NFL Player News

Higgins has consistently drawn praise throughout spring activities as the team's No. 2 wide receiver behind Nico Collins, Jared Koch of SI.com reports.

The No. 34 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft posted a 41-525-6 receiving line on 68 targets across 17 games as a rookie and appears positioned for a Year 2 leap. Koch reports that Higgins stands as the clear No. 2 receiver on Houston's depth chart ahead of training camp, a role that could benefit from the team's upgraded offensive line and the departure of Christian Kirk to San Francisco. Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel remain in the mix behind Collins and Higgins, while Tank Dell (knee) is expected to return at some point during the 2026 season.

Ahead of training camp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams and Isaac TeSlaa are projected as the Lions' starting wide receivers, Christian Boohe of SI.com reports.

While St. Brown and Williams will be reprising their key pass-catching roles in 2026, TeSlaa figures to see an uptick in volume in his second pro campaign. Though St. Brown is entrenched as Detroit's clear-cut WR1, Williams will have ample opportunity in his fifth campaign as a pro to make a mark from a fantasy perspective. The 2022 first-rounder is coming off a 2025 regular-season in which he recorded career-highs in catches (65), targets (102) and receiving yards (1,117) en route to notching seven TDs in 17 games.

Higgins remains entrenched as Cincinnati's No. 2 wide receiver behind Ja'Marr Chase, John Sheeran of A to Z Sports reports.

Higgins continues to form one of the NFL's top receiving tandems alongside Chase, with Andrei Iosivas still positioned as a capable No. 3 complement. The 27-year-old tallied a 79-1,034-9 receiving line across 14 regular-season appearances in 2025, and with Joe Burrow healthy plus veteran backup Joe Flacco returning, Cincinnati's passing game appears well positioned entering 2026. Higgins inked a four-year, $115 million contract with the Bengals last offseason and will remain in a productive environment for the foreseeable future. Running back Chase Brown and tight end Mike Gesicki will also factor into the passing game, but Higgins and Chase are established as the clear top targets for Burrow.

Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site relayed following the team's recent minicamp that St. Brown "looks a little stronger and more explosive heading into his sixth season."

As Twentyman notes, St. Brown, the NFL's leader in receptions (547) over the last five years, remains QB Jared Goff's security blanket ahead of the coming campaign and "was a tough cover for Lions defenders all throughout (the June 16-17) minicamp." After racking up 117 catches (on 172 targets, second in the league among WRs) for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games last season, St. Brown remains a high-level fantasy option in 2026, while continuing to pace a Detroit WR corps that also features Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa.

Chase remains the leader of Cincinnati's wide receiver corps alongside Tee Higgins, John Sheeran of A to Z Sports reports.

Chase will remain in the mix at the top of the first round of 2026 fantasy drafts, as despite instability at quarterback last year, he led the NFL with 185 targets and totaled a 125-1,412-8 line across 16 regular-season appearances. With Joe Burrow now healthy and veteran backup Joe Flacco back in the fold, Cincinnati's passing game appears better positioned entering 2026. Andrei Iosivas remains the favorite for the No. 3 receiver role behind Chase and Higgins, while running back Chase Brown and tight end Mike Gesicki will also factor into the passing game.

Ahead of next month's training camp, Bryan Manning of USA Today notes that the Commanders have yet to identify a clear No. 2 wide receiver to complement McLaurin.

Following a 2025 regular season in which he recorded a 38/582/3 receiving line on 60 targets in 10 contests, McLaurin -- who topped 1,000 receiving yards 2020-2024 -- returns as QB Jayden Daniels' top WR target, a context that should garner the 2019 third-rounder plenty of volume in 2026. It remains to been seen how the depth chart will shake out beyond McLaurin, however, and to that end Luke McCaffrey, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Jaylin Lane are set to compete for roles this summer. Additionally, it's still possible that the Commanders bring in some veteran pass-catching help, with Brandon Aiyuk, who appears to have played his last snap with the 49ers, having been mentioned as a possibility on that front.

As his fifth season with Bills approaches, Shakir remains a key component of a WR corps that's been bolstered by offseason trade acquisition DJ Moore and rookie fourth-rounder Skyler Bell.

Shakir is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he put together a 72-719-4 receiving line on a team-high 95 targets, marking the second year in a row he paced the Bills in that category. While Moore now projects as QB Josh Allen's top WR target, Shakir should still see enough volume out of the slot in 2026 to maintain a degree of fantasy PPR utility. Meanwhile, as Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic has previously noted, the other starting spot in 11 personnel (three receivers) is up for grabs as training camp approaches, with Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, Bell and Tyrell Shavers (knee) set to compete for slotting behind Moore and Shakir.

Godwin appears the favorite to emerge as Tampa Bay's top wide receiver during training camp, River Wells of SI.com reports.

Godwin was a standout during OTAs and minicamp, consistently drawing targets while working from the slot. Following Mike Evans' departure to San Francisco, the 30-year-old is the clear veteran leader of Tampa Bay's receiving corps and could remain Baker Mayfield's most trusted target even if Emeka Egbuka takes a step forward in Year 2. Behind Godwin and Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, rookie third-round pick Ted Hurst, running backs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell, and tight end Cade Otton are all competing for targets. Injuries limited Godwin to seven games in 2024 and nine in 2025, but he remains positioned for a prominent role after signing a three-year, $66 million deal last offseason.

Mims acknowledged Tuesday that 2026 could be his final campaign with the Broncos, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.

Mims has yet to break out since being drafted in the second round in 2023, with his regular-season highwater marks being the 39 catches for 503 yards and six touchdowns he posted over 17 games in 2024. The wideout experienced a downturn in production last season despite logging a career high in offensive snaps, and Denver's acquisition of Jaylen Waddle this March pushes Mims further down the pecking order. Mims said Tuesday the combination of Waddle and Courtland Sutton will force opposing teams to have to "game plan" Denver's passing game differently, but the bottom line is that targets will be harder to come by with two highly regarded receivers on the roster. Mims has taken a positive outlook on potentially leaving the Broncos after the season, saying, "With this possibly being my last year, I'm just going to enjoy it to the fullest, going through it carefree and just play my hardest because we have a real chance to do something extremely special."

Bond, who was a sixth-round selection in April's NFL Draft, "turned heads" during OTAs, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.

Bond was part of the second-team offense during practice sessions and "made plays," per Bien-Aime. Of course, it's still very early in the offseason, but Bond certainly didn't hurt his chances of making the season-opening 53-man roster with his initial impression. Still, Brett Coomer of the Houston Chronicle projects the Boston College product to be on the roster bubble given the Texans' crowded wide-receiver room.