Patrick Mahomes headlines Pete Prisco’s Top 100 Players of 2024; more fuel to Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors

Hello, good people of the internet, and welcome back to the Pick Six newsletter. It’s your friend Tyler Sullivan here to keep you up to date on the latest news from NFL on this beautiful Tuesday. Why is it beautiful, you ask? Well my Boston Celtics won the NBA title last night, so I’m in a particularly good mood.

Before I spend my entire salary on championship gear, let’s get back to football and read today’s newsletter. We’ve got Pete Prisco’s top 100 player list to access, more fuel for the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors, and more. Of course, be sure to sign up right here so you don’t miss a second of NFL updates.

Alright, let’s go!

1. Pete Prisco’s Top 100 Players of 2024

It’s that time of year again when our guy Pete Prisco reveals his top 100 NFL players. It probably comes as no surprise that the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and defensive back Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes tops the list. Prisco asks if Mahomes will do the impossible and help make KC the NFL’s first-peat Super Bowl champion, could we start calling him the best of all time? Meanwhile, Browns pass rusher and defensive player of the year Myles Garrett is the best defender on the list.

Here’s a quick look at the top 10 on Prisco’s list:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
3. Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
4. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
5. TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
7. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
8. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
9. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
10. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

One of Prisco’s big takeaways from compiling this list was, as he notes, “how obvious it is that the league is in transition,” with the old guard disappearing with a new crop emerging. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how this list might look different a year from now.

To see the entire story of Priscus, Click here.

2. AFC North chosen for HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ series

For the first time, an entire division will be the theme of the season’s version of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documentary series. And that division will be the AFC North. The NFL and HBO announced Monday that the division that houses the Bengals, Ravens, Steelers and Browns will be the focus.

This season version of “Hard Knocks” began in 2021 and focused on a single team during its first three seasons on the air, starting with the Colts. Now, they’re expanding that vision, and what better division than the AFC North, where every team was above .500 in 2023, and three of them made the playoffs? The division isn’t short on stars either, as it boasts a defense featuring MVP Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, TJ Watt, Myles Garrett and more.

This is a return to “Hard Knocks” for the Ravens, who were the first team featured in the series when it debuted its flagship training camp edition in 2001. The Bengals have been featured twice (2009 and 2013), while the Browns have previously been featured. on air once (2018). This is the first time the Steelers will be in the “Hard Knocks” spotlight.

3. Brandon Aiyuk says the 49ers ‘don’t want me back’

Even as the NFL enters its summer hibernation period, there are still some lingering storylines that could emerge in the coming months. That includes what appears to be a dissolving situation surrounding the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He was the subject of trade rumors during the offseason as he continued to seek a long-term extension, but no box office success was achieved.

While at this point in the calendar a negotiation seems unlikely, we have a development that could provide some fuel and move things in that direction. A video posted to what appears to be Aiyuk’s TikTok account shows the receiver talking to former college teammate and current Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Aiyuk can be heard telling Daniels that “they don’t want me back.”

The “they” in Aiyuk’s comments were assumed to be the 49ers.

With this latest chapter of this saga now written, our own Cody Benjamin – who has been doing the heavy lifting with this newsletter in John Breech’s absence – has compiled a list of landing spots for Aiyuk if the Niners ultimately decide to move on from him.

Here are two of Benjamin’s five landing spots for the star receiver:

• Washington commanders: Is it a coincidence that Aiyuk vented about his contract delay with new Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels? No, because the two were once teammates at Arizona State. Now, how about a reunion? Terry McLaurin is already well-paid as Washington’s No. 1, but new coach Dan Quinn has prioritized veteran depth this offseason, and there are other San Francisco departures in D.C., where former 49ers employees, including the Commies general manager, Adam Peters, now resides.
• New England Patriots: Aiyuk may not be eager to join a rebuilding team after four years of playoff contention in the Bay Area. New England has money to spare, however, boasting $45 million in cap space under the new coach. Jerod Mayoplus a flashy quarterback of the future in Drake Maye. Desperately lacking a bona fide No. 1, the Pats may be in a better position to overcome the competition.

To read the rest of Cody’s landing sites for Aiyuk, Click here.

These days, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room when it comes to rookie contracts, as deals are largely predetermined depending on where you stand. However, the Chargers and rookie Ladd McConkey made history on Monday night when they reached an agreement on his deal.

By NFL media, the two sides agreed to a four-year contract that will give McConkey the most guaranteed money in NFL history for the 34th overall pick. McConkey received more guaranteed money than current Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who was the 34th pick in 2023. Christian Watson, Michael Pittman and Donovan Smith are a few other notable former 34th overall picks.

With his guaranteed money now in hand, McConkey will enter his rookie season as possibly Justin Herbert’s target.

5. Jayden Daniels is ‘further along’ than most young QBs

All eyes will be on this year’s rookie quarterback class, which includes Washington’s Jayden Daniels. The second overall pick impressed throughout the offseason program, and although Dan Quinn has not yet named a holder, he could start vying to climb to the top of the Commanders depth chart sooner rather than later. Quinn even recently noted that Daniels is “further along than you probably should be.”

“There is no doubt that Jayden is making unbelievable progress here,” Quinn said. “It was very clear that he tried hard. He has an arrogance. He really has a very firm grip on the things we’re doing, but he also has the humility of a young player… knowing he has a lot to prove.”

Not only is Quinn excited about his new QB, but so is his offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who coached No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at USC last year.

“His football IQ is very high,” Kingsbury said. “[With] protections, I was really impressed with that. A lot of guys coming into the league it’s not an area they specialize in in college. They don’t have much time. But he is well versed in protections and works on it.”

6. Bonus points: Browns GM gives update on Watson, more news

Want more NFL news? Here are some other noteworthy headlines from around the league: