{"id":581860,"date":"2026-04-13T15:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/581860\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:46:09","slug":"the-prospect-who-makes-sense-for-the-jets-at-no-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/581860\/","title":{"rendered":"The Prospect Who Makes Sense for the Jets at No. 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Jump to a topic<a href=\"#inline-text-3\">New York Jets<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-22\">Which teams could trade up<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-31\">Eagles and A.J. Brown<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-42\">Houston Texans<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-52\">Quarterback prospects<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-59\">2027 QB outlook<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-65\">Reuben Bain Jr.<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-73\">Indianapolis Colts<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-81\">New York Giants<\/a><a href=\"#inline-text-87\">Quick-hitters<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8f\">We\u2019re 10 days away until the first night of the NFL draft, and we\u2019re working the phones. Here are some of the early things we\u2019ve gathered for this week\u2019s takeaways \u2026<\/p>\n<p>New York Jets<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8l\">There\u2019s a reason why a consensus seems to be crystallizing that Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey will be the second pick in the draft. For a while now, we have all been operating under the presumption that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/albert-breer-takeaways-raiders-have-done-their-homework-fernando-mendoza-2026-nfl-draft\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the Raiders are going to select Indiana Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza<\/a> off the board early in the 8 p.m. ET hour. And to be clear, the idea that Bailey will be a Jet isn\u2019t exactly a fait accompli yet.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8o\">But a lot of things are lining up\u2014and the main one, to me, is the spot the Jets are in.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8r\">Ownership had a heavy hand in head coach Aaron Glenn blowing up his first coaching staff and doing it in phases, first firing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Dec. 15, then six lower-level assistants on Jan. 23, then offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Jan. 27. After that, the Jets went down the road with experienced DC Wink Martindale\u2014and a list of other candidates they announced as interviewees\u2014before pulling back on the premise they were paying Wilks around $3 million not to coach in 2026, and going with an off-list candidate.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8u\">That has left Glenn as the defensive play-caller, new OC Frank Reich as the offensive play-caller and the entire staff, after a total of 12 assistants were whacked, under a lot of pressure. It\u2019s clear the late-2025 rumblings that owner Woody Johnson wasn\u2019t happy with the state of his team will only get louder if the Jets stumble out of the gate in \u201926.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8x\">At the same time, despite all the tumult, a roster that was stripped of most of its best players from the 2024 team, and a five-game losing skid that ended a 3\u201314 season, capped by a blowout loss to the Bills\u2019 backups, Glenn never lost his team. And given that and everything else, including high-profile, in-season trades of stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, it\u2019s pretty remarkable the first-year coach pulled that off.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"90\">The trouble from here is twofold. One, ownership has already flashed impatience. And at some point, the coaches must have some proof of concept in what they\u2019re trying to build.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"96\">That, to me, is where the decision on the second pick comes in. Having dealt away Williams and Jermaine Johnson, and emptied out the deep crew of pass rushers Robert Saleh had assembled, the Jets were among the worst teams in football last year at getting after the quarterback. For that reason, it makes sense that Bailey and Ohio State\u2019s Arvell Reese would be two guys discussed for the No. 2 pick.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"99\">All of the above is why Bailey makes more sense for the Jets than Reese.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9c\">Yes, the Jets are set up to build with an eye on the long term. They have five first-round picks in the next two drafts, four of the top 44 picks this year and a stopgap in Geno Smith at quarterback. But they need results now. That doesn\u2019t mean they need to win 11 or 12 games this year. It does mean they need to create light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9f\">They need that for the owner, and to give the locker room reason to keep grinding along.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9i\">This is no affront to Reese\u2014but of the two, Bailey is clearly that guy. Where with Reese, you must have a plan to use and develop him at positions he has great ability but not much experience at, there\u2019s not a lot of that with Bailey. His ceiling isn\u2019t as high as Reese\u2019s, but no one has to close their eyes and conjure up a vision for what he\u2019ll be as a pro.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9l\">Which, with Reese, is precisely what you need to do.