5 Trades We Wish We Would Have Seen During 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL draft saw a whopping 41 deals taking place over the course of the event. This fell two shy of the all-time high set in 2023, a record that could have been broken had a couple more trades gone down.

While there was a flurry of trade activity during the draft, almost all the moves involved teams maneuvering around the board or picking up future capital.

Despite a slew of veterans thought to be available for the right price, only two players—linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Dee Winters—were moved in these deals.

With that in mind, let's revisit the 2026 NFL draft and highlight five more trades that we wish would have seen during it.

Las Vegas Raiders Trade Back Into Round 1 for Omar Cooper Jr.

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Chicago Bears could have received: 2026 second-round pick (No. 36 overall) and 2026 third-round pick (No. 67 overall)

Las Vegas Raiders could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 25 overall)  

The Las Vegas Raiders made the easiest pick of the night when they landed Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The Heisman-winning quarterback offered a great blend of positional need, talent, upside and value with a chance to be a savior for the downtrodden organization.

While the Mendoza pick made perfect sense for Vegas, the club could have helped expedite his development by swinging a deal for his favorite receiver—Omar Cooper Jr.

The chemistry that Cooper and Mendoza displayed at Indiana was a large reason why the program was able to march to a national championship this past season. The standout wideout led the Hoosiers in receptions (69) and receiving yardage (937) while tallying a stellar 13 touchdown catches. He was excellent under the brightest lights as well, racking up eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown during IU's two College Football Playoff contests.

Cooper's production, combined with his solid size (6'0", 201 pounds), athleticism, toughness and versatility, resulted in him going into the 2026 draft as the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 5 WR on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board. Despite that grade, Cooper had to wait until the end of Round 1 before he heard his name called at No. 30.

While Cooper will be a major asset for the New York Jets, the Raiders missed an opportunity to package their upcoming Day 2 picks up and jump back into the first round to grab their new QB's top target. Vegas instead utilized the No. 36 pick to trade back before securing Treydan Stukes at No. 38.

Stukes fills a major void for the Raiders and has a promising outlook, but it's hard to picture the Arizona safety making the same level of impact the Mendoza-Cooper battery would have together in the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks Reload with Kayvon Thibodeaux

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

New York Giants could have received: Conditional 2027 NFL draft pick

Seattle Seahawks could have received: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux

With key contributors like Kenneth Walker III, Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe and Coby Bryant all signing elsewhere this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks were looking a bit thin heading into the 2026 draft.

One of the areas the Seahawks needed to reload was the defensive trenches. The loss of Mafe left a pass-rushing hole that the club ultimately failed to fill with any of its 2026 picks. While Seattle did land a few elite prospects such as Jadarian Price and Bud Clark, not one of the team's eight rookies can play on the edge.

Even if Seahawks brass wasn't enamored with any of the pass-rushers available to them in this class, they still could have made a shrewd buy-low move to acquire Kayvon Thibodeaux for a conditional Day 2 pick in next year's draft.

Although he started his career on a promising note, Thibodeaux has been on shaky ground with the New York Giants in recent seasons. After tallying an impressive 11.5 sacks in his second NFL campaign, the No. 5 overall pick in 2022 has regressed in each of the last two years. Injuries have cost Thibodeaux 12 games in that two-year span, adding to the growing list of concerns that have opened the door for a potential exit.

While the G-Men weren't too pressed to move Thibodeaux after dealing fellow defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence for the No. 10 overall pick, a respectable offer from the Seahawks could have convinced New York to move on.

Thibodeaux would have a great chance to turn his career around in the Pacific Northwest. D-linemen have been thriving in head coach Mike Macdonald's innovative system, including last year when four different players eclipsed the six-sack mark.

Having Thibodeaux in place would give the veteran-laden Seahawks another proven body who can set the edge, play strong run defense and potentially terrorize opposing QBs if he returned to form after getting a much-needed fresh start.

Arizona Cardinals Roll the Dice on Anthony Richardson

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Indianapolis Colts could have received: 2026 fifth-round Pick

Arizona Cardinals could have received: QB Anthony Richardson

You can't fault the Arizona Cardinals for releasing Kyler Murray this offseason, but the timing of the decision was inopportune. Because of the move, the Cards found themselves in the unfortunate position of needing a new quarterback going into a draft that largely lacked talent at the position.

While they eventually settled for Carson Beck in Round 3, they should have swung for the fences and traded for Anthony Richardson as the new regime's developmental project.

Richardson never lived up to the immense hype surrounding his selection at No. 4 overall in the 2023 draft. He showed flashes as a rookie, but injuries and accuracy issues prevented him from becoming even a low-end starter in Indy.

The Colts appear willing to move on from Richardson for the right price, but a suitable trade offer has yet to emerge.

Arizona missed an opportunity to flip a mid-to-late round pick for Richardson during the draft.

