Panthers Acquire No. 49 From Vikings, Draft DT Lee Hunter
The Panthers are moving up two spots in Round 2, snaring No. 39 from the Vikings. Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter is Charlotte-bound as a result.
Minnesota will collect Nos. 51 and 159 from Carolina in exchange for Nos. 49 and 196, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
More to come.
2026 NFL Draft Results By Round
From the No. 1 overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant (No. 257), here are the results from the 2026 NFL Draft:
Round 1
1) Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
2) New York Jets: David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
3) Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
4) Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
5) New York Giants: Arvell Reese (LB/EDGE, Ohio State)
6) Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
7) Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
8) New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
9) Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs): Spencer Fano (T, Utah)
10) New York Giants (from Bengals): Francis Mauigoa (T, Miami)
11) Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins): Caleb Downs, (S, Ohio State)
12) Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys): Kadyn Proctor (T, Alabama)
13) Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
14) Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)
16) New York Jets (from Colts): Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
17) Detroit Lions: Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
18) Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
19) Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
20) Philadelphia Eagles (from Packers via Cowboys): Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
21) Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
22) Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)
23) Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, Central Florida)
24) Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
25) Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
26) Houston Texans (from Bills): Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
27) Miami Dolphins (from 49ers): Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
28) New England Patriots (from Texans via Bills): Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
29) Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
30) New York Jets (from Broncos via Dolphins and 49ers): Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)
31) Tennessee Titans (from Patriots via Bills): Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
32) Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
Round 2
33) San Francisco 49ers (from Jets): De’Zhaun Stribling (WR, Ole Miss)
34) Arizona Cardinals: Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M)
35) Buffalo Bills (from Titans): T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
36) Houston Texans (from Raiders): Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
37) New York Giants: Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
38) Las Vegas Raiders (from Commanders via Texans): Treydan Stukes (S, Arizona)
39) Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
40) Kansas City Chiefs: R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma)
41) Cincinnati Bengals: Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
42) New Orleans Saints: Christen Miller (DT, Georgia)
43) Miami Dolphins: Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech)
44) Detroit Lions (from Cowboys via Jets): Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
45) Baltimore Ravens: Zion Young (EDGE, Missouri)
46) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
47) Pittsburgh Steelers (from Colts): Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
48) Atlanta Falcons: Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
49) Carolina Panthers (from Vikings): Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
50) New York Jets (from Lions):
51) Minnesota Vikings (from Panthers):
52) Green Bay Packers:
53) Indianapolis Colts (from Steelers):
54) Philadelphia Eagles:
55) Los Angeles Chargers:
56) Jacksonville Jaguars:
57) Chicago Bears:
58) San Francisco 49ers:
59) Houston Texans:
60) Chicago Bears (from Bills):
61) Los Angeles Rams:
62) Denver Broncos:
63) New England Patriots:
64) Seattle Seahawks:
Colts Send Steelers No. 47; WR Germie Bernard Heading To Pittsburgh
The draft’s hosts pleased the crowd by trading up a few spots. The Colts sent No. 47 overall to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is taking Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard.
Pittsburgh will send Indianapolis Nos. 53, 135 and 237 for Nos. 47 and 249, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The Bernard pick comes a night after the team nearly chose USC’s Makai Lemon 21st overall.
More to come.
Giants Engaged In Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Talks; Saints Showing Interest
6:57pm: While Thibodeaux could be on the move soon — he dropped a Paul Walker Furious 7 image on his Instagram after this latest rumor circulated — GM Joe Schoen said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) no trade is being discussed now.
5:13pm: Similar to their Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul first-round picks earlier this century, the Giants have stacked their edge-rushing corps by drafting Arvell Reese. That came after Abdul Carter arrived in New York despite the presences of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
While the Giants are preparing to start Reese as an off-ball linebacker — presumably with pass-down rush responsibilities a la an early-career Von Miller — a logjam has formed here. The Giants may be prepared to resolve the issue tonight. They are engaged in trade talks on Thibodeaux, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. The Saints are among the teams showing “strong interest.”
