QB P.J. Walker Announces Retirement
P.J. Walker is calling it a career. His most recent team, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, announced that the veteran quarterback is retiring.
Despite going undrafted out of Temple in 2017, Walker has played nearly a decade in professional football. His career started with the Colts, where he spent nearly three years on the practice squad. Following a stint in the XFL, the QB caught on with the Panthers via a two-year, $1.5MM deal. That move reunited him with former Temple head coach Matt Rhule, and it ended up vaulting Walker into relevancy over the next few years.
Walker got one start in both 2020 (filling in for Teddy Bridgewater) and 2021 (filling in for Sam Darnold/Cam Newton). He won both of those games, although he tossed one touchdown vs. three interceptions in his starts. He got a longer look in place of Darnold and Baker Mayfield in 2022, starting a career-high five games. He went 2-3 in those outings, finishing the season with 731 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
He parlayed that performance into a two-year contract with the Bears, but he didn’t make it to the regular season with his new squad. He quickly caught on with the Browns practice squad and eventually got a chance to start. He went 1-1 in his two games atop the depth chart, but he still finished the year with an unsightly one touchdown vs. five interceptions.
Walker had a brief stint with the Seahawks during the 2024 preseason before catching on with the Stampeders. He only started one game during his stint in the CFL. Now, the Temple legend is hanging up his cleats.
Austin Ekeler 100% Medically Cleared, Expected To Generate Interest
Austin Ekeler is healthy and seeking his next gig. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran running back has been “fully 100% medically cleared for all football activities” following his torn Achilles last September. Per Wilson, Ekeler is expected to generate “solid interest” and intends to play in 2026.
Following a standout stint with the Chargers that saw him average more than 60 catches per season, the RB inked a two-year contract with the Commanders ahead of the 2024 campaign. He was limited to 12 games that year thanks to a concussion, but he was otherwise productive, averaging 6.5 yards per touch. He finished the season with 733 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, although his 35 catches represented his lowest total since his rookie campaign.
He entered 2025 atop the Commanders depth chart and collected 81 yards on 19 touches through one-plus games. However, he suffered a non-contact injury during the team’s Week 2 Thursday Night Football matchup against the Packers. It was later revealed that he suffered a torn Achilles, ending his season early.
Now a free agent, the 30-year-old will be looking to revive his career in a new spot. Teams may be a bit wary of Ekeler considering the injury and his age, but he certainly won’t command more than a prove-it contract at this point. At the very least, teams could look to Ekeler to serve as a potential third-down back, and he could also add some experience to any young RBs rooms. Notably, Ekeler also returned 19 kickoffs during his first season in Washington, so perhaps he could contribute to a new squad on special teams.
Rams Viewed Cardinals As Ty Simpson Threat; Lions Offered L.A. First-Round Trade
Coming out of the first round with the most surprising selection, the Rams have established a Packers-like runway for Ty Simpson to develop behind Matthew Stafford. While holding the Falcons’ first-round pick (No. 13 overall) gave the Rams rare draft real estate, most were still borderline shocked to see Simpson go as high as he did.
Los Angeles has been high on the Alabama product since the 2025 season, and GM Les Snead has known Simpson’s father for much longer. Sean McVay‘s attitude in his post-first-rounder presser created buzz the head coach was not on the same page as his GM, but he has gone to great lengths to indicate that is not the case. McVay and Snead were believed to be in lockstep on Simpson, as should be expected given the HC’s accomplishments and influence in the organization.
[RELATED: Grade Rams’ Simpson’ Selection]
The Rams did consider other players at 13, and The Athletic’s Nate Atkins notes the team received a trade offer from the Lions. The return, however, did not excite the Rams, who stayed at 13 and chose Simpson. The Lions held the No. 17 overall pick. We had heard the Rams fielded calls from teams interested in outflanking the Ravens for Vega Ioane, but the Lions had been closely linked to filling their post-Taylor Decker tackle need.
