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Eli Manning might’ve missed the live event, but he still beat Brady:
Today’s NFL update:
- ✂️ NFL Network’s latest cut
- 🔬 More draft picks, more wins?
- ✉️ Mailbag Q&A
- 🆓 Compensatory picks
Importance of draft picks: Do more picks equal more wins?
Unsure if a high number of draft picks correlates to wins, I ran the numbers for the past 10 completed seasons, looking at the total draft picks, total first-round picks and total wins for all 32 teams. A few things stood out:
- No first-rounders, no problem: We know trading down is smart. How about trading for veterans? Since 2014, the Rams have made just four first-round picks (32nd) yet have 87 wins, good for 12th among teams, plus two Super Bowl appearances and one championship. Instead of top rookies, the Rams acquired players like Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey.
- The Baltimore exception: Four teams have made 13 first-round picks in the last 10 years, most in the NFL: the Giants, Jaguars and Jets, the three teams with the worst records across that span. Bad teams chasing big-name hope, rather than building steadily? The fourth team: the Ravens, who won 98 games (tied for seventh-best) with a best-player-available approach.
- Most draft picks since 2014? The Vikings (99 picks), 49ers (95) and Packers (95) are the top three, and combined to win an average of nine games per season.
- Fewer picks, no problem? The Saints (61), Dolphins (61) and Eagles (65) are bottom three in draft picks since 2014, yet they also combined to average nine wins per season — despite having 30 fewer picks over the past 10 years.
Biggest takeaway? More teams need to draft Patrick Mahomes, as the Chiefs ranked first with 117 wins. It’s not always about how early you pick, but what you do with those picks, as Rams HC Sean McVay must have discovered early on.
NFL Network cuts Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin, who had been on rocky ground with NFL Network, was the most recent victim of the seemingly endless cuts at the league’s television wing. He joins a long list of alumni from a place keen on reducing costs in all sectors. Along with moving “Good Morning Football” from New York to its Los Angeles studios, NFL Network has also shut down “NFL Total Access” after more than two decades on the air.
Why the cost-cutting? As someone who worked as a corporate lawyer (*shudders*), I often saw trims prior to acquisitions. In this case, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re connected to negotiations the NFL has had with ESPN, conversations on which The Athletic reported in January.
The league has reportedly spent months in talks to send NFL Network and other NFL Media properties — such as NFL+, Red Zone and NFL.com — to ESPN in exchange for a minority stake in the Disney-owned network.
But, as The Athletic pointed out in January, there are important questions to answer. How would ESPN Bet factor into such an arrangement? How does the NFL balance this relationship with its other network partners, who also shell out billions to televise the league?
The NFL owning part of a company with a sports betting platform is one way to make former commissioner Pete Rozelle turn in his grave. That’s a longer conversation. For now, just don’t touch Scott Hanson and Red Zone. My Sunday afternoons are sacred.
Your Questions, Their Answers: Beat writer insights
I wanted to highlight three insights from The Athletic’s beat reporters, but first, a Scoop City exclusive:
Q: What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed in the Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh era?
“One big difference is how much of an emphasis Harbaugh and his staff are putting on the running game and the offensive line. The previous regime invested in offensive line talent, but the intention behind cultivating that physical, line-of-scrimmage mentality was missing.
“Harbaugh has also started to put his touches on building a team-first approach. ‘The team, the team, the team,’ as he calls it. He reorganized the locker room so players are assigned lockers by their jersey numbers as opposed to by position group. The idea is this will create more intermingling among different position groups. Just one example.” — Daniel Popper
Q: Any chance the Broncos bring back S Justin Simmons on a different contract? – John H.
“Until Simmons signs elsewhere, nothing is impossible … Still, I don’t see it as likely with Simmons because I still think there’s going to be a deal out there for him that Denver couldn’t — or wouldn’t want to — match. I’d expect he’ll land a sizable contract with a team (something like $20 million over two years, perhaps) with another team before the start of training camp.” — Nick Kosmider’s Broncos mailbag
Q: What in the world are [the 49ers] going to do with all those WRs? – George S.
“Let’s say they keep six receivers on the 53-man squad and another two on the practice squad, which is what they did for a stretch of the 2023 season. The locks for the 53-man squad would be: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
“That leaves Chris Conley, Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, Trent Taylor, Danny Gray, Tay Martin and Terique Owens duking it out for four spots.” — Matt Barrows’ post-draft 49ers mailbag
Q: Any update on CB Stephon Gilmore and the Panthers?
“Bottom line: There’s been no movement on this front despite the media interest. Maybe something will materialize with Gilmore closer to training camp.” That said, Joe also notes that “It’s fair to wonder whether the Panthers might look for a younger, more cost-effective option to supplement their cornerbacks.” — Joe Person’s Panthers update
Around the NFL
Austin Mock shared realistic expectations for this rookie QB class: Can anyone live up to C.J. Stroud?
Meet RB Audric Estimé, a fifth-round pick from Notre Dame who took a path to the Broncos that required patience, purpose and punishing runs. Nick Kosmider has the insightful story.
Former Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh helped the Bengals vet and ultimately decide on WR Jermaine Burton. Paul Dehner Jr. shares the story behind the first-round talent whom Cincinnati drafted in the third.
Speaking of the Bengals, they shared a video of QB Joe Burrow throwing with zip. He practiced yesterday for the first time since suffering a season-ending wrist injury last November.
RB Rashaad Penny intends to sign with the Panthers, where the 28-year-old would join fellow Seahawks alumni HC Dave Canales. Penny, a first-round pick in 2018, has a career yards-per-carry average (5.6) that ranks fourth among RBs with at least 100 carries since 2018.
The Raiders signed former Chargers WR Jalen Guyton, who played for GM Tom Telesco in LA. He joins Michael Gallup as another new receiving option Vegas, who needs a QB …
Over the Cap’s Nick Korte shared his updated list of 2025 compensatory picks. The below screenshot shows the anticipated picks in rounds three and four, a silver lining for Miami.
Jacob’s Picks
📕 Winding road. Vikings’ fourth-round pick CB Khyree Jackson has Pro Bowl talent, but not long ago considered a career as a professional NBA 2K player. (The Athletic)
📺 The Playmaker. Before the yelling, sweating and laughing on television, Michael Irvin was the Cowboys’ No. 88. NFL Throwback compiled his top 25 career plays. (YouTube)
🎙 Meet Caleb Williams, who joined the Pivot Podcast prior to the draft to discuss adversity, his mindset and how he hopes to change the culture in Chicago. (Spotify, Apple)
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(Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
