Jets Cancel Top-30 Visit With David Bailey
APRIL 21: Nearly a week after canceling Bailey’s top-30 visit, Jets general manager Darren Mougey cleared things up, sort of. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Mougey told the media, “In regard to David, we had good touch points with him at the combine, we went to his pro day, had a good dinner with him, and we were just kind of juggling our 30 (visits) and how to use them. I wouldn’t look too much into a cancellation because there was other ones that we may have changed, as well.”
He went on to note that visits can be utilized for medical checks, recruiting, opportunities for departments other than scouting to get time with a prospect, and “sometimes…it’s a smokescreen.” While he may have intentionally muddied things up with his final comments, Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports reported today that nearly all his league contacts are hearing that Bailey will be New York’s selection at No. 2 overall in two days.
APRIL 15: Draft rumors move quickly in the final weeks leading up to Day 1 of the big event. Just five days ago, Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey became the betting favorite to land with the Jets at the No. 2 overall pick. Just this evening, Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York reported that the team had canceled a top-30 visit that Bailey was supposed to attend.
There’s a lot of unspoken context here that’s worth mentioning. Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk commented that “it is unclear when Bailey was scheduled to visit,” confirming that, if a top-30 visit with the Jets had been announced for Bailey, it hadn’t been widely reported. Considering, as well, that today was the final possible day teams could host prospects for top-30 visits, just after 5pm on the final day seems an odd time for this information to break. It just as easily could’ve been reported that they ran out of time to get in a visit with Bailey, or it could’ve gone unreported and unnoticed altogether.
As Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports suggests, the meaning of this report could taken in very different ways. The most obvious meaning would be that the Jets don’t intend to draft Bailey and chose not to waste his time with a visit. It could also mean the exact opposite: that the Jets know all they need to know about the Red Raider pass rusher, and they don’t need an additional visit to feel secure in drafting him. Dunleavy points out that, because the Jets have the No. 2 overall pick and the top overall pick is all but written in stone, there isn’t much potential benefit to throwing up this smokescreen.
One thing such a smokescreen could instigate to potentially benefit the Jets is trade interest. There may be teams interested in trading up for a top pass rusher, and they may not want to settle for whoever isn’t taken between Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. We’ve seen rumors that the Cardinals, Giants, and other teams in the top 10 have shown interest in trading down, and perhaps the Jets wanted to get their phones ringing, too, to see what might be available to them.
The headline caused a bit of a stir this evening, but it remains to be seen if it will affect the current betting lines associated with each pick and player. Regardless, the intent should become much more clear eight days from now, when a selection is announced for the No. 2 overall pick.
Seahawks Pursuing Trade-Down Move From No. 32
John Schneider‘s GM tenure has seen plenty of trades involving first-round picks. Although the GM has stayed in his first-round draft slot(s) in each of the past three years, the two-time Super Bowl winner has a history of trading out of his top draft position.
Seattle has traded four first-round picks for veterans during Schneider’s 16-draft GM run, acquiring Percy Harvin (2013), Jimmy Graham (2015) and Jamal Adams (2020). Schneider has traded down from his first-round position in six other drafts. In three of those drafts, Schneider has traded down at least twice from his first-round draft slot. Although the results of this process have not always panned out — with some unremarkable returns forming in Rounds 1 and 2 in several Seattle drafts — Schneider has a pattern. Back at the mountaintop, the Seahawks are aiming to return to their Round 1 M.O.
[RELATED: Traded Draft Picks For 2026]
Schneider said it is “no secret” (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) the team is looking to trade down from No. 32. The Seahawks hold just four selections in this draft — Nos. 32, 64, 96 and 188. Two of Seattle’s picks went to New Orleans for the since-re-signed Rashid Shaheed. No team enters this draft with fewer selections than the defending champions.
The Seahawks will be willing to trade the No. 32 pick to an NFC West rival, Schneider added (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson). The Seahawks have done so in the past, moving down in 2017 to allow the 49ers to select linebacker Reuben Foster. There have been 35 intra-divisional draft trades since 2002, per Henderson. That Foster-based swap was the only Schneider-era Seattle pick flip inside the NFC West.
