Chiefs Select DT Peter Woods At No. 29
The Trent McDuffie trade’s top asset will go toward Kansas City’s defensive line. While the Chiefs had been connected to defensive ends leading up to the draft, Chris Jones instead will see a running mate headed to Missouri.
Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods is heading to the Chiefs at No. 29. Viewed as a higher-end prospect entering last season, Woods comes to Kansas City after three years at the ACC school. Daniel Jeremiah’s big board placed Woods 39th, but the Chiefs — as they did with Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall — disagreed with lower grades and acted early.
Kansas City used a second-round pick on a D-tackle last year (Omarr Norman-Lott) but watched him suffer an ACL tear early in the season. Woods will join nose tackle Khyiris Tonga — signed to a three-year, $21MM deal — as key DT pieces added this offseason. Jones and Tonga figure to start the season at DT in Steve Spagnuolo‘s 4-3 scheme, but Woods will be slated to play a key rotational role as the Chiefs try and rebound from a 6-11 season.
Not a statistical standout at Clemson, Woods combined for five sacks over his final two college seasons. But the 298-pound defender still received first-team All-ACC recognition and second-team All-American acclaim in 2025. This came even after Woods’ TFL count dropped from 8.5 in 2024 to 3.5 last season. A quick rusher who lacks optimal length, the 6-foot-2 DT will see his rookie contract align with Jones’ market-topping deal.
The Chiefs have Jones heading into the third season of a five-year, $158.75MM contract. The future Hall of Famer is due $35MM in guaranteed compensation this year but has no guarantees remaining on the player-friendly pact beyond 2026. Kansas City has still seen Jones play at an elite level, and the Super Bowl linchpin remains one of the game’s best D-linemen. He is entering an age-32 season, and Woods — who turned 21 in March — profiles as an apprentice and possible successor in the not-too-distant future.
If the Chiefs are keen on bringing in a D-end to complement George Karlaftis, they hold No. 40 on Friday. Kansas City sent its third-round pick to Cleveland to move up for Delane earlier Thursday.
Patriots Acquire No. 28 From Bills, Draft T Caleb Lomu
This draft has not let down on a reported run of offensive linemen. After trading back a second time, the Bills cleared the way for the Patriots to add a tackle.
Buffalo sent No. 28 to New England in exchange for Nos. 31 and 125 (via ESPN’s Field Yates); the Patriots are drafting Utah’s Caleb Lomu. Primarily a left tackle for the Utes, Lomu figures to draw consideration for right-side work as a Patriot.
De facto GM Eliot Wolf confirmed as much Thursday night, via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian. Wolf reiterated 2025 No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell is New England’s left tackle. Rumblings about a potential move to guard surfaced at multiple points last year, but the Patriots have shut that down thus far. Lomu now profiles as a likely successor/immediate challenger to Morgan Moses‘ RT gig.
The Pats scheduled a “30” visit with Lomu but canceled it, per Wolf, because they did not expect him to be on the board when their pick arrived (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed). The Pats moved up three spots to make sure they landed the 6-foot-6 blocker, who joined Spencer Fano (No. 9 overall — to the Browns) among the Utes’ first-round tackle tandem.
Wolf said (via Kyed) the Patriots viewed a drop-off at the tackle spot after Lomu. This aligns with recent reports that anticipated a mid-first-round run at the tackle position. We ended up seeing nine offensive linemen (seven of them tackles) go off the board Thursday. Lomu was the last member of that octet to be drafted, but he will join a defending conference champion and profiles as a long-term Campbell bookend partner.
Lomu made 10 pre-draft visits, joining Fano as a much-investigated blocker from the Big 12 program. Lomu redshirted in 2023 but earned Utah’s LT starting role in 2024, serving in that capacity during his final two college seasons. Earning first-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season, Lomu established himself as a first-round-caliber talent.
Two years remain on Moses’ three-year, $24MM contract, but the 13th-year vet is entering an age-35 season. The Patriots can move on from Moses and save $9MM in 2027. Our Ben Levine predicted (via PFR’s Patriots Offseason Outlook post) Moses’ 2026 roster spot was probably safe but anticipated tackle depth — at the very least — being sought. Lomu is a lot more than depth, and it would surprise if he is not asked to start by 2027 — if not sooner.
Dolphins Acquire No. 27 From 49ers, Draft CB Chris Johnson
After trading back with their first pick tonight, the Dolphins are moving up three spots from their second first-round window. Miami will send Nos. 30 and 90 to San Francisco, and the Dolphins are selecting San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson at No. 27. The 49ers will acquire the pick the Broncos sent to the Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle.
After LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, several cornerback prospects were thought to be potential first-round candidates, but none were guarantees. Lo and behold, McCoy has slipped past Day 1, and Johnson takes the honor of CB2 and the only corner, with Delane, who will receive a fifth-year option.
It’s not hard to see why Miami opted to select Johnson here. Johnson started to pop on film as a sophomore for the Aztecs. Rotating in off the bench, he made the most of his opportunities, recording his first interception, deflecting a pass, and forcing a fumble all in limited time. As a full-time starter his junior year, Johnson’s production increased with another interception, four passes defensed, and three forced fumbles. He exploded in Year 4 at San Diego State, lighting up the stat sheet with four interceptions, nine passes defensed, a sack, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
Part of what makes Johnson such a valuable defender isn’t just that he has a nose for the football and is constantly around the play. He also makes the most of his opportunities when he does get his hands on the ball. While the college downing rules mean many interceptions result in zero return yards as defensive backs tumble to the ground to make a play, Johnson showed a different initiative. Over the course of his collegiate career, he averaged 38.7 yards per interception return, and in his senior year, his four picks were returned for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
There are concerns about Johnson’s physicality and strength against larger ballcarriers with his thin frame, and his level of competition was never the best in college, but Johnson dominated the tier of football that he was at, as shows the ability to continue dominating.
Miami saw cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Jack Jones depart in free agency and veteran Rasul Douglas‘ contract expired, as well. Making his way across the country, Johnson should immediately have a pathway to a starting role across from Darrell Baker in a young, inexperienced secondary. There may be some challenge, but with the Dolphins trading up to land him, it may just be his job to lose.
Bills Trade No. 26 To Texans; G Keylan Rutledge Heading To Houston
The Bills agreed to move back two spots, with the Texans coming up to No. 26. Buffalo will collect Nos. 28, 69 and 167 from Houston in exchange for Nos. 26 and 91, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge is going to Houston at No. 26. We heard earlier today the Texans had done a lot of work on Rutledge, and he will be part of the AFC South team’s ongoing O-line overhaul.
Houston has struggled along the O-line during C.J. Stroud‘s tenure, and this offseason will bring more changes. The Texans traded seven-year starter Tytus Howard and imported Braden Smith as a right tackle replacement. The team also added longtime Browns starting guard Wyatt Teller. Houston re-signed Ed Ingram, however, creating an interesting situation at guard.
Unless the Texans are prepared to station Teller on the bench to start his tenure, Rutledge would not have a clear place to play. Transferring from Middle Tennessee State in 2024, Rutledge started at right guard throughout his Georgia Tech tenure. A first-team All-Conference USA blocker before his back-to-back All-ACC years, Rutledge cross-trained at center during the Senior Bowl.
That may be relevant, as the easiest path to a starting role may come at center. If Rutledge is to play center, he would be asked to overtake 2025 starter Jake Andrews. Pro Football Focus graded Andrews 27th among centers last season. The team traded Juice Scruggs to the Lions in the David Montgomery swap.
“Where’s he going to play? Who the hell knows,” Texans GM Nick Caserio said after making the pick Thursday. “We’ll figure out who the best five guys are and put the group out there that we think is going to help us the most.”
Rutledge drew praise as the pre-draft process wore on, but he closed 47th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. That was by far the lowest of any first-rounder selected. Houston has high hopes here. Caserio will hope this first-round guard investment goes better than his other such move, when he made Kenyon Green the first guard selected in the 2022 draft. Green flamed out and was traded in 2025. Rutledge’s rookie contract can run through 2030 via the fifth-year option, and the Texans will hope he can provide long-term stability on a line featuring two 30-something (or soon-to-be 30-something) stopgaps and a second-year LT (Aireontae Ersery).
Bears Add S Dillon Thieneman At No. 25
The Bears will walk out of the first round with a safety prospect. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman is heading to Chicago via the No. 25 overall pick.
Thieneman arrives after the Bears lost their 2025 safety starters — Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker — in free agency. The Patriots signed Byard, who reunited with ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel, while the Steelers added Brisker. The Bears did bounce back by signing Coby Bryant, and they will pair him with Thieneman — the first safety chosen in Round 1 by Chicago since Mark Carrier went sixth overall in 1990.
That is quite the lengthy stretch, though the Bears had used Round 2 (Brisker) to address the position in Ryan Poles‘ first offseason in charge. DC Dennis Allen will attempt to mold Thieneman alongside Bryant, handpicked to play in his system like Byard was as a 2025 free agent.
Thieneman follows Caleb Downs as the second safety off the board. They were the only two selected Thursday night, with Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Arizona’s Treydan Stukes remaining on the board entering Day 2.
Sitting 16th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Thieneman transferred from Purdue to Oregon in 2025. He intercepted six passes as a freshman Boilermaker in 2023 and grabbed two more picks last season at Oregon. Thieneman completed the impressive feat of becoming a two-time AP All-American, being named to the third team in 2023 and second team in ’25. He finished with a combined 210 tackles during his two Purdue seasons, adding 96 at Oregon last year.
The Ducks deployed Thieneman in the box, in the slot and as a pure safety last season. He showed high-level instincts and quality speed in coverage in helping the Ducks to the CFP semifinals, and the Bears will have the opportunity to determine how they want to use the former Big Ten chess piece.
Chicago lost breakout corner Nahshon Wright in free agency (to the Jets), but the NFC North champions return CB regulars Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to go with former starter Tyrique Stevenson. Thieneman gives the Bears four first- or second-round picks at safety, with Bryant — a 2022 Seahawks fourth-rounder — the only former Day 3 pick projected to start in the Windy City secondary.
Browns Draft WR KC Concepcion At No. 24
Entering the draft pegged as wanting a tackle and a wide receiver in Round 1, the Browns have checked both boxes. After moving down from sixth overall to choose Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9, Cleveland landed Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion at No. 24.
The Browns came into the draft with a crying need at receiver, especially after Jerry Jeudy‘s production fell off a cliff in 2025. Jeudy declined from 90 catches and 1,229 yards in 2024 to 50 and 602 in those categories in 2025. No other returning Browns receiver managed to reach 25 catches, and they did not add anyone of significance to their WR corps before the draft. Enter Concepcion, who will give the Browns another exciting young target to join second-year tight end Harold Fannin.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Concepcion was popular on the league’s “30” visits circuit after a productive three-year college career divided between North Carolina State and Texas A&M. He burst on the scene as hands down the Wolfpack’s best offensive weapon in 2023. Over 13 games, Concepcion racked up 71 catches for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. With 320 yards on 41 carries, he was also electrifying on the ground.
Concepcion earned ACC Rookie of the Year and second-team All-ACC honors in his first season at NC State, but he followed that up with his least productive college campaign. He caught 53 balls for just 460 yards (good for a paltry 8.7 YPC) and six scores in a dozen games. He was also a non-factor as a runner in 2024, a 19-carry, 36-yard campaign.
While Concepcion played the vast majority of his snaps as a slot receiver at NC State, his role changed after he left for College Station. The Aggies used Concepcion as an outside receiver on 65.3% of snaps, and he more than held his own in piling up 61 catches for 919 yards (15.1 YPC) and an SEC-best nine scores. Concepcion only carried the ball 10 times, but he found the end zone twice more and averaged 7.5 yards per rush. Also a force on special teams last year, Concepcion averaged a lofty 18.2 yards and hit pay dirt twice on 25 punt returns. He was named a consensus All-American and an All-SEC performer for his efforts. The 21-year-old also earned the Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the nation’s most versatile player.
