The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
Wide receiver Keon Coleman found himself in the spotlight early this offseason when Bills owner Terry Pegula pointed to the decision to draft him coming from the coaching staff rather than General Manager Brandon Beane during a press conference to discuss the firing of former head coach Sean McDermott.
The ensuing days saw Beane, new head coach Joe Brady, quarterback Josh Allen and others speak out in support of Coleman’s future with the team despite the wideout getting benched at times for disciplinary reasons. Those comments showed clear support for the 2024 second-round pick, but they also sounded similar to many others that have come off as boilerplate once the player being discussed failed to develop.
In an interview with Joe Buscaglia of TheAthletic.com, Beane insists that “it’s not all talk” because the team knows it is “not an ability thing” with the wideout. Beane said Coleman has “to come in and earn every single thing he’s gonna get” while saying the team is committed to giving him that opportunity.
“Listen, he has to go do it, but I think we feel confident that the maturity level is heading where it needs to,” Beane said. “Again, he’s got to go do it. We believe in the skill set, and that’s part of what your culture is. We all grow at different times; none of us were a made product at 21, 22. Do you wish you had to go through that with him? No, you don’t. But you hope for us, and for him, he looks back and says, ‘That was the best thing that happened to me.’ That’s what you hope. And we’re putting all our eggs in his basket to come back for year three and be a part of this group, however that is.”
Former Bills wideout Stevie Johnson recently told Kyle Odegard of Casino.org that he reached out to Coleman about honing his game ahead of his third season and anything Coleman can do to help reach his ceiling will be welcomed by the Bills. The team will get another chance to signal their commitment to the wideout in next week’s draft as going other ways with their early picks will be a further sign of their belief in Coleman for 2026.
As part of Autism Acceptance Month, the Buffalo Bills have made an announcement regarding the accommodations at their new stadium.
It will have seven sensory rooms, the most of any venue of its kind.
The sensory rooms will be accessible to all ticket holders, and they will be located on all levels of the stadium. The sensory rooms are intended to “provide a calming, supportive environment for guests who may need a personal and quiet environment, while still enjoying Buffalo’s game-day experience.”
“We’re excited to continue to provide a sensory inclusive stadium experience for our fans at Highmark Stadium and are humbled to now have seven sensory rooms for fans to utilize,” Bills senior director of guest experience Zach Rutkowski said, per the team’s website.
The Bills’ new stadium will open for the 2026 season.
A busy week for receiver KC Concepcion is continuing on Friday.
Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Conception is visiting with the Bills.
He previously spent time with the Browns and the Dolphins this week. While Cleveland and Miami each have two first-round picks in this year’s draft, Buffalo selects at No. 26 overall.
Concepcion, who was born in upstate New York, told reporters at the scouting combine that the Bills are his father’s favorite team.
While Concepcion recently underwent a procedure to have his knee scoped, he is expected to be ready for rookie minicamp.
In his one season with Texas A&M in 2025, Concepcion caught 61 passes for 919 yards with nine touchdowns. He previously spent two seasons with N.C. State, catching 71 passes for 839 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2023 and 53 passes for 460 yards with six TDs in 2024.
Defensive end Charles Omenihu signed with the Commanders as a free agent this offseason, but he spent the last three seasons with the Chiefs and that gave him experience in trying to stop two of the league’s top quarterbacks.
Omenihu was asked to weigh in on facing Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. He didn’t hesitate before saying he thought Allen would win a Super Bowl first if the two players switched teams and that Allen’s habit of turning the ball over isn’t enough of a drawback to make up for the book that defenses have put together on stopping Jackson.
“I don’t think the league has truly figured [Allen] out,” Omenihu said on the Speakeasy podcast. “With Lamar, honestly, you bring a five-man rush on him and collapse that pocket, he’s drifting backwards and, unfortunately, he might make a play that isn’t going to be the best play for the Ravens. With Josh, he’s going to drift backwards, run around, and he’s so hard to tackle. He’s a large human being, hard to get down, he can make every throw. Every throw from no matter where he’s at. His arm strength is unbelievable. I don’t think Lamar has that big amount of arm strength like Josh does. Like I said, I think you’ve figured out Lamar. You come after him, you close all the lanes, you five-man rush him and you cover his guys, and I think you get it done. It’s been shown.”
Neither Alllen nor Jackson has made it to the Super Bowl yet, but the Bills and Ravens are currently the betting favorites to be the AFC Champion so that could change at the end of the 2026 season. If it does, the quarterback left standing will have a big leg up in the legacy building battle.
