NFL Draft Rumors: Bain, Bailey, Chiefs, Ravens
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. was subject to a blast of media a week ago, when news of a careless driving citation he received two years ago that resulted in the loss of life of a passenger broke with unfortunate timing. Several media members and NFL executives with existing knowledge of the situation provided leveled input, though some believed it could still affect his draft stock.
Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports recently dug into the what these executives reportedly knew and how they handled the information they were given. Upon the general reaction that most teams already knew of the situation, Epstein looked into why these franchises were okay with what they found and learned that some had talked to Bain and fellow prospects Wesley Bissainthe and Nyjalik Kelly about the incident. Bissainthe, a linebacker at Miami, and Kelly, a pass rusher out of UCF, were both teammates of Bain’s and passengers of the vehicle at the time of the incident. Teams who spoke with them were satisfied to find that their narratives aligned with Bain’s.
When Epstein asked teams whether they considered Bain a significant character risk, four of the five respondents said no, and the fifth said “it would exercise caution but did not view him to be as risky as” recent NFL players with citations for speeding or driving under the influence, something most teams believe Bain was cleared of doing. In fact, one team that did some digging reportedly believes that “Bain does not drink or smoke.”
In other news with Bain, concerning another red flag from his evaluation process, Epstein relays that, while Bain’s below-average arm length may be evident without exact numbers, “multiple evaluators believe this year’s combine arm-length measurements were not precise.” Epstein goes on to say that arm measurements performed by NFL scouts at pro days have delivered longer results for several players. Bain certainly has some of the shorter arms in this year’s class, but if the combine measurements are indeed short, it may not be as historically bad as initially framed.
Here are more recent rumors on some trench prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft:
- Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey has received plenty of interest over the course of the pre-draft process. He visited a good number of teams early on in the month and added a trip to Tennessee a week ago. He even had a visit canceled with the Jets, though there’s wide speculation of what that could mean. To close out his pre-draft process, Bailey visited the Commanders, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Washington added a pair of former late-first-round pass rushers with varying success this offseason in Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, but Bailey could raise the ceiling of the team’s pass rush.
- The Chiefs have a luxury unusual to the recently successful franchise in this upcoming draft as they sport two first-round picks. According to Dakota Watson of SBNation, general manager Brett Veach seemed to indicate that the team could be looking to address the defensive line early and often in next week’s draft. He also identified offensive tackle as a position of need in the draft, meaning Kansas City may need to address that position with one of their top picks, as well. We recently mocked Bain to the Chiefs, which would certainly address the defensive line, but Veach fears a potential run of tackles shortly after their ninth overall pick, so they may be forced to attack the offensive line first.
- Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta also recently identified offensive line as a focus for his team early in the upcoming draft. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane and Utah right tackle Spencer Fano are names opposing evaluators have connected to Baltimore, according to Jason La Canfora of Sports Illustrated. We mocked Ioane to the Ravens in our recent mock draft, but Fano could easily end up being the pick, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor has been mentioned as a prospect of interest, as well.
Browns Could Prioritize T Over WR In First Round
APRIL 16: Moving down from No. 6 remains a possibility to watch for in the Browns’ case, Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports writes. In any event, he adds that Fano in particular is a prospect viewed as one Cleveland believes can handle left tackle duties at the NFL level. It will be interesting to see how the Browns proceed along the offensive line in general and with respect to Fano in particular on Day 1 of the draft.
APRIL 11: The draft needs in Cleveland are fairly obvious, and though they can’t address all of them in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they can address two. Early reports seem to indicate that wide receiver and offensive tackle are the biggest priorities for the Browns heading into the draft, but which position will they address with their sixth overall pick, and which will have to wait for pick No. 24?
Now, Cleveland didn’t lose anybody from its 2025 receiving corps, but the group from last year underperformed to a point that it can be considered a position of need. Additionally, there are only two players in the room not playing on contract years in 2026, and those players are only under contract for one more year than their corpsman. If the Browns are going to begin rebuilding the room around a new, young pair of hands, now would be an ideal time.
