The 2026 NFL Draft is just two days away! Here are some rumors that I have heard from sources with the draft just hours away.
Yesterday in the Hot Press, we reported how Washington wanted to trade down in the first round, and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane was a potential target. If the franchise formerly known as the Redskins is forced to stick-and-pick, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is a top candidate. Wide receiver is a huge need on the Washington roster, but in speaking with sources, it sounds like they are not in love with any of the top receiver prospects, including Styles’ teammate Carnell Tate. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn may decide to get Jayden Daniels a weapon, but it does not sound like Washington is in love with Tate at pick seven.
Team sources around the league were surprised that the New York Giants were able to get a top-10 pick for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. It sounds like staff with the Giants were surprised as well. Around the league, many thought the Giants might get a late first-round pick and a day-two pick this year or next for a trade similar to what the Jets got for Quinnen Williams. However, those offers were blown away when Cincinnati offered a top-10 pick. New York gets to add a long-term starter and saves a lot of money on a contract extension. In my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft, I have the Giants addressing a different weakness on defense that has plagued New York.
One of the more intriguing prospects to follow in the 2026 NFL Draft is Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. Sources from multiple teams say that McCoy’s 2024 tape is by far the best tape of any of the cornerback prospects. However, he missed all of the 2025 season with a knee injury. While he ran a fast 40 time in pre-draft workouts, McCoy is still being eased back into practice-caliber workouts and is not doing lateral cutting. Some sources said their team flunked McCoy medically because of the knee. Other teams said he was cleared medically and is alive on their board.
With that discrepancy, sources from a few teams think McCoy will slide to the second round like Michigan cornerback Will Johnson did last year. They say that McCoy’s knee situation is even worse than Johnson’s was a year ago. McCoy will enter next fall having gone almost two years without playing football. Sources from other teams say McCoy is so talented and the tape is so good, they think he could still go in the first round. In my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft, I have McCoy going to a team that needs a No. 1 corner and one that was mentioned yesterday as having interest in him. It will be fascinating to see when and where McCoy comes off the board.
The week before the draft, part of a letter sent by Texas A&M wide receiver K.C. Concepcion was leaked to the public. While Concepcion spoke passionately about rewarding the team that drafted him, there is some other context that could be going under the radar. Sources at multiple teams said there are character concerns with Concepcion, so perhaps that letter was sent out to teams to help address those concerns. Concepcion took a lot of top-30 visits as teams brought him into their facility to interview him. Concepcion is considered to be a pick in the back half of the first round, and if he slides to the second round, it will be from the character concerns.
Another talented wide receiver that could slide because of character concerns is Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell. Sources say they like Brazzell’s skill set, and he flashed at times with the Volunteers, but teams that are strict on character will probably pass on Brazzell.
Louisville’s Chris Bell could have been a first- or second-round pick if it weren’t for a knee injury that happened late last season. Sources say they have some concerns about Bell learning their playbook, and coming off the knee injury, they think the earliest he will come off the board is the third round. They think that Bell is going to need a redshirt season, and drafting him would essentially be stashing him for 2027.
Team sources say the 2026 NFL Draft is really feeling the ramifications of NIL payments to college football players. Many in the league have said this is a weak draft, and the NIL money to get players to go back to school has been a big factor in reducing the talent pool. Some scouts said that there are some schools that are paying a player who might have a fifth-round grade estimation the same amount of money as a fifth-round pick’s signing bonus to go back to school. The player makes a similar amount of money but then gets the opportunity to improve their draft stock for next year.
One national scout said that Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor is a good example. If he had entered the 2025 NFL Draft, he probably would have been a fourth-round pick based on his play, age, and injury history. The age and injury history are still hurting Mesidor now, but after a strong season with good tape, he probably will be a late first- or second-round pick.
