NFL Draft

After years of shaky draft results, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly became more open to input from scouts ahead of the 2021 NFL draft.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Belichick held formal meetings with the scouting department and "reworked other past practices" in an effort to improve draft results. Breer noted that scouts have left the Patriots in recent offseasons over frustrations with Belichick seemingly shutting them out of the draft process.

"Belichick's own experiences with players and his connections in college coaching too often would trump the information his scouts were giving him," Breer wrote, citing the feelings of those in the organization.

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Richard Sherman and the Dallas Cowboys feel like the perfect pairing. 

Jerry Jones loves razzle and dazzle with his Cowboys. And if there's anything he likes more than a big headline that attracts attention to America's Team, it's making moves that improve the Cowboys on the field.

Why not pull off a move that does both?

Even casual fans know the story of the Dallas defense. The unit was a disaster in 2020 under coordinator Mike Nolan, who reported to new coach Mike McCarthy. Things were historically bad en route to allowing 29.6 points and 158.8 rushing yards per game. They generated just 31 sacks, and formerly elite players like Jaylon Smith looked out of place. 

Scheme changes are never easy, but the results got Nolan fired after the season. Jones and Co. took a timid approach in free agency, though. They signed a hodgepodge of ho-hum deals, most of the one-year variety, with names like Damontae Kazee while re-upping with cornerback Jourdan Lewis. 

Dallas emphasized the draft to rebuild the unit, taking Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons 12th overall and using its first six picks and eight of 11 total on the defensive side of the ball. That included corners Kelvin Joseph (second round), Nahshon Wright (third round) and Israel Mukuamu (sixth round). 

There's plenty of room for a free-agent starter like Sherman, though—even if Wright told reporters he's "kind of a more athletic and agile Richard Sherman."

But there's the rub—Wright isn't Richard Sherman. At least not yet. 

Most cornerbacks aren't. One of the best players of his generation keeps chugging on at age 33, posting a 67.7 Pro Football Focus grade last year over limited snaps. That injury-marred season shouldn't override the fact that in 2019 over 87 percent of his defense's snaps, Sherman allowed 27 catches on 51 targets with three interceptions, earning an 88.9 mark from PFF.

A healthy Sherman, even if he regresses slightly from those numbers, would be better than anything the Cowboys could roster next season. Last year in the new scheme, Trevon Diggs earned a 62.7 PFF grade, allowing 45 catches on 76 targets. The re-signed Lewis posted a 48.1 grade with 52 allowed on 77 looks.

Much of the rookie Wright's comments likely meant to emphasize how much he likes the fit in new coordinator Dan Quinn's scheme, which is fair.

It's a scheme Sherman knows intimately.

Quinn and Sherman worked together in Seattle's Legion of Boom years ago. Rekindling that relationship could provide immediate impact as the Cowboys try to right the defensive ship.

While one could argue that bringing on Sherman might impede the development of the young cornerbacks, does anyone sense Jones wants to bank on rookies to blossom quickly? The core he's paid so much to retain, headlined by quarterback Dak Prescott, isn't getting any younger.

Adding Sherman would straddle the now-later tightrope. The instant impact would boost the unit, plus Dallas would be hard-pressed to find a better veteran mentor to model what Quinn wants the youngsters to learn as they adjust to the pro game.

Dallas has the cash to make it happen. Jones and Co. have $8.9 million in cap space but could free up more through extensions or make any new signing less restrictive on the cap through sheer creativity.

Sherman isn't in a position to demand a huge number anyway. Joining a potential contender, especially after the way Prescott started last year before his injury, beats the tar out of finishing out his career on a rebuilder.

It's a wonder this move hasn't happened yet given how the pieces align. Sherman would get to pursue another ring, and the Cowboys would add an instant upgrade who can ease the transition to future years, likely holding the championship window open longer.

And of course, the big summer splash would get eyeballs on the Cowboys before training camp.

ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay released his first 2022 NFL mock draft Thursday, headlined by Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux going No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans.

