NFL draft noise heats up
With the 2026 NFL Draft set to begin April 23, mocks and rumor roundups have firms shifting as teams weigh trades and positional fits in the first two rounds. Reports specifically noted that the New York Giants, who hold the No. 5 overall pick, are among top‑10 teams exploring a trade‑down option. (usatoday.com) (bigblueview.com)
The 2026 National Football League draft is nine days away, and the loudest late-first-round rumor is teams near the top trying to move back. (nfl.com) (si.com) Round 1 starts Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Eastern in Pittsburgh, with Rounds 2 and 3 on April 24 and Rounds 4 through 7 on April 25. The New York Giants hold pick No. 5 and seven total selections: Nos. 5, 37, 105, 145, 186, 192 and 193. (nfl.com) (espn.com) Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported April 13 that teams with picks Nos. 3 through 7 were looking to move down, and Big Blue View said April 15 that the Giants were among the top-10 teams exploring that option. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported April 10 that league sources believed New York would prefer to “drop a few spots” and add picks. (si.com) (bigblueview.com) (espn.com) That math is driving the chatter. The Giants have only two top-100 picks, and the official round-by-round order shows their original third-rounder at No. 69 belongs to the Houston Texans. (espn.com) (media.nfl.com) The first-round board also looks unsettled enough to invite calls. The Las Vegas Raiders pick first, followed by the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Giants, and several clubs in that range still have quarterback, offensive line and defensive needs. (espn.com) (nfl.com) Mock drafts are reflecting that uncertainty more than resolving it. USA Today’s roundup of recent mocks published April 14 said expert projections were still shifting across the first round, while CBS Sports published a mock on April 12 that included three first-round trades. (usatoday.com) (cbssports.com) For New York, the debate is whether to stay at No. 5 for a premium defender or move back for volume. ESPN reported the Giants have done work on Louisiana State cornerback Mansoor Delane and Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, and Sports Illustrated’s April 14 notes tied Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs to coach John Harbaugh’s defense. (espn.com) (si.com) The second-round pick at No. 37 is part of the calculation too. ESPN reported the Giants recently hosted Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis and have shown extensive interest in Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, with guard described as a need in front of quarterback Jaxson Dart. (espn.com) Nothing is settled yet, and that is the point of this week’s noise. The closer the draft gets to April 23, the more value teams are trying to place on the same small band of picks at the top. (nfl.com) (usatoday.com)