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9o\">\u201cHe\u2019s maybe as physically gifted as anyone in the draft,\u201d said one exec of Reese. \u201cIt\u2019s time on task\u2014he\u2019s never spent a ton of time at one spot. Off the ball, he\u2019s got a ton of ability. He can rush the passer, and that\u2019s probably where his greatest value is. You want to have a vision for the guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9r\">In other words, it might take time, and time is at a premium for Glenn and his staff.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9u\">Bailey is the guy who\u2019ll help now\u2014help get a defensive system off the ground, help create belief in the locker room and help provide that light at the end of the tunnel. He\u2019s worthy of the pick, too, with sparkling advanced statistics backing up a lot of tape showing a plug-and-play, hand-in-the-ground pass rusher. That explains why so many NFL folks see this one coming down the tracks and why it would make so much sense for the Jets.<\/p>\n<p>Which teams could trade up<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a6\">Teams picking behind the Jets are looking to move down. Count the Cardinals, Titans, Giants, Browns and Commanders among those already looking at trying to drop down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/2026-nfl-draft-order-for-all-seven-rounds\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in the order<\/a> to accumulate capital. The problem for those five is finding teams to move up.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a9\">I\u2019d say there are two players who could provoke such a move.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ac\">One is Reese, assuming Bailey is off the board at No. 2. His value from team to team will differ, but the high end is really, really high, and with this new genre of off-the-ball\/on-the-ball, Swiss Army knife linebackers (Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker, Jihaad Campbell et al.), more teams have a home for guys with his profile. And if you\u2019re scared off by Rueben Bain Jr.\u2019s arm length\u201430 7\/8-inch arms\u2014and some are, the drop from Reese to the next rusher might be massive.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-26\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"af\">The other player who could inspire a trade is Jeremiyah Love, based on the sort of difference-maker he can be for an offense and the high-volume nature of the impact he can make. Of course, a team would have to be comfortable valuing a running back that way, but he\u2019s very much in the Saquon Barkley\u2013Zeke Elliott\u2013Bijan Robinson\u2013Christian McCaffrey class as a tough, rugged inside runner with the ability as a receiver to stay on the field in all situations.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-27\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ai\">So who would trade up to select one of those two? The Saints, who pick eighth, have shown a willingness to get aggressive in the past and have a pass-rush need. There\u2019s also Dallas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-28\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"al\">The Cowboys could view Reese like they did Parsons in 2021. They also have two first-round picks. On the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drafttek.com\/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">draft value chart<\/a>, the 12th and 20th picks add up to 2,050 points, which is in between the value of the third (2,200) and fourth (1,800) picks. Would Arizona take a slight discount or ask Dallas for its third-rounder, which would leave the Cowboys with just one pick in the top 100? It\u2019s interesting to ponder, anyway.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-29\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ao\">At this point, for teams picking that high, it\u2019s going to be challenging to find partners to move into that range. It\u2019s more likely that we\u2019ll get more movement in the middle of the first round than we do at the top of it.<\/p>\n<p>Eagles and A.J. Brown<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-32\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"aw\">The Eagles now have at least built in the flexibility to move A.J. Brown after June 1. By now, you should know the realities of this situation: If Philadelphia trades Brown today, all the dead money (money Philly pushed forward previously in the contract for cap relief) will accelerate on to its 2026 cap, creating a dead-money hit of $43.515 million. If the Eagles move him after June 1, they\u2019d push $27.161 million of that charge over to their 2027 cap (leaving just the $16.353 million in cap debt already on their 2026 cap).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-33\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"az\">With Brown\u2019s cap number at $23.393 million for this year, trading him now would mean adding $20.11 million in charges to their 2026 cap, while trading him after June 1 could save them around $7.04 million on their 2026 cap (albeit with a \u201927 charge of $27.162 million looming).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-34\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b2\">So the lingering question, accounting for all this, is what Philly would do at the position if Brown isn\u2019t part of their equation for 2026. We have some answers now.