NFL Player News

New England selected Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 95th overall.

Raridon spent his entire four-year college career with Notre Dame, and he was able to overcome knee injuries in 2022 and 2023 to become a productive starter for the Fighting Irish. He put it all together in 2025 with 32 catches for 482 yards over 12 games, though he did not haul in a touchdown pass. Raridon showed steady improvement as a pass catcher over the course of his college career and has the athletic foundation (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) to establish himself as a large target in the passing game for Drake Maye, though the former will need to work on his blocking ability in order to earn consistent snaps on offense. Hunter Henry is New England's top option at tight end, but with Austin Hooper signing with the Falcons in March, Raridon has a chance to earn the TE2 job, with Julian Hill being his main competition.

The Steelers selected Dunker in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 96th overall.

The mulleted wonder from Iowa stays in gold and black now that he's headed to Pittsburgh, where Dunker is expected to eventually emerge as a quality starting guard. Dunker (6-foot-5, 319 pounds) played tackle at Iowa but might be undersized for the position, whereas at guard Dunker's traits grade very well. With a 5.18-second 40 and 108-inch broad jump, Dunker has above-average athleticism to work with on a solid frame by guard standards.

The Dolphins selected Bell (ACL) in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 94th overall.

Bell (6-foot-2, 222 pounds) may have been a first-round prospect if not for the fact that he's recovering from ACL surgery undergone in mid-December, so it's unsurprising to see the WR-needy Dolphins trade up with Denver to end his slide. Miami already selected WR Caleb Douglas and TE Will Kacmarek in the third round, but Bell is the most intriguing playmaker of that group, to the point that it wouldn't be a surprising outcome for him to surpass Malik Washingtonand Jalen Tolbert as the top WR for new quarterback Malik Willis, health permitting. Bell was a three-year starter at Louisville but didn't break out as the team's No. 1 option until 2025, when he compiled 72 catches, a team-high 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns across 11 games. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Bell has already progressed enough in his rehab to have resumed running at 18-plus miles per hour, and the wideout said in late February that he expects to be ready for training camp.

The Rams selected Trost in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 93rd overall.

Trost (6-foot-5, 311 pounds) is a good athlete who played tackle at Missouri, Wake Forest, Indiana State and Morgan State, though due to his smallish frame and very short arms he's almost certainly a guard or center to the Rams. Though it's unclear how much developmental upside Trost could have after he turned 25 earlier in April, he has experience and some athleticism to work with (31-inch vertical jump).

The Cowboys selected Barham in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 92nd overall.

Barham showed his versatility and explosiveness as a linebacker who converted to edge with Michigan in 2025, when he was named as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and posted 32 tackles, including 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and three pass defenses across 12 games. That versatility should help him line up on the defensive front and second level, and he has the speed and physicality to beat his blocker, though he did have issues with getting flagged for offside when anticipating the offense's snap count. Barham likely will operate in a rotational role at edge behind Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku (hip) and 2026 first-rounder Malachi Lawrence.

The Raiders selected Zuhn in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 91st overall.

Zuhn (6-foot-7, 312 pounds) was a dominating presence as a four-year starter at Texas A&M, where he primarily lined up at LT before also beginning to mix in at center in 2025. It appears he will remain in the interior with Las Vegas. Zuhn earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2025 and has demonstrated valuable versatility, but there are reasons to be concerned that his less-than-ideal length (32.5-inch arms) will cause hurdles at the NFL level. The Raiders inked Tyler Linderbaum to a massive three-year deal in free agency, so Zuhn projects to compete with Will Putnam for a reserve role.

The 49ers selected Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 90th overall.

This was highly unexpected. There really is a lot to like about Black following his standout showing at Indiana, but he caught only 55 receptions in six collegiate seasons and turns 25 in October. Black does look good as a pure runner, boasting a hot motor and decent speed (4.46-second pro day 40) at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, but second-year man Jordan James remains a strong candidate to serve as the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for the foreseeable future.

The Bears selected Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 89th overall.

Though he primarily operated on the boundary as a starter at LSU, Thomas showed his versatility in motions and backfield action, and he also has the experience on special teams as a returner on kickoffs and punts that should help him contribute immediately to the Bears. Thomas' speed and acceleration means he is a threat to make a game-altering play any time he touches the ball, which makes him an intriguing playmaker in the offensive scheme of head coach Ben Johnson. There's a real chance that Thomas beats out Jahdae Walker and Kalif Raymond to earn the Bears' WR3 job behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden.

The Jaguars selected Pregnon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 88th overall.

Pregnon (6-foot-4, 314 pounds) started at left guard for Oregon in 2025 and for USC in 2024 and 2023, and he could benefit from consistency at the position while beginning his NFL career as the backup to LG Ezra Cleveland in Jacksonville. He and 2025 third-round pick Wyatt Milum look set as the top reserve options at offensive guard behind Cleveland and RG Patrick Mekari.

The Dolphins selected Kacmarek in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 87th overall.

In a Day 2 where several teams made dubious tight end selections, the Dolphins probably made one of the better ones. Kacmarek (6-foot-6, 261 pounds) is potentially an AJ Barner type out of Ohio State, or at worst an Adam Trautman. Kacmarek is a rugged blocker who can amplify the run game, and he has enough athleticism to hurt the defense if they don't defend him honestly as a potential pass catcher (4.74-second 40, 36-inch vertical jump). Kacmarek is unlikely to be a fantasy factor, but don't be surprised if he's in frame, driving some defender backward on a lot of De'Von Achane's big plays.