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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals Gain 'Aggressive' Secondary Help in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Bengals Gain 'Aggressive' Secondary Help in 2026 NFL Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cincinnati Bengals still have not locked down their first-round draft pick from this year as Shemar Stewart threatens to re-enter next year's draft over a contract dispute. Weirdly, it's not a dispute over money, but bonus language inserted by the team. With Stewart's future in question and Trey Hendrickson also threatening to hold out this season, the Bengals' defense is also uncertain in 2025. Cincinnati did add South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round and Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter in the fourth round, but the secondary remains an area of concern. That's an area where the Bengals could improve through the draft in 2026, as PFSN has Cincinnati addressing it at No. 26 overall in its way-too-early NFL Mock Draft. ROUND 1, PICK 26 - Cincinnati Bengals: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon "Dillon Thieneman transfers from the Purdue Boilermakers to Oregon for the 2025 season as one of the best safeties in the game," PFSN wrote. "The 6'0', 207-pound defensive back has elite twitch and speed while having the ball tracking and awareness to make plays on the ball. His physicality, aggressive tackling, and positional versatility give Thieneman first-round caliber traits." Thieneman shows as the No. 2 safety prospect behind only Ohio State's Caleb Downs per Matt Miller with ESPN. Now, thanks to the transfer portal, he's joining an Oregon program known for producing top NFL talent. His play in 2024 at Purdue placed him as not just the best player at his position, but at times, the best player on the field. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine league — here are the results
Yahoo Fantasy staff members took part in an 18-team, 14-round guillotine mock draft to help give an idea of how to approach building a roster in this format. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The scoring for this mock is half PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated: Ben Zweiman (Editorial team) Jonathan Bassey (Podcast team) Aaron Tan (Social team) Matt Harmon (Fantasy analyst) Trevor Brigham (Customer care team) Mo Castillo (Editorial team) Jason Klabacha (Editorial team) Brett Rader (Podcast team) Scott Pianowski (Fantasy analyst) Justin Boone (Fantasy analyst) Collin Brennan (Podcast team) Dan Harris (Podcast team) Dan Titus (Fantasy analyst) Jason Jung (Podcast team) John Adams (Customer care team) Mike Graben (Product team) Adam Hellwig (Customer care team) Brett Kundtz (Business intelligence team) Round 1 Pick Player Team 1 Ja'Marr Chase Ben Zweiman 2 Bijan Robinson Jonathan Bassey 3 Saquon Barkley Aaron Tan 4 Jahmyr Gibbs Matt Harmon 5 CeeDee Lamb Trevor Brigham 6 Justin Jefferson Mo Castillo 7 Puka Nacua Jason Klabacha 8 Christian McCaffrey Brett Rader 9 Derrick Henry Scott Pianowski 10 Nico Collins Justin Boone 11 Amon-Ra St. Brown Collin Brennan 12 Ashton Jeanty Dan Harris 13 Brian Thomas Jr. Dan Titus 14 Malik Nabers Jason Jung 15 Jonathan Taylor John Adams 16 Drake London Mike Graben 17 Josh Jacobs Adam Hellwig 18 De'Von Achane Brett Kundtz In an 18-team league, the first round might be the only round that feels fairly normal, since you haven't strayed that far from traditional league drafts. However, the deeper you get into the opening frame, you start to realize how quickly the talent level is falling off and how long you'll be waiting in between picks. Keep that in mind for later, so you don't end up on the wrong side of a position run. My Pick: Collins was the WR8 in fantasy points per game (17.6) last year, despite missing five weeks with a hamstring injury. Prior to getting hurt, he was the fourth-highest-scoring wideout, averaging 21.3 fppg. While having a bye in Week 6 does feel a little early in the season to be without my first-round pick, Collins' talent (and potential path to a top-five finish) was too tough to pass up. Round 2 Pick Player Team 19 Bucky Irving Brett Kundtz 20 Josh Allen Adam Hellwig 21 Ladd McConkey Mike Graben 22 A.J. Brown John Adams 23 Lamar Jackson Jason Jung 24 Chase Brown Dan Titus 25 Jayden Daniels Dan Harris 26 Brock Bowers Collin Brennan 27 Omarion Hampton Justin Boone 28 Kyren Williams Scott Pianowski 29 Trey McBride Brett Rader 30 Mike Evans Jason Klabacha 31 James Cook Mo Castillo 32 Breece Hall Trevor Brigham 33 Tee Higgins Matt Harmon 34 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Aaron Tan 35 Garrett Wilson Jonathan Bassey 36 Chuba Hubbard Ben Zweiman Three elite quarterbacks and two elite tight ends go off the board already, as managers try to find players who will give them an immediate edge. They'll have to hope it's enough of an advantage to overcome the potential holes it could cause in their lineups at other important positions like running back and receiver. My Pick: Some guillotine players shy away from rookies, since they could take longer to get comfortable in the pros, and if they start slow it could result in an early exit for that manager. Any concerns about Omarion Hampton's early-season role are quickly disappearing with each day that Najee Harris sits out due to his eye injury. The first-round rookie is impressing coaches and distancing himself on the depth chart from his veteran teammate Harris. Get ready for Hampton to make noise early and often this season as a borderline fantasy RB1. Round 3 Pick Player Team 37 George Kittle Ben Zweiman 38 Jalen