While Beck has the potential to become a decent QB in the NFL after fruitful stints at both Georgia and Miami, his ceiling is far lower than Richardson's. B/R scout Dame Parson said Beck's "play style and strengths fit the mold of a high-end game manager" and noted that his skill set is best suited to a team that has "strong talent and culture."

After winning just three games last season and parting ways with head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals clearly have some work to do in the talent department and are just starting out crafting a culture under Mike LaFleur.

Beck will have to contend with both incumbent starter Jacoby Brissett and free-agent pickup Gardner Minshew II for the QB1 role, while LaFleur recently spoke about the benefits of sitting the rookie for all of 2025.

Although Richardson wouldn't be ready to hit the ground running either, he's still just 23 years old—and approximately half a year younger than Beck—with enormous amounts of untapped potential. Rehabilitating his mechanics and leveraging his otherworldly athleticism could have paid dividends down the line for Arizona.

Combining Richardson's unique skill set with an up-and-coming roster that includes impact players such as Jeremiyah Love, Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. could have given the Cardinals the potential to become one of the most dynamic, exciting offenses in football.

New Orleans Saints Finally Trade Back on Day 1

AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

Detroit Lions could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 8 overall)  

New Orleans Saints could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 17 overall), 2026 second-round pick (No. 50 overall) and 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 128 overall)

The New Orleans Saints were in prime position to trade back during the opening round of the 2026 draft. The team was sitting on the No. 8 overall pick with needs across the roster, offering a rare chance to fill multiple holes with a single selection.

Unfortunately for New Orleans, general manager Mickey Loomis has an aversion to moving back in Round 1. Since he took over his post a quarter century ago, the Saints have executed six trades to move up in the order and four deals that resulted in an additional first-rounder. Not once under Loomis' stewardship has the team dropped back on Day 1.

While the Saints stood pat and took wideout Jordyn Tyson in that No. 8 slot, their lack of initiative in finding a trade partner could come back to haunt them.

Tyson is a good prospect—ranking No. 1 amongst wideouts and No. 9 overall on the B/R Scouting Department board—but was prone to injury during his short stint at Arizona State. He missed almost all of 2022 with a severe knee injury and a few games in each of the last two seasons due to collarbone and hamstring issues.

Rather than go all-in with one high-risk, high-reward prospect like Tyson, the Saints should have instead spread that capital out and brought in several pieces after moving down.

As ESPN's Bill Barnwell has highlighted, roster age is a concern for New Orleans, which is in the midst of a rebuilding effort and still won just six games against one of the league's softest schedules in 2025.

The Saints did need another wideout to help Tyler Shough's development and complement Chris Olave, but the team could have addressed the issue with one of the picks it could have returned in a trade down.

Armed with more capital, New Orleans would have been able to get additional help for the secondary—an area the club didn't address until the fifth round—and pad out the edge. These pickups would have rounded out a defense that needs more help than it got during the draft.

Detroit Lions Move Up For Top Tackle

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

New Orleans Saints could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 17 overall), 2026 second-round pick (No. 50 overall) and 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 128 overall)

Detroit Lions could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 8 overall)  

The Detroit Lions could have been a fantastic draft-day trade partner for the New Orleans Saints.

One of the most stunning storylines of the 2026 NFL offseason has been Taylor Decker's breakup with the Lions. The longtime tackle had been a stalwart in the team's offensive trenches for a decade, but requested and was granted his release after contract talks broke down.

With Decker out of the picture, the Lions have to shuffle the offensive line deck. Superstar right tackle Penei Sewell will slide over to protect Jared Goff's blindside, taking over a position he last played in college at Oregon.

Although there is little doubt Sewell will be able to make a quick transition and should remain an All-Pro on the other side of the O-line, the Lions missed an opportunity to truly patch the hole during the draft.

There was one elite offensive tackle available in the 2026 class who would have immediately eased the blow of Decker's departure: Spencer Fano. While Detroit may have landed a decent tackle in Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick, the team reached for the Clemson product in that draft slot.

Miller was only rated No. 35 overall on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's final big board, grading out as the No. 3 OT in the class. The gulf in talent and upside between the top-ranked Fano and Miller is notable, a disparity that might make Detroit regret not moving up to get the best-in-class protector.

Per B/R scout Brandon Thorn, Fano rated as the No. 1 option at his position "due to his loose, fluid movement skills and relentless motor that allow him to recover from compromised positions, process movement and sustain blocks at a high level".

Thorn noted that while Miller possesses "good athletic ability, arm length and quick, proactive hands to establish first meaningful contact and gain control of defender", he also suffers from an upright playing style, shaky body control, inability to stay in front of his assignment and choppy feet.

Only time will tell which tackle goes on to have better NFL career, but Fano projects to win that battle over Miller. He simply made more sense for the Lions too, possessing a mean streak and tough playing style that aligns seamlessly with the culture the club has cultivated under head coach Dan Campbell.

The Utah prospect would have been worth the costs of trading up to No. 8, pairing Fano with Sewell to provide Detroit with a pair of bookend tackles to build around for years to come.