FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 10th, 2023

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

“The best thing might be the sign it sends to (QB Lamar) Jackson: We want you back, we’re probably going to add one more bright-prospect receiver in the draft, and it’s all set up for you to take us deep in the playoffs.” – King on the Ravens signing WR Odell Beckham Jr.

“Young likes people comparing him to a point guard, a distributor of the ball to the open man…In today’s game, a short quarterback can work better than a generation ago because it’s more of a horizontal, short-passing game overall.” – King on Alabama QB Bryce Young

“I think Jalen Carter could be drafted fifth or 25 and I wouldn’t be surprised.” – King on Georgia DT Jalen Carter

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 10, 2023 – Peter King discusses the upcoming NFL Draft, which begins in two and a half weeks, in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also covers Odell Beckham Jr. signing with the Ravens, Jalen Carter’s draft prospects, the wide receiver draft class, and more.

For more NFL coverage, Peacock offers daily programming on the NBC Sports channel, including Pro Football Talk at 7 a.m. ET, The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, Brother from Another at 3 p.m. ET, plus Chris Simms Unbuttoned on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the weekly Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry and The Peter King Podcast. This week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Simms continues his annual position-by-position draft prospect rankings. On today’s episode, Simms unveils his 2023 NFL Draft EDGE rankings. To learn more about the NBC Sports on Peacock channel and how to sign up, click here.

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

NFL DRAFT

Peter King on how the difference between Alabama QB Bryce Young and Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud signifies a change in the NFL: “What’s interesting if the 5-10 Young goes before the 6-3 C.J. Stroud is how it signifies how much the game has changed over the past few years. Young likes people comparing him to a point guard, a distributor of the ball to the open man, because it illustrates a lot about modern quarterbacking. In today’s game, a short quarterback can work better than a generation ago because it’s more of a horizontal, short-passing game overall.”

King on how Young’s college credentials will translate to the NFL: “People will say Young faced great defensive linemen in the SEC, and he did. But he’s not likely to have an NFL offensive line as foreboding as the one he had at Alabama.”

King on the current state of NFL teams’ draft strategies: “This is important: Most draft boards are not finalized. Keep in mind that most teams have their rankings done in pencil now, with the ability to change the order by position and overall.”

King on the Ravens’ draft plans after signing WR Odell Beckham Jr.: “I doubt it changes their draft plans one iota. Baltimore still will strongly consider a first-round receiver, in part because the three or four top receivers should land in a bunch right around where the Ravens pick in the first round, at 21.”

King: “To me, Baltimore getting (USC WR Jordan) Addison or (Boston College WR Zay) Flowers at 21 would be a big get in the Ravens’ only scheduled pick in the first two rounds.”

King on Georgia DT Jalen Carter: “I think Jalen Carter could be drafted fifth or 25 and I wouldn’t be surprised.”

King on his draft idea for the Eagles: “I think if I were (Eagles GM) Howie Roseman, I’d draft Bijan Robinson 10th overall, break the Eagles’ mold of always fortifying the two lines, and say to the world: Okay, you all try to stop Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Bijan Robinson — I know you can’t.”

King on Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes: “At 6-1 and running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, Forbes should go no lower than late in the first, even with the weight question.”

NEWS & NOTES

King on WR Odell Beckham Jr. signing with the Ravens: “The best thing might be the sign it sends to (QB Lamar) Jackson: We want you back, we’re probably going to add one more bright-prospect receiver in the draft, and it’s all set up for you to take us deep in the playoffs.”

King on the proposed idea of enshrining a deceased coach into the Pro Football Hall of Fame every year: “I can’t believe anyone outside the coaching sphere would want to ensure two coaches every year enter the Hall. The softening of standards has already put in a cadre of coaches whose numbers and accomplishments would not have gotten them in a generation ago.”

King on Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill saying he will retire after the 2025 season: “Seems a little odd to me, saying you’ll retire after playing three more NFL seasons, but to each his own.”

King on free agent QB Cam Newton wanting to return to the NFL: “I think Newton’s a person who cares about the future of the position, and I’ve talked to him about how much he wants to be a beacon for the next generation of Black quarterbacks…The way to do that now is to humble himself and get in a team facility and put those helpful intentions into action.”

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.

—NBC SPORTS—