NFL Draft 2023 – ESPN Radio with Pro Scout Frank Coyle hosted Clay & Vinnie

NFL Draft 2023 – Pro Prospects

NFL Draft Radio Show on Pro Prospects for the NFL Draft 2023
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NFL Team Report 2023 (35 pages) – available Now – Every NFL Team broken down to Roster, Team Needs & Free Agency additions. In-depth Evaluation of All Team Needs and Draft Projection

NFL Draft Update Report – available late April
Complete 7 Round Mock Draft – Final Top 300 Value Board – Top Small College Prospects

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a long-time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards – Heisman, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi etc for the past 25 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a consultant to many NFL player agents related to all levels of preparation for the NFL Draft process. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for ESPN, Fox Sports and Sporting News on a year-round basis related to College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites.

Strong Cornerback Group Tops Talented Defensive Class

Cornerbacks – Grade: A

     Frank Coyle/ Head scout

Positional Overview:

This year’s cornerback class is a high-quality group which is very deep, though not as top heavy as last year. There are a few blue chips expected to go in the mid-1st round with many other highly regarded corners expected to go through the top 50-100 overall selections. Underclassmen dominate our top ten prospects, though the senior group is a very solid with nice development. Devon Witherspoon is our #1 prospect with Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter expected to earn mid first round selections. Witherspoon could be selected in the top 10 overall picks with a rookie starting grade. Gonzalez has the skill set to start early and is NFL ready after an awesome final performance. Porter is another in a long line of PSU corners to enter the NFL. He is a physical cover man with the NFL makeup to excel on the outside. Deonte Banks has prototypical shutdown skills for the pro game. He is rising fast and could earn a late 1st round selection. Teammate Jakorian Bennett is a rising cover man with well-developed talent to press for early starting time. Cam Smith and Kelee Ringo are possible late first round or early 2nd round picks. Both are SEC battle tested and figure to press for starting jobs in camp. Darius Rush and Emmanuel Forbes are another pair of talented big SEC corners. Rush is coming off an impressive career finish. Forbes is the best ball hawk in this class and has the length DCs like in outside defenders. Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Turner are well developed athletes who are NFL ready. Turner is coming off an impressive final performance plus an amazing NFL Combine sprint. They could go on the mid-2nd day. This is a deep group that will supply many NFL starters well into the 3rd day of the process. There could be at least 12 prospects selected in the top 100 choices. There will probably be 15+ prospects selected in the top 150 picks with the expected run-on corners from the mid-1st round through the early 3rd day. This class has very good depth and will provide a number of middle round steals. This position has annually provided the most overall selections and could duplicate that again. This group could supply as many as 35 total prospects and another 40 high priority FA. This deep crop of corners will supply a huge group of big corners with some versatility to also slide to safety in the nickel and dime sub packages.   

 NFL Teams in need:

1. Patriots             5. Rams
2. Colts                  6. Commanders
3. 49ers                7. Ravens           
4. Steelers            8. Vikings    

NFL Premier Player
Jalen Ramsey

Blue Chip – Devon Witherspoon
Blue Chip – Christian Gonzalez
Red Chip – Joey Porter
Rising – Deonte Banks
Falling – Jaylon Jones
Underrated – Darius Rush
Overrated – JuJu Brents
Sleeper – Darrell Luter
Boom/Bust – Jakorian Bennett
Biggest Upside – Deonte Banks
Hidden Gem – Garrett Williams
Long Term Gem – Darius Rush

   Positional Traits
Best Athlete – Christian Gonzalez
Best Man Cover – Emmanuel Forbes
Best Zone Cover – Darrell Luter
Best Run support – Joey Porter
Best Tackler – Joey Porter
Best Nickel – Devon Witherspoon
Hands – Emmanuel Forbes
Best Intangibles – Joey Porter
Ball Instincts – Devon Witherspoon
Most Versatile – Riley Moss
Over drafted – Tyrique Stevenson
Major College Sleeper – Jarrick Bernard-Converse

