2026 NFL draft intel, notes: What Adam Schefter is hearing - ESPN

The 2026 NFL draft begins Thursday night in Pittsburgh, so it's a good time to share some intel and insights from around the league.

Every draft has its surprises, and everyone will spend this week trying to figure out what will happen once Round 1 begins. A few days before the 2025 draft, this column suggested, «New [Jaguars] GM James Gladstone — who has 10 picks to work with, including four in the top 90 — might not be that predictable. As one league executive said recently: 'Jacksonville is a wild card — watch.'»

Sure enough, moments after the Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 selection, the Jaguars traded the No. 5 pick, a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder and a future first-rounder to the Browns in exchange for a fourth-rounder, sixth-rounder and the No. 2 pick — which Jacksonville used on cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. The trade had actually been agreed to roughly two weeks before the draft and managed to stay quiet until the Browns were on the clock, per sources.

Two years ago, a few days before the 2024 draft, this column stated: «One NFL general manager said he believes 'there is an undercurrent of support for Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix,' even though his team doesn't have a first-round grade on either. This particular general manager said he believes both Penix and Nix are Day 2 picks. Some teams disagree, and there now is speculation Penix could go as high as No. 8 to the Falcons.» It turned out to be the exact spot where Penix was picked.

Now, there could be more surprises. What follows is information about the 2026 draft accumulated over weeks of calls to NFL front offices and coaching staffs. Let's again try to get a sense of what each team might do.

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