Hurts Jonathan Bassey 39 Tyreek Hill Aaron Tan 40 Kenneth Walker III Matt Harmon 41 Marvin Harrison Jr. Trevor Brigham 42 Joe Burrow Mo Castillo 43 James Conner Jason Klabacha 44 DJ Moore Brett Rader 45 Terry McLaurin Scott Pianowski 46 Alvin Kamara Justin Boone 47 David Montgomery Collin Brennan 48 DK Metcalf Dan Harris 49 Courtland Sutton Dan Titus 50 RJ Harvey Jason Jung 51 Davante Adams John Adams 52 Xavier Worthy Mike Graben 53 Sam LaPorta Adam Hellwig 54 Rashee Rice Brett Kundtz While I'm a big fan of Rashee Rice in redraft leagues, taking him this early in a guillotine format is very dangerous due to a potential suspension that might be handed out before the season. In redraft, you could find replacements and risk losing a game or two while you wait for his return, but in guillotine you might not be around by the time he gets back. Team Kundtz will have to hope Rice avoids a suspension or gets a very short ban. My Pick: Taking Kamara in the third round feels odd, but drafting him as the 19th running back selected feels like a gift. Though he turned 30 years old this summer, the veteran is coming off back-to-back top-five fantasy RB seasons and has finished top-eight in seven of his eight NFL campaigns. Round 4 Pick Player Team 55 Patrick Mahomes Brett Kundtz 56 Jameson Williams Adam Hellwig 57 Baker Mayfield Mike Graben 58 Zay Flowers John Adams 59 George Pickens Jason Jung 60 D'Andre Swift Dan Titus 61 Tony Pollard Dan Harris 62 Khalil Shakir Collin Brennan 63 Tetairoa McMillan Justin Boone 64 DeVonta Smith Scott Pianowski 65 TreVeyon Henderson Brett Rader 66 Kaleb Johnson Jason Klabacha 67 Isiah Pacheco Mo Castillo 68 Calvin Ridley Trevor Brigham 69 Aaron Jones Sr. Matt Harmon 70 Brian Robinson Jr. Aaron Tan 71 Chris Olave Jonathan Bassey 72 Rome Odunze Ben Zweiman Odunze stands out as a very intriguing value at the end of this round. His situation in Chicago has improved greatly since an up-and-down rookie season. New head coach Ben Johnson has continuously praised his sophomore wideout and some people covering the team believe Odunze might emerge as the Bears' No. 1 receiver this year. He also faces the Vikings, Lions and Cowboys in the opening three weeks — all of which finished among the top six in fantasy points allowed to WRs in 2024. That's a great addition in this range by Team Zweiman. My Pick: I'm living on the edge, selecting a second rookie within the first four rounds. But McMillan got early first-round capital in April's draft and landed with a team in desperate need of a true top option in the passing game. He's also on the verge of getting as many targets as he can handle in Carolina. Bryce Young settled in during the second half of the season under Dave Canales' tutelage and now appears poised to break out with McMillan as his premier weapon. He even has the benefit of friendly matchups with the Jaguars and Falcons in two of the first three weeks. Round 5 Pick Player Team 73 Jordan Mason Ben Zweiman 74 T.J. Hockenson Jonathan Bassey 75 Travis Kelce Aaron Tan 76 Jaylen Waddle Matt Harmon 77 Jaylen Warren Trevor Brigham 78 Josh Downs Mo Castillo 79 Justin Fields Jason Klabacha 80 Kyler Murray Brett Rader 81 Mark Andrews Scott Pianowski 82 Travis Hunter Justin Boone 83 Tyrone Tracy Jr. Collin Brennan 84 David Njoku Dan Harris 85 Bo Nix Dan Titus 86 Jauan Jennings Jason Jung 87 Evan Engram John Adams 88 Quinshon Judkins Mike Graben 89 Jordan Addison Adam Hellwig 90 Jerry Jeudy Brett Kundtz Addison is in a similar situation as Rice, with a possible suspension looming before the season. There are still a lot of comparable receivers available in this range, so it seems like an unnecessary risk for a fantasy starter at Addison's level. My Pick: Hunter is one of the most exciting rookies to enter the league, maybe ever. Unfortunately, we won't score points for his defensive snaps in this format. The good news is that he's apparently excelling on both sides of the ball at Jaguars' practices. He's even shone as the hardest Jags' receiver to cover in one-on-one drills, according to beat writer John Shipley. Make no mistake, Hunter is not a safe pick due to the uncertainty around how he'll be used on offense and defense, but I'm confident in him as a flex option. Round 6 Pick Player Team 91 Tucker Kraft Brett Kundtz 92 Travis Etienne Jr. Adam Hellwig 93 Jayden Reed Mike Graben 94 Joe Mixon John Adams 95 Dallas Goedert Jason Jung 96 Najee Harris Dan Titus 97 Ricky Pearsall Dan Harris 98 Emeka Egbuka Collin Brennan 99 Brock Purdy Justin Boone 100 Stefon Diggs Scott Pianowski 101 Jakobi Meyers Brett Rader 102 Javonte Williams Jason Klabacha 103 Jake Ferguson Mo Castillo 104 Dak Prescott Trevor Brigham 105 Deebo Samuel Matt Harmon 106 Cooper Kupp Aaron Tan 107 Zach Charbonnet Jonathan Bassey 108 Caleb Williams Ben Zweiman Team Brennan took one of my favorite values in this year's drafts in Egbuka. With Chris Godwin's recovery timeline unknown and his status for Week 1 unclear, the first-round rookie could play a very big part in the Buccaneers offense right out of the gate. It helps that everyone around the Bucs, including Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, have been highlighting Egbuka as a player who will make his mark this season. My Pick: When drafting in a typical redraft league, I'm more than willing to wait on the one-off positions like quarterback, but the goal of a guillotine league is to survive — so filling out your starting lineup is a priority. Purdy is a steady performer who finished as the QB8 in fppg in 2023 and the QB12 last season. He also has the fourth-easiest fantasy strength of schedule in my matrix. Round 7 Pick Player Team 109 Matthew Golden Ben Zweiman 