The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with a quarterback taken No. 1 overall for the fourth straight year. The Las Vegas Raiders selected QB Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, the Heisman winner who led Indiana to its first national title; the pick signals an opportunity for Raiders minority owner Tom Brady to mentor a potential long-term successor.
A major storyline was Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, taken at No. 3 by the Arizona Cardinals. Love, regarded as one of the draft’s top athletes, became the highest-running back selected since 2012 and one of only two running backs chosen in Round 1 (the other being Jadarian Price at No. 32 to the Seattle Seahawks). Another surprise: the Los Angeles Rams selecting QB Ty Simpson at No. 13, suggesting plans for a future transition from veteran Matthew Stafford.
Ohio State placed four players in the top 11: WR Carnell Tate (No. 4), edge Arvell Reese (No. 5), LB Sonny Styles (No. 7) and safety Caleb Downs (No. 11, acquired by Dallas via trade with Miami). The Kansas City Chiefs made the first big trade of the night, moving up from No. 9 to No. 6 to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The New York Giants, after trading for the No. 10 pick from Cincinnati, ended up with two top-10 selections, using No. 10 on OT Francis Mauigoa. The Buffalo Bills traded back multiple times and finished the night without a first-round pick. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Acrisure Stadium drew an estimated record 320,000 people for opening night.
2026 NFL Draft order and picks for Round 1
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 Browns) — 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 (in trade with Miami) — safety 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 — Guard 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 — defensive tackle 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, Central Florida
No. 24: Cleveland Browns — WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
No. 25: Chicago Bears — Safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
No. 26: Houston Texans (in trade with Buffalo Bills) — Guard Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
No. 27: Miami Dolphins (in trade with San Francisco 49ers) — CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
No. 28: New England Patriots (in trade with Bills) — 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 Bills) — edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn
No. 32: Seattle Seahawks — RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
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