Malachi Lawrence Drawing Major Interest
APRIL 16: The Patriots used a “30” visit on Lawrence, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald relays. In addition to the Pats and the previously reported Colts, 49ers, Seahawks and Texans, Lawrence met with the Cardinals, Chiefs, Falcons, Saints, Chargers, Ravens, Eagles, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Commanders, Raiders, Titans and Jets, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
APRIL 9: As a potential first- or second-round pick, UCF edge defender Malachi Lawrence is generating significant interest in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Sixteen teams have set up visits with Lawrence, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Colts, 49ers and Seahawks will all meet with him this week.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence’s college career took off as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He registered 10.5 tackles for loss and a personal-best 7.5 sacks in 13 games that year. Lawrence’s production dropped a bit during an 11-game 2024 (six TFL, five sacks), but he earned a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season. Over 12 games, Lawrence picked up 11 TFL and seven sacks.
Lawrence further boosted his stock with an off-the-charts performance at the Combine, where he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. He finished second among edge defenders at the Combine in 40 time, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump (via PFF College). Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 36) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 46) consider Lawrence a top-50 prospect.
The Colts were a passable 15th in sacks last season, but they ranked an alarming 30th in pass rush win rate. The team made a run at Trey Hendrickson early in free agency, but the Ravens won that sweepstakes. The Colts have settled for modest additions (Arden Key and Micheal Clemons) to replace the departed Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. They continue to lack needle-moving pass rushers to complement Laiatu Latu. Indianapolis is without a first-round pick, but Lawrence could be on the board when it selects 47th overall in the second round.
The 49ers will pick 27th and 58th in the first two rounds. They totaled the fewest sacks in the league last season, though losing Nick Bosa to a Week 3 ACL tear heavily contributed to their struggles. They should get Bosa and Mykel Williams, who tore his ACL in November, back next season. The rest of their edge rushers – Sam Okuayinonu, Keion White, William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer and the just-signed Cameron Sample – combined for just five sacks last year. With that in mind, bolstering the pass rush via the draft should be a high priority for the 49ers.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks aren’t exactly teeming with weaknesses, but taking an edge defender early may be on their to-do list. Owners of just four picks, including Nos. 32 and 64 in the first two rounds, the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe in free agency. They have not brought in a replacement for Maye, and the clock is ticking on Demarcus Lawrence‘s career. The soon-to-be 34-year-old pondered retirement after the season, which could add to the Seahawks’ urgency to make a notable investment along the edge.
Raiders Receiving Interest In No. 1 Pick
It happens almost every year. Months of pre-draft evaluation have established a clear top quarterback in the draft class who is projected to be drafted with the No. 1 pick. And then the trade offers come in.
This year, the QB1 is Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who has long been considered a lock for the Raiders with the first overall selection. That has not stopped teams from reaching out to Las Vegas about trading up, general manager John Spytek revealed on Tuesday.
“We’ve gotten a few calls, and those teams know where they stand,” Spytek said (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden), an indication that the Raiders have no intention of moving their pick.
The Bears were willing to trade in the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, which resulted in a major blockbuster with the Panthers, who drafted Bryce Young. Among the picks sent to Chicago was Carolina’s 2024 first-rounder, which turned out to be the top pick that year. Again, the Bears fielded calls from teams who wanted to move up for Caleb Williams, but they never seemed to consider another trade down as a real option. The Patriots, who were drafting third, also received interest in their pick with teams looking to draft Drake Maye. Both teams stayed put and are likely thankful they did so.
The jury is still out on Tennessee resisting overtures for the No. 1 pick last year and sticking with Cam Ward. The Giants, who were among the teams who pursued Maye, sent multiple offers to the Titans all the way up until draft day. Presumably, their haul would have been similar to the Panthers’ package in 2023.
The Raiders should be able to receive that kind of value this year, especially in a draft class with only one consensus first-round quarterback. Next year’s draft offers a deeper crop of prospects to choose from, and trading the No. 1 pick would give them the ammunition to land a quarterback from that group.
But ultimately, a trade does not make sense for the Raiders. Between their coaching change and roster upgrades, they are positioned to have a much better season than their 3-14 2025 campaign, resulting in a lower first-round pick. With multiple teams targeting quarterbacks in the 2027 draft, it may be difficult for Las Vegas to land its desired prospect. Other teams may not be willing to trade down, and even if they are, the Raiders will have to outbid other suitors. That is a much more complicated and uncertain proposition than simply drafting Mendoza this year and calling it a day.
Spytek suggested that Las Vegas is thinking along the same lines.
