NFL Player News

The Falcons selected Branch in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 79th overall.

Branch (5-foot-9, 177 pounds) started two seasons at USC before transferring to Georgia in 2025, where he broke out with a career-best 81 catches for 811 yards and six TDs across 14 games. The 22-year-old lacks size but boasts quick twitch and tremendous speed (4.35 second 40-yard dash), meaning the most natural areas for him to contribute at the NFL-level may be the slot or in a gadget role, as well as potentially in the return game -- a skill set that nicely complements WRs Drake London, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. The extent of Branch's role as a rookie may be notably determined by how much chemistry he's able to develop with dueling QBs Michael Penix (ACL) and Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. Branch was arrested Sunday and is facing misdemeanor charges.

The Dolphins selected Douglas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 75th overall.

Douglas (6-foot-4, 206 pounds) was a decent enough player at Texas Tech, where he went over 800 yards each of the last two years, but he wasn't productive in his two years at Florida before that, and he never really broke out the way an athlete like him should. Douglas' 4.39 speed on his big frame should have made him a dominant collegiate receiver, but instead he was just a solid one. This pick would have been an easier sell in the fifth round instead of the third.

The Giants selected Fields in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 74th overall.

The Giants traded up with the Browns for the 74th pick in order to bring Fields into a wide receiver room that lost Wan'Dale Robinson to the Titans in free agency but features Malik Nabers (knee) and Darius Slayton. Fields spent the first four years of his college career with Virginia before transferring to Notre Dame in 2025, though he saw his production dip in his lone season with the Fighting Irish, finishing with 36 catches for 630 yards and five touchdowns across 12 games. Fields is a physical wideout with a 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame that he can use to his advantage against smaller corners, but he also displayed his speed with a 6.98-second three-cone time at the NFL Combine. He has the size and catch radius to serve as a competent WR2 for the Giants behind Nabers.

The Commanders selected Williams in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 71st overall.

Williams primarily operated as an inside receiver during his four-year college career at Clemson. He was limited to just 10 games during his senior year due to a hamstring injury, but his 2024 campaign was his best, when he was named to the All-ACC First-Team with 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns over 14 games, though he also recorded eight drops. Williams was one of the speedier receivers available in the draft, which translates to all three levels of the field, and he also has experience as a punt returner which could help him with his snap count as a rookie. Terry McLaurin leads the Commanders' wide receiver room, but with a strong offseason and training camp, Williams has a chance to win the WR2 job, considering his main competition comes from Luke McCaffrey (collarbone), Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown at the moment.

The Steelers selected Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 47th overall.

Bernard spent the last two seasons of his four-year college career at Alabama, where he operated mostly as the team's Z receiver and finished the 2025 campaign with 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns across 14 games. He posted the fastest three-cone time at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine (6.71 seconds), and he has the overall athleticism and skill set that should allow him to serve as an immediate contributor for the Steelers, whether it's Aaron Rodgers or another quarterback throwing passes to him. Bernard figures to slide in as the team's WR3 behind veterans DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman and ahead of 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson.

The Browns selected Boston in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 39th overall.

Boston (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) has the build to impose physicality and reach from the boundary, where he did big damage especially as a downfield and red-zone jump-ball target at Washington. That Boston declined to run a 40-yard dash before the draft invites the suspicion that he might lack the long speed to regularly push downfield at the NFL level, but if he can keep winning on jump balls in the intermediate and end zone then that might be enough for Boston to prove a quality WR2 in the NFL. It might not be easy for Boston to immediately displace Cedric Tillman as the primary big wideout in Cleveland, but in the long term it's expected that Boston and 24th overall pick KC Concepcion should top the Browns' depth chart at wideout.

The 49ers selected Stribling in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 33rd overall.

The 49ers made Stribling the first selection of the second round, which is considerably higher than where Stribling was projected before the draft. Perhaps it was an unexpected selection, but it's easily justifiable given Stribling's quality production at Washington State, Oklahoma State and, most recently, Mississippi. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Stribling has the build to hold up on the boundary, and his 4.36-second 40 at the combine showed he has the wheels to threaten downfield. The 49ers feature Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall as their projected starters, and Jauan Jennings remains a free agent, but if Stribling sees snaps there's reason to believe he can capitalize.

Reed has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Packers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Per Schefter, Reed's extension with Green Bay is worth $50.25 million in new money, including $20 million guaranteed. As the coming season approaches, Reed is entrenched as a key component of a Packers WR corps that also features Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, following the offseason departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. In seven regular-season contests in 2025, the 2023 second-rounder recorded a 19-207-1 line on 22 targets. Health permitting, a bounce-back season is plausible for Reed in 2026, with the vacated targets of Doubs and Wicks up for grabs.

The Eagles' selection of WR Makai Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft provides further indication that the team is preparing to move on from Brown, Tim McManus of ESPN.com and Zach Berman of The Athletic report.

McManus notes that Adam Schefter of ESPN previously suggested Brown appears likely to be traded to the Patriots on or after June 1, and the addition of Lemon to a Philadelphia wideout corps that has already brought in Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks and Elijah Moore this offseason is another sign pointing to such an outcome. Meanwhile, the Patriots opted to bolster their offensive line depth in Round 1 rather than add a high-profile rookie WR by selecting offensive tackle Caleb Lomu 28th overall. For his part, however, Eagles GM Howie Roseman remains reluctant to tip his hand regarding the team's plans for Brown, stating Thursday, "For us, A.J. is a member of the Eagles. ... We don't have any trades that have been made or that are done. And I think for us, we're taking this one day at a time."

Ridley will face competition for targets from Carnell Tate, whom the Titans drafted fourth overall Thursday, Nick Suss of The Tennessean reports.

Ridley led the Titans with 43 receiving yards per game in 2025 but was limited to seven appearances before a fractured fibula ended his season. Tennessee subsequently signed Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and used a top-five draft choice on Tate out of Ohio State to bolster its wide receiver room. Ridley likely has the inside track on a starting role opposite Tate once the veteran wide receiver regains health, as Robinson operates primarily out of the slot. In addition to health and target competition, questionable quarterback play also clouds Ridley's fantasy outlook, as 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward ranked last among qualified passers with 5.9 yards per pass attempt during the quarterback's rookie season.