Multiple Teams Looking To Move Up In 2nd Round
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft was packed with trades. Teams were constantly shuffling the order as they attempted to secure coveted prospects and/or extra draft capital.
The picks are expected to continue flying around on Day 2 with clubs jockeying for top talents who fell out of the first round. Several are looking to move up to the top of the second round, including the Dolphins, Saints, Browns, Steelers, and Jaguars, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He mentions four players are potential trade-up targets: Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, Tennesse cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy, and Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston.
The Dolphins drafted two nose tackles in Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips last year, so trading up for a third in McDonald would make little sense. Their cornerback room was a major liability last year and only saw marginal upgrades in free agency, so either Hood or McCoy could be targets. And of course, trading Jaylen Waddle created a major need at wide receiver in Miami. Boston could fill it.
Saints defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd and Davon Godchaux are both into their 30s and entering the final year of their contract, so the team could certainly target McDonald. They could stand to upgrade at cornerback behind 2024 second-rounder Kool-Aid McKinstry, but trading up to select another wide receiver after taking Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 overall seems unwise.
The Browns are known to have interest in wide receivers in this draft class, though Boston’s skillset may not be ideal for Todd Monken’s new offense. Cleveland could strengthen the interior of their defensive line, especially with a massive run-stuffer like McDonald. They have more talent at cornerback, but could stand to add a high-upside talent to the room.
The Steelers are likely looking to move up for a wide receiver after getting sniped for Makai Lemon by the Eagles in Round 1. They could move up as high as the 33rd overall pick, the first on Day 2, which is currently owned by the 49ers via trades with the Dolphins and Jets. San Francisco has received multiple calls about their selection and is open to moving it, per Pelissero.
Jacksonville would seem to be set at wide receiver with Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas, and Parker Washington. Travis Hunter is going to spend more time at cornerback in 2026, but he will still be available for some offensive packages. The Jaguars traded for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, this offseason, but they could still add depth, especially with DaVon Hamilton entering the final year of his contract. Similar to the Browns, they have a decent cornerback room right now but could stand to add more long-term upside.
The Jaguars also explored trading into the first round, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, though no deal materialized. General manager James Gladstone was aggressive in pursuing Hunter during last year’s draft, and his time under Rams GM Les Snead further indicates his willingness to chase his favorite prospects.
Giants To Play Arvell Reese At LB, Francis Mauigoa At G
The Giants let the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft come to them on Thursday night, landing two of the class’ most highly-regarded players in Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa.
Reese, 20, primarily lined up as an off-ball linebacker in college but has been tabbed for a move to edge rusher in the NFL. New York, though, has three-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns, last year’s No. 3 pick Abdul Carter, and 2022 No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux on the roster. There would be little room for Reese as an edge rusher as a rookie.
Instead, the Giants are planning to keep Reese off the ball to begin his career, head coach John Harbaugh said (via FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano). He will line up on the weak side, and his versatility will keep him involved in the pass rush.
General manager Joe Schoen said (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) that Reese was the team’s top-ranked non-quarterback prospect, so New York was more than happy to draft him and figure out where to play him later.
Mauigoa lined up at right tackle for the Hurricanes, but his 33.25-inch arms is below typical NFL standards at the position. The Giants are also set at both tackle spots with Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, who are both signed through the 2028 season. As a result, Mauigoa will slide inside to compete for a starting guard job, likely on the right side, per Vacchiano.
That comes with an obvious caveat: Mauigoa must be healthy. A disc issue in his back popped up during the pre-draft process, and though there have been positive updates around his status, there was some concern it would affect his stock. Perhaps it did, as he was frequently mocked in the top five picks but instead fell to the Giants at No. 10. They made their own assessment of Mauigoa’s health and came away satisfied.
“We’re comfortable with it,” Schoen said (via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper), noting that the team now employs one of Mauigoa’s former trainers at Miami. That gives them additional information on the injury, which occurred during the 2025 season, and the confidence to spend their second first-rounder on the 20-year-old lineman.
