The first two days of the NFL's legal tampering significantly alters the composition of the 2026 NFL Draft's first round
Mar 11, 2026 at 9:49 am ET • 1 min read
The NFL's 2026 legal tampering period produced perhaps the wildest opening to free agency ahead of the new league year ever.
Prior to all trades and agreed-upon contracts becoming official, eight players either became the highest-paid at their respective position or the highest-paid free agent at their position in terms of average annual salary.
- Rams signed CB Trent McDuffie -- 4 years, $124 million (after trade from the Chiefs)
- Commanders re-signed LT Laremy Tunsil -- 2 years, $60.2 million extension
- Panthers signed EDGE Jaelan Phillips -- 4 years, $120 million
- Colts re-signed WR Alec Pierce -- 4 years, $114 million
- Raiders signed C Tyler Linderbaum -- 3 years, $81 million
- Chiefs signed RB Kenneth Walker III -- 3 years, $43.05 million
- Giants signed TE Isaiah Likely -- 3 years, $40 million
- Giants signed P Jordan Stout -- 3 years, $12.3 million
Giants signed P Jordan Stout -- 3 years, $12.3 million
McDuffie, Tunsil, Linderbaum and Stout all took home the status as the highest-paid players ever at their respective positions. Phillips, Pierce, Walker and Likely all earned the status of possessing the biggest free agent contracts at their respective positions.
All those transactions pale in noteworthiness to the Maxx Crosby saga between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens backed out of trading two first-round picks to the Raiders in exchange for the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher on Tuesday night because of concerns regarding his surgically-repaired knee. So now Crosby goes back to Las Vegas after the Raiders spent an NFL-most $281.57 million. And the Ravens quickly moved for a four-year deal with Trey Hendrickson.
How will this and the rest of the free agency moves across Monday and Tuesday affect the 2026 NFL Draft's first round? Here's one way things could unfold in yours truly's third mock draft of the offseason.
