NFL Notes: Baker Mayfield, Draft, Falcons

Baker Mayfield

• Bucky Brooks of NFL.com believes Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield is a similar kind of player Vikings QB Case Keenum.
• Brooks considers the Giants, Jets, Cardinals and Saints to be the “ideal fits” for Mayfield at the next level.
• An NFC scout tells Brooks that Mayfield has the “it” factor to go along with plenty of ability that should make a franchise quarterback in the NFL: “He is like the Energizer Bunny. He brings a lot of energy and passion to the field. You can sense it when you watch him warm up prior to games. I think his teammates feed off of his swagger and confidence. I think that’s important. It might be more important than the physical stuff that he brings to the table. … Yeah, he can make all of the throws and do all of those things you want to see from a quarterback, but it’s the ‘it’ factor that sets him apart from others in the class. He has the juice that you want to see from your franchise quarterback.”

Draft

• According to Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst, Notre Dame LT Mike McGlinchey has been graded by scouts as the “only” left tackle worthy of a first-round selection, while Oklahoma RT Orlando Brown has been graded as a late-first round pick.
• As for Texas LT Connor Williams, “several teams” believe he is overrated and won’t be successful as a left tackle at the professional level. Additionally, some teams have him on their board as a guard.
• Regarding other left tackles in the 2018 NFL Draft, Western Michigan’s Chukwuma Okorafor, Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill and UCLA’s Kolton Miller are all graded as second-day selections, with teams believing they will need “significant work” before they are NFL-ready.
• Pauline continues to hear that Mississippi State OT Martinas Rankin will be drafted as a center or guard.
• Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds and Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch are moving up draft boards and they will be drafted far earlier than expected, according to Pauline.
• Pauline adds that Edmunds could be a top-12 pick and teams are enamored with his size, speed and power. As for Vander Esch, he could see his draft stock continue to jump with a strong performance at the combine.
• Georgia’s Roquan Smith is a linebacker that Pauline is hearing could drop to later in the first round, while Wake Forest’s Duke Ejiofor is another linebacker whose draft stock is falling due recently undergoing surgery to repair a torn shoulder labrum.

Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday that they’ve hired Mayur Chaudhari as a special teams assistant, Bernie Parmalee as RBs coach, and Chad Walker as an offensive assistant.

“We are excited to be able to add Mayur, Bernie, and Chad to our coaching staff,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “The three men bring a lot of experience to our staff, in addition to being very knowledgeable in our schemes. With the addition of Gregg Knapp earlier, our coaching staff is taking shape as we prepare for the Combine and free agency.”

• The Falcons also let go of assistant special teams coach Eric Sutulovich.
• Despite some optimism from the Falcons they could keep both Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, Vaughn McClure believes it’s hard to imagine.
• McClure adds that Coleman will have trade value should the Falcons want to see what’s available for him this offseason.