Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is done in Pittsburgh. The Raiders got their quarterback, the Rams pulled the biggest surprise of the night, and Ohio State ran Acrisure Stadium — five Buckeyes came off the board in the first 20 picks. Here's what happened.
Mendoza Goes No. 1 to Las Vegas
No suspense at the top. The Raiders took Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, locking in the Heisman winner and national champion as the face of the John Spytek–Klint Kubiak era. Mendoza wasn't in Pittsburgh — he stayed home in Coral Springs, Florida, with his mother, who has MS — and broke down on the call when she told him she was proud of him. He's now the fifth Heisman winner drafted by the Raiders, joining Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, and Charles Woodson. Kirk Cousins is still on the roster, and Kubiak has said he doesn't want a rookie starting Week 1 if the situation allows for it. Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns last season at Indiana with an 8-0 TD-to-INT ratio in the playoff run. He's the guy.
The Edge Rush Came Next
The Jets took Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey at No. 2, the consensus top edge in the class. Arizona grabbed Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, making him the highest-drafted back since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Then came the first real surprise: the Titans took Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, passing on the trenches to give Cam Ward a rangy outside weapon with elite hands.
The Giants doubled up on the edge at No. 5 with Ohio State's Arvell Reese — a 20-year-old with 4.46 speed and freak play strength — and came back at No. 10 for Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Their pass-rush room on third down is now terrifying.
Trade Up, Trade Down
The Chiefs made the first big move of the night, trading up from No. 9 to No. 6 with the Browns to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. Delane is the safest corner in the class, but Cleveland cashed in with picks 9, 74, and 148, then used No. 9 on Utah tackle Spencer Fano and doubled back at No. 24 for Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion. Good night for Andrew Berry.
Washington stayed home at No. 7 for Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. New Orleans took the night's second wide receiver at No. 8 — Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson. Then Dallas traded up one spot with Miami to grab Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11, after Downs slid further than anyone expected. Miami consoled itself with Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor at 12.
The Rams Jump For Simpson
The shocker of the night. Los Angeles took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 — a full round earlier than most boards had him. The Rams aren't supposed to be picking this high until Matthew Stafford retires, and now they have their transition plan ready. It's a bold swing. Charles McDonald at Yahoo Sports handed out an F grade. Sean McVay clearly doesn't care.
Baltimore took Penn State guard Vega Ioane at No. 14 — exactly what the Ravens needed up front. Tampa Bay finally addressed the edge with Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15, who fell out of the top 10 after a 2024 car accident in Florida became public earlier this month (he was cited for careless driving, no criminal charges). The Jets came back at No. 16 for Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, one of the most explosive TE prospects to enter the league in years.
The Back Half
Detroit took Clemson tackle Blake Miller at 17. Minnesota grabbed Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks at 18. Carolina added Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling at 19. The Eagles then traded up with Dallas to take USC receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20 — a pick Howie Roseman reportedly finalized while Lemon was already on the phone with Pittsburgh. The Steelers settled for Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor at 21.
The rest of the first round skewed heavy on protection and pass rush: Akheem Mesidor (Miami) to the Chargers, Malachi Lawrence (UCF) to Dallas, Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) to the Bears, Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech) to Houston, Chris Johnson (San Diego State) to Miami, Caleb Lomu (Utah) to New England, Peter Woods (Clemson) to Kansas City, Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana) to the Jets — their third first-rounder of the night — Keldric Faulk (Auburn) to Tennessee, and Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price to Seattle at No. 32 to replace Kenneth Walker III.
Biggest Takeaways
Ohio State had five players off the board in the first 11 picks (Tate, Reese, Styles, Downs, and later Makai Lemon from USC doesn't count — but Caleb Downs and the defensive trio are the story). Nine offensive linemen went in Round 1, all after pick 8. Five wide receivers came off the board. Only two quarterbacks went — Mendoza and Simpson — which matches the board everyone had on paper but not the narrative heading in.
The Jets walked away with three first-rounders and a much better roster than they had Thursday morning. The Bills kept trading down and out of the first round entirely. The Giants got scary. The Rams got aggressive. The Seahawks got their running back and extended their grip on the NFC West.
Rounds 2 and 3 kick off tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Carson Beck is still on the board. So is Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy. Plenty of value left.
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