INDIANAPOLIS -- NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah met with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine media center on Wednesday, answering questions for more than 20 minutes. Here are five takeaways from his press availability.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: NFL Network and NFL+ will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
1) WRs for Eagles. As A.J. Brown trade rumors continue to swirl, Jeremiah was asked about potential wide receiver options for Philadelphia in this year's draft. He cited the leading receiver for the national title-winning Indiana Hoosiers as a natural fit.
"The obvious one to me would be Omar Cooper Jr.," Jeremiah said. "That's one of the most fun players to study and watch. I think he's going to end up in the first round when it's all said and done. That's the style of player that you're talking about -- someone who can really catch and run, make things happen after the catch."
Jeremiah also mentioned Clemson's Antonio Williams as a potential fit, albeit a smaller one at 190 pounds (Cooper is listed at 204).
"It's a long list of receivers, but I will say, A.J. is 225 pounds and moves like that," he said. "You don't usually find a lot of those guys on a yearly basis, so it's going to be a little hard."
2) Bills' options on the edge. Buffalo figures to be in the edge rusher market this offseason, with Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa headed for free agency.
Jeremiah said he expects the Bills, who have the No. 26 overall pick, to be targeting speed at the position and identified a couple possible targets for GM Brandon Beane.
"If you're looking at fastball rushers and where they're picking, (Texas A&M's) Cashius Howell, does he get there?" Jeremiah said. "I think there's a chance he runs in the 4.4s here. He has legit giddy-up speed. That would be one right off the top of my head. A guy like Malachi Lawrence out of UCF, maybe in the third round, is another really good player. He's got a great first step."
The Bills ranked 20th in the league with 36 sacks last season, with Bosa and Epenesa accounting for 7.5 of those.
3) Why Chiefs should stick and pick. The Chiefs have a larger volume of pressing needs than we've grown accustomed to seeing for them, coming off a season that ended their streak of consecutive playoff appearances at 10. Trading down from their first pick, at No. 9 overall, to pick up more capital could be an appealing option for GM Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid.
Jeremiah, who has the Chiefs drafting Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love in his most recent mock, said he would pass on the temptation to trade down if he were in their shoes.
"You could say 'OK, we can trade back and fill a couple needs,' but how often is Kansas City going to be picking here, to get a blue-chip, impact player that's going to be cost-controlled for the next four of five years?" he said. "I tend to say, 'hey, maybe one of these edge rushers falls to us.' If Jeremiyah Love is there, I think he's the second-best player in the draft. A chance to get a cheap, blue-chip-caliber player, to me, I think I fall more in line with that than the trade-back."
4) Titans' perfect fit. There's a lot of intrigue about what direction Tennessee will take in the 2026 draft, with a new coaching staff in place and Cam Ward coming off a rookie season that showed flashes of promise.
The Titans hold the fourth overall pick this year, and if Robert Saleh wants to help his defense by plucking one of the top edge rushers available, Jeremiah sees Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. as a "physical, tough, rugged player" who could be too enticing for the team to pass up.
"I think there's a good chance that could be the perfect fit for Tennessee," he said. "Him and Jeffery Simmons. Robert Saleh is trying to build a real physical group, with Jacksonville as a physical team, Indy wants to be a physical team, Houston wants to be a physical team. So, I think Bain and Tennessee makes a lot of sense."
If they go in that direction, the Titans will have to get comfortable with however long Bain's arms measure. His arm length -- a hot topic this draft season -- is reportedly below the usual standard for his position and came up in Bain's combine press conference on Wednesday. Bain brushed off the conversation, telling reporters NFL teams don’t seem to be concerned.
5) QB on the rise? The consensus top two quarterbacks in this year's draft appear to be firmly entrenched, with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 and Alabama's Ty Simpson second.
Who should be next in the pecking order? Jeremiah sees a contender in the QB who led Miami to the national championship game.
"After that, I think you get into Carson Beck, who I think is going to have a little bit of a rise-up as we go through the rest of the process," Jeremiah said. "He's big, he's won a lot of games, he's played in a lot of games. How he does through the interview process will be important, but I think he'll spin the ball really well."
LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Penn State's Drew Allar are among Beck's top rivals in the competition to be the third passer selected. Beck's experience and the resilience he showed in returning from a UCL tear to help the Hurricanes on their thrilling run to the title game figure to be compelling to any teams considering him.
