Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten is reportedly planning to announce his retirement from the NFL on Friday, April 27, in order to become ESPN’s new Monday Night Football lead analyst, per sources. Witten will reportedly meet with team owner Jerry Jones before making his decision final, however, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

Dallas Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch (head, neck) denied a report that he suffered a stinger and a concussion during his sophomore season in college. ‘I missed some time (as a sophomore in 2016) because they thought I had a concussion because I was having headaches, but they fixed that at a chiropractor,’ Vander Esch said. ‘I never had a stinger. I’ve had no issues. They took like a bad CT scan at the Combine and people started talking about it.’

The New England Patriots selected Georgia RB Sony Michel with the 31st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: The Patriots haven’t drafted a first round running back since Laurence Maroney, but they got a good one here. Michel is a decisive runner who has good burst, vision and runs hard. He’s also solid in pass protection which will help with a shaky offensive line and keep him on the field for all three downs. He doesn’t make very sharp cuts, and needs to improve his overall pass-catching ability, but should have a role early for the Patriots.

Indianapolis Colts OG Quenton Nelson said he will help the passing game and the running game. ‘So that’s what I give is a pocket to step up in, and I think I also help the offense establish the run through my nastiness,’ Nelson said.

Footballguys View: He’ll have his work cut out for him. While he upgrades things, he can’t play all five positions at once. Nelson is a great start though.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Central Florida CB Mike Hughes with the 30th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: With two corners who are already in house and very good, this might seem a little odd on the surface, but the Vikings are protecting themselves from when they can’t afford to pay Xavier Rhodes.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Florida DT Taven Bryan with the 29th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: Bryan has tremendous athleticism but lacks instincts and feel for the position. It could take some time for him to improve enough to crack the lineup regularly, especially with this group. He has upside, but this was a pick that seems like it could have been used at something more pressing.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Virginia Tech S Terrell Edmunds with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: Edmunds has good size and solid burst, can hold up in man coverage and plays well against the line as well. A nice addition to the secondary and should help against some of the receivers the Steelers will see this season.

Oakland Raiders WR Martavis Bryant can be a ‘dynamic receiver’ for quarterback Derek Carr, according to general manager Reggie McKenzie, and McKenzie said Oakland had been working on trading for Bryant for some time.

Footballguys View: The best ability is availability and Bryant just hasn’t been for much of his career. If he’s on the field he could be a nice pairing with Amani Cooper, but he cannot afford to make any mistakes off the field. And the Raiders can’t afford for him to make them either.

The Seattle Seahawks selected San Diego State RB Rashaad Penny with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: The bad Penny turns up! Actually not a bad penny at all, but a guy who buzz has been building about for a while. This seems early, but Penny can do a lot of things well – catch the ball, pass block, run inside and out. He doesn’t have top end speed and so may not breakaway when he gets to the second level and isn’t as explosive as you would like a back to be, but there’s very little competition for him in Seattle.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Alabama WR Calvin Ridley with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday, April 26.

Footballguys View: The Falcons know from Alabama receivers. Ridley’s speed, route-running ability and ability to separate will put him in a position to really feast off the coverage he will get across from Julio Jones. Matt Ryan has to be thrilled.