NFL draft 2026 rumors on Bengals, trades, Chargers, and more

This time next week, we will be breaking down the first 32 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Until then, all we have are rumors and speculation.

So let’s dive into the latest.

More on the trade market

Trades dominate the discussion every year in the days leading up to the NFL Draft.

This year is no exception.

With five teams — the Chiefs, the Cowboys, the Browns, the Dolphins, and the Jets — holding two first-round picks, many believe the first round will be filled with trades. And one of those general managers is among the believers.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.

During his annual pre-draft press conference on Thursday, Veach predicted an “entertaining” first night of the 2026 NFL Draft, one dominated by trades.

“It should be an entertaining night,” Veach said Thursday. “There’ll probably be a lot of trades.”

Veach also attributed that belief to the fact that outside of Fernando Mendoza, there are not many quarterbacks graded at the top of the board. Add in the fact that other top-graded players, like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, and safety Caleb Downs, do not play “premium” positions and you have an environment ripe for trades. Read our take on why Downs is still a premium prospect.

“I think that the fans will be in for a treat next Thursday because I think the grades [on prospects] are going to be so close from some of these [offensive] tackles and D-ends and receivers,” Veach said. “A lot of these guys that are mocked high may go a little lower and a lot of these guys that are getting mocked a little lower may go higher because I think they’re so close this year. There’s not this huge gap and huge fall off.

“That’s what a draft like this — when you don’t have two or three [high-graded] quarterbacks and a Will Anderson [Jr.] or a Myles Garrett — does: It lends itself to open up to a lot of fun and a lot of excitement.”

Kansas City could be one of those teams looking to move around on draft night, given the team’s pair of first-round picks. The Chiefs are first on the clock at No. 9, then again at No. 29.

Jermod McCoy sliding?

Based on 2024 film alone, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is one of the best players in this class.

But there is some “risk” with picking him, given the ACL tear he suffered while training in the offseason ahead of 2025.

That risk could see him potentially — potentially — falling out of the first round according to Dane Brugler from The Athletic:

Brugler notes that McCoy graded out as one of his 14 first-round players, right at number 14.

“I had 14 first-round grades. McCoy is the 14th of the 14,” began Brugler, before pivoting to the “risk” associated with McCoy’s evaluation.

“It comes down to your appetite for risk. Everything that’s been said about the Cowboys and McCoy, I know that there’s been a lot of connections about them passing. If McCoy is still around in the mid 20s, I don’t think it’s any surprise what that is. If you trust that 2024 tape, you have no problem drafting him in the top 12 picks. If the knee is an issue for you, he could fall all the way out of the first round,” added Brugler.

“I don’t think that’s impossible.”

We’re about to see if that knee is an issue for teams in just a few days.

What the Bengals are thinking at No. 10

Let’s talk about what the Cincinnati Bengals are going to do at No. 10.

Most analysts believe that Cincinnati needs to leave the first round having addressed its defense, which has been an Achilles’ Heel the past few seasons. Looking at the consensus mock draft for the team on NFL Mock Draft Database, Caleb Downs is the most common pick for them, followed by Mansoor Delane, Rueben Bain Jr., and finally the aforementioned McCoy.

But could the Bengals pivot and draft … an offensive tackle?

That is an idea floated by Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer. In a recent mailbag column he was asked about Cincinnati’s thinking at No. 10, and after leading with Downs he made an intriguing pivot to the offensive line.

[M]y guess is that No. 10 is close to being the floor for Downs. I don’t say that unequivocally because I think Bain could be in play for them, as well as the top two corners (again, depending on what they think of McCoy’s knee). I’d also throw [Kadyn] Proctor in there as a wild-card name I’ve heard for Cincinnati.

Evaluations on Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor vary, with some mock drafts having him come off the board as high as No. 6 to the Cleveland Browns, with others seeing him slide into the mid-20s.

Given Joe Burrow’s injury history, the need to get the best five offensive linemen in front of the team’s star quarterback is a concern. How Proctor would fit into Cincinnati’s offense would be a question, given the presence of Orlando Brown and Amarius Mims. Would Cincinnati draft Proctor at No. 10 and then kick him inside to guard? That seems like a … curious plan.

But apparently Proctor is at least on their radar.

Social media has been filled with speculation that Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz could move wide receiver Quentin Johnston in a trade.

But do not expect to see that happen, according to the GM himself.

“There’s a lot of rumors out there on Twitter,” Hortiz said in his pre-draft press conference. “And I can tell you this, I have made zero calls about Quentin, and I’ve had zero calls regarding Quentin.”

That speculation came from a combination of the Chargers’ crowded wide receiver room, and this note from ESPN New York Jets insider Rich Cimini:

Add in the fact that the Chargers have yet to pick up Johnston’s fifth-year option ahead of the May 1 deadline, and you have fertile ground for rumors.

Hortiz went on to outline how the team feels about that crowded wide receiver room, which in addition to Johnston includes Ladd McConkey, Tre’ Harris, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

“We’re really excited about the wide receiver room,” Hortiz said. “[Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel] has talked about it. Just development all those guys have made. All starting with [Johnston]. Watching him get better year after year after year.”

So while trade speculation is rampant, this is one trade we should not expect to see happen.

More on the Commanders at No. 7

Earlier this week we noted that Washington at No. 7 could be the floor for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

However, the Commanders might simply look at the best defender available, and select that player in that spot.

At least, that is the thinking outlined by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport:

“I would not be surprised if the Commanders say, “Who is the best defensive player on our board? We will just take him,’“ began Rapoport.

“A couple of potential options. Caleb Downs. I would say, Sonny Styles. People love their makeup, love the way they are wired. You’ve got to imagine both these guys would potentially be in the conversation. Rueben Bain Jr., likely to be on the board at this time. Do the Commanders go here after adding so much to the edge in free agency? They are going to have a lot of options in a really good draft spot.”

Washington is also an intriguing team when it comes to trade rumors. After the pick at No. 7, the Commanders are not on the clock again until pick No. 71, early in the third round.

Why the draft begins at No. 3

Less than a week from the first round, we know very little about how the first few selections will play out.

Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 seems the sure thing, and nothing the Raiders have done during the pre-draft process — including adding Kirk Cousins — has changed that belief.

The New York Jets at No. 2 could go in a few different directions. Ohio State’s Arvell Reese was a favorite for the Jets until recently, when Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey became the potential target for them. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports wrote on Thursday, the decision between the two players comes down to what the Jets need more: Help now, or help in the future?

The decision, according to sources, comes down to a fundamental question: do you want immediate help now, or do you want even better help down the road? “Bailey is the surest one but Arvell is gonna be a star,” said one defensive coordinator. “Arvell needs some time and the Jets need someone right now.”

And while the Jets have met with Jeremiyah Love, potentially to gauge his value in a potential trade out of No. 2, there is every expectation New York will at least stay in that spot and draft Reese or Bailey. Because after all, this is a team that did not secure a single interception last year, and desperately needs help on the defensive side of the ball.

Then the draft will really begin.

Because nobody knows what the Arizona Cardinals are going to do at No. 3. Even with additions made to the offensive line, Arizona could still add one of the top tackles in the draft. The Cardinals could decide to simply take the defender New York passes on, whether that is Reese or Bailey.

Or the Cardinals could trade out, which Jones notes.

If it’s Bailey at No. 2, I could see Reese going at No. 3, or vice versa. It’s just not a sure-thing that it’s Arizona picking there.

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort is known to be willing to make a draft-day deal. You’ll hear plenty about teams being willing to trade down in this year’s draft, and I think the Cardinals are serious contenders to do just that.

Looking around the league, folks believe the draft begins at No. 3 and no one seems to have a very good sense of what Arizona will do. The Cardinals are the wild cards here.

This year, the NFL Draft begins at No. 3.

What about the Eagles at No. 25?

Most of the discussion involving the Philadelphia Eagles in recent weeks has focused on the future of A.J. Brown. With June 1 looming — a date on the NFL calendar that would make it easier financially for the Eagles to trade the WR — speculation has resurfaced that Brown could be on his way out of town.

But turning to the draft, what are the Eagles going to do in the first round?

Many believe that offensive line is in play, including ESPN Eagles insider Tim McManus. Still, do not expect general manager Howie Roseman to “force a pick” in that spot.

The offensive line was an issue for the first time in a long time last season, and there’s evidence the Eagles could invest early in the trenches after the bulk of their predraft visits were dedicated to that position group. Right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Landon Dickerson both contemplated retirement this offseason, further emphasizing the need to fortify the front.

However, they won’t force a pick. Philadelphia is primarily focused on walking away with what it considers a first-round talent, whether that’s at O-line, receiver, tight end or otherwise.

This need is reflected in the latest mock drafts, as Mel Kiper Jr. sends Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller to Philadelphia, while Dane Brugler opted for Kadyn Proctor.

Here at SB Nation, the league-wide mock draft saw our friends at Bleeding Green Nation select Max Iheanachor, calling him the “heir to Lane Johnson’s throne.”

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