Top Cornerbacks

1 Devon Witherspoon       Illinois
2 Christian Gonzalez        Oregon
3 Joey Porter                      Penn State
4 Deonte Banks                 Maryland
5 Cam Smith                      South Carolina
6 Kelee Ringo                    Georgia
7 Darius Rush                    South Carolina
8 Tyrique Stevenson         Miami
9 Emmanuel Forbes         Mississippi State
10 DJ Turner                        Michigan
11 JuJu Brents                     Kansas State
12 Jakorian Bennett            Maryland
13 Riley Moss                       Iowa
14 Kyu Blu Kelly                   Stanford
15 Clark Phillips                   Utah
16 Garrett Williams             Syracuse
17 Darrell Luter                    South Alabama
18 Jaylon Jones                   Texas A&M
19 Rejzohn Wright               Oregon State
20 Terrell Smith                   Minnesota

Bears Deal #1 Overall Pick to the Panthers

 Bears Land Two #1 & #2 Picks Plus Wideout D.J. Moore Over Next Three Drafts

Frank Coyle/ Head scout – DraftInsiders.com

The Bears have a major trade in line for their No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft when the league year starts on March 15^th. The Panthers paid a huge price for the #1 overall pick in exchange for a compensation package that includes two 1st-round picks, two #2 picks and receiver D.J. Moore.

The full package of assets sent to Chicago can be the bonanza the Bears need to land several blue-chip prospects to their young roster. They received the ninth-overall pick this year, a 2nd-round selection in 2023 (# 61 overall originally from the 49ers), a 1st-round pick in 2024, a 2nd-round pick in 2025 plus the veteran wideout DJ Moore. He completed the first year of a three-year, $61M million contract with the Panthers. The Bears now have four of the top 64 selections.

Panthers are now in the position to land their #1 QB after several seasons of a revolving door at the position. Owner David Tepper has lost patience on the QB carousel in his short time in Carolina and realizes that Super Bowl contenders almost always ride the arm of a top flight passer. The payment of draft capital seems enormous and most likely earmarked for QB Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. The Panthers were competitive last season within a weak division that they feel they can challenge for the division title this season with a better playmaker at the controls. They also watch divisional rival, the Saints signed Derek Carr last week making them the favorite for the NFC South almost immediately.

NFL Awards 37 Compensatory Selections
49ers and Rams Receive Multiple Picks

NFL announced it has awarded 37 compensatory picks to 16 teams for the NFL Draft 2023, which will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Two NFC West teams led the way, with the 49ers receiving a league-high seven selections and the Rams gaining four draft choices. The 37 compensatory picks include five special selections that were awarded at the end of the third round to teams that have had a minority employee hired as a head coach or primary football executive by another club. Three of those picks were awarded to San Francisco. The special compensatory picks were instituted as an amendment to the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement to promote equal employment opportunities within NFL teams.

As for the compensatory picks awarded that were not based on coaching or executive hires, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks. The compensatory picks are positioned from Round 3 to Round 7 based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

In addition, the league penalized the Houston Texans their original 5th round selection this year for a salary cap violation. They determined the Texans provided QB Deshaun Watson an undisclosed compensation in the form of a membership at an alternative athletic facility in 2020. Texans have two #1 picks the 2nd and 12th overall selections.

List of Compensatory Picks awarded to teams for the NFL Draft
   * special compensatory picks for coaching and team personnel lost

Round 3
96 – Arizona Cardinals
97 – Washington Commanders
* 98 – Cleveland Browns
* 99 – San Francisco 49ers
* 100 – Kansas City Chiefs
* 101 – San Francisco 49ers
* 102 – San Francisco 49ers

Round 4
135 – New England Patriots

Round 5
167 – Los Angeles Rams
168 – Arizona Cardinals
169 – Dallas Cowboys
170 – Green Bay Packers
171 – Los Angeles Rams
172 – New York Giants
173 – San Francisco 49ers
174 – Las Vegas Raiders
175 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
176 – Dallas Cowboys
177 – Los Angeles Rams

Round 6
210 – New England Patriots
211 – Minnesota Vikings
212 – Dallas Cowboys
213 – Arizona Cardinals
214 – Las Vegas Raiders
215 – Washington Commanders
216 – San Francisco 49ers
217 – Kansas City Chiefs

Round 7
250 – Kansas City Chiefs
251 – Los Angeles Rams
252 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
253 – San Francisco 49ers
254 – New York Giants
255 – San Francisco 49ers
256 – Green Bay Packers
257 – New Orleans Saints
258 – Chicago Bears
259 – Houston Texans

Total 2023 Compensatory Picks by Team

Team                                # of Picks
San Francisco 49ers               7
Los Angeles Rams                 4
Arizona Cardinals                   3
Dallas Cowboys                      3
Kansas City Chiefs                 3
Green Bay Packers                2
Las Vegas Raiders                 2
New England Patriots             2
New York Giants                     2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers         2
Washington Commanders      2
Chicago Bears                        1
Cleveland Browns                   1
Houston Texans                     1
Minnesota Vikings                  1
New Orleans Saints                1

NFL Combine 2023
  Feb. 27- March 6 – NFL Scouting Combine (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, In)

 The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine begins on Monday, February 27^th with team interviews, physicals, medical exams and media interviews. The athletic testing and field drills get underway on Thursday, March 2nd. The events will once again take place at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Television coverage can be found on the NFL Network. DraftInsiders.com will have scouts at the NFL Combine and provide scouting insights for the 2023 Draft Yearbook and exclusive emails to Full subscribers.

 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Workout Schedule

 Thursday – 3/2/23: Edge Rushers, Defensive Line and Linebackers
3 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Friday – 3/3/23: Cornerbacks and Safeties
3 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Saturday – 3/4/23: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
1 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Sunday – 3/5/23: Running Backs, Offensive Tackles and Interior Offensive Line
1 pm – 7 pm – NFL Network
 
On Field Positional Drills
March 2 at 3:30 p.m.
March 3 at 4 p.m.
March 4 at 2 p.m.
March 5 at 1:30 p.m.

NFL Salary Cap 2023 Sets New Record
New Franchise and Transitional Tag Figures

Frank Coyle/ Publisher

NFL announced the 2023 salary cap will be a record $224.8 million per club. That’s an increase of 8% from the $208.2 million in 2022.

Prior years were $182.5M in 2021 (Covid adjustment), 198.2M in 2020 and $188.2M in 2019.

NFL teams have until 4 pm est on March 15th to get under the salary cap before the free agency period officially opens.

The Chicago Bears who hold the #1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, also have the most cap space in the league. The Bears are currently just under $91M under the cap, while Atlanta ($56.4M), the NY Giants ($44.2M) and Cincinnati ($43.7M) the next clubs in order.

Conversely, 14 teams are over the cap and will have either restructure or release player (s) prior the March 15^th deadline. Another 4 clubs have less than $10M available in cap space currently and will have work to do to be active teams in the Free agent market.

New Orleans at $60.4M and Tampa Bay $55M over the cap have monumental roster restructuring ahead with massive player movement to just get under the new salary cap.

