As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, NFL.com is keeping you up to date with the latest reports, rumors and rumblings from NFL Network, ESPN and team officials. Here's what we're learning Friday ahead of tonight's second and third round.
Perhaps the biggest shock from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday was the Los Angeles Rams selecting quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick.
With reigning MVP Matthew Stafford still playing at a high level -- albeit on a year-to-year basis -- L.A. decided to draft for the future rather than add an immediate impact player on a team with legit Super Bowl aspirations.
The Alabama product was also projected by most to be a second-round pick, at best, in the lead up to the draft. However, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero had been leaving a trail of bread crumbs the past few weeks linking the Rams to Simpson.
On Friday morning, Pelissero laid out the details of how the Rams were a big factor in Simpson's decision to even enter the draft in the first place as the 23-year-old and his family were contemplating his next move.
"One of the people that he leaned heavily on and told him in December, the floor is first round for Ty Simpson was Les Snead, the Rams' general manager," Pelissero explained on Good Morning Football. "You fast forward in the coming weeks, again, as Alabama is going to the Rose Bowl and there's going to be discussion about, all right, all the money is moving in college football at this point. Miami's offering $5 million for Ty Simpson to come there and play college football in 2026 ... they come back and they offer him $6.5 million. That is more money than the top pick in the second round gets in a signing bonus to play college football. So then they're out there in L.A. for the Rose Bowl. The Rams actually have Ty Simpson's parents over to the facility. They spend time with them. Mom is still on the fence; dad's gathering all the information. And when they asked, why should Ty come out in this draft? The answer, and I'm paraphrasing -- I wasn't in the room -- from Les Snead was, essentially, because I'm gonna take him with the No. 13 pick. Now, there's nothing binding about a conversation or a text message or advice. But that's how convicted Les Snead was about Ty Simpson being a franchise quarterback in the NFL."
Why the Rams felt this way about Simpson was all about how he fit in Sean McVay's offense, per Pelissero.
"The Rams went back, they charted all these plays. You see, so many RPO-based offenses, including for Fernando Mendoza, and it's not NFL style stuff. They charted over 60 snaps where Ty Simpson turns his back to the line of scrimmage on play action, which is a fundamental part of the Sean McVay offense. You see him process pre- and post-snap, you see them make NFL reads and NFL throws. The questions are the size, it's the durability; he's 6-1 and change, was around 200 pounds -- under 200 when he suffered from gastritis at the tail-end of last season. He had elbow bursitis, he had a lower back issue, he cracked his rib and couldn't finish out the Rose Bowl -- those are all chances, in addition to the fact that the guy's only started 15 games. But if you go back and you transfer -- just ask Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar -- you can get over evaluated sometimes. Teams can pick at all your scabs if they have too much tape and you start to look at them, and break in all the things he can't do versus what he can.
"The upside is still there for Ty Simpson. The Rams are betting on that upside in a big way by using the No. 13 pick. ... For Les Snead, he is setting this thing up for the long haul. It doesn't happen very often, particularly when a player is playing at as high level as Matthew Stafford. But you have to understand, this is what it was going to take for the Rams to get him. Les Snead was on this for months. This was not willy-nilly, we got stuck, and we took a guy. This was Les Sneed's guy, and we'll find out in the years to come how well it works."
Much was made about McVay's disposition following the first round as the Rams head coach met with the media alongside general manager Les Snead. McVay had brief answers, declined to tell what he told Simpson on the draft call and made it a point to declare L.A. was still Stafford's team, which breathed the thought of his unhappiness to some.
Despite the mind readers and body-language experts, there were no surprises in the Rams' draft room on Thursday night, according to Pelissero, who added that the club informed Stafford of their plan to take Simpson ahead of time.
-- Michael Baca
Eight teams set to join draft party on Friday
During a memorable first round on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, there were eight trades, nine offensive linemen were selected, and an eye-popping seven teams made multiple opening-round choices, led by the New York Jets and their three selections.
That means there were a staggering eight teams who were left out of the opening-round dance, meaning 25% of the NFL didn't select a prospect on Thursday.
That's slated to change on Friday.
The San Francisco 49ers (No. 33 overall) are scheduled to lead off the festivities after trading out of the first round last night after swaps with the Jets and Miami Dolphins. After that, the Buffalo Bills (35), Cincinnati Bengals (41), Indianapolis Colts (47), Atlanta Falcons (48), Green Bay Packers (52), Jacksonville Jaguars (56) and Denver Broncos (62) are set to join the fray.
Half of the first-round picks were traded at one point, which is tied for second all time in a first round in the Common Draft Era (since 1967).