“If there’s a player that stands out that we feel it’s not worth losing, it’s not worth even picking up the phone, then we’ll just make the pick,” Spytek continued. “But if it’s a player that we’re not as excited about, or there’s a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, we’re certainly open to listening to that.”
Chiefs, Jets, Raiders, Seahawks, Texans Meet With CB Colton Hood
Today represents the final opportunity for teams to conduct “30” visits with players, and several updates on this front have emerged. A couple involve Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood.
Expected to go off the board in Round 1, Hood’s visit itinerary became clear this afternoon. The Chiefs brought in Hood for a meeting this week, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. Hood had met with the Cowboys previously, and Pelissero adds the Jets, Raiders, Seahawks and Texans conducted “30” visits with the Tennessee corner.
Hood transferred to Tennessee last year but did not team with Jermod McCoy in what would have been a standout CB duo, with McCoy missing all of the 2025 season due to an ACL tear. The 6-foot cover man played at three schools in three years, transferring from Auburn to Colorado to Tennessee. Hood checks in 25th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board — behind Mansoor Delane (No. 8) and McCoy (No. 15) among corners.
The 2025 SEC second-teamer forwent his final two seasons of eligibility to declare for the draft, and he should hear his name called on Day 1 (Hood certainly expects this, as he is attending the draft). The Chiefs hold the Nos. 9, 29 and 40 overall picks and should be expected to take a corner at one of those spots. Kansas City has developed a tried-and-true method of developing quality corners but not paying them, with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson the latest one-contract cogs at this position. The team needs help after losing its top two options last month.
Trading Sauce Gardner last year, the Jets have a need here too. They signed Nahshon Wright to a low-cost deal following a 2025 breakthrough but have needs here ahead of a draft that sees them holding three picks in the top 33. The Raiders used a third-round pick on Darien Porter last year and re-signed Eric Stokes last month, but the rebuilding team could use more aid here as well. Las Vegas, however, has been tied to the wide receiver and right tackle positions with its No. 36 overall pick. The Texans are set at corner, identifying Kamari Lassiter as a solid No. 2 option alongside Derek Stingley Jr., but the Seahawks lost Riq Woolen in free agency. Seattle, however, rosters All-Pro Devon Witherspoon and re-signed Josh Jobe last month.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/13/26
One minor moves to pass along:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Joshua Miles
Miles joined the Raiders practice squad back in December and was retained via a reserve/futures contract after the season. However, he’s now apparently calling it a career, as the organization placed the lineman on the reserve/retired list today.
The 2019 seventh-round pick out of Morgan State has bounced around the NFL over the past few years. Besides his recent stint with the Raiders, Miles also spent time with the Cardinals, Falcons, Giants, Bears, and Browns. He got into 17 games with the Cardinals between 2019 and 2021, although the majority of his snaps came on special teams.
Latest On Raiders’ Second-Round Plans; Team To Meet With CB Chris Johnson
There is little doubt the Raiders will use the first overall pick in the draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. On the other hand, there is far less certainty surrounding their second-round choice (No. 36 overall). Wide receiver and right tackle are among the areas the Raiders could address with that selection, Matt Miller of ESPN hears.
While veteran free agent pickup Kirk Cousins may be new head coach Klint Kubiak‘s starting QB to open 2026, the Raiders will expect Mendoza to be their long-term answer. Drafting either a receiver or an offensive lineman in Round 2 would be an attempt to provide more help for the prized signal-caller.
As a rookie general manager in 2025, John Spytek spent second- and fourth-round picks on receivers Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton. Those two remain unproven after combining for a meager 30 catches and no touchdowns as rookies. Tre Tucker led Raiders wideouts in receptions (57), yards (696) and touchdowns (five) last season, but he is scheduled to reach free agency next March. While the Raiders inked ex-Viking Jalen Nailor to a three-year, $35MM contract in free agency, he has never reached the 30-catch mark in a season.
If the Raiders pick up another newcomer for their receiving corps in the second round, Alabama’s Germie Bernard may be a realistic option. The Raiders visited with the Las Vegas native last month. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Bernard as the seventh-best receiver in this year’s class. It is less likely anyone from Brugler’s top six – Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, KC Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr. (Mendoza’s college teammate) and Denzel Boston – will be available to the Raiders at 36.
Turning to right tackle, DJ Glaze has been the Raiders’ primary option since former GM Tom Telesco took him in the third round of the 2024 draft. Glaze is coming off his first 17-start season, though Pro Football Focus ranked his play a bottom-tier 60th among 78 tackles. Meanwhile, soon-to-be 31-year-old left tackle Kolton Miller missed all but four games as a result of a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. Thanks in part to their issues at tackle, the Raiders allowed a league-worst 64 sacks. Geno Smith took a beating in his lone season as the Raiders’ quarterback. They obviously want better protection for Cousins and Mendoza.
