The perceived quarterback value in this year’s class has fluctuated as the narrative has changed to fit this good — not great — group. With the Broncos, Rams and Browns among teams still in need of a quarterback, they could be interested in moving up or back in Round 1 to secure a viable 2016 starting option. MORE: Winners, losers of free agency | Top 50 draft prospects Note: The Patriots forfeited their 2016 first-round pick as a result of the Deflategate ruling....

Super Bowl 54 marked the official end of the current NFL season. The week before, the Senior Bowl marked the unofficial kickoff of the serious pre-draft process with the NFL Combine on deck at the end of February. With the draft order being settled and the stock of several attractive pro prospects coming into focus, without further ado, here’s how we now see the picks playing out from No. 1 through No....

Once again, quarterbacks will be in high demand for the league’s have-nots at the position. But those teams that either choose or can afford to go in a different positional direction also will be rewarded in the first round. With five teams for now getting two turns each — the Lions, Giants, Eagles, Jets and Dolphins — there might be serious stockpiling ahead. Here’s a look at all of those current pick projections, with Sporting News’ 1-32 first-round draft order based on the reverse of our record and playoff projections for the 2021 NFL season:...

The Jaguars pick first and most times overall, 12. From Jacksonville at No. 1 through San Francisco’s potential “Mr. Irrelevant” with the final pick, here’s projecting how every pick might go down: NFL DRAFT BIG BOARD: Ranking the top 150 players in 2022 draft class NFL Mock Draft 2022 Round 1 Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan (6-6, 260 pounds) The Jaguars have been locked into taking the best defensive player available for a while and that won’t change as they go after the cornerstone for their new-look defense under coordinator Mike Caldwell, formerly of the Buccaneers....

The Wolverines have produced 21 players selected in the draft since 2016, and there are more on the way. Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer projects eight Michigan players will be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft in his latest seven-round mock. That said, there is not a first-round pick. That’s one of the differences between the Wolverines and rival Ohio State. Here are the Michigan players Iyer projects will be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, and where they will land:...

The Dolphins eventually lifted the Lombardi Trophy to cap off a historic 17-0 season. Fast forward 47 years and Miami could be in danger of taking another step towards a whole different kind of record when it takes on the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday night. Miami is 0-6 following its 31-21 loss in Buffalo against the Bills in Week 7 and currently languishes at the bottom of the AFC East....

Both the Jets and Chargers have lost defensive stars to injury, and while it won’t happen just yet, some offenses could look a lot different this time next year. One offense already will. Those stories and more in Friday’s edition of NFL News and Notes. Three things that matter Defenses deteriorating due to injury A couple of teams took losses to their defensive units. Some, of course, are worse than others with season-ending injuries....

But with that comes the risk of injury, something no team wants to experience before the first game of the year when their hopes are still high. Three things that matter Is the Fitzmagic back? The quarterback competition is heating up in Miami, and Ryan Fitzpatrick appears to be honing in on the starting role as Dolphins coach Brian Flores noted the veteran has the edge over second-year signal-caller Josh Rosen....

And even the Bears gave those that bet them as 11.5-point underdogs some hope, as they stormed out to a 10-point lead against the Packers and had a six-point lead at halftime. But in the second half, they collapsed and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers earned the cover, which they held for just 4:33 of game time. Thus is the life of NFL gamblers, but as always, these types of losses and bad beats tend to even out....

As Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told Sporting News earlier this year, when a call like pass interference gets slowed down by replay and examined by the letter of the law, “it can be very ticky tacky.” Suddenly, nobody understands the standards for pass interference anymore even though the rules have not changed. In allowing pass interference to be subjected to the NFL challenge and replay system, the NFL hopes to avoid egregious errors like the one that cost the Saints an NFC championship last season....

That led to a mixed bag of success in our Sporting News picks and predicitons for the first weekend of the 2020 season. There’s only one thing certain in Week 2: Figuring out who will win and cover games will be just as difficult. Here’s more fearless forecasting to take on those challenges with our latest NFL game picks against the spread. The point spreads come courtesy of Sports Insider:...

Thanks to some improbable comebacks against favorites that seemed to be in total control of their games, the picks and predictions vs. the spread hit a rough patch. But the only thing to do is turn the page to Week 3 and be fearless in the face of more tough matchups to call. Here’s the latest ATS and straight-up breakdown for another full game slate: (Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction)...

The Chargers (6-5) make the trip from the West Coast to play the Bengals (7-4) in a 1 p.m. game on Sunday. The Ravens (8-3) and Steelers (5-5-1) resume their rivalry in a big spot for Pittsburgh at 4:25 p.m. The prime-time games are even better. The Broncos (6-5) visit the Chiefs (7-4) on Sunday Night Football, and the Patriots (8-4) visit the Bills (7-4) on Monday Night Football. Each week, Sporting News picks the NFL games straight up....

MORE WEEK 8: Power rankings | Fantasy advice | Betting lines, odds and trends After winning seven straight against the ‘Fins from 2010 to 2013, the Patriots have lost two of their last three meetings with Miami. To keep that trend going, Lamar Miller will probably need to have a big night against a Patriots defense that allows 4.5 yards a carry. New England, which averages 41.8 pass attempts per game, might want to establish the ground attack, too....

In particular, while discussing “American values,” the president started off on a tangent about social activism in the NFL and how players’ demonstrations during the national anthem before games are affecting television ratings and “ruining the game.” Here are Trump’s comments in full. Upon hearing the remarks, a few NFL players past and present responded on social media. The NFL and its players’ union also issued statements Saturday morning....

For the Chargers, meanwhile, the tone is somewhat different despite a 10-7 campaign. Justin Herbert continued to dazzle in his third year, but the Chargers haven’t caught the Chiefs in the AFC West and lost in the wild card round in embarrassing fashion, blowing a 27-0 lead and losing 31-30 on a walk-off field goal. Trevor Lawrence overcame immense odds after throwing four first half interceptions to orchestrate a masterful comeback, whereas Doug Pederson reaffirmed his spot in the gambling coaches pantheon....

Last week’s wild-card round was full of upsets with four lower-seeded teams emerging victorious, including wins by the Browns and Rams, the No. 6 seeds in the AFC and NFC brackets. Will the underdogs prevail yet again? Or will the top contenders reign supreme? Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL divisional round games, including a full schedule with TV channels and start times. MORE: Watch today’s NFL games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)...

For many owners, the fantasy season isn’t over, so here’s a look at the weather forecasts for the two conference championship games. New England Patriots at Denver Broncos Time and Place: 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High TV Coverage: CBS Weather: 49-58 degrees, winds between 4-6 mph, zero percent chance of precipitation. Fantasy outlook: Conditions will be almost perfect for this much-anticipated clash, so don’t expect either team to alter their gameplans....