NFL Player News

Coach Bill Belichick expects to see marked progress from Harry in the wideout's second season with the team, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

It's notable that none of the Patriots' 10 selections in last week's draft were wide receivers and it's clear that the team is looking to see more production from Harry -- last year's first-rounder -- as well as veteran Mohamed Sanu, who was slowed by an ankle issue in 2019 after arriving in a trade with the Falcons. Given how much hype there is surrounding this year's rookie pass catchers, Harry could be flying a little under the fantasy radar after a quiet initial campaign of his own. If the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is able to continue to build on the rapport he established with quarterback Jarrett Stidham last year, an uptick in production is a likely outcome for Harry, who is in the mix for plenty of snaps this season, along with Sanu and top pass-catching option Julian Edelman.

Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner anticipates using Claypool as an outside receiver, ESPN.com's Brooke Pryor reports.

Prior to the draft, there was talk of Claypool being used as a flex tight end or oversized slot receiver, but it sounds like the Steelers will initially deploy their second-round pick as a traditional wideout. His path to playing time appears tricky on a team with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and James Washington, not to mention Eric Ebron and Vance McDonald at tight end. If nothing else, the Steelers might consider using Claypool as a red-zone weapon to take advantage of his 6-foot-4, 238-pound frame. He also ran the fastest 40-yard dash among Pittsburgh's wide receivers -- a 4.42 40 at the combine in February.

The 49ers still expect "big things" from Taylor (foot), according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The 2017 fifth-round pick showed promise as a slot specialist his rookie season, but he slipped to 5.2 YPT on 41 targets in 2018 and then missed all of 2019 with a foot injury. He reportedly had five procedures on the impacted foot, with the final one occurring Jan. 2. While the 49ers may still have high hopes for the soon-to-be 26-year-old, he's entering the final season of his rookie contract facing tough competition for playing time. Kendrick Bourne did solid work in the slot last season, and Dante Pettis and Richie James could also compete for those snaps. Additionally, Deebo Samuel and first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk both appear more than capable of playing inside. Taylor likely will need to fight for his roster spot once he's healthy.

McCleskey has signed on with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

After racking up 17 touchdowns and more than 1,800 yards during four seasons as a member of Oklahoma State, McCleskey moved on to Tulane for a redshirt senior season in 2019, though his production was well below the level he established during 2016 and 2017 as a starter for the Cowboys. McCleskey only pulled in 37 balls during his stint with the Green Wave, but he did establish an impressive 15.7 yard-per-catch average. He has big-time potential to produce given that he's sixth all-time in Oklahoma State history in catches (167) with only 42 games played, so it will be interesting to see what McCleskey picks up working alongside Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in Atlanta.

Green has agreed to terms on a contract with the Falcons, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

The young wideout from Martinsburg, WV set all kinds of records for the Albany Great Danes after playing out his first two collegiate seasons at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania. He made a modest impact during his debut season with Albany in 2018, but he absolutely broke out the following season, racking up 83 receptions for 1,386 yards and leading the FCS with 17 touchdowns during 2019. Even with such gaudy college production, given how strong Atlanta's receiving corps is between Nos. 1 and 3, Green will likely have to show competency on special teams to make the 53-man roster.

Lazard signed his exclusive rights tender with the Packers on Monday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

After receiving the tender in March, Lazard couldn't go anywhere else, and following the NFL Draft, he remains the No. 2 wide receiver in the Green Bay offense. Beyond Davante Adams, there's a void waiting to be filled in the passing attack, and Lazard has a rapport with Aaron Rodgers, having accrued 34 catches (on 51 targets) for 470 yards and three touchdowns from the QB in 16 games last season.

Boykin will face added competition for targets after the Ravens drafted a pair of receivers over the weekend, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The heat was already on Boykin after he underperformed as a rookie, and the Ravens' selections of Devin Duvernay and James Proche means that the team wasn't satisfied with what it had at receiver before the draft. One mark in Boykin's favor is that neither Duvernay or Proche are built to take his spot in three-wide sets as both are projected slot receivers. That said, Boykin is at risk of getting passed over for targets, especially if Duvernay is a quick study. Boykin has a lot to prove this offseason to live up to his billing as a third-round pick in 2019.

Snead's passing game role will likely be affected by the Ravens' draft, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Baltimore nabbed Devin Duvernay and James Proche in the draft, and given that receiver was considered by most to be the Ravens' most pressing need entering the draft, this is a problem for Snead. Both players project to start out in the slot, which is where Snead plays. Duvernay poses the biggest immediate threat as he was taken in the third round and is the second-fastest receiver on the team behind Marquise Brown. Zrebiec notes that Snead's blocking ability is important in Baltimore's offense, so his role isn't completely going away. But from a fantasy aspect, Snead's stock is trending down with the Duvernay and Proche additions.

Jefferson estimated that he's "90 percent healthy" from March surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports. "I'm in a shoe right now, jogging in the AlterG," Jefferson added Monday. "It's going good."

At the NFL Combine in February, Jefferson underwent a physical, which revealed the injury. In the end, it didn't impact his draft standing too much, as the Rams selected the wide receiver 57th overall. Jefferson split his college career between Mississippi and Florida, averaging 12.3 yards per catch and 8.0 yards per target while scoring 16 touchdowns in 45 games. Look for the 23-year-old to provide some relief in the receiving corps after L.A. dealt Brandin Cooks this offseason, but the group still figures to be lead by Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds.

Sims will be joined by 2020 draft picks Antonio Gibson (third round) and Antonio Gandy-Golden (fourth round) in the Washington offense, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Gibson, in particular, could emerge as a threat to Sims, who went undrafted out of Kansas last year but emerged as a slot regular by the end of his rookie season. Gibson offers similar speed (4.39 40) in a much larger body (6-0, 228), and he split time between the slot and backfield at Memphis. On the other hand, Gibson didn't get significant playing time until his senior campaign, so Sims should have an advantage when it comes to route running and the mental aspect of the game. Meanwhile, Gandy-Golden figures to battle Kelvin Harmon for perimeter reps across from locked-in No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin.