The hours before Round 1 are an intoxicating mix of truth, bluster, and outright smokescreens.
Phones light up, executives bluff, and every scout swears his intel is gold. Inside that fog, however, are a handful of rumors that multiple front-office sources keep repeating — the kind of chatter you hear at every pro-day dinner and see in every beat reporter’s text thread.
We’ve filtered out the noise and kept the 6 story lines league insiders say could actually reshape tonight’s board.
1. Jaguars plotting a leap to No. 2 for two-way phenom Travis Hunter
Jacksonville already sits at pick 5, yet several rival GMs insist the Jags are “calling everyone” about moving higher.
The target most frequently mentioned is Colorado’s do-everything star, Travis Hunter — a legit lockdown corner and explosive wideout.
NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport reported that Jacksonville brass contacted Cleveland (owner of pick 2) on Tuesday, floating a package that includes No. 5, a 2026 first-rounder, and veteran WR Zay Jones.
Why so aggressive?
New GM James Gladstone took over a 7-10 roster desperate for a marquee talent who can tilt games on either side of the ball; Hunter checks that box and instantly energizes ticket sales.
Cleveland, for its part, doesn’t need a corner at 2 and privately likes the depth at edge rusher later in the top ten. If the Browns slide to No. 5, they could still grab Penn State’s Abdul Carter and pick up extra ammo.
A deal hinges on whether another club (Arizona? Chicago?) jumps in with something sweeter.
2. A mad scramble to land RB Ashton Jeanty before Vegas can pull the card
This class lacks a consensus top-10 back, but Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty has blown up boards after a 2,600-yard, 30-TD campaign and a 4.38 forty at 216 pounds.
League buzz says the Raiders at No. 6 adore Jeanty as Josh Jacobs’ long-term replacement. That has triggered a behind-the-scenes race to vault in front of Vegas.
Tom Pelissero notes that the Bears (No. 10) and Cowboys (No. 12) both hosted Jeanty for private dinners and asked point-blank how he’d feel about a draft-day jump.
His answer — “I’d love it” — only fueled speculation.
Chicago has an extra second-rounder from last year’s Montez Sweat trade, giving GM Ryan Poles the ammo to leap to No. 5 or 4. Dallas, unsurprisingly, would need to sweeten the pot even more, but Jerry Jones hinted Wednesday that he has “two substantive trades” cooking — exactly the kind of vague boast that sets off alarms.
Historically, high RB picks are risky, yet Jeanty’s film screams three-down weapon.
One AFC scout compared him to a “taller Aaron Jones with better contact balance.”
If the board starts with QBs and edges, Jeanty could become the night’s first true shock — especially if a team pays big to swipe him from Mark Davis’s silver-and-black clutches.
3. Saints’ late panic on Derek Carr’s shoulder may trigger a QB stampede
As recently as last week, New Orleans insiders insisted the Saints (pick 9) were “content” rolling with veteran Derek Carr.
Then came word, via Ian Rapoport, that Carr’s surgically repaired shoulder won’t receive final clearance until June.
That timeline spooked GM Mickey Loomis, whose roster otherwise skews older and expensive.
Multiple execs tell us the Saints have quietly completed late medical work on both Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and USC’s Miller Moss.
If either passer slides to 9, don’t be stunned if Loomis grabs him — even if it floors the fan base.
That possibility has chain-reaction potential.
Teams drafting after New Orleans, including the QB-needy Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19), fear the Saints could scoop their fallback option.
The Carolina Panthers at #8 have thus become a pivotal spot. Carolina is reportedly open to moving down, and insiders note that pick 8 could be an “interesting spot” for any team looking to leapfrog New Orleans for a QB.
In other words, if a QB-needy club (think Tampa Bay at 19 or Washington in the late teens) falls in love with a quarterback still on the board, they might cut a deal with the Panthers to snag him before the Saints even get the chance.
For the Saints, this dilemma is huge:
Do they stick with a non-QB as planned, or panic-pick a passer due to Carr’s uncertain health?
The intrigue is real – even if only two quarterbacks are projected to go in Round 1, the possibility of New Orleans grabbing one has everyone else on their toes.
4. Falcons willing to flip Kirk Cousins as a post-Round 1 fallback
It’s not just draft picks in play tonight – veteran quarterbacks are, too.
