Steelers Have 1st-Round Grade On Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.
Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.
The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.
Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.
The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.
Aaron Rodgers’ Age, Durability Were Giants’ Biggest Concerns
The Giants seriously considered pursuing Aaron Rodgers, but concerns about his age and durability were too significant for team president John Mara to move forward with a potential signing, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll preferred Rodgers to the other quarterbacks available in free agency, but Mara needed to be convinced. Rodgers has a reputation as an intense personality in the locker room with no shortage of off-field controversies
The Giants reached out to three members of the last Jets regime – head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel – who said that Rodgers was “no problem in the locker room,” per Dunleavy. (Manuel was hired in January as the Giants’ new defensive pass game coordinator.) There was no way around the mercurial quarterback’s attention-grabbing words and antics, but the team was willing to overlook that, especially for how cheap Rodgers would be.
What the Giants could not get past, according to Dunleavy, was the potential for Rodgers to miss time this season due to injury. Mara has repeatedly expressed his lack of patience with the team’s lack of results in the last two years, and Rodgers showed signs of limited mobility in 2024 after tearing his Achilles a year prior. He’s also openly debated retirement in each of the last few offseason, including this one, making it clear that he’s not a long-term answer at quarterback.
Instead the Giants went with younger players in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on incentive-laden one-year deals to see if one can emerge as a plus starter in 2025. They’ve also done their homework on the current draft class and could add a new franchise quarterback next week.
Commanders Looking To Draft A WR
The Commanders are interested in adding a wide receiver during next week’s draft, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, though their lack of a third-round pick could complicate their strategy.
Washington traded for Deebo Samuel to pair him with Terry McLaurin as one of the league’s most exciting starting WR duos, but both are in the last year of their contracts. In fact, the team currently only has one receiver – 2024 third-rounder Luke McCaffrey – under contract past the 2025 season with a number of veterans on one-year deals. That makes wideout a clear priority for the Commanders, who only have two picks across the first two days of the draft after trading for Marshon Lattimore at the 2024 trade deadline.
One of the team’s coveted targets is Tai Felton, according to Pauline. Felton is a local product who was born and raised in Ashburn, Virginia and played college football just outside of Washington, D.C. at the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played sparingly across his first two seasons as a Terp before emerging as a starter in 2023 and a star in 2024. Last season, he recorded a school-record 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns and led the Big 10 in catches and yards per game. That production, as well as strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, have positioned Felton to be drafted late on Day 2 of the draft.
The Commanders have shown interest in Felton throughout the pre-draft process, attending his pro day in College Park and hosting him at the team’s local pro day where they worked him out as a returner. His draft projection poses a strategic dilemma for general , who have a large gap between their second and third selections (Nos. 61 and 128). There may be better players available at the end of the second round, but Felton may not last to the Commanders’ next pick at the end of the fourth.
Oregon DT Derrick Harmon A 1st-Round Lock?
NFL front offices expected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to go in the first round of next week’s draft, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.
Michigan’s Mason Graham is widely considered the draft’s top DT, but there’s no clear No. 2 behind him. That could be Harmon, who has earned praise for his schematic versatility as a run defender and a pass rusher.
“He fits whatever defense you want to run if you know what you’re doing,” said one evaluator (via La Canfora), who listed the Steelers and the Ravens as fits for Harmon’s physical, disruptive play style. Harmon is on Pittsburgh’s list of first-round targets, and he’s frequently been mocked to Baltimore in the last two months. Both AFC North squads are returning two of their starting defensive linemen, but each lost a key veteran this offseason.
The Steelers will have Cameron Heyward for a 15th consecutive year alongside 2023 second-rounder Keeanu Benton, who has played better than his limited production would suggest. Pittsburgh moved on from Larry Ogunjobi in March and didn’t add replacement-level talent in free agency. Harmon would be an instant member of the Steelers’ starting DL rotation and could potentially take over for the soon-to-be 36-year-old Heyward in the long term.
The Ravens have Nnamdi Madubuike locked down through 2027, but 2022 third-rounder Travis Jones is entering a contract year and Broderick Washington could be a cap casualty after the 2025 season. Veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce retired in March as well, making defensive line a short- and long-term need for the Ravens in the draft.
Harmon making it to Pittsburgh at no. 21 or Baltimore at no. 27 feels unlikely at this point with a number of other teams, including the division-rival Bengals, looking to add a premier defensive linemen earlier in the first round.
Surgery Not Certainty For QB Derek Carr
9:43pm: ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports the severity of Carr’s injury is unknown at this time. She adds some members of the Saints’ staff were unaware of the ailment until it was reported, further illustration of the confusion and uncertainty surrounding this situation. Clarity with respect to Carr’s 2025 outlook would certainly be welcomed by all parties.
11:44am: Reports of a shoulder injury to Saints quarterback Derek Carr that may require surgery have put his situation in New Orleans back in the spotlight.
Shoulder surgery could force Carr to miss some, if not all, of the 2025 season, effectively forcing the Saints into a long-avoided rebuild. That could push them to using the No. 9 pick on a quarterback after doing their homework on this year’s class.
However, surgery is not a certainty, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, which could keep Carr on the field this fall and a best-player-available approach on the table for the Saints during next week’s draft.
The reports of Carr’s shoulder injury, combined with his comments rejecting the idea of a pay cut in January, paint an odd picture, especially with a new head coach in Kellen Moore. Carr did not attend the start of the Saints’ voluntary offseason workout program, per Matthew Paras of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, though that’s hardly surprising for a player dealing with an injury.
A recent contract restructure committed the Saints to Carr for 2025 and reduced his cap hit to $20.5MM, an affordable number for a starting quarterback who has performed well in black and gold when healthy. However, the prospect of surgery puts his availability for this season in question, and his contract will become prohibitively expensive next year.
Carr currently has a $69.2MM cap hit for the 2026 season, per OverTheCap. The Saints could reduce that number with another maximum restructure, but that would only increase the $40.5MM in dead money that’s already waiting at the end of Carr’s deal in 2027. An extension is out of the question until there’s some certainty with Carr’s shoulder, and even then, New Orleans is clearly looking for a long-term quarterback in the draft.
It’s hard to know, therefore, if there’s any fire behind this smoke, or if Carr’s injury is just that: an injury.
Joe Flacco Signing Won’t Affect Browns’ Draft Plans; Ravens Pursued Reunion With QB
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that the team’s signing of Joe Flacco won’t impact their plans for the quarterback position in next week’s draft, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson.
Cleveland has done their homework on several top QB prospects, including Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, and Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
When asked specifically about Sanders, Berry said (via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) that “all options are on the table.” He went on to say that the team is focused on finding a “long-term” quarterback and isn’t necessarily looking for a 2025 starter in the draft, according to Jackson.
At the moment, though, the Browns seem more likely to take Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 2 pick. Their second-rounder (No. 34 overall) could then be used to acquire a quarterback, potentially via a trade up into the end of the first round.
Using the second overall pick on a quarterback would put pressure on that player to start right away in Cleveland. A late first- or early second-rounder could still compete for a starting job as a rookie, but he could also sit behind Flacco and Kenny Pickett to aid his development. Neither veteran, however, projects as a clear starter for the 2025 season.
“I don’t think there’s any expectation of exactly who’s going to be the starting quarterback,” said Flacco (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). The former Raven hasn’t earned a starting job out of training camp since his 2019 stint with the Broncos. He was, however, the go-to QB2 for the Jets, Browns, and Colts over the last three seasons with 15 total starts. Flacco did receive interest from Baltimore about returning as a backup to Lamar Jackson, per Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun, but opted to sign in Cleveland due to the potential of a starting opportunity. The Ravens ended up with Cooper Rush as Jackson’s backup.
Pickett has openly expressed his desire to start for the Browns in 2025, though his previous starting experience in Pittsburgh left much to be desired.
“That’s the plan, man. I’m not going there to hang out,” said Pickett (via TribLive’s Jerry DiPaola). “I want to go play. I’m excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time.”
Bills To Reunite With CB Tre’Davious White
The Bills are reuniting with veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $6.8MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
White, a 2017 first-round pick, spent the first seven years of his career in Buffalo, though he was significantly limited by injuries in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He was released by the Bills during the 2024 offseason and signed with the Rams, but only started four games in Los Angeles before landing on the trade block. White was then traded to the Ravens for a 2026 sixth-round pick, with the Rams sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to Baltimore to facilitate the deal.
Now, White is back with the team that drafted him, an outcome that Bills general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged as a possibility when he parted ways with White last year.
“I told him…’Just because this move is now, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work out for us to get you back in Buffalo,'” said Beane, via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
White will likely compete for a starting job as an outside cornerback in Buffalo with Kaiir Elam and Rasul Douglas no longer on the roster. The Bills recently signed Christian Benford to a four-year extension, but the team’s other long-term corner, Taron Johnson, has played almost exclusively in the slot throughout his career. While the Bills could still add another cornerback in the draft, signing White gives them a veteran presence who is very familiar with Sean McDermott‘s defense.
During his first stint in Buffalo, White was widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when healthy. He started all 32 regular-season games across his first two years, which included a second-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. White then led the NFL with six interceptions in 2019, leading to recognition as a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro. That earned him a four-year, $69MM extension before the 2020 season, which featured another Pro Bowl nod. Injuries then limited White to just 21 starts over the next three years, leading to his release by the Bills after the 2023 season.
The base value of White’s deal remains unknown, but if it eclipses $3MM, the Ravens could receive an additional 2026 compensatory pick.
Titans Waive T Nicholas Petit-Frere, Sign Three O-Linemen
The Titans are making multiple changes to their offensive line by waiving Nicholas Petit-Frere and signing Sam Mustipher, Brenden Jaimes and Oli Udoh Titans senior team writer Jim Wyatt passes along.
A 2022 third-round pick out of Ohio State, Petit-Frere started 16 games at right tackle as a rookie. Viewed temporarily as a player who could help the Titans recover from their historic Isaiah Wilson whiff in the 2020 first round, Petit-Frere was unable to sustain momentum and stick as the team’s RT starter. The Titans have since changed GMs twice since drafting him.
A suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy and a shoulder injury limited Petit-Frere to just three appearances in 2023. After being briefly shifted to LT in 2023, Petit-Frere returned to start at RT to open the 2024 season but lost his starting job after Week 6 due to poor performance. After injuries decimated the Titans’ tackle depth, Petit-Frere started from Weeks 11 to 16, giving him a total of 34 appearances and 28 starts in his career in Tennessee.
As a former Day 2 pick with a prototypical frame for an NFL tackle, Petit-Frere could receive some interest on the waiver wire. However, that would require his new team to take on his 2025 salary, which was bumped to $3.4MM due to the league’s Proven Performance Escalators. Teams may prefer to wait until after the draft to sign Petit-Frere for less money in free agency.
None of the Titans’ new offensive line signings are expected to take over Petit-Frere’s spot at right tackle. Instead, the team plans to move 2024 first-round JC Latham back to his college position, with new free agent signing Dan Moore Jr. taking over Latham’s job at left tackle. This left less use for Petit-Frere, whom the current coaching staff inherited in 2024. The Titans will hope Latham stops a revolving post-Jack Conklin door at RT.
With Kevin Zeitler added to join a line housing former first-round guard Peter Skoronski and high-priced center Lloyd Cushenberry, Mustipher, Udoh and Jaimes are coming in to vie for backup jobs. Udoh and Mustipher held full-season starting roles — both in the NFC North — but each has settled onto the backup level since. The trio joins free agency addition Blake Hance, the recently re-signed Corey Levin and holdover Jaelyn Duncan as potential Tennessee second-string blockers.
Udoh started 16 games as the Vikings’ top right guard in 2021, working almost exclusively as a backup since. He played two more seasons in Minnesota and served as a New Orleans second-stringer last season. The Bears used Mustipher as their primary center from 2021-22 but did not retain him in 2023, leading to one-year Ravens and Chargers stopovers. Mustipher overlapped with Jaimes in L.A. Jaimes played in 46 games with the Bolts, starting three at center in 2023.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Cowboys To Sign OL Hakeem Adeniji
The Cowboys are signing offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji, according to Clarence Hill of DLLS Sports.
Adeniji is a five-year veteran who has experience at both tackle spots and right guard, though he hasn’t played regular-season snaps on offense since 2022. He spent the entire 2024 season on injured reserve with the Browns after injuring his knee during the preseason.
The 27-year-old began his career as a sixth-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 and appeared in 15 games with five starts as a rookie. Adeniji didn’t earn a starting job entering the 2021 regular season, but he took over at right guard in Week 9 and started every remaining game in Cincinnati’s run to the Super Bowl.
Adeniji was waived during final roster cuts in 2023 and joined the Vikings’ practice squad. He earned a promotion to Minnesota’s active roster in Minnesota and finished the year with four appearances and 15 snaps, all on special teams.
In Dallas, Adeniji will likely be competing for a swing tackle job behind starters Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele, though he could factor into the team’s plans at right guard after the retirement of Zack Martin.
Bears Extend CB Kyler Gordon
APRIL 17: Gordon’s pact contains $28MM in new guarantees, as detailed by Over the Cap. That figure includes a $10MM signing bonus; his base salaries for 2025 ($1.26MM) and ’26 ($10MM) are locked in as well. The deal also contains $510K in per-game roster bonuses from 2026-28, and Gordon will receive a $1MM roster bonus if he is on the team by the third day of the league year in 2028.
APRIL 13: The Bears agreed to terms with cornerback Kyler Gordon on a three-year, $40MM contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Gordon, the 39th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was entering the final year of his rookie contract and Bears general manager Ryan Poles identified an extension as a “priority” at league meetings at the beginning of April. Less than two weeks later, the 25-year-old is under contract through the 2028 season as a vital piece of Chicago’s secondary.
Gordon’s $13.33MM APY and $31.25MM in guaranteed money are the highest of any nickel defender in the NFL, surpassing the deal signed by Jalen Pitre last week. Gordon’s salary still places him outside of the league’s top-20 highest-paid cornerbacks, reflecting the smaller market for players who line up almost exclusively in the slot.
Gordon hasn’t spent a significant amount of time on the boundary since his rookie year, when he started 14 games and notched three interceptions. He then moved into the slot full-time in 2023, which featured two more interceptions in 13 appearances as well as a stint on injured reserve. Gordon appeared in 15 games in 2024 and finished the year as the Bears’ second-highest-graded defender by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
This is the second straight offseason in which Chicago extended one of its young starting cornerbacks. The team signed 2020 second-rounder Jaylon Johnson to a four-year, $76MM extension in March 2024, and another second-round corner, Tyrique Stevenson, will be extension-eligible after the 2025 season. After extending Gordon, the Bears now have all three signed through 2026.
The Bears’ remaining candidates for offseason extensions are left tackle Braxton Jones and linebacker T.J. Edwards, both of whom are entering the last year of their rookie deals.