Welcome to Tuesday's edition of the With the First Pick newsletter. I woke up today with the glorious realization that we may actually have an NFL Draft in which media members and fans truly do not know who will be the first overall pick. That never happens! Here's to hoping the Panthers stay tight-lipped over the next few weeks to push everyone toward the edge of their proverbial seat when Roger Goodell announces the pick in late April.
As you can probably tell, I'm a draft purist, so I stay away from tip-picking on Twitter. It's not for me.
If you missed last week's launch, we're rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April, and I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way. This daily newsletter's sole purpose is to track everything transpiring in the NFL and spin it into a draft angle. I'm telling you: this is the place to get the latest on everything draft related.
Before I begin, here's your daily reminder to tell all your buddies and that one uncle who's always texting you mock draft links to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. Just click here and then share this link with them.
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Today's NFL mock draft 🔮: Colts move up for Anthony Richardson
In his latest mock draft, the incomparable Pete Prisco has the Colts taking no risks when it comes to securing one of the top quarterbacks in this class. Indianapolis moves up one spot in a trade with the Cardinals to take Richardson from Florida. Pairing Richardson with new head coach Shane Steichen after his time spent developing Jalen Hurts would make for a tremendous pairing.
Also, Jalen Carter joins Aidan Hutchinson on the Lions defensive front four, and the Texans go with a Bryce Young-Quentin Johnston duo with their first two selections.
More notable selections in Prisco's mock:
1. Carolina Panthers - C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
2. Houston Texans - Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
5. Seattle Seahawks - Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
24. Jacksonville Jaguars - O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
27. Buffalo Bills - Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
28. Kansas City Chiefs - Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
'With the First Pick' podcast 🎧: Injury and rehab discussion
The latest episode provides a fun curveball, as Ryan Wilson and Rick Spielman talk to former Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman about a bevy of injury and health-related topics, including the concussion protocol, Tua's head injuries, rehabbing Terrell Owens for the Super Bowl with the Eagles and Adrian Peterson's rehab from a torn knee-ligament that predated his 2,000-yard season and MVP award in 2012.
Yes, they discuss the draft process, too. Of course. Listen to the most unique episode to date in its entirety right here.
Prospect of the day 📈: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
- Notable combine results: N/A
- Combine measurements: 6-foot-3 1/8 inches, 314 pounds
- Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 3
Many saw Carter as a top prospect a season ago, when he often looked like the best, most disruptive player on a national-title winning Georgia defensive unit that featured four first-round picks, including the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 draft, Travon Walker.
Carter is impossibly quick for his frame and plays with forceful hand work at the point of attack, a combination which makes him a truly three-down impact player. High floor, All-Pro ceiling. Now, the pre-draft process hasn't been too kind to Carter, starting with an arrest warrant being issued for his involvement in a tragic car accident that took the lives of two of his friends in January, a news bombshell that was released just moments before he was set to speak at the combine.
Then he had a poor pro day in which he weighed-in nine pounds heavier than at the combine and reportedly couldn't finish his workout. Running counter to what feels like a precipitous draft-stock plummet, Carter's agent Drew Rosenhaus stated earlier this week that his client "will be declining all visit requests that come from any team that's not picking in the top 10." Strange. Guess Rosenhaus and Carter are still confident the Georgia superstar won't sink on draft night.
'Trust the Tape' prospects 👀
We're in an analytics-driven era in the NFL, so it's quite easy to get wrapped up in the numbers when it comes to evaluating prospects. Heck, I adore athletic testing and production numbers during the pre-draft process. Sometimes though, you just get a gut feeling about some prospects. That age-old sensation birthed my "Trust the Tape" prospect team, an article I debuted last year.
Because I'm a generous guy, I'll give you two of my picks this year. They're both from outside the Power 5 conferences. The four others are from the Big 10 and SEC, and you'll have to read the full article to find out who they are.
- Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army
- Karl Brooks, EDGE/DL, Bowling Green
News & Notes 📝
- Ravens offer Odell Beckham Jr. a contract. On ESPN on Tuesday night, Adam Schefter reported that Baltimore has offered the veteran wideout a deal. At the end of the segment, Schefter called it "one of the longest free-agent recruitments that we've ever seen." Ain't that the truth.
- Patriots shopping Mac Jones. According to Pro Football Talk, Bill Belichick has been shopping his incumbent starting QB this offseason. Is New England a surprise team in the QB market in this draft?
- Calais Campbell bullish on Falcons. The 36-year-old defensive lineman surprised many by signing with the Falcons instead of a current Super Bowl contender. However, Campbell said the "team's gonna be a very competitive, tough team that'll win a lot of ball games," and later hinted at a playoff possibility in a weakened NFC. The Falcons hold the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, and maybe Campbell's signing pushes them away from a defensive lineman.