Although Concepcion regularly dazzled in college, he did have issues securing the ball. Concepcion dropped 19 passes in college, but his stock nonetheless rose during the pre-draft process. Whether the Browns start Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson at quarterback in 2026, they will count on Concepcion to emerge as a major threat.
Cowboys Add DE Malachi Lawrence At 23
The Cowboys have now added two defenders in Round 1. Trading up for Caleb Downs, Dallas moved down three spots (via Philadelphia) and added Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.
Lawrence gained steam as the pre-draft process wore on, being named a player likely to be chosen earlier than expected. The Cowboys revealed post-draft they would have chosen Lawrence at No. 20 had they not found a trade-down partner.
Dallas moved down three spots from No. 20, sliding down via the Eagles. This marked the second time the Cowboys had traded down to allow the Eagles to vault up for a first-rounder since 2021, when Philly tabbed DeVonta Smith (and led Dallas to Micah Parsons two picks later). The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers in August, obtaining the No. 20 choice (along with a 2027 first-rounder). Dallas moved the ’27 first to the Jets for Quinnen Williams, highlighting the importance of Lawrence and Downs in this year’s first round.
Lawrence follows a host of early-round Cowboys edge rusher choices. After choosing Parsons in the 2021 first round, Dallas selected Sam Williams in the 2022 second round. The team then chose Marshawn Kneeland in the 2024 second round and Donovan Ezeiruaku in the ’25 second. Tragically, Kneeland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November.
The Cowboys also traded for Rashan Gary, doing so before re-signing Williams, this offseason. That duo joins Ezeiruaku and now Lawrence at OLB in new DC Christian Parker‘s 3-4 scheme. For all the heat Cowboys brass takes for contract timing and mismanagement, the team has done well to land first-round talent. The Cowboys have drafted eight first-team All-Pro players in the first round since 2010. After trading one of their top 21st-century talents in Parsons, the Cowboys are banking on Downs and Lawrence injecting life into their porous defense.
Totaling 19.5 sacks over the past three seasons, Lawrence registered 27.5 tackles for loss in that span. The Cowboys were not one of the teams to use a “30” visit on Lawrence, who met with half the NFL before the draft. While Downs will be expected to become an instant starter, Lawrence will likely be brought along slower. But Dallas will expect starter work from the mid-major prospect early in his rookie contract, in all likelihood.
Bolts Grab DE Akheem Mesidor At No. 22
The Chargers lost Odafe Oweh in free agency, and while they re-signed Khalil Mack, the team will add Miami edge defender Akheem Mesidor in Round 1.
Mesidor joins an EDGE group housing Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree. The Canadian pass rusher goes off the board seven picks after Miami teammate Rueben Bain Jr. Despite his rookie status, at 25 years old, Mesidor is already two years older than Tuipulotu, a second-round pick from 2023. While Mesidor doesn’t bring the long-range potential for a 10-plus-year run with the team that drafted him, he brings NFL-ready pass rush ability and a vast variety of experience.
A six-year collegiate athlete, Mesidor started his studies at West Virginia, notching five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman. In Year 2 with the Mountaineers, Mesidor was moved inside to defensive tackle and still contributed with a disruptive 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. A transfer to Miami returned him to the edge, and he gave the Hurricanes seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.
After a year lost to injury and a year covering for an injured Bain, Mesidor delivered a career-year on the Hurricanes’ run to the College Football Playoff national championship matchup. Together, Mesidor and Bain terrorized opponents, especially once they got to postseason play. While it was Bain that earned All-American honors, Mesidor led the Canes defense with 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. His four forced fumbles were a team best, as well.