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-35\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b5\">Friday\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/what-eagles-trade-for-dontayvion-wicks-could-mean-for-aj-brown-wr-room\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">trade for Packers veteran Dontayvion Wicks<\/a> was the latest one. They\u2019d already signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore. And they have six of the first 137 picks in a receiver-deep draft. Now, to expect any one of those three\u2014or a rookie\u2014to be what A.J. Brown has been for the team would be stupid. But put together, they\u2019re complementary pieces to place around DeVonta Smith and at least make the idea of dealing their three-time All-Pro receiver without turning the position into a weakness feasible.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-36\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b8\">And I really like Wicks, for what it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-37\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bb\">He\u2019s a big-bodied receiver with a lot of untapped potential. He has never had so much as a single 100-yard game, but that was also the case with Romeo Doubs, who just signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Patriots. Those two were together with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed the past three years in Green Bay, and last year top-100 picks Matthew Golden and Savion Williams joined that fray as well. The logjam created a fight for snaps, and also an idea among rival evaluators that there might be more meat on the bone with these guys.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-38\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"be\">So maybe Wicks will break out in Philly (the team gave him a one-year extension to protect itself, if that happens), maybe he won\u2019t. Either way, he\u2019s a good player to have in the mix at a baseline, and a good get for a fifth-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder in 2027. That also gives the Eagles the flexibility to move Brown.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-39\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bh\">Whether they will remains to be seen, at least for probably another seven weeks or so.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp3m4m86ys6h50bbeb.jpg\" alt=\"Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. \" title=\"Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. \" width=\"3728\" height=\"2097\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"bt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. could be in line for a $50 million per year extension. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>Houston Texans<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-43\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c0\">I believe defensive end Will Anderson Jr. will have a new contract with the Texans at the start of the 2026 season. I\u2019m not as sure about QB C.J. Stroud. And that, to me, boils down to this: There is zero question about Anderson\u2019s long-term viability as an elite player at his position; that\u2019s not the case with Stroud, who has been up and down since a starry rookie year.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-44\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c3\">With Anderson, the question really is the price point. Nick Bosa changed the market in 2023, landing a deal at $34 million per year, well above T.J. Watt\u2019s $28 million deal. Maxx Crosby topped Bosa at $35.5 million 18 months later, and weeks after that, Myles Garrett pushed the market to $40 million per year. Months later, T.J. Watt got $41 million per year, then Parsons landed at $46 million per year after he was traded.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-45\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c6\">Given that wild rate of inflation, it would be a stunner if Anderson went for less than $50 million per year, and the Texans showed last year with Derek Stingley Jr. that they have a desire to get these deals done early. Yes, that price sounds wild, but the market isn\u2019t going to reverse itself, and this is a guy who is legitimately the standard as a worker and a player that head coach DeMeco Ryans wants to set.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-46\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c9\">So let\u2019s say in June, Houston signs Anderson to a four-year, $200 million extension.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-47\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cc\">Then what? At that point, having another big piece locked up long-term, and not having the quarterback they took with the No. 2 pick in 2023 signed, would be glaring. And given that Dak Prescott\u2019s deal done at $60 million per year is now over a year and a half old, the next big one most certainly could be at $65 million or $70 million per year, with guarantees topping $200 million.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-48\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cf\">Given how last year ended, it would make sense if the Texans wanted to wait another year, the way the Dolphins did with Tua Tagovailoa or the Packers (essentially) did with Jordan Love.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-49\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ci\">There\u2019d be a lot of noise that would come along with that, of course.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-50\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cl\">Then again, seeing how Stroud handled that might get Houston closer to its final answer on him.