Not all NFL Draft pressure is equal for Giants, Cowboys and teams with multiple first-round picks

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night but not all 32 teams will be making selections. That'll be thanks to multiple trades made in recent months and even further back in which six franchises acquired another's first-round pick.

Fans of those teams are elated because that could mean two high-quality prospects will be arriving this spring. However, general managers know there are plenty of different directions they could go and, in fact, double the opportunity means double the pressure to nail those picks.

Each of the six teams with two first-rounders on Thursday have different priorities — and different timelines to reach success — which means there's different levels of pressure to get things right. Let's evaluate those squads and why some may crossing their fingers more than others.

New York Giants: Getting the John Harbaugh era off to a hot start

Things looked to be trending nowhere but up after the Giants brought in former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to lead the team. That is until star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence demanded a trade after contract extension talks stalled with two years left on his current deal. Somehow general manager Joe Schoen managed to acquire the 10th overall pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Lawrence. Now the Giants have to make that count.

New York will select fifth overall on top of it all and could go a myriad of different directions including trading back to beef up its mid-round capital. No matter what Schoen and Harbaugh decide to do, both picks need to be home runs. Players like Lawrence aren't drafted often and there's a chance both selections don't amount to his value in the long run. Failing to pick wisely will cause New York's progress to come to a screeching halt at the worst possible time.

Dallas Cowboys: Proving the 'win-now' mentality isn't a mirage

The Giants' NFC East rivals find themselves in a precarious situation. The team claims to be in "win-now" mode and its roster would suggest there's a contender to be had in Jerry World. Yet, the Cowboys picking 12th overall due to last year's struggles. Their saving grace is holding the No. 20 overall pick thanks to trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers but, like New York, both selections must be immediate impact players.

Dallas needs to beef up its defense and both of its selections could easily be utilized to address the Parsons-sized hole. The challenge will be whether Jerry Jones will pull the trigger on a trade up which could cost the team more than it gets. Of course, it can be impossible to satiate Cowboys fans no matter what the team does so Thursday's selections could be declared a disaster before a single snap is played.

Cleveland Browns: When trusting the process goes too far

Browns fans got a glimpse of success in 2020 and 2023 with the team's first playoff appearances since 2002. That gave them reason to be optimistic that the process could be trusted and better days were, indeed, ahead. Well, the last two years were, at best, a regression with very few of the team's first-round draft picks making an impact.

This year, the Browns have two chances to take high-quality prospects at Nos. 6 and 24 overall. However, with how disorganized the franchise seems to be - especially after firing the best head coach it's had since Butch Davis - their impact may not need to be as immediate. Cleveland will likely be looking to 2027 to find a true franchise quarterback if Shedeur Sanders doesn't miraculously emerge as the first-round talent he was mocked to be last year. Until they find that prolific passer, the Browns are going nowhere fast.

New York Jets: Practicing how to taxi before learning to fly

Discarding QB Justin Fields after just one injury-ruined season and trading for 35-year-old Geno Smith is all the indication fans need to realize the Jets are in a full ground stop. Selecting at Nos. 2 and 16 could be a serious refueling for the franchise but it's all going to come down to how those prospects produce on the field.

Garrett Wilson needs a partner in the receiver room and the team has a Sauce Gardner-sized hole on defense to fill. Addressing those two positions in round one is just the first step back towards contention. If either of those prospects aren't Pro Bowl selections by year two - when the team is expected to find a franchise QB - the fan base will consider them failures and everyone goes back to the drawing board.

Miami Dolphins: To tank or not to tank, that is the question

The Dolphins front office is trying its hardest to convince folks the team is not tanking. But we all know they're tanking. You don't eat $99.2 million in dead salary cap after dumping QB Tua Tagovailoa and trade away your best wide receiver - on top of a handful of other high-profile releases - just to call the offseason a retool and expect to win games. 2026 will be the team's best opportunity to snag top talent while preparing to be back in the top half of the draft next year.

Finding Jaylen Waddle's replacement and a stud lineman at picks No. 11 and 30 will likely be the team's top priorities on Thursday. Missing on the former selection could be more consequential than the latter, especially if Miami is banking on newly-signed QB Malik Willis as the future. The only bright side is both prospects won't have to show they've developed into elite starters until 2028 at the earliest, when the rebuild should be winding down.

Kansas City Chiefs: Drafting to extend a championship window

2025 had to be a fluke, right? The Chiefs are built to be a dynasty, the next New England Patriots, but perhaps Father Time is tapping his watch a little early. Head coach Andy Reid will be hoping the team's picks at Nos. 9 and 29 will give Patrick Mahomes a few more years to bring back Lombardi Trophies as star tight end Travis Kelce rides off into the sunset.

The Chiefs could find Kelce's replacement as early as No. 9 or wait to find a gem in later rounds. The latter might be the better move considering the team has a Trent McDuffie-sized hole at cornerback now (hence the second first-rounder gifted by the Los Angeles Rams). Kansas City fans were just getting used to perennial winning but they likely have more patience than other fan bases if these two picks don't immediately pan out in 2026.

More NFL news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow