NFL Player News

Defense is clearly a focal point for the Cowboys on the first night of the draft, and for good reason. Dallas took S Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick. Lawrence brings a rare blend of explosiveness and production, with 18.0 havoc plays, 14.0 TFL and 7.0 sacks while posting a sparkling 14.1% pressure rate on 220 pass-rush reps. His 31 pressures, 8 sacks created and 2 forced fumbles reflect a disruptive presence who consistently converts speed-to-power and length into backfield chaos. Lawrence’s 79.5% run-stop share and 81.3% tackle rate show functional early-down utility, though his play strength and anchor can waver against bigger tackles. He blew away the Combine with 99th-percentile marks in the forty, vertical and broad jumps for an eye-popping 9.94 RAS. He wins with twitch off the snap, long-arm leverage and violent hand usage, flashing the ability to open inside lanes or corner when timing is synced. However, his linear rush style and lack of ideal bend show up when tackles get hands on him, often stalling his path at the apex of the rush.

The longtime Browns standout heads to a wide-open situation for a perennial contender following the departure of Tyler Linderbaum this offseason. Pocic would appear to have the inside track to the starting center job considering his veteran status, although he will need to prove his health after tearing his Achilles in December of 2025.

Wallace did not play in the league last season, last suiting up for the Broncos in 2024. The 2018 UDFA appeared in 96 games during his career while making 72 starts, with his most notable seasons coming with the Bills. The 31-year-old corner totaled 56 pass breakups and 12 interceptions in his career.

Palmer was quick to point out in his report that Donald has always been a player who has been in great shape, but that “there are differences in football shape and staying in shape.” Donald was spotted working out at the Rams’ facilities last week. Palmer said he believes Donald is currently in the process of checking boxes to evaluate where he stands physically and whether or not he can return to the field and play at a high level after two years away from the game. The Rams aren’t actively pursuing Donald or discussing money with him, per Palmer, but it’s clear the door is opened for him to return if he chooses to do so. Veterans will report to Rams camp on July 25th, which could serve as a soft deadline for when we might expect to get word on a decision from Donald.

Christensen started four of the eight games he appeared in for the Panthers last season and has started 34 games over his five-year career. He played exclusively at right guard in 2025 before a torn Achilles ended his season in Week 8. He earned a PFF offensive grade of 74.6 while allowing just one sack and five pressures.

Kamara can earn up to another $2.5 million via incentives. He was initially set to make up to $11.5 million before his deal was restructured on Wednesday. The Saints were pushing for him to take a pay cut this offseason, but it initially looked like Kamara wasn’t going to budge. Instead, he gives some money back and gets to stay in New Orleans, where he has been adamant about wanting to finish his career. Kamara will serve as Travis Etienne’s backup, likely seeing most of his work on passing downs. He could have some FLEX value in PPR leagues, but Etienne should see most of the carries and still some targets.

Mahomes is rehabbing ahead of schedule after a torn ACL/LCL ended his 2025 season. If all goes according to plan, it will be just under a nine-month recovery for him, which is on the quicker end of most ACL/LCL recover anticipated timelines. Rapoport reports Mahomes has been spending “seven hours or so in the building rehabbing as much as humanly possible.” It’s still an awfully optimistic timeline but Mahomes is targeting a Week 1 return and it “certainly does seem like Mahomes is on track to be on the field Week 1", according to Rapoport.

The July 15th deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals came and went without Pickens signing a new deal. Cowboys executive vice president Steven Jones had said in April that “there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal” with Pickens. The 25-year-old wide receiver showed up for mandatory minicamp and does not plan to hold out of training camp, either. He will play on a $27.3 million franchise tag and will either reach a contract extension after the season or enter unrestricted free agency in 2027. Pickens will be the WR2 across from CeeDee Lamb in 2026; both have ceilings in the fantasy WR1 range.

Grier was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He made two starts as a rookie and hasn’t seen the field since. Grier spent time with five different teams after being released by the Panthers. He returned to Charlotte this offseason but decided against another year of football. His career ends with 228 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions.

It’s almost certainly a pay cut for Kamara, but the Saints could also be throwing him a bone with incentives or extra years on his deal. The Saints spent much of the offseason trying to get Kamara to agree to a new deal but had little leverage to make it happen. Kamara has talked about wanting to finish his career in New Orleans, so he may have decided to concede financially in order to stay put. He will likely pitch in on passing downs to take some work of Travis Etienne’s plate. Etienne, however, still figures to see the bulk of the carries and some designed targets.

Furones also lists Greg Dulcich as a player that was a primary receiver for Willis, but we’ve done plenty of offseason hype on Dulcich. Tolbert appears to be a potential “someone has to catch a ball here” deep league pick, as he’s well off the fantasy radar at this point. He’s not off the board among the top-100 wideouts in ADP. The ceiling is likely low, but if he can emerge as the top option amongst Miami’s wideouts, Tolbert could be a viable WR3/WR4 at points this year.