NFL Player News

We never heard that Durant suffered a concussion last week, but the Lions must suspect that it happened. Durant was held out of practice on Thursday, a sign that his status is in question for the Cowboys game this week. Bobby Carpenter would fill in if Durant can’t go.

Ivey played at Georgia Tech for his first two seasons, starting 11 games with 32 tackles and 6 TFLs as a redshirt freshman in 2021. He then spent the next three seasons as a fixture on the Ole Miss defensive line, sliding between three tech and EDGE while recording a team-high 11.5 TFLs in 2023. The Suwanee, GA native raised his game last year, playing almost exclusively EDGE and earning a pristine 90.6 overall defensive grade that ranked top-10 nationally. A smothering finisher, Ivey missed just five tackles in the last two seasons, spanning 1,102 snaps and 46 stops. A model of consistency, he recorded a 72nd percentile pass rush grade in each of his five collegiate campaigns. Possesses a long-cut 6’6/274 frame with 33 ½ inch arms after being billed at 285 at Ole Miss. Ivey moves very fluidly for his size, and does not appear that heavy at first glance. He played a good deal of 3-Tech, and did well penetrating but he can get high sometimes, affecting his base in run support. Ivey is athletic and cagey, but doesn’t get fortified when taking on pulling guards and double teams. His positional versatility and ability to create havoc in the pass game from multiple alignments should keep him employed for a long time.

Ogbah, a 2016 second-round pick, joins a trio of former first-round picks in the Jaguars’ EDGE rotation. The former Dolphin dealt with triceps and biceps injuries in each of the last three seasons but managed to appear in 17-of-18 possible games in 2024, tallying 33 quarterback pressures and six sacks. He should remain effective in a part-time role this year.

One day after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, NFL media reported en masse that Ulbrich’s son, Jax, was involved in the prank call made to Sanders during the former Colorado quarterback’s draft-day(s) slide. The Falcons organization then released a public statement, sending “sincere apologies” to the entire Sanders family. For those concerned that the father might be punished for the sins of the son, the Falcons let it be known that the organization “will not take any action against their defensive coordinator.” This is a smart move for a team that intends to field a strong defense. Schefter adds that the Falcons “are continuing to review their protocols to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.” We believe it is safe to assume that all team-issued iPads will be safely locked with six-digit codes and/or facial recognition technology moving forward.

The Dolphins appear dead set on a split with No. 1 CB Jalen Ramsey, which would leave them with slot CB Kader Kohou as the only reliable starter at the position. The 30-year-old Douglas is no longer a high-impact perimeter starter, having produced a single-digit (6.5 percent) forced incompletion rate last year; the first time doing so since 2018. He would still likely be an upgrade over penciled-in perimeter starters, Storm Duck and Cam Smith. Should the team resolve their issues with Ramsey, and sign Douglas, they would suddenly have a decent starting trio on their hands.

“I look at Najee and Omarion — both starters,” Harbaugh said. “He brings that same type of mentality Najee brings. Like I said last week, we’re looking for someone who complements but also offers the same,” Bolts GM Joe Hortiz added. These comments seem to paint this as more of a committee situation, at least for September. That probably makes Hampton more of a speculative mid-round pick than a sure-fire volume back, though we expect Hampton will eventually wind up seeing the majority of the volume. He is the better third-down back on paper, so long as his pass-protection credentials hold up in the translation to the NFL.

Both Paton and Sean Payton predictably gushed over their second-round back, with Payton telling reporters he had to tell himself to be quiet after watching Harvey. If Harvey is able to play in the passing game as Paton suggests, it’s possible he becomes a “joker” for Payton on Sundays. Harvey certainly would appear to be the favorite to lead Broncos backs in touches heading into OTAs and minicamps, ahead of Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin.

The Broncos weren’t expected to be players for a wideout in this draft, but comparisons to Michael Thomas will surely help the third-rounder find a crease on a tough depth chart behind Devaughn Vele, Marvin Mims, and Troy Franklin. Bryant wasn’t widely projected as a high pick due to a 4.61 40-second dash that was the second-slowest at the NFL Combine. Thomas ran a 4.57s 40-yard dash coming out of Ohio State. Considering the kind of PPR monster that Thomas was — and how quickly it happened — we probably should not undersell the chances of Bryant becoming a fantasy factor sooner rather than later.

“The production that he’s had the last couple years there has been impressive to watch,” Steichen noted. With only Khalil Herbert ostensibly ahead of him on the depth chart to back up Jonathan Taylor, Giddens should have a chance to clear Tyler Goodson on the depth chart this offseason. Taylor will be entering the final year of his three-year extension in 2026, giving Giddens a little life in dynasty leagues even though it would likely take multiple injuries for him to see extended time in 2025.

Cleveland’s reporters were, understandably, more interested in asking questions about Shedeur Sanders than getting Berry to continue talking about Sampson. Berry also called Sampson “a bit undersized” for his “tough and physical style.” It sounds like Sampson will be groomed as a long-term third-down back for Cleveland, though it’s possible he isn’t able to beat out Jerome Ford for that role immediately.

While this isn’t exactly a surprising statement given they selected him 36th overall, it’s still worth pointing out that Judkins has landed in a backfield where he’ll only have to beat out Jerome Ford for playing time. Cleveland’s projected offensive ineptitude could lead Judkins to be available at a bargain price in fantasy drafts, and he may be a potential lightning rod selection for Zero or Hero RB formats this summer. Kevin Stefanski added that they want to use Judkins in “a bunch of different ways” and downplayed the idea that he wasn’t ready to be part of the passing game. Ford could be a third-down back for the team this season if Judkins isn’t ready for that role.