110 Michael Pittman Jr. Jonathan Bassey 111 Geno Smith Aaron Tan 112 Drake Maye Matt Harmon 113 Tyler Warren Trevor Brigham 114 Rhamondre Stevenson Mo Castillo 115 Dalton Kincaid Jason Klabacha 116 J.K. Dobbins Brett Rader 117 Jared Goff Scott Pianowski 118 Colston Loveland Justin Boone 119 Trevor Lawrence Collin Brennan 120 Cam Skattebo Dan Harris 121 Kyle Pitts Dan Titus 122 Bhayshul Tuten Jason Jung 123 Justin Herbert John Adams 124 Rashid Shaheed Mike Graben 125 Rachaad White Adam Hellwig 126 Tank Bigsby Brett Kundtz By the end of the seventh round, all 18 teams had found a quarterback. That's important to note, since all of the passers chosen so far have low-end QB1 fantasy finishes within their range of outcomes. While some teams are selecting RBs in split backfields at this point, you could be the manager locking down your starting QB or TE. It's something to consider when deciding on your build and where you want to invest draft capital. My Pick: I went with a tight end here in an effort to complete my starting lineup as soon as possible and maximize its Week 1 potential. When I miss out on the elite TEs, I tend to target the tier of Kraft, Kincaid, Warren and Loveland. When three of those guys went off the board in the last round and a half, I knew it was time to scoop up the final player in that tier. The Bears clearly envisioned a big role for Loveland when they chose him 10th overall and he's already starting to flash in camp. After the immediate success we've seen from rookie tight ends in recent years, it won't be surprising if Loveland is a top-12 fantasy TE this season. Round 8 Pick Player Team 127 Keon Coleman Brett Kundtz 128 Luther Burden III Adam Hellwig 129 Hunter Henry Mike Graben 130 Tyjae Spears John Adams 131 Chris Godwin Jason Jung 132 Darnell Mooney Dan Titus 133 Rashod Bateman Dan Harris 134 Dylan Sampson Collin Brennan 135 Ray Davis Justin Boone 136 Jordan Love Scott Pianowski 137 Marvin Mims Jr. Brett Rader 138 Trey Benson Jason Klabacha 139 Isaac Guerendo Mo Castillo 140 Nick Chubb Trevor Brigham 141 Braelon Allen Matt Harmon 142 Roschon Johnson Aaron Tan 143 Jayden Higgins Jonathan Bassey 144 Tyler Allgeier Ben Zweiman Keeping injury and off-field situations in mind is always smart in guillotine drafts. Godwin and Mooney have injuries that could impact their Week 1 availability, which might turn them into stashes more than potential starting options early in the season. Meanwhile, Sampson and Chubb could get increased volume in the opening weeks if their projected starters (Quinshon Judkins, Joe Mixon) are still not suiting up. My Pick: With my starting lineup filled out, I decided to take a luxury pick in this spot. Davis is the backup to James Cook, who's in the final year of his deal with the Bills and doesn't appear to be close to a contract extension. You always wonder how that will impact a player's desire to play through injuries that may occur during the season. That gives added value to Davis, who proved he can step up when called upon. As a rookie, Davis finished as the RB13 and RB14 in the only two contests where he played over 50% of the snaps last year. Round 9 Pick Player Team 145 Hollywood Brown Ben Zweiman 146 Kareem Hunt Jonathan Bassey 147 Jaydon Blue Aaron Tan 148 Cedric Tillman Matt Harmon 149 C.J. Stroud Trevor Brigham 150 Tre' Harris Mo Castillo 151 Rico Dowdle Jason Klabacha 152 Christian Kirk Brett Rader 153 Adam Thielen Scott Pianowski 154 DeMario Douglas Justin Boone 155 Kyle Williams Collin Brennan 156 Jaylen Wright Dan Harris 157 Jerome Ford Dan Titus 158 Austin Ekeler Jason Jung 159 Jonnu Smith John Adams 160 MarShawn Lloyd Mike Graben 161 Jalen McMillan Adam Hellwig 162 Quentin Johnston Brett Kundtz Ford is another example of a player who has added value in the guillotine format. With so much uncertainty around the team's second-round pick, Judkins, it seems like the Browns' backfield will feature Ford and Sampson at the beginning of the season. That makes them flex-worthy options. My Pick: This was a very guillotine-specific selection for me. Douglas has been generating a lot of buzz as the busiest pass-catcher in Josh McDaniels' offense during camp and we know the history of featuring slot receivers in this system. Though the ceiling for Douglas isn't that enticing, he can be a reliable fill-in if any of my starters get hurt early in the season. It also helps that the Patriots have a Week 14 bye, which means Douglas will be on-call for the first 13 weeks. Round 10 Pick Player Team 163 Joshua Palmer Brett Kundtz 164 Blake Corum Adam Hellwig 165 Brandon Aiyuk Mike Graben 166 Michael Penix Jr. John Adams 167 Jack Bech Jason Jung 168 Wan'Dale Robinson Dan Titus 169 Dyami Brown Dan Harris 170 Miles Sanders Collin Brennan 171 Pat Bryant Justin Boone 172 Isaiah Likely Scott Pianowski 173 Zach Ertz Brett Rader 174 Jalen Coker Jason Klabacha 175 DeAndre Hopkins Mo Castillo 176 Xavier Legette Trevor Brigham 177 Brenton Strange Matt Harmon 178 Jordan James Aaron Tan 179 Kendre Miller Jonathan Bassey 180 Bryce Young Ben Zweiman Aiyuk is an interesting guillotine pick at this stage, mostly because of the injured reserve spot that's available. As he works his way back from an ACL tear, the 27-year-old might end up sitting out early in the season. We know Aiyuk can be a fantasy difference-maker when healthy — the only question is, how soon will he get back to form? Stashing him on IR and hoping he can contribute later is a worthwhile play at this point in the draft. My Pick: Bryant is yet another rookie added to my roster, but based on the comments coming out of Broncos' practices, the third-round pick should carve out a role in Sean Payton's ascending offense. While Denver's No. 1 target, Courtland Sutton, just signed a new deal, the pecking order behind him in the receiver room is up in the air. Beating out part-time players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele doesn't seem like an insurmountable obstacle. It also doesn't hurt that Payton has compared Bryant to former Saints' star, Michael Thomas. Round 11 Pick Player Team 181 Will Shipley Ben Zweiman 182 Cameron Ward Jonathan Bassey 183 Jarquez Hunter Aaron Tan 184 Jacory Croskey-Merritt Matt Harmon 185 Michael Wilson Trevor Brigham 186 Chig Okonkwo Mo Castillo 187 J.J. McCarthy Jason Klabacha 188 Justice Hill Brett Rader 189 Cade Otton Scott Pianowski 190 Woody Marks Justin Boone 191 Brashard Smith Collin Brennan 192 Alec Pierce Dan Harris 193 Romeo Doubs Dan Titus 194 Mike Gesicki Jason Jung 195 Xavier Restrepo John Adams 196 Matthew Stafford Mike Graben 197 Jaleel McLaughlin Adam Hellwig 198 Tua Tagovailoa Brett Kundtz The fact that McCarthy fell all the way to the 11th round as the QB24 makes me worried people at Yahoo aren't reading my articles. After all, I wrote about McCarthy as one of the biggest breakout candidates at the quarterback position this year. The former first-round pick is healthy after a lost rookie season due to injury, he has an incredible supporting cast around him and Kevin O'Connell is a QB whisperer. Since taking over as the Vikings' head coach, O'Connell has helped Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Sam Darnold all average QB14 fantasy stats or better when starting in this offense. Do we really think McCarthy is worse than all those passers? If he had lasted three more picks, he would have been my selection here. My Pick: With McCarthy gone, I took Marks, whose projection could rise dramatically if we find out Mixon is going to miss significant time. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters he doesn't even want them talking about Mixon's injury, which seems like a strange approach if it wasn't a concerning ailment. Ryans also threw some cold water on Chubb's outlook by admitting he's not the same player he once was in the NFL. If Mixon's not available and Chubb is a declining veteran, Marks might have a chance to have a serious role in this backfield. Round 12 Pick Player Team 199 Juwan Johnson Brett Kundtz 200 Elijah Moore Adam Hellwig 201 Mason Taylor Mike Graben 202 Kyle Monangai John Adams 203 Darius Slayton Jason Jung 204 Sam Darnold Dan Titus 205 Pat Freiermuth Dan Harris 206 DJ Giddens Collin Brennan 207 Elijah Arroyo Justin Boone 208 Tyler Lockett Scott Pianowski 209 Dontayvion Wicks Brett Rader 210 Keenan Allen Jason Klabacha 211 Anthony Richardson Sr. Mo Castillo 212 Darren Waller Trevor Brigham 213 Dont'e Thornton Jr. Matt Harmon 214 KeAndre Lambert-Smith Aaron Tan 215 Jaylin Noel Jonathan Bassey 216 Andrei Iosivas Ben Zweiman After pick 200, finding players who will have an impact on your guillotine season can be difficult. These tend to be the first names you drop when other rosters get eliminated and sent to the waiver wire. It's fine to plug any holes or secure some insurance with backups in this range, but we're getting into longshot territory — so don't be afraid to aim for upside. For example, Anthony Richardson Sr. is earning some positive reports in camp and might have the early edge over Daniel Jones. We've witnessed Richardson's fantasy prowess before and if he can have a better command of the Colts' offense, he offers week-winning upside as a potential QB1. My Pick: The release of veteran Noah Fant before training camp opened the door for Arroyo to possibly start as early as Week 1. The second-round rookie excels as a pass-catcher and has been a very active part of the Seahawks' passing attack in practices. Whether that translates into regular production remains to be seen, but I'll gladly take a chance on him as my backup TE. Round 13 Pick Player Team 217 Raheem Mostert Ben Zweiman 218 Diontae Johnson Jonathan Bassey 219 Terrance Ferguson Aaron Tan 220 Aaron Rodgers Matt Harmon 221 Tahj Brooks Trevor Brigham 222 Elijah Mitchell Mo Castillo 223 Jordan Whittington Jason Klabacha 224 Tyler Shough Brett Rader 225 Sean Tucker Scott Pianowski 226 Jalen Royals Justin Boone 227 Isaac TeSlaa Collin Brennan 228 Marquez Valdes-Scantling Dan Harris 229 Dalton Schultz Dan Titus 230 Devin Neal Jason Jung 231 Ty Johnson John Adams 232 Audric Estime Mike Graben 233 Ja'Tavion Sanders Adam Hellwig 234 Adonai Mitchell Brett Kundtz Running backs and receivers in the final rounds of an 18-team guillotine draft are pure Hail Mary selections and would likely require multiple things to happen in order to have fantasy relevance. Grabbing backup quarterbacks and tight ends might prove to be a better use of these draft slots, unless you can paint a picture where the RB or WR could have instant fantasy value for you. My Pick: Royals is a deep sleeper for the Chiefs. Worthy and Brown have both dealt with injuries at different points in training camp, while Rice could face a possible suspension to start the year. If any of those players miss time, the fourth-rounder Royals is the next man up. He probably won't ever crack my starting lineup, but there's at least a path to him returning value in the opening weeks. Round 14 Pick Player Team 235 Amari Cooper Brett Kundtz 236 Russell Wilson Adam Hellwig 237 Antonio Gibson Mike Graben 238 Roman Wilson John Adams 239 Tutu Atwell Jason Jung 240 Jalen Nailor Dan Titus 241 Calvin Austin III Dan Harris 242 Phil Mafah Collin Brennan 243 Daniel Jones Justin Boone 244 Keaton Mitchell Scott Pianowski 245 Tory Horton Brett Rader 246 Elic Ayomanor Jason Klabacha 247 Jermaine Burton Mo Castillo 248 Ollie Gordon II Trevor Brigham 249 Theo Johnson Matt Harmon 250 JuJu Smith-Schuster Aaron Tan 251 Tyler Higbee Jonathan Bassey 252 Cole Kmet Ben Zweiman Nailor is a very sneaky pick here and I was disappointed he didn't fall to me in the final round. Similar to the Chiefs scenario, Minnesota might be without Addison early in the season if the league issues a suspension before then. That would create an opportunity for Nailor to temporarily play the No. 2 receiver role in the Vikings offense. Nailor caught touchdowns in both games Addison missed last year. My Pick: With Richardson playing well so far in camp, Jones seems like the underdog to start for the Colts in Week 1. Even so, I didn't take a second quarterback and wasn't particularly thrilled by any of the names still available when I was on the clock at 243rd overall. So, taking a QB with a chance to win himself a starting job over the next month made sense.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns Add 'Mammoth' Offensive Tackle with Extra First-Round Pick in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Browns Add 'Mammoth' Offensive Tackle with Extra First-Round Pick in 2026 NFL Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. We don't know who will be under center for the Cleveland Browns in 2025, but it's safe to assume it'll be one of the four quarterbacks on the offseason roster. Advertisement But what about beyond next season? There is much speculation that none of the four - Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders - will survive as the starter beyond the upcoming campaign. In PFSN's way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft, it predicted the Browns would select Arch Manning first overall. Afterward, in PFSN's scenario, Cleveland attempts to give Manning some protection. The Browns gained the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft day deal that gave Jacksonville the No. 2 pick. Advertisement And with that pick, the Browns select a "mammoth offensive tackle with a sky-high ceiling," per PFSN. ROUND 1, PICK 8 - Cleveland Browns: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama "At a hulking 6-7 and 360 pounds, Kadyn Proctor is a mammoth offensive tackle with a sky-high ceiling," PFSN wrote. "The Alabama Crimson Tide's left tackle has rare physical traits without sacrificing athletic gifts. His physical profile alone projects him as a high selection. Proctor combines intense power and leg drive to displace defenders in the run game while possessing the nasty demeanor required to dominate on the ground. He also boasts a strong anchor in pass protection. Advertisement "Yet, there are still some technical things to clean up this season, including a tendency to bend at the waist." Related: Browns Predicted to Draft NFL Legacy in 2026 First Round Related: Browns Could Play Role of 'Spoiler' in Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders Upgrade Pass Rush in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Commanders Upgrade Pass Rush in 2026 NFL Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. This year, the Washington Commanders and general manager Adam Peters drafted a mix of offense and defense in the NFL Draft. Advertisement With just five total picks in this year's selection show, Peters added three offensive players and two defensive players. Second-round corner Trey Amos should help shore up the secondary, while sixth-round linebacker Kain Medrano might add some depth to the second level. But Washington lost its sack leader from last year, Dante Fowler, Jr. Fowler tallied 10.5 sacks in 2024, and has moved back to the Dallas Cowboys for 2025. We'll see how the Commanders' pass rush is affected by Fowler's departure. The club added Javon Kinlaw and Bobby Wagner, along with a slew of possible depth pieces on defense, and that should help. Advertisement But looking ahead to 2026, PFSN believes Washington could add some pass rush prowess in the first round of its way-too-early 2026 NFL Mock Draft. The draft order has been established using the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator, which you can use to predict every round. ROUND 1, PICK 27 - Washington Commanders: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois "The Illinois Fighting Illini could be a strong contender in the race for the College Football Playoff in 2025," PFSN wrote. "The Champaign-based program achieved 10 wins for the first time since 2001 last season and aims to record back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in school history. A significant factor in achieving those aims will be dynamic edge rusher Gabe Jacas, the star on an improving defense. Advertisement "The 6-3, 275-pound defender had eight sacks on 44 pressures in 2024, using his speed to power conversion, elusive first step, and pummeling hand usage to create leverage." Related: Analyst Questions Commanders Defense Ahead of 2025 Related: Commanders' Second-Year Wideout Tabbed for 'Breakout Season' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-team half-PPR league — here are the results
