Fanspeak: Spiller

Is Lukas Van Ness a lock to go in the first round? Not necessarily. The Iowa pass rusher, ranked No. 9 in the latest Fanspeak-Jake Rigdon big board, is widely regarded as a Day 1 prospect despite never starting a game for the Hawkeyes. A full-time hockey player until high school, Van Ness has 13 … More »

Is the 2023 tight end class as good as it’s being portrayed? That depends on how you look at it. From a pure number’s standpoint, there aren’t as many players listed in the first- through seventh-rounds as was drafted last year. There are 16 tight ends ranked among the top 259 players in the soon-to-be-updated … More »

We know Carolina isn’t going to trade out of the first overall pick, and Houston seems destined to snag the next-best quarterback. But what would motivate Arizona from moving out of the third-spot? If the Cardinals did, then they’d miss out on perhaps the best defensive player in the draft, Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson, … More »

Will Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson drop to the third round? Is star Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee a second-round talent? And is Bresee’s teammate Trenton Simpson the fourth-best linebacker and destined for the late second-round? The always-plugged-in Trevor Sikkema certainly thinks so. The Pro Football Focus draft analyst released his three-round mock draft on … More »

Things have gone from bad to worse for Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, once ranked as the No. 1 prospect by many draft evaluators. Media reports say the 6-foot-3 Carter weighed 323 pounds at Georgia’s Pro Day on Wednesday, which is nine pounds heavier than his weight at the Combine two weeks ago. Carter also … More »

New Orleans has its quarterback of the future – or at least, it’s QB of “right now.” Same goes for Las Vegas. Philadelphia’s mighty defense has taken hits, although the Eagles managed to retain a big piece. Conversely, San Francisco just keeps adding players to its defense. Dallas, meanwhile, is less likely to view cornerback … More »

Although Carolina paid a hefty price to move up to the No. 1 overall spot in its trade Friday with Chicago, draft trade calculators show that it was a pretty even swap. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carolina traded its picks at No. 9 and No. 61, a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-rounder in … More »

Apologies to Alex Austin. We had no idea how popular he is. It’s rare for a player who’s coveted by other teams to go this long before being added to the Fanspeak-Jake Rigdon big board, but the Oregon State cornerback has thus far gone under the radar. Like, way under the radar. But that’s not … More »

It’s not a great year draft-wise to need an offensive lineman. For starters, look at the list of free agents, and you won’t have to search far to find a young Pro Bowler (26-year-old Orlando Brown Jr.), an older Pro Bowler (Taylor Lewan) or just a solid vet (Donovan Smith, Riley Reiff, among others). How … More »

Let’s play the what-if game. What if Arizona drafted Drew Brees with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft instead of Texas offensive lineman Leonard Davis? Brees was a three-year starter at a Big Ten school, Purdue, and finished his career with 11,792 yards passing, 90 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. He also rushed … More »

He was said to be the “glue” that held Georgia’s historically deep and talented defense together. Sure, the linebacker was a bit on the small size, but on a roster full of future NFL players, he was the captain, and his fearlessness helped him pile up stats. The problem? His size. He was measured at … More »

How badly does Chicago want to come away from this draft with a potential generational player on defense? Does Arizona think twice now about trading down? And will a team like Dallas decide to move up in the draft? The fallout from the Jalen Carter news won’t be fully known until after the draft as … More »