed along more good news. Musgrave, who suffered a torn MCL early last season, received “full medical clearance” at the Combine. See where he stacks up among dynasty TEs.
TE Darnell Washington measured in at nearly 6’7 and 264 pounds at the NFL Combine. He recorded excellent marks in the broad jump (10 feet, 2 inches), short shuttle (4.08) and 40-yard dash (4.64). At his size, Washington is simply an athletic freak. While his production was lacking at Georgia, note that he played with the top TE in the nation (Brock Bowers). Expect Washington to come off the board as a top-50 pick.
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