The situation on the offensive line is almost the opposite. With all five starters hitting the free agent market this offseason, Cleveland has been working to rebuild its line after the teardown. The team utilized free agency to bring in guard Zion Johnson and center Elgton Jenkins and traded for former Texans tackle Tytus Howard. It seems the door is open for guard Joel Bitonio to return, if he decides not to retire, but if he does, the Browns re-signed Teven Jenkins, who has plenty of starting experience at guard. The other tackle spot is currently being manned by Dawand Jones, the former fourth-round pick who’s started 20 games in his first three seasons.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s belief that a vast need for quality linemen and a large number of talented prospects could lead to a run on offensive tackles in the first round. At the same time, it’s believed that only two wide receivers could end up going in the top half of the draft, with the eventual WR3 projected to go anywhere from pick Nos. 16-19. Because of this, it would make much more sense for the Browns to address their offensive tackle need than their receiver need.
Locking down the draft’s top receiver — likely Ohio State’s Carnell Tate — would certainly be a great addition to the offense, but it would mean missing out on most of the class’s top tackle prospects if a run takes place. Locking down a top available tackle would mean missing out on Tate, and perhaps Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and USC’s Makai Lemon, but there are several impact options that make perfect sense in the late-first or early-second round. It could be the difference of having Tate and choosing between Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan, or Memphis’ Travis Burke or having one of Utah’s Spencer Fano, Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor then getting your pick of Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., Washington’s Denzel Boston, Alabama’s Germie Bernard, and Louisville’s Chris Bell.
An interesting additional factor to this situation is the reporting that the Browns have been shopping out their current draft slots in the hope of bringing in more Day 2 draft capital; they seemingly are willing to move down from either the sixth or 24th picks, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. That could explain the depth at which Cleveland has been researching top offensive tackle prospects, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. The team hosted Utah’s other tackle, Caleb Lomu, two days ago, per Jackson McCurry of The Dawg Land podcast, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid was “shocked’ to hear that the Browns reportedly like Proctor at No. 6.
In theory, both could be trade down targets. Proctor has routinely found himself ranked behind the likes of Mauigoa and Fano throughout the draft process, and even more recently, Freeling and, in some cases, Clemson’s Blake Miller have snuck by him in the eyes of draft pundits, as well.
Perhaps, the Browns are not interested in selecting Proctor at No. 6 overall but, instead, interested in trading back to a place in the first round in which they may still be able to walk away with Proctor — or, if there’s a serious run at the position, Lomu — while adding some picks in the process. With the depth of wide receivers listed above, they could easily attempt to do the same at that position, if they feel their preferred option may be a reach at No. 24.
The Browns’ toss up in priorities between tackle and wide receiver alone make it impossible to predict who their top overall pick will be. Adding in the potential for a run or drought at either position or a Browns’ trade down from either spot makes even speculation a wild goose chase. It seems the Browns are making plans for a number of contingencies, but it looks like offensive tackle and wide receiver — whatever the order — remain the top priorities 12 days out.
Steelers Host Germie Bernard, Spencer Fano, Vega Ioane
Set to pick 21st overall in this year’s draft, the Steelers have been busy hosting potential first-rounders in the past couple of days. The Steelers visited with Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard and Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano on Monday, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. They met with Penn State guard Vega Ioane on Tuesday, Pryor adds.
Bernard is more of a long-shot first-rounder than either Fano or Ioane, who look like shoo-ins to come off the board on Day 1. There is a chance Bernard will still be available when the Steelers are on the clock at No. 53 in the second round. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks the 6-foot-1, 206-pounder as the 50th-best prospect available, contending he should turn into a solid slot receiver in the pros.
Bernard would begin his career as a complement to the Steelers’ starting receivers, D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman. The team is lacking strong auxiliary options behind the two 6-foot-4 targets, making receiver a position of interest heading into the draft.
Bernard began his college career at Washington, but he found another gear after transferring to Alabama in 2024. He averaged 57 catches, 828 yards and just under five touchdowns per season in his two years with the Crimson Tide. Bernard formed a nice connection in 2025 with quarterback Ty Simpson, a speculative fit for the Steelers in this year’s draft. While the Steelers are not expected to take Simpson, the second-rated signal-caller in this class, he could be tempting if they still do not have an answer on 2025 starter and current free agent Aaron Rodgers‘ future by then. Perhaps there is a scenario in which Bernard and Simpson reunite in Pittsburgh in the next couple of weeks.
