NFL Player News

The Cardinals selected Johnson in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 174th overall.

The Fresno State product is yet another weapon for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals after Arizona already took Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler. Johnson is a different type of receiver from those other two; he checks in as an average-sized receiver (6-foot-1, 201) with below-average speed (4.60 40-yard dash). That lack of eye-popping athleticism didn't stop him from racking up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Bulldogs. He's a smooth route runner who will start out as a depth option for the Cardinals, but he has some tools that could help him develop into a starter down the line.

The Giants selected Slayton in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 171st overall.

The re-tooling Giants get an intriguing athlete in Slayton, whose 6-foot-1 frame and 4.39 speed only begin to summarize his athleticism considering the Auburn product also posted a 40.5-inch vertical and 135-inch broad jump. Many people thought he could have come off the board much quicker, so it looks like New York got a nice value here. With the depth chart largely unsettled behind Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard, Slayton could realistically carve out a regular role as a rookie, but even if he does, his value will be hindered by the Eli Manning's aging arm for at least another season.

The Raiders selected Renfrow in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 149th overall.

Adam Humphries opened up a world of opportunity for undersized, under-athletic Clemson slot wideouts with mediocre production, and Renfrow is the first beneficiary. Renfrow is a pure slot receiver at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, and his 4.59-second 40 won't frighten anyone, but he has innate skill in the underneath game and showed an encouraging 6.8-second three-cone drill at the combine. The Raiders realistically only have Ryan Grant in Renfrow's way for slot snaps, so a rookie-year role can't be ruled out despite him posting just 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns in four seasons at Clemson.

The Seahawks selected Jennings in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 120th overall.

The Seahawks have done some weird things in the draft, but this selection along with second-round pick D.K. Metcalf appear to be strong selections both. Metcalf is a killer downfield threat, while Jennings (6-foot-1, 214 pounds) brings a polished skill set with outside and slot interchangeability. Jennings was highly productive at West Virginia, where over the last two years he caught 70.9 percent of his targets at 9.5 yards per target while piling up 151 catches for 2,013 yards and 14 touchdowns in 24 games. Jennings also tested very well at the combine, posting a 4.42-second 40, 37-inch vertical, and 127-inch broad jump. Just like the Metcalf selection, Jennings' arrival is bad news for the otherwise promising David Moore.

The Cardinals selected Butler in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 103rd overall.

Butler (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) is a towering target out of Iowa State who poses a unique downfield threat thanks to his combination of height, speed (4.48-second 40) and catch radius (35 and 1/4-inch arms). He might create more highlight plays on a per-snap basis than any other receiver in the draft, but concerns over his consistency probably pushed him this far. Butler struggled with drops at times at Iowa State, and he might need some time to adjust to NFL press coverage, so he might not be ready for a big play count right away in an offense that already features Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald, second-round pick Andy Isabella and the perhaps overlooked Trent Sherfield. But even in the meantime Butler stands out as Arizona's best jumpball target, and that novelty could help him get his foot in the door. Butler definitely has the tools, the question is just whether he can add the polish. There is some legitimate cause for anxiety on that front, as his dominant 2018 season (60 catches for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns) occurred at age 22.5, and the year prior he lost out to undrafted Allen Lazard as the team's lead receiver. He's a high-ceiling, low-floor dynasty target.

General manager Howie Roseman said his selection of wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in the second round won't impact Agholor's future with the Eagles, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. "Nelson is an important part of our football team," Roseman said. "He's an important part of what we're trying to do. We're really excited to have him here."

Scheduled for a $9.4 million salary under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, Agholor has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason, though it isn't clear if the Eagles have seriously considered moving him. His wealth of experience from the slot and proficiency in the short passing game should allow for a meaningful role even after the team added Arcega-Whiteside to a position group that also includes Alshon Jeffery (ribs) and DeSean Jackson (Achilles). Health concerns likely are part of the equation, as Jeffery and Jackson have combined for 27 absences the past four years, both dealing with a number of different injuries. Of course, it's still possible the Eagles explore a trade for Agholor, who is unlikely to match his target volume from the past two seasons (95 and 97) if he sticks around in Philadelphia. It's easy enough to argue he'd be more valuable to another team.

The Ravens selected Boykin in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 93rd overall.

Boykin was a late bloomer at Notre Dame, failing to exceed 253 yards in a season until his redshirt junior year in 2018, but at least he closed out his career with 59 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 targets in 2018. The real selling point with Boykin is his size and athleticism, however. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he absolutely torched the combine. He ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash along with his crowning achievements, a 43.5-inch vertical and 140-inch broad jump. He even posted a strong agility score by any standard (10.84), let alone for a wideout as big as he is. With tools like this, it's reasonable to project further development. However, Baltimore might not afford him much volume initially, especially with first-round pick Marquise Brown already in the fold.

The Redskins selected McLaurin in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 76th overall.

McLaurin (6-feet, 208 pounds) has slightly advanced age as a redshirt senior, but the Ohio State product's athletic tools are top-shelf (4.35-second 40, 37.5-inch vertical, 125-inch broad jump) and his production was blistering on a per-opportunity basis. His 90 targets over the last two years resulted in 64 receptions for 1,137 yards and 17 touchdowns (71.1 percent catch rate, 12.6 YPT). McLaurin also received good reviews for his Senior Bowl work. Washington needed help at receiver, and McLaurin certainly can provide them some routes this year. It remains to be seen how many he'll be granted and how much the Washington quarterbacks can capitalize.

The Steelers selected Johnson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 66th overall.

Johnson was the only combine invite of Toledo's big three at receiver, with teammates Jon'Vea Johnson and Cody Thompson being left out of the proceeings. Johnson curiously is the worst athlete of the three, running only a 4.53-second 40 at just 5-foot-11, 183 pounds. His vertical (33.5 inches) and agility score (11.54) are poor as well. The NFL is evidently sold on his route running and hands, which are likely the main reason he posted 2,039 yards and 21 touchdowns over his last 27 games. Pittsburgh already has two slot prospects in Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer, so it might be tough for Johnson to make an immediate impact in the passing game. However, he's a standout punt returner who could make a strong case for himself on special teams. This selection also might indicate a general intention to give more outside snaps to Juju Smith-Schuster.

The Seahawks selected Metcalf in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 64th overall.

It's not clear whether teams were scared off by any lingering concerns over Metcalf's season-ending foot and neck injuries in 2016 and 2018, respectively, but if not, it's difficult to explain why he'd fall this far. Even if his skill set isn't well-rounded -- his infamously poor agility testing at the combine (11.88 agility score) is truly the stuff of legends -- Metcalf poses such a profound downfield threat at 6-foot-3, 228 pounds with 4.33 speed that it's curious no team chased his upside earlier than this. Doug Baldwin's durability is deteriorating and the Seahawks might move Tyler Lockett into the slot before long, in which case a sizable opening would present itself for Metcalf as the team's primary downfield receiver. In the meantime, he'll need to fight for precious few downfield targets alongside Lockett and David Moore. However, it's notable that coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer were notoriously averse to throwing the ball last season, a factor that could cap Metcalf's rookie production if it carries over into 2019.