RSS Feed2026 NFL Draft First Round
By Chris Malumphy
With the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft the Las Vegas select quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana. The 6'5" Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and helped the Hoosiers win its first national championship in football. With the first of two potential first round picks, the New York Jets used the second pick in the draft on edge rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech. The Arizona Cardinals drafted running back Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame. The Tennessee Titans used the 4th pick on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate giving quarterback Cam Ward an outstanding target. The New York Giants drafted edge rusher Arvell Reese, the second Ohio State Buckeye drafted. The Kansas City Chiefs gave three picks to the Cleveland Browns to move from the ninth pick to the sixth in order to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. The third Ohio State Buckeye in four picks, linebacker Sonny Styles was the choice of the Washington Commanders. The New Orleans Saints provided second-year quarterback Tyler Shough with perhaps the most talented receiver in the draft, Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State. Utah tackle Spencer Fano was selected by the Browns with the pick obtained from the Chiefs. With its second pick in the first round, the Giants took Miami FL tackle Francis Mauigoa. The Dallas Cowboys move up one spot by trading with the Miami Dolphins to draft safety Caleb Downs, the fourth Ohio State Buckeye selected in the first 11 picks of the draft. Massive Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor will try to protect Malik Willis for the Dolphins.
The Los Angeles Rams took the second quarterback in the draft, Ty Simpson from Alabama. The Baltimore Ravens took Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane to protect Lamar Jackson and provide some inside blocking for the run game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted short-armed defensive. end Reuben Bain from Miami FL; of course the Bucs have done pretty well with another short-armed defensive lineman Vita Vea. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was taken by the Jets with its second first-round pick. The Detroit Lions went with tackle Blake Miller from Clemson. The Minnesota Vikings added defensive lineman Caleb Banks from Florida despite his missing considerable time with a foot injury. The Carolina Panthers picked Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up with the Cowboys and drafted USC wide receiver Makai Lemon further indicating that the Eagles may be separating from wideout A.J. Brown. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor.
Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, the third player from Miami FL drafted in the first round, was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers. With a pick obtained earlier in the draft from the Eagles, the Cowboys selected Central Florida linebacker Malachi Lawrence. The Browns traded the second pick in the 2025 draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars who used the pick to select the versatile WR-CB Travis Hunter. Despite Hunter missing most of the season due to injury, the Jaguars turned things around significantly and the Browns received a pick much lower than expected. Nevertheless Cleveland got the position it needed to upgrade by drafting wide receiver KC Concepcion from Texas A&M. The Chicago Bears picked Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. Following a trade with the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans selected Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge. The Dolphins selected cornerback Chris Johnson from San Diego State with a pick obtained from the San Francisco 49ers. The New England Patriots picked Utah tackle Caleb Lomu after obtaining the selection from the Bills. Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods will join the Chiefs. The Jets added a third first-round selection through a trade with the 49ers and used it on Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper. Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk was chosen by the Titans after a trade with the Bills. With the last pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks selected Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. Price was the second running back drafted in the 2026 first round from Notre Dame alongside Jeremiyah Love. It was the first time two running backs were drafted from the same college in the same draft since Darren McFadden and Felix Jones from Arkansas went in the first round in 2008.
Teams with multiple 1st Round picks:
- Jets (3): 2 David Bailey EDGE; 16 Kenyon Sadiq TE; 30 Omar Cooper WR
- Titans (2): 4 Carnell Tate WR; 31 Keldric Faulk EDGE
- Giants (2): 5 Arvell Reese EDGE; 10 Francis Mauigoa T
- Chiefs (2): 6 Mansoor Delane CB; 29 Peter Woods DT
- Browns (2): 9 Spencer Fano T; 24 KC Concepcion WR
- Cowboys (2): 11 Caleb Downs S; 23 Malachi Lawrence LB
- Dolphins (2): 12 Kadyn Proctor T; 27 Chris Johnson CB
Colleges with multiple 1st Round picks:
- Ohio State (4): 4 Carnell Tate WR; 5 Arvell Reese EDGE; 7 Sonny Styles LB; 11 Caleb Downs S
- Miami (FL) (3): 10 Francis Mauigoa T; 15 Rueben Bain EDGE; 22 Akheem Mesidor DE
- Indiana (2): 1 Fernando Mendoza QB; 30 Omar Cooper WR
- Notre Dame (2): 3 Jeremiyah Love RB; 32 Jadarian Price RB
- Arizona State (2): 8 Jordyn Tyson WR; 21 Max Iheanachor T
- Utah (2): 9 Spencer Fano T; 28 Caleb Lomu T
- Alabama (2): 12 Kadyn Proctor T; 13 Ty Simpson QB
- Oregon (2): 16 Kenyon Sadiq TE; 25 Dillon Thieneman S
- Clemson (2): 17 Blake Miller T; 29 Peter Woods DT
| 2026 NFL Draft Round One | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Pick | Player | Name | Team | Position | College | Source |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Fernando Mendoza | Raiders | QB | Indiana | |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | David Bailey | Jets | EDGE | Texas Tech | |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Jeremiyah Love | Cardinals | RB | Notre Dame | |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Carnell Tate | Titans | WR | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Arvell Reese | Giants | EDGE | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Mansoor Delane | Chiefs | CB | Louisiana State | Browns |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | Sonny Styles | Commanders | LB | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Jordyn Tyson | Saints | WR | Arizona State | |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Spencer Fano | Browns | T | Utah | Chiefs |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | Francis Mauigoa | Giants | T | Miami (FL) | Bengals |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Caleb Downs | Cowboys | S | Ohio State | Dolphins |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Kadyn Proctor | Dolphins | T | Alabama | Cowboys |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Ty Simpson | Rams | QB | Alabama | Falcons |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | Olaivavega Ioane | Ravens | G | Penn State | |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Rueben Bain | Buccaneers | EDGE | Miami (FL) | |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Kenyon Sadiq | Jets | TE | Oregon | Colts |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Blake Miller | Lions | T | Clemson | |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Caleb Banks | Vikings | DE | Florida | |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Monroe Freeling | Panthers | T | Georgia | |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Makai Lemon | Eagles | WR | USC | Packers via Cowboys |
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Max Iheanachor | Steelers | T | Arizona State | |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | Akheem Mesidor | Chargers | DE | Miami (FL) | |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | Malachi Lawrence | Cowboys | LB | Central Florida | Eagles |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | KC Concepcion | Browns | WR | Texas A&M | Jaguars |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Dillon Thieneman | Bears | S | Oregon | |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | Keylan Rutledge | Texans | G | Georgia Tech | Bills |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Chris Johnson | Dolphins | CB | San Diego State | 49ers |
| 1 | 28 | 28 | Caleb Lomu | Patriots | T | Utah | Texans via Bills |
| 1 | 29 | 29 | Peter Woods | Chiefs | DT | Clemson | Rams |
| 1 | 30 | 30 | Omar Cooper | Jets | WR | Indiana | Broncos via Dolphins and 49ers |
| 1 | 31 | 31 | Keldric Faulk | Titans | EDGE | Auburn | Patriots via Bills |
| 1 | 32 | 32 | Jadarian Price | Seahawks | RB | Notre Dame | |
