NFL Player News

The Dolphins selected Johnson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 27th overall.

Johnson (6-feet, 193 pounds) was a standout three-year starter on some good San Diego State pass defenses, demonstrating an NFL-caliber skill set in the process. Then Johnson verified at the combine that he has the wheels necessary for his game to translate to the NFL, logging a 4.44-second 40 along with a 126-inch broad jump. New Miami coach Jeff Hafley ran coverages with ambitious zone designs in Green Bay, and Johnson's schematic versatility between man and zone was likely a selling point.

The Texans selected Rutledge in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 26th overall.

Rutledge (6-foot-4, 316 pounds) is something of an underdog story and an unconventional first-round pick, but there's a lot to like about his game and there's reason to believe this pick will age well for the Texans. Rutledge began his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee, where he stood out for two years before playing one year at Georgia Tech in 2025. Rutledge is a relentless mauler who should stand out as a run blocker immediately as an NFL starter for Houston, and his excellent athletic testing (5.05-second 40, 32.5-inch vertical) gives reason to think there's plenty of upside.

The Bears selected Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 25th overall.

Thieneman would have been a justifiable selection somewhere in the top 20, so the Bears jumped at the chance to add the speedy safety with the 25th pick. Thieneman (6-feet, 201 pounds) was outrageously productive as a true freshman and sophomore starter at Purdue (2023-2024), accumulating triple-digit tackles in both seasons and intercepting six passes in the first season. Thieneman almost made it three seasons in a row with triple-digit tackles, but he finished with 'only' 96 tackles in his one season with Oregon (2025). With a 4.35-second 40 and 41-inch vertical, Thieneman showed he's a top-tier athlete in addition to a skilled safety.

The Browns selected Concepcion in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 24th overall.

Concepcion began his career at North Carolina State, where he posted one of the most productive true freshman seasons of all time (71 receptions for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns on 106 targets, 41 carries for 320 yards), putting himself on the national map as a big-play open-field menace. His sophomore season was less successful, but Concepcion bounced back as a junior after transferring to Texas A&M in 2025. At 6-feet, 196 pounds Concepcion is just big enough to project for two-wide sets and thus avoid the dreaded 'Slot Specialist' label, but his game will still probably center mostly on the underneath and intermediate portion of the field due to questions with his hands and downfield route-running ability. Concepcion's ability to stop, start and change direction is memorable and should make him a dangerous YAC threat if nothing else. A March knee scope is believed to be a non-issue.

The Cowboys selected Lawrence in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 23rd overall.

After landing safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick, the Cowboys continue to bolster their defense by adding Lawrence. The 6-foot-4, 253-pound edge rusher was one of the big winners at the combine, posting a 4.52-second 40-yard dash to go with a 40-inch vertical and 130-inch broad jump. Lawrence's explosive athleticism showed up in his UCF box score as well, producing 7.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss as a senior in 2025, though the hope is that Lawrence's rare burst will allow him to make even more of a pass-rushing impact at the NFL level.

The Chargers selected Mesidor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 22nd overall.

Mesidor (6-foot-3, 259 pounds) turned 25 earlier this April and didn't log any pre-draft athletic testing, but his production at Miami (FL) and West Virginia was strong enough to still project him as an NFL starter. Mesidor logged 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 15 games last year, and he was a starter immediately upon arriving at West Virginia in 2020. The Chargers likely view Mesidor as their long-term replacement for Khalil Mack.

The Steelers selected Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 21st overall.

Iheanachor (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) is light on experience but extremely athletic, boasting a 4.91-second 40 (96th percentile among offensive tackles, according to Mockdraftable) even at a dense build. It's not clear how concerning the medical reports have been on incumbent left tackle Broderick Jones (neck), but it's possible that the Steelers will consider Iheanachor at left guard if he doesn't claim the starting left tackle role.

The Eagles selected Lemon in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 20th overall.

The expectation for some time has been that the Eagles will eventually trade A.J. Brown, and the selection of Lemon in the first round only reinforces that expectation. Lemon (5-foot-11, 193 pounds) is a very different receiver from Brown -- Brown is a prototypical boundary receiver whereas Lemon ideally fits in the slot -- but Lemon's play at USC gives reason to suspect he will draw targets and convert targets efficiently as soon as he gets on the field. If the Eagles subtract Brown for Lemon then they might need to allocate more of their passing game toward the underneath and slot than they have otherwise during Jalen Hurts' time as starter.

The Panthers selected Freeling in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 19th overall.

Freeling (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) might be more potential than polish after starting just one year at Georgia, but that one year was promising to the point that this selection looks like a steal for the Panthers. Carolina might be unsure of what to expect in the recovery process for Ikem Ekwonu (patellar tendon), and the otherwise excellent Taylor Moton at right tackle will turn 32 in August. As much as Freeling played left tackle at Georgia and can easily project there in the NFL, Freeling could just as easily play on the right side.

The Vikings selected Banks (foot) in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 18th overall.

Banks (6-foot-6, 327 pounds) is more theory than practice to this point, but it's easy enough to see why the theoretical versions of Banks are so tempting to NFL coaches. Banks' 5.04-second 40 and 114-inch broad jump aren't numbers you see for guys as big as Banks or with Banks' 35-inch arms, so it's easy to envision the Vikings' new defensive tackle establishing a wide lateral reach at the line of scrimmage to trap ball carriers and collapse the pocket. The fractured foot that Banks incurred at the February Combine is believed to be a non-issue -- the recovery is expected to complete itself some time in June.