2026 NFL Draft: Jeremiyah Love, Bailey, Styles—Top Picks Shaped by Trades
New 2026 NFL Draft scenarios suggest Jeremiyah Love could rise to No. 3, while Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and David Bailey create a ripple effect that could pull Dallas into a trade.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday, and early board-shifting rumors are already coloring how teams may approach the top of the first round.
A key storyline circulating around the league links Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to the Arizona Cardinals at No.. 3—an outcome that would force multiple teams to re-adjust their plans.. In the draft’s opening tier. one unexpected pick can quickly become a chain reaction. and this is exactly the kind of domino effect some observers are anticipating.
If Love is off the board. the next name gaining traction is Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. with the Tennessee Titans positioned as a potential landing spot at No.. 4.. From a team-building perspective. a move like that would fit a broader NFL pattern: when the board falls the way it’s supposed to. franchises aim to secure high-impact defensive starters early. especially linebackers who can affect both coverage responsibilities and the run game.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ No.. 2 decision appears to hinge on a straight-line comparison between two premier defensive prospects—Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.. That sort of fork matters because it’s not simply about “best player available” in a vacuum.. It’s also about what each team’s roster needs most in year one—whether they’re seeking a pass-rushing specialist to change third-down outcomes or an all-around defensive playmaker who can be used in multiple looks.
From there, the ripple expands.. In the scenario where New York passes on one of those players. the one they don’t take would slide to No.. 5, where the New York Giants are slotted.. For the Giants. that’s the draft equivalent of getting a second chance at the same chess piece—because the value of a prospect often changes when he lands in a system that can immediately maximize his strengths.
The most dramatic angle in these rumors is what happens if either Bailey or Reese ends up available at No.. 5.. The buzz suggests it could become “very tempting” for a team like the Dallas Cowboys to trade up—an instinct that aligns with how NFL front offices frequently operate when they believe they can secure a cornerstone player without waiting for later rounds.
Beyond the rumor mill. the practical reality is that the top five often looks less like a fixed bracket and more like a live auction.. Teams move based on what they believe other teams will do. and those beliefs are shaped by private workouts. team interviews. medical assessments. and the way prospects fit schematic preferences.. When a running back’s stock is tied to a top-three pick—especially one rumored to be a major shift candidate—it forces defensive-minded teams to calculate new probabilities quickly.
For fans. the impact is immediate: the narrative of a draft class becomes fluid. and “who’s going where” can change more in the first minutes than it does across entire later rounds.. For franchises, it can be even more consequential.. Trading up costs draft capital. and front offices typically do it only when they’re convinced the player they’re targeting can alter the team’s trajectory—whether by improving pass rush pressure. strengthening run defense. or creating coverage advantages.
As Thursday approaches. the storyline to watch is not just which name lands where. but how the early picks force teams into choice points.. Love at No.. 3, Styles at No.. 4. and a Jets decision between Reese and Bailey could collectively set the table for a potential Cowboys trade-up moment at No.. 5—one that could reshape the early draft landscape before it ever reaches the middle rounds.
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