Some Yahoo Fantasy staff members joined forces with some of the top analysts from around the fantasy industry to take part in a 12-team, 12-round mock draft. The goal: of gaining valuable insights on what to expect in each round. The scoring format for this mock is half-PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN. We excluded defenses and kickers, since they are most often drafted in the final rounds. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Subscribe to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated: Matt Harmon, Yahoo Fantasy Ian Hartitz, Fantasy Life Ray Garvin, Yahoo Fantasy Rich Hribar, Sharp Football Analysis Jennifer Eakins, 4for4 Nathan Jahnke, Pro Football Focus Chris Allen, Fantasy Life/Yahoo Fantasy Dave Kluge, Football Guys Ryan Heath, Fantasy Points Ben Gretch, Stealing Signals Derek Brown, Fantasy Pros Justin Boone, Yahoo Fantasy *This mock draft took place before the Rashee Rice sentence was announced. Round 1 Pick Player Team 1 Ja'Marr Chase, WR Matt Harmon 2 CeeDee Lamb, WR Ian Hartitz 3 Justin Jefferson, WR Ray Garvin 4 Bijan Robinson, RB Rich Hribar 5 Saquon Barkley, RB Jennifer Eakins 6 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Nathan Jahnke 7 Christian McCaffrey, RB Chris Allen 8 Puka Nacua, WR Dave Kluge 9 De'Von Achane, RB Ryan Heath 10 Ashton Jeanty, RB Ben Gretch 11 Brian Thomas Jr., WR Derek Brown 12 Malik Nabers, WR Justin Boone The opening frame was fairly typical for what you'll see in most first rounds this year. You can nitpick little things like whether Robinson should go before Lamb or Jefferson, but that will come down to personal preference on how you want to build your team. While injuries will inevitably turn some of these players into fantasy disappointments, talent-wise, they all belong here. My pick: Being at the end of the first round means you don't have a chance to select the uber-elite stars, but I was more than happy to get Nabers (my WR4 and eighth overall player in my Top 300) in the 12 spot, as the WR6 in this draft. The 21-year-old finished as the WR8 in fantasy points per game last season with 109 receptions, 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. Now, he'll do it all over again with an upgraded situation at quarterback thanks to veteran Russell Wilson and first-rounder Jaxson Dart. Nabers has the volume-talent profile to push himself into the elite WR group by the end of this year. Round 2 Pick Player Team 13 Nico Collins, WR Justin Boone 14 Drake London, WR Derek Brown 15 Brock Bowers, TE Ben Gretch 16 Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR Ryan Heath 17 Ladd McConkey, WR Dave Kluge 18 A.J. Brown, WR Chris Allen 19 Bucky Irving, RB Nathan Jahnke 20 Derrick Henry, RB Jennifer Eakins 21 Rashee Rice, WR Rich Hribar 22 Tyreek Hill, WR Ray Garvin 23 Josh Jacobs, RB Ian Hartitz 24 Jonathan Taylor, RB Matt Harmon As we mentioned earlier, this mock occurred before the latest news broke about Rice. We'll see where his ADP settles in the next week or so, but I'd expect to see him fall to the fourth or fifth round. This is also the earliest I've seen Bowers go off the board outside of tight end premium formats, but he certainly has a path to breaking fantasy football this year. As a rookie, Bowers finished third in receptions and eighth in receiving yards among all players at any position. If the arrival of Jeanty and a new coaching staff helps the Raiders get to the red zone more often, Bowers could have a truly transcendent sophomore campaign, similar to Rob Gronkowski's 124-catch, 1,327 yard, 17-touchdown effort in his second year. My pick: Picking at the Round 1-2 turn, I was able to pair Nabers with Collins and give myself a formidable WR duo to build around. Collins missed five weeks due to injury last year, but finished as the WR7 in fppg (fantasy points per game). If you extrapolate the average receiving yards of his 12 appearances over a full 17-game season, he would have finished third in the league with 1,425 yards — behind only Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Don't underestimate Collins' fantasy ceiling. Round 3 Pick Player Team 25 Lamar Jackson, QB Matt Harmon 26 Josh Allen, QB Ian Hartitz 27 Chase Brown, RB Ray Garvin 28 Tee Higgins, WR Rich Hribar 29 Davante Adams, WR Jennifer Eakins 30 Trey McBride, TE Nathan Jahnke 31 Garrett Wilson, WR Chris Allen 32 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Dave Kluge 33 Jayden Daniels, QB Ryan Heath 34 Kenneth Walker III, RB Ben Gretch 35 George Kittle, TE Derek Brown 36 Breece Hall, RB Justin Boone Chase Brown is one of my favorite third-round picks in 2025 and might end up returning Round 1 value when all is said and done. Once he took over as the starter last season, Brown was the RB7 in fppg from Week 4 on. A top-five RB finish is well within his range of outcomes this year. The elite quarterbacks begin flying off the board in this round, as well as the rest of the high-end tight ends. I don't recommend addressing both those spots in the early rounds, but ideally, you'll get one or the other. Having a top-tier fantasy QB or TE can give you a multi-point weekly advantage at those positions. My pick: Picking at the end of a round can be fun and frustrating at the same time. Since I had to wait until 3.12 to make my selection, I didn't get a chance to draft any of the players I mentioned above. Instead, I invested in a potential bounce-back year for Hall in New York. The 24-year-old was a top-10 fantasy back over his first seven games in 2022 before suffering an ACL tear, posted RB6 per-game results in 2023 and was the RB18 during a challenging 2024 campaign for the Jets. With a new quarterback and coaching staff, I expect him to be a high-end fantasy RB2 with a chance to get back into the top 10. Round 4 Pick Player Team 37 Kyren Williams, RB Justin Boone 38 RJ Harvey, RB Derek Brown 39 Marvin Harrison Jr., WR Ben Gretch 40 Omarion Hampton, RB Ryan Heath 41 James Cook, RB Dave Kluge 42 DJ Moore, WR Chris Allen 43 Jalen Hurts, QB Nathan Jahnke 44 Mike Evans, WR Jennifer Eakins 45 Terry McLaurin, WR Rich Hribar 46 Chuba Hubbard, RB Ray Garvin 47 Tetairoa McMillan, WR Ian Hartitz 48 Alvin Kamara, RB Matt Harmon While several rosters look good through four rounds, Team Heath might have had the best start of anyone. He secured potentially elite talent at RB, WR and QB (Achane, St. Brown, Daniels), before adding a rookie running back with league-winning potential in Hampton. As much as I like what I've done so far, it's hard not to be impressed by what Team Heath put together. My pick: People continue to doubt Williams, but he just keeps producing fantasy RB1 campaigns. Playing in a Sean McVay system that's always been fruitful for ball carriers, Williams put up the second-most fantasy points per game among RBs in 2023 and the eighth-most in 2024. Getting him as the RB14 feels like a value. Round 5 Pick Player Team 49 George Pickens, WR Matt Harmon 50 DK Metcalf, WR Ian Hartitz 51 Joe Mixon, RB Ray Garvin 52 Jaylen Waddle, WR Rich Hribar 53 Courtland Sutton, WR Jennifer Eakins 54 Jameson Williams, WR Nathan Jahnke 55 Xavier Worthy, WR Chris Allen 56 TreVeyon Henderson, RB Dave Kluge 57 DeVonta Smith, WR Ryan Heath 58 Travis Hunter, WR Ben Gretch 59 Kaleb Johnson, RB Derek Brown 60 James Conner, RB Justin Boone The RB value is drying up quickly in the fifth round, which caused many managers to begin a run on receivers; eight were selected in this frame. It's only the beginning, as wideouts rightfully dominate the next few rounds. Though they're being drafted in the WR3-WR4 range, it's not difficult to envision almost every WR chosen from Round 5 to 7, ending the year as a fantasy WR2. Keep that in mind when building your receiving corps. My pick: Having two picks in a row on the turn, I decided to take a third running back based on his long history of fantasy production. Conner has averaged top-15 fantasy RB stats for four straight years in Arizona. When he's healthy, he's locked in your lineup. Having him as a flex was too enticing to pass up. Round 6 Pick Player Team 61 Chris Olave, WR Justin Boone 62 Calvin Ridley, WR Derek Brown 63 Zay Flowers, WR Ben Gretch 64 Jauan Jennings, WR Ryan Heath 65 D'Andre Swift, RB Dave Kluge 66 Joe Burrow, QB Chris Allen 67 Jordan Addison, WR Nathan Jahnke 68 David Montgomery, RB Jennifer Eakins 69 Isiah Pacheco, RB Rich Hribar 70 Rome Odunze, WR Ray Garvin 71 Chris Godwin, WR Ian Hartitz 72 Tony Pollard, RB Matt Harmon Team Allen is the first to take a quarterback after the top four were chosen a few rounds earlier. At the time, it seemed like a fine pick, but little did we know the next quarterback wouldn't go off the board until Round 9. It's hindsight analysis now, but if Team Allen knew that would be the case, I doubt he would have picked Burrow in this spot. That's not a knock on Burrow, it's just a value assessment on how flat the QB landscape is this year after that initial group. Once the high-end fantasy quarterbacks (Allen, Jackson, Daniels, Hurts) are taken, you might as well wait until the later rounds before addressing that position. My pick: With two WRs and two RBs already set in my lineup, I can shift towards pure upside options. Drafting Olave a little ahead of ADP might seem odd to some, but don't forget, this is a 25-year-old receiver who had back-to-back 1,000-yard stat lines to start his career. As Matt Harmon pointed out, Olave is 10th in first downs per route run among qualified receivers, 11th in yards per route, 13th in targets per route and 7th in successful targets per route. While the concussion history is concerning, if he stays healthy, there's a top-20 fantasy wideout waiting to re-emerge. Round 7 Pick Player Team 73 Jayden Reed, WR Matt Harmon 74 Brian Robinson Jr., RB Ian Hartitz 75 Jerry Jeudy, WR Ray Garvin 76 Stefon Diggs, WR Rich Hribar 77 Jakobi Meyers, WR Jennifer Eakins 78 Deebo Samuel Sr., WR Nathan Jahnke 79 Jaylen Warren, RB Chris Allen 80 Ricky Pearsall, WR Dave Kluge 81 Josh Downs, WR Ryan Heath 82 Michael Pittman Jr., WR Ben Gretch 83 Jayden Higgins, WR Derek Brown 84 Sam LaPorta, TE Justin Boone Team Heath continues to execute a savvy strategy. After a near-flawless first four rounds, he's attacked the loaded receiver range from Rounds 5 to 7, securing Smith at WR29, Jennings at WR34 and Downs at WR44. Smith was WR17 in fppg last year, Jennings has a chance to be the 49ers No. 1 wideout this season and Downs was recently featured in my 2025 breakouts column. Well played, Mr. Heath. Well played. My pick: LaPorta isn't generally someone I've been targeting in the area of drafts he normally gets taken, but in this case, he fell a round or two past his usual ADP. And depending how you look at it, that could be a win for me value-wise. Unfortunately, the next tight end didn't get drafted until Round 10. If you had given me the option between LaPorta at the end of Round 7 or Hockenson at the Round 9-10 turn, I would have taken the Vikings tight end every time. As it stands, I got my TE4 overall at a discount, which I should be happy about — but I'm not. Round 8 Pick Player Team 85 Emeka Egbuka, WR Justin Boone 86 Cam Skattebo, RB Derek Brown 87 Brandon Aiyuk, WR Ben Gretch 88 Aaron Jones, RB Ryan Heath 89 Travis Etienne Jr., RB Dave Kluge 90 Tyrone Tracy, RB Chris Allen 91 Matthew Golden, WR Nathan Jahnke 92 Khalil Shakir, WR Jennifer Eakins 93 Darnell Mooney, WR Rich Hribar 94 J.K. Dobbins, RB Ray Garvin 95 Jordan Mason, RB Ian Hartitz 96 Rashid Shaheed, WR Matt Harmon The fact that Mason is going in the same round as his teammate Jones is either going to look like an absolutely foolish fantasy decision or one of the shrewdest moves of draft season. The Vikings coaching staff has already talked up a committee between the two backs, with Mason being favored for the goal-line work in an offense that should be in scoring position often. Count me among those investing far more in Mason than Jones this year. My pick: If you listen to