Draft night trading talk

The 2026 National Football League draft opens Thursday night in Pittsburgh with analysts expecting a first round shaped by trades, not just picks. (nfl.com) NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote in his final mock draft that he expects “four projected swaps” in Round 1. He linked that forecast to uncertainty beyond the No. 1 pick, with teams keeping plans “close to the vest.” (nfl.com) Jeremiah’s projection has the Philadelphia Eagles moving from No. 32 to No. 22 in a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, and the New Orleans Saints jumping from No. 23 to No. 17 in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for tackle Spencer Fano. He also mocked the Cleveland Browns moving from No. 28 to No. 20 for edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and the Buffalo Bills climbing from No. 30 to No. 24 for cornerback Jermod McCoy. (nfl.com) ESPN’s Peter Schrager said in his final first-round projection that “things are going to get wild” and called this class “particularly wide open.” His mock sends two quarterbacks into the top three, with Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 and LaNorris Sellers to the New York Giants at No. 3. (espn.com) That trade talk centers on a board with several early receiver and quarterback landing spots but less agreement on the exact order after the top pick. Jeremiah’s final mock includes four wide receivers in the first 22 picks, while Schrager’s opens with quarterbacks and premium pass catchers near the top. (nfl.com) (espn.com) The setup gives aggressive teams room to move because the first round starts with eight-minute clocks this year instead of 10. The National Football League’s football operations site said the change is the first reduction in Round 1 timing since 2008. (operations.nfl.com) The draft begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, April 23, with Round 1 in Pittsburgh. Rounds 2 and 3 follow on Friday, April 24, and Rounds 4 through 7 are scheduled for Saturday, April 25. (nfl.com) (media.nfl.com) The official first-round order starts with the Raiders at No. 1 and ends with the Eagles at No. 32, which is why Philadelphia appears so often in move-up scenarios. New Orleans holds No. 23, Buffalo No. 30 and Cleveland No. 28, putting all three near the back of the round before any trade calls start. (media.nfl.com) If the mocks hold, Thursday night will turn on how quickly teams behind the top few picks decide they cannot wait for a quarterback, receiver or tackle to fall. The first round is scheduled to begin in Pittsburgh, but the order on the screen may not stay still for long. (nfl.com) (espn.com)