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback prospects<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-53\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ct\">There\u2019s a good chance Mendoza and Ty Simpson will be the only quarterbacks taken during the first two days of the draft. That would be the first time only two quarterbacks went in the first three rounds since back-to-back years in the 1990s: It was only Jim Druckenmiller and Jake Plummer in 1997, and Tony Banks and Bobby Hoying the year before that. It also, by the way, sort of makes sense.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-54\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cw\">History tells us that quarterbacks mostly go in the first round or fall through. The evidence is pretty straightforward. Since 2000, 77 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round, 25 in the second round and 35 in the third. It has been over a decade since multiple quarterbacks went in the second round (Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-55\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cz\">The logic for that is simple. If you think a quarterback can be your full-time starter, you\u2019re probably drafting him in the first round. And if you don\u2019t see a guy that way, you probably won\u2019t take him in the second or third rounds, where full-time starters are probably going to be available to you at other positions.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-56\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"d2\">Anyway, I think this year could be a sort of case study in that. Mendoza is the first pick, a potential franchise player. Simpson has NFL starter tape, but maybe not NFL starter tools, which is why he\u2019d go in the second round (that\u2019s where I think he\u2019ll land) rather than the first. Then you have LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State\u2019s Drew Allar, Miami\u2019s Carson Beck, Arkansas\u2019s Taylen Green and North Dakota State\u2019s Cole Payton, and I feel like teams would be taking fliers on those guys.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-57\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"d5\">Is it possible a couple of those guys will be taken in the third round? Sure. But I don\u2019t know which ones, and I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s likely, either.<\/p>\n<p>2027 QB outlook<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-60\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dd\">The 2027 class affects that, too. The list is long: Oregon\u2019s Dante Moore, Texas\u2019s Arch Manning, Notre Dame\u2019s CJ Carr, Ohio State\u2019s Julian Sayin, USC\u2019s Jayden Maiava, South Carolina\u2019s LaNorris Sellers, LSU\u2019s Sam Leavitt, Texas Tech\u2019s Brendan Sorsby, Ole Miss\u2019s Trinidad Chambliss, Oklahoma\u2019s John Mateer, Miami\u2019s Darian Mensah and UCLA\u2019s Nico Iamaleava.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-61\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dg\">You get the picture. Throw in dark-horse transfers such as DJ Lagway at Baylor and Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State, and you have 14 quarterbacks who at least have a chance of being taken high in 2027.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-62\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dj\">Now, what next year\u2019s class lacks is the sure things, quarterbacks who are virtual locks to land in the top 10, like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye were a year ahead of time in 2023, or Trevor Lawrence was for virtually his entire college career. Moore is the closest to that, as it stands now. But with more than a dozen guys considered in this running and the chance that others emerge from outside the group, there\u2019s a good chance next year will be a quarterback-rich year for teams in need.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-63\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dm\">That\u2019s why, as I see it, the Jets, Browns, Dolphins and Cardinals are kicking the can down the road a year (though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/malik-willis-stuck-with-worst-roster-in-nfl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">getting Malik Willis<\/a> is a worthy swing by Miami at perhaps settling the position in another way). It\u2019s also why teams may spend their second- and third-round picks at other positions this year, knowing there\u2019s likely going to be not just a few franchise guys, but a lot of depth coming in 2027.<\/p>\n<p>Reuben Bain Jr.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-66\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"du\">The Rueben Bain Jr. car accident reported by The Read Optional on Sunday is something NFL teams have been aware of for quite some time. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.readoptional.com\/p\/rueben-bain-linked-to-2024-miami\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ollie Connolly story<\/a> detailed a March 17, 2024, crash in which Bain\u2019s vehicle struck another car, per the police report, on I-95 in Miami, then hit concrete barriers on both sides of the highway. The accident left one of four passengers in Bain\u2019s car, 22-year-old college student Destiny Betts, from Georgia, who was visiting on spring break, in a coma. Betts died June 13, 2024.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-67\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"dx\">The Miami-Dade court system also has records of a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AlbertBreer\/status\/2043459475902701568\" rel=\"nofollow\">lawsuit, later settled<\/a>, filed by the driver of the other vehicle in the accident.