NFL Player News

Webster is expected to compete for a special-teams role with Raymond Calais and 2021 NFL Draft second-round selection Tutu Atwell, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Webster flashed some potential as a receiver last year during training camp, and then he spent the majority of his snaps on the kick- and punt-return units for Los Angeles last season. He could have an uphill climb to earn a roster spot after the Rams added Atwell in the draft.

Smith seems poised to start at wide receiver in 2021, Katherine Terrell of the Athletic reports.

After releasing incumbent No. 2 wideout Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, New Orleans surprised some people by ignoring wide receivers during the early rounds of last weekend's NFL Draft. By instead waiting until the seventh round to merely add Kawaan Baker out of South Alabama, the Saints appear content with Smith as the second option behind Michael Thomas while a slew of undrafted holdovers (Juwan Johnson, Deonte Harris, Lil'Jordan Humphrey) duke it out for tertiary roles. However, potential fantasy investors will need to keep tabs on who will be throwing Smith passes this fall, as the speedster figures to have a much different outlook with the strong-armed Jameis Winston (who tossed Smith a 56-yard bomb in Week 17 of last season) under center than he would with dual-threat quarterback Taysom Hill.

Cephus should have an opportunity to be a starting outside receiver this season, Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke of the Athletic report.

The offseason has gone about as well as possible for Cephus's potential usage in 2021, as every other wideout who caught a pass in a Lions jersey last season is gone and Detroit only replaced them with a pair of relatively low-cost veterans plus a fourth-round draft pick in Amon-Ra St. Brown. While going from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff at quarterback is a downgrade, Cephus ultimately seems primed to top the 365 total offensive snaps he logged as a rookie.

The Falcons exercised Ridley's $11.12 million team option for 2022 on Monday, Gaby Moran of Atlanta's official site reports.

Atlanta likely didn't have to think too hard about whether to extend Ridley's rookie contract to a fifth year after he emerged as one of the NFL's top wideouts in 2020. Following a pair of promising campaigns to begin his career, Ridley catapulted to stardom last season, claiming second-team All-Pro honors after amassing 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. Ridley and Julio Jones will remain locked in as the No. 1 and 2 options in some order in a strong Atlanta passing game that was bolstered this offseason with the addition of No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts, who is widely viewed as one of the top pass-catching tight end draft prospects in recent memory.

Crowder will face competition for the slot receiver role from Elijah Moore, who the Jets selected 34th overall in the 2021 Draft, Tyler Calvaruso of USA Today reports.

Crowder was the Jets' biggest threat in the passing game last season, but the team didn't hesitate to add another playmaker at his position with Moore still available early in the second round. Moore played primarily in the slot at Ole Miss. The team still could opt to cut or trade Crowder before the season and now has an obvious replacement should such a scenario unfold, but GM Joe Douglas said after picking Moore that the team has no plans to move on from Crowder at this time.

The Chiefs selected Powell in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 181st overall.

Despite having lost Sammy Watkins to free agency, the Chiefs waited until late in the fifth round to add to the wide receiver room. After a quiet first four years at Clemson, Powell broke out with 93 catches for 882 yards and seven scores in 2020, mostly impressing due to his plus ball-tracking skills and route running. Modest athleticism will hamper Powell's upside at the next level, but he should be ready to handle a depth role for Patrick Mahomes and company right away.

The Ravens selected Wallace in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 131st overall.

Subsidized in part by puzzling picks made earlier by other teams -- teams that don't seem to win as much as the Ravens tend to -- Wallace fell much too far in the draft and now ends up another steal for the Ravens. It's possible that knee concerns informed part of Wallace's slide, but the Oklahoma State product is very advanced from a skill set consideration. His collegiate production couldn't have been much better than it was, and his arrival to Baltimore gives the Ravens a suddenly deep and varied group of talented receivers. Unfortunately for Wallace's fantasy prospects, the passing game pie might not be especially big, and there are already a lot of qualified candidates competing for targets.

The Packers selected Rodgers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 85th overall.

The Packers finally add some pass-catching help through the draft, nabbing Rodgers out of Clemson. Green Bay has plenty of big-bodied receivers alongside Davante Adams such as Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Rodgers is a change of pace in that regard, checking in at 5-foot-9 and 212 pounds. He uses his running back-esque build as an asset after the catch and is a YAC machine in the short and intermediate passing game. Rodgers led Clemson in receiving as a senior with 77 catches on 103 targets, totaling 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns. He can immediately challenge for slot snaps in the Green Bay offense.

Washington selected Brown in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 82nd overall.

Washington's underwhelming quarterback personnel makes it unlikely for a third fantasy standout to emerge at receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel, but this is a clear steal for Washington. Brown (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) is an innately skilled downfield threat and has adequate physical tools to capitalize on that skill set, boasting a 4.45-second 40 to go with an explosive 128-inch broad jump. Brown was arguably the most important player in North Carolina's high-powered offense, and in Washington, he'll be a dangerous downfield threat as defenses attempt to account for McLaurin and Samuel first.

The Panthers selected Marshall in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 59th overall.

This marks the Panthers' first selection on the offensive side of the ball in eight picks dating back to 2020. Marshall was not expected to fall this far given his talent and production, but injury concerns may have led to his slide into the late second round. He suffered a foot injury in 2019 but returned later that season and also suffered a fractured leg as a senior in high school. When healthy, Marshall was a stud for LSU -- at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he caught 94 of 136 targets for 1,402 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Tigers. He has the frame to play outside, but he has experience running in the slot as well and is now reunited with his old offensive coordinator, Joe Brady. There's a strong chance Marshall challenges David Moore for the No.3 role in the offense right away.