Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary made 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in a 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots
HONORABLE MENTION
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady completed 39/52 passes for 385 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, but the Bucs lost 41-31 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pittsburgh Steelers LB Devin Bush, Jr. made 6 tackles in a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets
Houston Texans WR Nico Collins had 3 catches for 82 yards, including a 58-yarder, in a 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers
Philadelphia Eagles OLB Brandon Graham made 3 tackles in a 29-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson made 5 tackles in a 48-45 loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis made 7 tackles in a 23-16 win over the New York Giants
Indianapolis Colts DE Kwity Paye made 3 tackles and 1 sack in a 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones caught 5 passes for 71 yards in a 23-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons
Steelers DT Chris Wormley made 4 tackles in the 24-20 loss to the Jets
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones caught a 60-yard touchdown pass and finished with 2 catches for 86 yards and the 1 touchdown in a 41-16 win over the Bengals.
The Cleveland Browns’ Donovan Peoples-Jones had an outstanding game on Sunday, catching 4 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. The two scores were a short catch-and-run and a 57-yard Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
QB Tom Brady (Buccaneers): Brady completed completed 24/42 passes for 297 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a 28-22 win over the Eagles.
LB Devin Bush, Jr. (Steelers): Bush made 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in a 23-20 win over the Seahawks.
WR Nico Collins (Texans): Collins caught 4 passes for 44 yards in a 31-3 loss to Colts.
RB Chris Evans (Bengals): Evans caught 3 passes for 49 yards and his first NFL touchdown, while also running the ball 4 times for 18 yards, in a 34-11 win over the Lions.
DE Kwity Paye (Colts): Paye made 1 tackle and 1 interception in a 31-3 win over the Texans.
Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady continues to play like a much younger man. The 44-year-old Brady completed 32/50 passes for 379 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 31-29 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night. His first interception was a screen pass thrown to running back Leonard Fournette that was right at his facemask and bounced off his hands, and the second was a Hail Mary attempt that was picked off by Jourdan Lewis at the end of the first half. Here’s his first touchdown of the 2021 season:
Last night defensive end Kwity Paye went #21 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. I discussed offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield yesterday as a possible first rounder (LINK), but as expected, he did not go off the board on night one.
So besides Mayfield, who’s next?
Wide receiver Nico Collins measured in at 6’4″, 215 lbs., having lost weight since he last wore a Michigan uniform in 2019. He ran a 4.43 at Michigan’s pro day, broad jumped 10’5 3/4″, and showed a 37.5″ vertical. Even though I have doubts about that forty time, I don’t think anyone expects him to be a burner in the NFL. He can be a matchup probably with his size. I thought he might be a good fit for a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Eagles already went with a wide receiver (albeit a small one) in Devonta Smith. Projected draft spot: Rounds 2-3
Cornerback Ambry Thomas is probably the next best bet. At 5’11” and 191 lbs., Thomas showed off a 38″ vertical, broad jumped 10’2″, and ran the forty in 4.37. He opted out of the 2020 season, but he was a shutdown corner when he last played in 2019. Will teams hold it against him that he missed 2020? That remains to be seen, but a few guys who opted out of 2020 still went in the first round. Projected draft spot: Rounds 3-4
Linebacker Cam McGrone missed a chunk of the 2020 season with a torn ACL, and he wasn’t playing that well before the injury, anyway. At 6’0″ and 234 lbs., he was unable to run the forty and did 20 reps on the bench press. McGrone only started for part of 2019 and part of 2020, and he probably left too early. It would not surprise me if he went undrafted, and it would not surprise me if he went in the 5th round. Projected draft spot: Rounds 6-7
Fullback Ben Mason weighed in at 6’2″ and 246 lbs. He did 29 reps on the bench, ran a 4.72, and broad jumped 9’9″. Fullbacks have gone the way of the dodo in recent years, but he’s such a devastating lead blocker that I think he can fill a role on a roster somewhere. Projected draft spot: Rounds 6-7
Running back Chris Evans is 5’11” and 211 lbs. He clocked a 4.44 forty, did 20 bench press reps, had a 40.5″ vertical, and broad jumped 10’7″. His pro day was arguably the most impressive of any Michigan player, and yet his overall lack of production at Michigan leaves some questions about what he can really do at the next level. He never topped 685 rushing yards in a Wolverines uniform, and his final season included just 73 rushing yards and 87 receiving yards. I think he can play in the NFL, but it would be a little odd for him to get drafted. Projected draft spot: Round 7 or UDFA
Other draft-eligible players I do not expect to get drafted:
