The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, with the first round set to start Thursday. This year’s draft will take place in Pittsburgh, with the main stage on the North Shore just outside of the Steelers’ home, Acrisure Stadium — though the presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will reportedly not be in attendance.
In the week leading up to the draft, a couple of key dominoes fell, including the trade of star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants to the Cincinnati Bengals. In exchange for Lawrence, the Giants received the 10th overall pick, giving the G-Men two top-10 selections in this year’s draft.
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The San Francisco 49ers also solidified their future with star left tackle Trent Williams, with the two sides agreeing on a two-year, $50 million contract extension on Monday. Reports surfaced earlier this offseason that the Niners were open to trading the veteran tackle after the two sides were “struggling to find a contractual solution” to reduce his salary cap hit for the 2026 season; now, he secures a new deal in San Francisco heading into his age-38 season.
One big-time question mark that does remain is the status of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the 2026 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have still not received word about whether or not he intends to play this year. With Rodgers’ status in limbo, that puts sixth-round quarterback Will Howard in the driver’s seat for QB1 heading into voluntary minicamp.
What other dominoes could fall ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft? Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news leading up to Round 1:
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Mon, April 20, 2026 at 10:32 AM PDT
Tarohn Finley
The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to be without wide receiver A.J. Brown for voluntary offseason workouts, which begin on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
A trade is likelier than ever, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, but it’s still unlikely to happen before June 1, due to the salary-cap gymnastics involved.
The New England Patriots, who lack a No. 1 receiver despite signing Romeo Doubs in free agency, are expected to be the frontrunners. The Patriots also have not ruled out bringing in the 28-year-old wide receiver when asked about Brown this offseason. Brown spent his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans under Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Brown trade saga began last season when Brown voiced frustration with his role and the offense on multiple social media platforms.
Mon, April 20, 2026 at 9:26 AM PDT
Tarohn Finley
Mon, April 20, 2026 at 9:24 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
The Pittsburgh Steelers open a three-day voluntary minicamp on Monday under new head coach Mike McCarthy and will do so without any indication from quarterback Aaron Rodgers regarding his status for this season.
Rodgers has not informed the Steelers on whether he intends to play for them in 2026, and thus sign a new contract, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. And that status isn’t likely to change before the NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday.
As a result, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard will get the starter’s work at quarterback. Mason Rudolph is the only other QB currently under contract with the Steelers.