Welcome to the Friday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
Not only is it Friday, but it's the Friday before a holiday weekend, which automatically makes today seven times better than all other Fridays. Some Fridays are definitely better than others and I thought about ranking them all, but we're not going to do that because we have plenty of other things to rank today, like KICKERS.
That's right, we'll be ranking the top 10 kickers in today's newsletter, plus we'll be going over the latest in the Deshaun Watson case.
On a completely unrelated note, you might want to save this newsletter and read it again Monday, because you won't be getting a new one that day. We'll be taking the Fourth of July off and then returning Tuesday.
As always, here's your weekly reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. All you have to do is click here and then share the link. Let's get to the rundown.
1. Today's show: Ranking the top 10 cornerbacks heading into the 2022 season
If you like hearing people talk about defensive backs, then you're going to love today's episode of the Pick Six Podcast. You're also going to love it because I'm on the show today and as we all know, the shows are 4.2% more enjoyable when I'm on.
I joined Will Brinson for today's episode, and we spent nearly 45 minutes ranking the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL.
Here's a look at the list we came up with:
Top 10 cornerbacks for 2022
1. Jalen Ramsey, Rams
2. A.J. Terrell, Falcons
3. Jaire Alexander, Packers
4. J.C. Jackson, Chargers
5. Marshon Lattimore, Saints
6. Xavien Howard, Dolphins
7. Tre'Davious White, Bills
8. Denzel Ward, Browns
9. Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
10. Darius Slay, Eagles
Although I just revealed our top 10 list of corners, I can't tell you exactly what we said on the podcast because we actually won't be recording it until noon ET today. If you're online at that time, you can watch it live on YouTube by clicking here. We'll be recording until about 12:45, so be sure to jump on and check us out.
2. Deshaun Watson hearing has concluded: Here's what's expected to happen next
It took three days, but the Deshaun Watson disciplinary hearing has finally concluded. The hearing was held in front of former federal judge, Sue L. Robinson, who will now decide whether Watson deserves to be punished.
If you're wondering how long it might take for Robinson to come to a decision, here's some information that might help clear up the timeline:
- Robinson has asked for post-hearing briefs from both sides. According to ESPN, Robinson has given each side a deadline of July 11 to turn in their post-hearing briefs. Robinson won't be making a decision until after she has those in hand, which means it's probably going to be close to two weeks before we hear from her.
- July 26 feels like the deadline for a decision. Although we don't know when the ruling will come, NFL.com has reported that all parties are expecting Robinson to render her decision before the Browns report for training camp, which comes July 26. This basically means we're looking at a two-week window from July 11 thru 25 for a decision.
- Best possible outcome for Watson. If Robinson rules that there were no CBA violations and decides not to suspend Watson, then the NFL can't appeal the decision. If that happens, the case would be over and Watson would be free to suit up in Week 1 for the Browns.
- Worst possible outcome for Watson. The worst outcome would be if the NFL gets what it wants: An indefinite suspension that would last at least one year. However, any suspension would be bad for Watson, at least if he plans to appeal it, and that's because Roger Goodell -- or someone he appoints -- would be in charge of any potential appeal. If Watson gets an eight-game suspension, the NFL could appeal, and at that point, Goodell would be in charge and he could theoretically increase the punishment.
Basically, although the hearing is over, it looks like the Watson drama will be going on for another week or two.
3. Ranking the 10 best kickers heading into the 2022 season
As you may or may not have noticed, we've been ranking every position group in the NFL over the past two weeks and believe it or not, we are down to our final two position groups: kickers and punters. Obviously, we decided to save the best for last.
Since I'm one of only about 11 people on the planet who actually enjoys writing about kickers, I was given the task of ranking the NFL's top 10 kickers this year. The good news for me is that nearly everyone on earth seems to agree that Justin Tucker is the best kicker in the NFL, so I don't have to waste any time trying to figure out who to put on top of this ranking.
After that, though, things get a little dicey. Here's a look at my top 10:
Top 10 kickers for 2022
1. Justin Tucker, Ravens
2. Chris Boswell, Steelers
3. Harrison Butker, Chiefs
4. Younghoe Koo, Falcons
5. Daniel Carlson, Raiders
6. Matt Gay, Rams
7. Jake Elliott, Eagles
8. Evan McPherson, Bengals
9. Robbie Gould, 49ers
10. Nick Folk, Patriots
Just missed: Graham Gano (Giants), Tyler Bass (Bills), Jason Sanders (Dolphins)
If you want to tell me how awesome my list is, you can do that on Twitter by clicking here. On the other hand, if you want to tell me I'm trash because I left Graham Gano off the list, you can also do that on Twitter.