The Raiders have vastly improved their offensive line this offseason with the signing of premier center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-setting pact in free agency. Someone like Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor could be on their radar if they want to continue strengthening their line in the second round.
Although offense may be the more likely path with the Raiders’ second selection, they are still putting in work on high-level defensive prospects. The team has scheduled a visit with San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, per Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports. Brugler ranks Johnson as the 24th-best prospect in this class. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com is less bullish, but he still places Johnson 40th.
Johnson, who picked off four passes in 2025 and earned Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors, could be the Raiders’ choice if they go defense in the second round. He would join Eric Stokes and 2025 third-rounder Darien Porter as the Raiders’ top boundary corners. Johnson also has experience in the slot. The Raiders added veteran slot corner Taron Johnson in a trade with the Bills last month, but he is nearing 30 and coming off back-to-back injury-limited seasons.
Kirk Cousins Eyed Klint Kubiak Reunion When Joining Raiders
Kirk Cousins officially signed with the Raiders on Monday. Vegas remains on course to select Fernando Mendoza first overall in the upcoming draft, but Cousins could begin the 2026 season atop the depth chart.
Rather than aiming for a full campaign spent in a QB1 role, Cousins elected to join a number of familiar faces on the Raiders’ coaching staff. That includes new head coach Klint Kubiak and other staffers who previously worked with Cousins in Minnesota. A reunion was seen as a selling point in this case, as the four-time Pro Bowler recently noted.
“It starts with the coaching staff,” Cousins said during an interview with the team (video link). “I was really excited to work with coaches I’ve worked with before in Klint Kubiak, Rick Dennison, Andrew Janocko. I had some of my best years playing with them… I think it’s a team that has a lot of young talent and they’re building something special, and I want to be a part of that.”
Kubiak served as the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 and ’20 before spending the following season as the team’s offensive coordinator. That span overlapped with Cousins’ Minnesota stint, and it was followed by four straight one-year tenures around the league. Kubiak, 39, thrived as Seattle’s OC in 2025 and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl title. The play of quarterback Sam Darnold helped his head coaching stock and raised expectations regarding the development of Mendoza as he acclimates to the NFL.
Janocko (the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator) worked with the Seahawks as their QBs coach in 2025, making it no surprise when he followed Kubiak to Vegas. Janocko also spent time in Minnesota earlier in his career, serving in a number of roles from 2015-21. Dennison, too, overlapped with Cousins on the Vikings’ staff and was also a member of Seattle’s group this past season. He will work as Vegas’ offensive line coach in 2026.
Cousins is due $10MM guaranteed for the coming season, and his Raiders pact contains another $10MM in locked-in money in the form of a roster bonus early in the 2027 league year. His future beyond that point is unclear, but for now the veteran is set to spend the offseason reuniting with several coaches he has previously worked with.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/26
Several teams made minor moves Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed ERFA tender: K Joshua Karty, DL PJ Mustipher
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed ERFA tender: DL Elijah Garcia
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: C Matt Lee
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed ERFA tender: DE Charles Snowden
- Signed RFA tender: C/G Jordan Meredith
New York Giants
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Ryan Miller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR David Sills
A four-year veteran, Meredith logged a career-high 11 starts in 13 appearances in 2025. Meredith played center and right guard (mostly the former) before landing on IR with an ankle injury in late December. The Raiders have since added blockbuster free agent pickup Tyler Linderbaum, meaning Meredith will not factor in at center in 2026. He could, however, compete for one of the Raiders’ guard jobs.
After a year in Atlanta, Sills is staying in the NFC South on a deal with the Buccaneers. With 36 targets, 18 catches, 191 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games last season, Sills set across-the-board career highs. The 29-year-old finished third among Falcons receivers in offensive snap share (51.55%). He will now attempt to carve out a role on a Bucs team that lost franchise icon Mike Evans to the 49ers in free agency and has not re-signed Sterling Shepard. Tampa Bay still has Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson as its top four receivers.
Mark Davis Did Not Want Raiders To Trade OLB Maxx Crosby
Either the Raiders are in a holding pattern with Maxx Crosby, waiting until the trade window that reopens through the draft annually to accept another offer, or they are truly prepared to move forward with a player they were ready to unload in a blockbuster.
