Bears Add S Dillon Thieneman At No. 25
The Bears will walk out of the first round with a safety prospect. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman is heading to Chicago via the No. 25 overall pick.
Thieneman arrives after the Bears lost their 2025 safety starters — Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker — in free agency. The Patriots signed Byard, who reunited with ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel, while the Steelers added Brisker. The Bears did bounce back by signing Coby Bryant, and they will pair him with Thieneman — the first safety chosen in Round 1 by Chicago since Mark Carrier went sixth overall in 1990.
That is quite the lengthy stretch, though the Bears had used Round 2 (Brisker) to address the position in Ryan Poles‘ first offseason in charge. DC Dennis Allen will attempt to mold Thieneman alongside Bryant, handpicked to play in his system like Byard was as a 2025 free agent.
Thieneman follows Caleb Downs as the second safety off the board. They were the only two selected Thursday night, with Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Arizona’s Treydan Stukes remaining on the board entering Day 2.
Sitting 16th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Thieneman transferred from Purdue to Oregon in 2025. He intercepted six passes as a freshman Boilermaker in 2023 and grabbed two more picks last season at Oregon. Thieneman completed the impressive feat of becoming a two-time AP All-American, being named to the third team in 2023 and second team in ’25. He finished with a combined 210 tackles during his two Purdue seasons, adding 96 at Oregon last year.
The Ducks deployed Thieneman in the box, in the slot and as a pure safety last season. He showed high-level instincts and quality speed in coverage in helping the Ducks to the CFP semifinals, and the Bears will have the opportunity to determine how they want to use the former Big Ten chess piece.
Chicago lost breakout corner Nahshon Wright in free agency (to the Jets), but the NFC North champions return CB regulars Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to go with former starter Tyrique Stevenson. Thieneman gives the Bears four first- or second-round picks at safety, with Bryant — a 2022 Seahawks fourth-rounder — the only former Day 3 pick projected to start in the Windy City secondary.
Browns Draft WR KC Concepcion At No. 24
Entering the draft pegged as wanting a tackle and a wide receiver in Round 1, the Browns have checked both boxes. After moving down from sixth overall to choose Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9, Cleveland landed Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion at No. 24.
The Browns came into the draft with a crying need at receiver, especially after Jerry Jeudy‘s production fell off a cliff in 2025. Jeudy declined from 90 catches and 1,229 yards in 2024 to 50 and 602 in those categories in 2025. No other returning Browns receiver managed to reach 25 catches, and they did not add anyone of significance to their WR corps before the draft. Enter Concepcion, who will give the Browns another exciting young target to join second-year tight end Harold Fannin.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Concepcion was popular on the league’s “30” visits circuit after a productive three-year college career divided between North Carolina State and Texas A&M. He burst on the scene as hands down the Wolfpack’s best offensive weapon in 2023. Over 13 games, Concepcion racked up 71 catches for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. With 320 yards on 41 carries, he was also electrifying on the ground.
Concepcion earned ACC Rookie of the Year and second-team All-ACC honors in his first season at NC State, but he followed that up with his least productive college campaign. He caught 53 balls for just 460 yards (good for a paltry 8.7 YPC) and six scores in a dozen games. He was also a non-factor as a runner in 2024, a 19-carry, 36-yard campaign.
While Concepcion played the vast majority of his snaps as a slot receiver at NC State, his role changed after he left for College Station. The Aggies used Concepcion as an outside receiver on 65.3% of snaps, and he more than held his own in piling up 61 catches for 919 yards (15.1 YPC) and an SEC-best nine scores. Concepcion only carried the ball 10 times, but he found the end zone twice more and averaged 7.5 yards per rush. Also a force on special teams last year, Concepcion averaged a lofty 18.2 yards and hit pay dirt twice on 25 punt returns. He was named a consensus All-American and an All-SEC performer for his efforts. The 21-year-old also earned the Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the nation’s most versatile player.
Although Concepcion regularly dazzled in college, he did have issues securing the ball. Concepcion dropped 19 passes in college, but his stock nonetheless rose during the pre-draft process. Whether the Browns start Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson at quarterback in 2026, they will count on Concepcion to emerge as a major threat.
Cowboys Add DE Malachi Lawrence At 23
The Cowboys have now added two defenders in Round 1. Trading up for Caleb Downs, Dallas moved down three spots (via Philadelphia) and added Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.
Lawrence gained steam as the pre-draft process wore on, being named a player likely to be chosen earlier than expected. The Cowboys revealed post-draft they would have chosen Lawrence at No. 20 had they not found a trade-down partner.