Finally, if you want a detailed explanation of my kicker rankings, then be sure to click here so you can check out the entire story.
4. 10 best selling jerseys of 2022
Now that we've made it exactly halfway through the year, the NFL decided to release a list this week that revealed the top selling jerseys through the first six months of 2022. For some reason, I am oddly fascinated with lists like this, which is why I'm sharing it here.
Here's a look at the 10 best selling jerseys of 2022:
1. Broncos QB Russell Wilson
2. Bills QB Josh Allen
3. Raiders WR Davante Adams
4. Steelers QB Kenny Pickett
5. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
6. Patriots QB Mac Jones
7. Rams WR Cooper Kupp
8. Chargers QB Justin Herbert
9. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
10. Bengals QB Joe Burrow
The fact that Russell Wilson has sold the most jerseys isn't surprising at all. He just got traded to a new team in March, and I'm guessing everyone in Denver bought a Wilson jersey after that deal went down. The same logic applies to Davante Adams.
The two names that surprise me the most are Kenny Pickett and Tom Brady. Yes, I know Brady is Brady, but the man has been in the NFL for 22 YEARS and he's been in Tampa Bay for two years. You'd think everyone who wants a Brady jersey would have one by now, but clearly, that's not the case, because people keep buying them.
Pickett fascinates me because he's the only rookie on the list. The Steelers quarterback might not even start a game this year, which is why it's so surprising that he's selling so many jerseys. If I were a Steelers fan, I'd probably wait until he won the starting job before making an investment in a jersey. That being said I'M NOT a Steelers fans. We all know I'm a Bengals homer, and I'm guessing I single-handedly put Joe Burrow on this list.
5. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence talks to CBSSports.com
We've had a full week of interviews here at CBSSports.com. After talking to Justin Herbert, Micah Parsons and Miles Sanders over the past few days, we're going to close things out by talking to Trevor Lawrence.
The Jaguars QB talked with CBS Sports HQ this week, and here's a quick look at some of the biggest things Lawrence touched on in the interview:
- Lawrence seems very happy with the Doug Pederson hiring. "Obviously he played quarterback, he's won a Super Bowl as a player and as a coach, so he knows how to get there," Lawrence said. "He knows how to do it. I think that's really important to have in a leader like that. And just the energy he's brought to the building has been awesome, and really building that trust of the team, he's done a great job."
- Lawrence is looking forward to the clean slate that comes with a new season. Lawrence's rookie year was a total disaster, and although you can blame most of that on Urban Meyer, it still left a bad taste in his mouth. Lawrence is glad to be starting from scratch this year, "You have a new season, all the possibilities in front of you, everyone starts at the bottom, no one has any wins or losses," Lawrence said. "Just getting that chance to start fresh and really build this thing the right way. I think we've had a great offseason and we're building towards something special and just trying to fine-tune that every day to be as prepared as you can be when the first game comes, and then, getting better every week."
- What Lawrence learned from Jacksonville's nightmare 2021 season. "I think (last year) really taught me how to stay the same every day, to be consistent," Lawrence said. "Just my attitude, my work ethic, no matter how things are going. I know what it's like to struggle as a rookie. ... Now in my second year, I have a good feel for the schedule (and) can really feel like I'm prepared." Very nice of him not to just blame everything on Urban Meyer.
If you want to read more about the interview with Lawrence, then be sure to click here. If you want to see a video of the full interview, you can do that on YouTube by clicking here.
6. Rapid-fire roundup: Jaylon Ferguson's cause of death revealed
It's been a wild 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Medical examiner releases Jaylon Ferguson's cause of death. The Ravens outside linebacker died from the "combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine," a spokesman for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told The Baltimore Sun today. The 26-year-old, who was unresponsive when police found him last month, passed away on June 21.
- Falcons sign Bradley Pinion. The Falcons have a new punter. One week after being cut by the Buccaneers, Bradley Pinion already has a new team. The veteran punter signed a one-year deal with the Falcons on Thursday. Pinion spent the past three seasons in Tampa and has been in the NFL since 2015.
- Oakland throws Hail Mary to try and win lawsuit against NFL. After watching St. Louis win a $790 million relocation lawsuit against the NFL, Oakland was hoping to do the same, but that's likely not going to happen. Oakland's lawsuit against the NFL was dismissed by a federal judge and now, the city is taking things to the Supreme Court in hopes of getting a more favorable ruling, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- Michael Vick facing $1.2 million lawsuit. According to the Miami Herald, Vick took out a $400,000 loan in 2018 that was given to him with the understanding that he'd use future earnings to pay it back. Vick has apparently not paid anything back, and now, the debt has shot up to more than $1 million.
