2021 NFL ROOKIES

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ZAVEN COLLINS
LB, ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals signed No. 19 overall pick LB Zaven Collins to a four-year contract.

As is standard for first-round picks, the deal includes a fifth-year option for the Cardinals. Collins earned the Bronco Nagurski Award and Bednarik Award for his dominant final season at Tulsa. He is expected to take over Jordan Hicks' starting job as the MIKE linebacker for Arizona. A speedy defender who can help in coverage and sit on running lanes, Collins will pair with Isaiah Simmons to give the Cardinals a freakishly athletic linebacking duo.
SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Jun 8, 2021, 7:51 PM ET

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MAC JONES
QB, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Mac Jones had more first team snaps than Cam Newton Tuesday with the Athletic's Jeff Howe reporting he looked like "the best quarterback on the field."

Newton has been the opening practice with the first team in Patriots minicamp, but Jones got more first-team reps Tuesday and attempted more throws. Jones notably had two interceptions late in practice, which could stall his momentum if not fixed quickly. But Newton showed less consistent accuracy on Tuesday, flubbing a handful of throws. While a couple of strong days in June won’t hurt, Jones still has a long way to go to unseat Newton as the starter. Still, if he delivers a strong July and August it’s not completely out of the question for Jones to be under center in Week 1.
SOURCE: The Athletic

Jun 15, 2021, 5:01 PM ET

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JALEN MAYFIELD
G, ATLANTA FALCONS

Falcons signed third-round OG Jalen Mayfield to a four-year contract.

The Falcons also announced the signings of OL Jalen Mayfield, DL Ta'Quon Graham, OLB Adetokunbo Ogundeji, CB Avery Williams and WR Frank Darby. The Falcons announced Mayfield as a guard so we'll assume that's where he'll play if he gets to start in his rookie season. Atlanta lost two of their starting interior linemen in free agency so Mayfield will get the chance to start in Week 1 if he shows well in camp. Darby could see some work in his rookie season with Julio Jones out of the picture but will likely get his initial reps on special teams.

Jun 15, 2021, 3:14 PM ET

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JAYCEE HORN
DB, CAROLINA PANTHERS

Panther signed CB Jaycee Horn to a four-year deal worth $21.1 million.

The money is guaranteed. Horn will receive a $12.7 million signing bonus. Carolina drafted Horn over Justin Fields and Mac Jones with the eighth pick in the NFL Draft -- a curious move by a franchise that seemed intent on landing a QB of the future in the draft or free agency. Instead, they have Sam Darnold. The aggressive, hyper-athletic Horn should bolster a Panthers secondary graded by Pro Football Focus as the seventh worst coverage unit in the league last year. The Panthers allowed a 68 percent completion rate in 2020, the sixth highest in the NFL.
SOURCE: Alaina Getzenberg on Twitter

Jun 15, 2021, 10:43 AM ET

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RHAMONDRE STEVENSON
RB, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

MassLive's Chris Mason reports Patriots fourth-round RB Rhamondre Stevenson has shown "more pass-catching ability than expected" at OTAs.

"Billed as a LeGarrette Blount comp, fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson has showed a bit more pass-catching ability than expected," Mason writes. "The 230-pound back caught passes in 7-on-7 and team periods and doesn’t look one-dimensional." It's the same comparison Patriots RBs coach Ivan Fears used to describe Stevenson to kick-off OTAs, suggesting "he's probably a better pass receiver than even LeGarrette was." That role is obviously filled by James White, who averaged 13 routes per game last year ahead of Sony Michel (6) and Damien Harris (4.6), but there's still a terrific chance Michel is released during final cuts, allowing for another player to be active in his stead. Stevenson remains a terrific late-round option ahead of any official transaction for that reason, among others.
SOURCE: Chris Mason on Twitter

Jun 14, 2021, 5:21 PM ET

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TREVOR LAWRENCE
QB, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

NFL Network's James Palmer reports the Jaguars are being "cautious" with Trevor Lawrence, who has a hamstring injury.

In May, the team was being cautious with their prized No. 1 overall pick as he recovered from surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Now he's dealing with a hamstring issue. Palmer said Lawrence would be able to suit up and play in a game. The team doesn't want to risk Lawrence aggravating the injury and missing valuable minicamp reps. “It’s a little frustrating not being able to go full speed," Lawrence said Monday. Hopefully Lawrence can enter next month's training camp at full health. He's being drafted as the 15th quarterback off the draft board.
SOURCE: James Palmer on Twitter

Jun 14, 2021, 12:05 PM ET

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JAVONTE WILLIAMS
RB, DENVER BRONCOS

The Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran believes second-round rookie RB Javonte Williams will start for the Broncos in Week 1.

