2026 NFL Draft rumors: Jermod McCoy’s stock falling? Steelers trading pass rusher?

Dexter Lawrence’s stunning trade from the Giants to the Bengals may be a foreshadowing of things to come leading up to and during the 2026 NFL Draft. With Lawrence’s trade still reverberating across the league, rumors regarding draft prospects and notable players were bubbling with the start of the draft less than 72 hours away. 

Before we get into those rumors, let’s first briefly revisit the Lawrence trade that sent shockwaves through the NFL on Saturday night. In order to acquire the three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, the Bengals gave the Giants the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, which means that New York now has two top 10 picks. This will clearly alter the course of the first round as teams try to discern what the Giants will do with the No. 5 and No. 10 overall picks. 

Lawrence’s trade has led to rampant speculation as seemingly everyone is trying to predict the next domino to fall in what has become one of the craziest periods on the NFL calendar. Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest rumors from Monday’s news cycle. 

Jermod McCoy’s draft stock is sinking 

You could argue that no player’s stock has been more volatile than that of former Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. While he’s regarded by several pundits as the top corner in this class talent-wise, McCoy didn’t play a single snap this past season after tearing his ACL in January 2025. That naturally led to concerns about where he could get drafted, but McCoy appeared to solidify his first-round status and potential top 10-pick status with an impressive pro day, where he ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash.

However, McCoy is now +850 to be a top 10 pick this Thursday, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and has a new draft position of Over/Under 17.5 with the Over heavily juiced at -500. So, what happened? Well, McCoy’s medicals are scaring teams off.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported that the ACL he had reconstructed is not the issue, but there’s concern about a bone plug that was used to repair a cartilage defect in McCoy’s knee. There are reportedly some doctors that have seen his scans, and believe McCoy needs another procedure, which would require an “extensive” recovery. It’s a situation similar to that of cornerback Will Johnson in last year’s draft, where a top 10 talent fell out of the first round completely due to concerns about his knee.

Steelers open to trading Alex Highsmith/Nick Herbig? 

A high-level personnel executive of an NFL team reportedly told Yahoo Sports that they think the Steelers will trade one of their two pass rushers. This report has fueled speculation about both players’ and futures in Pittsburgh leading up to the draft. 

This isn’t the first time that Highsmith and Herbig have been rumored in a possible trade. Specifically, Highsmith’s has been associated with trade rumors since Herbig — a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — played well in relief of an injured Highsmith during the 2024 season. Herbig followed up his success that season by finishing second to Highsmith for the team lead with 7.5 sacks in 2025. 

The rumors regarding both players are likely driven by the fact that the Steelers have an embarrassment of riches at outside linebacker that also includes 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt and promising 2025 fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer. Given this depth, the Steelers could certainly be compelled to trade either Highsmith or Herbig if the compensation is right. 

If they were to trade either Highsmith or Herbig, though, the Steelers would lose valuable depth at one of the most important positions: pass rusher. Given Watt’s recent injury history, it might make more sense for Pittsburgh to hold onto Highsmith and Herbig for the upcoming season while giving Sawyer another season of seasoning. 

If Pittsburgh were to part with either player, it would likely require a team giving up a Day 2 pick for 2027, which the Steelers could possibly use to help secure their long-term solution at quarterback. 

Steelers in the market for a left tackle 

Pittsburgh also made headlines after it was reported that starting left tackle Broderick Jones suffered a setback to the neck injury that he sustained last season which has led to uncertainty about his status for the start of training camp.

Offensive tackle was already a first-round possibility for the Steelers, who own the 21st overall pick. Now, with the news of Jones’ setback, it appears that the chances are even higher that Pittsburgh will take an offensive tackle in the first round for the third time in four years. 

Jones’ setback could lead to a staggering number of offensive tackles selected on Thursday night. To that point, in his latest mock draft, CBS Sports draft expert R.J. White has seven offensive linemen being selected in the first round. He has the Steelers taking former Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling with the 21st pick. 

Simpson a first-round lock? 

Since Kyler Murray signed with Minnesota, it has appeared to be a foregone conclusion that the Cardinals will try to replace Murray with Ty Simpson, who played well during his one season as Alabama’s starting quarterback. 

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones has the Cardinals — who own the No. 3 overall pick — trading back into the first round to select Simpson with the 30th overall pick, a pick that is currently owned by the Dolphins. 

“I resisted getting on this bandwagon, but the noise across the league is impossible to ignore,” Smith wrote. “Arizona is linked to Simpson more than any other team, and it moves up a few spots from 34 to make sure it grabs him.” 

Update on Garrett Nussmeier

Nussmeier, the former LSU quarterback who is projected to be a mid-round pick, underwent tests at the NFL combine that revealed a cyst on his spine — the root cause of the persistent oblique pain that derailed his 2025 season, according to NFL Network. 

The cyst was reportedly pressing on a nerve which caused discomfort in Nussmeier’s oblique. Nussmeier has been asymptomatic since just prior to the Senior Bowl and all throughout the draft process. If that changes, however, Nussmeier could undergo a minimally invasive procedure and would miss 2-3 weeks. Regardless, doctors have reportedly said there is no short- or long-term risk for Nussmeier, who is CBS Sports’ third-ranked quarterback prospect behind Fernando Mendoza and Simpson. 

A.J. Brown update 

A trade that would send the Eagles’ star receiver to the Patriots is still on the table, according to ESPN. While the two sides have reportedly discussed a deal, neither one has been willing to commit to it until after June 1, which is when Brown’s $40 million salary cap charge would be split between this year and next.

At this point, it appears that the Patriots are the clear front-runner to land Brown, who played a key role in the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl win. That being said, there is certainly a chance that another team enters the conversation, especially if that team is willing to take on more of Brown’s salary. 

Richardson among other possible trade targets 

Colts quarterback and former first-round pick Anthony Richardson is among the players ESPN has tabbed as a potential trade candidate either before or during the draft. Other potential candidates include Titans quarterback Will Levis, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II, Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, Bills receiver Keon Coleman, and 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk.