We are almost there, friends.<\/p>\n
Depending on when exactly you are reading this, the 2026 NFL Draft is just over 24 hours away. Again, we know what will happen at No. 1, which is when the Las Vegas Raiders will select quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Read SB Nation\u2019s exclusive interview with Mendoza<\/a> for more on his journey from two-star recruit to No. 1 overall draft pick.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s round up the latest guesses in today\u2019s spin around the carousel of rumors.<\/p>\n Run on offensive tackles?<\/p>\n Could the 2026 NFL Draft see a run on offensive tackles, inside the first 15 selections?<\/p>\n That is the scenario contemplated by ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler, who shared this on social media Tuesday:<\/p>\n Fowler is not alone in thinking that offensive linemen could be a big part of the discussion on Thursday night. His ESPN colleague Dan Graziano wrote this on Wednesday morning<\/a>:<\/p>\n I\u2019m predicting at least seven and as many as 10 offensive linemen get picked in the first round. There\u2019s a late-round zone loaded with teams that would love to come out of Thursday night with a new offensive lineman, including the Lions, Panthers, Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Browns, Bears, 49ers, Chiefs and Patriots. Kansas City could even use its No. 9 pick on an offensive tackle and no one would be surprised. Baltimore could take Ioane at No. 14, if he\u2019s there.<\/p>\n In our most recent mock draft<\/a>, we had seven offensive linemen coming off the board, right in line with Graziano\u2019s prediction. However, the \u201crun\u201d on offensive tackles did not come until the 20s, with the Philadelphia Eagles taking Blake Miller at No. 23 and the Cleveland Browns adding Max Iheanachor at No. 24.<\/p>\n But it looks like that run could happen earlier.<\/p>\n What are the Giants thinking, redux?<\/p>\n Ever since the New York Giants swung the big Dexter Lawrence trade, we have been trying to decipher their plans for both No. 5, and No. 10. That was a focus on Monday\u2019s rumors roundup<\/a>, and we revisit their plans here today.<\/p>\n On Monday we discussed reporting from Connor Hughes of SNY, who mentioned Sonny Styles, Jeremiyah Love, and Caleb Downs as options at No. 5. Hughes also believes that a trade would be possible if somehow David Bailey were on the board when the Giants were on the clock at No. 5. Then at No. 10, offensive linemen come into play, as well as wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.<\/p>\n However, Graziano notes<\/a> that from what he has been told, at No. 5 \u201ctheir most likely picks would be Love (if he\u2019s still there) or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Multiple people have told me they believe Downs would be the Giants\u2019 pick even ahead of linebacker Sonny Styles, Downs\u2019 college teammate.\u201d<\/p>\n As for No. 10, if it is not Tyson then Graziano believes they will draft an offensive lineman.<\/p>\n Who might that be? Graziano mentions Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane, which is in line with a name I\u2019ve been hearing more and more regarding that pick at No. 10. Stay tuned \u2026<\/p>\n Jermod McCoy\u2019s injury concerns<\/p>\n Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy\u2019s injury concerns remain a talking point as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.<\/p>\n According to longtime NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline, some teams have deemed his injured knee \u2014 he missed 2025 following ACL surgery \u2014 a \u201cdegenerative\u201d condition:<\/p>\n Additional reporting indicates that McCoy might need an additional surgery to replace a \u201cbone plug\u201d used to repair a \u201ccartilage defect\u201d in that knee, and that the concerns are not related to the initial ACL repair:<\/p>\n This is starting to feel like last year with Will Johnson, the cornerback who was considered a top-ten pick but fell to the Arizona Cardinals in the second round due to his own injury history.<\/p>\n Ty Simpson still an option for the Rams?<\/p>\n Early in mock draft season, Ty Simpson was a popular pick for the Los Angeles Rams with their pick at the end of the first round.<\/p>\n I should know, I feel like I made that pick in more than a few mock drafts myself \u2026<\/p>\n But when the Rams used that pick in a trade for cornerback Trent McDuffie, it seemed to end the dreams of Simpson landing in Los Angeles to learn from Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. Now, the Rams have just one pick in the first 60 selections \u2014 the pick they received from the Atlanta Falcons at No. 13 \u2014 and with Stafford having just put pen to paper on a new contract, getting a player that can help right away seems like the pressing need.<\/p>\n Graziano is not so sure, and makes the case that Simpson<\/a> could still be in play, whether via a trade down or even at No. 13:<\/p>\n But as I said, the Rams don\u2019t appear to have any crying needs for which the 13th pick could help them in their effort to win the Super Bowl at home. So, could they trade down from No. 13 and still take Simpson later in the round? Possibly. Could they just bite the bullet and take Simpson at No. 13 if they like him that much? Unlikely, but again, this is a tough team to predict.<\/p>\n If the Rams take Simpson in the first round, they\u2019re likely to face criticism for not finding immediate help for a win-now team with 38-year-old reigning MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback. But would they care? This is the \u201cF— them picks\u201d franchise, remember? If they truly believe Simpson has the potential to be Stafford\u2019s successor, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ridiculous to think they could go ahead and take him.<\/p>\n Add in that division-rival Arizona — which many believe is the real team to watch for Simpson — holds the 34th pick and would be a candidate to either draft him there or trade back into the first round to land him and it makes the Rams\/Simpson theories a little bit spicier.<\/p>\n Again, even Graziano says Simpson at No. 13 is \u201cunlikely,\u201d but the Rams are a tough team to predict this, and every, year.<\/p>\n What about the Chicago Bears at No. 25?<\/p>\n We have not talked about the Chicago Bears much during the run to the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s change that a bit.<\/p>\n Early in the draft cycle, defensive line was a popular position for the Bears to address in mock drafts. That often came in the form of pass rushers such as Missouri\u2019s Zion Young or Clemson\u2019s T.J. Parker, or even through defensive tackles such as Kayden MacDonald from Ohio State.<\/p>\n Recently, safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has become a popular pick for them in that spot. According to consensus mock drafts as compiled by NFL Mock Draft Database<\/a>, he is the most popular pick for the Bears over the past week.<\/p>\n But one insider believes the Bears have made up their mind, and are targeting Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk because of how he would fit with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.<\/p>\n \u201cOne name that kind of keeps coming up is a fit for Dennis Allen: Keldric Faulk from Auburn,\u201d Sports Illustrated\u2019s Albert Breer said recently on ESPN 1000<\/a>. <\/p>\n Cowboys trading \u2026 down?<\/p>\n In recent weeks, the idea of the Dallas Cowboys trading up in the first round to secure one of the premium defensive prospects has become a popular theory. In our most recent mock draft, for example, we had the Cowboys trading all the way up to No. 3 to pick Arvell Reese. Others believe the Cowboys would move to No. 6 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n But is it more likely that the Cowboys move \u2026 down?<\/p>\n