The 2026 NFL draft began Thursday night in Pittsburgh with the Las Vegas Raiders making former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 pick.
And on Friday, the festivities in the Steel City continued with an active Round 2 and 3, complete with double-digit trades and quarterbacks going to the Arizona Cardinals (Carson Beck) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Drew Allar).
The draft concludes Saturday with Rounds 4-7, on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App.
NFL Nation’s team of reporters is providing insights on every draft pick throughout the three-day event. Plus: We have updated depth charts for all 32 teams.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC East
With three first-round trades Thursday night, the Bills did not have a selection and now will turn their focus toward the No. 35 pick in Friday’s second round.
The Dolphins drafted offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 selection after trading the 11th pick to the Cowboys. Then, they selected cornerback Chris Johnson No. 27 overall. Consistency will be key for Proctor, the Alabama product who was viewed as a potential top-five pick entering the 2025 college football season.
Games are won up front and the Patriots made a solid move to give up a fourth-round pick (125) to move from No. 31 to 28 to ensure they landed their last first-round-caliber tackle in Utah’s Caleb Lomu before a notable drop-off at the position. Lomu, 21, will likely become the immediate swing tackle behind Will Campbell (left) and Morgan Moses (right).
The New York Jets made three picks in the first round, drafting edge rusher David Bailey (Texas Tech) at No. 2, tight end Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) at No. 16 and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30. The Jets passed on the ultra-talented and versatile Arvell Reese to take the most accomplished pass rusher in Bailey — a decision that will be scrutinized for years.
AFC North
There’s a reason why Olaivavega Ioane (No. 14 overall) is the first interior lineman ever to be drafted in the top half of the first round by the Ravens. Baltimore’s theme this offseason is: Protect quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens used their first pick on Ioane, who is considered the top guard in this draft. Baltimore will make a significant upgrade by plugging Ioane at left or right guard.
The Bengals are scheduled to make the No. 41 selection in the second round on Friday night after trading away their first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence II.
The Browns traded the No. 6 pick to the Chiefs and selected Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9. With their second first-round pick, the Browns drafted Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at No. 24. The left tackle is a position that has plagued the Browns’ offense over the past few years, and Fano will help overhaul the line. Cleveland needed to upgrade its wide receiver room, and Concepcion is a dynamic playmaker who will compete for a starting spot.
The Steelers had their sights on wide receiver Makai Lemon when the Eagles jumped them to snag the USC product. As a result, Pittsburgh quickly pivoted to draft an offensive lineman in Max Iheanachor at No. 21 overall who doesn’t have extensive experience playing the sport but has huge upside.
AFC South
The Texans made their first pick at No. 26 after trading up two slots to select guard Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech). Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Rutledge has an “elite” makeup and was the one prospect that all the scouts were unanimous on.
The Colts are scheduled to make their first pick at No. 47 overall in Friday night’s second round.
The Jaguars don’t have a first-round draft pick after trading it to the Browns in last year’s draft. They will make their first pick in Friday night’s second round at No. 56 overall.
The Titans drafted Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4 and Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk at No. 31. Tate is the highest-selected receiver in Titans history, beating 2017 No. 5 pick Corey Davis. Coach Robert Saleh likes long players to play on the edge, and Faulk fits the bill at 6-foot-5, 276 pounds.
AFC West
The Broncos are scheduled to make seven of the draft’s 257 picks, beginning with the No. 62 selection (coming in the second round on Friday night).
The Chiefs selected LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the No. 6 pick. Then, they selected Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29. The Chiefs are confident Delane can be a star defender, the player expected to replace All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was traded just seven weeks ago to the Rams. With star lineman Chris Jones at age 32, Woods should find a willing mentor in the Chiefs’ best defensive player.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza joining the Raiders with the No. 1 pick felt like a foregone conclusion after he led Indiana to a national championship victory over Miami. He has the size and frame at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds to be an NFL quarterback. He is accurate and is a good decision-maker, which are two traits that Raiders coach Klint Kubiak wants from a quarterback.
At 25, Akheem Mesidor is an older rookie, which is a part of why he was available for the Chargers at No. 22, but he has the talent to be a player who can contribute quickly. Edge was among the Chargers’ biggest needs after Odafe Oweh’s departure in free agency, and Mesidor projects to fill that void.
NFC East
The Cowboys selected safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State) with pick No. 11 and defensive end Malachi Lawrence (UCF) at No. 23 in Round 1. Downs, who can fill a role as a slot player, was one of the 12 players the Cowboys had a first-round grade on entering the draft. The trade for Rashan Gary helped the front seven, but Lawrence will have the opportunity to be more than a situational pass rusher.
The Giants needed to add quality players to their defense, and linebacker Arvell Reese fits the bill as they drafted him with the No. 5 pick. And New York did its best to support quarterback Jaxson Dart with the team’s second pick of Thursday night when it selected offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
The Eagles traded up to pick No. 20 in the first round in order to draft wide receiver Makai Lemon out of USC — a move made in advance of A.J. Brown’s expected departure. The 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver, Lemon posted 150-plus receiving yards in four games this past season — the most by a USC player since Drake London in 2021.
The Commanders selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick. Washington gets a player who can impact the middle of its defense — and then some. As one AFC defensive coach said: You can plug Styles into the middle for the next 10 years.
NFC North
The Bears drafted a safety with a first-round pick for the first time since taking Mark Carrier in 1990, because they see a player in Dillon Thieneman (No. 25) who checks all the boxes. Explosive? Check. Plays fast? Check. Obsessed with football and high character? Check and check.
The Lions have added what they hope is another foundational player with Blake Miller, who is Detroit’s first offensive lineman selected in the opening round (No. 17) since taking All-Pro Penei Sewell as the seventh overall pick in 2021. Miller will be expected to help the team immediately after the unit struggled in 2025, with the second-worst pass block win rate in the NFL (56%).
The Packers will make their first pick at No. 52 in Friday’s Round 2.
Drafting defensive lineman Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick was a gutsy first selection from longtime team executive Rob Brzezinski, who is serving as the Vikings’ interim general manager. Banks is a supremely talented player with elite size and traits. But he has had two injuries in the past year to his left foot, played only three games at Florida last season and is hopeful of being cleared to practice in June.
NFC South
The Falcons’ first selection is the No. 48 pick in Friday’s second round.
The Panthers drafted Monroe Freeling with pick No. 19 in the first round. Carolina’s offensive line had issues in 2025, ranking 23rd in pass block win rate, 28th in run block win rate, and 29th in pressure rate allowed. That made offensive line one of the Panthers’ biggest need, and Freeling (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) tested as one of the most physically gifted offensive linemen at the combine and has the prototypical size of an offensive tackle.
The Saints picked a player at a position of top need — wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 pick — but it comes with a price. Tyson has an extensive injury history (hamstring, ankle, knee and broken collarbone). He’s aware of the injury concerns but said that he will do everything in his power to stay on the field this season, including hiring several people who can help take care of his body. Tyson can be paired immediately with the Saints’ No. 1 wideout Chris Olave, and he said he can’t wait for the possibility to play next to him.
The Bucs were shocked edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was still available at No. 15, with Bucs general manager Jason Licht saying, “I’ve probably never seen a more excited draft room.” Bain fits their mold of power and athleticism. He can bend, and as Licht put it, he plays “very edgy.”
NFC West
Drafting Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick showed that the Cardinals were committed to taking the best player available. Love was widely considered the best prospect in the entire 2026 draft class, and Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort stuck with his plan to take the best players available, even if the selection doesn’t fit the team’s top needs.
The Rams hope they found Matthew Stafford’s eventual successor in Ty Simpson, selecting him with the No. 13 pick they received in their 2025 draft-day trade with the Falcons. By picking Simpson, the Rams addressed a position that wasn’t a hole on a roster considered to be a Super Bowl contender in 2026, rather than taking a player who could help immediately.
The 49ers are scheduled to make the first pick of Friday night’s second round after trading back out of the first round.
After their attempts to trade out of the first round fell through, the Seahawks stayed put and found their replacement for Kenneth Walker III by drafting running back Jadarian Price at No. 32. There’s plenty to like about Price, including his fit in the outside-zone rushing scheme the Seahawks will continue to lean on under new coordinator Brian Fleury.
