NFL Rumors: Latest Draft Buzz and Rumors from Around the League

With the 2012 NFL draft just three short days away, we run down some of the latest news, buzz and rumors, including where one NFL personnel man rates Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the interest from the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers in Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, how the Dallas Cowboys could be split between Alabama safety Mark Barron and Stanford guard David DeCastro and if the New York Jets are a fit for Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd. 

Tannehill the Best of the Best?

While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are widely considered the draft's top two quarterbacks, at least one NFL official told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the best of the three. 

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I had one well-placed NFL official on a team with a top-12 pick tell me he thought Tannehill was the best quarterback in the draft. It doesn't make him right, and almost everyone else disagrees, but it just goes to prove the point that it only takes one.

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The guys over at Rotoworld.com opined that the NFL official could be Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider, who hasn't been shy about his adulation of Tannehill. Seattle picks at No. 12 overall, so that guess would seem to have some legs.

Tannehill isn't likely to get past Cleveland (No. 4), Miami (No. 8) and Kansas City (No. 11), but if he did, you'd have to assume the Seahawks would take him at No. 12. 

Fleener Eyed by Texans, 49ers?

Stanford's Coby Fleener is the top tight end in this class for a wide range of draft analysts, and most of those same draftniks have mocked him in the 25-40 range. TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline has two teams in that pick range that are reportedly interested in taking the tight end.

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We have heard from several sources that the Houston Texans are seriously considering using their first round pick, number 26, on tight end Coby Fleener of Stanford. ... Surprisingly the other team showing a lot of interest in Fleener are the San Francisco 49ers.  We hear its more than just the usual overt interest rather a number of phone calls and close inspection of the Stanford tight end.

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Houston appears to be a logical fit, as starter Owen Daniels has struggled to stay healthy and former backup Joel Dreessen signed with Denver in free agency. The Texans are in a position to draft the best player available at No. 26, and that guy could very well be Fleener. 

While the 49ers have Vernon Davis and Delaine Walker at tight end, Davis and Fleener could form a dominant one-two punch with Walker playing more in blocking situations. There's also the obvious connection for Jim Harbaugh, who coached Fleener while at Stanford. 

There's still the possibility that Fleener drops out of the first round—much like Kyle Rudolph did last April—but there are fits for the Stanford tight end at the back end of day one. 

Cowboys Split Between a S and G?

Alabama safety Mark Barron has been a hot pick for the Dallas Cowboys at No. 14 overall, but Sports Illustrated's Peter King thinks that team could also be considering Stanford guard David DeCastro at that pick. In the end, however, King still predicts Dallas will take Barron. 

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It's not like Jerry Jones to overload on the offensive line two years in a row by picking Stanford guard David DeCastro; the Cowboys took tackle Tyron Smith in the first round last year. It's more likely they'll focus on Alabama safety Mark Barron at No. 14. He's the darling of the mock draft set -- including in mine -- and is a battle-tested (38 starts under Nick Saban), day-one starter who would fit in well in a needy secondary.

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The Cowboys also spent money at guard during free agency, so DeCastro may not represent the kind of value/need pick Dallas is looking for. While DeCastro would still be a likely candidate to start right away, how the Cowboys spent in free agency is something to consider when filling out a team's draft board.

Barron may have more immediate impact, too. 

Pairing the experienced Alabama safety in the Dallas secondary with free-agent signee Brandon Carr should allow the Cowboys to improve on last year's No. 23 overall finish in pass defense in 2012. 

Jets Locking on to Floyd?

According to the New York Post, Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd is being "eyed" by the Jets as the team's potential first-round pick. New York picks at No. 16 overall. 

Lenn Robbins of the Post describes Floyd as "a Rex Ryan-type player."

The Jets also have a clear need at receiver, as veteran Santonio Holmes represents the team's only true threat at the position leading into the 2012 season. But the possibility certainly exists that GM Mike Tannenbaum won't even have the option of taking Floyd, with several teams ahead of the Jets having the chance to snag the receiver before the Jets could. 

The Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals would all have to pass on the athletic receiver for Floyd to be an option for the Jets at No. 16 overall. At this point, that scenario looks unlikely.