Commanders Looking At Defense In First Round?
On the strength of a surprisingly strong rookie Jayden Daniels campaign, the Commanders found themselves a game away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2024. Significant missed time for Daniels and a number of other key contributors led in part to a disappointing 2025 campaign, but another huge factor was a defense that gave up the most yards and the sixth-most points in the NFL. Because of that, ESPN’s Peter Schrager believes Washington will be looking to add to their defense when their pick in the first round arrives.
The Commanders have already done a bit of work to improve things on that side of the ball in free agency, signing outside linebackers Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu, linebacker Leo Chenal, defensive tackle Tim Settle, cornerbacks Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon, and safety Nick Cross. Settle should join Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw on the defensive line. Chenal should slot in next to Frankie Luvu to replace veteran Bobby Wagner in the starting lineup. Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu should bolster a pass rush that lost Jacob Martin and veteran Von Miller. Alongside a pair of recent high draft picks, Robertson and Witherspoon will attempt to make up for snaps lost with the departures of Marshon Lattimore, Jonathan Jones, and Noah Igbinoghene, while Cross should be an improvement at safety.
Despite the recent struggles of Payne and Kinlaw, the team already has enough salary sunk into the position, and there isn’t really an interior defender worth taking No. 7 overall. It’s probably safe to eliminate cornerback knowing the team added second-rounders in each of the past two drafts. The Commanders are also probably okay with the back end of their secondary being manned by Cross and Quan Martin, while Jeremy Reaves and Will Harris add depth. That leaves the inside and outside linebacker groups as the best areas to attack.
Schrager believes off-ball linebacker will be the play, projecting Ohio State’s Sonny Styles as the pick. Styles certainly could be a strong addition to the linebacking corps; he’s widely projected as the draft’s top option at the position. Wagner and Luvu dominated the snap share available at the linebacker position on Washington’s defense last year. Each player totaled over 1,100 snaps on defense, and the linebacker with the next-highest snap count topped out at 364. Even as a starter in Kansas City, Chenal was more of a rotation piece on the Chiefs defense. He didn’t even see half the snaps his fellow starters did.
Additionally, neither Luvu nor Chenal worked primarily off-ball last year. Both players served in fairly versatile roles by often lining up on the edge. Chenal split his time about 60-40 favoring off-ball work, while Luvu was much closer to 50-50. Because the Commanders lost their veteran, off-ball stalwart, Styles makes a ton of sense here. Installing the Buckeyes’ top inside linebacker prospect in the middle would allow for Luvu and Chenal to continue in their roaming, supportive roles.
The team could also look at edge rusher. Unfortunately, Styles’ fellow linebacker — and projected NFL edge rusher — Arvell Reese is expected to be long gone at this point in the draft. After Reese, there’s an expectation that one of either Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. will also be selected. There’s a strong possibility that the prospect that isn’t selected after Reese could make its way to Washington at the ninth pick. Oweh, Chaisson, and Omenihu certainly improve the team’s pass rush over what was left following departures in free agency, but they have only one double-digit sack season between the three of them. If they get an opportunity to add Bailey or Bain in this spot, it may be hard to pass up that kind of value.
This also disregards the offensive side of the ball, where the departures of Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown make wide receiver a potential position of need, as well. Ultimately, several factors will affect the decision the Commanders make 12 days from now, and even those factors could change in the time between then and now. But if Schrager is correct, and the Commanders have defense in mind on Day 1, a linebacker could be an impact move for the franchise and defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn.
Browns Could Prioritize T Over WR In First Round
The draft needs in Cleveland are fairly obvious, and though they can’t address all of them in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they can address two. Early reports seem to indicate that wide receiver and offensive tackle are the biggest priorities for the Browns heading into the draft, but which position will they address with their sixth overall pick, and which will have to wait for pick No. 24?
Now, Cleveland didn’t lost anybody from its 2025 receiving corps, but the group from last year underperformed to a point that it can be considered a position of need. Additionally, there are only two players in the room not playing on contract years in 2026, and those players are only under contract for one more year than their corpsman. If the Browns are going to begin rebuilding the room around a new, young pair of hands, now would be an ideal time.