Dallas moved down three spots from No. 20, sliding down via the Eagles. This marked the second time the Cowboys had traded down to allow the Eagles to vault up for a first-rounder since 2021, when Philly tabbed DeVonta Smith (and led Dallas to Micah Parsons two picks later). The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers in August, obtaining the No. 20 choice (along with a 2027 first-rounder). Dallas moved the ’27 first to the Jets for Quinnen Williams, highlighting the importance of Lawrence and Downs in this year’s first round.
Lawrence follows a host of early-round Cowboys edge rusher choices. After choosing Parsons in the 2021 first round, Dallas selected Sam Williams in the 2022 second round. The team then chose Marshawn Kneeland in the 2024 second round and Donovan Ezeiruaku in the ’25 second. Tragically, Kneeland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November.
The Cowboys also traded for Rashan Gary, doing so before re-signing Williams, this offseason. That duo joins Ezeiruaku and now Lawrence at OLB in new DC Christian Parker‘s 3-4 scheme. For all the heat Cowboys brass takes for contract timing and mismanagement, the team has done well to land first-round talent. The Cowboys have drafted eight first-team All-Pro players in the first round since 2010. After trading one of their top 21st-century talents in Parsons, the Cowboys are banking on Downs and Lawrence injecting life into their porous defense.
Totaling 19.5 sacks over the past three seasons, Lawrence registered 27.5 tackles for loss in that span. The Cowboys were not one of the teams to use a “30” visit on Lawrence, who met with half the NFL before the draft. While Downs will be expected to become an instant starter, Lawrence will likely be brought along slower. But Dallas will expect starter work from the mid-major prospect early in his rookie contract, in all likelihood.
Bolts Grab DE Akheem Mesidor At No. 22
The Chargers lost Odafe Oweh in free agency, and while they re-signed Khalil Mack, the team will add Miami edge defender Akheem Mesidor in Round 1.
Mesidor joins an EDGE group housing Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree. The Canadian pass rusher goes off the board seven picks after Miami teammate Rueben Bain Jr. Despite his rookie status, at 25 years old, Mesidor is already two years older than Tuipulotu, a second-round pick from 2023. While Mesidor doesn’t bring the long-range potential for a 10-plus-year run with the team that drafted him, he brings NFL-ready pass rush ability and a vast variety of experience.
A six-year collegiate athlete, Mesidor started his studies at West Virginia, notching five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman. In Year 2 with the Mountaineers, Mesidor was moved inside to defensive tackle and still contributed with a disruptive 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. A transfer to Miami returned him to the edge, and he gave the Hurricanes seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.
After a year lost to injury and a year covering for an injured Bain, Mesidor delivered a career-year on the Hurricanes’ run to the College Football Playoff national championship matchup. Together, Mesidor and Bain terrorized opponents, especially once they got to postseason play. While it was Bain that earned All-American honors, Mesidor led the Canes defense with 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. His four forced fumbles were a team best, as well.
While his age and injury history may have scared some teams off, the Chargers are cashing in on hugely productive pass rusher with size to play all over the line and an arsenal of pass rush moves to find success as a rookie. Even if Mesidor doesn’t crack the starting lineup as a rookie, the team’s top pass rushing trio of Mack, Tuipulotu, and Dupree are all in the final year of their current contracts, so Mesidor may just represent the team’s future on the edge.
Steelers Draft T Max Iheanachor At No. 21
With Broderick Jones not living up to his draft slot and battling a major injury, the Steelers are choosing a first-round tackle for the third time in four years.
Pittsburgh brought in Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall. This gives Pittsburgh some potential Jones insurance and a possible long-term option opposite RT Troy Fautanu. Iheanachor was one of nine offensive linemen (including seven tackles) chosen in Round 1 tonight.
This pick carried a major “what if?” component, with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon revealing the Steelers communicated to him an intent to draft him at No. 21. The intra-Pennsylvania development emerged after the Eagles traded up three spots (via the Cowboys) to vault in front of the Steelers at No. 20. Lemon went off the board soon after.
“Pittsburgh called me and I thought they were going to draft me and then the Eagles called at the same time,” Lemon said. “I guess it was meant to be. I’m super excited to be in Philly.”
Iheanachor will spend at least the early years of his career tied to a wide receiver, which is obviously not commonplace for a tackle, but big responsibilities may be coming early. Jones is recovering from neck fusion surgery, and a setback may or may not have occurred. And the 2023 first-round pick has not played especially well in stints at left and right tackle. A move to his natural LT spot did not yield desired results before the injury, and Pittsburgh will decline the Georgia alum’s fifth-year option. Iheanachor profiles as a successor option, though it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh uses him more at right tackle — his primary college role — early behind Fautanu as he develops.
