NFL Player News

The Buccaneers selected Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 19th overall.

Egbuka (6-foot-1, 202 pounds) might be somewhat redundant to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the short term, but the former Ohio State star can line up either in the slot or the boundary, so at the very least Egbuka can provide a plug-and-play swing backup utility to Tampa Bay while projecting as a long-term replacement for whichever of Evans or Godwin requires replacing first. Fellow wideout and 2024 third-round pick Jalen McMillan could very well be the starter opposite Egbuka at that future point, but in the meantime Egbuka should probably be the favorite to claim the WR3 role at McMillan's expense. Egbuka set the Ohio State career reception record with 205, which he turned into 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns in 49 career games. While Egbuka likely lacks the speed to dictate a vertical presence as a receiver, he likely projects as a high-volume target on underneath and slot routes.

The Panthers selected McMillan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, eighth overall.

Bryce Young gave Carolina reason to believe he's the quarterback of the future down the stretch last season, and now the team is giving him a premier option out wide to bolster his supporting cast. McMillan entered the season as the top receiver prospect in this class, but Matthew Golden's performance at the combine made that more of an open question after McMillan did not test in Indianapolis. A big-bodied wideout with an elite catch radius, McMillan was a walking highlight at Arizona. He caught 26 touchdowns in three seasons in Tucson, often embarrassing smaller corners in the process. Standing in at 6-foot-4 with 10-inch hands and a 78-inch wingspan, McMillan is a big boundary target for Young. McMillan stands out for his ability to use his frame to win in contested situations. Despite not having dynamic long speed, McMillan can still find ways to come down with the ball. Drake London is a popular comparison for McMillan, and it's apt based on how McMillan performed in college.

The Raiders signed Ismail (undisclosed) to a contract Thursday.

Ismail joins Las Vegas as a reserve option at tight end, bolstering the team's depth mere hours before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off. He spent last season on the Ravens' practice squad after going undrafted out of Samford, but he missed the last half of the year due to an undisclosed injury sustained mid-October.

Lockett signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Titans on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Lockett spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Seattle but was cut ahead of the new league year in a salary cap move. The 32-year-old wideout is coming off of a down 2024 campaign that saw him post a 49-600-2 receiving line as the third option in the Seahawks' passing game. In Tennessee, Lockett figures to fill the old Tyler Boyd role from last season, sliding in as a veteran slot man on the tail end of his career. Look for the Titans to add more pass-catching help in this week's NFL Draft.

The Steelers have received calls inquiring about trading for Pickens leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie deal with Pittsburgh, and the team spent a second-round pick to acquire fellow big-play-specialist DK Metcalf earlier this offseason. The Steelers then signed Metcalf to a five-year, $150 million contract, a move that has resulted in questions about Pickens' long-term future with the team. While Pittsburgh reportedly isn't directly shopping the 24-year-old, he figures to have a strong market for teams in need of a No. 1 or talented No. 2 option at wideout, especially if there remains belief around the league that his production upside remains untapped. Quarterback play has doubtless limited Pickens across his first three seasons in the league, and the Steelers' starter under center for 2025 still remains undetermined.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday that Rice (knee) "looks really good" and is "running routes" and "catching the football" at voluntary OTAs, Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reports.

Mahomes acknowledged that it remains unclear "how much [Rice will] be able to do" during the offseason program, but he expressed encouragement that the standout wide receiver's injury occurred early enough in the 2024 season that "he's going to get pretty much a complete offseason." Coach Andy Reid has already stated that Rice is considered on track for training camp, so while Kansas City may continue taking a cautious approach to the 2023 second-round pick's recovery, he's expected to be fully healthy well ahead of Week 1. That said, Rice remains a candidate to face league discipline related to his involvement in a high-speed, multi-vehicle hit-and-run that occurred in Dallas over one year ago.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday that the team plans to exercise the fifth-year option on Olave's (concussion) contract, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Olave, a 2022 first-round pick, now will have his rookie contract run through 2026, with its final year projected at a guaranteed $16.8 million salary. The star wideout missed the final eight games of 2024 due to a concussion -- his second of the season -- though he did resume practicing in full for the regular season's final two weeks. New head coach Kellen Moore called Olave a "phenomenal player" at the 2025 NFL owners meeting in early April, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, expressing that the team has a plan moving forward to factor "the circumstances he is in" from a medical perspective.

Pittman (back) said Tuesday that he didn't need surgery to address the small fracture in his back he played through in 2024, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

The wideout expressed confidence that his rehab work has been sufficient to get past his back injury, per James Boyd of The Athletic. Last year, Pittman reported pain in training camp but managed to suit up for 16 regular-season games. The 27-year-old said that he's already had the opportunity to work out with new quarterback Daniel Jones, though Pittman's schedule hasn't yet overlapped with that of Anthony Richardson (back), Boyd reports. Jones and Richardson will have an open competition for the starting role, but whoever wins the starting gig, Pittman, Alec Pierce and Josh Downs will be positioned to headline Indianapolis' wide receiver corps.

Jets GM Darren Mougey said Monday that he plans to exercise the fifth-year option on Wilson's rookie contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Wilson's rookie contract will now run through 2026, with a fifth-year option for the final season projected at $16.8 million. He's likely still hoping for an extension this offseason after starting his career with three straight 1,000-yard campaigns as a high-volume target in bad offenses. The Jets figure to run the ball more now that they have dual-threat Justin Fields at quarterback, but Wilson should see a lot of targets anyway, as there isn't much competition for Fields' attention after the offense lost WR Davante Adams and TE Tyler Conklin this offseason.

Dortch signed his one-year restricted free-agent tender Friday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Dortch was extended a tender by Arizona back in March, and he now officially re-signs with the team on the one-year deal worth $3.3 million. He played all 17 games with the Cardinals last season, securing 37 of 50 targets for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Now heading into his fifth consecutive year with Arizona, Dortch is again positioned for a role on offense behind Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson.