Alabama T Kadyn Proctor To Visit Chiefs
The Chiefs spent a first-round pick on an offensive tackle last April, and they may consider doing it again this year. The team will host Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor this week, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Thanks to an impressive college career and Combine performance, Proctor was already considered a potential first-round pick before Alabama’s pro day on Wednesday. The 6-foot-7, 358-pounder’s stock is now even higher after he “seemed to steal the show” in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Teams were “very impressed” with Proctor, per Howe, who notes the lineman has maintained a consistent weight for the past four to five months. Proctor was north of 400 pounds during his freshman year.
A 40-game starter at left tackle in college, Proctor collected plenty of accolades over three seasons 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. While Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, Dane Brugler of The Athletic and ESPN’s Mel Kiper currently rank Proctor just outside of the top 15 prospects in this year’s class, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said this week that he could come off the board as high as No. 3 overall (via Thomas Goldkamp of On3).
Unless the Chiefs trade up, their first shot at Proctor will not come until No. 9. The 20-year-old may be an option then, but the way he’s trending, he could be gone when the Chiefs make their second selection at No. 29. Either way, the team could use one of those choices to address an O-line that added tackle Josh Simmons at 32nd overall in 2025. Simmons started in each of his rookie appearances at left tackle, but a personal matter and then a wrist injury limited him to eight games.
While Simmons will return in a No. 1 role next season, the Chiefs released three-year right tackle starter Jawaan Taylor in early March. Jaylon Moore is the favorite to start opposite Simmons, but that could change if Kansas City makes a sizable investment in Proctor or another tackle early in the draft.
Ravens Host DT D.J. Reader
6:23pm: There are other teams with interest in Reader, who is expected to sign somewhere after the draft, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports.
5:20pm: Defensive tackle D.J. Reader is among several established veterans still waiting for a contract two-plus weeks into free agency, but there is interest in the 31-year-old. Reader visited the Ravens on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relays.
A fifth-round pick of the Texans in 2016, the run-stuffing Reader has started in 128 of 137 career appearances. After a successful four seasons in Houston, Reader inked a four-year, $53MM pact with the Bengals in 2020. Although injuries sidelined Reader for 23 games in Cincinnati, he played out the contract as a key part of its defense, including during an AFC-winning 2021 campaign.
Heading into the 2024 season, Reader left the Bengals for another nice payday in Detroit, which handed him a two-year deal worth up to $27.25MM. The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder missed two games in his first Lions season, but he totaled a career-high three sacks. Pro Football Focus rated his play a solid 39th among 132nd qualified interior defenders. Reader is now coming off his first career 17-game season, in which he started each contest, logged 28 tackles and led Lions interior defenders in snaps (583). Although Reader did not register a sack, PFF rated his performance an impressive 30th out of 134 players at his position.
In joining the Ravens, Reader could provide a quality fallback option if Nnamdi Madubuike is unavailable for some or all of 2026. Madubuike suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2 last year, and it remains unclear if he will play again. The Ravens clearly felt the two-time Pro Bowler’s absence in 2025, but even if he returns, adding Reader would improve their situation up front. There is also uncertainty surrounding Broderick Washington, who sat out all but three games as a result of an Achilles injury last season. Previewing the Ravens’ offseason in early March, PFR’s Nikhil Mehta identified Washington as a release candidate.
Beyond Madubuike and Washington, Baltimore counts Travis Jones (the recipient of a three-year, $40.5MM extension last December), John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles, CJ Okoye and David Olajiga among its options along the interior. We may find out soon if Reader will join the group.
Bills Sign C/G Austin Corbett, C Lloyd Cushenberry, WR Trent Sherfield
The Bills announced three veteran depth signings on Thursday. Guard/center Austin Corbett, center Lloyd Cushenberry and wide receiver Trent Sherfield are heading to Buffalo on one-year deals.
The addition of Corbett comes as no surprise after he visited the Bills on Monday. A second-round pick of the Browns in 2018, the 30-year-old Corbett is now joining his fourth team. With 94 games and 78 starts on his resume, Corbett will at least give the Bills established interior depth. He may also have a chance to compete with the fairly inexperienced Alec Anderson for the Bills’ starting left guard job. David Edwards, the Bills’ previous starter, left for New Orleans’ four-year, $61MM offer in free agency.