The Steelers were not among a host of teams who conducted “30” visits with the Nigeria native — who began his career at junior college — but they were linked to a possible first-round tackle. This was due in large part to Jones’ issues since being drafted. Pittsburgh had gone since the 1990s between first-round tackle picks prior to the Jones investment, but the team is now flooded with Round 1 options at this position as OTAs near.
Iheanachor earned second-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season. He primarily played right tackle with the Sun Devils but saw time on the blind side as well. With the Steelers stationing Fautanu at RT after his 2024 injury absence, an Iheanachor-at-LT experiment figures to gain traction soon.
“Position flex is huge,” Mike McCarthy said of his team’s first-round pick. “It’s bigger than ever in the NFL. Seventeen games is real. And to add Max to this group is – I can’t tell you how excited we are with the pick.”
Panthers Draft T Monroe Freeling At 19
The Panthers have been busy at tackle this offseason. Not only did they add Rasheed Walker, but the reigning NFC South champs are bringing in Georgia’s Monroe Freeling in the first round.
[RELATED: Freeling’s Prospect Profile]
Freeling, chosen 19th overall, joins a Carolina team that lost LT starter Ikem Ekwonu to a patellar tendon tear in the wild-card round. Carolina now rosters Walker, Freeling, Ekwonu and longtime RT Taylor Moton. Ekwonu is expected to miss a large chunk of 2026 (if not all of it). Cognizant of that, the Panthers brought in Walker on a cheaper-than-expected deal in free agency to provide a capable stopgap. Walker was a starter in 48 of 51 games with the Packers from 2023-25. Moton, meanwhile, has started in all but one of his 129 appearances since 2018.
With Walker and Moton in the fold, it is unclear if the soon-to-be 22-year-old Freeling will step into the starting lineup immediately. He should not have to wait long, though, with Ekwonu and Walker on track to reach free agency a year from now. Moton is on a pricey contract for two more years, but he will turn 32 in August.
A native of Charleston, S.C., Freeling took over as the Bulldogs’ starting left tackle late in 2024. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder continued in that role last season and earned second-team All-SEC honors for his efforts. Freeling elected to leave Georgia instead of returning for his senior season, and his stock skyrocketed during the pre-draft process. While receiver, safety, cornerback and linebacker were other potential first-round routes for the Panthers, they were bullish enough on Freeland to pass on talented prospects at those spots. They are scheduled to make their next selection at No. 51 overall.
Vikings Choose DT Caleb Banks At No. 18
Injury concerns clouded Caleb Banks‘ draft stock, but the Florida defensive tackle will still find a first-round home. He will come off the board 18th overall, going to the Vikings.
Banks arrived in Gainesville via transfer portal after two years at Louisville. Stepping in as an immediate starter for the Gators, Banks played well in his first year in The Swamp. Banks really grabbed the attention of NFL evaluators in Year 2 at Florida, when he showed a new level of disruption as he recorded 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Banks’ senior year was marred by a left foot injury that came about in spring practices. An aggravation of that injury just before the start of the 2025 season caused him to miss the first two games of the Gators’ season, then he reaggravated it upon his return, requiring surgery that would hold him out until the final two weeks of the season. To make matters worse, Banks injured the same left foot the night before the combine, forcing him into another surgery, this one holding him out for the summer. A recent follow up determined that a June clearance is likely for the pending rookie, though, and the positive news created new buzz for Banks in the first round, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Banks shows impressive athleticism for his size, and his elite, wide frame is the prototype for his position. Minnesota sees enough potential in that size to make up for a lack of production at the collegiate level. They’ll need him to take the summer to get healthy, but once healthy, they’ll need him to immediately start working to improve his conditioning. That area of his game has suffered late in games or deep into long drives.
The Vikings no longer roster Jonathan Allen or Javon Hargrave, so the door is wide open to a starting role on the defensive interior. If he can get healthy enough for his rookie season, he should slot in alongside former undrafted defensive lineman Jalen Redmond on the first-team defense.
Lions Draft T Blake Miller At No. 17
Closely linked to tackles throughout the pre-draft process, the Lions have lined up a Taylor Decker successor. Ten years after their first-round Decker pick, the Lions chose Clemson’s Blake Miller at No. 17. Miller is already the fifth offensive lineman to come off the board.
