NFL Player News

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.

The Lions selected Miller in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 17th overall.

Miller (6-foot-7, 317 pounds) was a standout four-year starter at Clemson, where he developed his reputation as a rugged right tackle. Miller was a better athlete than expected at the combine, logging excellent marks across the board and making clear that his NFL transition should be about as easy as it gets. Expect Miller to start at right tackle while Penei Sewell moves over to the left.

The Jets selected Sadiq in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 16th overall.

No one doubts that Sadiq (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) is a good player, and the former Oregon star clearly has compelling long-term upside due to his rare athleticism (4.39-second 40, 43.5-inch vertical jump). This pick is still somewhat puzzling, if only because the Jets just spent a second-round pick on Mason Taylor in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Taylor will be only 22 years old in May. As much as there have been NFL offenses with two tight ends providing standout fantasy utility, there haven't been very many of those and the Jets are maybe the last offense you'd accuse of such competence. With all that said, Sadiq's talent might be so loud that this is more of a problem for Taylor than Sadiq.

The Buccaneers selected Bain in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 15th overall.

Bain (6-foot-2, 263 pounds) is likely an example of a player whose skill set grade is stronger than his athleticism grade. Bain was utterly dominant at Miami (FL), yet there is concern that his light frame and extremely short arms (30 and 7/8 inches) could make the jump in competition hard on his game. If Bain's arms don't hold him back, though, then he should be one of the better defensive ends in the league, and his addition addressees an area of need (edge rusher) for the Buccaneers. Bain was a dominant starter for each of his three years at Miami, including a 2025 junior season where he posted 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.

The Ravens selected Ioane in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 14th overall.

The Ravens needed to rebuild their offensive line after allowing it to fall into some amount of decay in recent years, and Ioane was a common-sense first step toward achieving that. Ioane (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) is a mauler out of Penn State who perfectly fits the Ravens' bruising aesthetic and brings a strong skill set to go within the mauler category. He should be a high-floor, high-ceiling starter at guard and packs some serious athleticism (31.5-inch vertical) on his dense frame. Though there's still work to do on the offensive line for Baltimore, perhaps at center especially, Ioane is a big upgrade in the meantime.

The Rams selected Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 13th overall.

In what might go down as the most shocking pick of the first round, the Rams picked Simpson as their quarterback of the future at the 13th pick, something around 20 slots earlier than most projected Simpson to go off the board. Simpson (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) only started one year at Alabama and posted troubling efficiency numbers (64.5 percent completed, 7.5 YPA), but to be fair the surrounding cast at Alabama was probably the worst it has been in some number of years. The Rams know Matthew Stafford and his creaky back can only take so many more hits, and with the Simpson selection the team resolved to get ahead of whenever Stafford has to hang up the cleats.

The Cowboys selected Downs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 11th overall.

The Cowboys moved up from the 12th pick to take Downs from what was previously Miami's draft slot. Downs (6-feet, 206 pounds) is a blue-chip prospect who might have gone even higher if not for vague long-term concerns over his meniscus health, so there are basically no critics of Downs as a safety. Downs dominated at both Ohio State and Alabama, and drafting Downs might be giving Jerry Jones flashbacks of drafting Roy Williams out of Oklahoma, which was once a point of pride for the Cowboys. Downs will be a three-down player for Dallas right away.

The Giants selected Mauigoa (back) in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 10th overall.

Mauigoa (6-foot-6, 329 pounds) is a prototypical if not a blue-chip right tackle, and it's possible that he slipped slightly due to a disc issue that he played through at Miami (FL) last year. The Giants aren't in a rush to force Maiugoa onto the field over veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, but that might be Mauigoa's long-term spot after beginning at guard as a rookie. It's also possible the Giants leave Mauigoa as Eluemunor's understudy at tackle, giving Mauigoa time to develop and/or shake off the back injury before throwing him into the fire.

The Browns selected Fano in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, ninth overall.

The Browns traded back from the sixth spot before selecting Fano, who was clearly their intended target the whole time. Fano (6-foot-6, 311 pounds) started at right tackle for Utah and won the Outland Trophy in 2025, but coach Todd Monken was quick to note Thursday that Cleveland plans to use him at left tackle, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. The concern with Fano was that he lacked the reach (32 and 1/8-inch arms) of a traditional offensive tackle, but evidently it wasn't enough to make the Browns flinch. Fano has excellent athleticism across the board (4.91-second 40, 32-inch vertical), and that's no doubt part of what led Cleveland to take the leap of faith on Fano in the top 10.