NFL Player News

Pickens has been impressive over the first few days of training camp, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Pickens was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and should have the opportunity to earn targets early in his rookie season because the team lost several receivers during the offseason. The 21-year-old likely will be behind Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool (shoulder) for targets to begin the regular season, but Pickens has made impressive catches over his first few practices in a Steelers uniform. Rookie Calvin Austin and veterans Miles Boykin and Anthony Miller also should be in the mix for work in Pittsburgh's passing game.

Duvernay avoided a serious injury after colliding with Chuck Clark during Saturday's training camp practice, Clifton Brown of the Ravens' official website reports.

Coach John Harbaugh said that Duvernay suffered a thigh bruise, and while the wideout sat out the rest of practice, he could've resumed action if necessary. "He hit his thigh, so good news, nothing serious there," Harbaugh said. The 2020 third-round pick faces a real opportunity to earn a more prolific role on offense heading into his third NFL season, especially after Baltimore's trade of Marquise Brown to Arizona and Sammy Watkins' departure to Green Bay.

London (ankle) made several highlight-worthy plays during Atlanta's training camp practice Saturday, Deen Worley of the Falcons' official site reports.

London broke his foot in October last year, which sidelined him for the remainder of his final campaign at USC. However, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft hasn't appeared limited at all during his offseason work with the Falcons. At 6-foot-4, London has the frame to be an elite red-zone threat, but his route running makes him a potential No. 1 WR as a rookie. While the 22-year-old holds all the talent in the world, his fantasy production will be directly correlated to how well Marcus Mariota is able to do in his first year back as a starting quarterback.

Higgins (shoulder) participated in 11-on-11 drills Saturday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Though Higgins' 11-on-11 work Saturday was against the Bengals' scout team, it marked the first time in training camp that he'd done anything more than individual work. With that in mind, it appears as though the starting wideout is nearing full strength as he bounces back from an offseason procedure to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Jefferson will see a specialist Monday for a lingering knee issue and potentially could miss multiple weeks of training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Jefferson underwent a minor knee procedure during the offseason but was expected to be fully healthy by the start of training camp. Per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Rams head coach Sean McVay declined to say whether the wideout's current situation was related to the knee procedure, but it's concerning either way. Second-year wideouts Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell figure to garner increased opportunities in three-wide sets during training camp with Jefferson expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks.

Davis (ankle) was on the field for Saturday's practice, John Harris of the Texans' official site reports.

Davis sustained a fractured left ankle late in 2021 and underwent surgery as a result. With second-round draft pick John Metchie's unfortunate diagnosis (acute promyelocytic leukemia), Davis and others moved up the depth chart. There's still a wealth of bodies in front of Davis, who is competing for the fifth WR spot along with Phillip Dorsett and Jalen Camp.

Collins is working on route running to make sure his body mechanics look the same regardless of the route he's running, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Texans hope Collins can take a big leap during his second season after finishing a distant second to Brandin Cooks in his rookie 2021 season. In addition to disguising his routes better, Collins worked extensively during the offseason with quarterback Davis Mills in an effort to develop chemistry. The duo hooked up on a couple of throws during the second practice of camp Saturday, indicating the time put in during the offseason is working. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver could become a significant red-zone target for Houston, which ranked 27th in the NFL last year, scoring a touchdown on just 51.3 percent of its red-zone trips.

Johnson, who's been a full participant in training camp after finishing last season's postseason run with a rib injury, has made a strong impression in his bid for the No. 5 receiver job, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports. "Tyler came in in great shape," head coach Todd Bowles said. "I think he's learned the offense a little more, so he's playing a lot freer than he was the last two years. This is a great camp for him. He'll get a lot of playing time, and we'll get to see what he's really doing."

Auman notes Johnson has particularly impressed with catches over the middle in 7-on-7 and full-squad drills. The third-year pro has acquitted himself relatively well in limited opportunity over his first two seasons, taking advantage of injuries in the Buccaneers' receiving corps at times on his way to generating a 48-529-2 line on 72 targets across 31 games. With Tampa Bay's top four wideouts set, Johnson is battling several candidates, including capable holdovers Breshad Perriman and Scotty Miller, for a spot on the back end of the positional depth chart this summer.

Gage enjoyed another productive day at training camp Saturday, recording at least five receptions, including two touchdowns, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.

Dix notes that Gage's success hasn't just been limited to Saturday, as he's been a go-to target for Tom Brady to varying degree in each session thus far. Gage has flashed in multiple ways, including making impressive catches on crossing patterns, near the sideline and in the end zone. The arrival of Julio Jones may keep Gage as the No. 3 wideout to start the season even while Chris Godwin (knee) is finishing his recovery from ACL surgery, but the veteran's quick chemistry with Brady still bodes very well for his chances of hitting the ground running in the Buccaneers' air attack.

Higgins (shoulder), who reportedly was supposed to be at full strength entering training camp, has not been participating in any team drills, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

This appears to be by design as Higgins has done work in individual receiving drills, but he hasn't been a factor in any 7-vs-7 or 11-vs-11 simulations. The big-bodied target had surgery back in April to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which he suffered all the way back in Week 2 of the 2021 campaign, but the injury hardly impacted his play as Higgins went on to record or tie career highs in every major receiving category.