2026 NFL combine: Trade news and draft prospects highlight AFC storylines

The NFL Scouting Combine has largely become synonymous with two things: gathering more information about the upcoming draft prospects and gaining intel on what NFL teams plan to do with their rosters over the coming months. 

Whether you were in Indianapolis or watching at home, there was a lot of information to take in from last week’s combine. It was an especially interesting week for AFC teams, specifically the Raiders, who in addition to owning the No. 1 overall pick have faced questions about the future of their best player, perennial All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby. 

In case you missed anything, we’ve compiled the biggest thing we learned about every AFC team during the combine. Among the main storylines is Sean Payton’s surprising decision to give up play-calling, the Steelers’ soft deadline for Aaron Rodgers, and which team is reportedly interested in Eagles receiver A.J. Brown’s services. 

During the combine, new Ravens coach Jesse Minter and general manager Eric DeCosta didn’t hide their offseason intentions to beef up the Ravens’ offensive and defensive lines. Specifically, it appears that their main offseason priorities include re-signing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to a “market-setting” offer and potentially using a high draft pick on a defensive lineman. 

“I think we’ve always been a team that has valued the importance of ‘the trenches’ and being up front,” DeCosta said. “[That is] just one of the reasons why we want to bring Tyler back, if we can. Certainly a focus for us.”

“I think if we have the chance to draft a great defensive tackle, of course we will. It is one of the most important positions in football,” DeCosta said.

While they were No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards last season, the Ravens weren’t as prolific running the ball in 2025 as they were in 2024, when Derrick Henry ran for more yards (1,921) in league history for a player over 30. On defense, the Ravens were a very uncharacteristic 20th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. 

With 11 picks in this year’s draft, Minter feels that the Ravens have the necessary resources to have a formidable defensive line in 2026. Helping matters will be the return of two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Nnamdi Madubuike, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2025 season. 

The Bills are still trying to figure out how Taron Johnson and Greg Rousseau will fit inside new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme. When asked about both players, general manager Brandon Beane hasn’t ruled out moving Johnson from safety to cornerback and said that Rousseau will continue to be a “valuable piece” of the defense regardless of how the veteran defensive end is deployed. 

Beane also provided an update on veteran tight end Dawson Knox, who currently holds a $17.86 million cap hit for the 2026 season. While they’d save cap space by releasing him, Knox is a valued veteran and close friend of quarterback Josh Allen. 

“We know we’re down to a couple weeks to make those and so there’s no answer,” Beane said when asked about Knox’s future status with the team. “There’s no resolution in the next 24 hours, or anything like that. But the discussions have happened and they’ll continue.”

Another year, another uncertain offseason for Trey Hendrickson, who held out last summer before the Bengals gave him a raise prior to the start of the regular season. Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, is slated to enter free agency on March 11 unless the Bengals franchise tag him prior to 4 p.m. on March 3. 

Bengals general manager Duke Tobin wouldn’t say whether he would apply the tag on Hendrickson, which would give them the ability to trade Hendrickson for possible draft capital. He did, however, allude to the challenges associated with trading Hendrickson. 

“All trades are difficult,” Tobin said. “You got to find a partner and you have to find somebody that you have to have some cooperation with your players that you’re talking about this with. Trades can be complicated and that hypothetical scenario would be very complicated.”

Based on Tobin’s comments, it appears that if the Bengals do tag Hendrickson, it will be with the intention of keeping him unless someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse. Hendrickson would make $30.2 million if he is tagged. 

It appears that Todd Monken’s first season as the Browns’ coach will include a quarterback battle between Sheduer Sanders and Deshaun Watson. 

Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick, made seven starts last season after starting the year behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart. While his numbers were underwhelming, Sanders did lead the Browns to three of their five wins and was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. 

Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans, is entering the final year of his record-setting five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million contract. Since coming to Cleveland in 2022, Watson has played in just 17 games. He missed the entire 2024 season after suffering multiple injuries to his Achilles. 

When he has been on the field, Watson hasn’t been the same player that he was in Houston. He’s thrown just 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and has completed a pedestrian 61.2% of his passes. Ironically, Watson’s best game as a Brown came in a come-from-behind win over the Ravens where Watson completed each of his 14 pass attempts in the second half despite playing with a severe shoulder injury that proved to be season-ending. 

Sanders’ potential and Watson’s recent history would suggest that the former has the upper hand. Monken, however, said that what happens on the field is what will ultimately make the decision for him. 

“Now you’re going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence, but I don’t decide who plays,” he said. “The players decide who plays.”

Sean Payton’s success as an NFL coach has coincided with him being one of the league’s most successful play-callers. That won’t be the case in 2026, though, as Payton has given play-calling duties to Davis Webb, a 31-year-old, former NFL coach who is entering his first season as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator. 

While the switch was surprising to most, Payton had been considering it for quite some time. 

“It was something I kind of knew during the year,” Payton said. “He and I visited on a handful of occasions. He’s extremely talented. With regards to play-calling, I think he’ll be really good at it.” 

It’ll obviously be interesting to see how the change impacts the Broncos’ offense and specifically quarterback Bo Nix, who played well in 2025 but failed to take the leap that many expected following his impressive rookie season. It will also be interesting to see how the change impacts Payton, who is trying to become the first coach to lead multiple franchises to Super Bowl wins.  

If there was any questions regarding C.J. Stroud’s future in Houston, Texans general manager Nick Caserio emphatically answered them in Indianapolis. 

“He’s our quarterback,” Caserio said of Stroud. “He ain’t going anywhere. We have a lot of confidence, a lot of belief. The philosophy DeMeco [Ryans] and I have, we’re going to support our players and do everything we can to help them.”

The unfounded rumors regarding Stroud’s future in Houston have stemmed from his inconsistent play since his historic rookie season back in 2023. While he helped lead the Texans to playoff wins in each of his first three seasons, Stroud’s lack of consistency has led to some questioning whether he can take Houston to the next level. 

There’s also the question of his contract, as Stroud is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Given how the last two years have gone, it appears that both Stroud and the Texans are willing to see how this year goes before potentially coming to terms on a new deal. 

The Colts and quarterback Anthony Richardson has mutually agreed to pursue a trade. A former No. 4 overall pick, Richardson’s time with the Colts has been mired with injuries and inconsistent play. Despite those obstacles, Richardson does have a winning record (8-7) as the Colts’ starting quarterback. 

Speculation has already started regarding where Richardson will end up next. While the Vikings are more of an obvious possibility, it’s also possible that Richardson spends a year as a backup behind an established starter, which is what Sam Darnold did for one year before he helped lead Seattle to a Super Bowl win. 

There are two notable, albeit vastly different, stories surrounding Jaguars. 

The first is Liam Coen’s excitement in having each of his coordinators — offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and special teams coordinator Heath Farwell — in tact for the 2026 season. Udinski’s return is especially significant in that he and Trevor Lawrence will be able to build off of the success they had in 2025, their first season together. 

“He made a huge impact – just the amount of work he puts in, how smart he is,” Lawrence recently said of Udinski, who had interviewed for the Browns and Bills’ head coaching vacancies. “He just brings a standard to the room. He never misses an opportunity to coach. He takes away a lot of the gray on Sunday and reduces the unknowns.”

The other story are rumblings regarding a potential trade involving receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas has specifically been linked to the Steelers, who have been trying to strengthen their receiving corps for several years. As this point, there is no substantial evidence that that Jaguars are indeed thinking of dealing Thomas, who is just two years removed from being named to the Pro Bowl. The rumblings, however, may suggest that something could indeed happen if someone makes the Jaguars the right offer. 

While we know that Eric Bieniemy is reprising his role as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, will Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill also be back in Kansas City for the 2026 season? Chiefs coach Andy Reid was asked about both players. 

Regarding Hill, Reid said that “there’s nothing happening there” while acknowledging that Hill is still working his way back from his gruesome, season-ending knee injury. Hill became available after the Dolphins released him earlier this offseason. Now 32, Hill’s last great season took place back in 2023, when he led the NFL with 1,799 yards and 13 touchdown catches. 

When asked about Kelce, Reid said that there has continued to be communication between the two sides. Kelce, 36, was named to his 11th consecutive Pro Bowl in 2025 after catching 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns. A future Hall of Famer, Kelce has not publicly stated whether he will return for a 14th season. 

“I’ve said this before: As long as there’s communication, I’m good,” Reid said. “That means people want to move forward. I think that’s where Trav is. I’m not trying to put words in his mouth at all and I try to give him some space here.

“He’s been doing this a long time and he can sort all that out going forward. But we’re proceeding with that and there is communication going on.”

Like Kelce and the Chiefs, there have also been rumblings about Maxx Crosby’s future with the Raiders, but for entirely different reasons. Crosby’s future with the Raiders has been in question since the team shut him down early this past season against his will. 

While they’d likely get a good deal of assets for Crosby, Raiders general manager John Spytek made it clear that his plan is to keep Crosby in the silver and black. Still only 28 years old, Crosby has been a Pro Bowler each of the last five years. In 15 games last season, Crosby tallied 10 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception. 

“Maxx is an elite player and I’m been very upfront that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” Spytek said, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. “It’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”

While Crosby is currently a Raider, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza appears to be headed to Las Vegas, who owns the No. 1 overall pick. Mendonza said that he had a “fantastic” interview with the Raiders while alluding to the possibility to learn from Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady. Mendoza specifically said he wants to emulate Brady’s “system and his discipline.” 

“I’ve already read [Brady’s TB12 Method] book,” Mendoza said. “Everything that he’s all about is something that I’ve always emulated as a football player. And anything the coaching staff has as coaching points, like, ‘Hey Fernando, we need you to get better at this, this and that,’ I’m gonna be like, ‘Hey Tom, how do I get better at this, this and that?’ 

“If I get selected by Mr. Spytek and the Raiders … it’d be a great opportunity. But any team I get drafted by, I look forward to utilizing their former quarterbacks as well.” 

A lot of people were wondering how Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would mesh togther in Los Angeles. Harbaugh, after all, is an old school coach who relishes having a strong running game game, whereas McDaniel regarded as having of the NFL’s most innovative offensive minds. 

Despite their apparant differences, it appears that the Harbaugh-McDaniel partnership is off to a good start. 

“I’m really leaning on how Mike sees the game,” Harbaugh said on The Pat McAfee Show. “It’s creative, it puts defenses in a conflict. Kind of like our players, a lot of excitement to learn everything that Mike knows. That’s really the main thing I keep leaning into.” 

“I couldn’t ask for more,” McDaniel told McAfee. “It’s been awesome to join what they’re trying to do. There’s a lot of overlap in belief. We’re coming to work every day enthused, trying to chase the same outcome.

“I’m invigorated,” McDaniel added. “I’m juiced up.”

McDaniel is also excited to work with Justin Herbert, who like McDaniel has something to prove at this stage of his career. For all of his individual success, Herbert has yet to win a playoff game. 

“I have high ambitions that meets him where he’s at and for what he needs to do to take the next step in his career,” McDaniel said of Herbert. 

As they continue to figure out what to do with Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are doing their due diligence as it relates to this year’s quarterback class. That included a formal meeting with former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck, the draft’s seventh-rated quarterback prospect. 

“Honestly, I thought it went really well,” Beck said of his meeting with the Dolphins. “Sometimes I think it’s kind of hard to read how the interviews go because you got 20 guys sitting around you nailing you with questions over and over again. Honestly, I just want to be myself in those interviews and let them know who I am, what I stand for and what I can bring to the table. Personally, I felt like it went well, but I honestly have no idea.”

A Jacksonville native, the 23-year-old Beck played five seasons at Georgia before spending the 2025 season at Miami. During his lone season with the Hurricanes, Beck led the ACC in completions (338) and completion percentage (72.4%) while throwing 30 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. 

Beck played well during the College Football Playoffs, completing 65.2% of his passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions while helping lead Miami to wins over Texas A&M, defending national champion Ohio State and Ole Miss. 

There’s a lot of speculation regarding a receiver currently employed by New England and another that may have fallen out of favor with his current team. 

Let’s start with Stefon Diggs, who will likely need to restructure his contract — he is currently slated to have a $26.5 million cap hit for 2026 — if he is going to stay in New England. While there are conflicting reports as to whether or not Diggs is willing to restructure his contract, it’s generally assumed that his preference is to continue playing for the defending AFC champions. 

Regardless of what happens with Diggs, the Patriots reportedly have “internal interest” in acquiring A.J. Brown, who made his first Pro Bowl while playing for Mike Vrabel during their time together in Tennessee. It’s safe to say that Drake Maye would love to have both Diggs and Brown by his side this season. 

While they are expected to select former Ohio State pass rusher Arvell Reese with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, there are also some rumblings as it relates to the Jets selecting a quarterback with the No. 16 overall pick. 

If they do, it appears that Alabama’s Ty Simpson — the No. 2 rated quarterback prospect in the draft — is ready to take his act to the big apple. 

“If I get the opportunity to play in New York, they’re going to get the best Ty Simpson,” Simpson said during the combine. 

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson played his entire college career at Alabama. As a first-time starter this past season, he led the SEC in attempts (473) and completions (305) while throwing for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He completed an impressive 64.5% of his throws. 

Simpson had some notable games that included his performance during Alabama’s road victory over Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff. He threw a pair of touchdown passes that night that included a 30-yard strike early in the second half that gave Alabama the lead for good. 

Throughout the 2025 season, Simpson showcased solid pocket presence, made quick decisions and showed the ability to complete a variety of passes. He also made several plays in the clutch, specifically during a four-game stretch against ranked opponents. Alabama won each game over that span with Simpson being a key difference-maker in each contest. 

While they are willing to once again play the waiting game with Aaron Rodgers, Steelers general manager Omar Khan anticipates an answer coming from Rodgers much sooner than it did last year, when he didn’t officially join the team until minicamp. 

There is no official deadline for Rodgers to make a decision, but Khan said that he’d like to have answer by the start of free agency. 

“I spoke to him last week,” Khan said. “Mike McCarthy has spoken to him. He knows how we feel and I think we know how he feels about us.

“[The 2025 season was] a good experience for both sides. Unfortunately, we didn’t reach our goals on winning the games that we wanted to win at the end but there’s a mutual respect there.”

Outside of Rodgers, Khan said that he will continue to try to find the team’s longterm solution at quarterback. Like McCarthy did at his introductory press conference, Khan expressed optimism in 2025 sixth round pick Will Howard, who didn’t get any in-game reps last year after sustaining an injury during training camp. 

“We’ve watched the progression in practice and it’s been exciting,” Khan said of Howard. “I know the new coaching staff, specifically Coach McCarthy is excited to work with him.

“The one thing is the speed of the game, the anticipation. That just kind of comes with playing at this level. It’s different than it is at the college level. We saw that improve every week. There’s a lot to like.”

For the Titans, Christmas this year will come in March and April. In addition to having eight draft picks (including the No. 4 overall pick), Tennessee has well over $100 million in salary cap space, the most in the NFL by a considerable margin. The Titans cleared even more space after releasing former starters Lloyd Cushenberry and Xavier Woods. 

While the Titans plan to be aggressive in free agency, general manager Mike Borgonzi emphasized his desire to build his roster through the draft. 

“You’re trying to build a team and a locker room and a culture, and you do that through the draft,” he said during an interview with Pat McAfee. “We’re certainly going to have our hand in free agency as well, and there’s going to be some great opportunities to add some players in free agency. But really, through, the draft is where you have to build that foundation initially. .. You’ve got to build it through the draft.” 

The Titans are prioritizing the draft, but don’t expect them to sit on their hands during free agency given their absurd amount of cap space.