Titans Planned On Moving Ahead Of Texans To Draft G Keylan Rutledge
The Texans were originally scheduled to select 28th overall during the opening night of the draft. Houston pulled off a trade with the Bills to move up to move up two spots, however.
After acquiring pick No. 26, the Texans selected guard Keylan Rutledge. The Georgia Tech product will be counted on to play a key role in upgrading the team’s offensive line, a unit which has been the subject of considerable turnover this offseason. Rutledge was a candidate to wind up elsewhere in the AFC South, though.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports the Titans attempted to trade up in the first-round order and move ahead of Houston in the process. He adds the goal of such a move was to acquire Rutledge. As a result, Texans GM Nick Caserio‘s decision to swing a modest trade proved to be a rather prudent one.
“Moving two spots was more of positioning that anything else,” Caserio confirmed (via Wilson) when speaking after the first round. “We felt like there could potentially be some interest in the player, so we felt like: ‘Alright, let’s move a couple of spots.'”
Rutledge saw his stock rise over the course of the pre-draft process, and it came as little surprise when he was one of several offensive linemen selected during the late stages of the first round. He is among the many new faces Houston will have up front in 2026, a year in which improved play will once again be a key team objective. The Texans will aim to advance past the divisional round of the playoffs, and consistent O-line play will be central to that effort.
The Titans did indeed trade back into the first round despite the Rutledge setback. Tennessee acquired pick No. 31 (also by swinging a trade with the Bills, for that matter) and used it on Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk. How the team will operate along the interior of the offensive line will be worth watching closely over Day 2 and 3 since the Titans were clearly interested in pursuing a guard addition.
Seahawks Drafted RB Jadarian Price After Trade Talks Fell Through
Seattle ended off Thursday’s opening round by selecting running back Jadarian Price. Leading up to that point, the team had naturally been identified as a strong candidate to move down the board.
The Seahawks entered the draft with only four total picks. As general manager John Schneider acknowledged after the opening night of the event ended, a trade aimed at acquiring more capital remained a goal in the build-up to pick No. 32. Five of the six selections made immediately before Seattle’s changed hands, however, making it difficult for a trade partner to be found at that point.
“Great player, great person,” Schneider said of Price (via the team’s website). “We thought we had some [trade] opportunities for a minute, they fell apart. A lot of trading going on right ahead of us, but I mean, he kind of stood alone… It’s really cool. We were kind of concerned people were going to go ahead of us because we felt like he was so out there in terms of mock drafts and what have you.”
In the end, Schneider and Co. managed to land Price and by doing so add a prospect they were frequently linked to. Jeremiyah Love was, as anticipated, the top running back to hear his name called on Thursday. He was taken third overall, but it was widely expected Price – his Notre Dame teammate – would be the second running back selected. Adding in the backfield represented a goal for the Seahawks after Kenneth Walker departed in free agency, and Price should handle a notable workload right away.
That is especially true since Zach Charbonnet is recovering from an ACL tear. One year remains on his rookie contract, leaving a 2027 departure as a possibility. That would pave the way for Price to take on an RB1 workload early in his career. Regardless, his level of play as a rookie will be key in determining the Seahawks’ chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Seattle currently has picks 64, 96 and 188. Adding to that list could be a target for Schneider, and with trades always a constant on Days 2 and 3 of the draft, he will no doubt have plenty of opportunities to move around the board.
Giants Could Trade Up From No. 37
The time leading up to the beginning of the draft’s second round is always filled with intrigue based on the potential for trades near the top of the order. Several teams will be worth watching closely in the opening stages of Day 2.
[RELATED: Round-By-Round Draft Tracker]
One of those could be the Giants. New York made a pair of top-10 selections on Thursday, and team’s next scheduled pick is No. 37. Many have pointed to a potential trade down on the Giants’ part as a way closing the gap between that selection and the team’s fourth-rounder (No. 105). Instead, a trade-up maneuver could be in store.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports there is “buzz around the NFL” that the Giants could pull off a small move up the board early tonight. While the team lacks a third-rounder to include in any deal, it has five Day 3 picks which could be used as capital to swing a trade. After making a notable addition on defense (Arvell Reese) and along the offensive line (Francis Mauigoa) on Thursday, defensive tackle continues to loom as a roster need for New York.
