Jets To Pursue Post-Draft Extension For RB Breece Hall
After four years of up-and-down play, the Jets came into the final year of running back Breece Hall‘s rookie contract unsure of whether or not they wanted to extend him to a long-term contract. When, after the season, they tried and failed to reach an extension agreement in time for free agency, New York opted for the franchise tag. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, the team is expected to restart its extension efforts after the draft. 
As a second-round rookie out of Iowa State, Hall looked electric in his limited first year. He started the season coming off the bench for secondary carries behind Michael Carter but took over a dominant share of the workload by Week 4 and was named a starter by Week 6. Unfortunately, Hall tore his ACL and meniscus early into his second career start, ending his rookie campaign.
Recovering in time to return to a starting role in Year 2, Hall had a strong bounce back season. While he had a tendency to disappear in some contests, he had a few stellar games en route to 994 yards and five touchdowns rushing and 591 yards and four touchdowns receiving. His third season with the team saw fewer disappearances for the young back but also featured fewer big performances with Hall logging just one 100-yard game all season. He also struggled with fumbles more than in prior years, losing the rock six times.
In the following offseason the Jets had no plans of extending him before his final year, but they also weren’t eager to try and trade their leading rusher, either, despite the interest he seemed to draw around the midseason trade deadline. Both Hall and his coaches made clear their desires to avoid a trade, and the front office seemed to follow suit by setting a high asking price for the fourth-year back, indicating that a long-term deal may have entered their plans. Once the team traded away two defensive cornerstones, Hall’s tune reportedly changed a bit, but he never requested a trade.
Realizing that Hall would garner a strong free agent market, based on the trade interest he received and his first 1,000-yard rushing season, the Jets set their sights on retaining the 24-year-old rusher. As the offseason came and progressed, though, the team and player found themselves far apart on contract terms, so the franchise tag came into play. The tag allowed New York to put Hall’s extension on the backburner, while free agency became the priority, and now the draft will be a main focus of the front office for weeks to come.
Per Hughes, though, there was a period just before the Jets moved to place the franchise tag during which they were “pretty confident” that a deal was going to get done. With the possibility of an agreement within their reach, New York intends to shift its focus back to Hall once the draft is in the rearview. Hughes adds that the front office has taken not of the three-year, $43.05MM deal Kenneth Walker just signed in Kansas City, and believing that Hall is a better back, they intend to extend him a bigger offer.
It’s unclear where their offer started and where Hall’s asking price was, but perhaps a bump to Walker’s numbers will get the two sides closer together. We won’t know that, though, likely until after the draft, when time allows for negotiations to continue.
Jets Meet With Miami QB Carson Beck, Will Attend Pro Day
As the Jets move on from Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor and still see dead money in 2026 for Fields and Aaron Rodgers, the team is looking to the draft to help improve their quarterbacks room for cheap. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Jets general manager Darren Mougey met with Miami (FL) quarterback Carson Beck tonight and will attend the Hurricanes Pro Day in Coral Gables tomorrow. 
In a trade with the Raiders, New York recently reunited with Geno Smith, who should serve as a bridge option at quarterback. Since New York isn’t in a position to draft the only perceived difference maker at the position this year, it appears the team will look to take a flyer on a mid-round passer in the hopes they can strike gold on a young quarterback without dedicating a first-round pick in doing so.
Some have tied the team to the prospect widely seen as the consensus QB2 of the draft, Alabama’s Ty Simpson. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. even mocked the two together, a move Cimini was not a fan of. In support of his opinion, Cimini cited the litany of quarterbacks drafted high after fewer than 17 starts at the collegiate level. Aside from former MVP Cam Newton, the stories of small-sample passers like Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Anthony Richardson, Mitchell Trubisky, Blaine Gabbert, and Dwayne Haskins have all been tales of caution.
Cimini isn’t alone in his cautious outlook. There were several evaluators who wanted to see Simpson go back to school, especially after injury affected his play in the last half of the 2025 season. The same was said of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who did decide to return to school and stands a better chance at becoming the top pick in the draft because of it.
Using that logic, it makes sense to see New York researching the group of arms just below Simpson. Instead of dedicating their 16th overall pick on Simpson, they could use a third- or fourth-round pick to take a cheaper chance at developing a young passer. The Jets hosted Penn State’s Drew Allar recently and followed up with Beck today. Beck and Allar have been grouped with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as the next level of prospects available at the position after Fernando Mendoza and Simpson.