Overthecap.com  – Salary cap figures

2023 Base Salary Cap: $224,800,000

Team                Cap Space      
Bears               $90,893,199
Falcons             $56,414,855
Giants               $44,277,461
Bengals            $43,719,058
Texans              $39,289,053
Patriots             $32,566,047
Seahawks         $31,040,644
Ravens             $26,867,479
Raiders             $20,130,338
49ers                $16,398,516
Cardinals          $14,467,205
Chiefs               $13,997,884
Lions                $13,825,618
Colts                $13,081,832
Broncos            $9,206,724
Commanders    $6,649,246
Eagles              $4,235,666
Steelers            $1,028,747
Jets                  ($2,793,498)
Cowboys          ($7,183,002)
Panthers           ($8,938,728)
Rams                ($14,194,570)
Browns             ($14,645,606)
Dolphins           ($16,453,222)
Packers            ($16,483,743)
Bills                  ($19,612,436)
Chargers           ($20,381,524)
Jaguars             ($22,213,686)
Vikings             ($23,441,507)
Titans               ($23,623,634)
Buccaneers       ($55,033,921)
Saints               ($60,476,996)
 
The NFL confirmed the franchise and transition tag numbers for the upcoming year.

Clubs get two franchise tags and one transitional tags each year. The exclusive franchise tag limits the player to only his current team. The standard franchise tag allows a player to negotiate with all teams and sign an offer sheet. If his current team does not match the offer, the new team gives up two 1st-round picks as compensation. The transition tag provides a player’s original team the right to match any offer sheet. There is no compensation if the team does not match.

2023 Franchise/Transition tag figures
Position                       Franchise #                            
Quarterback:               $32.42M
Running back:             $10.1M
Wide receiver:             $19.74M
Tight end:                    $11.36M
Offensive linemen:      $18.24M
Defensive end:            $19.73M
Defensive tackle:         $18.94M
Linebacker:                 $20.93M
Cornerback:                 $18.14M
Safety:                            $14.46M
Kicker/punter:              $5.39M
 
Transition #
Quarterback:               $29.5M
Running back:             $8.43M
Wide receiver:            $17.99M
Tight end:                     $9.72M
Offensive linemen:   $16.66M
Defensive end:            $17.45M
Defensive tackle:       $16.1M
Linebacker:                 $17.48M
Cornerback:               $15.79M
Safety:                          $11.87M
Kicker/punter:           $4.87M

NFLPA 2023 Bowl

Eddie George & Jeff Fisher Named Head Coaches For 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Deep Coaching Staffs Features Multiple Former Pro Bowl Performers

The 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is January 28^th on NFL Network at 6 pm est.

After teaming up for eight successful seasons as player and coach with the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers, Eddie George, and Jeff Fisher will be pitted against one another as head coaches for the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

The 11th annual installment of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will take place on January 28 at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in California and air live on NFL Network at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. George will lead the National Team, while Fisher returns for a second year in a row to lead the American Team.

Between them, George and Fisher boast 25 years of coaching experience, 14 seasons as NFL players, a Super Bowl ring, and two other Super Bowl appearances, ensuring that there will be plenty of wisdom to go around for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl participants.

http://collegiate.nflpa.com/2023/01/21/2023-nflpa-collegiate-bowl-roster-released/

Here are the full coaching staffs for the American and National teams:

National Team

Head Coach: Eddie George
Offensive Coordinator: Mark Frederick
Defensive Coordinator: Joe Bowden
Quarterbacks Coach: Seneca Wallace
Running Backs Coach: Robert Edwards
Wide Receivers Coach: Andre Rison
Wide Receivers Coach: Chad Lucas
Tight Ends Coach: Jason Dunn
Offensive Line Coach: Jackie Slater
Offensive Line Coach: Cameron Clark
Defensive Line Coach: Cliff Matthews
Defensive Line Coach: Kendall Simmons
Linebackers Coach: Keith Bulluck
Defensive Backs Coach: Benny Sapp
Defensive Backs Coach: Richard McNutt
Special Teams Coach: Keith Burns
Specialist/Assistant: Nick Novak
Offensive Coaching Intern: Brandon Jacobs
Defensive Coaching Intern: Kevin Dockery
Active Player Intern: Chris Rowland
Active Player Intern: Robert Spillane
GA: Gunner Daniel

