NFL Player News

The 49ers selected Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 90th overall.

This was highly unexpected. There really is a lot to like about Black following his standout showing at Indiana, but he caught only 55 receptions in six collegiate seasons and turns 25 in October. Black does look good as a pure runner, boasting a hot motor and decent speed (4.46-second pro day 40) at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, but second-year man Jordan James remains a strong candidate to serve as the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for the foreseeable future.

Charbonnet (knee) will face increased competition for touches once he recovers from a torn ACL, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports that the Seahawks drafted Jadarian Price 32nd overall Thursday,

The Seahawks lost running back Kenneth Walker in free agency but didn't take long to draft Walker's replacement, using the final selection of Thursday's first round on Price out of Notre Dame. Charbonnet split carries with Walker during the 2025 regular season, but Walker took on a workhorse role after Charbonnet tore his ACL in the NFC divisional-round win over the 49ers. Charbonnet's recovery is likely to stretch into the 2026 regular season, but if he can regain his pre-injury form, he'll likely return to a platoon role in a Seahawks backfield that also includes Price, Emanuel Wilson and George Holani.

Holani could still have a role in Seattle's running back rotation even after the Seahawks drafted Jadarian Price 32nd overall Thursday, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Zach Charbonnet (knee) is likely to miss some regular-season action, leaving Price, Holani and Emanuel Wilson as the top healthy options in a Seahawks backfield that lost Kenneth Walker in free agency. Price had just 15 catches in three years at Notre Dame, so Holani has a clear path to carving out a role in passing situations, at least until Charbonnet returns. Holani had only two catches across 11 regular-season appearances in 2025 but added four receptions in two playoff contests.

Wilson will face increased competition for touches after the Seahawks drafted Jadarian Price 32nd overall Thursday, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

All three of Wilson, Price and George Holani could play sizable roles early in the season while Zach Charbonnet works his way back from a torn ACL. The Seahawks signed Wilson and drafted Price after losing running back Kenneth Walker in free agency. Price is untested in a workhorse role, having backed up Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, so Seattle's likely to spread out the backfield workload between multiple options despite investing significant draft capital into Price.

Conner will likely have to settle for a reserve role in 2026, as Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports that Arizona drafted running back Jeremiyah Love third overall Thursday.

Conner started all 45 regular-season games in which he appeared over the previous four seasons, but he'll have to battle for touches in 2026 behind Love, who is expected to immediately take over as the starter for the Cardinals following a stellar NCAA career at Notre Dame. The nearly 31-year-old Conner, who was limited to three appearances in 2025 by a foot injury, also will face competition for touches from free-agent addition Tyler Allgeier and Trey Benson (knee).

Allgeier will likely have to settle for a backup role in 2026, as Arizona drafted running back Jeremiyah Love third overall Thursday.

Love is expected to immediately ascend to the top of the depth chart for the Cardinals after racking up 2,497 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns over the past two years at Notre Dame. Allgeier spent the past three years backing up Bijan Robinson in Atlanta, and Arizona's free-agent addition now will have to compete for carries with another top-10 draft pick. The Cardinals also have James Conner and Trey Benson (knee) on the roster, so even reaching last year's total of 157 touches could be tough for Allgeier if Arizona's backfield stays healthy.

The Seahawks selected Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 32nd overall.

If Jeremiyah Love was Notre Dame's Darren McFadden then Price was their Felix Jones, providing consistent big plays off the bench and as a kick returner. Price is not quite as athletic at 5-foot-11, 203 pounds as Jones was out of Arkansas, but the general theme of big plays off the bench is the deal with Price. The unclear early-season availability of Zach Charbonnet (ACL) gives room for Price to make an immediate impact, and upon Charbonnet's eventual return a long-term workload split can be expected between him and Price not unlike the split between Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker previously. Price also might displace Rashid Shaheed from the kick return unit after returning three of his 22 collegiate kick returns for touchdowns (36.1 yards per return).

The Cardinals selected Love in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, third overall.

Love (6-feet, 212 pounds) might not quite be on the level of recent blue-chip running back prospects like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, yet the former Notre Dame standout finds himself drafted earlier than either. With such mammoth draft capital invested the Cardinals are compelled to feed Love, but Arizona might also find itself with the most crowded backfield in the league. Power back Tyler Allgeier was added with a two-year, $12.5 million contract in free agency, and the duo of James Conner and Trey Benson remain third and fourth on the depth chart, for the time being. Love is an automatic big-play threat as both a runner and pass catcher, leveraging his 4.36 speed with elusiveness and power. The one question is how much of a workload Love can withstand, especially in terms of power running. Love is a bit upright for a running back and might lack the anchor to be a regular 20-carry running back. That Allgeier is around means the Cardinals won't need to overwork Love.

Judkins (ankle) was spotted in uniform and rehabbing at the start of Cleveland's voluntary minicamp Tuesday, Dylan Feltovich of USA Today reports.

Judkins' exact participation level is difficult to determine, with Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland reporting that the 2025 second-round pick participated in on-field activities in some capacity, while Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports that he monitored practice from a side field. In any case, Judkins' activity level during spring figures to be largely limited to rehab work as he recovers from surgery undergone in late December to address a dislocated right ankle. Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, Judkins projects as the leader of a backfield that also houses Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders and Ahmani Marshall, all of whom are second-year pros.

The Buccaneers signed Tucker, who had been a restricted free agent, on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Tucker recorded 320 yards on 86 carries in 17 games during the 2025 regular season, while working behind Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. While White is now with the Commanders, the Bucs added Kenneth Gainwell to their backfield via free agency last month, and the presence of the former Steeler sets the stage for Tucker to remain the team's No. 3 RB in 2026.