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Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins could be among the active teams in the first round

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Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins could be among the active teams in the first round
Sport

Sport

Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins could be among the active teams in the first round

2026-04-21 18:00 Last Updated At:18:10

Six teams enter the first round of the NFL draft without a pick. Six others have two picks apiece.

Let’s make a deal.

There have been 60 trades involving first-round picks over the past five years. Eighteen were traded in 2022. Last year, six first-round picks were dealt. That was tied for the fewest since 1985.

The Bengals, Packers, Jaguars, Falcons, Colts and Broncos don’t have a first-round pick while the Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Cowboys, Browns and Chiefs each have two.

Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick to the Giants on Saturday for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. New York owns the fifth and 10th picks. Green Bay doesn’t have one because of its blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons last August. Jacksonville traded its 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland on draft night last year to move up to get Travis Hunter with the second overall pick.

Atlanta sent this year’s first-round pick to the Rams on draft night a year ago to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. at No. 26. Indianapolis traded its first-rounder to the Jets for Sauce Gardner. Denver sent the 30th overall pick to Miami in the deal for Jaylen Waddle.

Here are five teams that could be active on Thursday night:

General manager Howie Roseman is one of the most active and aggressive executives in the NFL. The Eagles own the 23rd pick. They moved up from No. 10 to No. 9 in 2023 to get defensive tackle Jalen Carter. A year earlier, they went from 15 to 13 to get defensive tackle Jordan Davis. In 2021, Philadelphia moved up from 12 to 10 to select wideout DeVonta Smith. Roseman also moved up in 2019 and 2016. He traded out of the first round in 2018.

“I think we go into this draft being very comfortable with having 23 guys we’re ready to take. We’re there ready and prepared for that,” Roseman said. “If something happens where somebody who’s higher on our board than 23rd is available, we’ll be ready for that. If there’s an opportunity that we think makes sense to move up based on the value of that player, we’ll move up. If we have multiple guys at our spot and there’s a trade that makes sense to move back, we’ll move back.”

The trade involving the Eagles that’s been a hot topic throughout the offseason isn’t expected to happen this week. A.J. Brown is likely on the move, with the Patriots expected to be the leading contender to land the star wide receiver, reuniting him with coach Mike Vrabel. The Rams already pursued Brown earlier in the offseason. The Eagles would be able to spread a $40 million salary cap hit over two seasons by waiting until June 1 to deal Brown.

With the 15th pick in the first round, the Buccaneers might miss out on one of the top players on their board. They need an elite rusher and could use more draft capital because they have only one pick in each round. There are several potential pass rushers who could be a fit in the 16-25 range that would allow Tampa Bay to move back and add more premium draft picks.

“In a lot of scenarios that we’re working through, yeah,” GM Jason Licht said about moving back. “You have a group of players that you say, ‘No matter what, if this player’s there, we’re taking (them).’ If there’s a group of three, then maybe you go back one or two to make sure that you ensure you get one of your three, but the part of that that makes it difficult is you’ve got to find a trade partner. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes teams just don’t want to move up. They don’t want to give up picks, and I understand why.”

The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks, and Jerry Jones has hinted at being aggressive. But it would make more sense for Dallas to trade down in one of those spots to add extra picks because the defense has several needs.

The Cowboys don’t have a second-round pick after sending it to the Jets in a deal for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams before the trade deadline. Moving down from 20 and adding a second-rounder plus other picks is one scenario.

The Jets have four of the top 44 picks in the draft, including Nos. 2 and 16 in the first round. They have three 2027 first-round picks.

If there’s a player they covet — perhaps an elite wideout — they have the draft assets to jump up from 16. They have their choice of edge rushers at No. 2 after quarterback Fernando Mendoza goes first to the Raiders.

The Dolphins have the 11th and 30th picks in the first round and plenty of needs. They’re in full rebuild mode. Trading one of those to add more picks could help Miami replenish its roster.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley answers questions during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)

Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley answers questions during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)

Philadelphia Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman speaks with the media during a news conference at the NFL football team's training facility, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Chad will deploy 1,500 troops to Haiti as part of the United Nations security force to the Caribbean country to combat gang violence, according to a letter from the president to the legislature.

In the letter read out to lawmakers of the Central African country on Monday, Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno said two battalions of 750 troops each will be deployed from this month for one year, following a request by the United Nations.

“A contingent of 400 men has already been sent to Haiti as part of this mission that honors Chad and its defense and security forces,” the president said.

Last year, the U.N. Security Council approved the expansion of the Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti to 5,500 troops, called the Gang Suppression Force, and expanded its power to include arresting suspected gang members, which the previous force did not have.

The previous mission, launched in 2023, was envisioned to include 2,500 personnel and was led by the Kenyan police, but it was handicapped by a lack of staff and funds.

Deadly gangs control as much as 90% of Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, and swaths of land in the country’s central region. In 2021, a squad of gunmen assassinated the country's former president, Jovenel Moïse, in his home.

At least 30 people were killed and dozens more were missing, human rights groups said, after the Gran Grif gang launched a renewed attack on the town of Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, in central Haiti, last month.

FILE - Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno participates in his inauguration ceremony in N'djamena, Chad, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mouta Ali, File)

FILE - Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno participates in his inauguration ceremony in N'djamena, Chad, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mouta Ali, File)

Workers ride in a cargo truck transporting cement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Workers ride in a cargo truck transporting cement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Vehicles crowd an intersection in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Vehicles crowd an intersection in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

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