3 teams to watch make potential big trade in 2026 NFL Draft: Cowboys, Rams and Jags
Latest NFL mock draft | Big Boards: Consensus Top 75 • Nate Tice • Charles McDonald
The three most interesting teams to watch in the 2026 NFL Draft from a trade perspective are the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The buzz about a Dallas move up the board is flying around the league right now, which surprises me after having talked with a talent evaluator in that franchise while putting together the 2026 All-Juice team in late March and early April. The impression I got was the Cowboys’ front office actually likes the player possibilities at their current first-round draft slots at Nos. 12 and 20 and felt like they could get future starters at those spots because of this draft’s defensive depth.
Also, the Cowboys are getting top heavy in salary and that could get worse with some future extensions, lending value to having two rookie contracts with five years of potential club control.
All of that said, I know this is really in Jerry Jones’ hands (with the better angels of Stephen Jones on his shoulder), so if there’s a player sitting in the 4-5-6 slot whom they are convinced is a future All-Pro, a willing trade partner will be sought. Even with that, I find it odd that this surface-of-the-sun heat about a Dallas move up the board would get out and be completely accurate more than a full week before the first round. More often than not, those big moves predicted so early don’t end up happening.
As for the Rams, the seemingly endless Puka Nacua drama and depth chart void after Davante Adams has me convinced they’ll target some kind of big-play weapon at No. 13 overall. It depends who is on the board or whether they might sacrifice some future draft capital to move up a few spots. I think other teams are forecasting the Rams for an offensive skill position pick, too. So things could get spicy on the draft board in the Nos. 7-12 range.
And with the Jaguars — who lack a first-round pick — I’m curious to see how general manager James Gladstone navigates having 11 draft picks, but having to wait until No. 56 overall to make a selection. I know they’ve said Brian Thomas Jr. is not available for trade, but I’ve heard teams say that before, only to see that change in the days before the draft or on the clock.
The Jaguars and Gladstone already have a reputation for liking to trade and churn. I’ll be surprised if this is a quiet draft where they sit put with their picks.