Corbett fell short of expectations in Cleveland, which traded him to the Rams for a fifth-rounder in his second season. But he spent two-plus years as a full-time starter in Los Angeles, where he played right guard for its Super Bowl-winning 2021 team (Edwards was the Rams’ left guard).
Corbett continued as a starter in Carolina over the past four years, though injuries were a problem from 2023-25. He missed 29 games in that span, including four last year. While Corbett began the season as the Panthers’ starting center, he lost the role to Cade Mays when he suffered an MCL injury in Week 2. After Corbett returned from IR, he handled right guard duties.
Since the Broncos used a third-rounder on him in 2020, Cushenberry has started in all 80 appearances at center, making it somewhat surprising that he landed in Buffalo. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder has no path to a starting gig with the Bills, who re-signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52MM pact before free agency opened. Cushenberry signed a similar deal (four years, $50MM) with the Titans in 2024, but it did not go as planned for either side.
A torn Achilles limited Cushenberry to eight games in 2024, and though he bounced back to play in 15 last season, Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 34th among 37 centers. The 28-year-old underwent shoulder surgery early in the offseason, leading the Titans to release him with a failed physical designation in February. If healthy, Cushenberry will presumably compete with Sedrick Van Pran-Granger to work as McGovern’s backup in 2026.
The well-traveled Sherfield, 30, has had stints with seven organizations since going undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2018. He is on his way to Buffalo for the second time, having spent the 2023 campaign there. Known more for his work on special teams than as a pass catcher, Sherfield finished with 11 receptions in 17 games during his first Bills season. He set career highs in catches (30) and yards (417) in Miami in 2022, but he has not approached those numbers in any other year. In a combined 12 games with the Cardinals and Broncos in 2025, Sherfield caught just three passes for 21 yards.
QB Ty Simpson To Work Out For Jets
Alabama’s Ty Simpson, considered the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s class, is firmly on the Jets’ radar. Simpson will hold a private workout for the Jets on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
New York added a potential new starter when it reunited with Geno Smith earlier this month, but the 35-year-old is considered a stopgap option for the rebuilding club. The need for a long-term answer remains obvious for the Jets, who have seen recent first-round QB selections Sam Darnold (third, 2018) and Zach Wilson (second, 2021) flame out in their uniform.
Owners of the second overall pick this year, the Jets once looked like frontrunners to draft either Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore this April. Any chance of that went up in smoke when Moore decided to stay in school in mid-January, leaving Mendoza as the clear choice for the Raiders at No. 1 overall.
Simpson took over as the second passer in this class when Moore returned to Oregon, but it would be a surprise to see the Jets grab him with their first pick and pass on one of the impact defenders available. The Jets also hold the 16th pick, however, and could consider Simpson with that selection.
Simpson was not thought of as a shoo-in first-rounder until recently. But thanks to a strong showing at the Combine, he could go in the top half of Round 1. A team that uses a first-rounder on Simpson would be taking a major gamble, though, considering the recent history of similarly inexperienced college QBs. Anthony Richardson, Mitchell Trubisky and Dwayne Haskins all went in the first round in the past decade despite making 15 or fewer starts in college. None of them lived up to the billing, though it may be too soon to completely write off the 23-year-old Richardson.
Simpson, also 23, was an understudy to Bryce Young and then Jalen Milroe in his first three seasons at Alabama. Finally taking the reins last year, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson completed 64.5% of passes, threw for 3,567 yards, and tossed 28 touchdowns against five interceptions in 15 games. Simpson earned a second-team All-SEC nod and helped guide his team to a College Football Playoff berth. Alabama’s season ended when Mendoza’s Hoosiers crushed the Crimson Tide, 38-3, in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. The two QBs could face off again soon in the NFL, perhaps in a Raiders-Jets matchup.