Whether Rodgers or someone else is under center for the Steelers in 2026, he could play behind a more talented group of blockers if the team addresses the unit early in the draft. The Steelers lost starting left guard Isaac Seumalo to the Cardinals in free agency, and they are likely to reject left tackle Broderick Jones‘ 2027 fifth-year option by the May 1 deadline. With multiple question marks up front, Pittsburgh is eyeing a couple of premier O-line prospects in Fano and Ioane.
Fano was a three-year starter at Utah, where he mostly played right tackle. A unanimous All-American in 2025, the 6-5, 311-pounder also has the talent to serve as a plug-and-play guard in the pros, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. Jeremiah ranks Fano as the 13th overall player in the class, while he checks in at No. 8 on Brugler’s list. The two are similarly high on Ioane (Jeremiah places him 11th, Brugler has him 12th), who is considered the best guard in the draft. Acquiring Fano or Ioane may be unrealistic for Pittsburgh unless it trades up, which could be a possibility for a club with a league-leading 12 picks. The Steelers’ haul includes three third-rounders and two fourths.
Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman may be other prospects to watch for the Steelers in the first round, according to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. Proctor is not expected to fall past the Lions at pick 17. If that is the case, the Steelers would have to move up for him.
Dolphins High On Spencer Fano, Host Chase Bisontis
New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said shortly after he was hired (via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel) that he would rebuild Miami’s roster “from the inside out.”
However, the Dolphins let starting right guard Cole Strange leave in free agency and only added depth pieces like Jamaree Salyer and Charlie Heck. Not only do they need to replace Strange, they could also upgrade over 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea at the other guard spot after his rough rookie year. Right tackle Austin Jackson has struggled with injuries and is entering the final year of his contract. Only center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Patrick Paul profile as clear long-term starters in Miami.
Luckily for the Dolphins, the 2026 draft class is deep at offensive line, particularly at guard where the Dolphins need immediate help the most. There are also a number of offensive tackles who could contribute on the inside as a rookie with the ability to succeed Jackson in the long-term.
Spencer Fano, a likely first-round pick out of Utah, could be the best of both worlds. The Dolphins are “big fans” of the versatile blocker, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, making him an option for the 11th overall pick. He excelled at right tackle for the Utes in 2024 and 2025, but has been projected to move inside in the NFL due to his sub-33-inch arms. That may not be the case in Miami.
Sullivan’s last team, the Packers, frequently targets tackles with shorter arms with a higher priority on their athleticism and evaluation on tape. He will likely bring that philosophy to the Dolphins, who will run an offshoot of the Shanahan-McVay offensive scheme under new coordinator Bobby Slowik that also emphasizes athletic blockers up front. Fano, who impressed with his movement skills at the Combine, would fit that system perfectly.
Should the Dolphins not land Fano or another offensive linemen with one of their two first-round picks, they will likely prioritize the position on Day 2. Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis, who visited Miami this week, is a potential target at No. 43 overall, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He is also an exciting athlete with potential multi-position versatility having spent time at left guard and right tackle during his time at College Station, though his sub-32-inch arms may be too short for any team to play him outside.
Georgia LT Monroe Freeling Generating Considerable Buzz; Browns A Possible Landing Spot, Could Trade Down
Since left tackle is a premium position, the top collegiate LTs in a given class frequently hear their names called in the first hour of the NFL draft. This year should be no different, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano have long been viewed as possible top-10 selections in April’s event.
But as the aptly-named Austin Mock of The Athletic (subscription required) details, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling has forced his way into the conversation. Per Mock, Freeling was a standout in February’s scouting combine, whereas Fano’s measurements were somewhat disappointing. Plus, Mauigoa and Fano have been unable to separate from each other, giving Freeling a legitimate chance to be the first offensive tackle off the board.
Freeling worked as a backup during his first season in Athens in 2023, and he was only inserted into the starting lineup as an injury replacement towards the end of the 2024 slate. However, he was anointed the starting left tackle heading into 2025, and he made the most of his opportunity, securing Second Team All-SEC honors and helping the Bulldogs to an SEC championship and a place in the CFP quarterfinals.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes Freeling has ideal length and athleticism for a right tackle, though it presently appears as if teams think he will be able to stick on the left side at the professional level. His limited action as a full-time starter suggests he will have some technical issues to address, but his quickness, athletic upside, and the fact that he showed considerable improvement as the 2025 season went on are all reasons to believe he can reach his high ceiling.
