NFL Player News

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).

Rudolph isn't guaranteed a roster spot with the Steelers in 2022 after the team drafted Kenny Pickett with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Rudolph will likely be in consideration for the starting quarterback job during camp, but Mitch Trubisky and Pickett seem like the much stronger options in the competition. While the 26-year-old Rudolph initially appeared to be in line for the No. 2 job to begin the season, Kaboly reports that the Oklahoma State product could struggle to make Pittsburgh's 53-man roster.

Trubisky will have additional competition for the starting quarterback job during training camp after the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old was the clear favorite for the starting job when he signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh in mid-March, but Kaboly reports that Pickett should compete for the starting role once training camp gets underway. Trubisky is still seen as the frontrunner to serve as the No. 1 option to begin the season, but he's unlikely to have too much job security, particularly if Pickett impresses in practice and preseason games. Trubisky appeared in 10 games with the Bears in 2020 and completed 199 of 297 passes for 2,055 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing 33 times for 195 yards and a score.

The Steelers selected Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 20th overall.

The Steelers made Pickett the first quarterback selected, setting him up for a competition against free agent pickup Mitchell Trubisky. Pickett was basically disregarded as an NFL prospect his first four years at Pittsburgh, but in his fifth year he underwent a transformation perhaps never before seen at quarterback, going from plainly bad to about as good as anyone, throwing for 4,319 yards (67.2 percent completed, 8.7 YPA) and 42 touchdowns versus seven interceptions. He'll be a dual threat at the NFL level, too, after consistently posting standout rushing totals in college. Pickett's hands are small by quarterback standards and he had trouble with fumbles in the past, so that concern will linger even if he wears gloves. It would be somewhat discouraging if he can't beat Trubisky for the starting role.

The Giants don't intend to pick up the fifth-year option on Jones' contract, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Per Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York, exercising Jones' option would have committed the Giants to paying him $22.3 million in 2023. That said, if the 2019 first-rounder plays well this coming season, the team will have the option to pursue an extension with Jones or place the franchise tag on him next year. The QB, who turns 25 next month, remains atop the team's depth chart, now backed up by veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor.

The Cardinals exercised the fifth-year option on Murray's contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The move comes as no surprise, as Murray more or less has met expectations since Arizona made him the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. He's improved both his completion percentage and yards per attempt in each of his three seasons, topping out at 69.2 percent and 7.9 YPA in 2021. Murray also has combined for 70 passing touchdowns, 1,786 rushing yards and 20 more scores on the ground in 46 games. The quarterback's future with the organization has been called into question this offseason, with Murray expressing dissatisfaction with his contract and the Cardinals. Following Wednesday's news, though, Murray will be due roughly $30 million for the 2023 campaign, per Rapoport. Next season, Murray will have all of DeAndre Hopkins, James Conner, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green, Rondale Moore and potentially other offseason additions at his disposal in the passing game.

Lance is in line to handle all the first-team reps with the 49ers during OTAs while Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder) remains sidelined, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. "We're excited for that opportunity that he has [in the spring]," 49ers general manager John Lynch said Monday.

Though both Garoppolo and head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged in the early weeks of the offseason that he would likely be donning a different uniform in 2022, the veteran signal-caller's ongoing recovery from right shoulder surgery, along with an active trade market that resulted in several other experienced quarterbacks being moved, prevented the 49ers from finding a trade partner. The San Francisco brass has since talked down the possibility of Garoppolo being traded or released, but at the very least, Lance looks like he'll be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job throughout the spring and early portion of the summer. With Garoppolo still in rehab mode, Lance will get the keys to the offense during OTAs and during minicamp, and with an impressive showing in those workouts, he could head into training camp in the driver's seat for the starting job even if Garoppolo is fully healthy and still on the roster by then.