RB Jeremiyah Love At Top Of Giants’ List?
Drafting running backs early in the first round is back in style. Ashton Jeanty went at No. 6 last year, and in 2023, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs went eighth and 12th overall, respectively. This year’s draft is expected to add another name to the list. 
The running back most likely to continue this trend in 2026 is Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love. Tennessee has been a popular projection, as both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are in the final years of their contracts. However, as ESPN’s Jordan Reid notes, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi came up in a Chiefs front office that prioritized premium positions with premium draft picks. Taking a running back with the No. 4 pick – especially with needs at more valuable positions – would fly in the face of that philosophy.
If the Titans pass on Love, he will likely wind up in New York, according to Reid’s colleague, Matt Miller. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh may not have such qualms about Love’s position with more of an emphasis on his game-changing talent. He consistently prioritized a strong ground game in Baltimore, though the Ravens never drafted a running back in the first-round during his tenure.
Were New York to choose him, Love would immediately have the best draft pedigree of anyone in the Giants’ running backs room. Veteran Devin Singletary currently holds that honor as a former third-round pick out of FAU. Eric Gray and Tyrone Tracy were fifth-round picks in back-to-back years for New York, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Singletary and Gray are also set to play on the final years of their contracts. Combined with last year’s fourth-round rookie, Cam Skattebo, there are plenty of mouths to feed, but inserting Love into the room immediately would change the outlook for the current players’ roles in the room.
If running back isn’t the answer in New York, the team’s top decision makers could start the trend for another position that isn’t notoriously taken early on Day 1. Harbaugh was part of a large contingent that attended the Ohio State Pro Day on Wednesday. It was notable enough to see Harbaugh there, given he hasn’t frequented many pro days in recent years, but in Columbus, Harbaugh, team owner Chris Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown, and player personnel director Tim McDonnell all showed up to evaluate Buckeyes, and Harbaugh was seen getting some face time with standout safety Caleb Downs, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The highest a safety has ever been drafted was second overall in 1991, when Eric Turner‘s name was called by the Browns. Since then, only two other safeties have even been drafted in the top five picks of the draft, Sean Taylor in 2004 and Eric Berry in 2010. Downs could be the next to join that list if the Giants decide to write his name down a month from now. Harbaugh’s defenses in Baltimore almost always featured strong safety play from names like Ed Reed, Eric Weddle, and Kyle Hamilton. Downs may be just the man to upgrade Big Blue’s defensive outfield in 2026.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
WR Carnell Tate Lines Up Five Visits
Having already met with the Browns, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate has lined up several more visits in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate said he will meet with the Titans, Saints, Commanders, Giants and Chiefs, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.
All of the above teams have a need at receiver and are set to pick in the top 10, which is prime territory for Tate. The latest prized Ohio State receiver prospect, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate is poised to follow other recent Buckeyes wideouts like Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in coming off the board in the first round.
The Buckeyes’ receiving corps was so strong during Tate’s three-year run on the team that he was never the No. 1 option. When Tate broke in as a freshman in 2023, Harrison and Egbuka were atop the depth chart. Tate caught just 18 passes in 13 games that year. Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith were ahead of Tate in the pecking order in his sophomore season, a national title-winning campaign, but he notched 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. Closing out his college career last year, Tate played second fiddle to Smith and secured 51 catches for 875 yards and nine scores in 11 games. The sure-handed Tate did not drop a pass in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
“You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that’s not Justin Jefferson at LSU,” an NFC area scout told Matt Miller of ESPN.
That’s a lofty comparison, but with Tate considered an elite prospect, the club that drafts him will bank on adding someone capable of making a Jefferson-like impact. If he goes to Tennessee at No. 4, Tate would team with the newly signed Wan’Dale Robinson as the top receivers for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Tate would pair with another Ohio State product in New Orleans (No. 8; Olave) or Washington (No. 7; Terry McLaurin). If the Giants take Tate at No. 5, it would give them another blue-chip receiver alongside Malik Nabers. As the sixth pick in 2024, Nabers excelled as a rookie, but a torn ACL limited him to four games last season.
Meanwhile, despite investing heavily in the receiver position in recent drafts, the Chiefs arguably lack a No. 1 wideout. 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore is off the roster; 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice has been productive when healthy, but he has dealt with injuries and serious off-field issues; and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy was a complementary target in his first two seasons. If the Chiefs choose Tate ninth overall, they would expect the 21-year-old to emerge as Patrick Mahomes‘ first star receiver since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in 2022.
