NFL Player News

Carolina selected Kuwatch in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 227th overall.

Kuwatch transferred from Ohio State to Miami (Ohio) in 2023, but he didn't become a full-time starter on defense until his senior year in 2025, when he was named to the All-MAC Third-Team after logging 109 total tackles, including 5.0 sacks, and one pass defense across 14 games. Kuwatch served as the RedHawks' middle linebacker, and his experience on special teams during his five-year college career could help him earn a spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster for the 2026 season. He'll enter the offseason program and training camp competing for a depth spot at inside linebacker against the likes of Claudin Cherelus, Bam Martin-Scott and Isaiah Simmons.

The Titans selected Kanak in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 225th overall.

Kanak spent his entire four-year collegiate career in Norman with Oklahoma, but it wasn't until his senior season that he saw the field. He didn't disappoint in 2025, compiling 44 catches for 533 yards while dropping just one pass. Kanak is severely undersized for the tight end position at just 6-foot-2, 234 pounds, but he at least makes up for that with a 4.52 40-yard dash time. It remains to be seen if he can stick at tight end in the long run, but he has plenty of special-teams work on his resume and will likely be asked to contribute on that front in Nashville this fall.

The Steelers selected Spears-Jennings in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 224th overall.

It's not often that you see multi-year starting safeties with 4.32 speed fall to the seventh round, but for Spears-Jennings (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) that's exactly what happened after starting at Oklahoma the last two years. Spears-Jennings is a fearless and explosive safety but one whose otherwise uncommon athleticism has proven difficult to harness effectively. Despite his speed, it was challenging for Spears-Jennings to maintain his coverage assignments, and in pursuit he's liable to misfire. The positive news is that even if he never improves at all, Spears-Jennings should be a capable special-teams contributor.

The Commanders selected Kaliakmanis in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 223rd overall.

Kaliakmanis was a full-time starter at Minnesota in 2023 before transferring to Rutgers for his final two seasons. As a fifth-year senior, Kaliakmanis completed 52 percent of his passes for 3,124 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions while connecting on 28 passes for 20-plus yards. He didn't add much with his legs and likely won't in the NFL after running a 4.92 40-yard dash at his pro day. Still, Kaliakmanis has a good enough arm to give him a strong chance to earn the No. 3 quarterback job behind Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota.

The Bengals selected Endries in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 221st overall.

Endries (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) began his collegiate career with a redshirt 2022 campaign at California, which he followed up with two consecutive years as a starter from 2023-24 before transferring to Texas. In his sole season as the Longhorns' starting tight end in 2025, Endries compiled 33 catches for 346 yards and three scores, a step down from the 56-626-2 line he logged with the Golden Bears in 2024. Endries has the size to find a role at the NFL level but lacks difference-making athleticism, so as a rookie he could have a difficult time competing for depth reps with Erick All (ACL), Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy (chest) behind top tight end Mike Gesicki.

Detroit selected West in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 222nd overall.

West spent his entire four-year college career in Tennessee, and while he wasn't a consistent starter on defense for the Volunteers, he did see his playing time steadily increase. He finished the 2025 season with 23 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defense across 12 games. West primarily operated as an edge rusher in college but would also line up in a three-point stance on the interior defensive line. The latter position could be his calling card in the NFL, given his shorter stature (6-foot-2, 283-pound frame).

The Bills selected Pride in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 220th overall.

Pride, out of Missouri, has plenty of speed to keep up with opposing wideouts at the NFL level, posting the second-best 40-yard dash time (4.32) among defensive players at the NFL Combine. However, he's a bit on the smaller side (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) and can struggle with bigger wideouts. He's a solid tackler for his size and likely will be asked to contribute on special teams to maintain a 53-man roster spot.

The Saints selected Hall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 219th overall.

Like seemingly all Hawkeyes cornerbacks, Hall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) is a rugged player who is well-versed on the fundamentals. The unfortunate contrast to recent Iowa standouts Cooper DeJean and Riley Moss is that Hall is a below-average athlete by cornerback standards, logging just a 4.59-second 40-yard dash with short arms (30 inches) ill suited to press coverage. If Hall's lack of athletic traits don't hold him back, there's reason to think he has the skill set necessary to at least provide quality cornerback depth at the NFL level.

The Cowboys selected Smith in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 218th overall.

Smith did little of note through four years at NC State, but he exploded after transferring to East Carolina for his final two seasons of college ball, generating 105 catches for 1,852 yards and 13 touchdowns. Despite not having a polished route tree, he can win deep balls with a 4.40 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 197 pounds. Smith didn't play special teams at ECU but should have the ability to contribute in that facet. It will be difficult to break into the offensive rotation with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin taking nearly all the reps.

The Falcons selected Perkins in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 215th overall.

Perkins didn't wait long to find the field at LSU, starting for three-plus seasons in Baton Rouge. He racked up 56 tackles and 4.0 sacks as a senior, adding three interceptions and a forced fumble to boot. He's a versatile player who started at multiple positions in college due to his tweener size, and it remains to be seen where he will settle in at the next level. He could play a hybrid safety-linebacker role, but his first order of business is proving he belongs with a good showing in camp.