Happy Monday, everyone! John Breech may or may not be cleaning up fireworks from the weekend, so you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest from around the NFL, right here in the Pick Six newsletter.
Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from proposed blockbuster trades to stunning off-field news from the weekend:
1. Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson killed in car crash
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Tragic news struck the NFL on Fourth of July Weekend, with Khyree Jackson, 24, among three victims of a fatal accident that occurred in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, overnight Saturday. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon this April, Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene alongside two former high school teammates. Maryland State Police believe Jackson’s vehicle was struck by another car at high speed, and that alcohol may have contributed to the other driver’s actions.
“I am absolutely crushed by this news,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a team statement. “Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately drew his teammates to him. In our short time together, it was evident Khyree was going to develop into a tremendous professional football player, but what was more impressive was his desire to become the best person he could be for his family and those around him. I am at a loss for words. My heart goes out to Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches.”
2. Brandon Aiyuk trade proposals: Three-way deal?
The San Francisco 49ers want to keep the All-Pro wide receiver, and Aiyuk prefers to stay put. Yet both sides have failed to strike a long-term contract agreement, and Aiyuk continues to tease a potential trade, this time sharing footage of himself reviewing Washington Commanders practice film. It got us thinking: What could Washington actually offer San Francisco to pry Aiyuk from the Bay Area? We’ve got three proposed deals, including this splashy three-way possibility:
- Broncos get: WR Jamison Crowder (Washington), 2025 third-round pick (Washington)
- Commanders get: WR Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco)
- 49ers get: WR Courtland Sutton (Denver), 2025 second-round pick (Washington)
Let’s get funky, eh? Denver is in a bit of a contract bind of its own, with Sutton contemplating a training-camp holdout as he seeks a pay raise entering Year 7. While Sean Payton may not prefer to part with his club’s most accomplished wideout, he could also use more resources for the long-term build around rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Crowder is aging, but his reliability as a possession target would probably appeal to Payton’s eye for efficiency. San Francisco, meanwhile, would essentially be renting a proven downfield starter in Sutton while also recouping a second-rounder by shipping Aiyuk to Washington.
3. Every NFL franchise’s best team of Super Bowl era
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The Kansas City Chiefs are the contemporary standard for championship contenders. Resident NFL historian Bryan DeArdo has combed through the record books, however, to identify the best individual team of all 32 franchises during the Super Bowl era. As for the Chiefs, DeArdo likes the 2019 version — only the second season with Patrick Mahomes as a full-time starter — as the best to represent K.C. in recent memory:
After a 7-4 start, the 2019 Chiefs won their final nine games, including a 31-20 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Patrick Mahomes, the league’s MVP the previous season, became the first player in league history to win a league and Super Bowl MVP before his 25th birthday. Mahomes was a major reason for their first championship in 50 years, but the Chiefs were hardly a one-man show. Along with Mahomes, the Chiefs’ 2019 roster featured five other Pro Bowlers in receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce (97 catches, 1,229 yards), defensive linemen Chris Jones and Frank Clark, and safety Tyrann Mathieu.
4. Dak Prescott injury update: Cowboys QB hints at status
Plenty of ink has been spilled about Prescott’s contract situation, with the Pro Bowl quarterback entering the final year of his current deal, but now we’ve got news on Dak’s health: After recently suffering a foot sprain that required a walking boot, per ESPN, Prescott has seemingly downplayed the injury by sharing a photo of himself walking without the boot. Initial reports described the signal-caller’s ailment as “minor,” and Prescott is still expected to be a full participant when the Cowboys open training camp later this month.
5. NFL’s top 20 linebackers: Fred Warner still up top
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Linebackers don’t get nearly as much attention as they once did, but the premier off-ball starters can still be difference-makers in today’s NFL, as evidenced, for example, by Roquan Smith’s move to the Baltimore Ravens. Which names deserve the most attention going into 2024? Jordan Dajani has ranked the top 20 at the position, and he’s got a familiar face atop the pecking order: San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner.
Last year, the versatile defender became the only player over the last 25 seasons to record 125 tackles, four interceptions and four forced fumbles in a season. In all, Warner recorded 132 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, a career-high 11 passes defensed, four interceptions and four forced fumbles in 2023, which earned him his third first-team All-Pro nod, and third Pro Bowl appearance as well. His coverage ability gives the already-talented 49ers defense some flexibility, and he’s proven to be a playmaker at virtually every level of the field.
6. Rookies to watch: Brock Bowers could be instant star
The Las Vegas Raiders surprised some fans by using a first-round pick on tight end Brock Bowers this April. Don’t be surprised if Bowers is an immediate weapon, however. Or at least that’s what draft analyst Chris Trapasso says in his forecast of rookie tight ends for the 2024 campaign:
Bowers has incredible burst, route-running chops, hands and thunderous yards-after-catch capabilities to prove himself as a three-level winner for whoever’s throwing him the football as a rookie — Aidan O’Connell or Garner Minshew. And because of his deceptive power coupled with ferocious athleticism, Bowers is a mismatch for essentially every type of defender.