DT Kayden McDonald Books Several Pre-Draft Visits
We are now in “30” visit season, and this year’s draft runup will feature a host of Ohio State products making such travel plans. Next month’s event could see four Buckeyes — Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate — go in the top 10. Another of the Big Ten power’s recent standouts is on the first-round radar as well.
Several teams are set to determine Kayden McDonald‘s draft stock, with the defensive tackle indicating (via SI.com’s Justin Melo) the Bears, Bengals, Commanders, Dolphins, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens and Texans have scheduled visits.
Like in free agency, this draft is not viewed as particularly strong at the position. The dearth of FA options led to a John Franklin-Myers Titans windfall. This draft’s hierarchy at the position is still taking shape, but as it stands, Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board does not include a DT among its top 32 prospects. A few sit just outside that range, however, with McDonald (39th) joining Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter (34), Clemson’s Peter Woods (35) and Florida’s Caleb Banks (36) among those vying to be the first player at the position to come off the board.
A first-team All-American in 2025, McDonald broke through in his junior Buckeyes season by making nine tackles for loss and registering three sacks. Profiling as a power rusher and run-stuffing presence, the disruptive D-lineman weighed 326 pounds at the Combine. He will be of interest to many teams who did not see a deep pool emerge at the position in free agency.
McDonald only has one season featuring notable production, with his 2024 slate — as the Buckeyes stormed to a national championship — only including 1.5 TFLs and no sacks. The bulk of the teams who have scheduled meetings with McDonald use a 4-3 scheme; Ohio State primarily used a 4-2-5 setup during McDonald’s three-year run. Field Yates’ latest NFL mock draft sends McDonald to the Raiders, who will continue using a 3-4 alignment in base sets, at No. 36.
Although the past four drafts have seen a DT go off the board in the top 16, the 2021 class did not bring a first-round investment at the position. It will be interesting to see how teams view this crop, one that may not see a top-20 pick this year.
USC WR Makai Lemon Working Out With Saints, Commanders, Titans
While Makai Lemon has to fend off a handful of wide receiver prospects, he’s still under consideration to be selected in the top-10. The USC wideout met with the Saints today after previously working out for the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The reporter adds that the Titans are also on the docket for Lemon. The Browns reportedly worked out the WR earlier this month.
Following a strong 2024 season that put him on the NFL radar, Lemon established himself as a definitive first-round WR in 2025. The USC standout finished the year with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning him a unanimous All-American nod and the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is handed out annually to the best college receiver.
Measuring at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, Lemon doesn’t have the typical size of an elite wide receiver. Still, scouts have lauded the prospects catching ability and run-after-catch skills, and he’s definitively in the top tier of WR options in the upcoming draft. The rest of that grouping includes Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, with Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion trending towards late-first-round selections.
Each of those potential suitors could offer Lemon an immediate role in their offense. The Saints got a bounce-back showing from Chris Olave in 2025, but the team lacks a dynamic playmaker opposite their WR1, with Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipton currently representing the best ancillary targets for Tyler Shough. Armed with the No. 8 pick, the Saints may be one of the most realistic landing spots for Lemon, especially if Tate and Tyson are already off the board.
It’s a similar story in Washington, with Deebo Samuel currently unsigned. Terry McLaurin is attached to a lucrative contract, but the team is lacking intrigue from their other options. Van JeffersonandDyami Brown have been added to a depth chart that also features Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey, and the Commanders (picking at No. 7) may be intrigued by the opportunity to pair Jayden Daniels with another high-skilled WR.
The Titans (No. 4) may not be as desparate for a WR, although no one would blame the organization from trying to surround Cam Ward with as much talent as possible. The organization got solid contributions from fourth-round rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike in 2025, and that duo will join Calvin Ridley and free agent acquisition Wan’Dale Robinson atop the depth chart in 2026.
Brian Flores’ Suit Allowed To Move Forward Despite Possible SCOTUS Review; Flores Amends Complaint
Brian Flores’ suit against the NFL and six of its clubs is inching forward; sort of. Although the league is presently attempting to secure United States Supreme Court review of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that Flores’ claims against the Broncos, Giants, and Texans shall be heard in open court rather than remain in arbitration, the presiding trial court judge has denied the league’s request to stay the matter pending a SCOTUS resolution (per sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan). In other words, even as the “arbitration versus open forum” battle continues to play out, the underlying proceeding – which was filed over four years ago – has been allowed to continue into its next phases.
This represents another win for Flores, the current defensive coordinator of the Vikings, and co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. Successfully removing a lawsuit against the NFL from the hands of an NFL-appointed arbitrator and into the more objective purview of a trial court judge is obviously critical, and now the league will need to start defending the case on a more substantive level.
Of course, the NFL could still prevail on its last-ditch effort to keep the case in arbitration. In order for that to happen, however, SCOTUS would first need to grant the league’s pending petition to hear the appeal and would then need to rule in the league’s favor, both of which are far from sure things. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a decision as to whether the highest court in the land will hear the appeal will be made within the next month or so (but that is only for the Broncos, Giants, and Texans portion of the suit; the league’s efforts to keep the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans portion of the claim in arbitration were denied more recently, and the NFL will likely try to obtain SCOTUS review of that decision as well).
This case has now officially evolved into a war on two fronts, and Flores & Co. have also made a potentially-significant addition to their request for relief. As Kaplan details, the plaintiffs are amending their complaint to include a count under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
As sports attorney Chris Deubert explains, the Title VII count is significant because it allows a successful plaintiff to recover even if he cannot prove intent. Rather, recovery is still possible as long as the plaintiff can prove a policy that is race-neutral on its face has a discriminatory impact in practice.
The addition of the Title VII count was not made earlier in part because of the lengthy battle over the proper venue and in part because the plaintiffs had to receive a “right to sue” letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was not issued until June 2024. With hundreds of NFL head coaching hires having been made over the course of league history, Kaplan believes Flores will have a statistically-significant sample to draw from and will thus stand a good chance of prevailing on his “disparate impact” claim.
After interviewing for head coaching jobs with three different clubs this year, Flores will remain in Minnesota on a $6MM salary. That may make him the highest-paid coordinator in the league, but the former head coach of the Dolphins still wants another opportunity to run a team.
Titans To Sign LB Mohamoud Diabate
Mohamoud Diabate was not given a restricted free agent tender by the Browns. That led him to the open market, and a departure is set to take place. 
Diabate has agreed to terms with the Titans, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. The fourth-year linebacker is the latest in a long line of Tennessee additions on the defensive side of the ball in particular this month. He has totaled 48 appearances and 18 starts in his NFL career.
After entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Diabate hardly saw the field on defense as a rookie while handling a regular special teams role. Things changed in 2024 when he became a starter, logging a 70% defensive snap share. Diabate posted 70 tackles and three pass deflections that season.
In 2025, the 24-year-old logged a full slate of games for the first time. Diabate’s playing time fell, although he still made six starts. The Browns have undergone numerous changes since the arrival of new head coach Todd Monken‘s staff; that included the decision to not tender Diabate at a cost of $3.52MM. This Titans agreement will likely check in at a lower rate.
This marks the first linebacker addition of free agency for Tennessee, a team which has made a number of investments on the open market. Incumbents Joe Bachie and Anfernee Orji remain unsigned at this point, and today’s Diabate agreement obviously lessens the chances of them returning for 2026. The Titans will again have Cedric Gray and Cody Barton as mainstays at the second level of their defense, but Diabate will offer depth along with special teams experience.
Tennessee entered Saturday with more than $63MM in cap space, easily the most in the NFL. That figure is unlikely to change much with this agreement, leaving plenty of flexibility for further moves to be made as the secondary waves of free agency play out.
AFC Contract Details: Doubs, Steelers, Chiefs, Bengals, Titans, Bills
After a solid four-year run with the Packers, wide receiver Romeo Doubs entered free agency hoping to earn $20MM per season on his next contract, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Twenty-two receivers are currently in that club, but Doubs fell short of joining the group. He will still rake in $17MM per annum on his four-year, $68MM deal with the Patriots. The contract includes $3MM in annual incentives, which would enable Doubs to reach his goal of $20MM per year. However, securing all of that money would require huge production. Doubs would earn $750K each for 70 catches, 80 receptions, 1,000 yards and 1,200 yards, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. The 25-year-old has averaged 51 catches and 606 yards per season.
Here are more contract details from around the AFC:
- Sticking with the Patriots, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will collect $500K each if he’s active for 85% of snaps, 90%, 95%, and picks up an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod, per Volin. Although the oft-injured Tucker missed 42 of 85 games during his half-decade with the Jets, he still pulled in a three-year, $42MM payday.
- Steelers running back Rico Dowdle‘s two-year, $12.25MM agreement features a $5MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.25MM and $6MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 relays. Newly signed defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day‘s two-year, $11MM accord includes a $4.7MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.3MM and $5MM, Wilson adds.
- Chiefs defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga three-year, $21MM arrangement includes a $5.6MM signing bonus, a first-year salary of $1.22MM and then back-to-back $6.75MM salaries, according to Wilson. Safety Alohi Gilman‘s three-year, $24.75MM contract comes with a $6MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.25MM, $7.25MM and $8.75MM (via Wilson).
- Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Allen‘s two-year, $25MM deal features a $7.5MM option after signing and $7.5MM in full guarantees, per Wilson. Allen’s salary will skyrocket from $2.4MM next season to $18.8MM in 2027.
- New Titans backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky‘s two-year agreement is worth $10.5MM, including $6.83MM in guarantees, Wilson reports. It includes a $2MM signing plus salaries of $2.83MM and $4.83MM. Also via Wilson, kicker Joey Slye will make $2MM, including $750K fully guaranteed, on his one-year deal.
- Bills slot cornerback Dee Alford‘s three-year deal is worth $15.75 and carries $7.88MM in full guarantees, $2.25MM in injury guarantees, and a $4.5MM signing bonus, according to Wilson. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s one-year, $6MM pact has a base value of $3.5MM, $3.02MM in full guarantees, and two void years, per Wilson. Backup QB Kyle Allen‘s two-year, $4.1MM deal includes $1.5MM in guarantees, Wilson adds. Allen could earn $1MM in incentives for playing time, wins, touchdowns and team improvement.
Titans To Host TE Jody Fortson
A major knee injury left Jody Fortson sidelined through the entire 2025 season. He has now recovered, though, and the free agent tight end is drawing interest from at least one suitor. 
Fortson is set to visit the Titans today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Each of his 24 combined regular and postseason appearances have come as a member of the Chiefs, so this news comes as little surprise. Prior to his arrival in Tennessee as the team’s general manager, Mike Borgonzi worked in Kansas City’s front office.
Fortson registered four touchdowns on 14 receptions across the 2021 and ’22 seasons with the Chiefs. The following year was spent on injured reserve, however. The former undrafted free agent attempted a comeback by joining the Dolphins, but he did not survive roster cuts. Fortson wound up returning to Kansas City for 2024 and made three appearances in a depth role.
He remained on track to compete for a roster spot this past preseason before an ACL and meniscus tear led to a lengthy recovery. Per Rapoport, Fortson has now fully recovered. As a result, he could soon manage to line up a new deal. A Titans signing would allow him to offer depth to the tight end spot after the team lost Chig Okonkwo in free agency but added Daniel Bellinger and Kylen Granson.
Tennessee leads the league in cap space right now, so affording a Fortson pact will not be difficult. The 30-year-old’s next contract, regardless of where it comes from, will no doubt check in at or near the league minimum.
AFC Contract Details: Colts, Pierce, Patriots, Doubs, Kelce, Chiefs, Jets, Titans, Raiders, Browns, Bengals, Texans
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the AFC:
- Alec Pierce, WR (Colts). Four years, $114MM. In addition to a previously reported $60MM full guarantee, Pierce will see $10MM of his $27MM 2028 base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year, according to OverTheCap. Another $14MM of Pierce’s 2028 base salary becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2028 league year. He will be due a $2MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2029 league year. One void year is in place to spread out the cap hits, the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson tweets.
- Romeo Doubs, WR (Patriots). Four years, $68MM. Doubs secured $35MM fully guaranteed. After fully guaranteed 2026 and ’27 base salaries, Doubs has a $4MM injury guarantee on his $14MM 2028 salary, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets.
- Cor’Dale Flott, CB (Titans). Three years, $45MM. In addition to the previously reported $32MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes Flott is in line for a $2MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2028 league year.
- Bryan Cook, S (Bengals). Three years, $40.25MM. Cook will see $14MM fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Roster bonuses of $4MM and $1MM are due on Day 5 of the 2027 and ’28 league years, respectively, according to Spotrac.
