The start of the 2026 NFL Draft is just hours away and if the past few weeks have been any indication, this could go down as one of the most unpredictable drafts of all time and that's mostly because no one seems to have any idea what's going to happen.
Well, we do know one thing that's going to happen: At the top of the draft, Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the pick for the Raiders, but after that, it's all a mystery. To help solve that mystery, I'm going to be making five bold predictions for the first round.
These predictions are meant to be bold, but somewhat grounded in reality, so we won't be sending Joe Burrow to Minnesota for a seventh-round pick. Sorry, Vikings fans. With that mind, let's get to the predictions.
For the first time in 13 years, the Chiefs are going into the draft with a top-10 pick. The last time it happened came in 2013 when they used the No. 1 overall pick on Eric Fisher. If general manager Brett Veach has proven one thing during his time in Kansas City, it's that he's not afraid to make a splash trade in the draft. During his first year on the job in 2017, the Chiefs went into the draft with the 27th overall pick and they ended up making a trade all the way up to 10th to get Patrick Mahomes.
For this year's draft, you might not see a jaw-dropping trade like that, but Veach is still expecting a wild first round.
"I think it should be an entertaining night and there will probably be a lot of trades," Veach said in his pre-draft press conference.
Basically, if Veach sees someone he likes, he's going to try and get that player and that's what we have the Chiefs doing here. In this prediction, the Chiefs end up making a trade with the Cardinals to move up to third overall. Here's what the proposed deal looks like:
The Chiefs, who need to make sure they get some pass-rushing help in this draft, use their new pick to take either David Bailey or Arvell Reese. With the Jets expected to take one of those two players at second overall, the Chiefs grab the guy who falls to them at third.
As part of the deal, the Chiefs send a 2027 second-round pick to Arizona instead of their 40th overall pick this year. The Chiefs make that move with the thinking that they'll be good in 2026, so the 2027 pick will likely fall somewhere after pick 56.
As for the Cardinals, the big news here is that they would get to add another first-round pick and it's at a spot in the draft (29th) where they could potentially get Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
If there's one thing you should know about Les Snead, it's that he's one of the most forthcoming general managers in the NFL. At the league meeting back in March, Snead admitted that his team tried to make a trade for Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
"We chatted with Philly, nothing worked out," Snead said at the time. "There were talks, we had discussions, didn't work out. That happens."
The Rams tried to hit a home run at the receiver position and although it didn't work out with Brown, the bold prediction here is that they take a another big swing by trading up to the sixth overall pick. Here are the terms of the proposed trade:
With the sixth pick in hand, the Rams should have two main options at receiver -- Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson -- and they end up using it on Tate. With that pick, the former Ohio State star will join a stacked Rams receiving group that also includes Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
As for Cleveland, the Browns are always looking to add future picks, so they'd likely be thrilled to add a second-rounder for next year. The Browns also have a roster that has plenty holes, so they would likely be able to find someone they like at 13th overall.
The Giants will be going into the draft with two top-10 picks, but they won't be the only team with that honor, because the Jets are going to join them after making a splashy trade with the Commanders. Going into the draft, the Jets have four of the first 44 picks, so they certainly have the ammo to make a big trade.
Let's take a look at the Jets' first four picks currently sit:
For this trade, we're going to have the Jets keep the second overall pick, but the bold prediction here is that they trade the 16th overall pick to the Commanders.
The Jets then use the seventh overall pick to grab a receiver. In this case, we're going to have them take Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson. Going into the draft, the Jets' biggest needs are arguably at pass rusher and receiver, and they've now filled those needs with their first two picks. In this deal, they were also able to hold on to the 33rd overall pick, which leaves the door open for them to possibly grab Ty Simpson.
As for the Commanders, they have just six picks in the draft, which is tied for the fourth-fewest in the NFL. As of right now, the Commanders don't have a second-round pick OR a fourth-round pick, but they would get both of those in this trade with the Jets.