the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, you know how I feel about Egbuka's fantasy outlook for 2025. It's possible he could be stuck behind two talented veterans, but with Mike Evans turning 32 this summer and Chris Godwin working his way back from an injury, it seems like there will be an opportunity for the first-round wideout to make his mark early. I want to be ahead of ADP on a player who could be the best value out there at the moment. Round 9 Pick Player Team 97 Rashod Bateman, WR Matt Harmon 98 Rhamondre Stevenson, RB Ian Hartitz 99 Keon Coleman, WR Ray Garvin 100 Patrick Mahomes, QB Rich Hribar 101 Zach Charbonnet, RB Jennifer Eakins 102 Quinshon Judkins, RB Nathan Jahnke 103 Tyjae Spears, RB Chris Allen 104 Kyler Murray, QB Dave Kluge 105 Luther Burden, WR Ryan Heath 106 Bhayshul Tuten, RB Ben Gretch 107 Tre Harris, WR Derek Brown 108 Trey Benson, RB Justin Boone Judkins fell to this round as the RB38 off the board due to the uncertainty around his off-field situation. While it's dangerous to speculate on potential outcomes stemming from the allegations and charges against him, it's impossible to ignore the risk associated to his fantasy profile now. I can honestly say I don't plan on drafting Judkins until we learn more about his case, but if you were interested in taking him, this is a range that adequately factors in the downside. My pick: After taking Conner in the fifth round, I hedge my investment by selecting his backup and the heir apparent to the Cardinals' backfield in Benson. Conner missed at least two games in every year of his career prior to 2024, but he's been far more than healthy than people give him credit for. Even so, taking Benson in this round guarantees me the production of an Arizona backfield that has been an automatic fantasy start for several years now. Round 10 Pick Player Team 109 Javonte Williams, RB Justin Boone 110 Tank Bigsby, RB Derek Brown 111 T.J. Hockenson, TE Ben Gretch 112 Roschon Johnson, RB Ryan Heath 113 Travis Kelce, TE Dave Kluge 114 Mark Andrews, TE Chris Allen 115 Cooper Kupp, WR Nathan Jahnke 116 Evan Engram, TE Jennifer Eakins 117 Ray Davis, RB Rich Hribar 118 J.J. McCarthy, QB Ray Garvin 119 Najee Harris, RB Ian Hartitz 120 Tucker Kraft, TE Matt Harmon Round 10: A run on tight end finally begins and though Hockenson would be my favorite choice of the bunch selected here — don't sleep on Kraft. The 24-year-old was the TE12 in fppg last year and showcased high-end YAC ability, leading all tight ends in that category. Jordan Love also told reporters that Kraft's usage is a focus for the team this offseason. The intersection of talent and opportunity is normally a good place to live for fantasy. My pick: While I have very little faith in either Javonte Williams or the Cowboys' backfield producing fantasy goodness in 2025, getting a potential starting running back in the 10th round as the RB42 is a move you have to make — even if that guy is Williams. Round 11 Pick Player Team 121 Jaydon Blue, RB Matt Harmon 122 David Njoku, TE Ian Hartitz 123 Dallas Goedert, TE Ray Garvin 124 Isaac Guerendo, RB Rich Hribar 125 Baker Mayfield, QB Jennifer Eakins 126 Marvin Mims Jr., WR Nathan Jahnke 127 Christian Kirk, WR Chris Allen 128 Rachaad White, RB Dave Kluge 129 Colston Loveland, TE Ryan Heath 130 Bo Nix, QB Ben Gretch 131 Justin Fields, QB Derek Brown 132 Caleb Williams, QB Justin Boone Round 11: If you were to criticize a mock draft full of analyst drafts, you might point out that they tend to wait longer than most leagues to draft quarterbacks. That's the only explanation for guys like Mayfield (QB3 in fppg in 2024), Nix (QB9 in fppg in 2024) and Fields (QB7 over the 6 games he started) being available in the 11th round. However, even if those guys were here you would still have a plethora of passers to choose from in this area. Go early (elite fantasy QBs) or go very late when choosing a fantasy quarterback this season. My pick: On that note, I was hoping to get Fields but had to "settle" for Caleb Williams. It might take some time for the sophomore to get comfortable in the new scheme implemented by Ben Johnson, but I'm confident the production will come the same way it did for Jared Goff in Detroit. The Bears also fixed the interior of their offensive line and got two new pass-catching weapons for Williams in the first two rounds of the draft. Big things are coming in Chicago and it revolves around their young QB. Round 12 Pick Player Team 133 Kyle Williams, WR Justin Boone 134 Dak Prescott, QB Derek Brown 135 Tyler Allgeier, RB Ben Gretch 136 Cedric Tillman, WR Ryan Heath 137 Justin Herbert, QB Dave Kluge 138 Romeo Doubs, WR Chris Allen 139 Braelon Allen, RB Nathan Jahnke 140 Dont'e Thornton, WR Jennifer Eakins 141 Dalton Kincaid, TE Rich Hribar 142 Dylan Sampson, RB Ray Garvin 143 Jaylen Wright, RB Ian Hartitz 144 Quentin Johnston, WR Matt Harmon Team Harmon closed things out with Johnston before the news of Mike Williams retirement broke. Johnston was the WR40 in fantasy points per game a year ago and might sneak into WR3 territory, especially if rookie Tre Harris doesn't hit the ground running for the Chargers. Either way, it's a great value pick at the end of the 12th round. My pick: If you're wondering, I didn't intend to draft three straight players named Williams in the final three rounds. Stefon Diggs appears to be as healthy as one could be coming off a serious knee injury, which might delay the true breakout of rookie Kyle Williams. Still, Drake Maye showed signs of being a talent elevator and, at this value, I'm willing to take a chance on the third-rounder quickly developing into a playmaker in an offense that desperately needs some.
