NFL Player News

The Dolphins selected Thompson in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 247th overall.

Thompson is a fringe prospect at best, but he was a very good collegiate quarterback at Kansas State and an accomplished four-year starter. None of his four seasons featured high-volume passing, and even the rushing production dried up in the final two seasons, but Thompson has modest dual-threat abilities. The Dolphins will hope to turn him into a quality backup.

The Steelers selected Oladokun in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 241st overall.

The Steelers found their quarterback of the future in the first round with Kenny Pickett, but they're hoping to develop Oladokun -- who spent time at South Florida and Samford before settling in at South Dakota State as a sixth-year senior -- into a suitable backup. Oladokun maneuvers well in and out of the pocket, and he possesses a quick release that helps when he's throwing off base or in the face of pressure. He finished with 3,164 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions at SDSU, adding 73 carries for 166 yards and two scores on the ground. Oladokun will be 25 years old when the season starts and will likely battle Mason Rudolph for the No. 3 role behind Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.

The Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 144th overall.

Howell, like many of the 2022 rookie quarterbacks, slid further than many assumed, but he lands in an intriguing spot with the Commanders. A three-year starter at North Carolina, Howell is hardly a dynamic athlete out of the pocket, but he's mobile enough to extend plays at times and can make every throw at the NFL level. Given that the uninspiring duo of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke sits above Howell on the depth chart, the 21-year-old could be in position to compete for a starting job in the near future provided he's able to develop and clean up his mechanics in Washington.

The Patriots selected Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 137th overall.

Zappe spent four years at Houston Baptist of the FCS before transferring to Western Kentucky for 2021. He put together a historic season for as a senior, as he threw for 5,967 yards and an FBS-record 62 touchdowns, a record that was previously held by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (60). Of course, Zappe did it against Conference USA competition while Burrow did it in the SEC, but the production is convincing nonetheless. Zappe probably lacks the arm strength and athleticism to be a difference-maker under center. However, he has the intelligence and touch to potentially be a steady game manager if he's ever thrust into NFL action. He'll first need to beat out Brian Hoyer and/or Jarrett Stidham to be 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones' backup.

Fields now has two receivers that run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash after the Bears added Velus Jones in the third round of the NFL Draft, Adam Jahns of The Athletic reports.

Jones, who ran a 4.31 40-yard dash, joins Darnell Mooney as the second receiver on the Bears with elite speed. During the offseason, the Bears made it a point to add weapons to complement Fields' arm strength when signing Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown, but Jones adds another level of speed to the mix. If the team can put together an offense that combines Fields' running ability with a downfield-passing element, he could emerge as a strong fantasy starter with elite upside this season.

Tannehill will remain the Titans' starting quarterback even after the team drafted Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Turron Davenport of ESPN reports.

Tannehill helped lead the Titans to the top seed in the AFC in 2021, yet there was some concern about his level of play throughout the season. That stemmed primarily from turnovers, as he threw 14 interceptions and lost four fumbles across 17 games. He also threw three interceptions in the team's playoff defeat to Cincinnati, ending his campaign on a particularly sour note. However, Tannehill isn't likely to be immediately pushed for his starting job by Willis, who is regarded as an extremely talented -- but raw -- prospect. On the other hand, the selection of Willis could be the first sign that Tannehill's reign is nearing its end in Tennessee, as he is entering his age-34 season and his current contract expires at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

The Panthers selected Corral in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 94th overall.

Corral (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) was a highly successful starter at Mississippi in college, posting some of the best dual-threat production nationwide while leading one of the country's highest-scoring offenses. Corral is a bit small to be doing much running in the NFL, though, and his abilities as a passer at the NFL level are up in the air at best. He'll compete with Sam Darnold for the chance to start for Carolina in 2022, though the latter should probably be considered the favorite for now.

The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 86th overall.

Willis was expected to be a first-round pick, so while that assumption was off the mark, this still looks like a good pick for the Titans. Willis (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) had accuracy and processing issues at Liberty, but the coaching and surrounding personnel there were lacking to the point that underdevelopment might be the issue more than a lack of ability. If Willis can sharpen his reads and accuracy, he otherwise has substantial athletic tools to work with, including running ability that might match any quarterback aside from Lamar Jackson. Ryan Tannehill is naturally locked in as Tennessee's starting quarterback in the short term, but Willis now profiles as his successor.

The Falcons selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 74th overall.

Ridder fell much further than expected, and while there was a reason for that descent, this still looks like an excellent pick for the Falcons. Ridder lacks a strong arm and isn't the most natural passer, but his leadership character and work ethic are exceptional and he should present as a rushing threat in the NFL thanks to his 4.52 speed. Ridder (6-foot-3, 211 pounds) was a program-defining player at Cincinnati, where he was a highly successful four-year starter, and he'll likely get a shot to start in Atlanta even with Marcus Mariota the favorite for the top job in the short term.

The Eagles bolstered the pass-catching corps that Hurts (ankle) will be working with this coming season by trading for wideout A.J. Brown, Tim McManus of ESPN reports.

The 6-foot-1, 226 pound Brown -- who subsequently agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles -- will provide the team with a talented and experienced wideout to pair with 6-foot, 170-pounder DeVonta Smith, who Philadelphia drafted 10th overall last year. Along with that improved 1-2 WR punch, Hurts also has a quality tight end to throw to in Dallas Goedert, with the likes of Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal and Jalen Reagor also in the mix for passing targets. Hurts, who is bouncing back from an offseason procedure on his ankle, thus has a chance to grow as a passer in his third season as a pro; any improvement on that front would bolster the 2020 second-rounder's fantasy prospects, which last season were driven by his production as a rusher (784 yards, 10 TDs).