The situation on the offensive line is almost the opposite. With all five starters hitting the free agent market this offseason, Cleveland has been working to rebuild its line after the teardown. The team utilized free agency to bring in guard Zion Johnson and center Elgton Jenkins and traded for former Texans tackle Tytus Howard. It seems the door is open for guard Joel Bitonio to return, if he decides not to retire, but if he does, the Browns re-signed Teven Jenkins, who has plenty of starting experience at guard. The other tackle spot is currently being manned by Dawand Jones, the former fourth-round pick who’s started 20 games in his first three seasons.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s belief that a vast need for quality linemen and a large number of talented prospects could lead to a run on offensive tackles in the first round. At the same time, it’s believed that only two wide receivers could end up going in the top half of the draft, with the eventual WR3 projected to go anywhere from pick Nos. 16-19. Because of this, it would make much more sense for the Browns to address their offensive tackle need than their receiver need.
Locking down the draft’s top receiver — likely Ohio State’s Carnell Tate — would certainly be a great addition to the offense, but it would mean missing out on most of the class’s top tackle prospects if a run takes place. Locking down a top available tackle would mean missing out on Tate, and perhaps Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon, but there are several impact options that make perfect sense in the late-first or early-second round. It could be the difference of having Tate and choosing between Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan, or Memphis’ Travis Burke or having one of Utah’s Spencer Fano, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor then getting your pick of Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., Washington’s Denzel Boston, Alabama’s Germie Bernard, and Louisville’s Chris Bell.
An interesting additional factor to this situation is the reporting that the Browns have been shopping out their current draft slots in the hope of bringing in more Day 2 draft capital; they seemingly are willing to move down from either the sixth or 24th picks, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. That could explain the depth at which Cleveland has been researching top offensive tackle prospects, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. The team hosted Utah’s other tackle, Caleb Lomu, two days ago, per Jackson McCurry of The Dawg Land podcast, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid was “shocked’ to hear that the Browns reportedly like Proctor at No. 6.
In theory, both could be trade down targets. Proctor has routinely found himself ranked behind the likes of Mauigoa and Fano throughout the draft process, and even more recently, Freeling and, in some cases, Clemson’s Blake Miller have snuck by him in the eyes of draft pundits, as well. Perhaps, Cleveland isn’t interested in selecting Proctor at No. 6 overall but, instead, interested in trading back to a place in the first round in which they may still be able to walk away with Proctor — or, if there’s a serious run at the position, Lomu — while adding some picks in the process. With the depth of wide receivers listed above, they could easily attempt to do the same at that position, if they feel their preferred option may be a reach at No. 24.
The Browns’ toss up in priorities between tackle and wide receiver alone make it impossible to predict who their top overall pick will be. Adding in the potential for a run or drought at either position or a Browns’ trade down from either spot makes even speculation a wild goose chase. It seems the Browns are making plans for a number of contingencies, but it looks like offensive tackle and wide receiver — whatever the order — remain the top priorities 12 days out.
Bengals Meet With Sonny Styles, Akheem Mesidor
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez were not the only defensive prospects who visited the Bengals on Friday. The team also met with the Styles brothers, Sonny and Lorenzo, as well as Akheem Mesidor, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Lorenzo Styles Jr., a former Notre Dame receiver who transitioned to cornerback at Ohio State, is not a touted prospect. The opposite is true in regards to Sonny Styles, who played with his brother at OSU. Sonny Styles’ stock has soared enough that he could become a rare off-ball linebacker to go near the top of the draft. The Jets are reportedly considering the 6-foot-5, 244-pounder at No. 2 overall. The Cardinals (No. 3) and Giants (No. 5) are also among the teams that hold Styles in high regard.
The Ohio-born Styles may be gone by the time the Bengals are on the clock at No. 10, but he is worth a pre-draft look for a team in desperate need of defensive help. While the Bengals spent second- and fourth-round picks on linebackers Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter a year ago, neither fared especially well as rookies. An upgrade could come in the form of Styles, who followed up a first-team All-America season with a marvelous Combine performance. Among linebackers, the 21-year-old finished first in the 40-yard dash (4.46), 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump. His 43.5-inch vertical leap was the highest for anyone his height in 23 years.
Mesidor, another Miami defensive end, teamed with Bain over the past three seasons. While Bain is expected to come off the board first, there are teams that like Mesidor better. The main knock on Mesidor, who played two seasons at West Virginia and four at Miami, is his age. The 6-3, 280-pounder is already 25 years old.
