2026 NFL Draft: 10 returning players with the most at stake

• Could the Cowboys find a George Pickens replacement?: Dallas has Pickens on the franchise tag for now, but its reported interest in Jordyn Tyson is worth keeping an eye on.

• 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time:28 minutes

The frenziness of the NFL Draft’s first round is unmatched. Analyzing a team selecting one prospect over another as well as trades made can last until the wee hours of Friday morning, if not even longer.

Another piece to the draft puzzle, though, is how top selections impact players that are already on a roster. For instance, if a franchise opts for a position in which it already has a starter penciled in for the coming year, then that veteran’s outlook is more bleak.

The 2026 NFL Draft figures to be a wild one, where team needs might be bypassed in favor of simply adding more talent. Those unpredictable results should reveal a lot about the future of these 10 players.

RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

With only one day left until the first-round action kicks off, rumors continue to swirl about the different directions Tennessee may take with the fourth overall pick. However, the Titans’ connection to running back Jeremiyah Love is unavoidable — which leaves Pollard’s status in doubt.

Pollard underwhelmed in 2025, placing 25th out of 28 qualified running backs in PFF rushing grade and sitting 19th in breakaway rate. With Pollard entering the final season of his three-year contract, the appeal to select the blue-chip Love — or even his Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price at Pick 35 — may be too tempting to pass up for a team that ranked 31st in rushing EPA per play a year ago.

Ultimately, the Titans’ first three picks should disclose a lot about their feelings surrounding Pollard for 2026 and beyond.

T Broderick Jones, PittsburghSteelers

The Steelers traded up to select Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. But only three years later, his time with the organization could be dwindling.

In his third pro campaign, Jones didn’t display significant progress by finishing with a 57.7 overall PFF grade, including a 50.6 PFF run-blocking mark. What also complicates his projection is a late-season neck injury suffered in 2025, for which he reportedly also endured a setback.

Even with needs at wide receiver, guard and linebacker, Pittsburgh feels likely to select a tackle by April 25. If that tackle is one nabbed in the first or second rounds, then it casts a bad omen about Jones’ time in the Steel City beyond 2026, with his fifth-year option likely to be declined.

QB Jacoby Brissett, ArizonaCardinals/QB Geno Smith, New York Jets

Both Brissett and Smith are in similar camps entering April 23. Each is perceived as the starter for their respective teams, but that could change based on what happens in Rounds 1-3.

After compiling 68.6 and 58.2 PFF passing grades last year, respectively, Brissett and Smith are considered bridge options for the Cardinals and Jets in 2026. But both franchises have been linked to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who is expected to be taken by the end of the second round.

To reiterate, the odds are slim that either Brissett or Smith will be their teams’ top options under center after 2026. But if either Arizona or New York grabs Simpson or even Garrett Nussmeier, then the veterans’ tenure as QB1 will be considerably shorter.

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Boasting two first-round selections, the Chiefs have numerous options for which positions to prioritize, including defensive line, cornerback and tackle. Rice will be watching closely to see if one of those picks is a wide receiver.

Rice’s third pro season wasn’t as promising as his first two, as he earned a 77.2 PFF receiving grade with 2.15 yards per route run and a 10.2% drop rate. On top of that, Rice has both been injured and disciplined from the league for off-the-field incidents, playing just 1,422 snaps since he arrived in Kansas City.

Chiefs wideouts placed 19th in receiving grade a year ago, which could fuel general manager Brent Veach to draft someone like Jordyn Tyson or Makai Lemon at No. 9. But if Veach bypasses a receiver by Pick 40, it indicates the team still trusts Rice, who has just one year left on his rookie contract.

EDGE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints

It’s difficult to assess what the Saints will do with the eighth overall selection, with receiver, cornerback and edge rusher looming as fits. If New Orleans does select an edge defender, it might mean Jordan played his last down for the team.

In recent memory, Jordan hasn’t been as effective as he once was as a pass-rusher — finishing below a 64.0 PFF pass-rush grade every year from 2022-25. However, he still set the tone against the run with an 82.1 PFF run-defense grade, which ranked fifth among qualified edge defenders last season.

With Jordan no longer under contract and Carl Granderson (65.7 overall grade in 2025) struggling, the team could be motivated to find more help next to the ascending Chase Young. If that new New Orleans edge rusher is someone like Rueben Bain at No. 8, it will likely spell the end of Jordan’s 15-year tenure with the Saints.

T Austin Jackson, Miami Dolphins

Almost no position is off limits for the Dolphins in this draft, who hold four top-75 selections. That includes right tackle, a spot which could be in limbo going into 2027.

After being selected in the first round by Miami six years ago, Jackson hasn’t rounded into the quality starter that the franchise expected. Jackson has never recorded an overall PFF grade above 67.0, and injuries have also been a concern — with the veteran playing only 860 snaps over the last two campaigns.

The Dolphins seem to have bigger needs than tackle, including wide receiver, cornerback and edge rusher. But if Miami does select a decorated tackle in the first three rounds, it might signal that Jackson won’t play for the Dolphins after 2026.

WR George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were able to retain Pickens via the franchise tag, at least buying more time to determine the avenue they’d like to take with the star wideout. But in light of recent draft murmors, Dallas may not be inclined to keep him for the long haul.

Pickens was simply unstoppable during his first season with the Cowboys, securing an 87.2 PFF receiving mark while ranking fifth in PFF Wins Above Replacement among wideouts. Nonetheless, there has yet to be any real traction on a multi-year deal for Pickens, and smoke has billowed surrounding Dallas’ interest in Tyson.

Would the Cowboys actually take Tyson over a top-tier defender at No. 12 (or higher)? It may seem far-fetched, but if it comes to fruition, it will indicate that Pickens probably isn’t in Jerry Jones’ long-term plans.

CB Mike Sainristil, WashingtonCommanders

Although the Commanders have added major pieces at all three levels of their defense in free agency, those efforts will presumably extend via their early draft capital. Such moves could impact Sainristil’s standing on Washington’s roster.

A second-round selection by the team two years ago, Sainristil hasn’t rounded into a consistent playmaker. Following a solid rookie campaign, the former Michigan product regressed to a 52.7 overall PFF grade with a 71.3% completion rate allowed in 2025.

Will new Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones want to keep implementing Sainristil, or will the team target a high-impact rookie like Mansoor Delane? The narrative surrounding Sainristil’s third season will already start to form during the draft.

CB Isaiah Rodgers, MinnesotaVikings

The Vikings appear poised to enhance their defense at multiple levels via the draft despite the unit placing seventh in EPA per play in 2025. Whether or not a cornerback is picked high means a lot for Rodgers’ stock.

In his first season with Minnesota, Rodgers impressed with a 74.1 PFF coverage grade, committing zero penalties across 520 coverage snaps. But with Rodgers only under contract through 2026 and Vikings corners assembling the 15th-ranked coverage grade, more upgrades could be in store despite signing James Pierre.

Vikings interim general manager Rob Brzezinski may target safety, defensive line, receiver and running back instead of a corner. But if Minnesota does opt for an early-round corner, Rodgers could play his final year in purple coming up.