If the Giants do not move Thibodeaux, he might not have a starting role. A fascinating NASCAR package-style setup in which all four edge rushers share the field would generate intrigue — like the Giants’ JPP-Kiwanuka-Justin Tuck-Osi Umenyiora line did during the 2011 Super Bowl XLVI-winning season — but Thibodeaux’s name has come up in trade talks for several weeks. With one year left on his contract, the former No. 5 overall pick may soon need to relocate.
The Saints have been in on Thibodeaux since February, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. In late February, a report indicated the Giants were listening on the Oregon product. Days later, they were viewed as preferring to trade him. This was well before it was viewed likely that Reese — who was closely tied to the Jets at No. 2 overall — could fall to 5.
Although a potential early-Day 3 pick has been floated as satisfactory compensation, a recent report indicated the Giants were not prepared to accept anything south of a Day 2 choice for Thibodeaux. While Chase Young, Jaelan Phillips, Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler generated third-rounders (or thirds and then something else) in contract years, Thibodeaux has been inconsistent as a pass rusher. He has one six-sack season on his resume, and that 11.5-sack 2023 season looks like an outlier. The Giants look to have vacillated on whether to keep or trade Thibodeaux this offseason, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy adds. The Reese pick certainly stands to increase internal trade interest.
The Saints were connected to potentially trading up for Reese in Round 1. The Chiefs then viewed them as a threat for cornerback Mansoor Delane. But New Orleans did not move up the board and then left Rueben Bain Jr. there, choosing wideout Jordyn Tyson at No. 8. New Orleans returns Young and Carl Granderson but has not re-signed franchise sack kingpin Cameron Jordan, who is entering an age-37 season.
Thibodeaux, 25, is due fully guaranteed $14.75MM salary this season — his fifth-year option campaign — but is coming off a second straight injury-shortened year. After missing five games in 2024, he missed seven in ’25. It would be surprising if anyone offered more than a third-rounder for the former top prospect, and it is worth wondering if the Giants would accept a fourth-rounder and another Day 3 pick to finalize this deal. By engaging in talks now, the team appears to be hoping an EDGE-needy team will offer that elusive third to finish this process.
Lions Trade Up To Select DE Derrick Moore
The Lions are jumping up six spots in the second round, sending the 50th and 128th overall picks to the Jets for the right to draft Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore at No. 44 overall. Detroit takes a chance here on the in-state edge rusher who hit double-digit sacks for the Wolverines last year, pairing him with their other Michigan-made star in the pass rush.
A year after Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo wrapped up their careers at Michigan, Moore arrived on campus, working in as a rotational pass rusher off the bench as a true freshman. In Years 2 & 3, though he wasn’t named a starter, Moore found himself on the field just as much as the edge rushers on the first-team defense and produced at a similar rate. Finally named a full-time starter this past season, Moore made the most of his opportunity, posting career highs in sacks (10.0) and tackles for loss (10.5).
Detroit found a clear star edge rusher in 2022 when Hutchinson came on board and rattled off 21.0 sacks in his first two seasons, almost singlehandedly elevating the Lions’ pass rush. He looked to be on track for a career-best year in 2024 when a season-ending injury limited him to only 7.5 sacks in five games. Emphasizing how much he meant to the team’s defense, over the 12 remaining games of the season, no defender unseated him for the team lead in sacks. The team enjoyed Hutchinson’s return last year and even got a surprise contribution from veteran rotational edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad as the pair tallied 14.5 and 11.0 sacks, respectively.
More to come…
Cowboys Acquire LB Dee Winters From 49ers
The Cowboys are acquiring linebacker Dee Winters from the 49ers, Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater of NFL Network report. San Francisco will get a fifth-round pick (No. 152) in return, per Pelissero.
