2026 NFL Draft: Scouting Reports, Trade Rumors and Team Strategies

The NFL draft is a difficult reporting project. You spend hours and days and weeks on the phone and know for a fact that some people -- maybe most of them -- aren't telling you the truth. Teams want to keep their plans and their evaluations as secret as possible at this time of year while also floating information and scenarios to throw off the competition.

So, by the time it's the day before the draft and you sit down to write up your best information, it's pretty scary. I'm here to tell you the stuff I feel best about, but I do so with full confidence that some parts of it won't turn out to be correct. One thing can completely shake up the first round.

We can feel 100% sure the Las Vegas Raiders are taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick. They've been set on that for a long time, and by the time the pick is in Thursday night, it will be a formality. After that, the mystery begins.

Everything I've been told since the latter part of last week leads me to believe the Jets will select Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the second pick in the draft. For the longest time, it has felt as if the Jets were deciding between Reese and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. But ever since Bailey's planned visit to the Jets got canceled last week, people I trust in the league have told me they think the Jets have settled on Reese.

Once the Jets make their pick, the Cardinals hope to have options at No. 3. It's widely known around the league the Cardinals would prefer to trade down from that spot. If there's no deal for the third pick, I believe the Cardinals would draft Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Starting at No. 3, the interest in Love will intensify.

I have been told the Titans also would like to trade down from No. 4; but if they can't, the pick is likely to be an edge rusher or a wide receiver. If Bailey is still on the board at No. 4, he'd be a strong candidate to go to Tennessee.

Following Saturday's trade of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II to the Bengals, the Giants now hold the No. 5 and No. 10 picks. If they stay put at No. 5, my information indicates their most likely picks would be Love (if he's still there) or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Multiple people have told me they believe Downs would be the Giants' pick even ahead of linebacker Sonny Styles.

It seems as if everyone knows the analytics-driven Browns would love to trade down from No. 6. Cleveland wants to come out of the first round with an offensive tackle and a wide receiver.

Let's skip a few picks and go with the Rams, who hold the No. 13 pick. They appear to have a loaded roster and not a ton of immediate needs. Some people are even watching to see if they make a big move up for Love. The Rams have been connected to the Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in league circles for a while now, though it's unclear if they would take him at No. 13.

While it's fun to imagine team owner Jerry Jones going all Leeroy Jenkins and trading way up to get one of the big stars, that just isn't the way the Cowboys actually draft. What I am told is that the Cowboys do not want to trade both No. 12 and No. 20 to move up for just one player. I would actually say it's more likely the Cowboys trade down from No. 20 than up from No. 12.

I spoke Tuesday with Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who talked up all of his guys. He told me Reese is fully capable of being an instant-impact edge rusher or an off-ball linebacker right away. Patricia also said Downs has more ability to play the slot defender role than his usage by the Buckeyes in 2025 indicates.

I'm predicting at least seven and as many as 10 offensive linemen get picked in the first round. Miami's Francis Mauigoa has long been expected to be the first offensive lineman selected, but he has a herniated disc in his back, which is worrying some teams. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Super Bowl champion Seahawks select the other Notre Dame running back, Jadarian Price, with the No. 32 pick.