With Dexter Lawrence no longer in the fold, the Giants could stand to make at least one free agent addition in the near future in addition to selecting a rookie this weekend. Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald is still on the board, and he has been linked to the Giants recently. The likes of Christen Miller (Georgia) and Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) are also available, and they are candidates to be selected early in the second round.
New York could of course be targeting other positions in a potential trade-up move. In any case, it will be interesting to see if a deal can be reached in the coming hours as teams jockey for position atop the Day 2 order.
Rams Draft QB Ty Simpson At No. 13
The Rams regularly see their own draft pick fall late in the first round, but armed with the Falcons’ selection (via a first-round trade last year), Los Angeles will use the mid-first-round real estate to make a long-term investment.
Rumored to be high on Ty Simpson — but seen as iffy to select him this high — the Rams are taking a Matthew Stafford heir apparent at No. 13. The Falcons traded up 20 spots to add James Pearce Jr. last year. The Rams will use that to bet on Simpson, a one-year Alabama starter.
Stafford has not yet signed an extension, but that is widely rumored to be in the offing. This will create an interesting dynamic, as the Rams have followed the 2020 Packers’ lead by taking a quarterback in the first round as a Super Bowl contender. Jordan Love turned out to be a smart move; will the Rams be thankful they took Simpson in a draft-and-develop scenario?
A recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece listed the Rams’ lack of prime draft real estate as a factor in the Simpson derby. While rumors circulated the team was preparing to add strength to this year’s roster — as rumblings Simpson could fall out of Round 1 altogether emerged — the team will take the chance on adding a passer who will not be expected (barring a Stafford injury) to contribute this season. It is quite possible Simpson will be sitting for at least two years, representing a rare (pretty much Green Bay-only) developmental route among modern QBs.
Such an approach may be the best-case scenario for Simpson. The same developmental route benefited him in Tuscaloosa. Sitting as a true freshman behind future No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, then sitting two more years behind Jalen Milroe before finally being named the starter for the Crimson Tide. In his single season leading the first-team offense, Simpson was able to look past an initial faltering out the gate in a brutal loss to a below average Florida State team to become one of the hottest names in college football over the first half of the season.
In nine starts, Simpson looked like the early frontrunner for QB1 in this draft class, completing 66.9 percent of his passes for 21 touchdowns and only one interception while averaging 273.4 passing yards per game. Despite the disappearance the Tide’s WR1 from 2024 Ryan Williams and the surprising lack of a run game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, it looked like Simpson had put his squad back on track for an easy run to the College Football Playoff. Over the next six weeks, though, Simpson saw a stark decline in quality of play, completing only 60.5 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and four interceptions while only averaging 184.3 passing yards per game.
Speculation over what caused this deterioration offered theories that a home loss to Oklahoma had revealed his kryptonite, that teams had finally gotten enough film to figure him out, or that his health had limited his performance. It was believed that a lower back injury and elbow bursitis began hurting him in October, while other reports cited gastritis that caused him to lose nearly 20 pounds. Adding injury to insult, his season ended when he suffered a fractured rib in a blowout loss to the eventual champion Hoosiers.
Sitting behind Stafford, Simpson should have plenty of time to get fully healthy, if he isn’t already. He’ll also have ample time to clean up the minor parts of his game that scouts nitpicked from his lone year as a starter. Evaluators wanted to see a greater variety of touch on his passes along with improved consistency on deep passes. Any lack of starting experience isn’t going to go anywhere as he sits for a a couple more years, but as a prospect praised for his mental acuity, getting to study film and NFL defenses while backing up an MVP for a year or two should do miracles for his NFL development.
If all goes as planned, it may be some time before we hear Simpson’s name again with any significance. If all goes as planned, Simpson should be taking over an a talented offense as a seasoned NFL player with a couple years of preparation under his belt. The Rams are hoping things will go according to plan.
