Jets Collect No. 30 From 49ers, Draft WR Omar Cooper Jr.
Another pass catcher will follow Kenyon Sadiq to the Jets. The team traded up (via the 49ers) to add Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
The Jets are trading Nos. 33 and 179 to the 49ers, who have moved down a second time tonight. San Francisco previously slid down three spots to No. 30 via Miami. The 49ers join the Bills in trading out of Round 1 tonight. Buffalo made three trade-down moves; San Francisco made two.
Although the Jets were high on Cooper, the team was believed to like him better at No. 33 than No. 16. That report turned out to be in line with the club’s thinking. New York used its No. 16 pick on Sadiq, and Cooper will head east via the team’s third choice tonight.
This marks the second time in five drafts the Jets made three first-round picks; they also have three firsts in 2027. New York drafted Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson in 2022. As the Jets have restocked their roster under GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn, Gardner and Johnson have both been traded since November. Wilson signed an extension last year; now, Cooper will profile as a high-end complementary target — at least, the Jets hope that will be the case.
Cooper joins Adonai Mitchell — obtained in the Gardner trade — as rookie-deal cogs set to flank Wilson. Two years remain on Mitchell’s rookie contract, while Cooper’s deal can run through 2030 via the fifth-year option. The past two Jet GMs have now invested a first-round pick at wideout; the team had previously gone from Santana Moss (2001) to Wilson between such moves.
Ranking 17th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Cooper heads to New York after helping Fernando Mendoza guide Indiana to a storybook unbeaten season. Helping a formerly downtrodden program complete a stunning two-year rise to the top of the sport, Cooper caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns during his final Hoosiers season. Cooper’s highwire act in the end zone in the final minute of Indiana’s Penn State matchup kept the Hoosiers’ undefeated, and he totaled five catches for 71 yards in the team’s national championship victory over Miami.
The 199-pound receiver prospect clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Displaying quality route-running ability with run-after-catch success, Cooper will join a Jets team that managed to complete a 17-game season without a 400-yard receiver emerging. That was an organizational first since the 1976 Lou Holtz-helmed season. While Wilson’s injury led directly to this stat, the team was in dire need of auxiliary help when Wilson was on the field. Cooper brings a good chance of providing it come September.
Chiefs Select DT Peter Woods At No. 29
The Trent McDuffie trade’s top asset will go toward Kansas City’s defensive line. While the Chiefs had been connected to defensive ends leading up to the draft, Chris Jones instead will see a running mate headed to Missouri.
Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods is heading to the Chiefs at No. 29. Viewed as a higher-end prospect entering last season, Woods comes to Kansas City after three years at the ACC school. Daniel Jeremiah’s big board placed Woods 39th, but the Chiefs — as they did with Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall — disagreed with lower grades and acted early.
Kansas City used a second-round pick on a D-tackle last year (Omarr Norman-Lott) but watched him suffer an ACL tear early in the season. Woods will join nose tackle Khyiris Tonga — signed to a three-year, $21MM deal — as key DT pieces added this offseason. Jones and Tonga figure to start the season at DT in Steve Spagnuolo‘s 4-3 scheme, but Woods will be slated to play a key rotational role as the Chiefs try and rebound from a 6-11 season.
Not a statistical standout at Clemson, Woods combined for five sacks over his final two college seasons. But the 298-pound defender still received first-team All-ACC recognition and second-team All-American acclaim in 2025. This came even after Woods’ TFL count dropped from 8.5 in 2024 to 3.5 last season. A quick rusher who lacks optimal length, the 6-foot-2 DT will see his rookie contract align with Jones’ market-topping deal.
The Chiefs have Jones heading into the third season of a five-year, $158.75MM contract. The future Hall of Famer is due $35MM in guaranteed compensation this year but has no guarantees remaining on the player-friendly pact beyond 2026. Kansas City has still seen Jones play at an elite level, and the Super Bowl linchpin remains one of the game’s best D-linemen. He is entering an age-32 season, and Woods — who turned 21 in March — profiles as an apprentice and possible successor in the not-too-distant future.