Beck, unlike Simpson, has plenty of experience at the collegiate level. A backup for his first three years of school, Beck watched Stetson Bennett win back-to-back championships at Georgia before taking over as a starter himself. Unable to take the Bulldogs back to the title game in two years as the starter, Beck transferred to Miami and led the Hurricanes to their first title game appearance in 23 years. He ended his college career with a starting record of 37-6, throwing 88 touchdowns (and rushing for seven) and 32 interceptions.
Mougey and Co. will watch Beck and several other Hurricanes projected to hear their names called next month — offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and pass rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor have all been projected as first-rounders — before continuing on to Ohio State on Wednesday, where a number of defenders — linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese and safety Caleb Downs — have been rumored options for the Jets at No. 2 overall.
NFC North Contract Details: Pierre, Jackson, Lewis, Brooks, Jones
Here are reported details from recently signed contracts across the NFC North:
- James Pierre, CB (Vikings): Two years, $8.5MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Pierre’s previously reported guaranteed amount of $3.72MM is made up of his signing bonus ($2.5MM) and his 2026 base salary ($1.22MM). Also, originally reported to have a maximum value of $8.5MM, that amount is actually the base. Pierre has the ability to add up to $510K per season with a $30K per game active roster bonus.
- D’Marco Jackson, LB (Bears): Two years, $7.5MM. Per OvertheCap.com, Jackson’s new contract includes $3.63MM in guaranteed money comprised of a $1.88MM signing bonus and his base salary for the 2026 season ($1.75MM). His deal’s per game active roster bonus pays out only half of what Pierre’s does, but Jackson will be able to earn a 2027 roster bonus of $425K, if he’s still on the team by the fifth day of the new league year in 2027. The rest of the potential maximum value of the contract will be available in $1.5MM of incentives.
- Cam Lewis, CB (Bears): Two years, $6MM. Per Wilson, Lewis’ compensation could reach up to $7MM and includes $2.75MM in guaranteed money with a $1.5MM signing bonus and $1.25MM base salary in 2026. Lewis’ per game active roster bonus starts out at $10K in 2026 ($170K full season) and elevates to $20K in Year 2 ($340K full season). On the same timing as Jackson, Lewis would get a 2027 roster bonus of $250K. The $1MM of incentives Lewis can make are based on playing time and playoff qualification and include escalators for his potential second year.
- Chris Brooks, RB (Packers): Two years, $4.85MM. Wilson reports that Brooks’ deal to return to Green Bay includes a $650K signing bonus (the only guaranteed money). His base salary starts at $1.25MM and elevates to $1.41MM in Year 2, and he’ll be able to add $170K in each season with a $10K per game active roster bonus.
- Braxton Jones, LT (Bears): One year, $5MM. Originally reported at its maximum $10MM value, the base value of Jones deal is half that. Per OvertheCap.com, the contract includes $3MM in guaranteed money consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus and $1.5MM of Jones’ 2026 base salary ($2MM). His per game active roster bonus is double that of Pierre’s, meaning it can net him an additional $1.02MM for a full season. The remaining potential value will have to be earned through incentives.
Ravens’ Biggest Needs After Free Agent Losses
While widely accused of wrongdoing in the fallout of the Maxx Crosby trade debacle, the Ravens themselves were hurt by a delayed start to free agency. Expecting Crosby to be on their books for much of the legal tampering period, the Ravens negotiated through that time with the diminished cap in mind and watched several impact players walk away as a result. Following the polarizing reversal, Baltimore has some work to do in rebuilding its roster. 
They biggest loss was that of center Tyler Linderbaum. A 2022 first-round pick, Linderbaum had his fifth-year option declined due to the fact that the formula that calculates the value of fifth-year options groups all offensive linemen together, meaning Linderbaum would be receiving the five-year average of the third- to 20th-highest paid offensive linemen (mostly tackles) in the NFL. Because he made two or more Pro Bowls, the Ravens would’ve had to pay Linderbaum $23.4MM for the single year and, given the leader of the market at the time they opted not to exercise his option was making $18MM per year, their choice seemed justified. Little did they know Linderbaum intended to reset the market, and with the Raiders now paying him an average of $27MM for each of the next three years, that option looks like a discount in hindsight.
With Linderbaum gone, the team’s cupboard is pretty bare of centers. Currently, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, their starting center for next year is not on the roster. If the season started today, recent free agent addition Danny Pinter would be the team’s answer at the position. A fifth-round pick out of Ball State six years ago, Pinter has spent his entire career so far as a depth piece on the Colts’ offensive line. Over the years, he’s appeared in 77 games with Indianapolis but only started 10, getting experience at center, right guard, and left tackle. Pinter’s only competition at the moment appears to be Corey Bullock, an undrafted signee two years ago out of Maryland who has played almost exclusively on special teams.
The Ravens also reportedly still feel the need to add to their pass rush. After reversing the trade for Crosby, the Ravens were able to secure the top edge rusher on the free agent market in Trey Hendrickson, but the team still is looking to add another veteran contributor. Mike Green showed promise as a second-round rookie but still has room to grow, and an expected breakout season for Tavius Robinson was hampered due to injury. It’s believed Baltimore may go after another experienced veteran. Currently the top options at the position are Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Cameron Jordan, but the Ravens could opt to reunite with Jadeveon Clowney or re-sign Kyle Van Noy after his disappointing 2025 campaign.
The Ravens will also really be in trouble if star pass-rushing defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike remains out long term. The 28-year-old defender missed 15 games with a neck injury last year, and there seems to be fear regarding whether or not he’ll ever play again. Mum’s been the word ever since he was placed on injured reserve following his Week 2 injury. The only hints have been a few social media posts indicating “good news” followed by a meeting with the team. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the team addressed the situation at the combine.
“You keep the players’ health and long-term longevity at the forefront of anything, and so, that’s what we’ll do,” new head coach Jesse Minter told the media. “We will have multiple plans in place, but (I’m) just excited for him. He’s in a great frame of mind right now. He’s excited, so (I’m) just excited to see how it all shakes out.”
The Ravens were able to secure some defensive linemen for next year with new agreements with Travis Jones and John Jenkins, but if Madubuike isn’t returning, they’ll need to invest in the position as some point soon. Many in the building saw the loss of Madubuike last year as the main cause of their defensive struggles, so they’ll be hoping for positive news, whenever that may be expected.
Browns Making WR A Potential First-Round Focus
The Browns aren’t doing much to hide one of their main focuses for the 2026 NFL Draft. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported yesterday that the team has hosted several wide receivers for top 30 visits in the past few days. 
Cleveland hasn’t lost much in its receiving corps to free agency and, just this week, added former Ravens return specialist Tylan Wallace to the room. The Browns are set to return Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, and Cedric Tillman to a passing attack that finished second-to-last in the NFL last year on the arms of three competing quarterbacks. Though things may still change, this year’s group isn’t expected to be dealing with as much uncertainty, with the expectation being that second-year passer Shedeur Sanders will compete with a recovering Deshaun Watson for QB1 honors.
Given the sheer number of returning bodies at the position, Cleveland likely isn’t aiming to build depth. Based on their early reported visits, the aim appears to be adding a starting-caliber receiver that can complement the playmakers currently in the building. We saw yesterday their plans to host Washington wideout Denzel Boston days after bringing in Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate (as well as Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson). Considering those three pass catchers are three of NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s top five receivers, a first-round wideout could easily be in the Browns’ immediate future.
Those three aren’t alone in competition for Cleveland’s favor, though. Per Cabot, USC’s Makai Lemon, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., Alabama’s Germie Bernard, and Louisville’s Chris Bell have all been subjects of the Browns’ pre-draft homework. The team has hosted all of them at some point in the past few days, as well as Miami (FL) offensive tackle Markel Bell, Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas, and Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
It doesn’t seem the Browns are looking for any one particular attribute in a potential first-round receiver. The prospects they’ve looked at thus far range in body size, speed, and abilities. Some excel at making contested catches, while others specialize in yards after catch, and others still make route-running an art. Whether they’re looking for an upgrade in the slot, a big-bodied red-zone target, or someone to take the top off the defense, they appear to have no shortage of options or interests.
AFC West Contract Details: Thornton, Koonce, Tomlinson, Booker
Here are the latest details from contracts recently reached in the AFC West:
- Tyquan Thornton, WR (Chiefs): Two years, $11MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Thornton’s new deal has $7.4MM in guaranteed money at signing, including a $4MM signing bonus. The remaining guaranteed money comes from his 2026 salary ($1.4MM) and $2MM of his 2027 salary ($5.4MM).
- Malcolm Koonce, DE (Raiders): One year, $11.01MM. Per Wilson, Koonce’s re-upped agreement is worth slightly more than the originally reported figure of $11MM. The one-year deal has $10.5MM guaranteed at signing, made up of a $5.25MM signing bonus and a single-year base salary for the same $5.25MM amount. Koonce will have the chance to earn an additional $510K by making the most of a $30K per game active roster bonus.
- Dalvin Tomlinson, DT (Chargers): One year, $6.2MM. Disputing an originally reported amount of $7.5MM with $6MM guaranteed, Wilson reports the above-stated base value with $5.69MM fully guaranteed at signing, comprised of a $3MM signing bonus and Tomlinson’s 2026 base salary ($2.69MM). Like Koonce, Tomlinson can earn an additional $510K with his $30K per game active roster bonus.
- Thomas Booker, DE (Raiders): One year, $3.67MM. According to Wilson, Booker signed his free agent tender at the above-stated value.
- Spencer Burford, G (Raiders): One year, $3.26MM. Per Wilson, Burford’s deal includes $2.75MM in guaranteed money at signing, consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus and his 2026 base salary ($1.25MM). Burford will also enjoy the same per game active roster bonus potential as Koonce and Tomlinson for as much as $510K.
- Denzel Perryman, LB (Chargers): One year, $2.79MM. Per Wilson, Perryman’s contract only contains $500K in guaranteed money at signing, consisting of a $200K signing bonus and $300K of base salary ($1.3MM). The bulk of Perryman’s contract value comes in an inflated per game active roster bonus. Unlike the others, Perryman’s bonus is $70K per game with a potential maximum value of $1.19MM.
- Trey Lance, QB (Chargers): One year, $2.5MM. While the maximum value of $6.75MM was known, the above-stated base value was previously unreported. Per Wilson, the deal for Lance includes $2MM fully guaranteed at signing made up of an $800K signing bonus and $1.2MM of his base salary ($1.7MM). That means $4MM will be available in incentives for Lance in 2026.
- Josh Harris, LS (Chargers): One year, $1.82MM. According to Wilson, the long snapper’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing with a $187.5K signing bonus and base salary of $1.63MM.
- Kader Kohou, CB (Chiefs): One year, $1.81MM. Wilson reports that Kohou’s deal is also fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $665K and base salary of $1.15MM.
- Matt Gay, K (Raiders): One year, $1.6MM. Per Wilson, the Raiders’ new kicker can earn up to $2.25MM on this contract that only has $1.35MM of guaranteed money at signing, $200K from his signing bonus and $1.15MM of his base salary ($1.4MM). $650K will be available to Gay through an incentive based on his field goal percentage.
- Mike Caliendo, G (Chiefs): One year, $1.35MM. Per Wilson, Caliendo’s new deal includes $650K fully guaranteed at signing, consisting of a signing bonus of $150K and $500K of his base salary ($1.15MM). Caliendo can also earn up to $50K with a per game active roster bonus of $2.94K.
- Emari Demercado, RB (Chiefs): One year, $1.25MM. According to Wilson, Demercado’s contract includes $550K of full guarantees at signing made up of a $50K signing bonus and $500K of his base salary ($1.15MM). He’ll have the same per game active roster bonus as Caliendo, giving him the potential to add on another $50K in 2026.
NFL Draft Rumors: Cardinals, RBs, Downs, Woods, Terrell
As free agency slows, the general focus of the NFL is starting to shift to the 2026 NFL Draft. For one team, though, the focus appears to be the 2027 NFL Draft, per Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. As several teams work to secure optimal situations in their quarterbacks rooms, the Cardinals appear to be working around it.
After cutting veteran quarterback Kyler Murray, Arizona seems content to move forward in 2026 with journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett, who went 1-11 as the Cardinals’ starter last year. They supplemented the room with another frequent flier with starting experience in Gardner Minshew. Neither passer is viewed as the team’s future at the position but more as bridge options until that future comes along. The prevailing opinion throughout league circles appears to be that Arizona is tanking the 2026 season in hopes of setting themselves up well for a draft projected to be a bit more rich in quarterback prospects than this year’s draft.
With that in mind, the remainder of their offseason will be focused on building an offense around their future quarterback, starting with the construction of a reliable wall in front of him. For this reason, there’s belief the Cardinals will be targeting an offensive lineman with their No. 3 overall pick, and the popular opinion is that Hurricanes top tackle prospect Francis Mauigoa could be that target. The three-year starter out of Miami (FL) has a strong chance of being available as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 to Las Vegas, and the Jets are expected to add to their defense with the second overall pick.
Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:
- While only one or two running backs project to be top prospects in the draft, there are plenty of options for teams looking to build depth or add some fresher legs to their room. With Alvin Kamara‘s future in New Orleans in doubt, Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports reports that the Saints have shown interest in Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. A Buffalo- and New Mexico State-transfer, Washington rushed for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns for the Razorbacks last year.
- When it was thought that Aaron Jones would be departing from Minnesota, some at ESPN believed the team would go to the draft, as opposed to the free agent market, to fill out the room. With Jones returning on a re-worked contract that expires after this year, running back may still be a focus for the Vikings in this year’s draft.
- Despite re-signing J.K. Dobbins and restricted free agent Jaleel McLaughlin and having spent a second-round pick on RJ Harvey last year, the Broncos are doing research on the draft’s offerings at the position. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the team hosted Indiana running back Kaelon Black for a top 30 visit. The national champion rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns and has visited the Jets with visits with the Panthers, Bengals, and Raiders set in the future.
- According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, some post-combine conversations with scouts revealed a dramatic range of opinions for Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. The former five-star recruit took over a full-time starting position in his sophomore season and grabbed the attention of scouts everywhere with three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 11 games while proving to be an elite run-stopper. His production declined in his junior year, which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still saw as good but graded as his worst campaign in Clemson. As a result, some scouts still see the potential and view him as a top 15 prospect, while others have him “solidly” as a Day 2 prospect.
- The Giants have had an incredibly busy (and in many views productive) offseason thus far, so many are eager to see what approach they will take with their fifth overall pick in the draft. According to La Canfora, despite their success rebuilding so far, New York still has a glaring hole in the secondary. New head coach John Harbaugh‘s former organization invested heavily in the safety position over the course of his tenure with the team, and it’s believed that that mentality has followed him to New York. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs has been tied to the Giants before, and La Canfora doubles down on the opinion that he could be the selection at No. 5 overall.
- Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons first-round cornerback and one-time second-team All-Pro AJ Terrell, is widely viewed as a top five prospect at his position. After suffering a minor hamstring injury at the combine, though, the younger Terrell will not be participating in the Tigers’ pro day, according to Jordan Reid of ESPN. Instead, he has scheduled a separate workout for scouts that will take place March 30.
Seahawks Exercise Fifth-Year Options for WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon
The Seahawks knocked it out of the park on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft, taking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick of the draft and adding Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba 15 picks later. Both players were huge contributors in the team’s 2025 Super Bowl-winning season, and while extensions continue to be worked towards, Seattle has officially announced its decision to exercise the fifth-year options on both players’ rookie contracts. 
Witherspoon established himself as an immediate star as a rookie, starting 13 of 14 game appearances and logging 16 passes defensed, a 97-yard pick six, and three sacks en route to the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Witherspoon as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL. Starting all 17 games in Year 2, PFF’s 16th-best cornerback that season finished second on the team with 98 total tackles, adding on a sack, six tackles for loss, and nine passes defensed. This year, five missed games near the start of the year led to decreased stat total, but Witherspoon’s excellence when he got back on the field was apparent as he earned second-team All-Pro honors and graded out as PFF’s best cornerback in the NFL.