A native of Brenham, Texas, and a TCU product, Winters is returning to his home state after spending the first three years of his career with the 49ers. They spent a 2023 sixth-round pick on Winters, whose role increased in each of his seasons in their uniform.
Winters played 15 games as a rookie, but he did not register a start. Almost all of his work (226 of 286 snaps) came on special teams. That changed during another 15-game season in 2024 for Winters, who amassed 398 defensive snaps and 162 on the ST unit. He finished the season with 44 tackles and four passes defensed.
Last year, after Dre Greenlaw joined the Broncos in free agency, Winters took on a full-time starting role. Playing on an injury-riddled team that lost superstar linebacker Fred Warner for the season in October, Winters managed his first 17-game campaign. He placed second among 49ers defenders in snap share (91.52%) and totaled 101 tackles, eight TFL, five passes defensed and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranked Winters’ performance a middle-of-the-pack 47th among 88 qualifiers at his position.
The 49ers reunited with Greenlaw in free agency last March, and they expect Warner to return to full strength after suffering a brutal ankle injury. They also count Tatum Bethune, 2025 third-rounder Nick Martin and Luke Gifford among their depth options, leaving Winters as the odd man out.
Meanwhile, after one of the worst defensive campaigns in franchise history, the Cowboys entered the offseason in desperate need of help at linebacker (among other areas). Hoping to find a partner for DeMarvion Overshown, they swung and missed on high-profile free agent targets such as Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. The team considered trading for Steelers’ Patrick Queen earlier in the offseason, but it will now turn to Winters as he enters the last year of his rookie contract. The addition of Winters continues a busy couple of days for Dallas’ defense, which previously picked up safety Caleb Downs and edge defender Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the draft.
Browns Draft WR Denzel Boston At No. 39
The Browns have selected Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston with the 39th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Boston, 22, racked up 125 receptions, 1,717 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over his last two years with the Huskies. He was among the wideouts to visit Cleveland during the pre-draft process, and the team was known to be interested in adding talent at the position. They already selected Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion at No. 24 overall, and they will now double-dip on a second receiver on Day 2.
New Browns head coach Todd Monken is surely excited about his new-look offense, which also added Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano in the first round. Cleveland has clearly made an effort to bolster their offense around an uncertain quarterback room without a clear starter.
Cleveland saw Jerry Jeudy‘s production nosedive after a Pro Bowl 2024 breakout showing, and the Jeudy contract pays out its guarantees in 2026. Jeudy, who is entering an age-27 season, is signed through 2028. For the time being, the ex-Bronco first-rounder will team with two top-40 picks as the Browns rebuild their receiving corps.
More to come...
Texans Trade Up To Draft DT Kayden McDonald
The first draft of the second round comes early as the Texans move up two picks to draft Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. They trade places with the Raiders to make the pick, giving Las Vegas pick Nos. 38 & 91 in exchange for pick Nos. 36 & 117.
McDonald was widely expected to be the 2026 NFL Draft class’s only first-round interior defender, opting to attend the festivities in Pittsburgh, but slipped into Day 2 after seeing the Florida’s Caleb Banks and Clemson’s Peter Woods taken in the first round. With teams seeing his name near the top of the list of best remaining players throughout the day, it’s clear he was a priority for a few clubs. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Houston felt the need to trade up ahead of the Giants, a team they expected might take McDonald before they could in order to replace Dexter Lawrence.
After essentially redshirting in his first year with the Buckeyes, McDonald held a rotational role off the bench in the team’s 2024 championship run. 2025 was McDonald’s first and only season as a full-time starter, but the All-American defender showed enough in 14 games to prove he was NFL ready. The disruptive, explosive defensive tackle made plays all over the field for Ohio State notching 65 total tackles, three sacks, and nine tackles for loss. While he was able to produce in the pass rush, he really excelled as a run stopper.
