Saints’ Alvin Kamara facing possible six-game suspension, plus ranking top cornerbacks of 2022

Well hello there. It’s Friday, which is usually John Breech’s time to deliver the day’s NFL news. But he’s taking a personal day to lament the fact that Joe Burrow spent time with Chris Simms instead of him this week. So I, Cody Benjamin, am here to guide you through all the latest from around the league.

This is the Pick Six newsletter. Now let’s get to it. (And please, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don’t want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.)

We’ve got more top 10 position rankings, big Alvin Kamara news, and much more:

1. Today’s show: Debating the top 10 WRs of 2022

Tyler Sullivan joined John Breech on Friday’s “Pick Six NFL Podcast” to rank and dissect the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL entering the 2022 season. Some highlights:

• Sully likes the Seahawks‘ DK Metcalf, but not enough to rank him among the NFL’s best pass-catchers, instead featuring fellow 2019 second-round pick A.J. Brown, now with the Eagles, on his list at No. 9.
• Cooper Kupp’s monster year with the Rams in 2021, capped with a Super Bowl MVP, was not enough to propel him ahead of longtime Packers star — and new Raiders No. 1 — Davante Adams on Sully’s pecking order.
• Despite the Dolphins paying record money to land Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs, Sully doesn’t even view the speedster as a top five target in 2022 now that he’s in Miami, ranking six other veterans ahead of the All-Pro.

Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.

2. Alvin Kamara likely to face six-game suspension in 2022

At least. That’s according to ProFootballTalk, which reported this week that the Saints running back could be banned even longer as the NFL continues its investigation into an incident that led to his arrest the day of the 2022 Pro Bowl. Kamara, one of the highest-paid players at his position, was booked for battery in January following a nightclub altercation. The NFL’s personal conduct policy, meanwhile, dictates a minimum six-game suspension for felony battery, per PFT.

3. Best bargain players of 2022: Tom Brady among underpaid QBs

We saw a lot of lucrative contracts doled out this offseason, but not every superstar is atop his respective position’s market. Consider Tom Brady, who headlines our rundown of 2022’s best bargain players at select premium positions (quarterback, wide receiver, pass-rusher and cornerback):

Average annual earnings: $25M per year | 2022 cost: $11.9M

No, Brady is not on a rookie-level deal, but 16 other QBs will earn more than him in 2022. Considering he may well be the best signal-caller in the entire game, even going on 45, that’s a criminally team-friendly number for the Buccaneers. Sure, Brady controls his future as a pending 2023 free agent, but his discounted rate enables Tampa Bay to give him a championship-caliber supporting cast. His actual value is darn near priceless.

4. Top 10 cornerbacks of 2022: Jalen Ramsey reigns supreme

Patrik Walker ranked his top cover men of the new season, and some familiar faces headline his pecking order, most notably that of Rams star Jalen Ramsey, the No. 1 defensive back on Walker’s board:

There’s no reason to pretend he isn’t still the best cornerback in the NFL, and so we won’t. The fact he’s so consistent and has actually gotten better with age — a comment you shouldn’t take lightly when considering he achieved All-Pro honors as early as Year 2 — only deepens the argument to keep him on the throne, and anyone waiting for him to take a step back and get comfortable after resetting the market at the position with his mega deal can stop holding their breath now. Furthermore, what Ramsey was able to produce in 2021 — with two bad shoulders — is utter insanity, and now that he’s gotten those issues repaired, what level might he hit for the defending champion Rams in 2022?

5. Arch Manning to Texas: The QB commit’s NFL bloodlines

The No. 1 prospect in the 2023 college recruiting class has committed to the Longhorns, and while the New Orleans high school star is still years away from a potential pro career, it’d be irresponsible not to recognize his colorful family history. In case you’re wondering (or forgot), Arch Manning is the nephew of retired NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning, and the grandson of former Saints QB Archie Manning. He already compares favorably to the bunch from a physical perspective, and scouts already envision him emerging as a top-level NFL starter on the college stage.

6. Rapid-fire roundup: Herbert talks contract, Parsons eyes NFL record

Hungry for even more NFL headlines? You came to the right place:

• One-on-one with Justin Herbert: The Chargers QB talks with Jeff Kerr about his 2022 preparations
• Full 2022 training camp details: Dates and locations for every team’s summer camp
• Tyreek Hill got death threats over Mahomes comments: The Dolphins WR has been praising his new QB
• Tom Brady reacts to Patriots’ new uniform plans: New England is reviving its red throwbacks
• Micah Parsons eyes NFL sack record: The Cowboys star wants to hit 23 in his second season
• Top five rookie receivers of 2022: Based on expected production from Chris Trapasso