All articles tagged with #defensive end
Veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith agreed to a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons after a workout, providing needed depth at the edge as the team copes with suspensions and injuries to other defensive ends. Smith, who previously played for Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, last year signed with the Eagles before briefly retiring, and now returns to football with Atlanta.
San Francisco’s training camp is already revealing strengths and weaknesses: the cornerback room has depth and energy under Raheem Morris, with newcomers and veterans pushing a feisty, versatile unit; the linebacker corps looks solid behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, with Nick Martin flashing as a potential starter; however, the defensive end spot is thin due to injuries, even as Nick Bosa begins ramping up; offensively, Christian McCaffrey remains explosive into his 30s, with Deebo Samuel expected to help shoulder the load while backups recover, and several roster battles (QB, punter) are ongoing as practice continues.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton spotlights seven edge-rushers who could breakout in the 2026 NFL season: Abdul Carter (Giants), K'Lavon Chaisson (Commanders), Jalyx Hunt (Eagles), Laiatu Latu (Colts), Boye Mafe (Bengals), Jaelan Phillips (Panthers), and Dallas Turner (Vikings), each with a clear path to bigger roles through coaching schemes, contract-driven opportunities, and lineup changes that could boost their sack and impact totals.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed third-round defensive end Keyron Crawford to a four-year rookie contract. Crawford, the 67th overall pick in the 2026 draft, played at Arkansas State before transferring to Auburn, where he started all 12 games in 2025 with 36 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, plus a forced fumble, fumble recovery and an interception. With Crawford under contract, the Raiders have eight of ten picks signed; unsigned are quarterback Fernando Mendoza and fourth-round cornerback Jermod McCoy.
The Cincinnati Bengals will not exercise the fifth-year option on defensive end Myles Murphy, choosing to pursue a long-term contract instead. Murphy, a 2023 first-round pick, would have earned $14.475 million in 2027 under the option and has posted 92 tackles, 8.5 sacks and a fumble across three seasons, including 5.5 sacks last year, as the team looks to keep him beyond 2027.
After drafting players like DT Jordan van den Berg, center Logan Jones, and WR Zavion Thomas, Bears GM Ryan Poles said Chicago will remain active in upgrading the defensive line, with no definitive fix at defensive end yet and an openness to trades as the market develops, potentially up to the trade deadline.
Detroit moved up six spots from No. 50 to No. 44 in the second round to draft Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore, a 2025 first-team All-Big Ten with 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks that season (24.5 TFL and 21 sacks career), and he’s set to line up opposite Aidan Hutchinson for Detroit.
Dallas widened its 2026 first-round footprint with back-to-back trades: moving up from 12 to 11 to draft Caleb Downs and then sending 20 to 23 to select Malachi Lawrence, a versatile pass rusher from UCF. Lawrence, a former outside linebacker turned defensive end, earned First-Team All-Big 12 in 2025 and accumulated 20 sacks for his college career, giving Dallas a ready-made edge threat for a 3-4 look. He must improve run defense and add mass to maximize his potential, but the Cowboys view him as a key piece in their defensive overhaul.
With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips gone and a shift to a 4-3 base, the Dolphins are expected to target an edge rusher in the first three rounds, weighing a handful of prospects like Zion Young, Akheem Mesidor, Cashius Howell, Keldric Faulk, and TJ Parker, with a potential trade-down from early picks to land a starter rather than a specialist. Day 2/3 targets such as Mason Thomas, Dani Deni-Sutton, Caden Curry, LT Overton, Harold Perkins Jr., and others are also in play, depending on board dynamics and team needs.
The 49ers signed Cam Sample to bolster the defensive line while Mykel Williams recovers from an ACL tear, providing run-stopping depth behind Nick Bosa. Sample isn’t a top-edge pass rusher, so San Francisco is expected to add an additional edge rusher in the upcoming NFL draft.
The San Francisco 49ers signed former Bengals defensive end Cam Sample to a one-year deal, adding depth to their defensive line. Sample, 26, has played 61 NFL games with 5 starts and had 2 sacks last season.
Star-Telegram's Mock Draft 1.0 (no trades) projects the Cowboys using their two first-round picks on defense—cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 12 and defensive end T.J. Parker at No. 20—within a full 32-pick rundown that underscores league parity.
The Maxx Crosby trade is off and Detroit remains in the market for a premier pass rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, but Crosby’s availability appears unlikely; the Lions reportedly have a short list of alternative targets not detailed in this excerpt.
Detroit, having wrapped the first wave, pivots to upgrading its edge defense by evaluating veteran options for early-down duty and versatile front-end roles. Alongside Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions could carry multiple young ends (Paschal, Lacy, Hassanein) but want additional disruption, exploring a second wave of free-agent targets such as A.J. Epenesa, Tyquan Lewis, Arnold Ebiketie, Cameron Sample, and Samson Ebukam to bolster run defense and flexible pass rush in Detroit’s five-man fronts.
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan floated five Crosby trade scenarios, with the standout sending Maxx Crosby to the Patriots for two 2026 top-100 picks (No. 31 and No. 63) plus DT Christian Barmore; the deal would give the Raiders five top-100 picks in 2026 (plus pick 102) to fuel the rebuild, while New England would land a premier edge rusher, though Barmore’s impact against the run would be limited.