NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to earn high marks for the first-round selection of Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, and there are those who believe his pairing with 2025 first-team All-Pro selection Zack Baun could be truly special.

"Campbell was one of the higher grades I've given for a linebacker," an executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando. "[Defensive coordinator] Vic Fangio will use Baun off the ball and Campbell on the ball, and that is huge. They will be the blitzers in the simulated four-man pressures that Vic runs. It can be like Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in San Francisco."

That would be quite the outcome for Philly. Willis is a Hall of Famer, while Bowman was a four-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. That duo served as the foundation for some very stout 49ers' defenses.

Of course, there are questions about where Campbell's long-term position will be, as he started his college career as an edge-rusher and has the burst and pass-rushing ability to eventually return to that role. It's possible he could follow a similar path to Micah Parsons, who started as an off-ball linebacker before transitioning into more of a pass-rushing role, and to great success.

Time will tell. Given Howie Roseman's recent draft history, however, it's a safe bet that Campbell will thrive in whatever role he ultimately settles into for the Birds.

The Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons swung one of the biggest, and most surprising, trades at last week's NFL draft, as the Rams traded the Nos. 26 and 101 selections to Atlanta for Nos. 46 and 242 and a 2026 first-rounder.

The Falcons used the added first-rounder this year to take edge-rusher James Pearce Jr., doubling up on the position after selecting Jalon Walker at No. 15. But for some decision-makers around the league, it was a massive price to pay and a great deal for the Rams.

"That was brilliant by them—good stuff," an executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando.

"It's a really smart move by the Rams, but I bet it was hard for them to do because they are not wired to punt like that," another executive added. "It will be interesting to see how they maneuver the season and whether they use draft capital to improve their team."

Of course, not everyone thought it was a terrible deal for Atlanta.

"I'm sure the way they are rationalizing it is, 'We gave up a first next year to get a first this year, and we basically did that for moving back from the second to the third,'" an executive told Sando. "If you look at that objectively, it's not as bad as it sounds. People overlook getting the third back from the Rams as part of the deal."

But for the Rams, having two first-rounders in a 2026 draft that most people believe will be stronger than this year's is an excellent development. And while the Falcons, on paper, look like a contender to win the NFC South, any struggles in Atlanta could leave the Rams with a fantastic pick.

Newly-drafted edge rusher Abdul Carter is ready to take up New York Giants icon Phil Simms on his offer to share his retired No. 11.

Carter responded on Friday to Simms telling FanDuel TV he would approve the un-retirement of his number for Carter or quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Carter, the third pick of the 2025 NFL draft, wore No. 11 at Penn State.

When told about Carter's response, Simms told NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton: "I had some fun with it, and the fact that he said it’d be honor to wear, that’s just him being really nice. Man, it’ll make me re-live my days of being an outside linebacker in high school. Truly, I can’t wait to see him practice. I was hoping the Giants would get him. He’s gonna fit in right away with the Giants culture."

When asked what his message to Carter would be, Simms told Stapleton, "I'd say he has to do well enough to get the jersey retired again. And I expect him to play that well, I think he's that good."

The conversation started with Simms being asked by FanDuel TV's Cousin Sal if he would be willing to approve the Giants giving No. 11 to Carter or Dart.

The Giants retired Simms' No. 11 in 1995 after the quarterback established himself as one of the best passers in NFL history through 14 seasons and led the franchise to victories in Super Bowls XXI and XXV.

"I told some of my friends and people around me, I said, 'Oh, I'd let him have it in a second,'" Simms told Sal. "I said, 'Can you just help it a little, and make it better?' I think it would be a lot of fun. It wouldn't bother me.'"

When pressed if giving up the number would bother him, Simms said, "It's just, whatever, if they really want it."

Carter previously expressed interest in wearing Lawrence Taylor's retired No. 56, but Taylor declined the request, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

The Giants unretired the late Ray Flaherty's No. 2 for Malik Nabers, the No. 6 pick of the 2024 draft, last summer. The family of Flaherty approved the change ahead of the wideout's rookie season, according to the team.

One NFL scout told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi he was "surprised but not shocked" to see Shedeur Sanders fall into the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft after an underwhelming predraft process.

"I did expect him to have a better spring," the AFC area scout told Oyefusi. "I heard he had some rough interviews, and the pro day was average."

Those "rough interviews" reportedly did not take place with the Browns.

According to Oyefusi, "one source from another team that was in the quarterback market had heard the Browns' process with Sanders went smoother than it did for others."

Sanders, who was ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback available in the draft on the final B/R 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, was still on the board by Day 3.

The Browns ultimately moved up 22 spots to stop his slide by selecting him with the No. 144 pick.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Philadelphia Eagles had interest in selecting Sanders at No. 145 before the Browns traded up.

