The opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft delivered some unexpected twists, with only two quarterbacks taken in the first round and a pair of running backs from the same university making history. The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off proceedings by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, while the New York Jets followed by choosing Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey at number two.
Arizona surprised many by taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love third overall, and later in the round, Seattle picked another Fighting Irish back, Jadarian Price, at number 32. This marked the first time in recent memory that two running backs from the same school were chosen in the first round.
Other notable selections included Tennessee taking Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at number four, and the New York Giants picking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at number five. The Kansas City Chiefs, via a trade with Cleveland, selected LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at number six. Washington chose Ohio State safety Sonny Styles at seven, and New Orleans picked Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at eight.
Cleveland, after trading down, selected Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano at nine. The Giants returned to the podium at ten to pick Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Dallas, via a trade with Miami, took Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at eleven, and Miami, via Dallas, picked Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at twelve.
The LA Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at thirteen, Baltimore chose Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane at fourteen, and Tampa Bay picked Miami linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. at fifteen. The Jets, via Indianapolis, took Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at sixteen. Detroit selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller at seventeen, Minnesota took Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks at eighteen, and Carolina picked Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling at nineteen.
Philadelphia, via Green Bay and Dallas, selected USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at twenty. Pittsburgh chose Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at twenty-one, and the LA Chargers picked Miami linebacker Akheem Mesidor at twenty-two. Dallas, via Philadelphia, selected UCF linebacker Malachi Lawrence at twenty-three. Cleveland, via Jacksonville, took Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at twenty-four. Chicago selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at twenty-five, and Houston, via Buffalo, picked Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge at twenty-six.
Miami, via San Francisco, selected San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson at twenty-seven. New England, via Houston and Buffalo, took Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at twenty-eight. Kansas City, via the LA Rams, picked Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at twenty-nine. The Jets, via Denver, Miami, and San Francisco, selected Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at thirty. Tennessee, via New England and Buffalo, took Clemson defensive end Keldric Faulk at thirty-one. Seattle rounded out the first round by selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at thirty-two.
The draft continues with the second round on Friday, where the San Francisco 49ers hold the first pick at number 33. The full order for rounds two through seven has been released, with several teams holding multiple selections due to trades. Analysts noted that the lack of quarterback picks early could signal a trend toward valuing defensive and offensive line depth in this year's class.
Thank you for following our live coverage of the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Stay tuned for updates on the remaining rounds.
