Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft was about as close to a best-case scenario as the New England Patriots could have hoped.
They didn’t expect one of the top targets on their board, Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, to fall within range at No. 31 overall, per Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal. So with the rival Buffalo Bills on the clock at No. 28, the Patriots pounced — leveraging one of their eight selections on Day 3 to move up three spots and land a new running mate for 2025 draft picks Will Campbell and Jared Wilson.
Auburn pass rusher Keldric Faulk wound up going in New England’s original spot to the Tennessee Titans. Edge defender will likely rank high on the Patriots’ priority list over the final two days of the draft, but with their next pick at No. 63 overall near the end of Round 2, they could have to get creative to land a true difference-maker.
Enter the New York Giants, who after selecting Ohio State edge Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall, could soon seek trade suitors for fifth-year pro Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Why the Patriots should exploit the Giants’ crowded pass-rusher room
Although the Giants told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that they don’t intend to trade Thibodeaux this offseason, their decision to use a top-five pick on a pass rusher for the second straight year says otherwise. The Giants just added Reese to a group that includes Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, and Joe Schoen would hardly be the first general manager to bend the truth through the media.
Despite drafting Arvell Reese, the Giants do not intend to trade DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, per source. https://t.co/8zpYlJhXIk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2026
As usual in the NFL, the truth is in the money. Thibodeaux, as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, is currently scheduled to play on a $14.7 million, fully-guaranteed fifth-year option, according to Spotrac. The Giants could clear that entire number off their 2026 salary cap by trading him this offseason.
That might be an advantageous move for the Giants, who currently rank 20th in the NFL in projected cap space at $18.1 million. They’ll have an expensive rookie class to sign after making two selections inside the top 10, and they now have a much bigger need on the interior of the defensive line after trading Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati prior to draft day.
New England makes perfect sense as a trade partner, especially after going offensive tackle on Thursday night. The Patriots have the seventh-most cap space in the league and still hold nine total selections in Rounds 2 through 7. They also have an intriguing potential trade chip in Christian Barmore, who could be attractive to the Giants given their roster needs.
Edge rusher was arguably the Patriots’ top need entering 2026 free agency, but they’ve done little to address that group outside of swapping Dre’Mont Jones for K’Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings. A bigger move could be coming, and the chance to land — and likely extend — a true three-down edge setter who’s only 25 and excels in run defense should be too good for the Patriots to pass up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google