Multiple NFL insiders have indicated other teams had negative impressions of Sanders' predraft interviews, with The Athletic's Dianna Russini reporting Tuesday that she believed the former Colorado quarterback approached the talks "as a recruiting trip versus a job interview."

Sanders' fall down draft boards might not stop him from getting a shot at an NFL start this season. He is headed into an unsettled quarterback room in Cleveland, where Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow 2025 draft pick Dillon Gabriel will be competing to replace an injured Deshaun Watson next season.

Ashton Jeanty is going to wear his college number in the NFL as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders confirmed on Friday that Jeanty will use No. 2 heading into his rookie season.

Jeanty has used the No. 2 dating back to his time at Lone Star High School. He carried it over to college during his three years at Boise State.

There was some uncertainty if Jeanty would be able to retain the number after being selected by the Raiders with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Kicker Daniel Carlson has used the No. 2 jersey since the Raiders moved to Vegas prior to the 2020 season.

Not being able to retain the number might have required a lot of additional work for Jeanty. His social media profiles, including X and Instagram, include "Deuce" in the header.

There's no indication at this point if Jeanty negotiated a deal with Carlson or if the veteran kicker was willing to give up the number without any compensation.

Carlson has worn Nos. 7 and 8 at different points in his NFL career. He used No. 38 during his four years at Auburn from 2013 to 2017.

The next test for Jeanty will be to bring better luck to the jersey number than past Raiders players who have worn No. 2.

The last player to use the number for the Raiders before Carlson was A.J. McCarron in 2018. Other previous users of the No. 2 include JaMarcus Russell, Terrelle Pryor and Aaron Brooks.

That trio of quarterbacks combined to go 10-33 in 43 starts with the Raiders.

Jeanty has the potential to be a transformative player in the Raiders' offense. He is coming off a historic 2024 season at Boise State with 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries to finish second in Heisman voting.

The Raiders didn't have a player run for more than 420 yards last season. They had a total of 10 rushing touchdowns. Jeanty had more yards (459) and nearly as many rushing touchdowns (nine) in his first two games during the 2024 campaign.

Sean McVay is hoping quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is under contract through 2025, returns to play "a couple more years" with the Los Angeles Rams.

McVay talked about his hopes for Stafford's future while expressing his confidence in his relationship with the quarterback during a Thursday appearance on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports Radio.

"When you're able to have real conversations with people you love and care about, you can go one of two ways. You can either get further apart, or you can get closer," the Rams head coach said. "And there is no question in my mind that he and I are closer than ever. There's a lot of appreciation, there's a lot of gratitude, that we were able to work through some of those things. To ultimately, I heard [general manager Les Snead] say it, to renew the vows. 

"There is kind of a renewal of appreciation for the opportunity to continue to work together. It doesn't go lost on me how fortunate I am to be able to work with somebody as special as he is."

McVay continued, "Love working with him. He can play as long as he wants, but fortunately, I'm hoping it's a couple more years."

The Rams announced on Feb. 28 that the team had agreed to a restructured contract with Stafford.

The team allowed Stafford to test the trade market, where the quarterback reportedly received potential offers from the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported at the time that Stafford had taken "less than he would've gotten elsewhere" to remain with McVay and the Rams for a fifth season.

This marks the second straight season during which the Rams have negotiated a new deal with Stafford. Last season, the team and Stafford didn't agree to terms until the end of July.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported in February that this year's negotiations came down to Stafford's preference for living in Southern California and the fact that he "wants to play for Sean McVay."

Whether or not Stafford continues working out his contracts on a year-to-year basis going forward, it sounds like he can expect to keep McVay in his camp as he negotiates his next deal.

One NFL executive believes the Carolina Panthers got a comparable player to Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins by selecting Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick of the 2025 draft.

"I think he is like Tee Higgins. That is higher than Tee went, but you would still be getting a top-15 receiver in the league," the executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando about the Panthers' draft decision.

The Bengals also drafted edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, running back Trevor Etienne, safety Lathan Ransom, defensive tackle Cam Jackson, tight end Mitchell Evans and wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr.

"I do not think Carolina will look back on this draft class, with these players, and regret it. There were not a lot of blue-chip players," the executive told Sando.

McMillan, who matched Higgins' measurements by clocking in at 6'4'' and 219 pounds, was similarly compared to the Bengals star by B/R NFL scout Dame Parson ahead of the draft.

"McMillan is a stellar run-after-catch receiver who has spatial awareness, stop/start ability, and elusiveness to make defenders miss after he secures the ball," Parson wrote. "His play strength allows him room to work through arm tackles for more YAC. With his size advantage, McMillan converts contested catches well."

The Panthers, who allowed an NFL-high 3,057 rushing yards against last season, surprised some analysts when the franchise targeted offense rather than defense with their first-round pick.

"We wanted to have the best player, we wanted to follow our board of who we thought was going to help us the most up there," Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said after the first round. "Again, we got our guy, and we're excited about it."

