“But with the draft in the rearview,” Russini said, “expect the trade buzz to cool surrounding Pickens.” The disgruntled wideout will likely stay on the Steelers roster alongside new WR1 DK Metcalf. The Cowboys’ interest in Pickens could indicate that they’d like to bolster the team’s wideout room behind CeeDee Lamb in the coming weeks or months. Pickens, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, has led the Steelers in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and TD receptions since entering the NFL in 2022.

The deal includes $40 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. After denying a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini that he was aiming to become the game’s highest paid tight end, Kittle signs a monster extension that eclipses Trey McBride’s recent deal. Kittle last year ranked third in tight end receiving yards and led the position in yards per route run. He has been one of the NFL’s most efficient pass catchers for years and will enter his age-32 season as an important part of a San Francisco passing attack that is now without Deebo Samuel.

Schrager said Rodgers has told teams — including the Giants and Steelers — that they should feel free to move on in their quarterback search if Rodgers’ timetable doesn’t fit theirs. Rodgers, 41, told ESPN’s Pat McAfee this month that he was dealing with personal issues and indicated he was in no hurry to sign with the team for 2025. The Steelers could enter the summer with Mason Rudolph and rookie QB Will Howard atop their quarterback depth chart.

The former Steeler wasn’t able to carve out a significant role with the Panthers, Ravens, or Texans in 2024 after a 717-yard 2023 season. The Browns apparently saw enough during his visit with the team Monday to sign him to a one-year contract, the details of which have yet to be released. Expect Johnson to start opposite Cedric Tillman on the perimeter while Jerry Jeudy works the slot.

It’s not where we’d expect to hear Carr dive into his injury status, but speaking at a church in Las Vegas over the weekend, Carr said he and the team has been “in constant communication” regarding his injury, and downplayed any reports that suggested otherwise. There have been wide spread discussions about Carr’s injury at this point, which Underdog’s James Palmer said the team had been aware of since it first occurred. Others have speculated that Carr is attempting to use the injury as a way to force his way out of New Orleans. It’s safe to say this won’t be the last time we talk about Carr’s shoulder, but the Saints selection of Tyler Shough in the second round shows they are clearly planning for a future without him — whether in 2025 or later.

Gladstone adds that “when it comes to his onboarding process,” the Jaguars will also “sprinkle in the defensive side of the ball.” The hope is that “by the time we get to the regular season those should be balanced out.” The Jaguars certainly intend to play Hunter on both sides of the ball but the priority is clear. Hunter is a wide receiver first and a a cornerback second.

After some of the darkest hours of their lives, the nation’s “takes merchants” can finally rest easy. Sanders (6'2/212) has a new home, albeit four rounds later than most draft prognosticators expected. Most, but not all. Many saw Sanders’ slide coming. The questions are why it persisted to this degree, and why a supposed top prospect now finds himself battling Day 2 pick Dillon Gabriel for reps behind veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. Ludicrously efficient and accurate for a 2024 Buffaloes team that narrowly missed the playoff, Sanders arrives as a polarizing Heisman finalist who lives off short passes and takes many, many sacks. The good news is, he cut his 2024 pressure-to-sack rate from a miserable 25.0 to a more palatable 20.5. Despite the quarterback takedowns, Sanders also posted a 5.2 to 1.2 “big time throw to turnover-worthy play” rate. He turns the ball over at a well below average clip. Part of that is Sanders’ microscopic aDOT, though he is lethally accurate on his short throws. Sanders led the nation with a 74 percent completion percentage in 2024. Although Sanders could eventually max out as a next generation Andy Dalton, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. It would, of course, be a great outcome for a fifth-round pick. Poised and tough, Sanders is a floor-based selection whose general competence could make him something more if he is able to further decrease his sack rate in the big leagues.

The trade price is a cup of coffee, with the Seahawks essentially accepting a picks swap. They have moved up from 172 to 142 for the price of Howell. Seattle, of course, drafted Alabama’s Jalen Milroe to be its new No. 2 on Friday evening. For Minnesota, it should officially end the chatter of Aaron Rodgers coming to the Twin Cities, perhaps finally shaking him loose to sign with the Steelers. Howell isn’t a particularly great backup, but he is still only 24 years old with a dual-threat skill-set and 18 career starts. He has attempted 645 passes. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has coaxed production out of every quarterback he has ever worked with, and we assume Howell would be no different were first-year starter J.J. McCarthy to go down.

The Titans kick off Day 3 by making another addition to one of the league’s most undermanned skill corps, though it remains to be seen how much 23-year-old Dike (6'1/196) will be able to contribute off the bat. That’s because after four seasons at Wisconsin in which he amassed just 97 catches for 1,478 yards and nine touchdowns, Dike transferred to UF in 2024 to close out his college career. He was a starting receiver in three of his five college seasons, only twice eclipsing 650 receiving yards. Boasting impressive top-end speed that he displayed at the combine (4.37 40-yard dash), Dike can take the top off a defense in a moment’s notice and caught 10-of-18 deep targets for 322 yards and one touchdown last season. His snaps in the slot compared to outside are split nearly 50/50 for his career, though it’s worth noting that his two most productive seasons result in a combined slot rate of 68.6 percent. Coaches will need to figure out where he’s best suited, but the college numbers suggest his future will be brighter as a slot man. Dike also possesses valuable skills as a returner (26 punt returns and 20 kick returns) and also contributed on the punt and kick coverage teams last season. The production profile as a whole isn’t particularly impressive, but a 2023 season in which he was likely miscast as an outside receiver (98.7 wide snap rate) may have kept Dike from enjoying more success. He’ll make for an intriguing enough prospect to watch come training camp, but he will probably begin his career on special teams.