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-68\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"e0\">Obviously, this is a terrible tragedy. And that Betts\u2019s family and friends might have to relive it now as part of Bain\u2019s draft process is awful. They\u2019ve already been through a lot, and what they\u2019ve dealt with is bigger than where Bain gets selected on April 23.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-69\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"e3\">But the reason this has come out is because Bain\u2019s a football player, and this could materially affect where he plays football in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-70\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"e6\">However, teams have known about this for some time and have vetted it\u2014and Bain\u2014since the fall, given that he\u2019s a top prospect. The GM of one team picking in the top 10 told me Bain didn\u2019t seem willing to discuss the incident when questioned on it. An exec with another team in the top 10 said Bain was open \u201cto the extent he could be\u201d about the situation.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-71\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"e9\">For what it\u2019s worth, I don\u2019t think this is going to change where Bain gets picked in the draft. This isn\u2019t exactly a curveball for the people involved.<\/p>\n<p>Indianapolis Colts<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-74\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"eh\">Kenny Moore II could be a good addition for a team. As ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter reported last week, the Colts and the veteran nickel corner agreed to explore a trade that could lead to the team captain being traded after nine years in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-75\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ek\">First of all, he\u2019s still a good football player.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-76\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"en\">Now 30, Moore had six pass breakups, an interception, 1.5 sacks and three tackles for losses in 14 games last year. As you\u2019d expect from a guy who has been a captain four times, he\u2019s also a front-of-the-room type who was nominated by the team for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award the past two years. His position, too, has taken on greater importance across the NFL\u2014guys who were once purely nickels, playing part-time, are now viewed as starters.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-77\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"eq\">As for potential landing spots, I think Dallas would be one, with the nickel being an important piece in new coordinator Christian Parker\u2019s defense and the Cowboys having a hole after Jourdan Lewis\u2019s departure to the Jaguars last year. The Vikings are another potential fit, with Moore\u2019s versatility meshing, at least on paper, with how DC Brian Flores builds his defense. Those teams being in the NFC should also make them likely suitors, assuming Indy would rather not help out a conference rival.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-78\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"et\">Moore, who will turn 31 in August, is in a contract year, so that\u2019ll drive down his value some. But if the price was a Day 3 pick on the higher end, and I had a need like Dallas and Minnesota, I\u2019d probably do it.<\/p>\n<p>New York Giants<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-82\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"f5\">I think Dexter Lawrence II will remain a Giant. Looking back at the history of John Harbaugh and how he and his teams have valued big men on both sides of the ball over the years, it would seem likely that he and GM Joe Schoen and his staff will find a way to keep Lawrence. As we wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/dexter-lawrence-contract-disputes-trend\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">last Wednesday<\/a>, Lawrence hitting the nonguaranteed phase of his deal, along with a new staff, made this sort of dustup between the team and its star defensive tackle likely, but it\u2019s still manageable.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-83\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"f8\">Lawrence has $20 million due this year and $22 million due next year. This year, he has an $18.5 million base salary, $500,000 workout bonus and $1 million in per-game roster bonuses; next year, he has a $2.5 million roster bonus and an $18 million base salary, plus another $500,000 workout bonus and $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-84\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fb\">The Giants will either extend the 28-year-old, who is coming off a bit of a down year, or they will guarantee a portion of his pay and add meaningful incentives.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-85\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fe\">As I see it, this shouldn\u2019t be too complicated, and I don\u2019t see the Giants moving Lawrence unless some other team goes way off-script with a trade offer. New York already has the makings of a really good defensive front. No need to mess with that.