The Texans had quite a few strong contributors on the defensive line last year, with Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai leading the way and Tim Settle rotating in. Settle made his way to Washington in free agency, setting up a perfect role for McDonald to fill as a rookie. Houston’s defense was one of the best in the league last year, and while McDonald has clear starting potential, he may benefit by starting slow in the NFL in a rotational role. If the Texans let Togiai walk in free agency after this year, McDonald will have a clear path to a starting role in Year 2.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Puka Nacua A ‘Full Participant’ In Rams’ Offseason Program
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua checked into a treatment center in March, raising questions about his ability to participate in the team’s offseason program.
Those questions were answered on Tuesday by head coach Sean McVay, who said that Nacua was in attendance at the start of offseason workouts on Monday and would be a “full participant” moving forward.
“Great to be able to see him,” McVay added (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop). “Looks great. He’s doing really well.”
Nacua, 24, was a fifth-round pick in 2023 who quickly emerged as one of the best receivers in the NFL. He posted 105 receptions for 1,486 yards as a rookie, leading all players from his draft class and ranking among the top 10 wideouts in the league. He was limited to 11 games in 2024, but roared back in 2025 with a league-high 129 receptions and 107.2 receiving yards per game.
But in March, Nacua was sued by a woman who accused of him of biting and harassing her. He had already checked into rehab by then, with the expectation that he would return to the team by OTAs in May. The fourth-year wideout’s legal matters remain up in the air, but he is trending to hit that timeline.
Rams general manager Les Snead said on Tuesday (via Pro Football Network’s Myles Simmons) that Nacua was “doing really, really well” and expressed confidence in his ability to grow and mature.
“One of the more fulfilling things about being in sports, is dealing with a subset of people that are still getting there,” Snead added. “But to see people like Puka grow…it’s one of the reasons, if not the main reason, you do it. It’s definitely one of the reasons that makes this more fulfilling than anything.”
Fellow 2023 draftee Jaxon Smith-Njigba received a record-setting $42.15MM per year extension this offseason, which sets a very clear market for Nacua. But the Rams may prefer to wait and ensure he can put his off-field issues behind him before they give him a deal worth more than $150MM.
49ers Draft De’Zhaun Stribling At No. 33
The 49ers opened the second round of the NFL draft with an offensive addition on Friday. They selected Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling 33rd overall.
San Francisco entered the draft with the 27th pick, but it arrived at 33 after trading down twice. The 49ers moved to 30th in a deal with the Dolpins and then went down three more spots in a trade with the Jets. General manager John Lynch was open to offers for the 33rd choice, but he instead stayed put and bolstered the 49ers’ receiving corps.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Stribling, nephew of WWE Hall of Famer Don “The Rock” Muraco, played at three different schools during a five-year college career. He combined for an impressive 95 catches and 10 touchdowns at Washington State from 2021-22 before transferring to Oklahoma State. A hand injury limited Stribling to four games and 14 catches in 2023, but he bounced back during a 52-reception, 882-yard, six-touchdown showing the next season. Stribling moved on to Ole Miss last year, where he posted similar production (55-811-6).
While Stribling was rarely mentioned among the top receiver prospects during the pre-draft process, his stock rose thanks in part to his performance at the Combine. Stribling ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked him as the 67th-best prospect in this class heading into the draft, contending he could turn into a No. 2 or 3 receiver in the pros.
Stribling will now join a Mike Evans-led group of 49ers receivers that also includes 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and slot wideout Christian Kirk in prominent roles. Meanwhile, Brandon Aiyuk is still under contract, but the 49ers remain hopeful they will find a trade partner, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. That has proven difficult after a tumultuous year-plus for Aiyuk. After tearing his ACL and MCL in October, Aiyuk largely stayed away from the team during a lost 2025. The 49ers inked Aiyuk to a four-year, $120MM extension in August 2024, but they voided the remaining guarantees in his contract last July.


