Jets Expected To Draft David Bailey Second Overall; Latest On WR Possibilities
The Jets canceled a scheduled “30” visit with David Bailey, but that is hardly an indication they will pass on the Texas Tech edge defender at No. 2 overall in the draft. On the contrary, “most of the league” expects the Jets to use their first pick on Bailey, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears.
The possibility of the Jets taking Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in the second slot exists, but the popular belief is they will settle on Bailey or Buckeyes LB/edge Arvell Reese. Not even two weeks ago, Reese was reportedly the favorite to end up in New York. The draft is still a week away, leaving enough time for this to swing in a different direction by next Thursday.
Will McDonald and free agent additions Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare are the Jets’ top edge options heading into the draft. They make for a decent trio, but the Jets are in need of a game-wrecking pass rusher. They may get one in the 22-year-old Bailey, whose production exploded last season. Spending his first three college seasons at Stanford, Bailey combined for 14.5 sacks over 32 games. He matched that sack total in 14 games with the Red Raiders.
After leading his conference in sacks and tackles for loss (19.5) in 2025, Bailey earned a unanimous All-America selection and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder further demonstrated his athletic prowess at the Combine, where he paced his position in the 40-yard dash (4.50) and ranked third in the broad jump, seventh in the 10-yard split and tied for 10th in the vertical jump.
Even if Bailey does not end up as their choice, the Jets are likely to take a defender with their initial pick. The Jets also have another first-rounder, No. 16, and may use that selection to bring in a potential impact player on offense. Receiver is a glaring weakness for the Jets, who need a high-end complement to the excellent Garrett Wilson. A recent report indicated the Jets are “extremely high on” Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr., but they like him much better as a potential option at No. 33 than at 16, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.
New York spending a first-rounder on Cooper is not on the table, per Pauline, who reports the team has only given Round 1 grades to three receivers: Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) and Denzel Boston (Washington). Tate should be long gone when the Jets are on the clock again at the midpoint of the first round, but coming away with either Tyson or Boston looks like a realistic outcome.
Giants DT Dexter Lawrence Wants Out; Latest On Potential Trade
Unhappy with a contract that does not include any more guaranteed money, Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade earlier this month. The Giants and Lawrence continued contract talks after he asked out, but those negotiations broke off on Wednesday.
While the Giants trading the disgruntled Lawrence is a possibility, it is not a lock. Lawrence does indeed want out, per reports from CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. However, the Giants are not giving him away at a discounted rate.
The Giants want at least a first-round pick for the four-time Pro Bowler, according to Jones, who floats the idea of the team demanding a 2027 first- and a 2026 second-rounder for Lawrence. Doing so would give the Giants until Day 2 of this year’s draft to find a trade partner. If Lawrence is still a Giant on Day 3, April 25, it may take a long time for a trade to come together (if it happens at all).
The most recent trade involving a star defensive tackle came last November when the Jets shipped Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys. Dallas parted with the aforementioned 2027 first- and 2026 second-rounder package. The Cowboys also threw in D-tackle Mazi Smith, a 2023 first-rounder who has been a bust. The Giants are probably not in position to receive that strong of an offer, though, considering an acquiring team would have to give Lawrence a raise. Conversely, the Cowboys did not have to make any adjustments to Williams’ contract.
Lawrence is owed $19.5MM in each of the next two seasons, but Jones writes that he “will likely” climb into the upper $20MM range on a new deal. With Lawrence angling for more money, one source told Schwartz the Giants may not even get a first-rounder for the 28-year-old Lawrence, adding that “[he] will be in camp, he’s got nowhere to go.”
A Giant since they chose him 17th overall in the 2019 draft, Lawrence put pen to paper on his current pact – a four-year, $90MM extension with $60MM in guarantees – in May 2023. Joe Schoen, the general manager who authorized the contract, is still in his post. But Lawrence has been frustrated with how the team has been run and “what’s been valued in the locker room” over the past three years, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. He has been open to a trade dating to the start of last year, Jordan Raanan of ESPN adds. Schoen has since lost power to new head coach John Harbaugh, but Lawrence’s frustration with the organization has not subsided.
While Dunleavy believes Lawrence would accept a “big raise” from the Giants, they are not not inclined to give him one. A trade does not appear imminent either, though the Giants have have held talks with other teams, per Raanan. With the draft starting a week from tonight, this will remain a fascinating situation to monitor.
Commanders High On Jeremiyah Love At No. 7; Team Unlikely To Pick Caleb Downs?
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is considered one of the Commanders’ top choices for the No. 7 pick in next week’s draft, according to EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline.
Washington has operated a backfield-by-committee approach for several years without investing much in any one individual running back. In 2025, they traded Brian Robinson – their last player to take more than 200 carries in a season back in 2022 – to the 49ers and split their touches between 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez and 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Commanders added former Buccaneer Rachaad White into their rotation this offseason, too.
Drafting Love would end the committee approach. He would step in as a full-time, three-down RB1 right away who will only need to be rotated out for rest and load management. The Commanders would be able to lean on a more traditional running game without putting Jayden Daniels in as much danger after an injury-riddled 2025 season. And when Washington does use Daniels’ legs, they may find that combining an elite running back with a mobile quarterback can lead to explosive results, as the Ravens showed with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in 2024.
Love was one of several projected top-10 picks to take a top-30 visit to Washington this week. He joined edge rushers Arvell Reese (Ohio State), David Bailey (Texas Tech), and Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), among others, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Any would fill the Commanders’ significant need off the edge, though either Reese or Bailey is expected to be the Jets’ pick at No. 2. The other is unlikely to fall to the seventh pick, but Washington should have a shot at Bain with some teams scared off by his below-average arm length.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was also present for Tuesday’s top-30 gathering, but he is not expected to be the team’s pick at No. 7. The Commanders are returning their top three safeties from last season – Jartavius Martin, Jeremy Reaves, and Will Harris – and signed Nick Cross in free agency. Cross will take up one starting role, and the team is confident that Martin, a 2023 second-rounder, can bounce back after struggling in coverage last year, according to Pauline. Downs has more long-term upside than any currently-rostered Commanders safety, but the front office may value a position with more value or immediate need.
Instead, Pauline adds, one of the aforementioned pass rushers, a wide receiver, or cornerback are “in play” for the seventh overall pick, but that may not matter if Love falls that far. At present, that does not seem especially likely. He has been linked with a number of clubs with top-five picks, and in what is considered a thin draft class in terms of elite prospects, one may be inclined to ignore Love’s position and select him based on his pure talent.
Extension Talks Progressing Between Dolphins, RB De’Von Achane
De’Von Achane did not report to the beginning of Miami’s offseason program. To no surprise, his absence was linked to his desire for an extension.
The Pro Bowl running back is eligible for a new deal, and he has been mentioned on multiple occasions as a key part of the rebuilding Dolphins’ long-term plans. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has stated an Achane trade will not receive consideration, distinguishing him from several other players Miami has moved on from. Signs continue to point to a long-term agreement in this case.
Achane was seen in the Dolphins’ facility on Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He adds this is viewed as a good-faith move with respect to contract negotiations. Achane’s presence comes shortly after Sullivan noted recent extension talks have yielded progress. Indeed, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald indicates an agreement can be expected at some point. A deal would prevent Achane from testing the market next spring.
As a rookie, the former third-rounder flashed considerable potential by averaging a whopping 7.8 yards per attempt. Achane was limited to 11 games that year, but he has been healthy since. The Texas A&M product took on starting duties in 2024 and remained a focal point on offense this past season. In 2025, he set or matched career highs in several categories and racked up 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns.
A large payday is in store as a result. Achane, 24, is a logical candidate for a long-term investment on the part of the Dolphins. Six running backs are currently attached to deals averaging $14MM per year or more, and the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are in position to reset the RB market. Achane is unlikely to command as much as Gibbs and Robinson on their deals, but without a fifth-year option present in his case the Dolphins will need to move with a degree of urgency to finalize a pact prior to the start of the 2026 season.
Sullivan and Co. are of course focused on the upcoming draft as things stand. An Achane extension could be worked out over the coming days, but even if not a deal will still be expected at some time this offseason.
Cardinals Considered Strong Candidate To Trade Down
The Cardinals hold the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft, the same slot as their original position in the 2023 draft. That year, they traded down to the 12th pick — before coming back to No. 6 overall for Paris Johnson Jr.
The Cardinals may make a similar move this year. They are considered a strong candidate to move down from the No. 3 pick, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. It could be an especially valuable selection in a draft class that is viewed as thin on elite talent that drops sharply by the middle of the first round and plateaus into the second round.
The Raiders are expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first with the Jets deciding between Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey for No. 2. Whomever does not end up in New York could be a target for teams trading up to Arizona’s pick.
The Cardinals also have holes to fill all over their roster, so they may prefer trading back and targeting the strong Day 2 depth of this class. Their wide variety of needs is one of the reasons they are seen as a wild card in this year’s draft, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
“Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort is known to be willing to make a draft-day deal,” Jones writes. “You’ll hear plenty about teams being willing to trade down in this year’s draft, and I think the Cardinals are serious contenders to do just that. Looking around the league, folks believe the draft begins at No. 3 and no one seems to have a very good sense of what Arizona will do.”
Ossenfort could conceivable target any position except for cornerback and tight end with his premium picks, and the Cardinals still need some depth at the latter position. That will allow him to take a true ‘best player available’ approach as he attempts to rebuild the roster for new head coach Mike LaFleur.
Malachi Lawrence Drawing Major Interest
APRIL 16: The Patriots used a “30” visit on Lawrence, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald relays. In addition to the Pats and the previously reported Colts, 49ers, Seahawks and Texans, Lawrence met with the Cardinals, Chiefs, Falcons, Saints, Chargers, Ravens, Eagles, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Commanders, Raiders, Titans and Jets, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
APRIL 9: As a potential first- or second-round pick, UCF edge defender Malachi Lawrence is generating significant interest in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Sixteen teams have set up visits with Lawrence, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The Colts, 49ers and Seahawks will all meet with him this week.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence’s college career took off as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He registered 10.5 tackles for loss and a personal-best 7.5 sacks in 13 games that year. Lawrence’s production dropped a bit during an 11-game 2024 (six TFL, five sacks), but he earned a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season. Over 12 games, Lawrence picked up 11 TFL and seven sacks.
Lawrence further boosted his stock with an off-the-charts performance at the Combine, where he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. He finished second among edge defenders at the Combine in 40 time, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump (via PFF College). Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 36) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 46) consider Lawrence a top-50 prospect.
The Colts were a passable 15th in sacks last season, but they ranked an alarming 30th in pass rush win rate. The team made a run at Trey Hendrickson early in free agency, but the Ravens won that sweepstakes. The Colts have settled for modest additions (Arden Key and Micheal Clemons) to replace the departed Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. They continue to lack needle-moving pass rushers to complement Laiatu Latu. Indianapolis is without a first-round pick, but Lawrence could be on the board when it selects 47th overall in the second round.
The 49ers will pick 27th and 58th in the first two rounds. They totaled the fewest sacks in the league last season, though losing Nick Bosa to a Week 3 ACL tear heavily contributed to their struggles. They should get Bosa and Mykel Williams, who tore his ACL in November, back next season. The rest of their edge rushers – Sam Okuayinonu, Keion White, William Bradley-King, Andrew Farmer and the just-signed Cameron Sample – combined for just five sacks last year. With that in mind, bolstering the pass rush via the draft should be a high priority for the 49ers.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks aren’t exactly teeming with weaknesses, but taking an edge defender early may be on their to-do list. Owners of just four picks, including Nos. 32 and 64 in the first two rounds, the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe in free agency. They have not brought in a replacement for Maye, and the clock is ticking on Demarcus Lawrence‘s career. The soon-to-be 34-year-old pondered retirement after the season, which could add to the Seahawks’ urgency to make a notable investment along the edge.
WR Germie Bernard Visited Falcons
The Falcons have identified receiver as a position of need going into the draft. Alabama’s Germie Bernard is among the wideouts on their radar. They hosted Bernard on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Falcons are devoid of a first-round pick after trading it to move up for James Pearce Jr. in 2025, but it would be a surprise to see Bernard go that high. The Falcons are scheduled to make their first choice at No. 48 in the second round, where Bernard could be a possibility. Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah of The Athletic rank Bernard 41st and 50th, respectively, in this year’s class.
Bernard is a pro-ready prospect who profiles as a second or third receiver in the NFL, per Brugler, which is something Atlanta is lacking. The Falcons have a stud No. 1 in Drake London (who should land a mega-extension soon). Running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts also eat up a lot of targets, but the Falcons’ receiving corps is underwhelming beyond London.
The free agent additions of Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus gave the Falcons some insurance before the draft, though general manager Ian Cunningham could bring in someone with more upside. Dotson caught fewer than 20 passes in each of the previous two seasons in Philadelphia, while Zaccheaus averaged just 8.0 yards per reception during a 39-catch 2025 in Chicago.
Bernard played for three different schools in four college seasons. After a seven-catch freshman year at Michigan State, he experienced an uptick in production at Washington in 2023. As part of a crowded receiving corps led by Rome Odunze, Ja’lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, Bernard pulled in 34 catches for 419 yards and two touchdowns. His quarterback that year was Michael Penix Jr., who is now entering his third season with the Falcons. Bernard and Penix could reunite in Atlanta, though the latter will have to beat out Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job.
Bernard followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Alabama in 2024, and the 6-foot-1, 206-pounder’s output improved significantly in Tuscaloosa. He notched 50 receptions, 794 yards and two scores in 13 games his first year with the Crimson Tide. Bernard wrapped up his college tenure with personal bests in catches (64), yards (862) and TDs (seven) over 14 games in 2025.
Texans Hosted Denzel Boston, Malachi Lawrence
With the draft a week away, Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston continues drawing plenty of interest. Boston visited the Texans earlier this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Texans also met with UCF edge defender Malachi Lawrence, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports.
Boston and Lawrence are potential first-round picks who appear to have second-round floors. In his latest ranking of 2026 prospects, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com places Boston 27th and Lawrence 46th. As owners of the 28th and 38th overall picks, the Texans could come away with one or both of those players in the first two rounds.
Boston would be another notable receiver investment for the Texans, who drafted the Iowa State tandem of Jayden Higgins at No. 34 and Jaylin Noel at No. 79 last year. The rookies combined for 67 catches, 817 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. Houston also counts star No. 1 receiver Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson and Tank Dell among its options, though the latter’s status is up in the air after a gruesome knee injury cost him all of last season.
Unlike the 5-foot-11 Noel and the 5-10 Dell, all of Boston, Higgins, Collins and Hutchinson stand 6-3 or taller, which would give quarterback C.J. Stroud a handful of big targets. The 6-4, 209-pound Boston took advantage of his size at Washington, where he established himself as a sure-handed red zone weapon. Boston posted a 3.1% drop rate in college and averaged 63 catches, 858 yards and 10 TDs per season from 2024-25.
The Texans already have an all-world pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, but they were intrigued enough with Lawrence to meet with him. Houston is hardly alone in that regard, as half of the league’s 32 teams held visits with Lawrence before Wednesday’s deadline. After combining for 27.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks from 2023-25, Lawrence upped his stock at the Combine in February. The 6-4, 253-pounder ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, which ranked second among edge defenders. He also placed second in the 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump (via PFF College).
Lawrence would begin his career in a depth role in Houston, which saw Anderson and Hunter record respective defensive snap shares of 66.79% and 70.07% in 2025. Anderson and Hunter are under Texans control for the next two years, but the former is likely to stick around for longer on a record-breaking extension. Hunter landed a massive deal of his own last month, though it may be his last with the Texans. He will be 33 when the pact expires. The Texans could develop Lawrence as a replacement if they draft him and he shows he is worthy of a promotion to a starting job by 2028.