Mesidor also has a past foot injury that limited him to three games in 2023, but he bounced back well in the two seasons since then. He is heading to the pros after piling up personal bests in tackles for loss (17.5), sacks (12.5) and forced fumbles (four) during a 15-game, second-team All-America campaign.
After picking 10th, the Bengals are scheduled to make their second choice at 41st overall. Neither selection looks like the ideal slot for Mesidor, whom Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 23) and Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 28) rank in the 20s. Nevertheless, it is no surprise the Bengals are interested in bolstering a set of edge defenders that lost star Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens and Joseph Ossai to the Jets in free agency. The Bengals signed ex-Seahawk Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60MM deal last month, but they could still add to a group that also features Myles Murphy and 2025 first-rounder Shemar Stewart.
NFL Wins Appeal Of Collusion Grievance
Last summer, the NFL world was aflame with discussions of collusion.
The NFLPA had filed a grievance years earlier alleging that teams worked together to stop a push for fully-guaranteed contracts after the Deshaun Watson deal. The grievance went through the league’s arbitration process, which eventually resulted in a ruling against the union that was initially kept under wraps. It became public in June 2025, contributing to the storm of scandal surrounding the NFLPA at the time.
The union filed an appeal, but a three-person panel upheld the arbitrator’s original ruling in favor of the NFL, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This includes the finding that the league encouraged clubs to collude to suppress fully-guaranteed contracts, which supports the NFLPA’s case. However, the appeals panel also agreed with the arbitrator that there was not sufficient evidence to show that teams actually participated in the alleged collusion.
In short, while the NFL attempted to collude as alleged, the union could not demonstrate a strong enough impact to trigger damages and a ruling in their favor. The appeals panel concurred with that result.
One key difference, Florio notes, is that the appeals panel believes that teams were aware of the league’s collusive intentions.
“We cannot fathom these sophisticated businesspeople did not comprehend they were being encouraged to limit or reduce guaranteed contracts,” the ruling states.
Former NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell did not immediately communicate the initial arbitration ruling to the union’s membership. His successor, former Browns center and NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, approached the appeal differently, promptly informing the NFLPA player representatives of the result. He included the above quote in his message (via Florio) to show that the union had, in part, proven their case.
Now, the grievance is technically done with, but the outcome still offers the union some leverage heading into CBA talks. They now have an arbitrator’s ruling, confirmed by an appeals panel, affirming that the league intended to engage in collusion to limit player contracts. That can help inspire firmer support among players as they negotiate several key issues, including a proposed 18-game regular season. It may also draw the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice for potential antitrust violations, Florio adds, which could also force the league to include certain labor protections in the next CBA.
WR Denzel Boston Visits Ravens, Jets
The list of teams with interest in Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston continues to grow. Boston is visiting the Ravens and Jets on Saturday, per reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and veteran insider Jordan Schultz.
As PFR’s archives show, Boston has set up meetings with at least eight teams in the lead-up to the draft. The 6-foot-4, 212-pounder has long been considered a potential first-rounder. Some teams are bullish enough on Boston to rank him the second- or third-best receiver in a class that also includes the likes of Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Jordyn Tyson and Omar Cooper Jr.
Boston began his four-year run at Washington on a squad loaded with quality receivers. Future NFLers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’lynn Polk were among the Huskies’ go-to wideouts from 2022-23, which limited Boston to seven catches in his first two years. Odunze, McMillan and Polk left for the pros in 2024, setting the stage for a Boston breakout. Over his last two years in school, Boston averaged 63 catches, 858 yards and 10 touchdowns per season. Known as a sure-handed red zone weapon, Boston registered a paltry 3.1% drop rate at Washington.
The Ravens, who own the 14th pick in the first round, have a star No. 1 receiver in Zay Flowers. But none of their other returning wideouts even reached 20 catches or 225 yards in 2025. While Rashod Bateman was a starter in Baltimore for most of the past three seasons, he has come up in trade rumors after a down year. Even if Bateman sticks around, there is room for the Ravens to make a significant addition at receiver in the draft.
Like the Ravens, the Jets have a bona fide top receiver (Garrett Wilson) and not much else. While Adonai Mitchell showed flashes after coming over in the Sauce Gardner trade with the Colts in November, the 2024 second-rounder remains unproven. The Jets have six other receivers under contract, but the group of Isaiah Williams, Arian Smith, Quentin Skinner, Jamaal Pritchett, Mac Dalena and Irvin Charles combined for a mere 34 catches last season.
