NFL Player News

The Panthers selected Hecht in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 144th overall.

Hecht only emerged as starter in his fourth and fifth seasons at Kansas State, but he played very well from that point and otherwise logged pre-draft athletic testing with mostly good results. At 6-foot-4, 303 pounds Hecht has only an average frame by center standards, though, and his 31 and 5/8-inch arms grade as only 13th percentile among centers, according to Mockdraftable. Second-round pick Logan Jones of the Bears had even shorter arms yet, but Jones is something like a 90th-percentile athlete at center while Hecht is probably only something more like a 65th-percentile athlete at center. Either way, there's still a plenty good chance Hecht emerges as an average or better starting center for Carolina, including potentially as soon as 2026. Luke Fortner is the only competition otherwise, and Hecht might be better as a rookie.

The Cardinals selected Virgil in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 143rd overall.

Virgil leveraged his third-year breakout at Miami (Ohio) in 2024 into a starting role at Texas Tech in 2025. The 21-year-old finished his final season with 57 receptions for 705 yards and six touchdowns. He's a tall, lanky receiver at 6-foot-3, 187 pounds, and while that didn't limit him in college, it will be a bigger impediment to playing time in the NFL. Out of the gate, Virgil, who ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine, figures to be a candidate to compete for special-teams work until he can carve out an offensive role in an Arizona WR corps that's led by Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson.

The Texans selected Ramsey in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 141st overall.

Ramsey (6-foot-0, 202 pounds) started the second of his first two collegiate seasons at UCLA and then both of his campaigns at USC, though over the course of his three seasons as a starter he missed a total of seven games due to injury. While Ramsey doesn't stand out in terms of frame, athleticism or physicality, he boasts experience and versatility, having rotated between his natural position at safety and nickel in 2025 to help round out USC's secondary. As a rookie in Houston, Ramsey figures to compete with M.J. Stewart and Jaylen Reed for depth opportunities behind Reed Blankenship and Calen Bullock.

The Titans selected Carmona in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 142nd overall.

Carmona was a starting left tackle in three of his five college seasons before transitioning to left guard in 2025, when he was named to the All-SEC Second-Team. The Arkansas product doesn't stand out for his physical traits compared to other offensive linemen in the draft, but he has the footwork and quick hands to keep up with opposing defenders, even if he's caught a step behind. Carmona gives the Titans depth on the offensive line, with Peter Skoronski and Dan Moore anchored in as the starting left guard and left tackle, respectively, for Tennessee.

The Bengals selected Young in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 140th overall.

Young certainly doesn't lack for size at 6-foot-5, 218 pounds, and he moves well for that size, running a 4.49 4-yard dash at the NFL Combine, though he takes a bit of time to get up to speed. Young's height and big frame give him plenty of range, and he's comfortable working down the field, but he doesn't have a special-teams background. That's likely something he'll need to learn with the Bengals, but Young will also get an opportunity to hone his craft behind two star wideouts in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, the room behind that duo and Andrei Iosivas is largely unproven, so Young could have a chance to carve out a spot pretty high on the depth chart with a good showing in training camp.

The 49ers selected Prysock in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 139th overall.

In a lot of ways, Prysock is similar to former Washington teammate Tacario Davis, who was selected in the third round (72nd overall) by the Bengals. Prysock (6-foot-3, 196 pounds) is also an unusually tall corner, and he was only trivially slower than Davis in the 40 (4.41 versus Prysock's 4.45). Also like Davis, Prysock's tall frame dictates that he focus at the boundary corner position, and ideally in press man coverage or Cover-3 principles to best capitalize on his height, reach and speed. With guys this tall they usually struggle against quicker, smaller receivers or/and with zone transitions, though.

The Dolphins selected Louis in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 138th overall.

The Dolphins took a linebacker for the second time this draft, as they previously scooped Jacob Rodriguez out of Texas Tech at pick No. 43. Louis is an interesting prospect. He's quite small for an NFL linebacker at 6-foot, 220 pounds, but he's a fantastic athlete with a 4.53 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical jump. Louis showcased impressive range in college at Pittsburgh, piling up stats at both linebacker and in coverage. Over his final two seasons, he generated 182 tackles, 24.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 12 pass breakups and six interceptions. Louis isn't expected to line up in the box on every snap in the NFL because of his size, but he's a fluid player who rarely missed tackles in college. Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley likely has a vision for Louis as a versatile defender.

The Cowboys selected Overton in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 137th overall.

Overton displayed his versatility by playing all over the defensive line with Alabama in 2025, finishing with 42 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, and one pass defense across 13 games (12 starts). The Cowboys selected two other defensive rushers in Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham in the first and third rounds, respectively, so Overton's ability to line up in multiple spots and fit in different schemes should be an asset as he heads into his rookie NFL season.

The Saints selected Lance in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 136th overall.

Lance (6-foot-3, 204 pounds) boasts adequate size to complement his explosive athletic trades (4.34 40-yard dash), and he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his two seasons as a starter at North Dakota State (five years total). He showed especially well on deep routes in 2025, when he logged a career-best 21.5 yards per catch across 13 games as a fifth-year senior. To compete for more than a rotational role at the NFL level, Lance will need to significantly expand his route tree, but in New Orleans' crowded wide receiver room there may not be much pressure to develop into more than a situational playmaker. All of Devaughn Vele (shoulder), Mason Tipton (groin), Bub Means (lower leg), Kevin Austin, Trey Palmer (ankle), Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder), Ronnie Bell and Samori Toure represent competition for Lance to earn wide receiver reps behind Chris Olave (illness) and No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson.

The Colts selected Boettcher in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 135th overall.

Boettcher's athleticism doesn't jump off the page, and he's a little undersized at 6-foot-1, 233 pounds. However, he has the speed to get to ball carriers and proved to have a nose for the football with Oregon, racking up 132 tackles and 1.0 sacks as a senior, adding five pass deflections and an interception to his resume. He'll join a revamped Colts linebacker room that added Akeem Davis-Gaither and John Bullock in the 2026 calendar year via free agency (Davis-Gaither) and waiver claim (Bullock) and CJ Allen as a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Boettcher likely faces an uphill battle to see regular playing time as a rookie and will presumably be asked to contribute on special teams, but he'll get a chance to prove his worth in camp.