American Team

Head Coach: Jeff Fisher
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Leone
Defensive Coordinator: Tim Hauck
Quarterbacks Coach: Rod Rutherford
Running Backs Coach: Carey Davis
Wide Receivers Coach: Derrick Alexander
Wide Receivers Coach: Chris Chambers
Tight Ends Coach: Brandon Manumaleuna
Offensive Line Coach: Rich Seubert
Offensive Line Coach: Lance Zeno
Defensive Line Coach: Brian Price
Defensive Line Coach: Domata Peko
Linebackers Coach: Reggie Givens
Defensive Backs Coach: Bobby Sippio
Defensive Backs Coach: Arturo Freeman
Special Teams Coach: Joshua Cribbs
Specialist/Assistant: Nick Novak
Offensive Coaching Intern: Geremy Davis
Defensive Coaching Intern: Marvin Bohannon
Active Player Intern: Tyler Lockett
GA: Brandon Bryant
GA (Ops): Zac Sias
 

NFL Postseason Quarterback Win/Loss Records

Frank Coyle/ NFL Scout

Listed below are the NFL Postseason Starting Quarterback Win/Loss Records for active NFL players that have started at least one game at quarterback.

Only Postseason games are included in each player’s totals.

  Current NFL starting QBs making their first playoff games this postseason – Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, Brock Purdy and Tyler Hundley.  

*Won Super Bowl game (s) – not included in statistics

                                                               All Games/    Home Games/ Away Games/

Player/                         GS                    W -L-T    Pct     W- L-T      W-L-T

* Tom Brady                 47                    35-12-0 .745     24-8-0   11-4-0

* Aaron Rodgers          21                    11-10-0 .524    6-4-0    5-6-0

* Joe Flacco                 15                    10-5-0   .667      2-0-0     8-5-0

* Russell Wilson          16                     9-7-0     .562      5-2-0     4-5-0

* Patrick Mahomes       11                    8-3-0     .727      8-2-0     0-1-0

* Nick Foles                 6                      4-2-0    .667      2-1-0     2-1-0 

* Jimmy Garoppolo      6                      4-2-0    .667      2-0-0     2-2-0

* Matthew Stafford       7                      4-3-0    .571      2-0-0     2-3-0

Matt Ryan                    10                     4-6-0    .400      3-3-0    1-3-0

Joe Burrow                  4                      3-1-0     .750      1-1-0     2-0-0

Josh Allen                   6                      3-3-0    .500      3-0-0     0-3-0

Ryan Tannehill             5                      2-3-0     .400      0-2-0    2-1-0

Jared Goff                    5                       2-3-0     .400      1-2-0     1-1-0

Baker Mayfield             2                      1-1-0    .500      0-0-0     1-1-0

Case Keenum              2                       1-1-0     .500      1-0- 0    0-1-0

Marcus Mariota            2                       1-1-0     .500      0-0-0     1-1-0

Deshaun Watson         3                      1-2-0     .333      1-1-0     0-1-0

Kirk Cousins                3                       1-2-0     .333      0-1-0    1-1-0

Lamar Jackson            4                      1-3-0     .250      0-2-0     1-1-0

Dak Prescott                4                      1-3-0     .250      1-2-0    0-1-0

Tyrod Taylor                1                      0-1-0    .000     0-0-0     0-1-0

Mac Jones                   1                      0-1-0     .000     0-0-0    0-1-0

Kyler Murray                1                      0-1-0     .000      0-0-0    0-1-0

Jalen Hurts                  1                      0-1-0     .000    0-0-0     0-1-0

Taylor Heinicke            1                       0-1-0    .000      0-1-0     0-0-0

Teddy Bridgewater      1                      0-1-0     .000      0-1-0    0-0-0

Carson Wentz              1                      0-1-0    .000      0-1-0     0-0-0

Derek Carr                   1                      0-1-0     .000      0-0-0    0-1-0

Mitchell Trubisky         2                      0-2-0    .000      0-1-0     0-1-0

Andy Dalton                 4                      0-4-0     .000      0-1-0    0-3-0

Senior Bowl 2023 Game – Invitation List
The Reese’s Senior Bowl 2023

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game. It is the longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama the past 73 years.  More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 900 media members from around the country were credentialed last year. This past April, the game produced a record-tying 106 total picks for the second straight year, representing 40 percent of the entire NFL Draft 2022, including 45 of the top 100 players selected.

2023 Senior Bowl All-Star Game

Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023, 1:30pm CT
Where: Mobile, Alabama
Stadium: University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium
Television: NFL Network

Game

The 2023 Senior Bowl includes athletes from every level of college football. These are the best-of-the-best from around the country and will represent many levels of play and multiple conferences. Players will fill the roster spots that form the National and American squads for the nation’s premier all-star game. Over 100 of the country’s best collegiate football players will fill the two rosters directed by two current NFL coaching staffs. This roster will be updated weekly through January 2023 with NFL coaching staffs announced after coaching changes have been made following the 2022 season.

Invitation List

School                          Name                          Position
California                      Daniel Scott                      DB
Florida State                 Jammie Robinson          DB
Illinois                           Devon  Witherspoon     DB
Illinois                           Sydney Brown                 DB
Maryland                       Jakorian Bennett           DB
Stanford                       Kyu Blu Kelly                   DB
Virginia                         Anthony Johnson          DB
Illinois                           Jartavius Martin             DB
Virginia Tech                 Chamarri Conner           DB
Florida State                 Fabien  Lovett               DL
Mississippi State           Cameron Young            DL
Northwestern                 Adetomiwa Adebawore  DL
TCU                              Dylan Horton                 DL
Texas Tech                   Tyree Wilson                 DL
Wisconsin                     Keeanu Benton              DL
Baylor                           Siaki Ika                        DL
Louisville                      Yaya Diaby                   DL
North Dakota State        Hunter Luepke              FB
Appalachian State         Nick Hampton               LB
Auburn                          Eku Leota                     LB
Auburn                          Owen Pappoe               LB
Iowa State                    Will McDonald IV           LB
Jackson St.                   Aubrey  Miller Jr.           LB
Texas                           DeMarvion Overshown   LB
Tulane                           Dorian  Williams            LB
Washington State          Daiyan  Henley              LB
Central Florida              Alex Ward                     LS
Brigham Young             Blake Freeland              OL
Maryland                       Jaelyn Duncan              OL
Michigan                       Ryan Hayes                  OL
North Dakota State        Cody Mauch                  OL
Old Dominion                Nick Saldiveri                OL
Oregon                         Alex Forsyth                 OL
Syracuse                      Matthew Bergeron         OL
TCU                              Steve Avila                   OL
UT-Chattanooga            McClendon Curtis          OL
Maryland                       Chad Ryland                 PK
Michigan State              Bryce Baringer              PT
Rutgers                         Adam Korsak                PT
Houston                        Clayton Tune                 QB
Shepherd                      Tyson Bagent                QB
Appalachian State         Camerun Peoples         RB
Illinois                           Chase   Brown               RB
Kentucky                      Chris Rodriguez Jr.        RB
Texas                           Roschon Johnson         RB
Oregon State                Luke Musgrave             TE
Utah                             Dalton Kincaid               TE
TCU                              Derius Davis                 WR
Iowa State                    Xavier Hutchinson         WR
Michigan                       Ronnie  Bell                   WR
Michigan State              Jayden Reed                WR
Ole Miss                       Jonathan Mingo             WR
SMU                             Rashee Rice                  WR
Stanford                       Elijah Higgins                WR
Stanford                       Michael Wilson              WR
Princeton                      Andrei Iosivas               WR
Virginia                         Dontayvion Wicks         WR
Brigham Young             Puka Nacua                 WR

Draft Insiders’ – NFL Power Poll – Week 11

Vikings Shock Bills
Packers Rally to Beat Cowboys
Bucs Beat Seahawks

Team of the Week 
Packers Edge Cowboys in OT
   
Players of the Week
  NFC
   Offense – WR Justin Jefferson – Vikings
   Defense – LB Devin White – Bucs
 
