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.
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.
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.
Ravens Add G Vega Ioane At No. 14
Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft is on fire along the offensive line. After Spencer Fano went to Cleveland and Francis Mauigoa to New York, Vega Ioane is going to Baltimore.
The Ravens took the Penn State guard at No. 14, bringing in a player who should be an instant starter on the interior. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Ioane was a full-time starter at left guard for the past two years. After earning a second-team All-Big Ten nod in 2024, Ioane took home first-team all-conference and first-team All-America honors last season. He went back-to-back years without allowing a sack or taking a holding penalty, per Pro Football Focus.
Known as a mauler who excels in the running game, Ioane looks like an ideal fit for the Ravens. Although dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson was rarely healthy during a 13-start 2025, he was still a key contributor to a rushing attack that finished first in yards per attempt and second in yards. Jackson and running back Derrick Henry stand to benefit from Ioane’s presence going forward.
Ioane should serve as a much-needed upgrade on a Ravens line that has undergone a few notable changes this offseason. They lost elite center Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders, which was a major blow. The team also allowed Daniel Faalele to leave for the Giants after back-to-back 17-start seasons. Faalele was on the field for 99.7% of offensive snaps last year. Free agent pickup John Simpson will replace Faalele, while Ioane should step in at left guard from the get-go and send 2025 starter Andrew Vorhees to the bench.
Dolphins Draft T Kadyn Proctor At No. 12
This draft promised to be filled with first-round offensive linemen. That prophecy is proving accurate. Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa and now Kadyn Proctor have gone off the board.
The Dolphins selected Proctor at No. 12 overall, doing so after picking up two extra draft choices (Nos. 177 and 180) from the Cowboys. This is the first pick of the Dolphins’ new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, who are looking to protect free agent quarterback addition Malik Willis.
As a 40-game starter at left tackle in college, Proctor earned no shortage of accolades during his three-year run at Alabama. He was a freshman All-American in 2023, a second-team All-SEC performer in 2024, and a consensus All-American and first-team all-conference player last season. Standing 6-foot-6, the mammoth Proctor has hung around the 400-pound mark in the past. While that is a concern, he weighed in at 352 pounds at the Combine. Proctor went on to steal the show at Alabama’s pro day in late March, further boosting his chances to go early in the first round.
Still just 20 years old, it is unclear where Proctor will line up at the outset of his career. The Dolphins have another massive left tackle in the 6-7, 326-pound Patrick Paul, a 2024 second-rounder who posted his first 17-start season last year. They lost right tackle Larry Borom to the Lions in free agency, but injury-prone veteran Austin Jackson is still under contract for another season. Proctor could eventually take over for Jackson or begin as a guard if he beats out either Jamaree Salyer or Jonah Savaiinaea, per C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald.
The Proctor pick will not be the last of the night for the Dolphins, who are scheduled to select 30th. Wide receiver, cornerback and edge defender are among the areas they could address with that selection.
Cowboys Acquire No. 11 From Dolphins, Select S Caleb Downs
The Cowboys have moved up one spot, acquiring No. 11 from the Dolphins. Miami will slide back a pick, and this will allow the Cowboys to block other teams from trading up to outflank them.
The Dolphins will add Nos. 12, 177 and 180 in this swap, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will boost Miami’s pick count to 13. Considering where the Dolphins are on their latest rebuild timeline, it makes sense for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan to add two Day 3 picks to drop one spot. The Cowboys drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the pick.
It is no surprise the Cowboys spent their top choice on a defensive player after the unit struggled to stop anyone last season. Despite boasting one of the NFL’s premier offenses, the Cowboys finished 7-9-1 in 2025. A defense that ranked dead last in scoring and 30th in passing ‘D’, yards and turnovers was the main culprit.
Dallas has since added a pair of veteran safeties, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, to join the returning Malik Hooker, but Downs is now the most talented member of the group. The Cowboys are hoping he quickly emerges as a standout under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. As the Eagles’ defensive backs coach from 2024-25, Parker helped develop Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into stars.
The 5-foot-11, 206-pound Downs began a decorated college career in 2023 at Alabama, where he notched 107 tackles, four passes defensed, 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. After earning second-team All-America honors, Downs transferred to Ohio State. He was a unanimous All-American during a 2024 showing in which he totaled 81 tackles, six passes defensed and two picks. Downs helped the Buckeyes to a national title in his first year with the team. They were unable to repeat in 2025, but Downs closed his Buckeyes tenure with another tremendous season. He put up 68 tackles, including five TFL, and a pair of INTs. Downs was a unanimous All-American again. He also earned the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the top defensive back in the nation.
Downs may not end up as the only high-profile defensive prospect to join the Cowboys on Thursday. They are also scheduled to pick 20th, where they could address another need on that side of the ball.
Saints Draft WR Jordyn Tyson At No. 8
Jordyn Tyson was not the first wideout taken on Thursday, but he has still turned out to be a top-10 selection. The Arizona State product has been taken eighth overall by the Saints.