There is a clear need at receiver in New York, though the team will not go in that direction with its first pick (No. 2 overall). Expectations are the Jets will use their top choice on a blue-chip defender such as David Bailey, Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles, but they could turn their attention to receiver at 16th or 33rd overall.
Dolphins High on Spencer Fano, Host Chase Bisontis
New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said shortly after he was hired (via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel) that he would rebuild Miami’s roster “from the inside out.”
However, the Dolphins let starting right guard Cole Strange leave in free agency and only added depth pieces like Jamaree Salyer and Charlie Heck. Not only do they need to replace Strange, they could also upgrade over 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea at the other guard spot after his rough rookie year. Right tackle Austin Jackson has struggled with injuries and is entering the final year of his contract. Only center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Patrick Paul profile as clear long-term starters in Miami.
Luckily for the Dolphins, the 2026 draft class is deep at offensive line, particularly at guard where the Dolphins need immediate help the most. There are also a number of offensive tackles who could contribute on the inside as a rookie with the ability to succeed Jackson in the long-term.
Spencer Fano, a likely first-round pick out of Utah, could be the best of both worlds. The Dolphins are “big fans” of the versatile blocker, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, making him an option for the 11th overall pick. He excelled at right tackle for the Utes in 2024 and 2025, but has been projected to move inside in the NFL due to his sub-33-inch arms. That may not be the case in Miami. Sullivan’s last team, the Packers, frequently targets tackles with shorter arms with a higher priority on their athleticism and evaluation on tape. He will likely bring that philosophy to the Dolphins, who will run an offshoot of the Shanahan-McVay offensive scheme under new coordinator Bobby Slowik that also emphasizes athletic blockers up front. Fano, who impressed with his movement skills at the Combine, would fit that system perfectly.
Should the Dolphins not land Fano or another offensive linemen with one of their two first-round picks, they will likely prioritize the position on Day 2. Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis, who visited Miami this week, is a potential target at No. 43 overall, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He is also an exciting athlete with potential multi-position versatility having spent time at left guard and right tackle during his time at College Station, though his sub-32-inch arms may be too short for any team to play him outside.
Cowboys S Markquese Bell Arrested
Cowboys safety Markquese Bell was arrested on multiple drug charges in Prosper, Texas, on Friday (via Todd Archer of ESPN). Bell was booked on a felony count of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
Bell, 27, has been a career-long Cowboy since they added him as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The team has used the Florida A&M product as both a safety and a linebacker over his four-year, 48-game career.
Bell was on the field for just 22 defensive snaps during a five-game rookie season, but the Cowboys leaned on him far more in his second year. With linebacker DeMarvion Overshown shelved as a result of a torn ACL, Bell made 17 appearances and eight starts. He racked up a career-high 94 tackles, deflected four passes and forced a pair of fumbles. The Cowboys moved Bell back to safety in 2024, but he made just six tackles in nine games during an injury-shortened campaign.
Several months after he underwent season-ending surgery on a dislocated shoulder, the Cowboys kept Bell around on a three-year, $9MM pact in March 2025. Dallas gave $6.2MM in guaranteed money to Bell, who went on to log his second 17-game season, make three starts and rank third on the club in special teams snap share (62.81%). Defensively, Bell pulled in his first career interception and finished with 41 tackles, three PDs and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus ranked Bell a lowly 87th among 91 safeties, making him one of several Cowboys defenders who struggled during a disastrous year for the unit.
The Cowboys have prioritized upgrades at the safety position this offseason, which will keep Bell in a depth/special teams role if he is still on the roster in 2026. Donovan Wilson remains unsigned after leading Cowboys defenders in snap share last year, but they have added Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. The Cowboys have also visited with Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, top safety prospects who are expected to go in the first round of the draft. The Cowboys could use either the 12th or 20th pick on a safety.
Regardless of whether the Cowboys keep Bell, he may face punishment from the NFL next season. The league could suspend him under its Personal Conduct Policy.