While his age and injury history may have scared some teams off, the Chargers are cashing in on hugely productive pass rusher with size to play all over the line and an arsenal of pass rush moves to find success as a rookie. Even if Mesidor doesn’t crack the starting lineup as a rookie, the team’s top pass rushing trio of Mack, Tuipulotu, and Dupree are all in the final year of their current contracts, so Mesidor may just represent the team’s future on the edge.
Steelers Draft T Max Iheanachor At No. 21
With Broderick Jones not living up to his draft slot and battling a major injury, the Steelers are choosing a first-round tackle for the third time in four years.
Pittsburgh brought in Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall. This gives Pittsburgh some potential Jones insurance and a possible long-term option opposite RT Troy Fautanu. Iheanachor was one of nine offensive linemen (including seven tackles) chosen in Round 1 tonight.
This pick carried a major “what if?” component, with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon revealing the Steelers communicated to him an intent to draft him at No. 21. The intra-Pennsylvania development emerged after the Eagles traded up three spots (via the Cowboys) to vault in front of the Steelers at No. 20. Lemon went off the board soon after.
“Pittsburgh called me and I thought they were going to draft me and then the Eagles called at the same time,” Lemon said. “I guess it was meant to be. I’m super excited to be in Philly.”
Iheanachor will spend at least the early years of his career tied to a wide receiver, which is obviously not commonplace for a tackle, but big responsibilities may be coming early. Jones is recovering from neck fusion surgery, and a setback may or may not have occurred. And the 2023 first-round pick has not played especially well in stints at left and right tackle. A move to his natural LT spot did not yield desired results before the injury, and Pittsburgh will decline the Georgia alum’s fifth-year option. Iheanachor profiles as a successor option, though it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh uses him more at right tackle — his primary college role — early behind Fautanu as he develops.
The Steelers were not among a host of teams who conducted “30” visits with the Nigeria native — who began his career at junior college — but they were linked to a possible first-round tackle. This was due in large part to Jones’ issues since being drafted. Pittsburgh had gone since the 1990s between first-round tackle picks prior to the Jones investment, but the team is now flooded with Round 1 options at this position as OTAs near.
Iheanachor earned second-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season. He primarily played right tackle with the Sun Devils but saw time on the blind side as well. With the Steelers stationing Fautanu at RT after his 2024 injury absence, an Iheanachor-at-LT experiment figures to gain traction soon.
“Position flex is huge,” Mike McCarthy said of his team’s first-round pick. “It’s bigger than ever in the NFL. Seventeen games is real. And to add Max to this group is – I can’t tell you how excited we are with the pick.”
Panthers Draft T Monroe Freeling At 19
The Panthers have been busy at tackle this offseason. Not only did they add Rasheed Walker, but the reigning NFC South champs are bringing in Georgia’s Monroe Freeling in the first round.
[RELATED: Freeling’s Prospect Profile]
Freeling, chosen 19th overall, joins a Carolina team that lost LT starter Ikem Ekwonu to a patellar tendon tear in the wild-card round. Carolina now rosters Walker, Freeling, Ekwonu and longtime RT Taylor Moton. Ekwonu is expected to miss a large chunk of 2026 (if not all of it). Cognizant of that, the Panthers brought in Walker on a cheaper-than-expected deal in free agency to provide a capable stopgap. Walker was a starter in 48 of 51 games with the Packers from 2023-25. Moton, meanwhile, has started in all but one of his 129 appearances since 2018.
With Walker and Moton in the fold, it is unclear if the soon-to-be 22-year-old Freeling will step into the starting lineup immediately. He should not have to wait long, though, with Ekwonu and Walker on track to reach free agency a year from now. Moton is on a pricey contract for two more years, but he will turn 32 in August.
A native of Charleston, S.C., Freeling took over as the Bulldogs’ starting left tackle late in 2024. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder continued in that role last season and earned second-team All-SEC honors for his efforts. Freeling elected to leave Georgia instead of returning for his senior season, and his stock skyrocketed during the pre-draft process. While receiver, safety, cornerback and linebacker were other potential first-round routes for the Panthers, they were bullish enough on Freeland to pass on talented prospects at those spots. They are scheduled to make their next selection at No. 51 overall.