We are getting closer to the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, and we already have one massive trade in the books, a trade that will impact the top 10. Here’s the latest on how the Giants’ trade of Dexter Lawrence will impact their early draft strategy, as well as a few first-round surprise names being tossed around inside league circles.

Giants Win The Trade

The New York Giants trading Dexter Lawrence should not come as a surprise to anyone, as it was something we mentioned would happen during last week’s edition of the Draftcast. The fact that the Cincinnati Bengals gave away the 10th pick of the draft for Lawrence is surprising.

The Bengals desperately needed help on the interior of their defensive line, and Lawrence seems to be a good fit on paper. Yet Lawrence did most of his damage at nose tackle for the New York Giants and now slots into the middle of the Bengals’ four-man front. Hence, there’s no guarantee Cincinnati will get the player who dominated just two years ago when he posted a career-best nine sacks and eight TFLs in just 12 games. There’s also the concern that, while Lawrence has shown himself to be a great player at times, he’s not a very hard worker from Monday through Saturday, part of the reason he wanted to be traded away from John Harbaugh.

For the Giants, the trade checked many boxes. They got rid of a potential headache in what would’ve been a showdown with Lawrence on his contract. And while a hole was created in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line, Harbaugh has a good history of developing players at that spot. The pick they acquired from Cincinnati enables them to address the offense with the 10th selection, either an offensive lineman or a receiver, after taking the best player available with the fifth choice.

Sources tell me they believe the Giants will use the 10th pick on a receiver, as there is a concern that Malik Nabers may not be 100 percent by Week 1 after the knee injury he suffered last season in late September.

Surprise Picks In The First Round

As we get closer to the draft, the chatter is getting louder about surprise picks in the bottom half of Round 1. So which teams are talked about as pulling shockers right now, just a few days out from the start of the draft?

Most I’ve spoken with say keep an eye on picks 20, 21, and 22, presently owned by the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Los Angeles Chargers.

I’m told cornerback Chris Johnson and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez are in play for the Cowboys with the 20th pick, their second selection in the initial round. Ideally, the team would like to trade down from that slot and then select either of the two. Last week, I mentioned that it’s looking more and more as though Johnson will be a first-round pick, and with uncertainty surrounding the knee of Jermod McCoy and Avieon Terrell struggling with injury during the pre-draft process, now it seems like a sure thing.

Rodriguez is also being spoken about as a possibility for the Buffalo Bills at the 26th pick. In my prior first-round mock draft, I had Buffalo selecting CJ Allen of Georgia. I’m told that the Bills, who don’t have a selection until pick No. 91 after their choice in the initial frame, have been doing an insane amount of work on the off-ball linebackers.

The other surprise name in the middle of Round 1 is Chase Bisontis. Both the Steelers and Chargers think highly of the offensive guard, as they like his versatility and upside, making the TAMU junior a real possibility at those picks.

Titans Can’t Go Wrong At 4

The belief from those close to the Titans organization I’ve spoken with is that the Titans can’t go wrong at pick No. 4. This is due to a combination of the team having so many needs and the players expected to be available to them fitting those needs.

I mentioned from the Senior Bowl that edge rusher David Bailey fits the Titans defense like a duck on water, and I’m told he is the game-changer new head coach Robert Saleh covets. Yet it’s unlikely the Texas Tech product falls into the Titans’ laps.

The team likes both Sonny Styles and Jermiyah Love, yet it believes the Ohio State linebacker is the safer pick for their scheme.

Would the Titans take Rueben Bain Jr.? I’m told they would not take him with the fourth pick; rather, they would consider Bain if they trade down and he were available to them.