"I think he's the Week 1 starter," O'Halloran suggested. "You do not trade up in the second round for that position without having him earmarked to be your main guy. Melvin Gordon has been a complete no-show during OTAs. If they thought he was still the starter, I believe he would've made an appearance or two." Denver obviously leaped the pack for Williams on Day 2, trading pick No. 40 and a fourth-rounder to Atlanta in order to move up to No. 35 ahead of the Dolphins, who were rumored to be in on the 21-year-old in that range. Perhaps Gordon reports to mandatory minicamp June 15-17 and all of this immediately gets swept under the rug. Until that time, Williams' worst-case scenario is splitting touches while his best-case is opening the year ahead of Mike Boone as the de facto three-down runner.
SOURCE: Fantasy Sports Radio on Twitter

Jun 13, 2021, 11:29 PM ET

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TREY SERMON
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan reports 49ers RB Trey Sermon is "ahead of the curve" at OTAs.

With Raheem Mostert limited for precautionary reasons and Jeff Wilson (knee) absent for the next 4-6 months, Sermon was given all he could handle in first-team reps, "catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo as well as taking handoffs." He unsurprisingly appeared "ahead of the curve" after studying Kyle Shanahan's outside zone scheme before transferring to Ohio State (a similar offense) and finishing with rushing lines of 29/331/2 and 31/193/1 on national television. San Francisco's backfield averaged the third-most fantasy points as a unit last year and can undoubtedly eclipse that mark between the machination of Sermon, Mostert, Wilson, Wayne Gallman, 2020 UDFA JaMycal Hasty, and 2021 sixth-rounder Elijah Mitchell this season. Unfortunately, it's Sermon who continues to be drafted at a premium (in a timeshare nonetheless) as the overall RB28 ahead of Mostert (RB29).
SOURCE: NBC Sports Bay Area

Jun 13, 2021, 10:26 PM ET

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DERRICK BARNES
LB, DETROIT LIONS

Lions signed fourth-round LB Derrick Barnes to a four-year contract.

Barnes (6’0/238) was a nondescript two-star prospect who originally committed to Toledo before new Purdue HC Jeff Brohm offered him an opportunity to play Big Ten football. He earned a starting job as a sophomore and went on to have an extremely productive collegiate career, posting 225 tackles and 25.0 TFL while leading the team in sacks with 7.5 as an edge player in 2019. His sawed-off but muscular frame precipitated a move to off-ball linebacker in 2020, where he led the team in tackles with 54 and was named as a second team All-Big Ten performer. Considering how Barnes excelled in whatever role he was cast, it’s no surprise that his athleticism was confirmed in his pro day workout, running a 4.57 second 40-yard dash and a 37” vertical jump to go with a stellar 9.34 Relative Athletic Score. Though the versatile linebacker is on the short side, he makes up for it with impressive speed and acceleration to close on opposing ball carriers. If things break right, he could carve out an early down off-ball linebacker role a la former Lions LB Jarrad Davis.

Jun 18, 2021, 12:22 PM ET

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RICHIE GRANT
DB, ATLANTA FALCONS

Falcons signed second-round S Richie Grant to a four-year contract.

Grant (6'0/197) initially signed with UCF, the only FBS school to offer him, as a two-star WR/DB recruit in 2016, transitioning to safety full-time while redshirting his first year on campus. Grant earned first-team All-AAC honors in each of his three seasons as a starter, seeing most of his action as a free safety, with some time in the slot (6.78 three-cone) and in the box sprinkled throughout. When needed, Grant is plenty willing as a tackler and run fitter, though he is also still unrefined there. The Falcons lost starting safeties Ricardo Allen and Damontae Kazee this offseason, paving a path for Grant to potentially start in Week 1.

Jun 18, 2021, 12:20 PM ET

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TERRACE MARSHALL
WR, CAROLINA PANTHERS

Panthers signed second-round WR Terrace Marshall.

Marshall (6'2/205) played out wide with Vikings first-rounder Justin Jefferson and classmate Ja'Marr Chase in Joe Brady's National Championship offense in 2019, leading the country in contested catch rate (82%) and nearly matching Jefferson in receptions (21-20) until the former was injured and forced to miss three games. Marshall was moved into the slot without either in 2020 and led the Tigers in receiving (48/731/10) despite opting out after seven games. A salivating archetype with flat 4.4 straight-line speed, Marshall holds one of the highest ceilings among his class since he's already proven he can win from any alignment. He'll be 21 years old throughout his rookie year and is still expected to immediately start in Carolina's 11 personnel.
SOURCE: Pro Football Talk on Twitter

Jun 17, 2021, 9:35 AM ET

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JAYLEN TWYMAN
DT, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Vikings sixth-round DT Jaylen Twyman was shot four times in Washington, D.C. Monday but avoided serious injury and is expected to make a full recovery.

"Wrong place, wrong time," agent Drew Rosenhaus said. "He will make a full recovery." Twyman was visiting his aunt. He doesn't need surgery, and all wounds were superficial. Things obviously could've been much worse for the 199th overall pick out of Oklahoma State.
SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Jun 21, 2021, 9:11 PM ET

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ZAVEN COLLINS
LB, ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals first-round LB Zaven Collins was arrested for reckless driving in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday.