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Jets). Three years, $40MM. Fitzpatrick’s second extension will bring $20.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. The $13.33MM AAV is a reduction from the All-Pro’s 2022 Steelers deal (four years, $72.99MM), but the former first-rounder is entering an age-30 season.
- Dre’Mont Jones, DE (Patriots). Three years, $36.5MM. Jones will see $23.28MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. A $1MM playing time incentive is in place on this deal as well, with OverTheCap noting the guarantees cover Jones’ 2026 and 2027 compensation.
- Jalen Nailor, WR (Raiders). Three years, $35MM. Nailor’s previously covered $23MM at-signing guarantee includes $6.5MM of his 2027 base salary ($11.5MM); the remaining $5MM locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson adds.
- Orlando Brown Jr., LT (Bengals). Two years, $32MM. Brown secured $14MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap, which indicates he is due a $2.15MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. This extension did not drop Brown’s 2026 cap number by much, as it dropped from $21.99MM to $19.29MM.
- Reed Blankenship, S (Texans). Three years, $24.75MM. Blankenship landed $16.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. That covers the ex-Eagle’s 2026 and ’27 compensation.
- Dylan Parham, G (Jets). Two years, $16MM. The ex-Raider starter secured $7.49MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. Three void years are included in the deal, leaving Parham’s 2026 cap number at just $3.97MM.
- Quincy Williams, LB (Browns). Two years, $13MM. Williams landed $9MM fully guaranteed, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The veteran linebacker will see $2.5MM of his 2027 compensation guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap.
- Travis Kelce, TE (Chiefs). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed. Two void years are included in this contract, keeping Kelce’s 2026 cap hit at $4.9MM. A $40MM guarantee for 2028 is in place for June 8, 2027, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. This is designed to allow the Chiefs to designate Kelce a post-June 1 cut — a tactic the Eagles used with brother Jason Kelce in 2024 — thus defraying dead money ($7.13MM) over two years. If the Chiefs make the playoffs and Kelce plays 60% of their offensive snaps, Breer adds a $750K incentive triggers. Playing 70% of the offensive snaps in a playoff year would earn Kelce $1MM; an 80%-plus snap share for a postseason Chiefs team would bring $2MM. Kelce played 81% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in 2025.
Titans Restructure Calvin Ridley’s Deal
MARCH 18: Ridley will be tied to a two-year, $35.25MM deal, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Of that total, $12.49MM is guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The former cut candidate, who thus far has been part of Ran Carthon‘s round of 2024 misses on splashy veterans, has managed to stick around. He will be set to complement Robinson in Brian Daboll‘s offense. Ridley will be attached to a $15.2MM cap figure this year and $29.75MM number in 2027.
MARCH 14: When the Titans’ offseason began in early January, it looked like a question of when – not if – they would release wide receiver Calvin Ridley. That is no longer the case. After agreeing to restructure his contract, Ridley will remain in Tennessee next season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The 31-year-old Ridley was due a $2MM roster bonus by 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, per Pelissero. The sides were able to work something out before the deadline. Ridley will stick around a Tennessee receiving corps that will also include the newly acquired Wan’Dale Robinson, one of several big-ticket free agent pickups for the club. The Titans added the ex-Giants slot target on a four-year, $70MM pact this week.
Ridley, a former Falcon and Jaguar, joined the Titans on a four-year, $92MM agreement with $50MM in guarantees in March 2024. Although Ridley missed all of 2022 as a result of a gambling suspension, he earned his massive contract after a 76-catch, 1,016-yard, eight-touchdown rebound in 2023.
Ridley was productive again in his first season with the Titans. On a team that did not have any other 500-yard receivers, Ridley finished with 1,017 on 64 grabs. He also added four scores. Tennessee likely expected a similar performance from Ridley last season, but he did not provide much help for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Ridley caught just 17 of 36 targets for 303 yards and no TDs over seven games. His season ended when he broke his fibula in a Week 11 loss to the Texans.
Ridley worked with two different play callers, former head coach Brian Callahan and ex-QBs coach Bo Hardegree, in 2025. The Titans are now led by new head coach Robert Saleh, who hired the established Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. Daboll will attempt to guide Ridley to a bounce-back campaign next season.