<\/p>\n<p>Quick-hitters<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-88\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fm\">And here are a few more notes on what I\u2019m hearing as we draw closer to the draft\u2026<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-89\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fp\">\u2022 I\u2019d say Ohio State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/post-free-agency-mock-draft-jets-select-another-franchise-quarterback\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WR Carnell Tate is secure as a top-10 pick<\/a>, and could go as high as No. 4 to the Titans or No. 5 to the Giants. After that, I don\u2019t sense there\u2019s a consensus No. 2 at the receiver position, with USC\u2019s Makai Lemon, Arizona State\u2019s Jordyn Tyson, Texas A&amp;M\u2019s KC Concepcion and Indiana\u2019s Omar Cooper Jr. among those that different teams see as the next guy after Tate. I also think the depth of the draft class at the position could lead to some teams passing on receivers altogether in the first round.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-90\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fs\">\u2022 If Love\u2019s Notre Dame backfield mate Jadarian Price goes in the first round, it\u2019ll be because of his high ceiling and also, I think, because after the two Irish runners, there\u2019s a big dropoff, to the point where it may be the third or fourth round before another back is selected.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-91\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fv\">\u2022 So if there is movement in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/fernando-mendoza-top-250-nfl-draft-2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the second 10 picks<\/a>\u2014and I expect there to be some\u2014it could be generated by the tackles. Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor will go higher than I think some people have him right now. He\u2019s wildly talented, though there have been discipline\/entitlement questions surrounding him. And then you have Georgia\u2019s Monroe Freeling and Utah\u2019s Caleb Lomu, who are both very raw but have more left tackle potential than presumed top linemen.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-92\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"fy\">\u2022 Speaking of O-linemen, Miami OT Francis Mauigoa went through the Indianapolis medical recheck, and some teams believe he\u2019s going to need a cleanup procedure on his back at some point (he\u2019s symptom-free now). It\u2019s not the end of the world. Mauigoa, for what it\u2019s worth, was spectacularly durable with the Hurricanes, starting and playing every snap for Miami from the minute he arrived as a true freshman.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-93\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"g1\">\u2022 Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq remains the most intriguing player in the draft, in my mind. I think you could argue, too, that if you\u2019ve got a creative offensive coordinator\/system, he has the best chance of any of the guys in the class to become the focal point of a team\u2019s passing game. The Chiefs and Ravens would be fun landing spots for him.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-94\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"g4\">\u2022 Ohio State\u2019s Sonny Styles is the draft\u2019s best pure off-ball linebacker, but Cincinnati\u2019s Jake Golday is another one to watch. He\u2019s a converted edge rusher who has tested off the charts and has great instincts at the position.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-95\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"g7\">\u2022 Happy trails to Kaleb McGary, the Falcons\u2019 right tackle who is retiring at 31. He\u2019s a good story because he came in as a first-round pick and was labeled a bust, but kept chugging along, working and improving, and eventually turned himself from a liability into one of the reasons Atlanta\u2019s lines have been so good the past few years. His path is a good one for players to be aware of, in that it shows how tough it really is to establish yourself in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-96\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ga\">\u2022 The owners\u2019 involvement in the referee talks last week is a good sign. It is to be hoped that common sense prevails and a deal is reached.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-97\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"gd\">\u2022 Sorry to see former first-round pick Paxton Lynch tear his LCL in a National Arena League game earlier this month. But I give him credit for playing on that sort of small stage. A lot of guys say they\u2019ll do whatever it takes to keep playing football, but few who have been high draft picks like Lynch have actually played in a league like that to keep their hopes alive.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-98\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"gg\">\u2022 Finally, I don\u2019t want to sit here and pretend I didn\u2019t see the stories that came out last week about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/dianna-russini-being-investigated-by-the-athletic-after-photos-with-mike-vrabel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini<\/a>. I\u2019ve known both for a long time. I like and respect both, and they\u2019re both great at their jobs. I don\u2019t have anything more to add other than I really feel for the family members involved who are going through it. And that this is way more of a media story than a football story\u2014and, honestly, I\u2019ve never seen it as part of my job to cover other sports media.<\/p>\n<p>More NFL on Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jump to a topicNew York JetsWhich teams could trade upEagles and A.J. 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