McShay's top 10 picks were as follows:

1. Houston Texans: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

2. Detroit Lions: Kedon Slovis, QB, USC

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

4. New York Jets: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Zion Nelson, OT, Miami

6. Carolina Panthers: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

7. Philadelphia Eagles: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

8. New York Giants: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

9. New York Giants (via CHI): Evan Neal, OL, Alabama

10. Las Vegas Raiders: Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida

The release of McShay's way-too-early 2022 mock came just one week after the start of the 2021 NFL draft. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick.

The Texans are an organization in disarray that could benefit from getting the No. 1 overall pick and landing a potentially transcendent talent like Thibodeaux next year.

Houston is coming off a 4-12 season in 2020, but it was unable to do much to improve its roster in the 2021 NFL draft since it traded its first- and second-round picks in the Laremy Tunsil deal in September 2019. As a result, it didn't pick until the third round when it took Stanford quarterback Davis Mills.

The Texans have a great deal of uncertainty at the quarterback position since starter Deshaun Watson requested a trade and is facing 22 civil lawsuits stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct and assault.

That means quarterback could be a target for the Texans next season, but if they want to develop Mills and see what he can become, Thibodeaux could be a great pick at No. 1 overall, especially on the heels of Houston releasing franchise sack leader J.J. Watt this offseason.

Thibodeaux was the No. 2 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports, and he has lived up to the billing thus far with 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss in just 20 career collegiate games.

He appeared in seven games last season since the Pac-12 had a shortened campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but if Thibodeaux can have a full, productive season in 2021, he has a good chance to go first overall next year.

The first quarterback to come off the board in McShay's mock is USC's Kedon Slovis to the Detroit Lions at No. 2 overall.

Unless Jared Goff regains some of the form he showed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, the Lions are likely to be on the lookout for a signal-caller. Slovis could be their man after he threw 30 touchdown passes as a freshman and followed that up with 1,921 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven games last season.

Quarterbacks came off the board with the first three picks in this year's draft, but there are only two quarterbacks in the top 10 of McShay's 2022 mock. The second after Slovis is North Carolina's Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 7.

While 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts will have a chance to establish himself as the long-term starter in 2021, Howell figures to have a great deal of hype surrounding him entering the 2022 draft after throwing 68 touchdown passes in his first two collegiate seasons.

As the dust settles on the 2021 NFL draft, ESPN's Todd McShay is already looking ahead at what could be in store for next year's class.

In his way-too-early 2022 mock draft, McShay projects five quarterbacks to go in the first round, including Sam Howell landing with the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 7 overall.

Other notable quarterback selections include the Denver Broncos taking Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler at No. 11 and the Washington Football Team getting Liberty's Malik Willis four picks later.

Certainly, the Eagles, Broncos and Football Team are among the teams that could be looking for a quarterback next year.

Denver is the most interesting team in that group because it's been heavily linked to Aaron Rodgers amid the three-time NFL MVP's apparent unhappiness with the Green Bay Packers.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported Tuesday on Get Up that the Broncos are "going to put the most in front" of the Packers in a trade proposal for Rodgers.

The Eagles may not need a quarterback depending on how Jalen Hurts develops in his first season as the starter. He did flash potential as a rookie in 2020 with 1,061 passing yards and 354 rushing yards in 15 appearances.

Hurts will be reunited with DeVonta Smith, who was selected No. 10 overall by Philadelphia in the 2021 draft. They spent two seasons together as teammates at Alabama.

Washington could end up being the team from this trio most in need of a quarterback after this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a stopgap player who will have a handful of good games every season, but he's only signed for one year and will turn 39 on Nov. 24.

Willis threw for 2,260 yards, ran for 944 yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns in 10 games at Liberty in 2020. He began his college career at Auburn but transferred in 2019 after spending two years as Jarrett Stidham's backup.

It speaks to how much teams will likely continue to value quarterbacks in the draft that McShay is projecting five to go in the first 16 picks next year.

The 2021 draft saw five quarterbacks go in the top 15, including with each of the top three picks.

It's no secret that the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. Recent history indicates the position will only become more valuable through the draft because of how much value and flexibility a rookie contract gives a team if it hits on a young signal-caller.