Player News

New England selected Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 95th overall.

Raridon spent his entire four-year college career with Notre Dame, and he was able to overcome knee injuries in 2022 and 2023 to become a productive starter for the Fighting Irish. He put it all together in 2025 with 32 catches for 482 yards over 12 games, though he did not haul in a touchdown pass. Raridon showed steady improvement as a pass catcher over the course of his college career and has the athletic foundation (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) to establish himself as a large target in the passing game for Drake Maye, though the former will need to work on his blocking ability in order to earn consistent snaps on offense. Hunter Henry is New England's top option at tight end, but with Austin Hooper signing with the Falcons in March, Raridon has a chance to earn the TE2 job, with Julian Hill being his main competition.

The Dolphins selected Bell (ACL) in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 94th overall.

Bell (6-foot-2, 222 pounds) may have been a first-round prospect if not for the fact that he's recovering from ACL surgery undergone in mid-December, so it's unsurprising to see the WR-needy Dolphins trade up with Denver to end his slide. Miami already selected WR Caleb Douglas and TE Will Kacmarek in the third round, but Bell is the most intriguing playmaker of that group, to the point that it wouldn't be a surprising outcome for him to surpass Malik Washingtonand Jalen Tolbert as the top WR for new quarterback Malik Willis, health permitting. Bell was a three-year starter at Louisville but didn't break out as the team's No. 1 option until 2025, when he compiled 72 catches, a team-high 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns across 11 games. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Bell has already progressed enough in his rehab to have resumed running at 18-plus miles per hour, and the wideout said in late February that he expects to be ready for training camp.

The 49ers selected Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 90th overall.

This was highly unexpected. There really is a lot to like about Black following his standout showing at Indiana, but he caught only 55 receptions in six collegiate seasons and turns 25 in October. Black does look good as a pure runner, boasting a hot motor and decent speed (4.46-second pro day 40) at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, but second-year man Jordan James remains a strong candidate to serve as the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for the foreseeable future.

The Bears selected Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 89th overall.

Though he primarily operated on the boundary as a starter at LSU, Thomas showed his versatility in motions and backfield action, and he also has the experience on special teams as a returner on kickoffs and punts that should help him contribute immediately to the Bears. Thomas' speed and acceleration means he is a threat to make a game-altering play any time he touches the ball, which makes him an intriguing playmaker in the offensive scheme of head coach Ben Johnson. There's a real chance that Thomas beats out Jahdae Walker and Kalif Raymond to earn the Bears' WR3 job behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden.

The Dolphins selected Kacmarek in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 87th overall.

In a Day 2 where several teams made dubious tight end selections, the Dolphins probably made one of the better ones. Kacmarek (6-foot-6, 261 pounds) is potentially an AJ Barner type out of Ohio State, or at worst an Adam Trautman. Kacmarek is a rugged blocker who can amplify the run game, and he has enough athleticism to hurt the defense if they don't defend him honestly as a potential pass catcher (4.74-second 40, 36-inch vertical jump). Kacmarek is unlikely to be a fantasy factor, but don't be surprised if he's in frame, driving some defender backward on a lot of De'Von Achane's big plays.

The Buccaneers selected Hurst in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 84th overall.

Hurst probably fell this far out of plain-old bias against small-school players, and if so the Buccaneers should consider themselves lucky that the Georgia State star fell to them in the third round. He's big at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds and has the long-range speed (4.42-second 40) to thrive as a downfield-oriented 'X' receiver. The Buccaneers lost Mike Evans this offseason, but Hurst really does pose a similar dynamic, comparing more closely yet to Nico Collins.

The Panthers selected Brazzell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 83rd overall.

Brazzell posted an impressive 4.37-second 40-yard dash time at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and that speed -- coupled with a 6-foot-4 frame -- served him well during his four-year college career. He spent his final two years in Tennessee and was named to both the All-American Third-Team and All-SEC First-Team in 2025 after catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns across 12 games. Brazzell has no trouble getting to top speed, making him a dangerous deep threat that can win any jump ball, though his route-running tree and run blocking will both need to improve at the NFL level. With 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan leading the Panthers' pass-catching group, Brazzell's main competition for targets from QB Bryce Young will come from Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette.

The Ravens selected Lane in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 80th overall.

Lane spent his entire three-year college career in USC, with 2024 being arguably his most productive season with 43 catches for 525 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns across 13 games. He saw his receiving numbers increase in 2025 (49 catches for 745 yards), though he hauled in only four touchdowns across 11 games. Lane stands tall at 6-foot-4 with a long catch radius and large hands, and he also excelled as a blocker in the run game. He had issues separating from defenders in college and lacks experience on special teams, but that might not matter, as a strong offseason and training camp could establish Lane as the Ravens' WR3 behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman (illness).

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 Steelers selected Allar (ankle) in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 76th overall.

Allar (6-foot-5, 228 pounds) is recovering from season-ending surgery undergone in November to address a broken left ankle. He threw for 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns and three INTs before being injured in 2025 and was inconsistent in that limited action. That said, Allar boasts experience as a three-year collegiate starter to go with prototypical size, and it's difficult to imagine a more intriguing landing spot for the 22-year-old signal-caller than Pittsburgh, where Aaron Rodgers' pending decision about playing the 2026 season looms large. Excepting Rodgers, who currently remains a free agent, the Steelers' quarterback room houses Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard. In the event that Rodgers isn't Pittsburgh's starter in 2026, it would be intriguing to see a healthy Allar in a genuine competition. It remains to be seen whether Allar will be able to handle any amount of on-field work during the offseason program.