2026 NFL Draft Rumor Tracker

Player mentions

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There’s a saying that the last few months leading up to the NFL Draft are “smokescreen season” as teams try to obscure their plans in the hopes that their favorite players won’t get sniped before their picks. While most of the tape grinding and scouting gets done in the fall, there is still plenty of new information during the pre-draft process, from all-star games to the Combine to workouts, interviews and visits. Sorting fact from fiction gets harder and harder the closer it gets to the end of April. For the first time here at NFL Trade Rumors, we’re going to try to get a handle on that whole process. We’ll be tracking rumors as they come up from now until the NFL Draft. The goal is by the time the draft is done, we’ll have a virtual paper trail to look back at. From there, we can see where the narratives and reality matched up — or didn’t. This is a great companion resource to use with our 2026 NFL Draft Visit Tracker . Be sure to keep checking back to both for updates as the NFL draft gets closer. Last update: 3/18 Caleb Downs On the Pat McAfee Show , McAfee revealed an NFL team told him Ohio State S Caleb Downs ‘ draft stock won’t drop because of his medicals, and there is no significant concern about his knee. (3/3) It was previously reported by Cory Kinnan that Downs had a couple of issues flagged during his medical check at the combine, including a partially torn meniscus and a potentially degenerative ACL. McAfee said that all of the five-plus teams they talked to said they weren’t too concerned about Downs’ knee and it wouldn’t impact his stock. Quarterbacks The buzz at the Combine was that Alabama QB Ty Simpson could be drafted earlier than expected, perhaps in the top 12 picks. ( Tony Pauline , 3/1) It was hard to find teams at the Senior Bowl that had a first-round grade on Alabama QB Ty Simpson , who declared early for the 2026 Draft. ( Matt Miller , 2/2) However, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero would be surprised if the leaguewide demand, paired with the flashes on tape, didn’t drive up the cost for Simpson. He mentioned the Jets and Rams specifically: “I would be surprised sitting here right now not only if Ty Simpson doesn’t go in the first round. I don’t think Ty Simpson gets out of the first half of Round 1.” ( Rich Eisen Show , 2/14) Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema thinks signs are pointing toward Simpson going in the first round: “The more I talk to people in Mobile, the more I talk to people at the Senior Bowl, the more that it just feels like Simpson doesn’t declare if he’s not going to be a first-round pick. I think he got some pretty good intel from the league that they’re like, ‘Hey man, why don’t you get in this class. Why don’t you go ahead and make sure that you’re in this class.'” ( NFL Stock Exchange Podcast , 1/30) Multiple personnel executives have a second-round grade on North Dakota State QB Cole Payton and believe he’s the second-best QB in the draft: “But I don’t think this kid from North Dakota State is that far behind him. I really don’t. Two or three years from now, I think he can be there with (Mendoza). We think he’s gone early two (second-round). And somebody probably shot on him at the end of day one. Everything I’ve been telling you about him since November, people who are doing the work are seeing it too. This kid can play.” ( Jason La Canfora , 2/16) Jeremiyah Love Adam Schefter would be surprised if the Titans took Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love with the No. 4 pick. He thinks Love’s draft rang…