NFL Draft Rumors: Jets, Jaguars, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Draft Notes

Jets

Tony Pauline of TFY Draft Insider reports that league insiders believe that the New York Jets‘ “primary strategy” is to trade up for South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram. 

Pauline specifically mentions the Jacksonville Jaguars as a possible trade partner but concedes that others will likely be involved if they start shopping that pick.

Ingram would be a great fit for the Jets 3-4 defense. Pass rush is a huge need for them and not only could he provide that, but he should also be able to handle dropping into coverage as well.

Jaguars

One interesting side note regarding this information; if Jacksonville is willing to shop the #7 overall pick, it could end up undermining the value of teams at the top of draft like the Vikings and Browns who are both believed to be looking to move back as well. If the Browns do not have interested in Ryan Tannehill, then it could open up a number of options for the Jaguars, considering that someone like Chiefs or Eagles could move up one spot ahead of the Dolphins and grab him.

Cowboys

Pauline mentions that the Cowboys are still “very high” on Stanford G David DeCastro and are still considering trading down.

I’m sure that Dallas likes DeCastro a lot, as scouts have said that he possesses a mean-streak that they love to see in offensive lineman, but the fact that they’ve already signed Nate Livings to a rather sizable five-year, $19 million contract would suggest that they’re most likely going to target a different position in the first-round.

There are a lot of rumors being passed around at this time to try to throw off other teams, so take this with a grain of salt. Dontari Poe and Mark Barron still seem like the odds on favorites at this point.

Buccaneers

Buc’s CB Ronde Barber told WQYK-AM that there’s a chance that  team is targeting LSU CB Morris Claiborne with the #5 overall pick.

“When I was deciding to come back, I had plenty of meetings with Mark [Dominik], and phone conversations with Mark, they told me they were bringing a guy in [cornerback Eric Wright],” Barber said, via JoeBucsFan.com.  “I was like, ‘That’s good. We need it.’”

Barber was then asked about the team possible drafting Claiborne to which he responded, “we probably will.“

I’ll admit that this isn’t exactly the most emphatic statement regarding a team’s draft plans, but he certainly discussed the team’s plans for the offseason and it’s safe to assume that they also talked about what could happen with the cornerback position.

Barber’s return is nothing more than a stop gab. Aqib Talib has pending legal issues and will be a free agent following the season. Signing Eric Wright was a huge gamble for the Buc’s considering that he’s coming off of back-to-back seasons in which he’s underwhelming to say the least. Tampa Bay still gave him a five-year deal worth $37.5 million, so in order to protect that investment, it would make sense to find a long-term solution that has a chance of being a solid player for a number of years.

I like the idea, as I’m sure you can tell, but Trent Richardson should also be considering if he happens to be available.

NFL Draft Notes

Here are some more draft notes provided by Tony Pauline.

• Virginia DE Cam Johnson – Scouts are still unsure as to whether or not he’s a 4-3 DE or an 3-4 OLB but 3-4 teams have shown a lot of interest. Steelers and Cowboys specifically.
• Patriots have only given out 6 draftable grades to “true tight ends” this year.
• Illinois WR AJ Jenkins – is scheduled to make a staggering 30 pre-draft visits and possibly 10 different workouts with NFL teams. (Tony Pauline)
• The Browns are reportedly considering Keyshawn Martin in the third or fourth-rounds.
• West Virginia DL Julian Miller – has interest from the Patriots and Rams.