 AFC
   Offense – QB Tua Tagovailoa – Dolphins
   Defense – LB Willie Gay – Chiefs
  
Rookies of the Week
  Offense – WR Christian Watson – Packers
  Defense – LB Jack Sanborn – Bears
 
Games of Week 12
Thursday night -Titans at Packers – 8:15 pm
Sunday – Cowboys at Vikings – 4:30 pm – Fox
Sunday night – Chiefs at Chargers – 8:20 pm – NBC

 
NFL Team Power Poll

Draft Insiders’ Staff
Ranking /Record /Team

#1 – 7-2 Chiefs
Chiefs are running on all cylinders behind Patrick Mahomes. Their potent offense is the best in the game and their defense has improved in key areas to make them again the favorite to reach the SB.

#2 – 8-1 Eagles
The Eagles were wacked by the Commanders to fall from the undefeated ranks. They get a heavy dose of NFC matchups through the 2nd half that will challenge their NFC East leadership.

#3 – 8-1 Vikings
Vikings beat the Bills in Buffalo which is their biggest victory in years. QB Kirk Cousins continues to direct this high powered offense with wideout Justin Jefferson emerging as a dominant #1 playmaker.

#4 – 6-3 Bills
Bills have lost two in a row for the first time in a year. Ailing Josh Allen made a few big mistakes that cost them in key spots. Host the desperate Browns this week in a vital AFC game for both clubs.

#5 – 6-3 Ravens
The Ravens come off their bye week with a three game winning streak. Seven of their final eight games are against clubs with sub .500 records making them the favorite to claim the AFC North.

#6 – 7-3 Dolphins
Dolphins drilled the Browns thoroughly behind a balanced attack. Their defense needs to step up to hold the AFC East leadership and win key late games. They get their bye week here with critical AFC road games on their late schedule.

#7 – 6-3 Titans
The Titans beat the Broncos in tight AFC game. Travel to titletown to face the Packers on Thursday night
who are desperate for a winning stretch after being one of the more disappointing clubs in the
league.

#8 – 5-4 49ers
The 49ers came up big vs the Chargers in crunch time to get above the .500 mark. Their second half schedule is very favorable and they are on the verge of peaking in a weaker NFC West than expected at the start of the season.

#9 – 6-3 – Cowboys
The Cowboys are coming off a tough loss to the Packers in OT. Travel to Minnesota to face the 8-1 Vikings. Vet QB Dak Prescott faces a critical stretch here with this club needing strong leadership through an important series of games.

#10 – 7-2 Giants
The Giants are riding runner Saquon Barkley and QB Danny Jones into playoff contention. Face the Lions at home this week and better not look past this pesky club who stays within reach each game. GMen face a critical stretch from Thanksgiving thru Christmas which will determine any postseason plans.

#11 – 5-4 Bengals
The Bengals come off their bye week and travel to Pittsburgh with huge AFC North implications. Their big play offense behind Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon needs to set the pace behind a shaky line. Burrow is capable of carrying a club if consistent protection is provided.

#12 – 5-4 Chargers
The inconsistent Chargers fell late to the 49ers. Their offense struggles with injuries along the line and receiving corps limiting QB Justin Herbert. They host the Chiefs Sunday night in a must win situation for Chargers if they expect to challenge for the AFC West title or postseason.

#13 – 6-4 Seahawks
Seahawks lost to the Bucs in Germany in a close game.  They get their bye week now to prep for a favorable final seven games. Vet QB Geno Smith and impressive rookie back Kenneth Walker gives this club a potent offense to matchup well with most teams.

#14 – 5-4 Patriots
The Pats come off their bye week and host the Jets where they have a long winning streak. Though currently in the AFC East basement, they are dangerous in big games and capable to pushing for a playoff spot in a wide open AFC race.

