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NFL Hot Press: Wednesday Draft Week Rumors

Charlie Campbell8 mins



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Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
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Wednesday Draft Week Rumors

Updated April 25, 2018
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

The 2018 NFL Draft is just one day away! Here are some rumors that I have heard from sources with the draft just hours away.

  • One player who has a big variety in where he could go in the 2018 NFL Draft is Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson. Jackson is a big corner with excellent ball skills and instincts, but some teams have concerns about his speed and athleticism for covering NFL receivers. As a result, his draft range is broad, with team sources saying that Jackson could go as high as the middle of the teens to early in the second round. There are a number of cornerback-needy teams that could target him in the 20s. Jackson is a wild card in the 2018 NFL Draft.


  • Last week ESPN’s Todd McShay reported that Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith was the preferred prospect of the Oakland Raiders. In speaking to sources with the Raiders, they said that was inaccurate. They feel that Smith is a solid player, but they have a lot of needs that are under consideration.

    Oakland is a team that is an example of coaches shaking up draft plans once they are included in the draft meetings come April. Back at the combine, sources with the Raiders said they planned a defense-heavy draft. But after free agency signings and meeting as an organization this spring, using early-round picks on the offense is definitely a possibility. The Raiders could look to help their receivers after the first round, as they need some young talent behind Amari Cooper. The Raiders have invested more recent draft resources on the defense, so they could look to add some young talent to the offense. Some candidates for Oakland’s first-round pick include Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans.


  • In southern California, the Chargers have could look to add to their defensive backfield to help defend Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. One of the players the Chargers like who is very unlikely to get to them is Florida State safety Derwin James.

    The Chargers feel James has some coverage issues but that they would be masked in their scheme. That is irrelevant, however, because the Chargers don’t believe he will get near their first-round pick. They also like Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and there is a chance that he slides in the first round. If he got to the Chargers’ first-round pick, it could be an easy decision for general manager Tom Telesco.

    Assuming both safeties are gone, the other position the Chargers could hope to improve is defensive tackle. Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne and Washington’s Vita Vea are in play for Los Angeles. Sources say the Chargers like Payne more because he does more damage upfield, whereas Vea is more at the line of scrimmage. Still, the organization likes both of those players. Two other defensive tackles who the Chargers like are Florida’s Taven Bryan and Miami’s R.J. McIntosh. Bryan is in play for the Chargers’ first-round pick, while McIntosh is a potential target for Day 2.


  • While the Browns, Bills, Patriots and Colts have been among the most discussed teams as having a ton of picks to address needs in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos should also be in that group. Denver does not have extra picks in the first couple of rounds, but the organization does have a plethora of selections in the mid-rounds. The Broncos possess two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks and two fifth-round picks. That is a lot of mid-round ammunition to move around the draft board while also filling needs.

    One need that the Broncos might surprisingly address is pass-rusher. Sources say that Denver was disappointed in the effort it saw from superstar outside linebacker Von Miller at times during the 2017 season. There were some members of the organization who felt that Miller shut it down at times. The Broncos could use some of their draft resources to add some pass-rushers to rotate with Miller and also give him the motivation of seeing the team adding some new faces to his position.


  • Finishing up on the final squad in the AFC West, Kansas City made some high-profile moves at quarterback and running back in the 2017 NFL Draft with moving up to the top-10 for quarterback Pat Mahomes and then selecting Kareem Hunt in the third round. However in speaking to multiple sources, the Chiefs are looking to get some depth at both positions via the 2018 NFL Draft. In the middle rounds this year, Kansas City would like to add a backup running back with a player who can contribute as a runner and receiver. Sources say that a player to keep an eye on is Tennessee running back John Kelly. A quarterback who the Chiefs like a lot is Florida International’s Alex McGough. He might be a late-round pick or priority undrafted free agent target to backup Mahomes.




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