Jaguars Sign TE Nate Boerkircher, Complete Rookie Class Signings
The Jaguars announced today that they have concluded the process of signing their picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. They saved the best of their 10-man draft class for last, finishing with second-round Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher.
Boerkircher took a longer road to the NFL, turning down a number of Division II offers to walk on at his home-state dream school. After failing to see the field as a true freshman and only playing in three games in Year 2, Boerkircher finally began to find a role as a redshirt sophomore. By the end of his redshirt senior season in Lincoln, he had started 17 of 39 game appearances but only recorded 19 receptions for 219 yards and one touchdown.
Buried on the Cornhuskers’ depth chart with one remaining year of eligibility, thanks to the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Boerkircher transferred to Texas A&M, teaming up with Theo Melin Öhrström to form an intriguing tight end duo in College Station. While most of the Aggies’ passing attack ran through three main options at receiver in KC Concepcion, Mario Craver, and Ashton Bethel-Roman, Boerkircher and Öhrström supplemented the offense as a pair of athletic targets.
Still, Boerkircher’s receiving totals didn’t blow away. He finished his sixth year of school with 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns, but in that short sample, he demonstrated strong hands capable of reeling contested catches with as much consistency as can be determined in a 19-catch sample. With good size and effort, he showed plus abilities as a blocker, as well. He should have an opportunity to compete for the TE2 role in Jacksonville.
After a six-year preamble to the NFL, Boerkircher will be a 25-year-old rookie. He was projected to be a likely fourth-rounder, but coming off the board as TE3, two picks after Eli Stowers, Boerkircher kicked off what would end up being an unprecedented Day 2 run of eight tight ends taken in the second and third rounds.
With all 10 picks signed, here’s a final look at Jacksonville’s rookie draft class:
- Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 81 (from Lions): Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 100 (from Lions)*: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 119 (from Panthers): Wesley Williams (EDGE, Duke) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol (TE, Houston) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Chiefs via Patriots): Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 203 (from Eagles via Texans and Eagles): CJ Williams (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 233 (from Lions): Zach Durfee (EDGE, Washington) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes (LB, Middle Tennessee State) (signed)
Bears To Sign RB Salvon Ahmed, S Anthony Johnson Jr.
The Bears are signing running back Salvon Ahmed and safety Anthony Johnson Jr., per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, adding depth to position groups that were quietly low on experience.
Ahmed, 27, signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 2020 and amassed 646 yards on 152 touches across 18 games in his first two seasons. He only saw 51 touches for 221 yards in 2022 and 2023. Ahmed was waived by the Dolphins during the 2024 preseason and spent time with the Broncos and Colts during the regular season, though he did not appear in a game. He then signed a reserve/futures contract in Indianapolis for the 2025 season, but went down with a season-ending ankle injury during training camp.
The Bears’ running back room is headlined by six-year veteran D’Andre Swift and 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, who took all but seven of Chicago’s backfield touches last year. Travis Homer, who is now in Pittsburgh, appeared in 10 games with all but six snaps coming on special teams, and Roschon Johnson and Brittain Brown combined for 10 games and 19 offensive snaps. Further down the depth chart, the Bears also have 2025 UDFA Deion Hankins and undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett.
Ahmed has more experience than all of Chicago’s current running backs other than Swift, giving him somewhat of an advantage over his competition for a roster spot. However, he will still need to show he is recovered from last year’s injury and can still contribute either on offense or special teams to make the team.
Johnson, 26, was a Packers seventh-round pick in 2023 who appeared in 12 games with a 40% snap share as a rookie. He was waived during final roster cuts in 2024 and made his way to the Giants. He played nine games in New York with 113 of his 135 snaps coming on special teams and spent the following year on injured reserve.
In Chicago, Johnson will join a revamped Bears safety room that is without last year’s starters, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. The team let both walk in free agency and signed former Seahawks fourth-round pick Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40MM deal. They also retained 2022 seventh-rounder Elijah Hicks, drafted Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in April’s draft, and signed Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas as an undrafted rookie. Also returning from last year’s practice squad are Gervarrius Owens and Dominique Hampton.