The Lions could have been targeting Ioane as an option to replace Christian Mahogany at left guard, but they ended up with Clemson’s Blake Miller at 17. Detroit had seen three tackles — Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa and Kadyn Proctor — go off the board from Nos. 9-12, and we heard shortly before the draft a run on O-linemen was expected midway through the first round. That ended up taking place, as nine blockers went off the board between Nos. 9 and 28.
Detroit could have been eyeing a move up the board to grab Miller, but no tackles were selected from Nos. 13-16. That gave the Lions Miller, whom the team is expected (per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard) to play right tackle opposite Penei Sewell.
As for the Rams, Atkins views the team as deeming the Cardinals a threat for Simpson. The Cardinals were closely tied to Simpson during the pre-draft process and entered Round 1 as the odds-on favorite, per Vegas, to leave Pittsburgh with the QB rostered. The Rams thought the Cardinals had “heavy interest” in Simpson.
While Arizona chose Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 and did not have another pick until No. 34, we heard buzz about the team potentially eyeing him via a trade back into Round 1. We saw the Giants execute that route to nab a quarterback in 2025, taking Abdul Carter at No. 3 and using their No. 34 pick to climb back into the first round for Jaxson Dart.
While the Rams could have potentially traded down and added assets to grab Simpson — who had been part of a clandestine research project, with secret meetings between McVay and the QB commencing — they did not want to take that chance. Thus, Simpson will be tied to a larger-than-expected rookie contract due to going off the board at 13.
Even if the Rams had re-signed two-year backup Jimmy Garoppolo, Atkins adds the team would still have prioritized Simpson as a QB stash in Round 1. The team has still not ruled out Garoppolo backing up Stafford this year, but the 34-year-old passer is considering retirement. Garoppolo engaged in talks with the Cardinals to follow ex-Rams OC Mike LaFleur to Arizona, but the discussions hit a snag and led to the team signing Gardner Minshew. he and Jacoby Brissett — the latter a potential trade candidate — now serve as bridge options in front of third-round pick Carson Beck.
Had the Rams not ended up with Simpson at 13, Atkins pegs the team as choosing a skill player and offers more connections to Makai Lemon and Kenyon Sadiq. The former lasted to No. 20, when the Eagles traded in front of an eager Steelers team, and the latter went 16th overall to the Jets. The Rams made Ohio State tight end Max Klare their second pick in this draft.
Adding Simpson now gives the Rams flexibility with their 2027 picks, with Atkins adding that factored into the decision to take him at 13. The 2027 draft has drawn immense intrigue a year out, with teams holding onto ’27 first-round picks thus far. Two 2027 first-round choices have been traded, but both were unloaded (by the Colts and Cowboys) in 2025. No team parted with a 2027 first-round pick during this draft.
The Rams have both been an active trader of first-round picks (as their Trent McDuffie trade most recently showed) and a team that has found tremendous value via Day 2 and Day 3 selections during the Snead-McVay partnership. It is possible a 2027 first-rounder will carry more value, and the Rams will not need their ’27 first for a QB following their Simpson decision.
Vikings Wanted Second-Rounder For Jonathan Greenard; Finances Played Role In Trade To Eagles
After several weeks of rumors, the Vikings and Eagles pulled off a trade involving edge defender Jonathan Greenard on Day 2 of the draft. The Eagles sent two third-rounders to the Vikings for Greenard and a seventh.
Minnesota and Philadelphia “heavily discussed” a Greenard trade in mid-March, but talks stalled over the Vikings’ asking price, Adam Schefter of ESPN said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. The Eagles initially offered a third-rounder, but the Vikings held out for a second-rounder. They reached a compromise over a month later.
Greenard spent the first couple months of the offseason hoping for a raise, but the Vikings “weren’t going to pay him,” Schefter says. That had nothing to do with frugality on the part of Vikings ownership, according to interim general manager Rob Brzezinski (via Kevin Seifert of ESPN).
