April 23, 2026

Indiana wide receiver prospect Omar Cooper Jr. continues to generate significant buzz ahead of this week's NFL Draft. According to aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Cooper's consensus draft ranking has increased every week since the start of January. He went from ranking as the #93 prospect back in January to the #22 prospect today, just hours before the NFL Draft gets underway. He's currently projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick, but we can't rule out the possibility of him being selected in the first half of the first round. That's because there are a lot of wide receiver-needy teams picking within the first 12 slots. That includes a run of eight consecutive picks belonging to the Titans, Giants (twice), Browns, Commanders, Saints, Chiefs, and Dolphins, all of whom would benefit from a wide receiver upgrade. Cooper has quite the track record as a national champion in Indiana's Fernando Mendoza-led offense. Last season, he caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's the #5 wide receiver in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rookie rankings, as well as the WR50 in dynasty leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Vanderbilt tight end prospect Eli Stowers continues to trend upward ahead of this week's NFL Draft. The latest aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com has a consensus ranking of Stowers as the #48 overall prospect, which is a significant increase from his ranking at #103 back in January. He's a projected second-round pick, but there's a chance that he could be selected late in the first round. One team that has been consistently linked to Stowers in mock drafts is the New England Patriots, who pick 31st overall. New England reportedly plans to exit the draft with a reliable pass-catching tight end, and Stowers fits that description. The Vandy product caught 111 passes for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons at school. He's the only player in RotoBaller's second tier of rookie tight ends, and he ranks as the overall TE15 in the latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is making a late surge up the draft boards ahead of the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. According to aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Tyson ranked as the #5 overall prospect back in January, but he fell as low as #15 earlier this month. However, he has climbed four spots over the last four days and now ranks #11 overall, including third among wide receiver prospects. Tyson was excellent in college, catching 136 passes for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons (21 games). There are a lot of wide receiver-needy teams picking in the range of Tyson's mocked position, including the Titans, Giants, Browns, Commanders, Saints, Chiefs, and Dolphins. He's the consensus WR3 among rookies in fantasy football, and he ranks as the WR25 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Oregon tight end prospect Kenyon Sadiq continues to generate plenty of buzz ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft. He's essentially a lock to be selected in the first round, but his exact landing spot remains unclear. Earlier this week, rumors swirled of Sadiq being heavily linked to the Carolina Panthers, who pick 19th. The latest aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com ranks Sadiq as the No. 16 prospect, but his consensus mock position is No. 19 to the Panthers. Carolina is an interesting fit. On one hand, head coach Dave Canales has never placed much emphasis on featuring a tight end. On the other hand, the Panthers were trending up last year, and a true No. 1 tight end could help elevate their offense to the next level. Sadiq currently ranks as the No. 9 rookie in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings, as well as the overall TE9 in dynasty leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate should make an immediate impact in fantasy football, regardless of which team selects him in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. Tate was never the No. 1 receiver at school, but he still impressed with 103 catches, 1,608 yards, and 13 touchdowns over his last two seasons. He is such a talented prospect that he will most likely be the top rookie receiver in fantasy football, no matter where he ends up. Speaking of landing spots, at the moment, the Cleveland Browns are the favorite to select him, followed closely by the Washington Commanders. Both of those teams are in need of a wide receiver splash, and Tate offers tremendous upside as a potential franchise star. He's the #1 wide receiver and #2 overall prospect in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rookie rankings. He's also the overall WR15 in dynasty leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

The NFL says it has been "closely monitoring all developments" in the matter surrounding Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr., according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. On Thursday, Pearce entered into a six-month pre-trial intervention program that will result in all charges being dismissed if all conditions are met, according to attorneys Jacob Nunez and Yale Sanford. It would result in no jail time for Pearc and no admission of guilt. The 22-year-old was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person, but this deal could clear Pearce of all charges. Even though Pearce won't be charged with any crimes if he follows through with the intervention program, it doesn't mean the NFL won't suspend him at some point during the 2026 season. After being taken late in the first round last year out of Tennessee, Pearce had 26 tackles (17 solo), 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 17 games for Atlanta in his first year in the NFL in 2025.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

April 23, 2026

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that some NFL teams are "watching" the Detroit Lions, who hold the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, as a "trade-up threat." They have been making calls around the league. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, are looking at options to move up or down within the first round. If Dallas were to trade up from No. 20 overall, it probably wouldn't be a big jump up. As of right now, they don't want to give up the 20th overall pick. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns sit in the top 10 picks in the first round, and they could be trade partners with the Lions if they are looking to jump into the top 10 on Thursday evening. If the Lions trade up within the first round, it will almost certainly be to target a difference-making edge rusher to pair with Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions are also in need of a starting right tackle to bolster their offensive line.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler

April 23, 2026

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will not be with the team for the third day of the 2026 NFL draft this Saturday as he seeks counseling, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Vrabel addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since the New York Post published photos that showed the coach embracing and holding hands with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona. Both Vrabel and Russini are married, and Vrabel has two sons with his wife, Jen. "As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization, and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend," Vrabel said. "This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them." The Patriots have 11 selections in this year's draft, including the 31st pick in the first round on Thursday night.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss

April 23, 2026

The Baltimore Ravens are picking up wide receiver Zay Flowers' fifth-year option, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Flowers will earn $28 million in 2027. This was a no-brainer move for Baltimore, especially after Flowers earned Pro Bowl honors in each of the last two seasons while combining for 160 receptions (234 targets) for 2,270 yards and nine touchdowns in 34 regular-season games in 2024 and 2025. The 25-year-old was originally taken with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Boston College. Flowers had a 77-858-5 line on 108 targets over 16 starts in his rookie season before reaching the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two campaigns. Although the Ravens' passing offense hasn't been all that great in Flowers' time with the team, he has led the team in receiving in each of his three years in the league. If both he and quarterback Lamar Jackson can stay healthy in 2026, Flowers could build on his numbers from last year, which included a career-high 1,211 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 17 starts.--Keith Hernandez
Source: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz

April 23, 2026

Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. handled only 33 touches as a seventh-round rookie in 2025, but he found the field with regularity for what he offered as a pass protector. Among qualified halfbacks, only Denver's Tyler Badie had a better pass blocking grade according to PFF, and it was actually Allen, and not the more highly touted Bhayshul Tuten, who saw the team's second-most total running back snaps behind the recently departed Travis Etienne Jr. Jacksonville signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to a two-year, $10 million deal, but he profiles more as a between the tackles plodder whose four targets and three receptions in 2025 both marked career highs. While Rodriguez will have an obvious role on early downs and near the goal line, Etienne's 47 vacated targets will likely be divvied up between Allen and Tuten, and with the former coming into the league with one of the best receiving profiles in a loaded 2025 rookie running back class, it would stand to reason that he can turn the trust he's already earned from his coaches into an expanded role in the passing game. Where things could get interesting is in this week's NFL Draft, where the Jaguars hold 11 picks and could still consider running back a top need. While the position does not profile as a strength of this draft class, Allen's positioning in the room is already tenuous as a late-round pick himself, and any selection at the position could block his path to even the minor breakout some are calling for.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

University of Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston is expected to be the fifth or sixth wide receiver selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and given the premium placed on the position, that could come as early as Thursday night. With elite receivers rarely hitting the open market and NFL WR2s making upwards of $20-30 million per year, there is a premium on hitting on the position through the draft. With the fifth year of team control afforded to first-round picks, it's no coincidence that an average of more than five receivers have been selected in the first round since 2020. Boston profiles as a big-bodied possession receiver, an archetype that has seen more misses than hits in recent years, particularly in the range of the draft where he's expected to hear his name called. He is currently falling into the mid-to-late range of the first round in dynasty rookie drafts, with landing spots expected to sort out further the nebulous tier of players going after Jeremiyah Love and the Big Three receivers.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion may profile as a slot-only player to begin his NFL career, but he has both the size and versatility to play across the formation and the game-breaking ability to reward any coach who gets the ball into his hands. With several receiver-needy teams picking at the tail end of the first round, it seems unlikely he will get through Thursday night of the NFL Draft without hearing his name called, and if paired with the right playcaller, he should waste no time in finding the field in a meaningful way. Concepcion is currently slotting in around pick five through seven in single-quarterback dynasty rookie drafts, and without having to spend a top-of-the-board pick on him, his return on investment could be clear and immediate. Concepcion is RotoBaller's dynasty WR37, but the right landing spot could lead to one of the bigger post-draft spikes in the class.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon is expected to hear his name called early on Thursday's opening night of the NFL Draft, with few pundits anticipating him getting past the New York Jets at pick No. 16. Lemon played over 75% of his collegiate snaps out of the slot, and historically, slot-only receivers to earn that type of early draft capital have not translated cleanly to fantasy. In Lemon's case, though, he plays much bigger than his verified 5'11", 192-pound size, and as a bona fide target-earner, he has the nuance and creativity to both create separation before and add yards after the catch. There is a reason he is most commonly compared to Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown, a player whose fantasy value has grown right alongside his evolving usage. While Carnell Tate comes into the NFL having never been the primary receiver on his own team, and Jordyn Tyson's injury history is extensive, Lemon may have the easiest time overcoming his own perceived flaws, and he has a realistic possibility to emerge as the fantasy receiver to roster from the 2026 draft class.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been the anticipated first overall pick for months, and on Thursday night, when the 2026 NFL Draft opens, the Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion will officially become a Las Vegas Raider. The Raiders have made moves all offseason to set their young investment up for long-term success. New head coach Klint Kubiak is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks, and the team made Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid center in NFL history. Vegas also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who should allow Mendoza some runway to learn behind the scenes. In the right atmosphere, which the team has clearly made strides to build around him, Mendoza has the play style, size, and makeup to enjoy a long and successful NFL career. How that translates to fantasy impact may be a different story. While he is a capable runner in got-to-have-it situations, Mendoza will not reliably add fantasy points with his legs, which is why he is not even locked in as a top-two selection in superflex rookie drafts. While the Raiders appear to be getting a player who can grow into the face of the franchise, he will enter the league as RotoBaller's dynasty QB16, and his fantasy ceiling may ultimately top out as a midrange QB2.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 23, 2026

With several running back-needy teams selecting within the first 10 picks of the NFL Draft, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love will not have to wait long to hear his name called on Thursday night. Considered by many to be the top overall talent in the class, Love has been linked to the Giants, Commanders, Titans, and most recently the Cardinals, who pick at third overall. Historically, running backs receiving top-10 capital in the NFL Draft have seen immediate fantasy success, and Love should be no exception. In a class with no other can't-miss offensive prospects, Love is deserving of the first overall pick in rookie drafts of all formats, and having yet to take an NFL snap, he is already RotoBaller's dynasty RB4.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller