INDIANAPOLIS — It was the draft prospects’ turn to take the podium at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, but some coaches and general managers met with the media, too. That left us with a handful of tidbits on what to potentially expect in the coming weeks and months.
Will Malik Willis actually receive a contract larger than we think he will? Could the Patriots swing a trade for a star player? Has a possible top fit already emerged for Miami (Fla.) star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.?
Here are my four takeaways from Wednesday:
Arvell Reese is imagining a pass-rushing future … and it’s in his best interest
Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, one of the best players in this year’s draft class, is somewhat of a positionless player. The Buckeyes used him as both an off-ball linebacker and an edge rusher to utilize his explosiveness and fluidity as an athlete. But during his combine availability, Reese acknowledged that he’d love to be an outside linebacker and rush the passer at the next level.
At least from a financial standpoint, that’s a no-brainer decision. The top of the edge rusher market is currently at $46.5 million in average annual value (courtesy of the Packers’ Micah Parsons), while the bar for inside linebackers is less than half that at $21 million per year (Niners’ Fred Warner). The team that drafts Reese will obviously play a big role in dictating his NFL future.
For the Buckeyes last season, Reese registered 6.5 sacks and 69 tackles (10 for loss) in 14 games. The team that drafts him could view Parsons’ path as its vision. The All-Pro defender was a middle linebacker at Penn State before transitioning to the edge for the Cowboys.
Rueben Bain-Titans could be a dream pairing
One of the top prospects in this year’s draft, Miami’s Rueben Bain said Wednesday that he’d always speak with Cam Ward when the quarterback was back on Miami’s campus (the two were teammates in 2024), and last year’s No. 1 pick told him that he’ll push for Tennessee to take him if he’s still available at No. 4.
“Hopefully everything ends up the right way,” Bain said at the podium of the Titans. “The interaction with them again was great, had a formal interview. We killed it. Went in and approached everything with the right mindset.”
All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has previously vouched for the Titans to take the Miami star as well. And on Tuesday, coach Robert Saleh was effusive in his praise of Bain.
“His tape is undeniable,” Saleh told local reporters in Indianapolis, via Titans.com. “He is an unbelievable football player, he plays with great violence. His football IQ is off the charts. … There are certain things he’ll have to adjust to like all these rookies will, but I think he’s a kid that is going to have a lot of success in this league.”
The quarterback knows him well and is a fan. Your best player (Simmons) wants him. And you have a defensive-minded head coach who needs a foundational piece on defense to begin his Titans tenure. The Hurricanes’ edge rusher makes sense on a variety of fronts for Tennessee.
What’s next in Sam Darnold’s redemption arc?
Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald on Wednesday said that he doesn’t expect much to change in his offense with Brian Fleury as Seattle’s new offensive play caller.
The 49ers run game coordinator and tight ends coach last season, the 47-year-old Fleury spent the past seven years as a San Francisco assistant.
“It’s going to be built on the same principles,” MacDonald explained, “but how it comes to life and the exact plays we’re going to run, I can’t answer that yet.”
I can’t help but think what that will mean for Sam Darnold.
After a rough start to his career, the former No. 3 overall pick is firmly a top-10 quarterback. He just helped the Seahawks win their second Lombardi Trophy. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler.
But a big part of his ascent over the last few years has been in teaming up with higher-profile offensive playcallers. Klint Kubiak served as the Seahawks’ play caller after having two other stints as an NFL offensive coordinator. Before that, Darnold was with the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell, a well-regarded quarterback developer and playcaller. And before that, he had the Niners’ Kyle Shanahan (in a backup role to Brock Purdy).
Fleury is different. He’ll be a first-time NFL playcaller. He was a quality control coach as recently as 2021.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Darnold have to take the most commanding role in an offense’s development than he’s ever had to do in the NFL. And even though he’s a guy now, I’m curious to see how that plays out.
Imagine A.J. Brown and Drake Maye together …
As the trade rumors about A.J. Brown in Philly ramp up, Vrabel was asked about his relationship with his former Titans star receiver.
“It has meant a lot,” Vrabel said of his communication with Brown. “I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband [he is]. That has nothing to do with the place he performs or the place he performed. These are the issues which are essential. We attain out and textual content one another in the course of the good issues that occur to one another. Typically issues don’t go so nicely for the folks that you simply’re shut with, and also you textual content for these as nicely. It’s a two-way avenue of help and reminders of what obtained us to the place we’re right here immediately.”
Whereas Vrabel didn’t converse on to New England’s potential curiosity in Brown, it’s inconceivable to disregard the plausibility due to their relationship — and the way a lot he might elevate the Patriots’ offense.
Stefon Diggs’ long-term future is unsure in any case, and Brown is precisely the type of No. 1 receiver that might help Drake Maye, who’ll absolutely be eyeing a bounce-back 2026 after a tough playoff run. A 3-time Professional Bowler, the 28-year-old Brown has registered 4 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