“We’ve talked within our division,” Schneider said. “That was kind of frowned upon for a while, like you don’t trade within your division. Everybody in our division, we would trade with. We have good relationships with all three of those teams. You’re maneuvering around the board to try to help your team no matter what. So, when you look at it through that lens, you’re basically not concerned about [helping another team].”
Seattle’s decisions to stay in its draft slot recently have paid dividends. The team held onto its Broncos-obtained No. 9 pick in 2022, selecting Charles Cross. Denver’s other pick sent in the Russell Wilson trade — No. 5 overall in 2023 — gave Seattle Devon Witherspoon. The Seahawks’ own 2023 selection became Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and they did not move down to select either Byron Murphy or Grey Zabel over the past two years.
The Seahawks’ No. 32 pick could conceivably be a gateway for the Cardinals to climb up for Ty Simpson and pick up a fifth-year option on the polarizing QB prospect, though it is certainly possible Arizona would need to move higher than 32 for the Alabama passer. Other teams could be calling by then, perhaps if one of the tackles falls to the end of Round 1, but this is not viewed as a particularly strong draft. That could lead Seattle to stay at No. 32 and perhaps trade down in Rounds 2 or 3 to add to its four-pick total.
Cardinals Could Take Jeremiyah Love At No. 3, Prefer To Trade Down
APRIL 21: Hughes and Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline echo the sentiment that Arizona will be active in looking to move out of the No. 3 slot. If the Cardinals stay put, the reports are split on the team’s preferred target. Hughes points to Love, while Pauline names David Bailey as the top option (provided he is not selected second overall by the Jets).
APRIL 20: It makes little financial sense to draft a running back with a top-five pick, but the Cardinals are considering taking Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick anyway.
Arizona would hand the Notre Dame standout a fully guaranteed contract worth just under $13.5MM per year, per OverTheCap. For several other positions, that would be a below-market rate – significantly so for wide receivers and edge rushers. Among running backs, though, Love would be at or close to the top of the positional market in both AAV and guarantees.
Is Love worth the opportunity cost of selecting a running back over a premium position with such a high pick? The Cardinals are coming around to the idea, per SNY’s Connor Hughes and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They currently have a backfield by committee – Tyler Allgeier, Trey Benson, and James Conner – along with Zonovan Knight and Corey Kiner as depth.
Arizona’s primary trio is serviceable, but Love undoubtedly offers more instant impact and long-term upside. While the team is still figuring out its future at the quarterback position, new head coach Mike LaFleur could push for the best offensive skill player in the 2026 class.
The Cardinals have also been linked with a trade out of the No. 3 spot, potentially with a team looking to come up for Love. At present, they have just seven picks – all their own – in both the 2026 and 2027 drafts. Arizona may take Ty Simpson to solve their quarterback problem right away, but they could wait to target a stronger class next year.
As a result, the latest reports could be nothing more than a draft week smokescreen to drum up interest in the No. 3 pick by a team who has already talked themselves into taking a running back with a top-10 pick. Almost all of the other teams in the top 10 have been connected with Love at some point or another, primarily the Titans, Giants, and Commanders. They could be looking to move up to secure the potential superstar running back, while other teams could be looking to jump that trio by trading up to Arizona’s pick.
No Other Team Offered Giants First-Rounder For Dexter Lawrence; Draft Calculations Influenced Bengals’ Proposal
It is quite rare to see a team part with a top-10 pick for a veteran. While numerous examples exist of this happening throughout NFL history, only twice this century has a team knowingly traded a top-10 choice for a player leading up to a draft.
This happened in 2022, when the Broncos included their No. 9 overall pick in a package for Russell Wilson. It previously occurred in 2005, when the Raiders sent the No. 7 overall pick to the Vikings in a package for Randy Moss (the Seahawks did better with their draft choice, selecting Charles Cross 17 years after the Vikes chose wide receiver bust Troy Williamson). The Giants now have a chance to use two top-10 picks in a draft for the second time since 2022, having acquired No. 10 overall for Dexter Lawrence.
Fallout from the weekend blockbuster revealed some among the Giants were surprised by the Bengals’ offer, and The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor reports no other team offered New York a first-round pick for the All-Pro defensive tackle.
Lawrence, 28, was seeking a contract update but may have been nearly as interested in being traded out of New York. The Giants made multiple offers near the $28MM-per-year point, but the deals included more years of control. Already under contract through 2027 as part of his four-year, $90MM extension in 2023, Lawrence agreed to a one-year, $28MM re-up that pushes his Bengals control through 2028.
“When this opportunity came, I jumped at it,” Lawrence said, via O’Connor. “…I felt ease when I said I was going to be a Cincinnati Bengal. It felt good to me.”
The Bengals have displayed uncharacteristic aggressiveness here. Not known for splashy outside acquisitions, Cincinnati has now added Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook this offseason. A defense in dire need of upgrades lost Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens, and while the No. 10 overall pick represents a valuable resource — it is the highest of the seven first-round picks swapped ahead of this year’s draft — NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cincy pre-draft simulations did not produce optimal answers at that spot. A Bengals source informed Pelissero “10 would have been a slow death.”
Cincinnati had been tied to the likes of Caleb Downs and Mansoor Delane at No. 10; our Ely Allen mocked Downs to southwest Ohio. But Downs has also been linked to the Giants at No. 5. It is far from certain Downs falls to 10, and this trade seemingly indicates the Bengals do not believe the standout Ohio State safety will be available (it would certainly be interesting if he is, as the Giants would now be in prime position to pounce).
Defenders Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and David Bailey will almost definitely be gone by No. 10, and Rueben Bain Jr. may be as well. The Bengals felt they would be picking someone at 10 that drew a mid- or late-first-round grade internally, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds.
Giants GM Joe Schoen indicated contract talks would happen at the Combine; instead, Lawrence asked for a trade if no new deal was coming, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan and Ben Baby report. The trade ask did not leak until earlier this month, and although the Giants attempted to keep their seven-year D-line anchor, the No. 10 overall pick is a difficult offer to decline. The sides never got close on a new contract, per ESPN.
When negotiations were heading south, Lawrence’s agent prevented his client from speaking with John Harbaugh, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. This became a source of frustration for the Giants, per Schwartz, as the team made attempts to convince the dominant interior D-lineman to stay.
Lawrence’s camp approached the Giants about this issue at the 2025 Combine, Breer adds, but the team did not budge due to the precedent caving to a player with three years left on a deal would set. The sides settled on a $3MM incentive package last year.
Guarantees represented a sticking point for Lawrence and the Giants during their recent negotiations, Breer adds, and that led to Lawrence’s agent negotiating a contract with the Bengals. The Giants granted the Bengals permission to speak with Lawrence midday Saturday, Breer adds. The Giants were informed late Saturday afternoon Lawrence and the Bengals had agreed on terms, greenlighting the trade.
The Bengals reunite Lawrence with B.J. Hill, a D-tackle they acquired from the Giants (for guard Ben Bredeson) in 2021. Hill and Lawrence played together in New York for two seasons. The Bengals have loaded up at DT this offseason, adding Lawrence and Jonathan Allen to a group that included Hill and T.J. Slaton. Lawrence’s addition should help the likes of Mafe, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart at D-end as well.
This trade guts the Giants’ DT corps. New York ranked 31st in run stoppage with Lawrence active in 17 games last season. The team discussed pairing Lawrence with ex-Bengal D.J. Reader, per Schwartz, who expects the latter to sign post-draft. Reader visited the Giants last week. While the veteran nose tackle also met with the Ravens, he is unlikely to sign until the draft wraps. That will allow for Reader to survey the D-line landscape across the league while allowing the Giants to avoid the signing affecting their 2027 compensatory formula. But Reader may not be the only addition the Giants make at D-tackle moving forward.
Last year, Burrow pushed for a Hendrickson extension on multiple occasions. The Bengals did not offer the decorated edge rusher a contract with post-Year 1 guarantees, keeping with non-Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase franchise norms. Hendrickson balked at the proposal and agreed to a one-year pay raise. Cincy also engaged in a frosty rookie-deal negotiation with Stewart. These staredowns managed to revive Bengals thriftiness labels despite the team shelling out big money to retain Chase and Tee Higgins earlier last year. Burrow frustration resurfaced late in the season, to the point trade noise emerged (before being quickly quieted).
The Bengals were never going to seriously consider trading Burrow, but the quarterback’s frustration — which is not entirely in a different place from where Carson Palmer’s issues settled — may have been at least a partial influence for this blockbuster trade. Cincy extended Higgins because of its quarterback’s push, and after Burrow did not shoot down a question about potentially playing elsewhere at some point — with a reported aim to apply pressure on the team — the AFC North team has made a few big moves to bolster a porous defense. That raises the stakes for Zac Taylor‘s eighth season in charge.
Arvell Reese Still In Play For Jets At No. 2?
6:39pm: Despite this Reese revival of sorts, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport hears Bailey is still the more likely Jets pick at No. 2. The team’s Sonny Styles and Jeremiyah Love ties aside, Rapoport adds this is viewed as a Bailey-or-Reese decision.
4:18pm: Considerable David Bailey-to-New York buzz has built as the pre-draft process nears its conclusion. The Texas Tech pass rusher’s high floor has been viewed as likelier to make him the No. 2 overall pick — as of late, at least — compared to Arvell Reese.
Reese is viewed as a higher-ceiling talent, albeit one that is not quite as safe an option as Bailey looks to be, as he carries a hybrid skillset into the draft. Reese is aiming to be used as an edge rusher despite Ohio State deploying him as such on fewer than 100 snaps last season. No. 2 overall is not exactly good value for an off-ball linebacker, giving teams considering Reese a crucial assignment in determining a usage plan.
The Jets would make sense for Reese due to their EDGE need and timeline, and they were viewed as more likely to go with the ex-Buckeye than Bailey not too long ago. While Bailey may now be winning out, SNY’s Connor Hughes does not view the Texas Tech pass rusher as certain to go No. 2 overall. In fact, Hughes believes Reese is the Jets’ more likely pick.
If Reese is the Jets’ pick, a Cardinals team that has regularly chosen hybrid linebackers in Round 1 could pounce on Bailey. Our Ely Allen pointed to Arizona probably wanting Bailey more than Reese in his PFR mock draft, and this scenario playing out would give Nick Rallis a locked-in starter opposite Josh Sweat. Though, Bailey’s game has generated some concerns about run defense. The Jets added multiple standout pass rushers with run-game issues in recent years — in Will McDonald and Bryce Huff — and one head coach (via Hughes) compared Bailey to McDonald. Another NFL source labeled Reese as an ideal player for Aaron Glenn to mold.
A potential conflict could emerge regarding Glenn’s timetable. If the Jets stumble to the degree they did in 2025, the head coach is far from certain to be brought back for 2027. But New York’s timetable aligns toward a late-2020s reemergence — after another rebuilding year this season — considering three first-round picks await next year. GM Darren Mougey, based on the time ownership gave previous GMs Joe Douglas and Mike Maccagnan (five drafts apiece), is likelier to be remain in place compared to Glenn. Would the HC want more of a sure thing in Bailey compared to a slightly less certain prospect in this draft?
This situation reminds of the Jaguars’ 2022 debate, which pitted Travon Walker‘s upside against Aidan Hutchinson‘s college production. Bailey (12 sacks at Stanford from 2023-24) brings a better college body of work than Hutchinson (4.5 sacks before his breakthrough final Michigan season).
Detroit won out based on Jacksonville making a tools-driven pick in Walker. Hutchinson and Walker’s second contracts did not end up in the same ballpark. The stakes are high for the Jets, whose playoff drought reached 15 seasons last year. With the Buffalo Sabres making the NHL playoffs this year, Gang Green’s drought leads all active teams in major American sports.
The Jets canceled their “30” visit with Bailey last week (the team met with Reese in March). The Bailey development either points to New York being confident enough in a safer prospect, as to not waste his time on a trip, or the team leaning toward Reese. This storyline leans into the NFL’s smokescreen season well, making for more pre-draft intrigue. With the Raiders a near-certainty to start the draft with Fernando Mendoza, the Jets’ Bailey-Reese call effectively starts this year’s drama.
Jimmy Garoppolo Considering Retirement; Rams’ Ty Simpson Connections Slowed After Trent McDuffie Trade
The Rams are interested in re-signing Jimmy Garoppolo to be their backup quarterback for a third straight season, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates he is the team’s top choice to serve as QB2. But Garoppolo has not committed to playing a 13th NFL season.
Beginning his career as a backup before spending a chunk of seasons on the starter tier, Garoppolo has backed up Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles for the past two seasons. Garoppolo is considering retirement, per Rapoport. This is notable through a Cardinals lens as well, with the team being closely linked to having Garoppolo follow Mike LaFleur to Arizona. Talks hit a snag, leading the Cards to pivot to Gardner Minshew.
[RELATED: Rams, Stafford Progressing On Extension]
It is worth wondering if Garoppolo’s retirement consideration was a factor in the Arizona talks, though it is certainly possible the former Super Bowl starter’s asking price was out of step with where the Cardinals valued him. Arizona ended up with Minshew on a one-year, $5.75MM pact. A report earlier this month indicated Garoppolo was weighing multiple FA options; the Rams represent one of them.
Sean McVay said he is interested in assembling a third Stafford-Garoppolo QB room. The Rams have not needed to turn to Garoppolo in a meaningful game yet. This is somewhat surprising given Stafford’s health struggles in 2022; the L.A. starter’s back injury had Garoppolo spending training camp running with the first team. But Stafford returned and played 17 games before three playoff tilts. Garoppolo, 34, did not attempt a pass last season.
Famously part of the Bill Belichick-Robert Kraft relationship’s dissolution, Garoppolo was abruptly traded to the 49ers at the 2017 deadline. he spent the next five-plus seasons as San Francisco’s starter. This included a host of injury issues, however. ACL, ankle and foot injuries represented the headline health concerns for Garoppolo, who also missed two starts during his brief Raiders tenure. The Raiders gave Garoppolo a three-year, $72.75MM contract but ultimately benched him following Josh McDaniels‘ firing. Garoppolo played for barely $3MM on both his Rams contracts.
It would stand to reason the former Patriots, 49ers and Raiders passer would be amenable to a similar contract to return to the Rams, but he has earned nearly $158MM over the course of his career. The former Tom Brady backup has made 64 regular-season starts and six more in the playoffs. The Rams still have Stetson Bennett rostered, but the two-time national champion has not progressed to the QB2 level. If Garoppolo retires, the Rams will need a new backup.
Ty Simpson would have been in play for L.A. had the team not traded its No. 29 overall pick to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie. The Rams were indeed eyeing the one-year Alabama starter when they still held No. 29, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. While the Rams still hold No. 13 overall, that is seen as too rich for Simpson, who is not viewed as a lock to go in Round 1. Though, the Cardinals have been closely tied to this draft’s consensus No. 2 QB prospect — with trade-up buzz circulating.
I discussed a Rams-Simpson fit in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office post, as McVay’s team is a perennial contender unlikely to land a high draft pick as long as Stafford stays healthy. Taking Simpson 13th overall (or trading down and selecting him) would represent a way for the Rams to find an heir apparent, but with the team gunning for a Super Bowl title, using such a valuable asset on a player unlikely to help that cause is risky. It appears the Rams concur. Simpson is highly unlikely to be available when the Rams’ No. 61 pick goes on the clock, per Schefter.
Contributions To Thin 2026 NFL Draft Class
The 2026 NFL Draft is certainly looking like it will be one of the stranger such events in recent years. Positions that usually are cautious first-round considerations have certain top 10 prospects. A lack of elite tackle prospects has the potential to bring out several effects. This year’s prospect pool has been deemed unusually thin, and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe provided some league insight on the situation.
The parameters of the draft are set; 32 picks in each of the first two rounds, 252-62 picks in total, depending on compensatory outcomes. Players will have definitive statuses dependent on where they fall ranging from first-round pick to undrafted free agent. When evaluating prospects, though, NFL front offices tend to use similar classifications that don’t necessarily align with the stricter labels of the draft. That’s why there’s a difference in draft discussions between first-round grades and first-round picks and between draftable and drafted players.
Per Volin, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta reported that their personnel department has draftable grades on 197 players. Chiefs GM Brett Veach reported 215 on his team’s board, while Jason Licht, the Buccaneers GM, limited his team’s figure to 150. On a smaller scale, DeCosta told the media that after “the first round, there’s definitely a drop off probably midway through the round, in terms of talent.” That’s generally how a draft can be considered thin.
