The NFL Draft is a beast.
Rumors flying all over the place. Trade talk concerning players across the sport, which could involve draft picks in the coming draft. We need a place to store this buzz.
With that, here’s a tracker for the latest 2026 NFL Draft rumors:
Jeremiyah Love to Cardinals picking up steam
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love will be one of the biggest storylines on night one of the NFL Draft. He may not go No. 1 overall, but he is expected to hear his name called early, potentially as high as No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
There is ongoing league chatter regarding Love and the Cardinals, and he is firmly in play if they do not trade out of the top pick,per ESPN. Arizona still prefers to move out of the top pick to accumulate more assets, but if they stay put, Love could be the first surprise pick of the night.
That would also make Love the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall to the New York Giants in 2018.
FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently released his updated NFL mock draft with the Cardinals selecting Love at No. 3 overall. This adds another layer of intrigue to Arizona’s direction at the top of the board.
“The Cardinals are a really interesting selection,” Klatt wrote. “Most people believe they’re looking to shore up the edge. They probably could and maybe they will, but I can’t get out of my head a little thought — and it comes with some intel — of the Cardinals loving Jeremiyah Love. We know they also like Ty Simpson, but this is too rich a spot to draft him. With the thought of potentially making a move for Simpson later in mind, why don’t the Cardinals draft Love? A lot of people believe Love is the best non-quarterback in the draft. Arizona would get a running back who can move between the tackles, hit home runs on the outside and catch passes as a slot receiver.”
Jeremiyah Love in Joel Klatt’s final mock draft 🏈 Joel Klatt Show
If Love ends up in Arizona, he would be the first selection under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who brings an offensive-minded approach to the Cardinals’ offense.
Kansas City Chiefs positioning for draft-day blockbuster?
The Kansas City Chiefs could be positioning themselves for a draft-day trade, potentially moving up from the No. 9 overall pick. The Chiefs have discussed a possible trade-up with both the Cardinals at No. 3 and the Tennessee Titans at No. 4,per ESPN.
A potential trade-up would likely signal the Chiefs are targeting a pass rusher, a position they’ve been strongly linked to throughout the offseason. The most commonly connected prospects are Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami (Fla.)’s Rueben Bain Jr. Both the Cardinals and Titans have frequently been mentioned as potential trade-back candidates throughout the draft process, as each roster remains in a rebuild.
With the Chiefs holding picks No. 9 and No. 29 in the first round, they are viewed as a logical candidate to explore a move into the top five on draft night. Those moves resulted in the selections of wide receiver Xavier Worthy (2024), cornerback Trent McDuffie (2022) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (2017). If history is any indication, Kansas City won’t hesitate to move up again if the right player is within reach.
Would the Jets consider moving Garrett Wilson on draft night?
The New York Jets are expected to be among the most active teams on Day 1 of the NFL Draft, holding both the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks. A potential trade involving wide receiver Garrett Wilson could be in play, with multiple teams expected to check in on his availability,per Yahoo Sports.
Wilson, 25, is coming off an injury-affected season in which he appeared in just eight games for the Jets. He recorded 36 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns before being placed on injured reserve after aggravating a right knee sprain.
The Jets have been firmly invested in Wilson long-term after signing him to a four-year, $130 million extension last offseason with $90 million guaranteed. Still, general manager Darren Mougey could be willing to listen if teams come with a strong enough offer, especially with New York positioned to shape the top of the draft board.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach anticipates “a lot” of trades in the first round
Not only are the Chiefs exploring a potential draft-night trade-up, but Veach also expects a busy first round with plenty of movement.
During his pre-draft media availability, he said it could be an “entertaining” night given the lack of multiple franchise-caliber quarterbacks and other high-end blue-chip prospects at the top of the board. Veach also added how it could naturally fuel more trade activity across the league as teams look to maneuver for value.
“I think it should be an entertaining night and there will probably be a lot of trades and that’s what I think with a draft like this, when you don’t have two or three franchise quarterbacks and a Will Anderson Jr. or a Myles Garrett, it does lend itself to open up to a lot of fun and a lot of excitement. From a fan’s perspective, they should have a lot of fun next Thursday.”
Not only is the lack of blue-chip prospects a factor, but Veach also believes the variance in team evaluations could shape how the first round unfolds. When it comes to this year’s class, differences in grading may come down less to pure talent and more to a scheme that fits team-specific needs.
“I think that the fans will be in for a treat next Thursday because I think some of the grades are going to be close for some of these tackles, D-ends and other receivers,” Veach said. “That a lot of these guys that are mocked high may go a little low and a lot of these guys that are getting mocked lower may go a little higher because they’re so close this year and it’s not this huge gap and big fall off. Even with the offensive linemen, there’s traits that you like and there’s some things all these guys need to clean up and work on, but I think that the grades are so close that it’ll come down to the scheme fit, the coach’s analysis, the vision [and] the fit for these guys.”
Ty Simpson a first-rounder?
The Alabama quarterback is gaining traction to be selected in the first round, per CBS Sports. After serving as a backup for three seasons (2022-24), Simpson was Alabama’s starter for the 2025 season. He totaled 3,567 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 145.2 passer rating, while completing 64.5% of his passes that season. Simpson’s Tide reached the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff before losing to Indiana.
Most likely New York Jets pick
The Jets, who own the No. 2 and 16 picks in the first round, are expected to select either Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey with the second pick, per CBS Sports. Last season, Reese logged 6.5 sacks, two passes defended and 69 combined tackles, while earning All-American honors; Bailey, who spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career playing for Stanford, racked up a Big 12-high 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three passes defended and 52 combined tackles in 2025.