The Browns profile as an obvious landing spot. In a recent mock draft published by The Athletic (subscription required), Browns beat Zac Jackson acknowledged the buzz growing around Freeling and opined that Cleveland will select the 6-7, 315-lb blocker with the No. 6 overall pick (Mauigoa was mocked to the Cardinals at No. 3, and Fano was mocked to the Dolphins at No. 11).
Since they employ both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, the Browns’ quarterback situation consistently generates a great deal of attention. Regardless of whom Cleveland taps as its QB in 2026 and beyond, the team will need to improve that player’s protection, particularly on the blind side. A true franchise left tackle is not a guarantee for future success (see: Joe Thomas), but it is nonetheless a critical part of a quality roster.
In Jackson’s view, Freeling’s athletic traits are similar to those that GM Andrew Berry has sought out in prior drafts. That said, Jackson indicates Berry – who also holds the No. 24 overall pick from last year’s draft-day trade with the Jaguars – is open to trading down from No. 6.
Although the Browns boasted a strong defense in 2025, they were unable to get their offense on track and posted a disappointing 5-12 record. Berry has a lot of work to do to return Cleveland to playoff contention, and while his quarterback plan will of course be instrumental in achieving that goal, it also makes sense for him to add as much cost-controlled talent to the club as possible.
The Browns also have been heavily linked to this year’s best WR prospects. In a trade-down scenario, the team could acquire additional draft capital while still landing a tackle like Freeling or Fano as well as a receiver like Jordyn Tyson or Denzel Boston.
AFC North Rumors: Browns, Burrow, Bush, Kent
Much of the focus of the Browns‘ 2025 NFL Draft class was on the excitement of the early-round rookie defenders and the novelty of being the only team in NFL history to have drafted two running backs and two quarterbacks in the first five rounds of the draft.
With some crystal-clear hindsight, Zac Jackson of The Athletic lamented that the Browns neglected to bring in any rookie offensive linemen as they came into the season with all four established starters playing on contract years, while the fifth starter had proven to be prone to injury. The Browns traded to acquire left tackle Cam Robinson from Houston back in September after the injury-prone starter, Dawand Jones, went down with injury, but Robinson, too, is playing on the final year of his current deal, meaning all five current starters should be headed to free agency at the end of the year.
Because of this, Jackson asserts with some certainty that the Browns “will be looking to draft a left tackle of the future” in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cleveland has two first-round picks in 2026 — their own and Jacksonville’s. They may use one to address the quarterback position, but the second one could certainly go to an offensive lineman. A surefire top offensive tackle has not necessarily been identified at this point in the pre-draft process, but names like Utah’s Spencer Fano, Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa could all be candidates to fill out a Browns offensive line that could feature five new starters in 2026.
Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC North:
- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow‘s first game back from injured reserve was a mixed bag. He delivered a convincing win — thanks in part to a surprisingly dominant performance from his defense — while only completing 52.2 percent of his passes. Encouragingly, though, he was only sacked once and threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns — both season highs. While Burrow has made an impressive comeback, returning much earlier than many expected, it hasn’t come without its caveats. Per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the carbon fiber plate and orthotic in his cleat to prevent his shoe from bending is “not comfortable for Burrow,” causing the starter discomfort specifically while playing. When not on the field, he alleviates the pain by taking the cleat off and wearing a sneaker on the sideline. He’ll continue to manage his discomfort as the Bengals push with renewed vigor for a surprisingly open AFC North title.
- Our last update concerning the legal battles of Browns linebacker Devin Bush saw a jury trial scheduled for December 2. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reported on Tuesday that, instead, Bush’s case has been continued in the form of a non-jury trial that will now take place on December 16.
- Two days ago, the Steelers opened the 21-day practice window for seventh-round rookie cornerback Donte Kent. The Central Michigan product had spent the first 13 weeks of his first year on IR but looked like he might just be able to get healthy in time to make his NFL debut as a rookie. Unfortunately, though, Kent suffered a new injury in his first practice back on the field. According to Steelers senior director of communications Burt Lauten, the injury is severe enough that he will miss the remainder of the season. No move to IR will be necessary. Instead, Kent will be too injured to be activated, and once his 21-day practice window officially expires, he will return to IR without the possibility of being activated again.