The 2026 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks

The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with a quarterback being taken No. 1 overall for the fourth straight year. 

The Las Vegas Raiders, as was widely expected, selected QB Fernando Mendoza, who capped his stellar Heisman season by leading Indiana to its first national title in school history. 

The choice of Mendoza marks an attempt by Raiders minority owner Tom Brady — the legendary QB who won a staggering seven Super Bowl rings — to mentor an heir apparent of sorts, giving Las Vegas a clean slate as it enters a major rebuild following the disappointing one-and-done tenures of head coach Pete Carrol and QB Geno Smith. 

Mendoza could be the only QB selected in Round 1. Teams are expected to focus their attention to the trenches in a draft experts concur is lacking in blue chippers. Edge David Bailey of Texas Tech went No. 2 to the New York Jets. 

The biggest unknown heading into Thursday was the fate of powerful Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, arguably the best athlete who heard his name called Thursday. That mystery was quickly answered when the Arizona Cardinals took Love at No. 3 overall. Because the position is no longer considered premium, it is often overlooked at the top of the first round. Since 2018, only four running backs, including Love have been selected in the top 10. 

A possible destination for Love could be the New York Giants, who finished with just four wins last year and are hoping for a reset under new head coach John Harbaugh. The Giants have two top 10 selections thanks to a blockbuster trade last week in which they acquired the No. 10 pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for disgruntled star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The Giants also have the No. 5 pick.    

Meanwhile, football powerhouse Ohio State could be responsible for as many as four top 10 selections with edge Arvell Reese, linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs and wide receiver Carnell Tate all expected to be taken early.

Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano are also expected to be snatched up quickly.  

2026 NFL Draft order 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
• No. 5: New York Giants
• No. 6: Cleveland Browns
• No. 7: Washington Commanders
• No. 8: New Orleans Saints
• No. 9: Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 10: New York Giants
• No. 11: Miami Dolphis
• No. 12: Dallas Cowboys
• No. 13: Los Angeles Rams
• No. 14: Baltimore Ravens
• No. 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 16: New York Jets
• No. 17: Detroit Lions
• No. 18: Minnesota Vikings
• No. 19: Carolina Panthers
• No. 20: Dallas Cowboys
• No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers
• No. 23: Philadelphia Eagles
• No. 24: Cleveland Browns
• No. 25: Chicago Bears
• No. 26: Buffalo Bills
• No. 27: San Francisco 49ers
• No. 28: Houston Texans
• No. 29: Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 30: Miami Dolphins
• No. 31: New England Patriots
• No. 32: Seattle Seahawks

Where to find expert picks for a 2026 mock NFL Draft

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