Cowboys Host Trio Of CBs For Pre-Draft Visits
The Cowboys seem to be interested in adding a cornerback with one of their premium picks in April’s draft. They recently hosted Colton Hood for a 30 visit, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, with his Tennessee teammate Jermod McCoy and Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds on tap for next week (via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
Dallas’ pass defense was one of the worst in the league last year, due in no small part to issues and injuries at cornerback. Trevon Diggs and Caelen Carson both missed significant time, as did 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel as he recovered from the previous year’s ACL tear. Even when the unit was healthy, they struggled to slow opponents through the air.
The unit was reinforced this offseason with the signing of former Rams Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, but only the former brings significant starting experience to pair with DaRon Bland. The Cowboys could certainly stand to add some young, long-term talent to their secondary.
McCoy is the highest-ranked cornerback out of the three visiting Dallas. He turned heads with a dazzling 2024 season, in which he had more interceptions (four) than touchdowns allowed (two) with a 53.6 opposing passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). A torn ACL sidelined him for all of 2025, but he recovered in time to run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, assuaging any concerns about his health and vaulting him into co-CB1 status with LSU’s Mansoor Delane. McCoy may not even get to the Cowboys at No. 12, but he would be an easy pick if he does.
If neither McCoy nor Delane are available when Dallas is on the clock for their first pick, they will likely target a different position and see who is available at No. 20, their second first-rounder. That could be a spot for Hood, who is currently seen as a borderline Round 1 prospect. He tested well at the Combine, but 2025 was his only full season as a starter and he was not as dominant as McCoy was the previous year. Most evaluators do not have him graded as a first-round prospect, but it only takes one team with a higher assessment to pull the trigger.
Ponds is more securely seen as a Day 2 prospect, though an elite showing at his pro day will likely keep him in the second rather than the third round. That will make it difficult for the Cowboys to land the small, speedy corner with the 92nd overall selection in the third round. If Ponds were to fall that far, it would be an easy decision for a sticky, physical corner with inside-outside versatility who just played a key role on the Hoosiers’ championship defense.
Eagles Acquire, Extend WR Dontayvion Wicks
Two NFC contenders have swung a trade. The Eagles are acquiring wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks from the Packers for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Philadelphia is also extending Wicks on a one-year, $12.5MM deal.
Wicks’ name surfaced in trade rumors in early March. The three-year veteran is now headed elsewhere a month later. Shipping him out will save the Packers $2.6MM in cap space, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They have around $26MM available.
Wicks becomes the second notable Packers receiver to exit this offseason. The Pack previously lost Romeo Doubs to the Patriots in free agency, but the team still counts Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, Bo Melton and Skyy Moore among its wideouts. The Packers also have a quality pass-catching tight end in Tucker Kraft, giving quarterback Jordan Love plenty of options.
In using a first-rounder on Golden and a third-rounder on Williams, the Packers invested heavily in the position during last year’s draft. Neither produced much in 2025, but the Packers will likely expect the two to make a bigger impact going forward.
Green Bay spent a 2023 fifth-rounder on Wicks, who gave the club decent complementary production. The 6-foot-1, 206-pounder has missed five games, including three last year, but has averaged 40 catches, 491 yards and four touchdowns per 17 contests. Wicks’ move to Philadelphia will reunite him with Sean Mannion. Now the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, Mannion spent the past two years on the Packers’ offensive staff.
Wicks is the third receiver addition this offseason for the Eagles, joining Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore. While Moore is not a lock to make the team, Wicks and Brown figure to carve out important roles in their offense. The acquisition of Wicks will only add fuel to the fire in regards to a potential A.J. Brown trade. The Eagles are expected to deal the three-time Pro Bowler in the coming months, likely between June 2 and the start of the season. Wicks’ track record pales in comparison to A.J. Brown’s, but the Eagles have at least found another capable receiver ahead of the draft.
The Wicks extension gives the Eagles control over three of their top receivers through at least 2027. It may be short-lived in the case of A.J. Brown, who is currently under wraps through 2029. Regardless of what happens with Brown, fellow star DeVonta Smith is signed through 2028.
NFL Mailbag: Giants, Love, Jets, Saints
In this week's edition of the PFR Mailbag, questions on both New York teams are addressed. The top running back prospect in this year's class along with the Saints' offseason are also explored.
Cole asks:
Are both Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the Giants by Week 1? Who do you think has the better chance of being traded?
Many trade requests in the modern NFL are more about trying to attain leverage in contract talks than a genuine desire to change teams. That seems to be the case for Lawrence, with his request coming after another unsuccessful round of extension negotiations.