Chargers Not Discussing Quentin Johnston Trade; No Decision On Fifth-Year Option
With just one year left on his rookie contract, Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston surfaced in trade rumors in early March. A deal has not materialized over a month later, though, and general manager Joe Hortiz revealed that he is not shopping Johnston.
“There’s a lot of rumors out there on Twitter,” Hortiz said Thursday (via Kris Rhim of ESPN). “And I can tell you this, I have made zero calls about Quentin, and I’ve had zero calls regarding Quentin.”
Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh were not in the organization when the Chargers chose Johnston 21st overall in the 2023 draft. But the two “have always been enamored with Johnston’s upside,” Rhim writes. That seems to bode well for Johnston sticking around for at least another season, though it is unclear if the Chargers will green light his fifth-year option by the May 1 deadline. Signing off on it would entitle Johnston to a fully guaranteed salary of $18.1MM in 2027. The Chargers have not made a decision on it yet, Hortiz said.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston joined the Chargers after starring at TCU, but his rookie season was rocky. He struggled with drops and finished with a disappointing 38 receptions, 431 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. While Johnston combined for five absences over the past two seasons, including three in 2025, his numbers have taken a leap since Hortiz and Harbaugh grabbed the reins in 2024. The 24-year-old caught 55 balls for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games in his first season playing for Harbaugh. He followed that up with another eight-TD showing, which led the team for the second straight year, and hauled in 51 passes for 735 yards.
Johnston’s production has been closer to respectable than great, which is why exercising his fifth-year option is not a slam dunk. In spending second-round picks on Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris, the Chargers continued to invest heavily at receiver in the past two drafts. They also used a “30” visit this spring on potential first-round wideout KC Concepcion, which suggests they are open to spending another high pick on the position in this year’s draft. If that happens, the Chargers may be less inclined to keep Johnston around on an expensive salary in 2027. Barring a trade, though, Johnston should continue as one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite targets next season under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Seahawks Host DE Dante Fowler
Eleven years since the Jaguars took him third overall in the 2015 draft, defensive end Dante Fowler has suited up for five teams. Now a free agent after his second stint with the Cowboys, Fowler could join a sixth franchise. The Seahawks hosted Fowler on Thursday, per the league’s transaction wire.
An agreement with the Seahawks would reunite Fowler with defensive coordinator Aden Durde. They previously overlapped in Atlanta (2020) and Dallas (2022-23). With Durde as the Cowboys’ defensive line coach, Fowler combined for 10 sacks as a rotational player over two years.
Fowler exited the next offseason to join the Commanders, with whom he enjoyed a 10.5-sack outburst. It was the second double-digit sack effort for Fowler, who piled up a personal-best 11.5 with the Rams in 2019. The 10-year veteran has amassed 58.5 sacks over 159 games (58 starts).
Returning to Dallas after a successful season in Washington, Fowler inked a one-year deal worth up to $8MM in March 2025. Fowler wound up playing all 17 games for the fourth straight season and picking up 11 starts – his most since 2020. Despite that, Fowler was only on the field for a little over 32% of the Cowboys’ defensive plays. He finished the season with 15 tackles, 10 QB hits, three sacks and three pass deflections. While those aren’t gaudy numbers, Pro Football Focus nonetheless ranked the 31-year-old’s play an impressive 21st among 119 qualifying edge defenders. PFF assigned Fowler an overall grade of 77.6, the highest of his career and a ways above his second-best mark (72.0 in 2019).
As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks boast an excellent roster, but they could stand to add more pass-rushing options via free agency, the draft or both routes. The Seahawks have not replaced Boye Mafe, whom they lost to the Bengals in free agency. Fowler could pick up some of Mafe’s slack in Seattle, where he would rejoin former Cowboys teammate and fellow veteran pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.