He was taken into custody late Sunday evening and released a short time later. There has been no comment from either the Cardinals or Collins, who could face disciplinary action from the league as a result of the arrest. As it stands, the No. 16 overall pick is still slated to start across from 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Simmons to open the year.
SOURCE: Pro Football Talk on Twitter

Jun 21, 2021, 4:12 PM ET

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MAC JONES
QB, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports Mac Jones "has done enough in the spring to merit a real competition with Cam Newton in the summer."

Breer said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has never used May and June practices to determine Week 1 starters, but rather to clean up fundamentals and improve conditioning. "The real test, to me, was always going to be in training camp, and more specifically when the pads go on," Breer said. "If Jones is out there with the first offensive-line group then, even if it’s just a percentage of those snaps, then I’d say we know something is afoot." Last week, The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported Jones was the team's best QB during minicamp. Though Belichick has taken every opportunity to heap praise on Newton this offseason, there seems to be a real chance Jones is under center for New England's opener against Miami, making Patriots pass catchers and running backs far more appealing in fantasy football.
SOURCE: SI.com

Jun 21, 2021, 12:48 PM ET

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NOAH GRAY
TE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

ESPN's Adam Teicher said "it's easy to see" how rookie TE Noah Gray "could get a significant amount of playing time" in 2021.

Teicher expects Gray -- a fifth rounder out of Duke -- to play in Kansas City's multiple tight end sets. The rookie could, per Teicher, see extended playing time if the Chiefs rest Travis Kelce during parts of the NFL's new 17-game season. Patrick Mahomes dropped back 96 times last season in multiple tight end sets, throwing for 899 yards and nine touchdowns with zero picks while taking just one sack. Gray, Duke's all-time leading tight end, has stood out in KC's offseason practices as a potential weapon in the team's already-explosive passing attack. He looks like a decent late-round flier in tight end premium formats this summer.
SOURCE: ESPN.com

Jun 21, 2021, 11:32 AM ET

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JUSTIN FIELDS
QB, CHICAGO BEARS

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports the Bears will give rookie QB Justin Fields "a lot" of playing time in the preseason.

"So if he’s going to start a move toward getting on the game field in the fall," Breer said of the 11th pick in the 2021 draft, "I’d think it’ll start with how he plays there." Chicago head coach Matt Nagy has been steadfast in insisting Andy Dalton will start the season for the Bears, leaving an ever-vanishing path for Fields to overtake the veteran this summer. Fields, meanwhile, is reportedly working on basics like getting the team in and out of the huddle during the Bears' offseason practices. A lightning fast rushing threat and deep ball specialist, Fields is set to become a preseason DFS staple this August.
SOURCE: SI.com

Jun 21, 2021, 10:01 AM ET

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JOE TRYON
DE, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Bucs signed rookie DE Joe Tryon to a four-year, $11.17 million contract.

Tryon's deal includes a $5.48 million signing bonus. The No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Washington sat out during the team's mandatory minicamp after undergoing a knee scope, but is expected back later this summer. The Bucs drafted the EDGE rusher after he impressed during his pro day, boasting above average testing marks with a 4.64 second 40-yard dash, 35” vertical jump, a 7.18 second three-cone and 22 bench reps. He opted out of the 2020 college season due to COVID-19.
SOURCE: Rick Stroud on Twitter

Jun 22, 2021, 11:22 AM ET

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TREY SERMON
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner believes Trey Sermon “looks poised to make an impact as a rookie.”

With Jeff Wilson (knee) out 4-6 months and Raheem Mostert limited, the 49ers got an extended look at Sermon with the starters this offseason. Sermon’s pass catching made a “strong first impression” on the coaching staff, something Wagoner expects to get him on the field early. The Wilson timetable and Mostert’s knee history have Sermon as one of the top running back hedges. The rookie third-rounder could open the year in a committee if he carries his strong OTAs into training camp.
SOURCE: ESPN

Jun 26, 2021, 11:42 AM ET

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ZACH WILSON
QB, NEW YORK JETS

According to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson looked "so comfortable" in new Jets OC Mike LaFleur's offense during OTAs and minicamp.

This is our first blurb on Wilson since he was taken with the No. 2 pick. Per Hughes, Wilson was "accurate, aggressive and regularly in control" throughout the spring. All the observations coming out of New York have been positive on Wilson. In what should be a much friendlier offense under LaFleur with a stronger supporting cast that includes Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder, Elijah Moore, and Denzel Mims at receiver, there's upside for Wilson, who is also an underrated athlete with his legs. For now, Wilson should be considered a back-end QB2 for fantasy.
SOURCE: The Athletic

Jun 30, 2021, 2:06 PM ET