FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 3rd, 2023

PETER KING PREVIEWS TOP FOUR SELECTIONS OF UPCOMING NFL DRAFT IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF “FMIA”

“I just don’t know if (Frank Reich) likes (Bryce Young) more than (C.J.) Stroud. But if he favors Stroud, and if the majority of the influencers inside the Panthers love Young, I believe Reich will be okay with picking him.” – King on the Panthers’ potential QB selection

“I still believe it’s far more likely Houston stays at two and gives its fans the long-term quarterback the franchise has been seeking since its inception in 2002.” – King on the Texans’ draft strategy

“I think the over/under date for the Aaron Rodgers trade is early evening April 28. That’s when the second round of the NFL Draft begins.” – King on the final pieces of the Aaron Rodgers trade

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 3, 2023 – Peter King discusses the upcoming NFL Draft, previewing the top four selections, in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also speaks to Rams head coach Sean McVay, breaks down what he has been hearing about teams’ potential draft selections, the continuing Aaron Rodgers/Jets saga, the ‘assisting the runner’ rule, and more.

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The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

NFL DRAFT

Peter King on Panthers head coach Frank Reich’s QB preference at No. 1 in the 2023 NFL Draft: “One longtime friend of Reich’s told me the height thing is legit with him, and though Reich hasn’t told him so, this friend would be surprised if (Bryce) Young were Reich’s top choice.”

King on the Panthers’ QB preference: “The other thing I hear is several influential voices in the organization favor Young. That doesn’t mean Young will be the pick — not at all…But before he took the Carolina quarterback-coach job, Josh McCown reportedly told friends he loved Young.”

King: “I think (Reich) likes Young, and likes him a lot. I just don’t know if he likes him more than (C.J.) Stroud. But if he favors Stroud, and if the majority of the influencers inside the Panthers love Young, I believe Reich will be okay with picking him.”

King on the Texans’ draft strategy at No. 2: “In the last few days, I’ve heard this about Houston GM Nick Caserio: Very conservative. If he doesn’t love a quarterback at two, he’s not going to force it. He’d rather take this year’s sure edge thing, (Alabama pass-rusher Will) Anderson, the way Detroit took Aidan Hutchinson with the second pick last year.”

King: “I still believe it’s far more likely Houston stays at two and gives its fans the long-term quarterback the franchise has been seeking since its inception in 2002.”

King on the Cardinals’ draft strategy and possibly trading down from No. 3: “With possibly the least-talented roster in the league, Arizona needs quality volume out of this draft. The Cardinals sit at three and 34, and it’s worth passing on Will Anderson if it means picking four times in the top 50 of a good draft instead of two.”

King on the Colts’ strategy at No. 4: “The Colts are in a good but not great spot. After going the last five seasons with five different starting quarterbacks, they need to get off the QB-go-round and settle on one long-term—but if they don’t believe in Richardson or Levis, they can’t force it. There may be the option of trading down or picking Hendon Hooker (the Tennessee quarterback is coming off ACL surgery and is likely to miss most of 2023).”

NEWS & NOTES

Rams head coach Sean McVay to King on if the ‘assisting the runner’ play belongs in football: “I do. I think there’s certain elements that they want to officiate differently…It’s one thing to be able to push a guy. It’s another thing when you’re pulling him in. Those are the things that they wanna be more intentional about in officiating. It’s a quarterback sneak; there’s just a little bit difference in terms of the formations and the way that it looks to us. That’s been a play that’s been consistent for a long time.”

King on the final pieces of the Aaron Rodgers/Jets trade: “I think the over/under date for the Aaron Rodgers trade is early evening April 28. That’s when the second round of the NFL Draft begins…The Jets have the 11th and 12th picks in round two, 42nd and 43rd overall, and I’d bet one of those picks will be the key to this trade getting done.”

King on the future of the Patriots: “Say the Patriots go 7-10 each of the next two years, and (Bill) Belichick is five wins from passing Don Shula. What will (Robert) Kraft do? He may move on. If so, it would not surprise me to see Belichick coach another team for a couple of years.”

King on the inevitability of the Thursday night flex rule: “The NFL will arm-twist, most likely, prior to the next league session in late May, and unless the anti-forces can muster some momentum, it’s likely the measure will pass then.”

King on Daniel Snyder potentially selling the Commanders to an ownership group that would put the team’s stadium back in D.C.: “If Snyder sells to a group determined to return the team to the District, it might be the only way to save him from being an eternal enemy in the eyes of Washington sports fans.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:

    • ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
    • NBC Sports EDGE’s Rotoworld Football Show continues the NFL discussion and Bet The Edge Podcast provides daily betting insights.
    • The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and more. To access all of these videos and more, click here to subscribe

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

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