NFL Player News

Harkey is a former tight end whose athletic profile and positional versatility give him intriguing upside as a developmental swing lineman. At 6’6”, 308 with 31 3/4” arms and a 31” vertical (87th%), Harkey brings above-average movement skills that show up when he’s asked to climb, pull or operate in space, a carryover from his TE background. He logged time at both right tackle and right guard in 2025, earning a 74.0 PFF pass-block grade while flashing active hands and a willingness to stay engaged and hunt for work in protection. Harkey plays with heavy hands and a physical finishing mentality, using his upper-body strength to latch and control reps once he’s in position. However, his shorter arms and occasional over-aggression can lead to losses at the point of attack, and his penalty issues (9 in 2025) highlight inconsistencies in timing and technique. He took time adjusting to the speed and complexity of Power Five competition after transferring from Texas State, and an ankle injury in 2025 interrupted some of that development curve. With his athletic background, positional flexibility and flashes of power, Harkey projects as a swing lineman whose ceiling hinges on cleaning up penalties and refining his pass-protection mechanics.

According to The Athletic’s Mike Kaye, the Panthers converted Horn’s 2026 salary earlier in the week, which freed up enough cap space for the Panthers to sign six draft picks and 10 UDFAs on Thursday. Horn signed a four-year extension with the Panthers in 2025 and remains under contract through the 2029 season. Last year he totaled 37 tackles, eight pass breakups, and five interceptions in 16 games and has earned a Pro Bowl nod in each of the last two seasons.

Styles will get a fully guaranteed $37.2 million on his rookie deal. The rookie linebacker is expected to immediately fill the hole left by Bobby Wagner, who remains a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the Commanders. Styles, 21, totaled 182 tackles in his final two seasons at Ohio State after making the switch from safety to linebacker, and is one of the most physically gifted rookies of the 2026 draft class. He’ll look to help the Commanders turn around a defense that ranked 27th in points allowed and last in total yards allowed last season.

The deal includes an $8 million base salary. Jennings can make an extra $5 million via incentives. This will be Jennings’ first time playing for a team other than the 49ers, who drafted him in the 2020 NFL Draft’s seventh round. Jennings, 28, caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last year. He should start in three-wide receiver sets alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jefferson will rarely leave the field, but one wonders if Jennings (6'3/212) might be able to steal snaps from Addison (5'11/175) in two-wide receiver sets, in part due to Jennings’ run-blocking ability. Addison, 24, is the more talented receiver, so we expect him to remain the No. 2 target earner, but this dynamic is worth keeping an eye on in training camp. For now, Jennings can be viewed as a WR4/FLEX, while Jefferson sits in the WR1 tier and Addison in the WR2/3 range.

Per Over The Cap, the contract is worth $7.09 million. Forecasting Branch’s year one fantasy relevance is difficult. He stands just 5'9/177 and generated much of his receiving production in the screen game last year. That said, he is a very talented player with the ball in his hands and the Falcons’ wide receiver corps thins out quickly behind No. 1 WR Drake London. Veterans WRs Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are penciled in as the Nos. 2 and 3 players in his position group. Unseating one, or both, is possible.

Sadiq, 21, posted a 52/568/8 receiving line in his third and final season at Oregon before clocking a record-setting 4.39-second 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He should operate as the Jets’ primary receiving tight end in year one, while second-year TE Mason Taylor handles blocking duties. It could be tough for Sadiq to produce as a fantasy TE1 as a rookie if he is limited to playing in 12 personnel, but training camp reports should clarify his expected usage. Sadiq’s $22.3 million contract is fully guaranteed.

Baccellia’s release comes with a failed physical designation. He suffered a neck injury in Week 15 last year and was taken off the field on a stretcher. Hopefully, he can successfully rehab the injury and return to the NFL at some point.

Joly earned first-team All-ACC honors while leading NC State with 49 receptions and seven receiving touchdowns last year. It will be tough for him to earn snaps in year one, with veteran TE Evan Engram in-house, but Joly could compete for a starting role in the long run.

Giants GM Joe Schoen recently said Fields will be the “power forward” in the team’s wide receiver corps, jumping for contested catches and blocking on the perimeter. Fields has a chance to play in year one, with speedster WR Darius Slayton coming off another sub-600-yard season. Fields warrants final-round consideration in best ball formats. Expectations must be tempered.

Heinicke most recently spent time on the Chargers’ roster, but was released in August 2025. He logged 29 starts in his career, 24 of which occurred during his time with the Commanders from 2020-22. Over the course of his career, Heinicke threw for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions, and rushed for 608 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings, and spent time with the Patriots, Texans, Panthers and Falcons as well.

Worthy suffered a fully torn labrum after colliding with TE Travis Kelce in Week 1 last year. The injury sidelined him until Week 4, and he never once cleared 85 yards in a single game. Worthy entered the season with high expectations after posting an 8/157/2 receiving line in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles in his 2024 rookie season. Per The Athletic’s Jesse Newell, the Chiefs “limited Worthy’s routes a year ago to protect him” last year, but Reid believes that Worthy, now healthy, can resume running a full route tree this season. This should raise our expectations for Worthy’s fantasy football outlook as well. Worthy finished as the PPR WR33 in 2024 before plummeting to the PPR WR59 in 2025. Perhaps a WR3 finish or better is possible this season. Hopefully, the positive reports continue this summer.