NFL draft rumors: Tracking the latest news, leaks, trades before Round 1 – USA Today

The 2025 NFL Draft is just around the corner and the forecast is calling for some cloudy skies with rumors swirling in the wind.
It’s officially smokescreen season in the league, where teams are seemingly interested in everyone and no one at the same time.
The only thing we seem to know at this point is that Miami’s Cam Ward will seemingly be the No. 1 pick and head to the Tennessee Titans. Other than that, it is anyone’s guess what may happen after Roger Goodell officially opens the draft at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay.
Adding a layer of intrigue to this year’s festivities, every team also owns their first-round pick. Could we see a flurry of trades as teams maneuver the board? As always, what about the quarterbacks?
The possibilities are endless and it’ll be some time before we start getting some concrete answers. In the meantime, we’ll be left to sift through the rumor mill and sort fact from fiction.
Here’s a look at the latest NFL draft rumors.
There are no games this time of year. Well, except “Fortnite,” apparently.
Top NFL draft prospect and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward had some downtime to play the popular video game on Tuesday night, and he let out just a little bit of a tell when it comes to where he might land come next Thursday.
The best wide receiver in the game? Calvin Ridley. The best running back? Tony Pollard. A head coach he likes more than any others? Brian Callahan. What do all those have in common? They’re all members of the Tennessee Titans, who, coincidentally, own the No. 1 overall pick.
During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones indicated the team doesn’t seem to be in a spot to move up on draft night.
“I don’t necessarily see us moving up, based on the way the board is coming together,” Jones said. “But could see a situation where we move down.”
He highlighted the depth of the draft and added the team has experienced some good fortune just outside the top-10.
Schrager said the Steelers previously met with Sanders for five hours, but suggested the Giants could take Abdul Carter at No. 3 before trading back up for Sanders. He likened the possibility to what the Texans did in 2023, when they drafted C.J. Stroud and traded up for Will Anderson.
Already set to have a workout for Shedeur Sanders, the Giants are adding Milroe and Shough to the list of potential options. New York is leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find a quarterback for the future, especially as it relates to Sanders.
Milroe is the most intriguing player out of that group, however. Head coach Brian Daboll has previously worked with former Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, so the Giants might have some additional information on the Crimson Tide prospects.
Russini has heard Shough’s name a lot more in league circles recently, adding that he could end up in the first round. According to the report, one current NFL head coach told her that they believe Shough is the best quarterback in the class – even better than Cam Ward.
General manager Dan Morgan said the team is open to trading back and acquiring more picks, adding they are open to all possibilities. He didn’t say how far the Panthers would be willing to move back, but it’s clear Carolina would like do some wheeling and dealing.
Whether Sanders makes it to No. 21 is unclear, but McShay said he has heard Tomlin likes the quarterback. The Steelers are in an interesting spot thanks to Aaron Rodgers and currently set to enter the 2025 season without a clear starting quarterback. With Russell Wilson landing with the Giants and Justin Fields signing with the Jets, Pittsburgh seems to be in Rodgers-or-bust territory. The only way out would be through the draft. Sanders might just be the escape hatch.
McShay said people have told him to not close the book on Sanders to the Giants at No. 3, saying it’s either the Colorado quarterback or Abdul Carter for them. With the extensive work New York has done on Sanders, it’s clear that there is plenty of interest from Big Blue.
The NFL draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 24 with the first round. It will resume on Friday, April 25 with the second and third rounds before wrapping up on Saturday, April 25 with the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.

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