That choice could prove to be worth it for Morgan and the Panthers if McMillan can help third-year quarterback Bryce Young record a breakout season in 2025.

One NFL executive reportedly believes the Atlanta Falcons paid a "very steep price" to select former University of Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 pick of the 2025 NFL draft.

The Falcons sent a package including a 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in order to trade up into the first round and select Pearce.

Atlanta also traded the No. 46 and No. 242 picks of the 2025 draft, while receiving the No. 101 selection in return.

“I don't know how many boards James Pearce was on... maybe they had to get ahead of Kansas City or Philadelphia or another team that might take fliers on character risks,” one NFL executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando. “It just felt like a very steep price to pay for somebody who likely would have been there in Round 2.”

Another executive told Sando: “I’m sure the way they are rationalizing it is, ‘We gave up a first next year to get a first this year, and we basically did that for moving back from the second to the third. If you look at that objectively, it’s not as bad as it sounds. People overlook getting the third back from the Rams as part of the deal.”

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Falcons had gone into the draft planning to use the No. 15 pick to select Pearce if former Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker didn't fall that far. Walker was ultimately still available at the pick.

General manager Terry Fontenot indicated the Falcons would not have traded up had Pearce not been available at No. 26, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith also said after the draft giving up the 2026 first-rounder was worth it to select two potential defensive starters.

"You always need multiple pressure players," Smith said, per AtlantaFalcons.com's Terrin Waack. "If we're going into next year, we were hoping that a Jalon Walker would be there next year, a James Pearce would be there next year, to take another pressure player. Well, this year, we're sitting there and we've got an opportunity, if it works, to take two players from that bucket."

Fontenot used the return from the Pearce deal for another trade up in the third round. The Falcons used the Rams' No. 101 pick, in addition to a 2026 fifth-rounder, to get the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 96 selection and draft former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.

The Falcons were previously under scrutiny for the team's handling of the 2024 first round, when the franchise used the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. before reportedly attempting and failing to trade up for edge rusher Laiatu Latu. Fontenot will hope to see defensive improvements this season in order to back up his decisions in the 2025 draft.

NFL insiders believe the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson are in a good place in their ongoing contract negotiations, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

"I did a little digging on it, and I'm still getting really good vibes coming out of Cincinnati that they're going to try and get a deal done with Trey," Russini said at the 13:15 mark of Friday's Scoop City podcast.

Russini added that the Bengals "seem to be trying to move money and get creative with finding ways to get Trey the money that he's gonna get."

Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, is seeking an extension and a raise on his expiring contract.

The Bengals granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade in March. He is currently set to make $15.8 million in base salary with a cap hit of $18.7 million next season before hitting free agency in 2026, per Spotrac.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported in March that Hendrickson is seeking "well above" $30 million annually on his next deal.

Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said in April she believed that Hendrickson "should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," a comment that Hendrickson criticized on a subsequent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Head coach Zac Taylor said last week that the franchise's decision to draft defensive end Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick of the 2025 NFL draft had nothing to do with Hendrickson, and that he doesn't "think you can ever have enough defensive linemen, especially in this league and this division."

Russini's report, which indicates communication between Hendrickson and the Bengals has improved over the past month, could mean the Bengals are one step closer to fitting both Hendrickson and Stewart into the defense next season.

Despite the New York Giants' big bet on Jaxson Dart in the 2025 NFL draft, there's skepticism from people within the league about him playing as a rookie.

One NFL executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando that Dart "probably shouldn't play" in his first season.

"Some people think Dart is a year away, more of a project," the exec said. "They probably shouldn’t play him at all this year, or not until very late."

The Giants traded their picks in the second and third rounds (Nos. 34 and 99), plus a 2026 third-round pick to the Houston Texans for the 25th pick that was used to select Dart.

New York did plan for the possibility of needing a bridge option to give Dart development time. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed as free agents.

Head coach Brian Daboll didn't waver on Wilson being the starter going into the 2025 season even after the addition of Dart.

Even though Dart has extensive college experience as a three-year starter at Mississippi, the Lane Kiffin offense doesn't really prepare players for how to play in the NFL all that well.

The Ole Miss system relies heavily on the types of plays that take a lot of the burden off quarterbacks, like quick passes, RPOs and play-action.

One NFC executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler in February that Kiffin's system is a "mess" for incoming quarterbacks.

B/R's Dame Parson noted in his scouting report that Dart's processing if his first read isn't available is "slower than expected for a senior quarterback" and he "does not anticipate throwing lanes well at this stage of his career."

Dart did earn high marks for his athleticism and rushing ability, which did show up in games with 1,498 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 39 games over the past three seasons.

Wilson isn't necessarily the best quarterback to mentor a young player because his style of play is so unique that it doesn't really work for anyone else. He can play well enough to serve as a bridge to the future if the Giants don't consider Dart ready to start in 2025.