Eagles Obtain No. 20 From Cowboys, Draft WR Makai Lemon
An intra-divisional trade is upon us. The Cowboys have dealt No. 20 to the Eagles. In exchange, Dallas will collect Nos. 23, 114 and 137 from Philadelphia, which is adding a seventh-rounder in this trade (per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).
Dallas’ pick going to Philly is in the 2027 draft. The Eagles chose USC wide receiver Makai Lemon 20th overall. Lemon was one of the Eagles’ 15 highest-graded prospects, per The Athletic’s Zach Berman, who reports they did not expect him to slip beyond then. They swooped in before the NFL’s other Pennsylvania-based franchise, the Steelers, could grab him at No. 21. Lemon expected to go to Pittsburgh (via Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press)
“Pittsburgh called me and I thought they were going to draft me and then the Eagles called at the same time,” Lemon said. “I guess it was meant to be. I’m super excited to be in Philly.”
The Eagles’ addition of Lemon will throw even more gasoline on the fire in regards to a potential A.J. Brown trade. Along with making a first-round investment in Lemon, the Eagles signed Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency. They also traded a 2026 fifth-rounder and a 2027 sixth-rounder to the Packers for Dontayvion Wicks, whom they immediately extended on a one-year, $12.5MM agreement. Moore is not a lock to carve out much of a role or even make the team, but Lemon, A.J. Brown, Wicks, Marquise Brown and DeVonta Smith make up a crowded, high-profile receiver room. There are now a lot of mouths to feed in Philadelphia.
For financial reasons, the Eagles are likely to wait until June 2 to trade A.J. Brown. New England is the probable landing spot, though the teams have not seen eye to eye on compensation yet. For now, general manager Howie Roseman continues to insist the three-time Pro Bowler is part of the Eagles’ plans.
“For us, A.J. is a member of the Eagles,” Roseman said (via Berman). “We don’t have any trades that have been made or that done. And I think for us, you know, we’re taking this one day at a time.”
Of course, it should be noted that the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Lemon and Brown (6-1, 226) are much different players. Lemon lined up in the slot over 75% of the time at USC, whereas Brown operates on the outside.
After a quiet first college season in 2023, quarterback Caleb Williams‘ last with the Trojans, Lemon broke out the next year. Over 12 games as a sophomore, he hauled in 52 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns. Lemon saved his best for last in 2025, capping off his Trojans tenure with 79 receptions, 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in another dozen-game campaign. The 21-year-old won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in the nation. After dropping just four passes at USC, Lemon should give Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts a sure-handed target with star potential.
Cardinals Add RB Jeremiyah Love At No. 3
After buzz connected the Cardinals to Jeremiyah Love, the top running back in the 2026 class is indeed Arizona-bound. Love has been drafted third overall. The Notre Dame product becomes the highest drafted running back in the NFL since the Saquon Barkley went second overall eight years ago.
Love was by far the consensus top running back of the 2026 class. His backup with the Fighting Irish, Jadarian Price, is widely considered RB2 and may have to wait until Day 2 of the draft to hear is name. Ever since taking over the starting job as a sophomore, Love has been perhaps the most electric running back in college football. In two years as RB1, he combined for 2,497 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns in just 28 games.
Love joins a crowded running backs room in Arizona that is likely about to clear out to make room for his star power. James Conner has been the man for the Cardinals since coming over from Pittsburgh in 2021. Over his first four years with the team, Conner averaged 917 yards per season with 37 touchdowns, but in 2025, injuries limited him to only three games. The team also signed former Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier in free agency after four strong years as a backup in Atlanta.
There’s little question Love will be RB1 once he arrives in Arizona. With draft pick salaries automatically set per slot, Love will easily be the team’s highest-paid rusher on a fully guaranteed four-year, $53.02MM rookie contract. He also become the seventh-highest-paid running back in the NFL by annual average value, but his guaranteed money will exceed even that of Barkley.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Seahawks Wrap Round 1 With RB Jadarian Price
Two Notre Dame running backs will indeed come off the board in Round 1. Twenty-nine picks after Jeremiyah Love went to the Cardinals, his college backup will head elsewhere in the NFC West.
The Seahawks are taking Jadarian Price at No. 32 overall. Linked to the defending champions previously, Price is the second RB off the board in this class.
John Schneider, who has traded down in six separate first rounds over his first 15 drafts, expressed interest in doing so again. But Seattle was tied to Price late in the pre-draft process. With Kenneth Walker departing for Kansas City in free agency and Zach Charbonnet suffering an ACL tear in the divisional round, Seattle opted to ensure a high-end RB talent would arrive.
This marks the third time in five drafts the Seahawks have chosen a first- or second-round back, with Walker coming in 2022 and Charbonnet in ’23. Schneider also drafted Rashaad Penny in the 2018 first round. One season remains on Charbonnet’s rookie deal, but given the timing of his injury, a stay on the PUP list to start next season seems likely.
Playing second fiddle to Love all three years of his time in college, Price still made a name for himself by rushing for 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns over his three years in South Bend. He averaged six yards per carry over the course of his career. Scouts saw Price maintain that maximum efficiency while operating on only 6.8 carries per game, keeping his legs much fresher than those of Love. Although Price did not offer much in the passing game compared to his dynamic RB mate, he enters the NFL on just 280 career carries. That will stand to help his NFL longevity, provided this pick pans out.
Seattle added ex-Green Bay RB Emanuel Wilson on a low-cost deal in free agency, but the runway appears clear for Price to team with Charbonnet. It is quite possible Price and Wilson will be the defending champs’ top RB tandem during the first half of the season. Charbonnet will need to display good form upon returning to fetch a notable free agency deal. While that injury represents poor timing for Charbonnet, Price stands to provide premium insurance while having a path toward a long-term Pacific Northwest stay (as this contract includes a fifth-year option for 2030).
Titans Obtain No. 31 From Bills, Select DE Keldric Faulk
Make that three first-round trade-downs from the Bills. This time, Buffalo has traded out of Round 1. The Titans are moving up to No. 31.
The Titans will send Nos. 35, 66 and 101 to the Bills in exchange for Nos. 31, 69 and 165, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Tennessee drafted edge rusher Keldric Faulk out of Auburn. The Bills moved from No. 26 to 28 to 31 to 35, accumulating some picks following their D.J. Moore trade (which cost a second-round pick).
Faulk will join a gaggle of ex-Jets defensive lineman in Tennessee. Robert Saleh has acquired Jermaine Johnson and Solomon Thomas via trade while signing John Franklin-Myers and Jacob Martin in free agency. The Faulk plan certainly appears to be a starting role alongside Johnson, Franklin-Myers and Pro Bowl D-tackle Jeffery Simmons.
This draft slot is in line with where NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah placed him on his big board, which slotted the Auburn pass rusher 29th. Faulk is much bigger than Johnson, who is barely 250 pounds. The SEC product weighed in at 276 pounds at the Combine, where he measured 6-foot-5. He will be an interesting complementary piece to the former Saleh first-round Jets draftee (Saleh and then-Jets GM Joe Douglas traded back into Round 1 to draft Johnson in 2022).
As our Ely Allen noted in his PFR mock draft, Faulk “isn’t your typical potential-without-production prospect. It’s not that he looks the part and has the physical tools but just can’t put it together on the field; he is just, seemingly, always right around the play, disrupting it, but hardly ever the one finishing it. The 21-year-old has plenty of room to grow.” Saleh also may find use for Faulk as an inside rusher from time to time, as the Tigers deployed him as such at points.
Faulk did tally seven sacks as a sophomore in 2024, but he only totaled two last season. After 11 tackles for loss in 2024, Faulk produced only five in ’25. Tennessee is changing schemes, moving to a 4-3 defense after years in a 3-4 alignment. The team let Arden Key walk in free agency and will count on Johnson and now Faulk picking up the slack alongside Simmons and Franklin-Myers, who signed a three-year deal worth $63MM to come over from Denver.