#15 – 6-3 Jets
Jets made a strong recovery from an earlier loss to the Patriots and shocked the Bills at home in their best victory in years. They get their rematch with the Patriots this week and must find a way to beat their division rival if they want to retain their momentum from the Buffalo win. QB Zach Wilson faces a huge test here.

#16 – 5-5 – Bucs
Bucs get to the .500 mark with win over the Seahawks entering their bye week. This veteran club is dangerous and holds first place in the weak NFC South. Five of their final seven games are against clubs with sub .500 records currently.

#17 – 4-6 Packers
The Packers ended their five game losing streak with a huge win over the Cowboys. They are within reach of a wildcat spot with a run here. They host the Titans on Thursday night in a must win situation to keep abreast in the NFC race.

#18 – 5-5 Commanders
The Commanders knocked the Eagles from the unbeatens and stayed in the NFC race despite residing in the basement. Travel to Houston and must sustain the momentum behind a savvy QB Taylor Heinicke and tough defense.

#19 – 3-6 Rams
Rams continue to struggle as injuries mount with wideout Cooper Kupp the latest casualty. They travel to New Orleans this week in a must win situation for both playoff hopefuls.

#20 – 3-6 Browns
Browns were crushed by the Dolphins last week. They get veteran QB DeShaun Watson off suspension, though he probably sits out the game vs the Bills this week. This club is probably prepping for next season unless they can a get strong run here.

#21 – 4-6 Falcons
Falcons were shocked by the Panthers last Thursday night. Host the Bears this week in a must win situation to get into the playoff race Their unreliable defense fails repeatedly in big spots and must find a way to contain Bears QB Justin Fields this week.

#22 – 4-6 Cardinals
The hot and cold Cardinals beat the Rams last week behind Colt McCoy. They travel to Mexico to face the 49ers in a must win situation for any mathematical changes for the postseason.

#23 – 4-5-1 Colts
Colts won their first game under new HC Jeff Saturday vs the lowly Raiders. Host the Eagles this week and are still alive in the AFC where many teams are within a game of .500 entering the stretch run.

#24 – 3-6 Steelers
Steelers are coming off a nice win over the Saints. Host the Bengals in a critical matchup for them to get into the playoff hunt. Rookie top pick QB Kenny Pickett will lead this team from here and gain valuable experience to advance his development.

#25 – 3-7 Saints
The Saints struggled to generate any offense vs the Steelers defense. This club lacks their future starting QB on the roster and is in limbo with a fading veteran unit with many expected upcoming changes.

#26 – 3-7 Bears
The Bears fell in a wild game with the Lions. QB Justin Fields has taken his game to another level especially as a runner. They travel to Atlanta with only slight chances to get into the playoff picture.

#27 – 3-7 Jaguars
Jaguars were outclassed by the Chiefs last week. They get their bye this week to prep for a late run in the weak AFC South where 2nd place is possible.

#28 – 3-6 – Broncos
The most disappointing team this season failed again last week in a must win situation. Their inept offense is the lowest scoring unit in the league which must improve here or else face major changes this offseason.

#29 – 3-6 Lions
The pesky Lions edged the Bears last week with several big plays deciding the outcome. They travel to MetLife to face the Giants in a competitive matchup where they hope to again surprise.

#30 – 3-7 Panthers
Panthers are coming off a nice win over the Falcons. Travel to Baltimore looking to be competitive vs the emerging Ravens.

#31 – 2-7 Raiders
Da Raiders know how to loss and failed vs the Colts last week. Travel to Denver in a matchup of two of the most disappointing clubs in the league.

#32 – 1-7-1 Texans
Texans have the poorest record in the league despite some competitive performances. They need a huge influx of talent and the #1 overall pick would give them the leverage to add a few new players.

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with NFL and college coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards – Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi, Thorpe, Biletnikoff etc for the past 30 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for CBS and ESPN on a year-round basis related to NFL and College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites