Browns To Use Spencer Fano At LT
Cleveland managed to land the tackle atop its O-line board while doing so after collecting additional draft assets. The Browns had been steadily connected to a first-round trade-down effort, and the Chiefs accommodated them in moving up from No. 9 to No. 6 for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
It is debatable whether Kansas City needed to climb up for Delane, but the team was leery of New Orleans at No. 8. The Chiefs sent the Browns Nos. 9, 74 and 148 for the right to climb three spots in Round 1. The Browns would have taken Spencer Fano at No. 6, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, but viewed the Commanders and Saints as unlikely to draft a tackle at Nos. 7 and 8.
Browns GM Andrew Berry was correct in his calculations, though he still wanted to know if the Chiefs were climbing up to take Fano. The resilient front office boss asked Chiefs counterpart Brett Veach if he was planning to select an offensive or defensive player at 6; after Veach indicated a defensive path, Berry agreed to trade the pick. Fano became the draft’s first O-lineman chosen, and he will have a big responsibility to start his career.
The Browns will station Fano at left tackle, per Breer, despite the Utah product playing on the right side during his final two Utes seasons. Fano moved from LT to RT in 2024, however, accommodating Caleb Lomu. Utes offensive line coach Jim Harding told the Browns the team viewed Lomu as more of a strict LT type, Breer adds, while believing Fano had enough versatility to make the transition. He earned All-America acclaim at RT. The Browns will now ask the accomplished right tackle to move back to the higher-profile O-line position.
The Commanders had traded for Laremy Tunsil last March and then chose Josh Conerly Jr. in the 2025 first round. New Orleans had taken tackles with its first-round picks in each of the past two years (Taliese Fuaga, Kelvin Banks Jr.). That left the NFC teams as obvious candidates to avoid taking a tackle. While Berry would have needed to be concerned with one of those teams trading down to allow for another club to land Fano, he was proven right and ended up with the team’s preferred blocker from this draft.
Fano is the final piece of the Browns’ puzzle to complete a revamped O-line. The team traded for Tytus Howard, and the ex-Texans tackle/guard will play RT in Cleveland. The team then signed Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Teven Jenkins to round out its interior O-line. Elgton Jenkins has experience across the formation, but the recent Packers cap casualty is not certain to play center. Todd Monken did not confirm Elgton Jenkins would be the team’s starting center when asked (via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi), but given Cleveland’s other moves up front, that seems likely.
Green Bay slid Elgton Jenkins from guard, where he received both his Pro Bowl invites, to center in 2025. A season-ending broken leg — an injury that also brought ligament damage — preceded the Packers re-signing C replacement Sean Rhyan and cutting Jenkins, who signed a two-year deal worth $24MM to join the Browns. Cleveland gave Elgton Jenkins $15MM guaranteed at signing, money that almost certainly has the versatile blocker ticketed to start.
Neither Johnson nor Teven Jenkins has played center as a pro. While the Browns roster former sixth-round pick Luke Wypler as a center option, Jenkins’ contract is above the backup level. As of early April, the door for Joel Bitonio to return remained open. Bitonio could come back and again bump Teven Jenkins to a second-string role, where he was most of last year, and the ex-Bears guard starter is attached to a one-year, $4MM deal.
As for Fano, he will be expected to start over injury-prone left tackle Dawand Jones. The latter is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has missed 27 games as a pro. A season-ending knee injury felled Jones in Week 3 of last season. After moving into Cleveland’s starting lineup, the Ohio State product will likely return to a reserve role to open the 2026 season.
Chiefs, Seahawks, Vikings Showed Interest In RB Jonah Coleman
The Broncos ended up making Jonah Coleman this year’s fourth running back drafted. Not viewed as an RB class overflowing with talent, this year’s crop featured two first-rounders (both out of Notre Dame) and just one RB chosen on Day 2 (Indiana’s Kaelon Black, who went to the 49ers).
Denver chose the Washington product with the first of two fourth-round picks (No. 108), doing so after spending extensive time with him during the pre-draft process. The Broncos used a “30” visit on Coleman and, according to his college running backs coach (ex-NFL RB Scottie Graham), and frequently contacted the Huskies to discuss the back.
They were not the only team to show a decent amount of interest in the standout Big Ten rusher. Graham said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the Chiefs, Seahawks and Vikings showed a good amount of interest in Coleman before the draft. No trade-up ended up being necessary for Coleman, however, and the Broncos have acquired some near-future insurance on J.K. Dobbins and likely a longer-term RJ Harvey running mate.
“They called a number of times and asked a lot of questions,’’ Graham said of the Broncos, via Tomasson. “They’d sometimes call a couple of times in the same day and they wanted to know intimate things about his family. You’re not going to ask some of the questions they did unless you want him. They wanted me to tell them something that nobody knows about him. Then they’d call back again. I said, ‘Jonah, you’re probably going to Denver.‘”
Teams obviously do considerable research on numerous prospects, but Graham also worked with current Broncos defensive line coach Jamar Cain at Arizona State. Cain has known Coleman since he was 16, per Tomasson, serving as the Sun Devils’ recruiter in the area where the RB grew up (Stockton, Calif.).
Each of the rumored Coleman suitors left the draft with RB picks. The Seahawks addressed their need by taking Jadarian Price at No. 32 overall, doing so after a first-round trade-down move fell through. The Chiefs traded up for Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson in Round 5; the Vikings chose Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne in Round 6.
The Broncos included Dobbins in their re-signing spree, giving him a two-year deal worth $16MM. Dobbins’ $8MM guarantee nearly quadrupled his 2025 salary, representing an interesting decision considering the productive RB’s injury history. Dobbins added to that medical sheet with a Lisfranc issue last season, costing him seven regular-season games and both Broncos playoff contests. The Broncos still placed a high priority on retaining Dobbins, though it appeared he was the team’s second choice (possibly third). Denver made what was believed to be a strong offer to Travis Etienne and was connected to Breece Hall before the Jets franchise-tagged him. Rather than a pricier back, the Broncos ended up with Dobbins and his likely successor.
Coleman transferred from Arizona to Washington in 2024 but was a regular in both teams’ backfields. After an 871-yard sophomore year with the Wildcats, Coleman totaled 1,053 rushing yards in 2024 and 758 in ’25. Last season brought a Big Ten-leading 17 touchdowns for the 5-foot-8, 220-pound back. He added 354 receiving yards in 2025.
Harvey, a 2025 second-rounder, should remain in the Alvin Kamara-like role in Sean Payton‘s offense. Dobbins will presumably enter 2026 in the Mark Ingram spot, as he was a top-five NFL rusher when he suffered his foot injury last year. While Coleman may well be Dobbins’ successor — no guarantees are on the veteran’s deal for 2027 — The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider notes a short-yardage role might be available to the rookie this season.
Although the Broncos re-signed both Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin, they are unlikely to retain both on their 53-man roster. The team also rosters fullback Nate Adkins, leaving one (or perhaps zero) spots for Badie or McLaughlin now that Coleman is on the team. The team needed McLaughlin — a fourth-year UDFA — more after Dobbins’ injury, but his path to playing time has since narrowed.
Saints Made Multiyear Offer To K’Lavon Chaisson
The Saints have been shopping around for edge rushers this offseason. Connected to Arvell Reese and Rueben Bain Jr. before the draft, New Orleans also made an offer for Kayvon Thibodeaux. The team ultimately pivoted to Tyree Wilson when the Giants rejected their proposal.
Weeks earlier, however, New Orleans was in the K’Lavon Chaisson market. This would have been a homecoming of sorts for the LSU product, and the Saints outflanked the Commanders in terms of contract length. But it sounds like the former first-round pick was willing to bet on himself rather than be tied down to a multiyear deal at a less-than-desirable rate.
Chaisson’s YouTube channel presented a look into his free agency decision. The seventh-year pass rusher’s agent (David Mulugheta) communicated to him a Saints three-year offer, though it does not sound like NFC South team would have placed him much higher — in terms of AAV — than Washington’s proposal (one year, $11MM). Mulugheta indicated he attempted to move the Saints to $13MM per year; the team not getting there created a decision on term length.
As Mulugheta explained to his client the Patriots did not make an offer, preferring Dre’Mont Jones to help in run defense from the EDGE position, the two discussed the Saints and Commanders (Jones signed a three-year, $36.5MM Pats contract). Mike Vrabel said at the Combine he would “love” to retain Chaisson, but nothing ended up materializing on that front.
It is not known how much guaranteed money New Orleans was offering, but the video points to guarantees into Year 2. Chaisson, however, preferred to bet on himself. This led to the late-blooming sack artist declining to return to Louisiana.
“I’m not gonna lie, I think that Commanders (offer), only because … you know, they’re competitive. So, we’re going to be in some time of playoff race,” Chaisson said. “I’m going to have more opportunities to be ahead (in) the game. I don’t know about the Saints; I don’t know what they offense look like. To know, like, we’ll be playing from ahead to even have rush opportunities.”
Chaisson, who is heading into an age-27 season, broke through with the Patriots after failing to justify his draft slot with the Jaguars. He joined the Raiders on a one-year, $1.13MM after the Panthers released him in 2024; his 2025 Pats contract came in at one year and $3MM. Chaisson recorded 7.5 regular-season sacks and three more in the playoffs. Mulugheta advised his client to avoid a multiyear deal for less than $11MM per when the Commanders were offering that in a “prove it” scenario.
After the EDGE market transformed throughout 2025, Chaisson opted to take the Commanders’ offer in hopes teams present better proposals — he mentioned a future deal beyond $20MM per year — in 2027. This is an interesting behind-the-curtain look at Chaisson’s process. In the video, he also inquires about the Buccaneers and Ravens, but without much traction from either, the decision came down to the Commanders or Saints.
PFR ranked Chaisson 32nd in this year’s free agent class, predicting some teams would deem his Patriots breakthrough as insufficient for a big multiyear offer. The Saints gave Chase Young a three-year, $51MM deal in 2025, but they had seen him excel with the team in 2024. Chaisson, who will team with Odafe Oweh in Washington, will hope to make a similar jump (Young played on a one-year, $13MM deal in 2024). Meanwhile, Oweh signed a four-year, $100MM deal with the Commanders.
Although the Saints finished with a better record than the Commanders last season, Chaisson looks to view the latter in higher regard because of Jayden Daniels‘ presence. The team, after all, voyaged to the NFC championship game during Daniels’ healthy rookie season before regressing as its quarterback battled multiple injuries. The Saints finished 6-11 last season and saw promise from Tyler Shough, but Chaisson will bet on Daniels presenting him with more pass-rushing snaps in Washington.
QB Bo Nix Undergoes Follow-Up Ankle Procedure
The party line coming out of Denver pointed to Bo Nix being ready for OTAs; the most recent update from this situation tabbed the QB as being ahead of schedule on his ankle rehab. But it now looks quite possible the Broncos will be careful with their starting quarterback this offseason.
As Nix’s rehab from an ankle fracture continues, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo note the third-year passer underwent a follow-up procedure described as a cleanup. While the NFL.com duo indicates this is not an unexpected development, the prospect of the Broncos being careful with Nix this offseason also emerged.
This comes after Nix’s scheduled recheck last week. The Broncos are expected to be cautious with their signal-caller, but Rapoport and Garafolo note the QB is “firmly” expected to be ready for training camp. While Nix is going into his third season in the same system, the Broncos are changing play-callers — with Sean Payton giving the reins to QBs coach-turned-OC Davis Webb — this year.
Denver lost Nix at a rather inopportune moment, seeing the durable passer suffer his injury during the overtime period of a 33-30 divisional-round win over the Bills. Payton announced postgame it would be Jarrett Stidham making the start in the AFC championship game. Although the three-year Broncos backup started off well, an untimely fumble gave the Patriots vital early field position — in a game later mired in a blizzard — that helped them unravel a defense-oriented Broncos game plan.
The Broncos’ Nix-driven “what if?” regarding a Super Bowl LX berth represented the latest bad break for Payton in the playoffs, with the late-season QB injury coming years after the Minneapolis Miracle sequence and the infamous uncalled pass interference play in the Rams-Saints 2018 NFC championship game. Payton appears quite confident in his 2025 nucleus, with the Broncos having re-signed a host of players from that roster in free agency (to go with the Jaylen Waddle trade).
Stidham enters the second season of a two-year, $12MM contract, and the Broncos also included third-stringer Sam Ehlinger in their re-signing spree. That duo figures to see more work during OTAs and minicamp. Although it could be construed as a setback in that Nix was viewed as on track for OTAs before word of this second procedure surfaced, training camp is nearly three months away.
Kadyn Proctor’s Dolphins Career To Begin At Guard
In 2016, the Dolphins benefited from Laremy Tunsil‘s slide to No. 13 overall. Although Miami eventually stationed the high-level prospect at his natural left tackle position, Year 1 featured Tunsil at guard while Branden Albert remained on Ryan Tannehill‘s blind side. Kadyn Proctor‘s NFL journey may begin similarly.
The Dolphins intend to use the Alabama left tackle — this year’s No. 12 overall pick — at guard to open his career, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said during an appearance on the Joe Rose Show (h/t ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques). Specifically, the new Miami GM said left guard will be where Proctor begins his NFL run.
While the Dolphins intend to cross-train the college left tackle at both guard and tackle, the team will have him learn LG while 2025 LG Jonah Savaiinaea moves to RG. All 982 of Savaiinaea’s rookie-year snaps came at left guard. Rather than ensure continuity there and have Proctor try right guard to begin his career, a new Dolphins regime will relocate Chris Grier‘s final second-round pick.
Proctor’s draft stock was partially boosted by his left tackle ability, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, as the two tackles drafted before him — Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa — were primarily RTs in college. Ditto Lions first-rounder Blake Miller. Proctor played left tackle for three seasons at Alabama, earning first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors last season. Our Ely Allen noted in PFR’s mock draft that many teams would be interested in seeing how Proctor looks at guard, and the Dolphins will kick the tires here.
Proctor checked in at 6-foot-6 and 352 pounds at the Combine. He will become one of the NFL’s biggest guards. Sullivan said (via Louis-Jacques) following the Proctor pick — which came after a one-spot trade-down move via Dallas — he could potentially play four positions along the O-line (all but center). Featuring needs at many positions entering the draft, the Dolphins made Proctor their first pick — over the likes of Rueben Bain Jr. and Makai Lemon — of the Sullivan era. The team also traded out of No. 11, giving the Cowboys Caleb Downs access. Passing on Bain and Downs certainly provide expectations for Proctor, whose path to a left tackle job may not materialize as Tunsil’s did nearly 10 years ago.
The Dolphins moved Tunsil to LT in 2017 upon trading Albert to the Jaguars. The Sullivan-Jeff Hafley regime, however, has Patrick Paul going into his second season as the left tackle starter. Austin Jackson is in place at RT, though injuries have regularly impacted the O-line nomad in Miami. Jackson has settled at RT, receiving a three-year extension worth $36MM in late 2023, but he did play guard previously with the Dolphins.
Paul replaced a retired Terron Armstead at LT last year, doing so as Jackson missed 11 games (after missing nine in 2024). Jackson missed 15 games in 2022, with his healthy 2023 leading to the extension. Miami gave Jackson a pay cut this offseason, potentially opening the door for Proctor at RT (the team also lost swing tackle Larry Borom in free agency). Jackson’s deal expires at season’s end. More clarity will come on Proctor’s positional future by then, but for now, a Tunsil-like path at LG to open his career is in the cards.
Miami drafted another guard — Texas’ DJ Campbell — in Round 6. The team is planning to try the former Longhorns blocker at center in addition to guard, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes. The team also added ex-Charger swingman Jamaree Salyer in free agency, providing another potential answer at tackle or guard.
S Justin Simmons Announces Retirement
Last month, Justin Simmons revealed a desire to return to the NFL in 2026. But the accomplished safety has since changed his mind. Simmons announced his retirement Wednesday.
Retiring as a Bronco (via an announcement shared by the team), Simmons exits the NFL after nine seasons. Eight of those came in Denver, with the All-Pro spending the 2024 season in Atlanta. Simmons, 32, did not play last season. He timed his announcement 10 years after being drafted.
Simmons was not part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 defense, arriving months after the team’s championship parade as a 2016 third-round pick. But he enjoyed several quality seasons as the franchise transitioned from its Peyton Manning era. Simmons ended his career as a four-time All-Pro and was among his era’s best ballhawks.
The Broncos parked Simmons behind their No Fly Zone safety starters — T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart — as a rookie but released Ward upon deeming the Boston College product ready by Year 2. Simmons then anchored the Broncos’ secondary for a few seasons, eventually commanding two franchise tags (in 2020 and ’21).
Simmons was among many players to play on the tag in 2020 — when the COVID-19 pandemic created cap uncertainty — and was tied to a $11.44MM salary that year. Simmons earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and saw the Broncos re-tag him in 2021. Simmons joined Chris Godwin, Brandon Scherff and Leonard Williams as players to receive the tag in 2020 and ’21 (Dak Prescott was procedurally tagged in ’21) but ended up with a market-setting extension soon after the Broncos applied tag No. 2.
The Broncos gave Simmons a four-year, $61MM extension in March 2021. At the time, that represented the safety position’s high-water mark. Jamal Adams‘ ill-fated Seahawks payday months later established distance between his pact and Simmons’, but the Broncos certainly saw more value from their safety accord. Simmons found spots on the next three All-Pro second teams, camping on that tier; from 2019-23, Simmons earned four second-team All-Pro nods.
Simmons finished his Bronco career with 32 interceptions, recording at least five each year from 2020-22; he tied for the league lead with six in ’22. The Broncos paired Simmons with first-round cornerback Patrick Surtain for three seasons, with both earning All-Pro acclaim in 2022. Simmons helped the Broncos complete a turnaround in Sean Payton‘s first months on the job. After missing the team’s infamous 70-20 blowout loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, Simmons was part of a five-game win streak that had the Broncos as surprising playoff contenders. One of those wins included a Week 8 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, which featured one of Simmons’ six career interceptions of Patrick Mahomes.
As the Broncos braced for a then-record-smashing single-player dead money hit — from Russell Wilson‘s release — they included Simmons’ contract as a way to reach cap compliance. Denver released Simmons along with Wilson in March 2024. He caught on later with the Falcons, who authorized a one-year deal worth $7.5MM. Atlanta paired Simmons with Jessie Bates that season, and while the veteran made 16 starts that year, he did not land anywhere in 2025. The Eagles and Panthers — in potential reunions with Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero — emerged as possibilities for Simmons last summer, but nothing came to fruition.
Although Simmons never played in a playoff game, he led all safeties in INTs during his eight-year Broncos run. While Simmons is unlikely to follow decorated Broncos safeties Steve Atwater, John Lynch and Brian Dawkins into the Hall of Fame, he will likely land in the franchise’s ring of fame down the road. The free safety staple retires having earned more than $69MM over the course of his career.
Giants To Sign DT Shelby Harris
Trading their cornerstone defensive lineman days before the draft, the Giants created a glaring need. Dexter Lawrence is now part of a deep Bengals D-tackle group, while the Giants need some answers after devoting their early draft resources elsewhere.
One of those answers is coming from a recent visitor. A month after meeting with the Giants, Shelby Harris is signing with the team (according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Harris joined D.J. Reader in visiting the team while Lawrence remained a Giant, though Harris’ visit came before the All-Pro’s trade request.
This agreement will give Harris a chance to play an age-35 season. Formerly a key Broncos D-line piece who became part of the 2022 Russell Wilson trade, Harris spent the past three seasons as a Jim Schwartz charge in Cleveland. Regularly redirecting passes via batdowns, Harris started 25 games with the Browns and has 89 career starts on his resume.
The Giants have been looking for multiple D-linemen, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who indicates the team has been searching for a nose tackle and a three technique. Harris qualifies for the latter role, while Reader would be a nose addition. Reader remains unsigned but has been closely linked to the Giants this offseason.
Neither Harris nor Reader will count toward the 2027 compensatory formula, as that deadline passed Monday. Free agency annually reignites after that point on the NFL calendar. Joe Schoen said (via Duggan) the team had been in contact with a few veteran DTs, while John Harbaugh confirmed post-draft (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith) the Giants were “not done at all” at this spot.
A 2014 seventh-round Raiders draftee, Harris found a home in Denver after spending the 2016 season out of football. Harris served as a five-year cog for the Broncos, contributing for Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 defenses. Harris tallied two six-sack seasons under Fangio, and his pass-deflecting prowess shone during those years. Harris deflected nine passes in 2019 and re-routed seven more in 2020. From 2017-25, Harris ranks fourth among front-seven players with 40 pass deflections. Only Cameron Heyward, the since-retired Carlos Dunlap and T.J. Watt have more.
The Broncos re-signed Harris on a three-year, $27MM deal heading into Fangio’s final season as HC. A year later, they included that contract in the eight-asset Wilson trade package. The Seahawks used Harris as a starter in 2022 but released him in 2023, leading to the Cleveland trek. Used as a part-time starter, Harris totaled 18 tackles for loss over three Browns seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked Harris as a top-35 interior D-lineman in 2023 and ’24, slotting him 56th (out of 127 qualified options) in 2025.
Set to turn 35 in August, Harris certainly will not be a one-for-one Lawrence replacement. The Giants, who also lost Rakeem Nunez-Roches this offseason, waited until Round 6 to address the position in the draft. They do return veteran Roy Robertson-Harris and 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander up front, but a team that ranked 31st in run stoppage with Lawrence last season certainly has more work to do after this Harris addition.
Saints Offered Giants Fourth-Round Pick For OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Although Joe Schoen dismissed trade talks involving Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Friday report about Saints interest in the former Giants top-five pick appears to have been accurate. New Orleans did pursue Thibodeaux, only to see their effort fail before pivoting to Tyree Wilson on Saturday.
New Orleans sent Las Vegas a fifth-round pick for Wilson and a seventh, and although the team declined the incoming pass rusher’s fifth-year option, it will determine his fit alongside Chase Young beginning soon. Wilson was not the Saints’ first choice, though, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicating the team made a better offer for Thibodeaux.
The Saints offered a fourth-round pick for Thibodeaux, per Duggan, who adds the Giants held out for a second-rounder. It is unclear if this was the only offer a team made during the draft.
Considering Thibodeaux’s inconsistency, injury history and contract status, a second-round pick is probably unrealistic. But New York stuck to its guns, even after yet another top-five investment in a pass rusher (Arvell Reese). While Reese will begin his career as an off-ball linebacker in New York, the Giants will surely explore capitalizing on his hybrid skillset.
The Giants having extended Brian Burns — a 2025 second-team All-Pro — and drafted Abdul Carter third overall last year. Reese may be opening his career at ILB, but the Giants will undoubtedly deploy him as a rusher frequently. Even the franchise that popularized the NASCAR package around an edge-rushing surplus in the early 2010s may not have a good way to get Burns, Thibodeaux, Carter and Reese on the field together too often. While the Giants have held firm on Thibodeaux, trade rumors have followed the 2022 draftee for a while.
Now in a contract year, Thibodeaux is also tied to a $14.75MM full guarantee for 2026 — his fifth-year option salary. That affects his trade value. The Broncos received first- and fourth-round picks for Bradley Chubb in his 2022 fifth-year option season, while the Commanders fetched a second-round return from the Bears for Montez Sweat a year later. Both players had shown more promise than Thibodeaux on their respective rookie contracts. A few edge rushers in recent years — from Jaelan Phillips to Chase Young to Yannick Ngakoue to Dante Fowler — have brought third-round returns or a third plus a Day 3 choice. This is probably the best the Giants can hope for in a 2026 Thibodeaux trade.
I mentioned in our Giants Offseason Outlook piece that the Giants stringing this situation out until the trade deadline may be the best way to maximize Thibodeaux’s value. Of course, that is before the team chose to make another prime investment at the position via Reese. With Reese needing to see pass-rushing time, it is certainly possible the Giants do not let this trade market reach the regular season.
The Saints held No. 132 overall in Round 4; their Round 2 selection came in 42nd. The latter pick was understandably a no-go in a trade; New Orleans chose Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller with that choice. Although the Saints traded for Wilson, one year remains on his contract (he is only due $4.2MM this year). Two years remain on Young’s three-year, $51MM pact while two seasons are also left on Carl Granderson‘s four-year, $52MM extension. No guaranteed money remains on Granderson’s accord. The Saints did not draft an edge rusher this year.
An early-March report indicated the Giants would “prefer” to trade Thibodeaux; again, that came well before the team knew Reese — closely linked to the Jets at No. 2 — would be available at 5. A draft-week report suggested the Giants would accept a mid-round pick for the fifth-year rusher, but the team is not there yet. If the Giants stand pat here, we may see a fascinating redux of their oversaturated pass-rushing groups from the early ’10s — which housed Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka.
This quartet has obviously not proven to be on that level, but teams rarely feature this level of EDGE talent together, making it a must-follow position group for as long as Thibodeaux stays in the Big Apple.
Ravens To Sign QB Diego Pavia
Initially set to take part in a Ravens tryout at their weekend rookie minicamp, Diego Pavia has secured a UDFA deal ahead of that point. Baltimore is signing the undrafted quarterback Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
This will be a standard three-year UDFA contract. Pavia follows Jalon Daniels (Buccaneers) and Haynes King (Panthers) as QBs to find homes post-draft. The Vanderbilt quarterback finished second in the 2025 Heisman voting, completing a four-year career spent with the Commodores and at New Mexico State.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference with a 70.6% completion rate, 29 touchdown passes, and 9.4 yards per attempt in 2025. He finished second to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Heisman voting, but as our Nikhil Mehta noted during the pre-draft process, size is a major concern about his potential in the NFL. Listed as 6 feet tall in college, Pavia measured in at 5-foot-9 at the Combine.
Transferring from New Mexico State in 2024, Pavia completed 59.4% of his passes in his first Vanderbilt season. That year did include a 20:4 TD-INT ratio while also featuring 801 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The run game served as a key component for the undersized QB in college, as he gained 923 yards at New Mexico State in 2023 and 862 (to go with 10 TDs) in his Heisman runner-up season. Pavia’s rushing ability certainly should appeal to a Ravens team that deploys the league’s most dynamic quarterback as its starter.
Baltimore has used Tyler Huntley as its backup for a chunk of Lamar Jackson‘s career, reacquiring him last year and re-signing him this offseason. Jackson and Huntley entered Tuesday as the only QBs on the Ravens’ roster (Baltimore gave Huntley a two-year, $5MM deal coming with $3.5MM at signing). That opens the door to a potential developmental backup, and it will be interesting to see if Pavia can make a case to land on Baltimore’s 53-man roster or practice squad by summer’s end.
Saints To Sign CB Martin Emerson
2:01pm: Emerson’s visit evidently went well. He is signing a one-year deal with the Saints, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Emerson, 25, intercepted four passes with the Browns in 2023, helping Cleveland rank first in pass defense during that playoff campaign, and broke up 29 passes between the 2022 and ’23 seasons.
The former Jim Schwartz piece can boost his 2027 free agency stock with a solid Saints season. Emerson will join a Saints team that waited until Day 3 to draft a corner despite losing Adebo and Taylor in free agency over the past two years. The Saints, who also traded Marshon Lattimore at the 2024 deadline, may need Emerson to commandeer a starting job. And it looks like the team is confident the former third-round pick will be recovered from his July Achilles tear.
12:46pm: Mickey Loomis said the Saints were interested in adding a cornerback early in the draft. The Chiefs certainly thought this was the case, trading in front of the NFC South club to make sure they landed LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
New Orleans did use fifth- and seventh-round picks on corners, but after losing Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor in consecutive offseasons, the team could use more help. Martin Emerson is now on the Saints’ radar, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the sides will meet today. Emerson was a regular starter in Cleveland before a summer 2025 Achilles tear.
Emerson, a two-year boundary CB starter with the Browns, met with the Texans earlier this month. He is not expected to return to Cleveland, and the Achilles tear represented a bad contract-year break. A one-year “prove it” deal — something most of the remaining FAs will need to settle for — may well be in the cards now.
Loomis said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) the Saints did have plans to grab a corner earlier; those not materializing leaves New Orleans vulnerable for the time being at the position. Taylor showed impressive versatility as a Saint, logging more than 1,500 snaps inside and outside during his four-year stay. While the Saints did see rookie Quincy Riley play 54% of their defensive snaps in a five-start 2025, they have not filled Taylor’s nickel post yet. Two years remain on Kool-Aid McKinstry‘s rookie contract. The Titans gave Taylor a three-year, $58MM deal with $42MM guaranteed at signing.
Emerson had usurped Greg Newsome as the Browns’ No. 2 corner, outsnapping the older cover man in 2023 and ’24. The 6-foot-2 defender has played almost exclusively on the boundary as a pro, making him ill-suited for a nickel role. Pro Football Focus graded Emerson as a top-30 corner as a rookie but slotted him outside the top 60 the following year and then placed him 113th out of 117 qualified options in 2024. The Browns, who eventually traded Newsome for Tyson Campbell before last year’s deadline, were still planning on using Emerson as a 2025 regular before his injury.
It appears we are moving closer to seeing Emerson catch on somewhere. Unless the experienced corner (33 career starts) needs more time to recover, landing with a team before its OTA sessions start makes sense.