If the Chiefs are keen on bringing in a D-end to complement George Karlaftis, they hold No. 40 on Friday. Kansas City sent its third-round pick to Cleveland to move up for Delane earlier Thursday.
Patriots Acquire No. 28 From Bills, Draft T Caleb Lomu
This draft has not let down on a reported run of offensive linemen. After trading back a second time, the Bills cleared the way for the Patriots to add a tackle.
Buffalo sent No. 28 to New England in exchange for Nos. 31 and 125 (via ESPN’s Field Yates); the Patriots are drafting Utah’s Caleb Lomu. Primarily a left tackle for the Utes, Lomu figures to draw consideration for right-side work as a Patriot.
De facto GM Eliot Wolf confirmed as much Thursday night, via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian. Wolf reiterated 2025 No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell is New England’s left tackle. Rumblings about a potential move to guard surfaced at multiple points last year, but the Patriots have shut that down thus far. Lomu now profiles as a likely successor/immediate challenger to Morgan Moses‘ RT gig.
The Pats scheduled a “30” visit with Lomu but canceled it, per Wolf, because they did not expect him to be on the board when their pick arrived (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed). The Pats moved up three spots to make sure they landed the 6-foot-6 blocker, who joined Spencer Fano (No. 9 overall — to the Browns) among the Utes’ first-round tackle tandem.
Wolf said (via Kyed) the Patriots viewed a drop-off at the tackle spot after Lomu. This aligns with recent reports that anticipated a mid-first-round run at the tackle position. We ended up seeing nine offensive linemen (seven of them tackles) go off the board Thursday. Lomu was the last member of that octet to be drafted, but he will join a defending conference champion and profiles as a long-term Campbell bookend partner.
Lomu made 10 pre-draft visits, joining Fano as a much-investigated blocker from the Big 12 program. Lomu redshirted in 2023 but earned Utah’s LT starting role in 2024, serving in that capacity during his final two college seasons. Earning first-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season, Lomu established himself as a first-round-caliber talent.
Two years remain on Moses’ three-year, $24MM contract, but the 13th-year vet is entering an age-35 season. The Patriots can move on from Moses and save $9MM in 2027. Our Ben Levine predicted (via PFR’s Patriots Offseason Outlook post) Moses’ 2026 roster spot was probably safe but anticipated tackle depth — at the very least — being sought. Lomu is a lot more than depth, and it would surprise if he is not asked to start by 2027 — if not sooner.
Bills Trade No. 26 To Texans; G Keylan Rutledge Heading To Houston
The Bills agreed to move back two spots, with the Texans coming up to No. 26. Buffalo will collect Nos. 28, 69 and 167 from Houston in exchange for Nos. 26 and 91, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge is going to Houston at No. 26. We heard earlier today the Texans had done a lot of work on Rutledge, and he will be part of the AFC South team’s ongoing O-line overhaul.
Houston has struggled along the O-line during C.J. Stroud‘s tenure, and this offseason will bring more changes. The Texans traded seven-year starter Tytus Howard and imported Braden Smith as a right tackle replacement. The team also added longtime Browns starting guard Wyatt Teller. Houston re-signed Ed Ingram, however, creating an interesting situation at guard.
Unless the Texans are prepared to station Teller on the bench to start his tenure, Rutledge would not have a clear place to play. Transferring from Middle Tennessee State in 2024, Rutledge started at right guard throughout his Georgia Tech tenure. A first-team All-Conference USA blocker before his back-to-back All-ACC years, Rutledge cross-trained at center during the Senior Bowl.
That may be relevant, as the easiest path to a starting role may come at center. If Rutledge is to play center, he would be asked to overtake 2025 starter Jake Andrews. Pro Football Focus graded Andrews 27th among centers last season. The team traded Juice Scruggs to the Lions in the David Montgomery swap.
“Where’s he going to play? Who the hell knows,” Texans GM Nick Caserio said after making the pick Thursday. “We’ll figure out who the best five guys are and put the group out there that we think is going to help us the most.”
Rutledge drew praise as the pre-draft process wore on, but he closed 47th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. That was by far the lowest of any first-rounder selected. Houston has high hopes here. Caserio will hope this first-round guard investment goes better than his other such move, when he made Kenyon Green the first guard selected in the 2022 draft. Green flamed out and was traded in 2025. Rutledge’s rookie contract can run through 2030 via the fifth-year option, and the Texans will hope he can provide long-term stability on a line featuring two 30-something (or soon-to-be 30-something) stopgaps and a second-year LT (Aireontae Ersery).
Bears Add S Dillon Thieneman At No. 25
The Bears will walk out of the first round with a safety prospect. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman is heading to Chicago via the No. 25 overall pick.
Thieneman arrives after the Bears lost their 2025 safety starters — Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker — in free agency. The Patriots signed Byard, who reunited with ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel, while the Steelers added Brisker. The Bears did bounce back by signing Coby Bryant, and they will pair him with Thieneman — the first safety chosen in Round 1 by Chicago since Mark Carrier went sixth overall in 1990.
That is quite the lengthy stretch, though the Bears had used Round 2 (Brisker) to address the position in Ryan Poles‘ first offseason in charge. DC Dennis Allen will attempt to mold Thieneman alongside Bryant, handpicked to play in his system like Byard was as a 2025 free agent.
Thieneman follows Caleb Downs as the second safety off the board. They were the only two selected Thursday night, with Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Arizona’s Treydan Stukes remaining on the board entering Day 2.
Sitting 16th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Thieneman transferred from Purdue to Oregon in 2025. He intercepted six passes as a freshman Boilermaker in 2023 and grabbed two more picks last season at Oregon. Thieneman completed the impressive feat of becoming a two-time AP All-American, being named to the third team in 2023 and second team in ’25. He finished with a combined 210 tackles during his two Purdue seasons, adding 96 at Oregon last year.
The Ducks deployed Thieneman in the box, in the slot and as a pure safety last season. He showed high-level instincts and quality speed in coverage in helping the Ducks to the CFP semifinals, and the Bears will have the opportunity to determine how they want to use the former Big Ten chess piece.
Chicago lost breakout corner Nahshon Wright in free agency (to the Jets), but the NFC North champions return CB regulars Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to go with former starter Tyrique Stevenson. Thieneman gives the Bears four first- or second-round picks at safety, with Bryant — a 2022 Seahawks fourth-rounder — the only former Day 3 pick projected to start in the Windy City secondary.
Cowboys Add DE Malachi Lawrence At 23
The Cowboys have now added two defenders in Round 1. Trading up for Caleb Downs, Dallas moved down three spots (via Philadelphia) and added Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23.
Lawrence gained steam as the pre-draft process wore on, being named a player likely to be chosen earlier than expected. The Cowboys revealed post-draft they would have chosen Lawrence at No. 20 had they not found a trade-down partner.
Dallas moved down three spots from No. 20, sliding down via the Eagles. This marked the second time the Cowboys had traded down to allow the Eagles to vault up for a first-rounder since 2021, when Philly tabbed DeVonta Smith (and led Dallas to Micah Parsons two picks later). The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers in August, obtaining the No. 20 choice (along with a 2027 first-rounder). Dallas moved the ’27 first to the Jets for Quinnen Williams, highlighting the importance of Lawrence and Downs in this year’s first round.
Lawrence follows a host of early-round Cowboys edge rusher choices. After choosing Parsons in the 2021 first round, Dallas selected Sam Williams in the 2022 second round. The team then chose Marshawn Kneeland in the 2024 second round and Donovan Ezeiruaku in the ’25 second. Tragically, Kneeland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November.
The Cowboys also traded for Rashan Gary, doing so before re-signing Williams, this offseason. That duo joins Ezeiruaku and now Lawrence at OLB in new DC Christian Parker‘s 3-4 scheme. For all the heat Cowboys brass takes for contract timing and mismanagement, the team has done well to land first-round talent. The Cowboys have drafted eight first-team All-Pro players in the first round since 2010. After trading one of their top 21st-century talents in Parsons, the Cowboys are banking on Downs and Lawrence injecting life into their porous defense.
Totaling 19.5 sacks over the past three seasons, Lawrence registered 27.5 tackles for loss in that span. The Cowboys were not one of the teams to use a “30” visit on Lawrence, who met with half the NFL before the draft. While Downs will be expected to become an instant starter, Lawrence will likely be brought along slower. But Dallas will expect starter work from the mid-major prospect early in his rookie contract, in all likelihood.
Steelers Draft T Max Iheanachor At No. 21
With Broderick Jones not living up to his draft slot and battling a major injury, the Steelers are choosing a first-round tackle for the third time in four years.
Pittsburgh brought in Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall. This gives Pittsburgh some potential Jones insurance and a possible long-term option opposite RT Troy Fautanu. Iheanachor was one of nine offensive linemen (including seven tackles) chosen in Round 1 tonight.
This pick carried a major “what if?” component, with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon revealing the Steelers communicated to him an intent to draft him at No. 21. The intra-Pennsylvania development emerged after the Eagles traded up three spots (via the Cowboys) to vault in front of the Steelers at No. 20. Lemon went off the board soon after.
“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.”
Iheanachor will spend at least the early years of his career tied to a wide receiver, which is obviously not commonplace for a tackle, but big responsibilities may be coming early. Jones is recovering from neck fusion surgery, and a setback may or may not have occurred. And the 2023 first-round pick has not played especially well in stints at left and right tackle. A move to his natural LT spot did not yield desired results before the injury, and Pittsburgh will decline the Georgia alum’s fifth-year option. Iheanachor profiles as a successor option, though it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh uses him more at right tackle — his primary college role — early behind Fautanu as he develops.
The Steelers were not among a host of teams who conducted “30” visits with the Nigeria native — who began his career at junior college — but they were linked to a possible first-round tackle. This was due in large part to Jones’ issues since being drafted. Pittsburgh had gone since the 1990s between first-round tackle picks prior to the Jones investment, but the team is now flooded with Round 1 options at this position as OTAs near.
Iheanachor earned second-team All-Big 12 acclaim last season. He primarily played right tackle with the Sun Devils but saw time on the blind side as well. With the Steelers stationing Fautanu at RT after his 2024 injury absence, an Iheanachor-at-LT experiment figures to gain traction soon.
“Position flex is huge,” Mike McCarthy said of his team’s first-round pick. “It’s bigger than ever in the NFL. Seventeen games is real. And to add Max to this group is – I can’t tell you how excited we are with the pick.”
Chiefs Acquire No. 6 From Browns, Select CB Mansoor Delane
It has not taken long for the first trade of this year’s draft to take place. The Chiefs have moved up the board to acquire the sixth overall pick from the Browns.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes the swap includes Kansas City acquiring No. 6 for picks 9, 74 and 148. With the newly-acquired selection, the Chiefs have drafted LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
This is a bit earlier than Delane was projected to go off the board. For a bit, it looked as though the Chiefs — linked to edge rushers for weeks — could somehow see Arvell Reese fall to No. 6, but the Giants did not let their EDGE surplus impede such a pick at No. 5. The Chiefs, then, nabbed the first CB prospect in this draft. Delane will take over a corner corps that lost Trent McDuffie (via trade) and Jaylen Watson (via free agency). Both are now Rams.
It might be wise for Delane to rent in Kansas City considering the extensive trend that has formed at this position. McDuffie and Watson are the latest one-contract Chiefs corners. They follow L’Jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward, Kendall Fuller, Steven Nelson and Marcus Peters as CB starters the Chiefs did not pay. Even spot starter Joshua Williams defected (to the Titans) this offseason. New blood will arrive in the form of Delane, who will be expected to anchor this high-turnover position group.
As the Browns moved down and drafted Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9, the Chiefs will land a hopeful impact corner. The team has now gone to the first-round CB well thrice during Andy Reid’s tenure, drafting Peters (2015), McDuffie (2022) and now Delane.
The three-year Virginia Tech product flashed considerable potential during his time in the ACC. A transfer to LSU produced the desired results and elevated his draft stock even further, though. Delane notched a pair of interceptions and 11 pass deflections in 2025. That production helped him earn first-team All-American honors and cement his status as one of the top prospects for this year’s draft. He will join a Chiefs CB cadre housing Chamarri Conner, Nohl Williams and (for now, at least) Kristian Fulton.
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Patriots Not Yet Willing To Trade First-Rounder For A.J. Brown
APRIL 23: No talks are expected this weekend, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. However, the Eagles and Patriots are expected to reengage down the road, with Rapoport pointing to negotiations coming around the June date when a trade becomes financially reasonable for Philadelphia.
It would be logical for the clubs to speak on a trade leading up to that date, and Brown could theoretically join the Patriots for their minicamp if traded soon after June 1. But the teams look set to put this issue on the back burner for now.
APRIL 22: Although the Eagles trading A.J. Brown to the Patriots after June 1 is starting to look like a foregone conclusion, the door remains open for another team to top New England with a better offer.
On draft eve, the Pats are not believed to be ready to send a first-round pick to the Eagles for Brown, FOX’s Jay Glazer reports. The Eagles have long wanted a first-round pick headlining a Brown trade haul, as it would make the mercurial wide receiver’s dead money hit — even in a post-June 1 trade — easier to stomach. The returns the Bears and Dolphins respectively received for D.J. Moore and Jaylen Waddle surely did nothing to diminish the Eagles’ asking price.
The Broncos sent the Dolphins first- and third-round picks for Waddle, with a fourth-round pick swap also part of that trade, while the Bears collected a second-rounder for Moore and a fifth. Brown is more accomplished than both players, riding a streak of four straight 1,000-yard seasons and totaling six such slates in a seven-year career. But Brown gripes about his usage in Philly’s offense have been commonplace. A midgame dustup with Nick Sirianni also fueled the fire for a trade finally coming to pass, and a March report viewed a trade as “inevitable.”
A report earlier this week pegged the Patriots — Brown’s long-rumored destination, which would bring about a reunion with Mike Vrabel — as being ready to acquire the eighth-year receiver after June 1. In PFR’s latest chat, I posited a potential trade that involved a 2028 first-round pick and a Day 2 choice in 2027. The Eagles structured their Carson Wentz trade this way, collecting a 2022 conditional first-round pick from the Colts to go with a 2021 third. Philly also accepted a 2026 third-round pick from the Jets for Haason Reddick in 2024.
Teams are displaying reluctance to part with 2027 first-round picks, as that draft class is viewed as stronger than this one, and it will be interesting to see if another team will rival the Pats for Brown. For a bit now, New England has been the clear frontrunner. Glazer reiterates the Pats’ pole position here, mentioning a potential standoff in the event the defending AFC champs do not put a first on the table.
How the draft unfolds will shape other teams’ needs, potentially opening the door to more bids coming in for Brown before June 2. Philly would certainly welcome a bidding war, and how this draft class’ top receivers are dispersed may crystalize offer strength.
The other question here, naturally, covers the scenario in which the Eagles keep Brown and try to make it work with one of the most talented skill-position players in franchise history. Posturing on that front will undoubtedly come, but as it stands, this relationship looks to be on life support. The Patriots would not be inclined to increase their offer significantly based on what is coming out of Philly now. PFR readers believe a trade will happen. Will/should it involve a first-round pick?