NFL Draft Set for Big Moves

Morning Edition

April 20, 2026

POWERED BY

Six NFL teams now hold multiple first-round picks, which could make Thursday night’s first round of the NFL Draft more unpredictable. Will that lead to more high-priced trades—or a quieter night than expected?

—David Rumsey

First Up

Jon Rahm won LIV Golf’s Mexico City event to cap a rocky week for the league, which is still facing questions about its future. Read the story.
Braylon Mullins decided to skip the NBA draft and return to UConn after a standout freshman season that included a game-winning Elite Eight shot. Read the story.
New York Liberty stars, including Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, took pay cuts to stay together and chase another WNBA title. Read the story.
Kansas City approved up to $600 million for a new downtown Royals stadium, but the team still has key hurdles to clear. Read the story.

NFL Draft Shake-Up: 6 Teams Now With Multiple First-Round Picks

Beaver County Times

The 2026 NFL Draft week is kicking off with six franchises holding multiple first-round picks after yet another blockbuster deal over the weekend.

The Giants acquired the No. 10 pick in a trade with the Bengals that sent defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II to Cincinnati.

First-Round Firepower

New York joins five other clubs that already hold multiple picks in Thursday’s opening round due to previous trades.

Jets: No. 2 and No. 16
Giants: No. 5 and No. 10
Browns: No. 6 and No. 24
Chiefs: No. 9 and No. 29
Dolphins: No. 11 and No. 30
Cowboys: No. 12 and No. 20

With several days still to go before the Raiders are officially on the clock in Pittsburgh, further activity this week or on Thursday night could lead to this draft challenging the record of nine teams that ended up with multiple first-round picks in 2022. Typically, there are multiple draft-night trades, with teams acquiring an additional first-round selection or moving up or down in the opening round.

QB Talent Pool

Unlike the record-tying six quarterbacks taken two years ago in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there is a lack of consensus high-end quarterbacks in this year’s class beyond Indiana star and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is widely considered the only other potential first-round QB.

Due to the lack of young, promising signal callers, more teams may be willing to part with their first-round picks—and some may be hoping to stockpile picks in next year’s draft, when the likes of Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore are projected to be among the top selections.

The six teams currently without first-round picks are the Bengals, Broncos, Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, and Packers.

ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network—now under Disney ownership—will have live coverage of the first round on Thursday, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Cashing In

As the NFL salary cap surpasses $300 million for the first time during the 2026 season, teams will also be committing more than $863 million in guaranteed contracts to first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The top three picks are each projected to make more than $50 million in their four-year rookie deals:

No. 1: $54.56 million
No. 2: $52.1 million
No. 3: $50.53 million
No. 4: $48.74 million
No. 5: $45.61 million

This is the 16th year of the NFL’s rookie wage scale, which was implemented in 2011, when No. 1 pick Cam Newton signed a four-year contract with the Panthers worth $22 million.

The New Era of Sports Media

Sports media isn’t just evolving—it’s accelerating. Live sports still dominate the ratings, but the power players are multiplying. Leagues are rethinking media rights. Streamers are doubling down. On-air stars are building empires. Women’s sports continue their surge. And the battle for live games, betting integration, and global audiences is reshaping the business in real time.

Last year, Tuned In, presented by Elevate, brought together industry heavyweights—from Adam Silver and Rob Manfred to Jimmy Pitaro, Maria Taylor, and Stephen A. Smith—for candid, newsmaking conversations in New York City.

On Oct. 13, Tuned In returns to The Times Center for its third edition. Join the broadcasters, executives, dealmakers, and league leaders driving the future of sports media.

Register now to secure your seat.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Room to Grow

The Indianapolis Star

“I’ve got a ways to go, still.”

—Caitlin Clark, as she opened training camp with the Indiana Fever on Sunday, reflecting on her limited playoff experience after just two years in the WNBA—and that she still has much to prove.

Clark, one of the league’s biggest draws, appeared in just 13 games last season due to injury but is entering 2026 focused on staying healthy and continuing her development. Even with the missed time, she and the Fever still drove strong TV ratings and packed arenas. Read the story.

Can you list the top five picks in the 2026 WNBA draft?

STATUS REPORT

Three Up, One Down

Mets ⬇ New York lost its 11th game in a row Sunday, a 2-1 defeat against the Cubs, marking the club’s longest losing streak since 2004. The Mets, which had MLB’s second-highest opening day luxury-tax payroll of $371.7 million, are 7-15 through 22 games—the worst record in baseball.

Tyler Reddick ⬆ The NASCAR driver won Sunday’s Cup Series race in Kansas—his fifth victory this season through just nine races. Driving for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, Reddick’s continued success comes after he became the first NASCAR driver to win the first three Cup Series races of a season.

MLS ⬆ A crowd of 75,824 fans attended Inter Miami’s 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday, marking the second-highest single-game attendance in league history. Lionel Messi scored two goals in Miami’s first match under new interim coach Guillermo Hoyos.

LPGA ⬆ The prize money at this past weekend’s JM Eagle LA Championship was raised by $1 million to $4.75 million, making it the highest purse on the LPGA Tour outside of the major championships and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. The announcement was made during Saturday’s broadcast by Walter Wang, the CEO of the company that sponsors the event.