play1:50Why Graziano says Cardinals should avoid drafting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3Dan Graziano discusses why taking Jeremiyah Love early in the NFL draft could be a bad financial decision.
play0:49Caleb Downs’ NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
play1:17Stephen A.: Cowboys’ 2026 letdown could begin on draft nightStephen A. Smith weighs in on the position the Cowboys find themselves in ahead of the first round of the NFL draft.
Matt MillerCloseMatt MillerNFL draft analystMatt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Matt spent 11 years as a senior draft analyst at Bleacher Report.Follow on X and Jeremy FowlerCloseJeremy Fowlersenior NFL national reporterJeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsApr 22, 2026, 04:25 PM ET
Mendoza: It would be a dream come true to play for Tom Brady (1:33)Fernando Mendoza joins “The Rich Eisen Show” to discuss his eagerness to play for Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. (1:33)
Why Graziano says Cardinals should avoid drafting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3Dan Graziano discusses why taking Jeremiyah Love early in the NFL draft could be a bad financial decision.
Dan Graziano discusses why taking Jeremiyah Love early in the NFL draft could be a bad financial decision.
Stephen A.: Cowboys’ 2026 letdown could begin on draft nightStephen A. Smith weighs in on the position the Cowboys find themselves in ahead of the first round of the NFL draft.
Stephen A. Smith weighs in on the position the Cowboys find themselves in ahead of the first round of the NFL draft.
PROJECTED TRADE: Cardinals make a deal with the Texans, move back into Round 1
28. Arizona Cardinals (via projected trade with HOU)
When the 2026 NFL draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday in Pittsburgh (ESPN, ABC and ESPN App), we’re confident that the first pick will have the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Of course, this could all be made moot on Thursday with a trade or an unexpected pick, especially in a year in which prospects with first-round grades are few and far between. But this is Matt and Jeremy’s best attempt to forecast the rapidly approaching draft.
Here is what we’re hearing entering Thursday, including information on when the second quarterback (Ty Simpson) could be picked, which teams could be the most aggressive, and where the elite Ohio State foursome might end up. We even forecast a trade! We’ll start things off with Mendoza and the Raiders.
Fowler’s intel: The Jets had settled on their pick as of late last week and have shifted to the No. 16 selection and how the board might fall there. The team had not received any inquiries for the No. 2 pick as of midday Wednesday. My potential sleeper QB for the Jets in the middle rounds is Carson Beck (Miami).
Fowler’s intel: The Love buzz has persisted for a few weeks, with the belief that Arizona really likes him. But the Cardinals could be looking to drum up trade interest, too, with either Love or Reese as a catalyst. The draft, in a way, starts at No. 3. And some teams are wondering if Arizona is bluffing on the Love pick when edge rusher and offensive tackle are such obvious needs.
Why Graziano says Cardinals should avoid drafting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3
Here’s another team that would love to trade down in Round 1. However, there’s not a logical trading partner for the Titans at this point of the draft, especially with the top two edge rushers off the board. Mike Borgonzi would start his second draft as Titans GM by getting my top-ranked player in the class, as Love is an impact running back to pair with second-year quarterback Cam Ward.
Fowler’s intel: Tennessee has considered linebacker Sonny Styles (Ohio State) at this spot, per a source. The Titans like his game. One of the top edge rushers would also be an option, and possibly an offensive tackle such as Spencer Fano (Utah). Rival teams say Love makes a lot of sense for Tennessee to help Ward.
Fowler’s intel: The Giants’ coaching staff is very high on Tyson. So, if New York prioritizes such a thing, Tyson very well could become a Giant. But if Love falls to No. 5, there will be some in the building who will be lobbying for him to become the pick.
Fowler’s intel: Fano is also an offensive tackle who has been matched to the Browns in league circles late in the process. “That makes a lot of sense for the Browns,” a veteran NFL personnel evaluator told me.
Fowler’s intel: Teams I’ve talked to believe Styles would be a dream Dan Quinn pick, but they also wonder whether the Commanders are leaning offense. Wide receiver Carnell Tate (Ohio State) is a popular name here, and Washington has spent a lot of time with him.
The Saints would be upset if Tyson was off the board, but getting another Ohio State wide receiver to join former Buckeye Chris Olave would be a good consolation prize. Tate’s floor seems to be No. 8 overall, with the possibility he could go as early as No. 4. The other consideration here could be another Buckeye in Downs, as the team would love to add an overhang safety in Brandon Staley’s defense.
Fowler’s intel: Tate is considered the “cleanest” receiver prospect among some league personnel evaluators, and the Saints have been linked to him. But it’s possible that Tate is gone before this. Defensive line is also an option here since the Saints have receivers they like on Day 2 such as De’Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss). A pass rusher is also on the table for New Orleans.
Fowler’s intel: Bain is firmly on Kansas City’s radar. The Chiefs would like to address corner, wide receiver and possibly offensive line at some point early in the draft, depending on how things fall. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs, who have worked the phones, sense the Saints would take Bain and try to maneuver. Some people I’ve talked to think that’s at least a possibility.
Caleb Downs’ NFL draft profileCheck out some of the top highlights from Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
Check out some of the top highlights from Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
Fowler’s intel: Dallas is monitoring a trade market that has been quiet so far. The Cowboys are comfortable staying put at Nos. 12 and 20 if need be because they feel they can get impact players at both picks, per a team source. Whether they can get a true blue-chip defensive player at 12 is the question, as this draft is short on them. If the Cowboys do move up, some league scouts believe Styles would be a possible target. At receiver, Dallas has a high grade on Tyson.
The chatter around the Rams trading up in Round 1 to grab one of the top receivers has grown louder. If that isn’t possible, or if the board falls this way, I expect the Rams to stay local and pick Lemon. Could the Rams consider drafting quarterback Ty Simpson (Alabama) here or even after trading down? I was told Los Angeles sees this as a Super Bowl year and plans to use this draft accordingly. “They want impact guys, more like what they did in ’24,” a rival GM said.
Fowler’s intel: Lemon going to the Rams has been a heavy link for a while. “They love him,” a source said. But one GM believes the Rams will look at pass rusher somewhere early in the draft because of rising contract costs for veteran rushers. (Byron Young is a 2027 free agent and Jared Verse enters his third season.) If Los Angeles selects a receiver outside of Day 1, Germie Bernard (Alabama) is a player it has spent time on.
In talking to my sources, no one knows what to expect from the Ravens at this spot. Rival scouts identified two likely players: Ioane and tight end Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon). Ioane is a plug-and-play mauler with elite run-game ability, and there’s a need for a blue-chip interior player with the loss of center Tyler Linderbaum. One source also told me that Baltimore has done considerable work at the safety position, but not necessarily for its Round 1 pick.
The Buccaneers believe they have a talented roster in “win-now” territory, making their Round 1 direction more focused on immediate impact than long-term projects. At 25 years old, Mesidor is an older prospect who should be able to play right away after racking up 12.5 sacks for Miami last season. If Mesidor is not the pick, the Bucs have done a ton of work on the defensive tackle class. This might be too early for any of the DTs, but it will be an early priority.
The Jets weighted their 30 visits toward Round 1-caliber talent, which included Cooper. A source in their scouting department told me the ideal situation with their two first-round picks “is edge and then getting a wide receiver.” If the board falls this way, the Jets are in great shape to address both. When asked if Simpson was in consideration here, I received a quick “no” in reply. The Jets’ next pick is at No. 33, where they could reconsider the Alabama QB.
Fowler’s intel: One team exec told me that Detroit has called around for a potential trade. Though these could be feeler calls, it’s worth noting an offensive tackle run could happen early, with four possibly going in the top 15. And Detroit has an obvious need at one of the tackle spots.
The most widely predicted pick in Round 1 mock drafts after pick No. 1, Thieneman is seen as an ideal fit for the Vikings based on his versatile play and the age of star safety Harrison Smith. The concern in Minnesota, I’m told, is whether Thieneman will make it to this point. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo) would be the fallback plan if he doesn’t. One name mentioned by a Vikings source if the safeties are gone was cornerback Chris Johnson (San Diego State).