“We want to make it perfectly clear that this has nothing to do with us or [owners Zygi and Mark Wilf] not wanting to spend money or cutting back in any way, pulling back the reins on our spending,” Brzezinski stated. “We have just spent so much money the last several years that it’s not sustainable for us to move forward. Our salary cap situation has been very, very challenging.”
Brzezinski isn’t wrong. As Seifert notes, the Vikings spent $100MM-plus over the cap from 2024-25 under former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whom they fired in January. They were around $50MM in the red entering this offseason, but the Vikes now have approximately $10.74MM in effective cap space after the Greenard trade and the rest of their moves. While they have gotten themselves into better financial shape, Brzezinski admitted trading Greenard is “something that we understand is not making the Minnesota Vikings a better team today.”
The Vikings were not in position to hand Greenard a raise, but the Eagles quickly gave the 28-year-old pass rusher his coveted extension. It is technically a four-year, $100MM deal with $50MM in guaranteed money, but it may end up as a two-year pact. The Eagles will be able to escape the contract after the 2027 season, per OverTheCap. In releasing Greenard before June 1, 2028, the Eagles would save around $1.69MM while taking on $14.11MM in dead money. Designating Greenard a post-June 1 release would be more beneficial, as it would yield $11.09MM in savings and $4.70MM in dead cap.
Colts To Decline Anthony Richardson’s Fifth-Year Option; No Trade Interest Emerged During Draft
Although Anthony Richardson has considerable athletic upside, he has struggled mightily since being drafted fourth overall three years ago. Richardson’s issues and Daniel Jones‘ new contract left the Colts with an easy fifth-year option decision.
Indianapolis will decline Richardson’s option by Friday’s deadline, Fox59’s Mike Chappell reports. The option would have cost the Colts $22.48MM in 2027 guaranteed money. Richardson lost a QB competition to Jones last year and suffered what turned out to be a season-ending eye injury off the field. Jones has since received the transition tag and signed a two-year, $88MM extension.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
The Colts did not receive any calls on Richardson during the draft, GM Chris Ballard confirmed. The QB has requested a trade, and while some interest was believed to have emerged earlier this offseason, the sides are in a holding pattern.
While Richardson’s fifth-year option was never believed to be much of an internal debate, he is tied to $10.82MM in guaranteed 2026 compensation. It might take the Colts, as the Jets did with Zach Wilson in 2024, taking on some of that contract-year guarantee to facilitate a trade.
The late Jim Irsay championed Richardson coming out of the draft, indicating the Colts would have probably taken him at No. 1 overall had they held that choice. Bryce Young went first overall that year, with C.J. Stroud coming off the board one spot later. The Colts, after their Jeff Saturday-coached 2022 season placed them in the No. 4 draft slot, drafted Richardson — a one-year starter out of Florida. Richardson’s one Gators season produced a sub-54% completion rate, but he presented tantalizing athleticism at that year’s Combine. The Colts made the pick and have since regretted it.
Only eight QBs have thrown 200-plus passes in a 21st-century season and completed less than 50% of them; Richardson became No. 8 in 2024, completing just 47.7% of his throws. That season included more injury trouble for Indy’s dual threat, but a bizarre sequence in which Richardson asked out of a game in Houston due to fatigue prompted intense internal and external scrutiny. Richardson’s preparation habits drew criticism in the aftermath of that strange sequence, and Shane Steichen temporarily benched him for then-backup Joe Flacco. Jones was then signed to a one-year deal to serve as competition. Despite the Vikings offering a better deal, the ex-Giants starter viewed the Indianapolis gig as presenting a better chance to start.
Weeks after Jones won the job, Richardson suffered an orbital bone fracture during a pregame warmup. The Colts designated the 6-foot-4 QB to return from IR late in the season but never activated him, going with the unretired Philip Rivers and sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard to close the slate. Richardson trade rumors had emerged dating back to 2024, and after Jones’ season running the offense, he asked out in early March of this year.
Vikings interest was rumored, and the Packers were then linked to the depressed Colts asset. Minnesota signed Kyler Murray for the veteran minimum following his Arizona release, but Green Bay — after losing Malik Willis in free agency — did not make a notable addition via free agency or the draft. The Chiefs also considered Richardson but ultimately traded for Justin Fields.
Ballard said recently Richardson could stay in Indianapolis, but that should be considered unlikely. Leonard would be positioned as Jones’ backup in the event of a trade. This situation could drag on a while. The next step will be Richardson’s potential attendance at OTAs and minicamp.
Browns’ Deshaun Watson Leading QB Competition; Ownership Pushing For Watson To Start?
The 2026 regular season is still four-plus months from kicking off, but first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken wants to identify his starting quarterback by the end of the team’s June 9-11 minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Monken still has several weeks to make his choice, but Deshaun Watson currently has the “edge” over Shedeur Sanders, according to Cabot.
This comes as a surprise after Sanders appeared to be the frontrunner three weeks ago. As a fifth-round pick last year, Sanders finished his rookie season as the Browns’ starter. Despite posting poor numbers, Sanders earned a Pro Bowl invite as an alternate. Meanwhile, Watson has not taken the field since he ruptured his Achilles on Oct. 20, 2024. The three-time Pro Bowler ruptured it again in January 2025, forcing him to miss all of last season.
The Browns made perhaps the worst trade in league history when they sent sent four picks (three first-rounders and a third-rounder) to the Texans for Watson in March 2022. They immediately handed Watson a fully guaranteed $230MM over five years, which has gone down as another disastrous decision.
While facing widespread sexual misconduct allegations, Watson opened his Browns tenure serving an 11-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Injuries have held him to just 19 starts since then. The Browns have gone 9-10 with Watson at the helm. To worsen matters, they have been forced to repeatedly restructure his bloated contract. They did so for the fourth time last month.
Although Watson’s deal will finally expire after this season, the Browns will still spread an $86.2MM dead money charge from 2027-28. Owner Jimmy Haslam, who has paid a cripplingly expensive price for almost no production from Watson, admitted last April that acquiring him was a “big swing and miss.” Over a year later, though, the Haslams (Jimmy and wife Dee) are making a behind-the-scenes push for Watson to start, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom relays.
“Jimmy Haslam has paid this guy $180M and he’s got nothing to show for it,” one general manager told La Canfora. “He’s trying to get blood from a stone but it’s not going to work. Watson is done.”
If Watson proves to be “done,” it could eventually lead to opportunities for Sanders and/or the rest of the Browns’ signal-callers. Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green are also in the team’s QBs room, but it does not appear they are under serious consideration for the starting gig. Rather, they are vying for a “developmental spot,” Cabot writes. It is more likely Gabriel and Green will receive third- and fourth-team work, leaving Watson and Sanders to divide the starting reps.
Monken has left the door open for Green, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound dual threat, to take the field in specialty packages (via Cabot). If the former Boise State and Arkansas starter impresses enough to earn a roster spot, Gabriel could be on his way out just a year after the Browns spent a third-rounder on him. The Browns may have trouble getting Gabriel on their practice squad, notes Cabot, who points to a trade as a possibility.
Gabriel made six underwhelming starts for the Browns after they traded Joe Flacco to the Bengals last October. He lost the job to Sanders after suffering a concussion in a Week 11 loss to the Ravens. Depending on how the next few months unfold, that may prove to be Gabriel’s last regular-season appearance with the Browns.