Case in point: Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins. Atlanta acquired Cousins this offseason, but with second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. looking like the starter, there’s buzz that Cousins could be traded for the right price. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot didn’t exactly shut down the notion when asked about it.
“With any player… we’re going to do what’s best for this football team, whether that’s a trade or whatever,” Fontenot said, emphasizing that he’s “open to whatever” if it helps the team. In front-office speak, that’s essentially a for-sale sign hanging on Cousins’ locker.
The Falcons appear content (if necessary) to keep Cousins as an expensive backup, so they’re not desperate to dump him. But multiple insiders have noted that the market for Cousins could heat up depending on how the QB draft dominoes fall.
For example, the Cleveland Browns might dial up Atlanta if they miss out on their preferred rookie quarterback in the first round. And the Pittsburgh Steelers – who only have two QBs on the roster and have been lurking as a potential Aaron Rodgers suitor – could also emerge as an option.
In short, if a team ends Day 1 without a QB solution, Cousins becomes Plan B.
Keep an eye out for a mid-draft trade involving the former Pro Bowler.
It’s not often a 36-year-old established starter is on the block during the draft, and this subplot adds a layer of intrigue for quarterback-needy teams who come up empty-handed tonight.
5. Jerry Jones swears two “substantive” Cowboys trades are brewing
Few owners love the theater like Jerry Jones, and he delivered again Tuesday, bragging the Cowboys have “two pretty substantive trades” in progress.
Club sources immediately swatted down Twitter gossip linking Dallas to Broncos WR Courtland Sutton or a Stephon Gilmore reunion.
So what’s real?
That’s the million-dollar question.
We do know one thing: they’re not about Denver WR Courtland Sutton, despite internet rumblings linking Sutton to Dallas.
Jones himself debunked that chatter as “fake news” via a team source. There was also speculation around veteran CB (and former Cowboy) Stephon Gilmore being in town, but that too was shot down as just a visit.
With those red herrings cleared, fans and league insiders are left to guess what Dallas is actually up to.
League insiders point to three scenarios:
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Moving up from pick 12 to secure top-10 blue-chip talent (Jeanty, Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher, or LSU WR Kyren Lacy).
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Sliding back if those targets evaporate, collecting ammo for a deep receiver class.
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Packaging Day-3 capital for a veteran corner, with Tennessee’s Roger McCreary and Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson floated as possibilities.
Whatever the case, Dallas has made it known they’re open for business, and that keeps every other GM on their toes. Don’t be shocked if the Cowboys are part of a big announcement (or two) before the night is over.
6. Packers gauge the market on star CB Jaire Alexander
Cornerbacks in their prime almost never hit the market, yet Green Bay is at least listening to Jaire Alexander. an Rapoport reported the Packers began taking exploratory calls in February, and GM Brian Gutekunst this week said only that there were “no updates” — non-denial denial.
Cap math explains the curiosity: trading Alexander after June 1 would free $16 million in 2025 space.
Why now?
Green Bay holds pick 18 and could pivot to a cheaper rookie corner, such as LSU’s Quincy Wiggins, if a big offer materialises. “Big” means at minimum a late-first plus a sweetener.
Teams like the Eagles (22) and Chiefs (30) — both contending and corner-thin—have been linked. Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman is infamous for pouncing on veteran value; his war room will monitor CB names closely.
Should missed rookie targets trigger a bidding war, Alexander could be moved on Day 2, giving the Packers multiple picks to reload at receiver or tackle.
A trade isn’t inevitable, but multiple execs told us the chatter “has real legs”—enough that rival coaches have already pored over Alexander’s tape, just in case.
Final Thoughts
Draft night lives on whispers, and 2025’s crescendo feels louder than most:
Jacksonville hunting Travis Hunter, teams jockeying for Jeanty, Saints uncertainty sparking a QB chain reaction, and surprise veteran names (Cousins, Alexander) dangling like shiny gifts.
Add Jerry Jones’s cryptic tease, and you have a recipe for a chaotic first 32 picks—and perhaps an even wilder Day 2.
Some of these rumors will fizzle the moment the commissioner steps to the podium; others could flip the board and launch frantic calls between war rooms.
Either way, buckle up.
The clock is ticking, the lies are flowing, and a handful of front-office secrets are about to become league-altering headlines.
