Broncos Draft Buffalo LB Red Murdock As Mr. Irrelevant
With the final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Broncos have made Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. He sneaks his way into the seventh round of the draft at No. 257 overall.
This is actually far under where Murdock was projected to go. A starter for the Bulls over the last two years, Murdock’s propensity for making plays had him projected by some to go much closer to the start of Day 3.
The 22-year-old arrived in Buffalo after attending Fork Union Military Academy, and after a minor role in his first year with the Bulls, he started earning more playing time in 2023. Elevating into a starting role over the back half of that season, Murdock ended his time in college with 31 straight starts.
Murdock had a strong nose for the ball on the Bulls’ defense. In his two full years of starting duty, he tallied 298 total tackles, seven sacks, and 30 tackles for loss. One of Murdock’s most striking attributes was his ability to separate ballcarriers from the rock. Just over the last three years of his career, Murdock forced 17 fumbles — an FBS record for a college career. His seven forced fumbles in 2024 set another NCAA record for most in a single season. The only caveats that come with his crowded stat sheet is that much of that production came against opponents who likely will not be playing on Sundays.
Murdock joins a linebacking corps in Denver led by returning starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. Dre Greenlaw, who served as LB3 for the Broncos last year, returned to San Francisco after a Denver release. Joining one of the NFL’s best defenses from last year with linebackers that Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the 24th- and 25th-best at their position seems like an ideal situation for Murdock. He should have every opportunity to earn a role somewhere in the Broncos’ system, and if he can make the transition from MAC to NFL without a drop-off in production, he may stand a chance at sticking.
Chiefs Draft QB Garrett Nussmeier At No. 249
Garrett Nussmeier‘s lengthy draft wait has come to an end. The LSU quarterback has been drafted with pick No. 249 by the Chiefs.
Nussmeier was mentioned alongside the likes of Carson Beck and Drew Allar as a candidate to be selected at some point on Day 2 of the draft. Beck was taken by the Cardinals while the Steelers added Allar. Nussmeier, on the other hand, remained available heading into Saturday. It has taken until well into the seventh round for his name to be called.
Like many other quarterbacks, Nussmeier faced high expectations for the 2025 season based on his play the previous year. Things did not go according to plan, however, with an abdominal injury suffered during training camp lingering throughout the season. Nussmeier wound up starting the first nine games of the year before being replaced atop the Tigers’ QB depth chart.
Injury concerns remained during the pre-draft process, although his level of play at the Senior Bowl was praised. Medical testing at the Combine revealed a cyst on his spine was the cause of the ailment, and a minor surgery may be needed as a result. Such a procedure did not appear to threaten Nussmeier’s stock to a large extent, but teams around the league clearly have doubts about his NFL outlook. In Kansas City, the 2024 Manning Award finalist will join a QBs room which is certainly not lacking in experience.
Patrick Mahomes will of course handle starting duties once he is healthy. In the meantime, trade acquisition Justin Fields is positioned to take first-team reps during spring practices. The Chiefs also have Jake Haener and Chris Oladokun in the fold. Nussmeier will provide depth while remaining under team control for years to come. He could develop into a low-cost backup over time.
Nussmeier completes a 2026 Chiefs draft class which, to little surprise, was defense-heavy during the early rounds. The play of Kansas City’s earlier picks will have more of an impact on the team’s immediate success, but it will be interesting to see how Nussmeier develops under Andy Reid.
Patriots Draft QB Behren Morton At No. 234
The Patriots are among the teams which have opted to bring in a signal-caller late on Day 3. Texas Tech’s Behren Morton has been taken by New England at No. 234. He becomes the ninth quarterback off the board and the first out of Lubbock since Patrick Mahomes was taken in 2017.
While much of the Red Raiders’ success in 2025 came from the transfer portal, Morton was a redshirt senior in his final year with the program. Where most find their way to Lubbock for college, Morton was born and raised there. A move to New England will mean quite a change in scenery.
Morton earned his first starters at Tech over a four-game stretch in his redshirt freshman year as an injury replacement. He began the 2023 season as the backup to eventual Saints starter Tyler Shough but took over the starting role in Week 5 and held on from there.
Morton showed a lot of promise in his first extended look as a starter. The team went 6-2 with him behind center, but Morton only averaged about 175.7 yards per game en route to 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His production took a huge jump the next season. He added over 100 yards per game to his weekly average as he threw for 3,335 yards, 27 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 12 games. While his total yardage fell short in 2025, his efficiency increase as his yards per attempt increased from 7.2 in 2024 to 8.8.
While Morton displayed a versatile arm at Tech, throwing from multiple arm slots, his arms strength has been called into question. He can throw with anticipation, but his accuracy leaves room for improvement, and his mechanics could use some refinement. He proved to be a tough athlete over the years, but injuries will be something to keep an eye on moving forward. Morton missed at least two games in three of his five years in school.
Morton is set to join a quarterbacks room that has a clear starter and backup in Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito. He’ll have the opportunity throughout the offseason to convince the Patriots to hold on to three passers for the 2026 NFL season, even if that might destine him for a spot on the practice squad.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders Add Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis In Seventh Round
While LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier remains on the board in a stunning slide, the Commanders have added a new arm to their quarterbacks room in Athan Kaliakmanis. The Rutgers product becomes the eighth passer off the board and the first of the seventh round at No. 223 overall.
Kaliakmanis’ journey started at Minnesota where he spent three years as a Golden Gopher. After redshirting as a true freshman, Kaliakmanis earned his first starting opportunity when usual starter Tanner Morgan went was held out with a concussion. Morgan got injured again two weeks later, and Kaliakmanis took over down the stretch, starting five games and going 3-2 as a starter, including a win in the team’s bowl game. He won the starting job for Minnesota in 2023, and after a 5-7 campaign he transferred to the Rutgers.
Kaliakmanis continued to develop with the Scarlet Knights, improving each year as a passer. After sporting completion percentages of 53.1 and 53.9 in his first two years of full-time starting duties, Kaliakmanis finished 2025 at a mark of 62.2 percent. He also ended his collegiate career with highs of 3,124 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns in his final season, throwing seven interceptions in each of his final two years of play. Kaliakmanis also demonstrated decent mobility at Rutgers. In 2024, he rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Kaliakmanis heads to a crowded quarterbacks room in Washington. Jayden Daniels is the clear starter, while Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman serve as two generations of backups. Kaliakmanis’ production in college may not excite, but the 22-year-old has the physical tools to compete and showed a lot of improvement in his last season of play. He should be granted an opportunity to compete with Hartman for a shot at QB3.
Packers Acquire 216th Pick, Draft K Trey Smack
The Packers have acquired the 216th selection from the Seahawks, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The Seahawks received Nos. 236 and 255 in return, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.
Green Bay moved up late on Day 3 to select Florida kicker Trey Smack. With the draft nearing an end, Smack became the first kicker off the board and the second Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has drafted. Gutekunst previously spent a sixth-rounder on Anders Carlson in 2023, but he only lasted one season with the team.
Smack, who handled field goals in three of four years at Florida, was among the most dependable kickers in college football. A two-time semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award (given to the nation’s best kicker), Smack made 53 of 64 field goals (82.8%) and converted 10 of 13 from 50-plus yards. He also missed just one of 101 extra points with the Gators.
The Packers’ addition of Smack comes just over 13 months after they re-signed kicker Brandon McManus to a three-year, $15.3MM deal in March 2025. McManus went on to miss three games with a quad injury. Lucas Havrisik filled in while he was out. When healthy, McManus hit 24 of 30 FGs (80%) and 32 of 33 PATs. The Packers made it to the playoffs, but McManus’ three misses against the Bears proved costly in a 31-27 wild-card round loss. Along with failing to convert either field goal attempt, he missed one of his four extra points.
With Smack now in the fold, McManus’ job is in obvious jeopardy. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Saturday that the two will compete for the role (via Ryan Wood of USA Today).
Bears Trade Up For Bills’ 213th Overall Pick
The Bears have made a move to come up 26 spots to the back of the sixth round. They are sending pick Nos. 239 and 241 in the seventh round to the Bills to move up for Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg. Van Den Berg makes history today as the first ever South African-born player to be selected in the NFL Draft.
Chicago has had a versatile draft up to this point, addressing a different position group with each selection. With this trade up, the Bears have added depth on their defensive interior with a decent amount of potential. It’s been a long road for Van Den Berg, who began his path to the NFL through community college before landing in Happy Valley. After three years in rotation role on the defensive line at Penn State, Van Den Berg transferred to the Yellow Jackets for a starting opportunity.
Starting his time at Georgia Tech coming off the bench, Van Den Berg quickly outperformed his bench role and worked his way into the starting lineup by Week 6. In that first year in Atlanta, Van Dan Berg started to show a knack for disruption with a sack and five tackles for loss. Given the opportunity to play as a full-time starter in 2025, he expanded that production, recording career highs in total tackles (44), sacks (3.0), and tackles for loss (11.0). He comes to the league with an NFL-ready frame but will need to work through some stiffness to be effective at the next level.
The Bears return Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett and as likely starters on the interior defensive line and signed Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch in free agency to join last year’s second-round pick Shemar Turner and fill out the room. That’s a lot of bodies for Van Den Berg to move past on the depth chart, making it a difficult road to a spot on the 53-man roster.
There may be a plan in place for Van Den Berg to end up on the practice squad to start his career, where he will be able to qualify for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and not count against the taxi squad’s 16-man limit.
Rams Add No. 197 From Eagles, Select WR CJ Daniels
The Rams are completing a three-for-one trade as the draft nears its conclusion. They will add No. 197 from the Eagles in exchange for Nos. 207, 251 and 252, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus tweets.
Los Angeles drafted Miami wide receiver CJ Daniels at 197. This continues a high-volume draft for the Hurricanes, the 2025 CFP runners-up. It also thins out the remaining capital available to Los Angeles as the closing stages of the draft play out.