Fernando Mendoza To Visit Raiders
With the quarterback-needy Raiders owning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, there is an overwhelming expectation they will select Indiana signal-caller Fernando Mendoza. Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner will visit the Raiders in two weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Mendoza, who will take part in Indiana’s pro day on April 1, was a resounding success in his lone season with the Hoosiers. After transferring from California, where he threw 30 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 19 starts from 2023-24, Mendoza found a new gear in helping transform Indiana into a national championship-winning powerhouse. While guiding the Hoosiers to a stunning 16-0 record, Mendoza completed 72% of passes, threw for 3,535 yards on 9.3 per attempt and tossed 41 touchdowns against six picks.
Comparing the 6-foot-5, 236-pounder to former Falcons MVP-winning quarterback Matt Ryan, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Mendoza as the top prospect in this year’s class at any position. With Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas’ Arch Manning opting to stay in school for at least another year, Mendoza is widely considered the only QB in the running to go first overall. The Raiders have not taken a first-round QB since they chose all-time bust JaMarcus Russell at No. 1 in 2007, but they are poised to end that 18-year streak next month.
Assuming Mendoza heads to Las Vegas in a few weeks, he will become the central figure in a significant rebuild. The Raiders flamed out en route to a league-worst 3-14 record under the head coach-quarterback duo of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith in 2025. Team brass (owner Mark Davis, part-owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek) brought in Carroll and Smith in an effort to compete last season, but those two are already out of the organization.
Rookie head coach Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks last season, will play a major role in developing Mendoza. After hiring Kubiak, the Raiders beefed up their roster in advance of Mendoza’s arrival. As part of a free agent spending spree, they added center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, defensive end Kwity Paye and receiver Jalen Nailor, among others.
While the Raiders nearly traded their best player, defensive end Maxx Crosby, the Ravens backed out of a deal that would have sent two first-rounders to Las Vegas. Although trade rumors centering on Crosby persist, retaining him would boost the team’s odds of improving in Year 1 of the Mendoza era.
Had the Crosby blockbuster with Baltimore gone through, the Raiders would have acquired the 14th pick in this year’s draft. They are instead set to make their second choice at No. 36. Alabama receiver Germie Bernard could be a second-round target for the Raiders. They hosted Bernard last week, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post. The Las Vegas native would “love” to play for his hometown team, per Bonsignore.
Jeremiah’s 50th-ranked prospect, the 6-1, 206-pound Bernard hauled in 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season. Bernard spent last season working with Ty Simpson, the second-rated QB prospect in this year’s class. He could soon team with Mendoza in Las Vegas, which is still light on pass-catching complements to tight end Brock Bowers.
WR Denzel Boston To Visit Steelers
The Steelers made a notable receiver addition when they acquired and extended former Colt Michael Pittman Jr. on March 9. Despite landing Pittman, the Steelers could also make a significant investment at the position in April’s draft. Washington receiver Denzel Boston, a potential first-round pick, will visit the Steelers in April, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
This will be the second summit between Boston and Pittsburgh, who met at the Combine in February. The 22-year-old has also booked visits with the Browns and 49ers since then. Those teams own firsts near the bottom of the round, as do the Steelers (No. 21). With Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com and Dane Brugler of The Athletic each ranking Boston as the 25th-best prospect in this class, there is a strong possibility he will come off the board in the late first or early second.
In the Steelers’ case, drafting the 6-foot-4, 212-pound Boston would give them a trio of 6-4 receivers atop their depth chart. Boston would join Pittman and D.K. Metcalf to catch passes from a to-be-determined quarterback. Last year’s starter, Aaron Rodgers, remains a free agent, but the Steelers are holding out hope he will continue his career at age 42 in 2026. In the event Rodgers returns, he could work with a vastly improved receiving corps if the Steelers add Boston or another high-end prospect to team with Pittman and Metcalf. Although the Steelers went 10-7 and won the AFC North in 2025, they did so despite a down year from Metcalf and a lackluster group of receivers behind him.
There are concerns over Boston’s speed, especially after he skipped the 40-yard dash at the Combine and his pro day, but he is considered a sure-handed red zone threat. After languishing behind the likes of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk and Germie Bernard in his first two seasons at Washington, Boston took on a much bigger role in the Huskies’ offense in 2024. Over 13 games that year, Boston racked up 63 catches for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. In a 12-game junior season last year, Boston easily led the Huskies in receptions (62), yards (881) and TDs (11) en route to third-team All-Big Ten honors.