Also notable, while there were seven clubs with multiple picks, there were nine schools that had multiple players selected. Tops among them, unsurprisingly was Ohio State: Carnell Tate (Titans; No. 4 overall), Arvell Reese (Giants; No. 5), Sonny Styles (Commanders, No. 7), and Caleb Downs (Cowboys, No. 11).
Wild as Thursday was, Friday figures to have plenty more trades and is expected to have all 32 teams in the mix.
-- Grant Gordon
Kayden McDonald returning to green room for Day 2
Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald fell out of the first round, but that won't prevent him from having his moment on the NFL draft stage.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell went to see McDonald after Round 1 on Thursday night and invited him to come back for Friday's festivities so he can give him a hug on stage once selected, per ESPN. After extending their stay in Pittsburgh, McDonald and his family will be in the green room for Rounds 2 and 3.
McDonald, a run-stopping specialist, portends to be an early selection on Day 2.
-- Michael Baca
Malachi Lawrence was on Cowboys' radar for months
Dallas bolstered its defense in Round 1 by taking safety Caleb Downs and defense end Malachi Lawrence.
The haul required some maneuvering as the Cowboys traded up to take Downs and traded back a few spots to eventually draft Lawrence. Some mock drafts, including NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's final one, had Dallas taking Lawrence with its second first-round pick while others had the UCF pass rusher going later. (Jeremiah also predicted the Cowboys drafting Downs).
For Cowboys fans thinking Lawrence was a reach, Will McClay, the club's vice president of player personnel, has something to say.
"We'll see when we turn on the lights," McClay told NFL Network's Jane Slater on Thursday night. McClay added that four other teams called to tell him Dallas got their guy, per Slater.
Lawrence had been on the Cowboys' radar since November once college scout Chris Vaughn caught wind of him, McClay added. The Cowboys' new assistant defensive line coach, Demeitre Brim, was a defensive analyst for UCF last season.
-- Michael Baca
Rueben Bain emotional after Buccaneers catch pass rusher's fall
Rueben Bain, who was projected by many to be a top 10 pick, fell to the Buccaneers at No. 15 overall. The Miami pass rusher was emotional once learning who caught his fall, and it produced a memorable draft call.
"What are you doing for the next 5-10 years?" general manager Jason Licht asked Bain on the phone.
"I'm a Buc," Bain replied, trying to hold back his tears.
"All right," Licht said. "You can stop pretending like you love every team -- now you're a Buc."
Bain's fall was a surprise, but where he landed might end up becoming a blessing for both parties. He heads to a defensive mastermind in Todd Bowles, whose expertise in attacking quarterbacks has produced several pass-rushing stars in the NFL.
Bowles, smiling ear to ear, took the phone from Licht and addressed his new pass rusher perfectly to cap off a great moment for Tampa Bay and its newest rookie.
"Big Bain!" Bowles exclaimed. "... Can't wait to get you up here. You'll fit right in with these guys, man. Play just like you did in college and you'll be just fine."
-- Michael Baca
Niners GM John Lynch explains trading out of first round
Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft will begin with the San Francisco 49ers on the clock to kick off Round 2.
The Niners traded back in the first round before trading out of it entirely to gain some draft capital. General manager John Lynch explained his decisions having to do with a few players being unavailable, beginning with their initial spot at No. 27 overall.
"I think it's the way the board fell," Lynch told reporters Thursday night. "There were a couple of -- a few -- players that we would've taken, had they been there. That didn't happen. We had done our due diligence. Probably about this time last week, we started making calls, 'Hey, if we were to get back ...'
"And I think the reason why, I think this was a draft where a lot of people were trying to move back. And so, you wanted to get ahead. We had a couple of deals secured. The second deal was from a team we didn't have secured, but we had made contact with. We were able to swap a fourth for a third in one deal. We were able to pick up some things to move back three spots."
San Francisco is set with three picks on Day 2, beginning with No. 33 overall and pick Nos. 58 (second round) and 90 (third round).
-- Michael Baca
Spencer Fano excited to play in Cleveland for numerous reasons
The Browns traded back from the No. 6 pick and still fulfilled a huge need by drafting Spencer Fano, who was taken with the ninth overall selection on Thursday night.
Fano, an offensive tackle out of Utah, introduced himself to the Cleveland media on Friday and expressed his excitement of not having to face Myles Garrett in the pros.
"One of my first thoughts was 'I don't have to play against Myles Garrett on Sundays," Fano said. "So, that's something to be excited about."
As for facing Garrett -- the NFL's reigning single-season sack king -- in practice?
"There's no better way for me to get better," Fano replied. "Maybe the best player in the world."
Fano said his favorite thing so far has been meeting with the Browns coaches. As for his second favorite?
"My second favorite thing has been the traffic," Fano smirked. "I was here at 5 p.m. on my visit and there was nothing but green lights. That was unbelievable."
-- Michael Baca
