2026 NFL Draft: Complete First-Round Picks
The 2026 NFL Draft opened Thursday night in Pittsburgh, continuing a recent trend with a quarterback taken No. 1 overall for the fourth consecutive year. The Las Vegas Raiders used the top selection on Indiana QB...
The 2026 NFL Draft opened Thursday night in Pittsburgh, continuing a recent trend with a quarterback taken No. 1 overall for the fourth consecutive year. The Las Vegas Raiders used the top selection on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who helped Indiana to its first national championship. The pick also creates a high-profile opportunity for Raiders minority owner Tom Brady to mentor a possible long-term successor.
One of the night’s biggest storylines was Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love going No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals. Regarded as one of the draft’s premier athletes, Love became the highest-drafted running back since 2012 and one of only two running backs selected in Round 1 (the other was Jadarian Price at No. 32 to the Seattle Seahawks). Another surprise came when the Los Angeles Rams selected QB Ty Simpson at No. 13, signaling a potential future handoff from veteran Matthew Stafford.
Ohio State placed four players inside the top 11: WR Carnell Tate (No. 4), edge rusher Arvell Reese (No. 5), LB Sonny Styles (No. 7) and safety Caleb Downs (No. 11), the latter acquired by Dallas in a trade with Miami. The Kansas City Chiefs executed the first major move of the night, trading up from No. 9 to No. 6 to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The New York Giants, after trading with Cincinnati to secure the No. 10 pick, left the first round with two top-10 selections, using No. 10 on OT Francis Mauigoa. The Buffalo Bills traded back several times and finished the night without a first-round pick. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell estimated a record 320,000 people attended opening night at Acrisure Stadium.
Round 1 — 2026 NFL Draft results
No. 1: Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
No. 2: New York Jets — Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech
No. 3: Arizona Cardinals — RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
No. 4: Tennessee Titans — WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
No. 5: New York Giants — Edge Arvell Reese, Ohio State
No. 6: Kansas City Chiefs (trade up with Cleveland) — CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
No. 7: Washington Commanders — LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
No. 8: New Orleans Saints — WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
No. 9: Cleveland Browns (trade down with Chiefs) — OT Spencer Fano, Utah
No. 10: New York Giants — OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
No. 11: Dallas Cowboys (via trade with Miami) — S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
No. 12: Miami Dolphins — OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
No. 13: Los Angeles Rams — QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
No. 14: Baltimore Ravens — G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
No. 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
No. 16: New York Jets — TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
No. 17: Detroit Lions — OT Blake Miller, Clemson
No. 18: Minnesota Vikings — DT Caleb Banks, Florida
No. 19: Carolina Panthers — OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
No. 20: Philadelphia Eagles (in trade with Dallas) — WR Makai Lemon, USC
No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers — OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers — LB Akheem Mesidor, Miami
No. 23: Dallas Cowboys (in trade with Eagles) — Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF
No. 24: Cleveland Browns — WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
No. 25: Chicago Bears — S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
No. 26: Houston Texans (in trade with Buffalo) — G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
No. 27: Miami Dolphins (in trade with San Francisco) — CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
No. 28: New England Patriots (in trade with Buffalo) — OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
No. 29: Kansas City Chiefs — OT Peter Woods, Clemson
No. 30: New York Jets (in trade with San Francisco) — WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
No. 31: Tennessee Titans (in trade with Buffalo) — Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
No. 32: Seattle Seahawks — RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
For mock drafts, expert analysis and additional coverage, see CBS Sports’ draft hub and their mock draft comparisons.
