The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here! Here are some rumors that I have heard from sources with the draft just hours away.
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There are a lot of teams that want to trade down in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it isn’t clear that there are a lot of teams that want to trade up. Last night, in speaking with an AFC director of player personnel of a team picking in the top half of the first round, they said they believe the Detroit Lions are looking to move up for Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor. Sources say the Lions would look to move up for Proctor, offering this year’s second-round pick and next year’s second-round pick. A key to potentially getting the trade down is seeing Proctor get past the Cleveland Browns at six. Perhaps the Lions are trying to disguise their true intentions, but general manager Brad Holmes did a big trade up for Jameson Williams, and some team sources think he will do that again for another Alabama product.
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The 2026 NFL Draft has zero mystery at the very top as the Las Vegas Raiders are selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. That pick has been known for months and makes for an anti-climactic opening night of the draft for Las Vegas. That is, unless the Raiders trade back into the first round from their second-round pick, the 36th overall selection. However, Las Vegas has a lot of holes on its roster, so giving up picks sounds unlikely. In speaking with sources, they say the Raiders’ preference would be to take a wide receiver early in the second round. They say they won’t force it and reach to fill the need, but all things being equal, they would take a receiving weapon for Mendoza at pick 36.
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Washington has had some interesting conversations this week. It sounds like trading down is still the preferred option if a quality deal is offered. If they don’t have a deal worth taking and they are forced to stick-and-pick, sources think they would take either Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate or Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. Not all of their evaluators are high on Tate, but he would fill an immediate need and provide a long-term weapon for third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels. Hence, some sources think that when push comes to shove, they would go with Tate. However, Styles could easily go ahead of pick seven and further push Washington towards Tate.
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Some teams are spooked by the back injury to Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Those teams feel that surgery is inevitable, and Mauigoa should have the procedure immediately after the draft. Otherwise, they feel it could become a problem during his rookie season and could cut the season short. They think that if he has the surgery right away, he could miss the first month of the season, but could be back by the middle of the season without any long-term concerns. Other teams aren’t worried at all, so it will be interesting to see if this medial situation causes Mauigoa to slide.
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During the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, there have been a lot of projections of the Dallas Cowboys taking a defensive lineman with one of their first-round picks. In speaking with sources, a lot of options are in play for Dallas, and adding to the defensive line is a possibility. The Cowboys do like Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk, and he would continue the trend of Dallas getting bigger and more physical up front. It sounds like the Cowboys are not as high on Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor and Clemson end T.J. Parker. Dallas also really likes Miami defensive end Rueben Bain, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. However, that trio could all go in the top 10 and not make it to their pick at 12. Hence, the talk of the Cowboys having interest in trading up in the first round. The Cowboys have a lot of options to consider at 12 and 20, but they are focused on building up the defense.
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The Patriots went from picking 4th overall a year ago to picking 31st this year, and like a year ago, New England could be looking to add some help for young franchise quarterback Drake Maye. In the first round, the Patriots have offensive prospects in play for pick 31, including Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and Texas A&M wide receiver K.C. Concepcion. Concepcion has character concerns, but he is alive and not ruled out by New England. Defensively, the Patriots like some of the edge rush options that are potential late first-rounders like Aggies’ Cashius Howell, Missouri’s Zion Young, and UCF’s Malaki Lawrence. Picking so late in the first round, the Patriots have a lot of routes they could go, but those are some of the options under consideration.
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One of the mysterious picks in the first round is the 11th selection with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have many needs as this regime begins a massive rebuild. Thus, there are a lot of directions Miami could go in the first round at pick 11 and pick 30. In speaking with sources, it does not sound like the Dolphins are high on the top cornerbacks and could opt to wait to add cornerback talent. At pick 11, the Dolphins could sit tight and see what top talent falls in their lap and go with the best player available. Perhaps Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain slips out of the top 10. If they did that, the slide could end with the Dolphins for one of them. They could also address the other line, and that is what I have them doing in my final 2026 NFL Mock Draft. Miami has a lot of options and routes they could go at pick 11. The Dolphins will also listen to offers, and if they moved down, some potential targets could include Penn State guard Vega Ioane and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. With two first-round picks and a lot of areas to address, Miami is a true wild card in the 2026 NFL Draft.
