NFL Player News

The Patriots selected Prunty in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 171st overall.

Prunty (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) began his college career at Kansas and then spent three seasons with North Carolina AT&T before transferring to Wake Forest in 2025, where he was named to the All-ACC third team. It's something of a surprise to see Prunty come off the board this early, especially given that New England has a pair of entrenched starters at cornerback in Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez. As a rookie, Prunty will need to compete for depth opportunities with Kindle Vildor, Charles Woods, Kobee Minor and Marcellas Dial (ACL).

The Lions selected Law in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 168th overall.

The Lions sent the Bills a sixth-round pick to move up 13 spots to select Law. After three unassuming seasons at Alabama, Law transferred to Kentucky and started eight of 12 games, leading the team with 53 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. Law was mostly used as an underneath receiver for the Wildcats with a 3.4-yard average depth of target, but he's quick and can gain yards after the catch. There's not a clear role available in Detroit's offense, with receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading the way while running back Jahmyr Gibbs continues to command a hefty target share. Thus, Law will look to carve out a gadget role while contributing on special teams, both as a gunner and a returner.

The Steelers selected Nowakowski in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 169th overall.

Nowakowski (6-foot-2, 250 pounds) was a standout tight end at Indiana and before that Wisconsin, and with this selection the Steelers might have picked Nowakowski to be their replacement for Connor Heyward, who left for the Raiders in free agency. Nowakowski looks more like a fullback than a tight end, and if he's replacing Heyward then the Steelers might have concluded the same thing.

The Bills selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 167th overall.

Kilgore was a key piece of South Carolina's secondary in all three years of his college career. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team in 2025, when he logged 54 total tackles and 10 pass defenses (two interceptions) across 11 games. Kilgore lacked some consistency and control on defense, but his size, athleticism and ball-hawking ability makes him a high-risk, high-reward selection on Day 3 of the draft, and he could earn a steady role for himself in the Bills' secondary with strong performances in offseason programs and training camp. Kilgore's main competition for defensive snaps will come from Dee Alford and Damar Hamlin, with veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson slated to be the Bills' primary option at the nickel corner.

The Bears selected Elliott in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 166th overall.

Elliott (6-foot-2, 231 pounds) transferred from New Mexico State to Arizona State in 2024, totaling three-and-a-half years as a starter between both teams and 301 tackles in that span. The 22-year-old's aggressiveness, physicality and ability to stop the run are well-established traits, but the same is arguably true for Elliott's limitations against coverage and his average athleticism. As a rookie in Chicago, Elliott figures to have every chance to prove he's capable of taking a step forward in his development while competing for depth snaps with Noah Sewell (Achilles), Jack Sanborn and 2025 fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite.

The Titans selected Singleton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 165th overall.

Singleton, out of Penn State, boasts the size (6-foot, 219 pounds) and explosiveness of many of the backs going in the early rounds of the draft. However, some of the hype died down in 2025 after he managed only 4.5 yards per carry en route to 549 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 123 totes. He's an excellent receiver out of the backfield as well, amassing 102 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns over his four-year college career. However, Singleton struggles to find openings at the line and doesn't sport the necessary patience for things to develop. He also struggles a bit in pass blocking. Singleton has the raw talent to potentially develop into a contributor on offense, but he may be limited mostly to special teams as a rookie. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears headline the Titans' running back room, but Singleton could usurp Michael Carter for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with a good showing in camp.

The Jaguars selected Koziol in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 164th overall.

Koziol fell almost to the sixth round over concerns that he just doesn't have what it takes to be a blocker at the NFL level. At 6-foot-7, 247 pounds Koziol is big in general, but his height (93rd percentile, according to Mockdraftable) rapidly outpaces his weight (27th percentile). There's also the suspicion that Koziol just doesn't have tight-end temperament -- he truly might be a gigantic wide receiver. Finally, the good news: as a pass catcher Koziol clearly has NFL ability. Koziol drew targets at a rapid frequency at both Ball State and Houston, proving beyond any doubt that he will draw targets at a standout per-snap basis. The concern is that Koziol's lack of blocking ability and/or intent could result in a very low snap count, even if he makes the team. Long shot as he might be, Koziol is still a preferable fantasy target to Jaguars second-round pick Nate Boerkircher.

The Chiefs selected Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 161st overall.

Johnson (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) broke out in 2025, his fourth season with Nebraska, starting all 12 games and totaling 251 carries for 1,451 yards (No. 1 in the Big Ten) and 12 touchdowns while adding 46 catches for 370 receiving yards and another three scores. While Johnson's production, lateral agility and pass-catching chops stand out, his testing numbers were merely average, though he improved on his 4.56-second NFL Combine 40-yard dash with a 4.49-second total at Nebraska's pro day. Despite falling to the fifth round, Johnson's landing spot in head coach Andy Reid's offense is intriguing, with Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith representing his most notable competition for reserve work behind new No. 1 running back Kenneth Walker. Johnson's upside case may be limited to that of a change-of-pace role behind Walker, but he'll be a solid candidate to produce with such a gig if he can secure consistent opportunities.

The Vikings selected Demmings in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 163rd overall.

Demmings (6-foot-1, 193 pounds) heads to Minnesota after five years at Stephen F. Austin, serving as a starter for the final 3.5 seasons. He never recorded more than 18 tackles in a season, but he piled up 39 pass breakups and eight interceptions over 32 games through his final three years. With a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Demmings has the tools and experience to develop into a starter in the NFL, and his physicality should provide an immediate boost on special teams.

The Ravens selected Rivers in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 162nd overall.

Rivers was a steady starter for Duke from 2023 to 2025, and he was named to the All-ACC Second-Team in his senior year after posting 59 total tackles, one forced fumble and 10 pass defenses (two interceptions) across 13 games. He primarily played on the outside but also saw some work at the nickel corner, the latter of which could be his position as he enters the NFL. Rivers' 5-foot-9 frame is a little underwhelming and might limit his effectiveness as a run stopper, but his speed and fluidity made him difficult for opposing receivers to shake off. Rivers will compete with the likes of Marlon Humphrey, T.J. Tampa and Chidobe Awuzie for a consistent role and snaps in the Ravens secondary.