NFL Player News

The Titans selected Tate in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, fourth overall.

Tate (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) is the first wide receiver off the board and the new hopeful WR1 for Cam Ward. Perhaps Tate was not quite as dominant as teammate Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, but Smith is fully expected to be the best wideout in the NFL at some point in his career, so there's no shame if Tate isn't quite on that level. Tate produced 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns on just 65 targets last year and won't turn 22 until January. Although Tate's 4.53-second 40-yard dash wasn't exciting, all it really means is that Tate won't be running go routes all day in the NFL. His speed is plenty functional enough to draw targets rapidly through the intermediate, and if he can land enough punches on those routes the big plays will occur in due time. Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson are likely locked in as the target leaders for the Titans in 2026, with the likes of Calvin Ridley, Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor fighting for the scraps otherwise.

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.

The Jets selected Bailey in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, second overall.

Bailey (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) was a standout starter for all four of his collegiate seasons - three at Stanford and one at Texas Tech - but his one season at Texas Tech was particularly memorable. Bailey was dominant for his own part, logging 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, and his efforts spearheaded a historically dominant Red Raiders defense as a unit, allowing just 11.8 points per game. With a 4.50-second 40 at the combine to go with a 129-inch broad jump, Bailey confirmed he has blue-chip athleticism to go along with his strong history of production. It would be disappointing if the Jets' new defender isn't one of the league's standout pass rushers within the next two years.

The Raiders selected Mendoza in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, first overall.

Mendoza (6-foot-5, 236 pounds) was all but locked in as the first overall pick as soon as the draft order was set, because franchise quarterback prospects go first overall and Mendoza has everything teams look for in that regard. Even as a modest recruit out of Miami who had to go all the way to out west Cal to find a starting opportunity at the FBS level, it was clear by about mid-October of the 2025 season - his first and only season at Indiana - that Mendoza had established himself as the top QB in the country. Indeed, the Hoosiers went 16-0 in 2025 and Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy in what went down as one of the most memorable storybook seasons in college football history. Mendoza was utterly dominant in 2025, completing 72.0 percent of his passes at 9.3 yards per attempt, producing an outrageous 41 passing touchdowns on just 379 attempts versus six interceptions. Though not a runner by initial inclination, Mendoza is plenty capable and decisive as a rusher, offering both athleticism and power. With new coach Klint Kubiak running the show the Raiders offense should soon be the best it has been in a number of years, though the exact timing of Mendoza's full arrival remains to be seen. The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins to a one-year deal this offseason, and Kubiak previously said that it's not his preference to place a rookie at the starting QB position. Mendoza can force the issue by outplaying Cousins in training camp, but at worst Mendoza is expected to take over as starter at some point before the 2026 season concludes. Whenever Mendoza takes over, there's reason to expect he'll be at least an average starting signal-caller soon or immediately from that point.

NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports teams around the league have called the Texans to check on the availability of Collins.

Schultz adds that it "seems unlikely" Houston would trade its star wide receiver, but teams are calling with an understanding that Collins likely needs a new contract, as he's set to enter the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2026. Collins' $20 million salary is far behind the current wideout market after Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the top of the market with an annual average of $42.15 million earlier this offseason. Collins is theoretically still in the prime of his career after he just turned 27 years old last month, and he's coming off a 2025 campaign that saw him catch 71 of 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns across 15 regular-season contests.

Pickens will sign his franchise tag in the coming days, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said this week that the team will not be signing Pickens to a long-term deal this offseason, and once the receiver puts pen to paper on the franchise tag, the team can then trade the wideout. While there has been trade chatter around Pickens, it's unclear if Dallas actually has any intention to make a move after Pickens had a career year in his first season with the Cowboys in 2025, catching 93 of 137 targets for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns across 17 regular-season contests. Dallas may want to see if Pickens can replicate those numbers before committing to him for the long haul.

Banks issued a letter to all 32 NFL teams Wednesday noting that he's on track to be cleared for full football activities in early June after undergoing surgery March 9 to address a fractured fourth metatarsal of his left foot, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

Banks informed teams about where he stands in his recovery from the procedure after he underwent a CT scan Tuesday. He appeared to bolster his standing ahead of the draft with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl in January, but Banks' stock may be trending down after he suffered the broken bone during the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Though the 6-foot-6, 327-pound Banks was often dominant in the trenches during his collegiate career, health is a valid concern for the Florida defensive tackle after he was limited to just three games in 2025 due to an injury to the same foot.

Loveland (concussion) said he "feel(s) very good" and is embracing a larger role heading into his second NFL season, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

Loveland's role expanded significantly down the stretch in his rookie season, as the 2025 first-round pick caught 28 of 48 targets for 378 yards and two touchdowns over Chicago's last four games, two of which came in the playoffs. He suffered a concussion late in the Bears' NFC divisional-round loss to the Rams, but Loveland's comments indicate he has recovered from that injury and is ready to build on his momentum from last season in a Bears offense that traded away wide receiver DJ Moore earlier this offseason. Moore finished second on the team in receiving yards behind Loveland during the 2025 regular season.

The Ravens exercised Flowers' $27.3 million team option for the 2027 season Thursday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Picking up Flowers' fifth-year option was viewed as a formality for the Ravens, after the 25-year-old led Baltimore in receptions and receiving yards in each of his three seasons since entering the NFL as a first-round selection out of Boston College in 2023. Though Flowers will be on the books for the next two seasons, the Ravens are expected to initiate talks with the wideout on a contract extension over the next few months. Flowers will be locked in as Baltimore's clear top target heading into the upcoming campaign and could have a chance at building on the career-best 86-1,211-5 receiving line he produced in 2025 after the Ravens let Isaiah Likely walk in free agency and have thus far not brought in any major reinforcements at receiver or tight end.

General manager Chris Ballard said Monday that Wohler is at the end of his rehab for the foot injury he suffered during preseason last year, JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site reports.

Wohler's rookie year was cut short by a season-ending foot injury he sustained during the second week of the preseason, but the hope is that he won't have any limitations when Indianapolis kicks off training camp in July. After the Colts lost starting safety Nick Cross to the Commanders in free agency, they neglected to bring in any big name as a replacement, meaning there could be room for Wohler to earn a spot on the 53-man roster this summer.