NFL Player News

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.

The Seahawks selected Eskridge in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 56th overall.

Eskridge was a highly productive player Western Michigan and offers intriguing speed, but this generally seems like a reach pick. Eskridge (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) is smallish, and, while fast, his 4.40-second 40 time isn't quite in the burner category you'd like to see from a smaller, older prospect like Eskridge, who already turned 24 this spring. If he earns snaps, he should be a matter of fantasy interest in Seattle if only because of Russell Wilson's presence, but it's not a given he fully displaces Freddie Swain right off the bat for the WR3 role.

The Cardinals selected Moore in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 49th overall.

Arizona adds one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class by taking Moore in the second round. Moore showed his electrifying talent as a true freshman at Purdue by catching 114 of 160 targets for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns and adding 21 carries for 213 yards and two scores. He is a terror for defenses once he gets the ball in his hands. Moore is just 5-foot-7 but solidly built at 181 pounds with legendary weight-room numbers. He tested off the charts at the pro day with a 4.31 in the 40-yard dash and elite agility and jump scores to boot. The rub is that Moore's size is mostly unprecedented in terms of success stories at the NFL level. Injuries also held him to just seven games in his final two years at Purdue. His role was also one that doesn't really exist in NFL offenses -- an uber-high-volume target who rarely runs routes more than 10 yards downfield. Nonetheless, Arizona is an interesting landing spot, as the Cardinals could be looking for an upgrade to either Christian Kirk or Andy Isabella.

The Jets selected Moore in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 34th overall.

Moore (5-foot-10, 178 pounds) is smallish and is often referred to as a slot specialist as a result, but his athletic testing and collegiate production at Mississippi say he'll be a three-down contributor at some point early in his career, and perhaps a standout one. He was credited with a 4.35-second 40 at his pro day to go along with strong agility testing (4.0-second 20-yard shuttle, 6.67-second three-cone drill). Although Moore should be able to run routes effectively at outside receiver in the NFL, he would mainly project for slot snaps with the Jets since Corey Davis and Denzel Mims fit better on the outside. His arrival all but makes certain New York either trades or cuts incumbent slot wideout Jamison Crowder, and it otherwise seems to sentence free-agent acquisition Keelan Cole to a backup role.

Reagor will have a fellow first-round talent competing for targets alongside him this coming season after the Eagles selected DeVonta Smith out of Alabama with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Dave Spadaro of the team's official site reports.

Reagor never quite got going his rookie season as he battled a number of injuries early and a dysfunctional quarterback situation late. He finished 2020 with 31 catches for 396 yards and a touchdown, with 12 of those catches for 174 yards coming from Hurts in the last five games of the season. The addition of Smith should only help the 22-year-old, as it gives the offense another weapon to think about and defend. With Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson both jettisoned in the offseason, there should be plenty of looks for both young pass catchers.

The Giants used the 20th overall pick on wideout Kadarius Toney, making for an even more crowded receiving corps.

The Giants were already deep at the position with Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton, but Toney's routes are likely to overlap even more with Shepard's. Moreover, Evan Engram and pass-catching tailback Saquon Barkley should get their share of looks too. There are suddenly a lot of mouths to feed in this offense.

The Giants took Kadarius Toney with the 20th overall pick Thursday night, making for a more crowded receiving corps.

Slayton was already getting squeezed by the Kenny Golladay signing, and now he has another ostensibly prominent receiver with whom to compete. Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram are around, too, and tailback Saquon Barkley will see looks out of the backfield, making it hard to see Slayton increasing his target share this year.