The Rams have exclusively brought in rookies on offense so far this weekend. The team added at the tight spot by selecting Max Klare yesterday, and Daniels will now look to offer depth out wide. Los Angeles’ receiver depth chart will of course be topped once again by Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in 2026, but the team elected not to add an option like Makai Lemon on Day 1 and instead went with quarterback Ty Simpson.
That decision left WR as a potential need for the later rounds of the draft, and the Rams have moved up to ensure an addition winds up being made. Daniels began his collegiate career at Liberty, spending four years there. That was followed by a single campaign at LSU and then a transfer to Miami for 2025. Contested catches were a specialty for the 6-2, 202-pounder even after he matched up against stronger competition. Strong play in the red zone could thus be Daniels’ path to a roster spot this summer.
As a result of this trade, the Rams only own one more pick today (No. 232). The Eagles, meanwhile, are set to remain busy through the seventh and final round of the event with the selections added in this swap.
Vikings Acquire No. 198, Select RB Demond Claiborne
For the second time in a few minutes, the Patriots have traded down. The defending AFC champions traded No. 191 to the Jaguars and have now moved No. 198 to the Vikings.
Minnesota will send No. 234 and a 2027 sixth-round pick to New England, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed tweets. The Vikings are using the 198th choice on Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne.
Claiborne totaled just 14 carries in 2022, his first year with the Demon Deacons, before taking over as their lead back. He had a breakout season in 2024, a 12-game showing in which he rushed for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns on 228 attempts. Claiborne added another 254 yards and two scores on 23 catches.
Claiborne amassed fewer carries (179) in a dozen games last season as he dealt with ball security issues. While he finished with five fumbles, he put up 907 yards on 5.1 per tote and recorded 10 TDs. Claiborne also pulled in a personal-best 28 grabs, though his yardage total fell to 140 (a paltry 5.0 per reception).
The 5-foot-10, 188-pound Claiborne possesses 4.37 speed and is similar in size to Dolphins star De’Von Achane (5-9, 191). Between his athleticism and pass-catching skills, Claiborne is “low-calorie” version of Achane, Dane Brugler of The Athletic observes.
Claiborne will begin his NFL career behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, but those two are only under contract for another year. That could give Claiborne a chance to carve out an important role in the Vikings’ offense in the near future.
Jaguars Land No. 191 From Patriots, Draft WR Josh Cameron
The Jaguars are making another Day 3 trade-up move, acquiring No. 191 from the Patriots. New England will acquire Nos. 196 and 245 from Jacksonville.
Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron is heading to Jacksonville via this trade. This marks the third pass-catcher the Jags have selected during the event, joining tight ends Nate Boerkircher (second round) and Tanner Koziol (fifth round). Cameron will look to compete for a depth role in Jacksonville’s receiver room.
Jacksonville has Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington in position to remain key figures at the WR spot in 2026. Travis Hunter is also set to contribute on offense even if the team follows through with its plan of primarily using him as a cornerback. That will not leave much in the way of opportunities in the passing game for Cameron, but he could carve out a special teams role during training camp.
The 6-1, 220-pounder spent five years with Baylor, and his production took off beginning in 2024. Cameron caught 10 touchdown passes that season, adding another nine in 2025. He profiles as a red zone threat at the NFL level, with drops not viewed as a major concern. Further route-running refinement and better separation will be needed for Cameron to emerge as a regular on offense in the pros, however.
As things stand, the Jaguars own another sixth-round pick (No. 203). That will be followed by a trio of seventh-round selections on the part of general manager James Gladstone unless he winds up making any further trades.
Jets Acquire No. 188 From Seahawks
The Jets are moving up for some Day 3 offensive line help. The Seahawks are trading No. 188, a move that will lead Miami offensive guard Anez Cooper to New York.
Gang Green will send Seattle pick Nos. 199 and 242 for the move. The defending champions had expressed a desire to add more picks, and while the team did not do so early, it has made multiple moves to do so today.
At nearly 6-foot-6, 342 pounds, Cooper is a massive presence on the interior offensive line. Originally an unpolished, overweight three-star recruit out of Alabama, Cooper surprised as a true freshman in Coral Gables. As the Hurricanes struggled to find consistent play on their offensive line in the 2022 season, they inserted Cooper as their starting right guard in Week 9 of the season, and he never relinquished his starting role.
Cooper improved with each year of experience always excelling in pass pro but developing some grit as a run blocker over time as well. He uses his elite size and physicality to cover up a lack of flexibility and quickness, and he plays with a mean streak staying as vocal on the field to opponents as he is with his teammates in the locker room. The Jets may want to continue monitoring Cooper’s weight and perhaps continue the work of perfecting the proportions of good weight on his frame, but Cooper has done good work to get where he is and can certainly play with his current makeup.
Seeing Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson depart in free agency, the Jets signed former Raiders guard Dylan Parham to a two-year deal in free agency to likely start across from Joe Tippman. Tippman and backup guard Xavier Newman-Johnson will play on contract years this season, so if Cooper shows encouraging signs of a potential future starter, this trade up in the sixth round will feel like a steal.