NFL · 1 month ago

5 Massive 2026 NFL Draft Night Trades That Will Rock Pittsburgh

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

Have Your Say!
What’s Your Take?

Alright, Birds fans, you’ve seen the hypothetical chaos. Now it’s your turn to tell Howie Roseman how to do his job. Is trading A.J. Brown a necessary evil for the cap, or is it a move that slams our championship window shut?

Which of these trades booms, and which one busts? Rip the trades in the comments or hit us up on which trade you thumbs up. We know you’ve got thoughts—don't be shy.
5 Massive Draft Night Trades That Will Rock Pittsburgh
The 2026 NFL Draft is around the corner, and Pittsburgh has officially been turned into a three-day theater. While the North Shore is buzzing with talk of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to the Raiders, we know the real drama happens when the phones start ringing.

Howie Roseman says he doesn't live under a rock, and he’s clearly been busy. Between the A.J. Brown saga and Jerry Jones being, well, Jerry Jones, the first round is about to get messy. We’ve seen the mock drafts, we’ve heard the rumors, and now it’s time to look at the deals that will actually move the needle.

Here are five draft night trades that could turn the Steel City upside down.
1. The A.J. Brown Blockbuster (New England Patriots)
The Trade:
- Patriots receive: WR A.J. Brown, 2026 6th-round pick (No. 197).
- Eagles receive: 2026 1st-round pick (No. 31), 2026 4th-round pick (No. 125), and WR Kayshon Boutte.
The Skinny: The wait is killing us. We’ve heard the rumors for months, and even with the Rams backing out over concerns about A.J.’s knee, the Patriots are still the frontrunners. Philly has been asking for a first and a second, but New England is playing hardball with a conservative offer.

Here’s the reality: if Howie Roseman takes a receiver like Denzel Boston or Jordyn Tyson at No. 23, the leverage is gone. Trading A.J. before June 1 triggers a massive $43.5 million dead cap hit, so expect this deal to be agreed upon now and finalized later to save Philly $7 million.
3. The Mahomes Insurance Policy (Kansas City Chiefs & Dallas Cowboys)
The Trade:
- Chiefs receive: Pick No. 20.
- Cowboys receive: Pick No. 29, 2026 3rd-round pick, and a swap of 5th-rounders.
The Skinny: The Chiefs went 6-11 last year, the worst of the Andy Reid era, after Patrick Mahomes went down with an ACL tear behind a gutted offensive line. They cannot let that happen again.

Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor is a 6-foot-7, 352-pound mountain of a man who co-won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy. He’s inconsistent, but the ceiling is All-Pro. The Chiefs move up nine spots to jump ahead of tackle-needy teams and secure the blindside for the next decade.
4. Brad Holmes Finds the Sewell Bookend (Detroit Lions & LA Rams)
The Trade:
- Lions receive: Pick No. 13.
- Rams receive: Pick No. 17, 2026 5th-round pick, and a 2027 3rd-rounder.
The Skinny: Lions GM Brad Holmes loves trading with his old boss, Les Snead. Taylor Decker is gone, and Detroit needs a long-term solution opposite Alaric Jackson.

Utah’s Spencer Fano is the target. He’s an athletic people mover with quick feet who won the Outland Trophy in 2025. Some evaluators worry about his arm length, but the Lions have proven they don't care about proportional builds if the tape is elite.
5. The Jets’ Massive Overdraft (NY Jets & Indianapolis Colts)
The Trade:
- Colts receive: Pick No. 16.
- Jets receive: Pick No. 22, Pick No. 55, Pick No. 123, and a 2027 3rd-rounder.
The Skinny: The Jets are a mess. They have No. 2 and No. 16, and while everyone expects them to take Arvell Reese at two, the No. 16 pick is where it gets weird.

Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn are reportedly high on Alabama QB Ty Simpson, but taking him at 16 is a massive overdraft. In this scenario, the Jets trade back to No. 22 with the Chargers, pick up a boatload of Day 2 capital, and then take Simpson. They still get their developmental project to sit behind Geno Smith, and they actually get some value for it.
Have Your Say!
What’s Your Take?

Alright, Birds fans, you’ve seen the hypothetical chaos. Now it’s your turn to tell Howie Roseman how to do his job. Is trading A.J. Brown a necessary evil for the cap, or is it a move that slams our championship window shut?

Which of these trades booms, and which one busts? Rip the trades in the comments or hit us up on which trade you thumbs up. We know you’ve got thoughts—don't be shy.
5 Massive Draft Night Trades That Will Rock Pittsburgh
The 2026 NFL Draft is around the corner, and Pittsburgh has officially been turned into a three-day theater. While the North Shore is buzzing with talk of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 overall to the Raiders, we know the real drama happens when the phones start ringing.

Howie Roseman says he doesn't live under a rock, and he’s clearly been busy. Between the A.J. Brown saga and Jerry Jones being, well, Jerry Jones, the first round is about to get messy. We’ve seen the mock drafts, we’ve heard the rumors, and now it’s time to look at the deals that will actually move the needle.

Here are five draft night trades that could turn the Steel City upside down.