Inside:\u00a0What\u2019s next after an uncharacteristic\u00a0blockbuster trade<\/a>\u00a0by the Bengals and Giants, plus why Houston paid Will Anderson Jr. (and probably should pay C.J. Stroud, too). Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n This article is from The Athletic\u2019s NFL newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive it directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n Giants trade Lawrence to Cincy<\/p>\n New York added the No. 10 pick in Thursday\u2019s draft in exchange for the disgruntled 28-year-old defensive tackle, who had skipped the team\u2019s voluntary offseason workouts amid a contract dispute.\u00a0It\u2019s a\u00a0strong return<\/a>\u00a0for a young team that now picks twice in the top 10.<\/p>\n And since such an early pick was traded right before the draft, sports media law mandates\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0put together part of a new mock immediately.\u00a0We obliged<\/a>. Here\u2019s draft expert Nick Baumgardner\u2019s updated top 10 (and assuming you need more,\u00a0Dane Brugler\u2019s seven-rounder<\/a>\u00a0is otherwise still applicable):<\/p>\n First, I know what you\u2019re thinking. I noticed it too. FOUR Buckeyes in the top 10, yet Ohio State didn\u2019t make college football\u2019s National Championship game, let alone win it. What happened?!<\/p>\n I asked my editor\u00a0Jason Kirk<\/a>, who also writes our popular college football newsletter,\u00a0Until Saturday<\/a>. He explained \u2026<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac \u201cThe Buckeyes were as talented as ever, which is saying a lot.\u00a0But due to Arch Manning\u2019s Week 1 jitters, Penn State\u2019s collapse and Michigan being underwhelming, they were lightly tested until their final two games \u2014 which happened to be against the national title game\u2019s participants.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a Big Ten championship loss, they played a veteran-heavy Indiana as well as anybody did, but their offensive line had a horrible matchup against a\u00a0Miami defense that just looked irate<\/a>\u00a0for that entire quarterfinal.\u201d<\/p>\n Where were we? Oh right, the move that might provide the Giants with Caleb Downs, one of those Buckeyes.\u00a0Like every other two-team trade, there are several implications.\u00a0Deals contain\u00a0multitudes<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1. It\u2019s a win-win on draft day. New York combines a promising young core of quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers and edge Abdul Carter with two top-10 rookies. Meanwhile, the Bengals avoid having to draft a defender in the first round. (They have been\u00a0very bad at that<\/a>.)<\/p>\n 2. A Giant loss.\u00a0It\u2019s hard to overstate how badly Harbaugh\u2019s defense will miss the 340-pounder, a one-of-one talent who\u2019s drawn double teams about as regularly as anyone. The league\u2019s worst rushing defense is now without its best run defender, and Dan Duggan sees a\u00a0bleak replacement market<\/a>. Also, I\u2019m not convinced Lawrence is in a state of decline:<\/p>\n 3. A giant gained. It\u2019s stunning to see Cincinnati make a splash trade\u00a0and\u00a0meet Lawrence\u2019s contract demands<\/a>\u00a0immediately. Our Bengals reporter, Paul Dehner Jr., put it best in that story:<\/p>\n \u201cThese are the Bengals. They haven\u2019t moved up in the first round since 1995. They treat draft picks and the controllable, cheap labor they represent like gold bars. They make headlines in the offseason because of contract fights.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul spoke to people associated with the team on Saturday night, hearing \u201claughs defined by some mix of disbelief, excitement and relief.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a win for Cincinnati, New York and the Lawrence household; he agreed to a one year, $28 million extension after the move.\u00a0But that\u2019s nothing compared to the Anderson household \u2026<\/p>\n Will Anderson paid, C.J. Stroud waits<\/p>\n Late last week, the Texans and Will Anderson agreed to a three-year extension worth $150 million. You know what comes next:\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0now the highest-paid<\/a>\u00a0non-quarterback in NFL history.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve written that sentence a lot. Each of these highlighted players has held the title, and that\u2019s excluding predecessors like Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby and Justin Jefferson:<\/p>\n Hard to argue with any of those signings.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old Anderson is no different.\u00a0Since he was drafted in 2023, he has a first-team All Pro nod, made two Pro Bowls and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n In 2025, his pass-rush win rate \u2014 how often a pass rusher beats their block \u2014 ranked fourth among edge rushers in\u00a0ESPN\u2019s metric<\/a>.\u00a0He ranks 10th in quarterback pressures and 11th in sacks. He\u2019s also a major plus in the run game, ranking eighth among edge rushers in run-stop win rate.<\/p>\n It was an obvious decision for the Texans, who still have two years remaining on his rookie contract before this new money truly kicks in.<\/p>\n The decision on whether to pay quarterback C.J. Stroud is much tougher.\u00a0Also 24 years old, he has struggled to replicate the success of his rookie season in just about any metric you look at:<\/p>\n On the other hand, Houston\u2019s been \u2026 well, really good. In the three seasons prior to drafting him No. 2, the Texans went a combined 11-38-1. They\u2019re since 32-19 with three consecutive playoff appearances under DeMeco Ryans. How much do you credit Stroud for that?<\/p>\n I was in the press box for his four-turnover playoff loss to the Patriots. It was ugly. He felt pressure that wasn\u2019t there, forced throws and missed layups. But when I went to their locker room post-game, I saw a team\u00a0rallying around<\/a>\u00a0its guy.<\/p>\n Houston\u00a0exercised his fifth-year option<\/a>\u00a0in early April and has him under contract through 2027. Should the Texans extend him for the $50 million-plus that he\u2019d demand on the open market?<\/p>\n For a franchise whose all-time leader in every major passing category is Matt Schaub, an investment in Stroud seems wise to me.\u00a0The well is not deep<\/a>.<\/p>\n Extra Points<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc40 Poll.\u00a0We want to know how you watch the draft (if at all).\u00a0Click here to participate<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc55\u00a0New threads.\u00a0The Rams refreshed their uniforms (they look identical to me<\/a>), while the Ravens introduced a new set with a\u00a0beautiful matte-black helmet<\/a>. Washington\u2019s new uniforms might be\u00a0the nicest<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa7 Draft prep.\u00a0When \u201cThe Athletic Football Show\u201d says it has\u00a0a one-hour Idiot\u2019s Guide to the 2026 Draft<\/a>, the idiot in question certainly isn\u2019t you.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfc0\u00a0NBA playoffs.\u00a0Wait, isn\u2019t this a football newsletter? It is, but just in case you\u2019re keeping an eye on the hoops postseason, I thought I\u2019d share our\u00a0expert predictions<\/a>. Go Raps.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcd3 In case you missed it.\u00a0Matt Barrows\u2019 behind-the-scenes look at the 49ers drafting \u201cfrat guy\u201d prospect George Kittle is one of those \u201cthis is why I subscribe stories,\u201d so I had to re-share it.\u00a0Unlocked for you here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u25b6\ufe0f\u00a0Friday\u2019s most-clicked:\u00a0Dane\u2019s\u00a0seven-round, 257-pick mock draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udceb Enjoyed this read? Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Athletic\u2019s free NFL newsletter in your inbox.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2495c858e85c4a429272fe1e44cc0b0a-2026-top-10-mock.jpg\"\/)
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