The top 12 storylines for the NFL Draft, including landing spots for Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson and AJ Brown

That conversation about the 2027 draft could affect trades too. Teams presumably won’t want to trade 2027 picks for picks this year. That could slow down trades. We could see teams move up or down by swapping 2026 picks, but are teams really looking for extra draft capital this year? Once Dexter Lawrence got traded to the Bengals, there aren’t many veterans who are obvious trade candidates (though there are still some interesting names who could move). We’ll see if Veach’s prediction comes true.

Where will A.J. Brown go?

The one big name who could define draft night is Brown, the disgruntled Eagles star. A trade involving Brown has been speculated on for months, and everyone seems to think the Patriots are the eventual landing spot. That would be a massive move for both the Eagles and Patriots, or whoever does land Brown, one of the best receivers in the NFL. Brown has already been traded once during the draft. If he’s traded during or around it again, it would likely be the biggest story.

Which team takes Ty Simpson?

Teams get in trouble when they talk themselves into quarterbacks in a weak class. But they also don’t learn from it. Is Simpson another EJ Manuel, Christian Ponder or Kenny Pickett, or can he develop into a high-end starter? There are traits to like about Simpson, though his inexperience (15 career starts) seems like a potential problem. Simpson probably needs to go to a team that could let him sit all season and learn, though a desperate team like the Cardinals or Jets could take him and mistakenly throw him into the lineup too early. It’s hard to figure out a landing spot for Simpson, which makes him a name to watch.

Cowboys have interesting options

Dallas is always interesting. Love them or hate them, the Cowboys get more attention than anyone else in the NFL. And Dallas could make some moves. The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th overall picks, the latter coming from the Micah Parsons trade. They have many holes on defense. Do they stay at 12 and 20 and take two solid prospects, or move up into the top five for a bigger name? The Cowboys don’t pick again until the third round with the 92nd overall pick, so they have to maximize their first two picks. If they do, a return to the playoffs is a reasonable goal.

Giants double up in top 10

It hurts to trade a player as good as Dexter Lawrence. But the upside for the Giants is they got the 10th pick of the draft from the Bengals for Lawrence, a good return for a player who will turn 29 years old in October. Combine that with the fifth pick, and the fact that the Giants don’t have a need at edge rusher or quarterback, and they’re in pretty good position to get two impact players at positions of need. They can take a receiver, offensive lineman, linebacker, cornerback or safety and it would make sense. And there will be good options at each of those positions when they go on the clock.

Will Rueben Bain Jr. fall?

Bain started the offseason as a possibility to go No. 2 overall. But then there were questions about the length of his arms, which are short for an edge rusher, and then some off-field issues. Bain was still a dominant player at Miami and checks a lot of boxes for NFL teams, but how the questions affect his draft stock is something to watch for draft night. It’s also possible that NFL teams are talking down Bain off the record, in order to take him just a little lower than expected. It’s not like we haven’t seen that play out in the NFL Draft before. Bain is a wild card in the first half of the first round.

Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate as WR1

We might find out which general manager likes to gamble a little. If Tyson had no injury history, he’d likely be the unquestioned top receiver in the class. But injuries were a big story of his college career. Tate is a safer pick, though one with less upside. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Tyson ends up as the first receiver picked, but whoever makes that pick would be second guessed if Tyson ends up being hurt more than he’s on the field, like he was in college. Makai Lemon from USC is also a long shot possibility to be the top receiver off the board.

Jets’ tough choices start at No. 2

The Jets have four picks in the top 44 due to some high-profile trades during last season. That includes the second overall pick, and there are questions there. It would appear the choice is between edge rushers Arvell Reese and David Bailey. Bailey is probably better suited to produce right away, which might please Aaron Glenn and a coaching staff on the hot seat, but Reese has the upside to be the best player in the class. This is a hugely important draft for the Jets, and the pressure starts as soon as the Raiders take Fernando Mendoza to start things off.

Steelers have many questions

The Steelers go into the draft claiming they have no idea if Aaron Rodgers will play this season, which isn’t ideal. Whether that’s true or not, the Steelers are a team to watch. They could be the team to draft Ty Simpson, with an eye on the future at quarterback. Perhaps they unload a veteran pass rusher like Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig from a defense that was too expensive and average last season. It’s also possible the Steelers do nothing exciting and just take another lineman at No. 21, which they’ve done each of the past three drafts. A boring draft would be notable too, given how many options Pittsburgh should have in its first draft since hiring Mike McCarthy as head coach.

Chiefs need a good draft

The Chiefs’ dynasty is at a crossroads. They were better than their 6-11 record last season, but Patrick Mahomes’ recovery from a torn ACL and another year of age for the core of the roster brings in some doubts about their viability as a Super Bowl contender. They did have a silver lining from an awful season, which is drafting ninth overall. It’s their first time in the top 10 since picking Mahomes in 2017. It could be an opportunity to add a difference maker on defense, which would help in an improving division. They also have the 29th overall pick after trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams.

How high does Jeremiyah Love go?

Love is one of the few ready-made superstars in this draft. Yet because running backs have been devalued around the NFL, it’s hard to get a read on where he’ll be taken. A team like the Titans could ignore other needs and take him fourth, the Giants might use one of their two top-10 picks on him at No. 5, or maybe Love slips closer to the back end of the top 10. Love is considered by some to be the best player in the class, but that doesn’t make his landing spot easier to figure out.