The Saints were reportedly candidates to move up in the draft for an edge defender, but general manager Mickey Loomis stayed put and addressed another obvious weakness. New Orleans struck gold on receiver Chris Olave, the No. 11 pick in 2022, but had no other real threats at the position before drafting Tyson. Devaughn Vele performed well at the end of last year, but he finished with just 25 catches and 393 yards in 13 games. Other than Olave and Vele, no returning Saints wideout even hit the 20-catch mark last season.
Despite last season’s struggles, the Saints did not pick up any noteworthy receivers in the first couple of months of the offseason. That left the draft as their best bet to upgrade and bring in another weapon for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. Carnell Tate became the first receiver off the board when the Titans chose him fourth overall, but Tyson may have the most upside of any wideout in this class. Durability is the main concern regarding Tyson, who had immense difficulty staying healthy during his four years in college.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Tyson began his college career in 2022 at Colorado. He averaged a superb 21.4 yards per catch on 22 receptions and scored four touchdowns in nine games, but his freshman year ended with a torn ACL, MCL and PCL. Tyson transferred to Arizona State the next year, though he played just three games and went without a catch. His production exploded over 12 games in 2024, when he piled up 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 scores. However, another injury – a broken collarbone – ended his season.
Tyson concluded his time at ASU with a second straight first-team All-Big 12 effort in 2025, during which he caught 61 balls for 711 yards and eight TDs. His drop rate fell from 8.5% to a microscopic 1.6% in a one-year span. While Tyson’s production was outstanding, hamstring issues limited him to nine games.
Tyson’s hamstring remained problematic during the pre-draft process. The 21-year-old did not work out at the Combine or participate in ASU’s pro day, but he recovered in time to hold a workout for interested teams on April 17. It went well for Tyson, who impressed in front of 20-plus clubs, including the Saints.
Titans Select WR Carnell Tate At No. 4
The first receiver has come off the board early. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate has been selected fourth overall by the Titans, a team long seen as a candidate to make a defensive investment at this spot.
Some teams reportedly considered Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson the top receiver in the draft, but Tate has won out and will become a key weapon for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. The Titans spent the first overall pick in last year’s draft on Ward, but a poor supporting cast contributed to a difficult rookie season for the Miami product.
Hoping to make life easier for Ward, Tennessee has added Tate and free agent pickup Wan’Dale Robinson to its receiving corps this offseason. They will also bring back veteran Calvin Ridley and second-year wideouts Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. The Titans’ Tate-led receiving corps will work with an established offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll, one of new head coach Robert Saleh‘s most important hires. As the Giants’ head coach in 2024, Daboll helped then-rookie receiver Malik Nabers to a 109-catch, 1,204-yard year after they chose him sixth in the draft. The Titans will hope for a similar impact from Tate.
The 6-foot, 192-pound Tate earned a reputation as an excellent route runner in his three years at Ohio State, where he caught 121 passes and 14 touchdowns in 39 games. Stuck behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka as a freshman, Tate only managed 18 receptions and a score. His production took off after those two left for the NFL. Although Tate played second fiddle to future pro Jeremiah Smith from 2024-25, he averaged 52 catches, 804 yards and seven touchdowns per year. The sure-handed Tate did not drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
Tate is now the latest Buckeyes wideout to exit the board in the first round in recent years, joining Egbuka, Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. All of those players have enjoyed successful careers in the pros.
The Titans were expected to use their top pick on either a receiver or an edge defender. Having landed a pass catcher, they could turn their attention to the other side of the ball with their next selection (No. 35).
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Jets Draft DE David Bailey At No. 2
The Jets have landed on their pass rushing selection at No. 2. Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey has come off the board, and he is headed to New York.
It was known for months the Raiders would use the No. 1 overall pick on Fernando Mendoza, making the Jets’ top choice the first real source of intrigue in this draft. Reports over the past few weeks went back and forth on Bailey and Ohio State linebacker/edge defender Arvell Reese as the frontrunners to join the Jets. Reese was reportedly the favorite as of Wednesday, but the Jets have taken the more polished prospect instead.
The Jets canceled a “30” visit with Bailey last week, but it turns out they did not need to use it. Led by general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn, the Jets knew “weeks” ago they would draft Bailey, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Bailey will now serve as a centerpiece of Glenn’s defense and give the team another pass rusher to join a group that includes former first-rounder Will McDonald, Kingsley Enagbare and Joseph Ossai.
He follows Enagbare, Ossai, Demario Davis, T’Vondre Sweat, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Nahshon Wright as the latest offseason pickup for the Jets’ remade defense. Bailey is undoubtedly the biggest addition to a unit that finished 31st in both scoring and sacks last year.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pound Bailey began his college career at Stanford, where he racked up 14.5 sacks in 32 games from 2022-24. He transferred to Texas Tech last year and experienced a massive uptick in sack production. Bailey amassed a nation-high 14.5 (along with 19.5 tackles for loss) in 14 games to earn unanimous All-America honors and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year Award. He also recorded 81 pressures, the second-highest mark in the nation, per Pro Football Focus. The Jets are banking on Bailey continuing to serve as a disruptive force in the pros.
New York has settled the Bailey-Reese debate, but its first-round work is far from done. The Jets are scheduled to pick again at 16th overall. Unless the Jets trade down, the rebuilding club will address another key need midway through the opening round.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.