RB Najee Harris Visits Seahawks; Raiders Meeting Planned
4:28pm: Harris plans to meet with the Raiders next, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Raiders have an unquestioned starter in 2025 sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty, but Chris Collier and Dylan Laube are the only other running backs on their roster. Collier and Laube have combined for just 13 NFL carries.
4:04pm: Still recovering from a September 2025 Achilles tear, free agent running back Najee Harris is on the hunt for his next team. The former Steeler and Charger visited the Seahawks on Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network relays.
While it is unclear when Harris will return to full strength, agent Doug Hendrickson posted a video of the 28-year-old “looking great” while running on a treadmill on Monday. Seattle has since become the first known team to show interest in Harris, whose next contract will fall short of the one-year, $5.25MM deal he signed with the Chargers last March. The investment did not work out for Los Angeles, which got just three games, 15 carries and 61 yards from the normally durable and productive Harris.
Before joining the Chargers, Harris spent his first four years in Pittsburgh and did not miss a game. The 2021 first-rounder from Alabama eclipsed 250 carries and 1,000 rushing yards in each of his seasons with the Steelers. With a 3.9 YPC average, Harris wasn’t especially efficient, but he scored 34 touchdowns as a Steeler (28 rushing, six receiving). Aside from a 74-catch rookie campaign, the 6-foot-1, 242-pounder averaged around 35 receptions per year in Pittsburgh.
As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks’ roster is light on question marks. However, there is a need at running back, where the Seahawks lost former starter and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs in free agency. The Seahawks may also go some portion of next season without new No. 1 RB Zach Charbonnet, who tore his ACL in a divisional-round win over the 49ers. Signing Harris would give them another back recovering from a serious injury. For now, free agent pickup Emanuel Wilson, George Holani and Cam Akers are among Seattle’s healthy backfield options.
WR Carnell Tate Lines Up Five Visits
Having already met with the Browns, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate has lined up several more visits in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate said he will meet with the Titans, Saints, Commanders, Giants and Chiefs, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
All of the above teams have a need at receiver and are set to pick in the top 10, which is prime territory for Tate. The latest prized Ohio State receiver prospect, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate is poised to follow other recent Buckeyes wideouts like Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in coming off the board in the first round.
The Buckeyes’ receiving corps was so strong during Tate’s three-year run on the team that he was never the No. 1 option. When Tate broke in as a freshman in 2023, Harrison and Egbuka were atop the depth chart. Tate caught just 18 passes in 13 games that year. Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith were ahead of Tate in the pecking order in his sophomore season, a national title-winning campaign, but he notched 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Closing out his college career last year, Tate played second fiddle to Smith and secured 51 catches for 875 yards and nine scores in 11 games. The sure-handed Tate did not drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
“You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that’s not Justin Jefferson at LSU,” an NFC area scout told Matt Miller of ESPN.
That’s a lofty comparison, but with Tate considered an elite prospect, the club that drafts him will bank on adding someone capable of making a Jefferson-like impact. If he goes to Tennessee at No. 4, Tate would team with the newly signed Wan’Dale Robinson as the top receivers for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Tate would pair with another Ohio State product in New Orleans (No. 8; Olave) or Washington (No. 7; Terry McLaurin). If the Giants take Tate at No. 5, it would give them another blue-chip receiver alongside Malik Nabers. As the sixth pick in 2024, Nabers excelled as a rookie, but a torn ACL limited him to four games last season.
Meanwhile, despite investing heavily in the receiver position in recent drafts, the Chiefs arguably lack a No. 1 wideout. 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore is off the roster; 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice has been productive when healthy, but he has dealt with injuries and serious off-field issues; and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy was a complementary target in his first two seasons. If the Chiefs choose Tate ninth overall, they would expect the 21-year-old to emerge as Patrick Mahomes‘ first star receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in 2022.
