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
The Texans played in Reliant Stadium for 12 years and in NRG Stadium for 12 years. Their 25th season will see the building’s name revert to the original name.
The Houston Chronicle reports that the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation approved the name change on Wednesday, and the stadium again will become Reliant Stadium in August.
Reliant Energy, which is based in Houston, bought the 30-year naming rights for the stadium and surrounding buildings for $300 million in 2002. NRG Energy purchased Reliant’s retail electricity business in 2009 and opted to change the name of the stadium in 2014.
NRG pointed to a recent survey that showed 90 percent of their Houston-based customers supported the return of the stadium’s original name.
“It’s the brand that they connect with, that they do business with, that they trust to deliver their power and that we have relationships with, so we’re excited to bring it back,” NRG Consumer president Brad Bentley told the newspaper. “We think we’ll have a lot of good momentum and excitement among our customers.”
Wide receiver Denzel Boston added a few more teams to his list of pre-draft visits this week.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Boston visited the Commanders and Texans. His previously reported visit with the Dolphins will take place on Wednesday and will be his final trip to meet with a team ahead of next week’s draft.
Boston met with a number of other teams over the last few weeks and he is widely expected to come off the board in the first round.
Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon and Jordyn Tyson are other top wideouts in this year’s class and all of the receivers are a little more than a week away from finding out where they’ll start their NFL careers.
Wide receiver Tank Dell’s status was among the topics that Texans General Manager Nick Caserio addressed at a Monday press conference.
Dell has not played since suffering a severe knee injury in Week 16 of the 2024 season and Caserio said that the team expects to have a better idea of what he’ll be able to do moving forward once they’re deeper into their offseason program.
“With Tank, honestly, it’s probably day to day,” Caserio said. “We’ll see where he is — probably have a better idea as we get through the spring of what his availability is going to be in training camp. He’s been here pretty religiously since he’s been able to do more.”
Dell was a 2023 third-round pick and he had 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games before the knee injury. That production would be welcomed by the Texans offense, but Caserio said that the team isn’t going to wait around for more clarity before considering other options for the receiving corps.
“If there’s a receiver that we like, that we feel we want to add to the team, then we’re going to take them independent of what’s going on,” Caserio said. “In the end, the competition will sort itself out.”
Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Justin Watson are also in the receiver room in Houston.
The Texans recently exercised the fifth-year option on quarterback C.J. Stroud’s contract. That was expected, giving the team another season with the 2023 second overall pick under contract.
“I don’t really think it affects his future,” Texans General Manager Nick Caserio said Monday, via video from Aaron Wilson of KPRC.
“I mean, he’s our quarterback. We’ve said that from the beginning. [Head coach] DeMeco [Ryans] and I have both said it. I think it was more of a procedural thing. I don’t want to say it was a no-brainer, but it was kind of a no-brainer. Glad he’s here. Again, it’s more part of the process.
“We’re excited about his offseason. He’s had a good approach, had a good attitude here. He’s put a lot of work in March, April, so excited to have him around for the spring and excited to keep moving forward.”
The real question is: When do the Texans begin contract talks with Stroud’s representation? He became eligible for a contract extension after last season.
Given Stroud’s five interceptions in two postseason games in 2025, which came after a career-low 19 touchdowns in the regular season, the Texans might wait to see another season to confirm Stroud is indeed their quarterback of the future.
No one from the team has given insight into Stroud’s future beyond calling him the starter for 2026.
The fifth-year option will pay him $25.9 million for 2027.
