Welcome to the Friday edition of the With the First Pick newsletter, and I hope you're not intermittent fasting because this newsletter will be overloading you with calories of content to feed your ravenous NFL Draft appetite.
If you ever hear Kirk Cousins use that amazing new-age dad joke, all I ask is you remember where you heard it first.
As for the newsletter, 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.
All you have to do is click here and then share this link with them.
Today's NFL mock draft 🔮: Colts trade back, still get a QB!
Tom Fornelli, in his wealth of college football expertise, has released another mock, and it's a blast. Pete Carroll and John Schneider get slightly aggressive to land the Geno Smith's heir apparent, the Colts trade back -- not up! -- and still land a quarterback, and Quentin Johnston trades in his cowboy boots for flip flops after getting drafted by the Chargers -- a very sensible, fun landing spot I haven't seen in many mocks for the TCU star.
Also, the Bengals get a 2 for 1 on the offensive line with Ohio State's Dawand Jones because Jones is roughly the size of two offensive linemen. OK, I've already said too much. Read Tom's outstanding mock right here.
'With the First Pick' podcast 🎧: Live mock with Josh Edwards
The latest episode features a live mock draft with a guest appearance from CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Josh Edwards. Ryan Wilson, Rick Spielman and Josh cycled through all 31 picks in Round 1, and after some chalk-ish selections early, there was somewhat of a curveball with the Lions selection at No. 6 overall. And where does Bijan Robinson land?! Everyone always wants to know where he's picked. In this three-man mock, it's in Baltimore with the Ravens. HELLO! Listen to the entire episode here.
Prospect of the day 📈: Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
- Notable combine results: 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, 37.5 inch vertical, 10-foot-2 inch broad, 6.89 three-cone
- Combine measurements: 6-foot-2 5/8" and 220 pounds
- Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 175
The only quarterbacks you've heard about for the past three months are Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, and recently, Hendon Hooker. But there are more quarterback prospects in this class, I promise! It's time to highlight Mr. Tune, who just so happens to be my QB5 -- over Hooker -- in this class.
Tune can really spin it and is somehow flying well under the radar as an athlete despite a litany of impressive scrambles and designed runs on film as well as a combine workout that led to a 9.79 Relative Athletic Score (out of 10) at the quarterback position. Tune doesn't have a mammoth arm, but it's plenty good enough, and he's very comfortable escaping the pocket to use his legs or make pinpoint throws on the run.
At nearly 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Tune attempted nearly 1,500 passes in his college career with a 63.9% completion rate, an 8.0 yards-per-attempt average, and 104 touchdowns to 41 interceptions. To me, Tune is the mid-round quarterback you'd want your team to grab because he has the tools and experience to outplay his draft position. Read Tune's entire, football-nerdy scouting report here. We compared him to Marcus Mariota!
Bears seven-round mock draft: Chicago loads up for Fields 👀
Have to end this week with another team-centric seven-round mock. Let's descend on the Windy City for a critical draft for GM Ryan Pace and QB Justin Fields. The first three selections in Bryan Deardo's Bears mock would have you thinking Chicago isn't prioritizing the weaponry around Fields enough -- although D.J. Moore was added this offseason. But from Round 3 through the rest of the draft, Bryan sends four skill-position players to Chicago along with two offensive linemen altogether.
News & Notes 📝
- Bills eyeing trade up? According to a report from ESPN, the Bills are "expressing interest" in a trade up from their first-round spot at No. 27 overall. Which position would they target? Has to be offense, right? A wide receiver? Or maybe a blocker like Tennessee's Darnell Wright or Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence?
- Veteran defenders sign with Jets, Panthers. Later on Thursday, the Jets signed veteran defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson and the Panthers continued their rebuild with longtime safety/corner Eric Rowe. Naturally, these additions alleviate the need for those positions for New York and Carolina in the draft.
- Ex-Cardinals GM speaks on DeAndre Hopkins. Arizona's former GM, Steve Keim, the man who traded for DeAndre Hopkins in 2020, said "the problem is his current contract" when discussing why the star receiver hasn't been traded. Maybe something happens on this front closer to or during the draft?
- Packers, Dolphins nearly traded for Darren Waller last offseason. On the "Pat McAfee Show," Waller's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said "Darren was very nearly traded last offseason. I think the Packers and the Dolphins were very interested." Alrighty then. Maybe tight end early for those clubs in the draft?