Saints To Sign QB Zach Wilson
The Saints are adding a former second overall pick to their QB room. The team has agreed to a deal with Zach Wilson, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. It’s a one-year pact, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
New Orleans has its starting quarterback in Tyler Shough, who impressed as a second-round rookie in 2025. Two-year veteran Spencer Rattler is also in place, but Wilson will presumably compete with him to serve as the Saints’ primary backup next season.
The Jets bet big on Wilson when they selected him in 2021, but the move could not have turned out much worse. Over 34 appearances and 33 starts in New York, the former BYU Cougar threw more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23). He completed just 57% of attempts and posted a dismal 73.2 passer rating. The Jets, who won just 12 of Wilson’s starts, benched him on three occasions. The team brought in Aaron Rodgers to take over as its starter in 2023, though after he tore his Achilles in Week 1, Wilson filled in for most of the year. It proved to be Wilson’s last season in New York.
While the Broncos acquired Wilson in a late-round pick swap in 2024, he did not see any action in Denver. Bo Nix stayed healthy and started in every game as a rookie. Neither Wilson nor fellow backup Jarrett Stidham attempted a pass.
Although Wilson was out of action as Denver’s third-stringer, the Dolphins still handed him a fully guaranteed $6MM on a one-year agreement last March. However, despite Tua Tagovailoa‘s immense struggles and late-season benching, Wilson did not make a start. When then-head coach Mike McDaniel demoted Tagovailoa to third-string duties in mid-December, seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers started the last three games of the year. Over four appearances as a Dolphin, Wilson went 6 of 11 for 32 yards.
Puka Nacua Extension Not Imminent
Fresh off a Super Bowl-winning campaign in which he took home Offensive Player of the Year honors, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba agreed to a record-setting extension on Monday. The recipient of a four-year, $168.6MM deal, Smith-Njigba leads his position in total value, guarantees ($120MM-plus) and average salary ($42.15MM). With JSN’s future secure, the Rams’ Puka Nacua is now the highest-profile receiver in the market for an extension.
Based on production, Nacua has a case to approach or surpass Smith-Njigba’s contract this offseason. Since bursting on the scene as a fifth-round pick in 2023, Nacua has averaged 121 catches, 1,619 yards and seven touchdowns per 17 games. Smith-Njigba, a first-rounder in that same draft, has averaged 94/1,184/seven per 17 contests.
Both players posted career-best seasons in 2025. Despite missing one game, Nacua led the NFL in receptions (129) en route to a first-team All-Pro selection and his second Pro Bowl bid. Smith-Njigba paced the league in yards (1,793), leading to a first-team All-Pro pick and Pro Bowl honors for the second time.
Considering the Seahawks already had Smith-Njigba under control via his $23.85MM fifth-year option for 2027, they had plenty of time to reach an extension agreement. The team still acted quickly in locking up its No. 1 receiver. The Rams do not have the same luxury with Nacua, who is ineligible for a fifth-year option and could become a free agent next March. Nevertheless, an extension is not imminent. If it happens, it likely won’t occur until “further into the summer,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who points out that the Rams also have several other extension candidates to worry about.
General manager Les Snead already handed newly acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie a mammoth payday earlier this month. Now, along with Nacua, Snead still has to consider potential new deals for MVP-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, outside linebacker Byron Young, guard Steve Avila and right tackle Warren McClendon. For now, though, Snead is more concerned about other issues.
“I don’t think the Rams are looking to do extensions right now,” an NFL agent told Eric Williams of Fox Sports. “They’re focused on adding to the team only, and players under contract are under contract.”
As the Rams mull an extension for Nacua, they will have to monitor the fallout of an incident that allegedly took place on Dec. 31, 2025, TMZ reports. A woman applied for a temporary restraining order against Nacua and accused him of biting her twice, making an antisemitic remark, and exhibiting “rude or vulgar, threatening, violent, and harassing conduct.”
Levi McCathern, Nacua’s attorney, told TMZ it was just “horseplay,” though he seemingly confirmed Nacua bit the accuser in saying that it “left nothing more than a temporary mark.” He vehemently denied Nacua made antisemitic comments, however, and accused the woman of trying to shake down his client for millions of dollars. A judge denied the alleged victim’s request for a temporary restraining order, but there is a hearing scheduled for April 14.