Luckily for the Ravens, they have the 14th pick — just inside the first half of the first round. If they were to trade back to, say, the 28th overall pick in the draft, they would still take a first-round player, it would just be unlikely that player would fall within their list of 16 or so players with a first-round grade. Similarly, the Bucs have three draft picks that come after 150 players have been selected. There’s a chance all 150 of Licht’s draftable players could be gone by then, but the team would still have to either use or trade those picks that must be made.
We’ve talked a bit before on Pro Football Rumors about the impact that the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness rules have on the makeup of recent draft classes. Frequently, in prior years, some underclassmen would have a strong performance, and even though they’d been told they didn’t have a very high draft grade, they would still declare for the draft against advice. Some players were worried about potential injury preventing them from ever reaching the league. Some believed they had already reached their ceiling and that it was their best chance to go pro.
NIL has virtually eliminated those concerns. Because players can make NIL money in college, they are much more willing to risk injury with extended time in the NCAA, and NIL has even made it advantageous in some situations for players to make the most of their eligibility and stay in school as long as they can. This concept has taken several underclassmen out of recent draft classes as they pursue improved draft stock while still getting paid at the collegiate level. Volin points out that this year’s class has only 42 underclassmen, compared to 69 three years ago and 106 in 2018.
This year’s class has also seen more older prospects, with multiple 25-year-old players set to hear their names over the first two days of the draft. Some of this is still due, in part, to the extra year of eligibility granted to players enrolled in college during the 2020 COVID-affected season, but even without that extra year moving forward, it’s become common for players to wring every last bit of eligibility they can from the NCAA before going to the NFL as complete of a prospect as they can be.
The thin level of top-end talent could also result in positional runs, which we’ve seen rumors of already. Whereas trades usually take place for quarterbacks and pass rushers, opposite situations of too few or many usable options make it unlikely that teams will trade up for those positions. At offensive tackle, though, there aren’t any prospects considered to be especially elite, but there are a few top tier options and several more less certain prospects who still have the potential to be Day 1 starters. As a result, a run of offensive tackles in the early first round is expected to take place as team’s jockey to trade up to acquire the options with the most promise and least risk.
Trades like these should help some teams in the back of the first round as offensive tackles without first-round grades move ahead and push some of the few players with first-round grades back to those who maybe didn’t expect them to fall that far. It will be interesting to see what other effects the general lack of elite prospects and late-round depth have on the decision-making process of each NFL team.
Monroe Freeling, Max Iheanachor, Kadyn Proctor Rack Up Pre-Draft Visits
It is exceeding difficult to find high-quality offensive tackle play outside of the first round, so teams searching for starters in next week’s draft will have to prioritize the position early on.
Miami’s Francis Mauigoa seems to have locked up OT1 status. Behind him are Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Western Michigan’s Max Iheanachor, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, who are all expected to go in the first round.
Freeling, 21, has only one full season as a starter under his belt, and all of his starts have come at left tackle. He earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025, but teams may still have to be patient with his development. Freeling previously visited the Chiefs and has also met with the Browns, Dolphins, and Rams, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Cleveland is searching for their next long-term left tackle, but with Dawand Jones already on the roster, they could allow Freeling to sit for a year as he gets his bearings in the NFL, if needed. Miami has Patrick Paul on the blind side, but right tackle Austin Jackson took a pay cut this offseason and is in the last year of his contract. Freeling would have a year to sit as he transitions to right tackle with the hopes of taking on the starting job in 2027. Los Angeles has a glaring hole at right tackle, but asking Freeling to switch as a rookie could be a tough task given his lack of experience. On the other hand, perhaps he is not so ingrained at the left tackle position and can quickly learn how to play on the right side.
Iheanachor may also need to develop in the pros. He had a long list of visits, including the 49ers, Bengals, Packers, Bears, Patriots, Eagles, Panthers, Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Bengals, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The 49ers need to find a successor to Trent Williams, as do the Eagles to Lane Johnson. The Bears only re-signed Braxton Jones on a one-year deal, and the Cardinals do not have a clear RT starter right now. The Bengals, Panthers and Ravens seem to be set with their offensive tackles, but they all have one expensive, aging starter. They would be able to give Iheanachor time to season before he takes on starting duties.
Proctor was a three-year starter at Alabama, making him a potential fit for Detroit, who parted ways with longtime left tackle Taylor Decker this offseason. The Lions, met with Proctor during the pre-draft process, as did the 49ers, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles, and Cardinals, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
For the Eagles specifically, The Athletic’s Zach Berman believes that Freeling or Proctor would be their preference in the first round. This makes sense for a team that has invested heavily in SEC talent, particularly out of Georgia. But with the No. 23 pick, Philadelphia may have to trade up to ensure they secure one of their two desired prospects.
NFL Draft Trade Rumors: Cowboys, Browns, Titans
The first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft is only four days away, and rumors persist concerning a wild Day 1 of potential trades. The Cowboys have been a frequent subject in trade rumors, with many asserting that the team could be looking to trade up into the top 10.
The consensus belief is that, even without a trade, the Cowboys’ two first-round picks will be used on defense. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports believes new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will have some influence on the team’s draft plan, which should guarantee two new first-round defenders. Jones asserts that, if the team does trade up, the trade won’t include their second first-rounder, considering they won’t be picking again until pick No. 92. NFL insider Jason La Canfora posited that the trade up target for Dallas could be LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms that all eyes are on the Cowboys, who many expect to be eager to move up “due to obvious defensive needs.” So far, though, Dallas has not been “overly active” on the phones just yet. He reports the team is “open-minded about (a) potential move but also (is) comfortable staying put.”
Here are a few other draft rumors concerning teams looking to trade on Day 1 of the NFL draft:
- The Browns could be a target for Dallas if they do decide to move. Per La Canfora, Cleveland is widely expected to drop out of the top 10 picks. The team currently holds pick Nos. 6 and 24 in the first round of the draft, but even that may not be enough to fill the holes on their roster. The Browns are notorious for trading down, and if the sixth overall pick doesn’t present a strong chance at major improvement, they may move to add some additional draft capital.
- As Fowler mentioned above that the Cowboys had not been active on the phones, he did report a belief that the recent phone work around the league seems to indicate that the Titans could be looking to trade back from the fourth overall pick. A year removed from landing the No. 1 overall pick, Tennessee still has quite a few holes on the roster. Some have connected the team to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in recent predictions. Earlier on in process, it was rumored that a reunion between quarterback Cam Ward and college teammates right tackle Francis Mauigoa or defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. was in the cards. Love and Styles may make sense in their current slot, but moving back may allow Tennessee to target Mauigoa or Bain.
WR Draft Notes: Branch, Tate, Tyson
A week after some controversial draft reporting opened up discussions on journalistic ethics, another story was reported this afternoon concerning the arrest of another high-projected draft pick. An uncredited ESPN report disclosed today that Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch was arrested late-Saturday night/early-Sunday morning on two possible misdemeanor charges.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero quickly followed up the report describing the situation as Branch being “arrested while standing on a public sidewalk for not moving far enough when a police officer asked him to move.” Pelissero’s version of events comes from a copy of the police report of the incident. The report describes Branch as a male who “continued to stand on the sidewalk without making an attempt to move.” It goes on to say that, upon receiving commands and threats of citation, Branch “smirked” and “stepped backwards and to the right” but “remained standing upon the public sidewalk.”
The officer placed him under arrest for “misdemeanor Obstruction of LEO and (he) received a citation for Obstructing Public Sidewalks.” Mike Garafolo, also of NFL Network, reached out to a few teams’ personnel departments, and while some claimed they would do the requisite research on it over the next few days, it ultimately “doesn’t sound like it’ll be something that affects Zachariah Branch’s draft prospects greatly, if at all.”
Here are a couple other rumors concerning wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft:
- According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is widely viewed as the draft class’s “safest pick.” Per Fowler, he’s projected solidly in the range of pick Nos. 4-7. His pedigree, polished route-running, and good but not great top speed are all attributes that secure him as the potential WR1, but he may not be considered the most talented at his position.
- Fowler went on to mention the recent rise of Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, after his recent workout this week. Tyson showed all of the explosive, twitchy athleticism in that workout that scouts know he is capable of, but his injury history persists as a potential concern for his future durability. Still, Fowler claims multiple teams have Tyson ranked as the best wide receiver of the draft class, but he only connected Tyson to teams picking around Nos. 7-10, meaning he might end up being WR2.