Smith-Njigba didn’t start nearly as hot as Witherspoon, but he’s taken major leaps in each new season. Playing in every game his rookie year, Smith-Njigba only made three starts and finished behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in all three receiving categories with 63 receptions, 628 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Playing in every game of Year 2, as well, Smith-Njigba established himself as the new WR1 in Seattle, surpassing Metcalf and Lockett with 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl honors. Benefitting from the departures of Metcalf and Lockett and the arrival of Sam Darnold, Smith-Njigba once again led the team in all three categories with 119 catches for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, securing Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In the days since the season ended with confetti in San Francisco and parade buses in Seattle, the Seahawks have begun the work of attempting to extend Smith-Njigba. The 2025 OPOY disclosed recently that he does believe he deserves “to be the highest paid” wide receiver in the NFL, but at this exact moment, with two years now remaining on his deal, he was “not too pressed” to work out an extended deal. We haven’t seen the same reports concerning Witherspoon, but that surely doesn’t mean the Seahawks won’t be doing everything they can to land both big fish on huge, long-term deals.
According to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, the value of Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option is projected to be about $23.8MM while Witherpoon’s projects around $21.1MM. Witherspoon’s fifth-year option was inflated to its maximum possible value due to the pair of Pro Bowls he made in his first two seasons. With the top of the receiver market currently set at $40.25MM per year and the cornerback market topping out at $31MM per year, the Seahawks are likely content with those fifth-year figures. There’s a chance neither player sees those options, though, as Seattle will likely continue to push for extensions in the months to come.
NFL Teams Higher On DL Rueben Bain Than Draft Pundits?
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. stirred up headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine when his arms measured at 30 7/8 inches, the third-lowest recorded arm length for an edge at the combine since 1999. According to Jason La Canfora, though, NFL teams and top personnel evaluators seem to care far less about the measurement than the media does. 
A source that La Canfora described as “a top personnel evaluator with a proven track record” claimed that Bain’s arm length doesn’t tell the real story of his body type. Another evaluator asserted his focus on Bain’s wingspan differential or ape index, a measurement that focuses on arm length in proportion to the rest of a player’s body by subtracting their height from the combined length of their arms. Another stated plainly that “his arms are not going to be a problem.”
Multiple evaluators La Canfora communicated with thought Bain stood as good a chance as any of the other top few picks at landing in the No. 2 overall slot. They pointed to Bain’s maturity while at the same time valuing how much younger he is than other top pass rushers who utilized the transfer portal in college. There appears to be a growing sense that the people making Draft Day decisions prize Bain more than those who specialize in mock drafts, as La Canfora puts it.
One of those mock draft, college football experts in the media, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, had Bain far from the No. 2 overall pick in his most recent mock draft two weeks ago. Brugler continues to push the media narrative that Bain “remains a polarizing prospect among NFL teams,” claiming “he’s got a lot of fans and plenty of critics.” Brugler has the Hurricanes pass rusher going ninth overall to the Chiefs, with whom he would have a golden opportunity to learn alongside stellar defensive lineman Chris Jones.
With just over a month to go until the 2026 NFL Draft, utilizing only the two sources above, the NFL-media disconnect on Bain spans seven draft picks — from No. 2 to No. 9. Regardless of the potential for varying opinions, it seems even his biggest detractors don’t have Bain falling very far past the top 10, if that far at all. Somebody will be taking a chance on the Miami product on Day 1 of the draft. It only remains to be seen how far into the first round that will happen.
Steelers Add OL Brock Hoffman
The Steelers saw a good chunk of their offensive line depth hit the free agent market earlier this month. According to Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, Pittsburgh restocked that depth a bit today by signing interior offensive lineman Brock Hoffman to a one-year contract. 
Hoffman went undrafted in 2022 after two years at Coastal Carolina and three at Virginia Tech. He initially signed with the Browns, failing to make the initial 53-man roster and getting cut from their practice squad in early November. Nine days later, Hoffman was signed to the Cowboys’ taxi squad. He was brought up to the active roster by the end of the year and appeared in three regular season games and one postseason game, playing only special teams snaps.
Hoffman’s responsibilities increased in Year 2 with Dallas. He appeared in all 17 games, getting regular offensive snaps and even logging two starts at center. He continued with his usual special teams contributions over the past two seasons, getting frequent opportunities to contribute on offense, and he started 14 games in that span, eight at center, five at right guard, and one at left guard.
The Steelers will be replacing starting guard Isaac Seumalo, who signed with the Cardinals in free agency, and backup linemen Calvin Anderson and Andrus Peat, who saw their contracts expire after seeing time on offense for the Steelers in 2025. The team re-signed backup center Ryan McCollum, as well, today. Pittsburgh has plenty of work to do to fill out the depleted group, but signing Hoffman is a strong start.