Similar to Ahmed, Johnson will immediately become one of the Bears’ most experienced players at his position, though all of his playing time came in 2024 or earlier. His health will also be crucial to his ability to earn a roster spot this summer.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/20/26
Wednesday’s mid- to late-round signings from the 2026 NFL Draft:
Denver Broncos
- RB Jonah Coleman (fourth round, Washington)
- OL Kage Casey (fourth round, Boise State)
Kansas City Chiefs
- S Jadon Canady (fourth round, Oregon)
After combining for 1,811 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Coleman is seen as a potential steal for Denver. He reportedly fell to the fourth round due to concerns about the durability of his knee, but there’s a chance that the Washington product could challenge for snaps in a backfield that currently features J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. By inking Coleman and Casey, the Broncos only remaining unsigned pick is third-round Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim.
Canady brings versatile experience to the secondary in Kansas City. Starting his collegiate career as an outside cornerback at Tulane, Canady worked more in the slot in order to find the field after transferring to Ole Miss. In his final year of eligibility, Canady found himself in a roaming safety role with the Ducks, spending most of his time in the slot with a good chunk at deep safety, as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/26
Today’s midweek minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Heinrich Haarberg
- Waived (with injury settlement): RB Montrell Johnson
- Waived: OLB Jamil Muhammad
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Brodric Martin
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Travis Shaw
- Released: LS Niko Lalos
The Panthers are adding some tight end help in the form Haarberg, a converted quarterback during his time at Nebraska. Starting as an in-state, three-star passing prospect, Haarberg first found the field as a redshirt sophomore, after the Cornhuskers began his transition to tight end. In his second game, though, the team’s starter went down with injury, and Haarberg started 8 games under center, going 5-3. He returned to his tight end role the next two seasons but saw more action rushing than receiving, serving as a bit of a Taysom Hill-type of weapon.
The Patriots add another undrafted rookie to their class in Shaw. The North Carolina-transfer played for the Longhorns in his final year of eligibility but didn’t see much improvement in playing time after three years as a rotational piece for the Tar Heels.
Titans Hire Dave Gardi As Executive VP Of Football Operations
Weeks after Chad Brinker‘s decision to step away from his high-ranking role in the Titans’ front office, the team has made a significant hire to join its Mike Borgonzi-fronted operation. Dave Gardi will join the team as its executive vice president of football operations.
The Titans announced the hire, indicating Gardi will report directly to Borgonzi. Gardi most recently was with the Commanders, serving as their senior VP of football initiatives.
Tennessee has seen many changes to its power structure commence since Amy Adams Strunk fired GM Jon Robinson in December 2022. The team hired Ran Carthon (against then-HC Mike Vrabel‘s wishes) as GM in 2023 but promoted Brinker — hired to be one of Carthon’s assistant GMs — to their top decision-making presence during Carthon’s stay. Carthon was then fired in January 2025, as Brinker officially saw his title change to president of football ops. Borgonzi worked under Brinker in 2025, but the Titans announced the GM would take control of the 53-man roster in January. Brinker stepped down after the draft.
Gardi is set to “oversee football administration, football strategy and analytics, research, football information systems, team operations and security,” according to the Titans. He joins assistant GM Dave Ziegler as a top Borgonzi lieutenant. Ziegler is in his second year working in that capacity.
Spending two years with the Commanders, Gardi enjoyed a much longer tenure in the NFL office. Gardi spent 21 years in the league office, serving as senior VP of football operations for his final 10 years under Roger Goodell. This hire reminds of the Giants’ offseason decision to add longtime league employee Dawn Aponte to a key front office role.
In-game management duties and officiating trends were part of Gardi’s Washington responsibilities, with salary cap and contract matters falling in his purview with the league office. The Titans have Borgonzi in a much more powerful spot compared to his first year with the team, and he led the search that brought Robert Saleh to Nashville. Gardi will step in as a key member of this hierarchy moving forward.
Lions Sign WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
The Lions addressed their wide receiver position with a Day 3 draft choice while reuniting new OC Drew Petzing with ex-Cardinal Greg Dortch. The team is making another move for potential depth, however.
Cedrick Wilson Jr. signed with the Lions on Wednesday, per a team announcement. Wilson spent last season with the Dolphins, returning to Miami after playing the 2024 campaign in New Orleans.
Wilson, 30, did not live up to a three-year, $22.1MM Dolphins accord signed back in 2022 and was released in 2024. The second-generation NFL wideout totaled 602 receiving yards and six touchdowns with the 2021 Cowboys but has not eclipsed 300 yards in any other season. Working as a tertiary Miami option alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in 2023, Wilson did tally 296 yards and three TDs. But the Dolphins moved on rather than keep him on that contract in 2024.
The Saints gave Wilson a two-year, $5.75MM to play in Klint Kubiak‘s system in 2024. With the Saints losing Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to injury that season, Wilson provided modest assistance in 15 games (20 catches, 211 yards) and landed on New Orleans’ practice squad to open 2025. The Dolphins signed Wilson off the Saints’ P-squad last September following Hill’s season-ending knee injury; Wilson saw minimal action in 10 contests, catching just five passes for 44 yards.
Detroit returns Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to go with second-year cog Isaac TeSlaa at receiver. A former Cardinals slot receiver, Dortch signed a one-year, $1.4MM deal that included a $1.1MM guarantee. Detroit then drafted Kentucky’s Kendrick Law in Round 5 last month. This situation will certainly not guarantee Wilson a roster spot, and it would surprise if his guarantee matched Dortch’s at this offseason juncture.
Wilson has never cleared the 35% snap barrier on special teams, though he does have 36 career punt returns on his resume. The Lions lost longtime returner Kalif Raymond in free agency; Raymond is now with the Bears. The Lions also have longtime backup/P-squad presence Tom Kennedy among their cadre of second-string candidates at receiver. Wilson will join the fray as a potential option for the 53-man roster or practice squad.
Cardinals WR Michael Wilson: Contract Will ‘Take Care Of Itself’
Stars Puka Nacua, George Pickens, Drake London and Chris Olave top of the list of receivers who are unsigned beyond 2026. Not to be forgotten, the Cardinals’ Michael Wilson is also on track to reach free agency in a year. Wilson could be a candidate for a contract extension, but he isn’t focused on the business side of the game (via Darren Urban of the team’s website).
“Truthfully that whole situation isn’t going to dictate my offseason,” WIlson said. “That’s not something that I want to show up to the building with it on my mind. I don’t want that to affect how I show up every single day because ultimately that stuff is going to take care of itself.”
Since coming off the board in the third round of the 2023 draft (No. 94 overall), Wilson has started 38 of 46 games with the Cardinals. His production has taken clear steps forward along the way.
During a 13-game rookie season, Wilson lined up on the outside on approximately 74% of snaps and caught 38 of 58 targets for 565 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall in 2024, and Wilson’s slot usage has climbed over 30% since then. With Harrison in the fold, Wilson finished a 16-game second season with 47 receptions on 71 targets, 548 yards and four scores.
Last year was the first 17-game season for Wilson, whose numbers skyrocketed. With quarterback Kyler Murray at the helm for the first five weeks, Wilson caught just eight of 18 targets for a meager 52 yards and a score. Murray went down with a season-ending foot injury, leaving journeyman Jacoby Brissett to finish 2025 as the Cardinals’ starter.
Wilson’s output started trending upward once Brissett took the reins, and it reached its zenith in a 15-catch, 185-yard outburst in a Week 11 loss to the 49ers. Harrison was out that day with appendicitis, leading Brissett to target Wilson 18 times. Wilson went on to accrue double-digit targets four more times late in the season (Harrison missed three of those games). He chipped in two more games of at least 10 receptions and 100-plus yards apiece. In all, the 6-foot-2, 213-pounder pulled in 78 of 126 targets for 1,006 yards and seven TDs.
The Cardinals released Murray, now a member of the Vikings, and are expected to keep Brissett as their starter to open the season. That will depend in part on whether the Cardinals and Brissett settle a contract dispute. If that happens, Wilson would stand to benefit after forming a rapport with Brissett last year. On the other hand, he has never worked with the Cardinals’ second- and third-string QBs, free agent pickup Gardner Minshew and third-round rookie Carson Beck.
Wilson is also dealing with a new coaching staff led by the offensive-minded Mike LaFleur, who replaced Jonathan Gannon. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and wide receivers coach Drew Terrell were around for Wilson’s breakout 2025 campaign, but Nathaniel Hackett and Tony Sorrentino are now in those respective roles. The changes are fine with Wilson, who said he’s “excited every day to come to work” under LaFleur (via Arizona Sports).
Wilson’s comments on LaFleur suggest he is open to an extension. It’s also worth noting that general manager Monti Ossenfort spoke glowingly of the 26-year-old at the Combine in February.
“Michael is everything we want in our program to be about,” said Ossenfort (via Urban).
Ossenfort’s GM tenure in Arizona has been light on positives since his hiring in 2023, but making Wilson part of his first draft class has paid dividends. It remains to be seen if Ossenfort will still be with the Cardinals next offseason, as a fourth straight sub-.500 campaign could lead to his ouster. Regardless, the Cardinals are projected to enter 2027 with the NFL’s second-most cap space. That will give them ample room to give Wilson a raise if there is mutual interest. In the meantime, Wilson is on track to collect $3.92MM in the final year of his rookie deal.
Lions Holding Competition At Left Guard
Lions third-year offensive lineman Christian Mahogany may be the frontrunner to start at left guard, but he will have to battle for the job. Mahogany will face “real competition” from Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
Despite earning first-team All-ACC honors as a senior at Boston College in 2023, Mahogany lasted until the sixth round of the ensuing draft. A torn ACL cost Mahogany his entire junior season at BC, and injuries have continued troubling him in Detroit.
Mahogany began his career on the non-football injury list and played just seven games (one start) as a rookie. In the wake of Frank Ragnow‘s retirement, Graham Glasgow moved to center last year. That opened up left guard for Mahogany, who became a full-time starter when healthy. However, a fractured fibula held him to 11 games. The results weren’t great when Mahogany took the field, as Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 47th among 79 guards. Mahogany’s pass-blocking grade (40.7) was PFF’s sixth-worst at his position.
Entering free agency in search of guard depth, the Lions added Bartch on a low-cost deal (one year, $1.22MM) in March. The former Jaguar and 49er has started in just 24 of 55 games during his career. As is the case with Mahogany, injuries have been a problem for Bartch. The 27-year-old has missed between two and 14 games in each of his seven seasons. He opened last year as the 49ers’ starting left guard, but he never got the job back after going down with a high ankle sprain in Week 2. While Bartch returned from injured reserve in November, a foot sprain ended his season a few weeks later.
A three-year starter at LSU, Frazier joined the Lions as a fifth-rounder in the 2025 draft. Like Mahogany, he was unavailable at the beginning of his career. Frazier began the season on the reserve/PUP list as a result of a knee injury and did not debut until Week 13. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder came off the bench in five games and was on the field for just 46 offensive snaps, but he could take on a much larger role if he impresses over the summer.
The Lions have a few months to figure out left guard, whereas the rest of their offensive line looks set. Elite tackle Penei Sewell is on track to switch from the right to the left side, replacing released 10-year starter Taylor Decker. Sewell’s presence on the left should benefit whichever guard lines up next to him. On the other side of the line, first-round rookie Blake Miller is the favorite to start at right tackle. Second-year man Tate Ratledge has right guard locked down, and former Panther Cade Mays will start at center in the first season of a three-year, $25MM contract.