The fallout from Baltimore’s nixing of a trade agreement has mostly brought quiet on the Crosby trade front. Teams like the Bears, Cowboys, Jaguars, Patriots and Seahawks have been tied to Crosby. The Bears, Jags and Cowboys were more aggressive during the initial trade derby — one thought to have ended with the Ravens’ offer of two first-round picks. Baltimore infamously backing out of the deal due to long-term concerns about Crosby’s health prompted a terse statement from the Raiders and a quick return to the team facility from Crosby.
Crosby had made a quiet trade request, as he wanted the Raiders to collect full value for him rather than create a situation where it became an impasse that potentially depressed his trade cost. (It is rather interesting that Crosby’s request became known after the Ravens agreement was done; that would seemingly change things for the Raiders if/when they talk to other teams about the ninth-year EDGE.)
Mark Davis, however, has long voiced a preference to retain Crosby. He did so at multiple trade deadlines, shutting down interest in his top player, and called Crosby “a great Raider” in February, indicating he wanted the All-Pro edge rusher to be “part of our success moving forward.”
Although Davis signed off on the Crosby-Ravens swap, the longtime owner said recently (via Raiders.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he “never wanted Maxx to leave.” That said, when asked if he could envision a scenario in which Crosby is dealt again, Davis said to “ask John [Spytek] and Maxx and Klint [Kubiak].”
The Patriots came up as a team that could circle back to Crosby, while Jerry Jones has said such a pursuit is unlikely (though, Jones did not slam the door shut there). Jacksonville now has two big-ticket contracts at the position, extending Travon Walker to join Josh Hines-Allen among the NFL’s top-12 highest-paid edge defenders. The Bears added Dayo Odeyingbo on a $16MM-per-year deal to accompany Montez Sweat but watched the ex-Colt suffer an Achilles tear in November.
New England lost K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency (to Washington) but added Dre’Mont Jones on a three-year, $36.5MM deal to play opposite Harold Landry. Jones does have an extensive past as an interior pass rusher, potentially keeping the door open for Crosby to join he and Landry in Foxborough. The Pats would seemingly balk at the idea of acquiring both Crosby and A.J. Brown due to the draft capital required to pull off those moves. This might be an either/or scenario.
Crosby, 28, is back rehabbing with a Raiders team he had wanted to leave. How the remaining lot of EDGE-needy teams address their respective issues in the draft could create a summer trade sweepstakes, a la the Micah Parsons or Khalil Mack derbies (each wrapped in August). It would stand to reason the Raiders would be interested in another trade, seeing as they were ready to move on.
For the time being, Crosby joins FA addition Kwity Paye, the re-signed Malcolm Koonce and underwhelming former top-10 pick Tyree Wilson with the Raiders. If a trade does not take place before the draft — and signs point to that indeed not happening — the August roster-setting date and the November trade deadline will be points on the calendar to monitor.
Raiders To Re-Sign TE Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas signed with the Raiders last March, ending his lengthy run in Carolina. The veteran tight end is positioned for a second straight year in Vegas.
Thomas is re-signing on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This move will give the Raiders continuity at the position aside from Brock Bowers preparing for his third NFL season. Thomas handled a 36% snap share on offense during the 2025 campaign.
A similar depth/blocking workload can be expected moving forward. Thomas also chipped in on special teams during his debut season in Vegas, something he has done at times over the course of his career. Especially if Bowers – who was limited to 12 games in 2025 – can remain healthy next year, Thomas will no doubt be in line for a backup gig including third phase duties. The 29-year-old will nevertheless provide an experienced presence to an offense which will feature a number of new faces in 2026.
Thomas made 36 catches during his rookie season; that remains the high mark for his career. A major uptick in production or usage should of course not be expected for 2026. The former fourth-rounder caught each of his 13 targets this past year, however, so he could be viewed as a reliable depth option in the passing game with new head coach Klint Kubiak in the fold.
When he signed with Vegas last year, Thomas took a deal worth $1.52MM. This latest pact will presumably check in at a similar rate. The Raiders entered Tuesday with over $23MM in cap space, so bringing him back will not alter any other moves being planned in the build-up to the draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/6/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: TE Brenden Bates, WR Malachi Corley, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, K Andre Szmyt, WR Jamari Thrash
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: C Will Putnam
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Da’Quan Felton, S Patrick McMorris, CB TJ Moore, CB Myles Purchase
A handful of exclusive rights free agents re-upped with their respective teams today, as the Browns and Raiders transactions exclusively featured these types of contracts.
Meanwhile, the Giants cleared some room off their offseason roster today. Patrick McMorris is the only player with any NFL experience, as the safety got into six games with the Dolphins in 2024, with 97 of his 105 snaps coming on special teams.