Browns To Use Spencer Fano At LT
Cleveland managed to land the tackle atop its O-line board while doing so after collecting additional draft assets. The Browns had been steadily connected to a first-round trade-down effort, and the Chiefs accommodated them in moving up from No. 9 to No. 6 for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
It is debatable whether Kansas City needed to climb up for Delane, but the team was leery of New Orleans at No. 8. The Chiefs sent the Browns Nos. 9, 74 and 148 for the right to climb three spots in Round 1. The Browns would have taken Spencer Fano at No. 6, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, but viewed the Commanders and Saints as unlikely to draft a tackle at Nos. 7 and 8.
Browns GM Andrew Berry was correct in his calculations, though he still wanted to know if the Chiefs were climbing up to take Fano. The resilient front office boss asked Chiefs counterpart Brett Veach if he was planning to select an offensive or defensive player at 6; after Veach indicated a defensive path, Berry agreed to trade the pick. Fano became the draft’s first O-lineman chosen, and he will have a big responsibility to start his career.
The Browns will station Fano at left tackle, per Breer, despite the Utah product playing on the right side during his final two Utes seasons. Fano moved from LT to RT in 2024, however, accommodating Caleb Lomu. Utes offensive line coach Jim Harding told the Browns the team viewed Lomu as more of a strict LT type, Breer adds, while believing Fano had enough versatility to make the transition. He earned All-America acclaim at RT. The Browns will now ask the accomplished right tackle to move back to the higher-profile O-line position.
The Commanders had traded for Laremy Tunsil last March and then chose Josh Conerly Jr. in the 2025 first round. New Orleans had taken tackles with its first-round picks in each of the past two years (Taliese Fuaga, Kelvin Banks Jr.). That left the NFC teams as obvious candidates to avoid taking a tackle. While Berry would have needed to be concerned with one of those teams trading down to allow for another club to land Fano, he was proven right and ended up with the team’s preferred blocker from this draft.
Fano is the final piece of the Browns’ puzzle to complete a revamped O-line. The team traded for Tytus Howard, and the ex-Texans tackle/guard will play RT in Cleveland. The team then signed Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Teven Jenkins to round out its interior O-line. Elgton Jenkins has experience across the formation, but the recent Packers cap casualty is not certain to play center. Todd Monken did not confirm Elgton Jenkins would be the team’s starting center when asked (via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi), but given Cleveland’s other moves up front, that seems likely.
Green Bay slid Elgton Jenkins from guard, where he received both his Pro Bowl invites, to center in 2025. A season-ending broken leg — an injury that also brought ligament damage — preceded the Packers re-signing C replacement Sean Rhyan and cutting Jenkins, who signed a two-year deal worth $24MM to join the Browns. Cleveland gave Elgton Jenkins $15MM guaranteed at signing, money that almost certainly has the versatile blocker ticketed to start.
Neither Johnson nor Teven Jenkins has played center as a pro. While the Browns roster former sixth-round pick Luke Wypler as a center option, Jenkins’ contract is above the backup level. As of early April, the door for Joel Bitonio to return remained open. Bitonio could come back and again bump Teven Jenkins to a second-string role, where he was most of last year, and the ex-Bears guard starter is attached to a one-year, $4MM deal.
As for Fano, he will be expected to start over injury-prone left tackle Dawand Jones. The latter is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has missed 27 games as a pro. A season-ending knee injury felled Jones in Week 3 of last season. After moving into Cleveland’s starting lineup, the Ohio State product will likely return to a reserve role to open the 2026 season.
Ravens Sign First-Round G Vega Ioane
The Ravens have acted quickly in getting first-round guard Vega Ioane under contract. The 14th overall pick has signed his rookie deal, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. Ioane will earn a fully guaranteed $24.23MM over four years. The contract also comes with a fifth-year option.
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Ioane was a standout at Penn State, where he became a full-time starter at left guard in 2024. Ioane earned second-team All-Big Ten honors that year, and he improved to first-team honors last season. He was also a first-team All-American after putting together a second straight season without allowing a sack or taking a holding penalty. Ioane yielded just four pressures over 614 snaps in his last year with the Nittany Lions.
Considered the best pure guard in this year’s draft class, Ioane ended up as one of a whopping nine offensive linemen to come off the board in the first round. The Ravens could have lost out on Ioane if not for the Rams’ affinity for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Teams hoping to jump the Ravens for Ioane called the Rams about acquiring the 13th overall pick, but general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay stayed put to draft a potential QB of the future.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta and head coach Jesse Minter landed a plug-and-play starter in Ioane, though it is unclear whether he will line up on the left side in 2026. John Simpson, whom the Ravens signed to a three-year, $30MM contract in free agency, is more “comfortable” on the left than the right, Zrebiec notes. Regardless, Ioane and Simpson are poised to start next season, giving the Ravens two new No. 1s after they used Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele as 17-game starters last year. Vorhees is now ticketed for a bench role, while Faalele signed with the Giants and reunited with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
In addition to signing Ioane, the Ravens have inked fourth-round wide receiver Elijah Sarratt to a deal, Zrebiec relays. Sarratt enjoyed a productive three-year college career between James Madison and Indiana, where he combined for 200 catches and 31 touchdowns in 40 games. Sarratt was an integral part of the Hoosiers’ undefeated, national title-winning team in 2025. Serving as a key weapon for quarterback Fernando Mendoza and a strong complement to fellow receiver Omar Cooper Jr., Sarratt caught 65 passes for 830 yards and an NCAA-leading 15 scores. The Ravens snagged Sarratt at No. 115, 35 picks after they chose USC wideout Ja’kobi Lane at No. 80.
Chiefs, Seahawks, Vikings Showed Interest In RB Jonah Coleman
The Broncos ended up making Jonah Coleman this year’s fourth running back drafted. Not viewed as an RB class overflowing with talent, this year’s crop featured two first-rounders (both out of Notre Dame) and just one RB chosen on Day 2 (Indiana’s Kaelon Black, who went to the 49ers).
Denver chose the Washington product with the first of two fourth-round picks (No. 108), doing so after spending extensive time with him during the pre-draft process. The Broncos used a “30” visit on Coleman and, according to his college running backs coach (ex-NFL RB Scottie Graham), and frequently contacted the Huskies to discuss the back.
They were not the only team to show a decent amount of interest in the standout Big Ten rusher. Graham said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the Chiefs, Seahawks and Vikings showed a good amount of interest in Coleman before the draft. No trade-up ended up being necessary for Coleman, however, and the Broncos have acquired some near-future insurance on J.K. Dobbins and likely a longer-term RJ Harvey running mate.
“They called a number of times and asked a lot of questions,’’ Graham said of the Broncos, via Tomasson. “They’d sometimes call a couple of times in the same day and they wanted to know intimate things about his family. You’re not going to ask some of the questions they did unless you want him. They wanted me to tell them something that nobody knows about him. Then they’d call back again. I said, ‘Jonah, you’re probably going to Denver.‘”
Teams obviously do considerable research on numerous prospects, but Graham also worked with current Broncos defensive line coach Jamar Cain at Arizona State. Cain has known Coleman since he was 16, per Tomasson, serving as the Sun Devils’ recruiter in the area where the RB grew up (Stockton, Calif.).
Each of the rumored Coleman suitors left the draft with RB picks. The Seahawks addressed their need by taking Jadarian Price at No. 32 overall, doing so after a first-round trade-down move fell through. The Chiefs traded up for Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson in Round 5; the Vikings chose Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne in Round 6.
The Broncos included Dobbins in their re-signing spree, giving him a two-year deal worth $16MM. Dobbins’ $8MM guarantee nearly quadrupled his 2025 salary, representing an interesting decision considering the productive RB’s injury history. Dobbins added to that medical sheet with a Lisfranc issue last season, costing him seven regular-season games and both Broncos playoff contests. The Broncos still placed a high priority on retaining Dobbins, though it appeared he was the team’s second choice (possibly third). Denver made what was believed to be a strong offer to Travis Etienne and was connected to Breece Hall before the Jets franchise-tagged him. Rather than a pricier back, the Broncos ended up with Dobbins and his likely successor.
Coleman transferred from Arizona to Washington in 2024 but was a regular in both teams’ backfields. After an 871-yard sophomore year with the Wildcats, Coleman totaled 1,053 rushing yards in 2024 and 758 in ’25. Last season brought a Big Ten-leading 17 touchdowns for the 5-foot-8, 220-pound back. He added 354 receiving yards in 2025.
Harvey, a 2025 second-rounder, should remain in the Alvin Kamara-like role in Sean Payton‘s offense. Dobbins will presumably enter 2026 in the Mark Ingram spot, as he was a top-five NFL rusher when he suffered his foot injury last year. While Coleman may well be Dobbins’ successor — no guarantees are on the veteran’s deal for 2027 — The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider notes a short-yardage role might be available to the rookie this season.
Although the Broncos re-signed both Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin, they are unlikely to retain both on their 53-man roster. The team also rosters fullback Nate Adkins, leaving one (or perhaps zero) spots for Badie or McLaughlin now that Coleman is on the team. The team needed McLaughlin — a fourth-year UDFA — more after Dobbins’ injury, but his path to playing time has since narrowed.
Bills Traded Down After Running Out Of First-Round Grades; Brandon Beane Viewed Corner As Biggest Need
The Bills entered the 2026 NFL Draft with the 26th overall selection, but they did not end up picking in the first round. General manager Brandon Beane made three separate trades to move down to No. 35. Beane revealed that he began wheeling and dealing after the Bills ran out of players with first-round grades (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN).
While it is unclear which prospects the Bills were considering at 26, it is worth noting that two edge defenders – Akheem Mesidor (Chargers) and Malachi Lawrence (Cowboys) – as well as receiver KC Concepcion (Browns) and safety Dillon Thieneman (Bears) came off the board in the four preceding picks. Any of them would have filled a need for the Bills, who eyed at least three of them before the draft. The team hosted Concepcion on a “30” visit, and it met with Lawrence and Thieneman at the Combine (via Bills Wire).
After going down nine spots, the Bills used their first pick on former Clemson edge defender T.J. Parker. They later addressed receiver in the fourth round (Skyler Bell, No. 125) and safety in the fifth (Jalon Kilgore, No. 167).
Beane’s lone pick on Day 2 was former Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, whom he moved up for in the second round. He sent a third-rounder (No. 66) and a sixth-rounder (No. 182) to the Broncos for the 62nd choice. Beane did it for two reasons (per Getzenberg): 1.) He saw outside corner as the Bills’ biggest need entering the draft. 2) He noticed a run on corners in the second round. Colton Hood (No. 37, Giants), Avieon Terrell (No. 48, Falcons), D’Angelo Ponds (No. 50, Jets) and Brandon Cisse (No. 52, Packers) were all taken before Igbinosun in Round 2.
Whether corner was the Bills’ most glaring pre-draft need is debatable, but it is clear they were light at the position. They went into the draft with little behind the starting duo of Christian Benford and 2025 first-rounder Maxwell Hairston. Dorian Strong, a 2025 sixth-rounder, may never play again after suffering a neck injury last year. Their only other options on the outside were M.J. Devonshire, Te’Cory Couch and Daryl Porter Jr.. Devonshire and Couch have zero regular-season appearances between them, while Porter has played in just one game (last year with Pittsburgh).
The Bills now have Igbinosun and seventh-round speedster Toriano Pride Jr. as depth behind Benford and Hairston, but they could still add to the position in free agency. Tre’Davious White, a starter for the Bills last year, is among the league’s unsigned veterans. Beane said before the draft that he had not ruled out re-signing White, though he may have changed his tune after the Igbinosun and Pride picks.