DeMario Douglas’ Patriots Roster Spot In Jeopardy?
Patriots slot receiver DeMario Douglas saw his playing time and production drop in 2025, which could go down as his last season in New England. Douglas is still a member of the Patriots, but the three-year veteran’s roster spot appears to be in jeopardy, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.
As the 210th overall pick in 2023, the former sixth-rounder from Liberty has outplayed his draft position since he entered the NFL. Douglas started seven of 14 games as a rookie and caught 49 passes for 561 yards, though he did not find the end zone. He showed even more promise in 2024, quarterback Drake Maye‘s rookie campaign. Playing a career-high 62% of offensive snaps (up from 55% in 2023), the 5-foot-8, 192-pounder set personal bests in receptions (66), yards (621) and TDs (three) over 17 games and seven starts.
Maye took massive steps forward in 2025, a year in which he finished second in MVP voting and helped the Patriots to an AFC title. Surprisingly, Douglas was not much of a factor in Maye’s breakout. Although Douglas played a full season for the second year in a row, he logged a meager 26% offensive snap share, went without a start, and managed just 31 catches, 447 yards and three scores. Four Patriots wideouts (Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams) received more playing time than Douglas.
Diggs is now off the Patriots’ roster, and Boutte may be on his way out via trade, but they added Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $68MM pact in free agency and are expected to swing a deal for the Eagles’ A.J. Brown sometime after June 1. Brown and Doubs would be the Patriots’ top two receivers in that scenario, leaving Douglas, Hollins, Boutte (unless the Pats move him), Williams and Efton Chism to round out the group. Chism had just three catches in eight games as an undrafted rookie in 2025, but if he becomes the Patriots’ kick returner, he could edge out Douglas for a roster spot, per Graff. He averaged 23.9 yards on 16 kick returns last season.
Douglas collected salaries ranging from $750K to $1.03MM in his first three seasons, but thanks to a Level 1 Proven Performance Escalator, that number will jump to $3.67MM this year. The Patriots will save almost all of that money if they trade or cut Douglas before next season. Parting with him would leave the team with a mere $33,333 in dead cap.
Kyle Van Noy Plans To Play In 2026
Over two months since free agency opened, edge defender Kyle Van Noy remains among the NFL’s class of notable unsigned veterans. That could change soon. The 35-year-old told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network that he plans to continue his career in 2026.
“I’m going to play next year,” declared Van Noy, who revealed “a lot of teams” have shown interest during his latest trip to free agency. The 12-year vet added that he could make his decision closer to training camp.
Since going in the second round (40th overall) of the 2014 draft, Van Noy has combined for 115 starts in 173 games in stints with the Lions, Patriots, Dolphins, Chargers and Ravens. The former BYU Cougar has piled up 57 sacks, 39 pass deflections and 14 forced fumbles along the way. He also won a pair of Super Bowls as a key cog in the Patriots’ defense from 2016-19.
Van Noy is now coming off a three-year run in Baltimore, where he posted the most sacks of his career (23.5). After setting a career high with nine in 2023, he totaled 12.5 (and a personal-best 21 QB hits) the next season en route to his lone Pro Bowl nod.
Van Noy was a 13-game starter for the second straight year in 2025, but his production declined as part of a defense that fell short of expectations. Over 15 games, Van Noy notched 20 tackles, nine QB hit, four pass deflections, two sacks and an interception – the fourth of his career. Pro Football Focus ranked Van Noy’s performance an underwhelming 73rd among 119 qualified edge defenders, down from 25th the previous year.
While Van Noy told Garafolo he “didn’t like how last year went,” it does not appear retirement is on the table yet. Van Noy expressed interest in eventually working in the media and/or in a front office, but that will have to wait if he catches on with one of the league’s 32 teams before next season. For now, he is one of the most established edge defenders available on a market that also includes Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Leonard Floyd and Haason Reddick, among others.