The 6-foot-7, 317-pound Miller is not certain to play left or right tackle this coming season, as Penei Sewell may be in line for a position change. But a starting job likely awaits in Detroit, which added Larry Borom on a one-year, $5MM deal in free agency. Borom started a career-high 11 games in Miami last season, but the former Bear has come off the bench in 25 of 63 appearances. With that in mind, Parker should have a good chance of winning a No. 1 job as a rookie.
The bench is a foreign concept to Miller, who started in all 54 of his appearances at Clemson from 2022-25. He earned a third-team All-ACC nod in 2023 before collecting second-team all-conference honors in each of the past two seasons. The durable stalwart broke the Clemson record in offensive snaps (3,778), per Colton Pouncy and Grace Raynor of The Athletic.
Fifty-two of Miller’s college starts came at right tackle. Sewell has been elite in that position, though the Lions may bank on the future Hall of Famer shifting to the position Decker held from 2016 until they released him in March. Decker and Sewell formed an enviable tandem in Detroit for a half-decade. The Lions will now begin a new era with Miller and Sewell comprising their top bookends.
Jets Select TE Kenyon Sadiq At No. 16
The top tight end prospect in this year’s draft is heading to New York. Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq will join the Jets via the No. 16 overall pick.
Linked by some to go to an NFC South club, Sadiq will team with 2025 second-round tight end Mason Taylor with the Jets. A New York team that managed to go 17 games without seeing anyone clear 400 receiving yards will pick up some vital pass-catching muscle alongside Garrett Wilson.
The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Sadiq spent three years at Oregon, where he enjoyed a breakout junior season in 2025. He led Ducks pass catchers in receptions (51) and touchdowns (eight), and he finished second in yards (560). After leading college football tight ends in TDs, Sadiq earned First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Tight End of the Year honors. Sadiq cemented his status as an athletic freak at the Combine, where he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) of any tight end since at least 2023.
Adding at least one receiving threat in this draft was a must for the Jets, though the popular belief was they would select a wideout before a tight end. The team reportedly gave first-round grades to Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson and Denzel Boston. Tate (Titans) and Tyson (Saints) came off the board in the top 10. Boston is still available, but the Jets like Sadiq better. As owners of the 33rd and 44th choices, the Jets should be in position to land a promising receiver in the second round if they want to give quarterback Geno Smith another target to join Sadiq, Taylor, Wilson and Adonai Mitchell.
Bucs Choose DE Rueben Bain Jr. At 15
Rueben Bain Jr. will fill a key need without needing to relocate especially far. The Buccaneers are adding the Miami defensive end whose minor slide stops at No. 15.
Tampa Bay will pair the former Hurricane standout with YaYa Diaby, who is heading into a contract year. Diaby has had moderate pass rush success, totaling 19.0 sacks over his first three years of NFL play. He’s been part of a team-wide effort to get after the quarterback after the past few years, splitting the responsibility with Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea along the defensive line.
To that point, the Buccaneers couldn’t have asked for a better player to fall to them at this point in the draft to contribute to this team-wide pass rush effort. Bain is the epitome of such play, as evidenced during his three years in Coral Gables. As a true freshman, when teammate and fellow first-round pick Akheem Mesidor went down with injury, Bain stepped in as a starter and filled a giant role on the Hurricanes defense. Without lining up directly over center, Bain played all over the defensive line for Miami, leading the team with 7.5 sacks and finishing second with 12.5 tackles for loss.
Miami dedicated Bain more consistently to the outside after that. After an injury-limited sophomore campaign, Bain got to pair with Mesidor when both were healthy for the first time last year, and the two terrorized teams all through the Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff run to the national title game. Bain’s addition to the Tampa Bay pass rush should excite Buccaneers fans, as Bain tends to bring success to the pass rushers around him as they benefit from the attention opposing offensive lines will pay to Bain.
A pair of controversies threatened Bain’s draft status and future NFL career as a short arm-length measurement as the NFL Scouting Combine and an unfortunate driving accident from two years ago made frequent headlines over the last month of the pre-draft process. By most accounts, NFL teams took much less stock into Bain’s arm measurements than draft pundits, and they had reportedly been made aware of the driving accident story months before it broke.
Whether these issues contributed to Bain falling out of the top 10 to No. 15 or if it was simply a run of tackles and series of trades that delayed his name getting called no longer matters Bain will head up Alligator Alley to continue his pro ball in-state. The Buccaneers will now have to figure out how to use Bain in their base 3-4 front, as an outside linebacker opposite Diaby or a versatile in-line defensive end next to Vea, Kancey, A’Shawn Robinson, and former Hurricane Elijah Roberts.