NFL Draft kicks off

The 2026 National Football League Draft opens Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the first round could turn on trades as much as picks. (nfl.com; espn.com) Round 1 starts at 8 p.m. Eastern on April 23, with coverage on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, plus streaming on NFL+. Pittsburgh is hosting the draft for the first time since 1948. (nfl.com; espn.com) The calendar is compressed after Thursday: Rounds 2 and 3 are set for Friday, April 24, and Rounds 4 through 7 follow on Saturday, April 25. That format puts the biggest uncertainty — and the biggest television audience — on the board first. (espn.com; nfl.com) What makes this class unusual is the lack of agreement after the top quarterback. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote Thursday that there is “uncertainty once we get beyond the first overall pick,” and his final mock draft projects four first-round trades. (nfl.com) Jeremiah’s projected movers include the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints, two teams he sees trading up on Thursday night. ESPN’s Peter Schrager also reported in his final mock that Round 1 could feature teams “jump all around” the board. (nfl.com; espn.com) Most major mocks agree on one point: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. After that, the order shifts sharply from outlet to outlet, with different projections for prospects such as Jeremiyah Love and Sonny Styles. (nfl.com; espn.com; pff.com) That volatility reflects the shape of the class. Schrager wrote that the group has only one top-tier quarterback and fewer elite offensive tackles, edge rushers, cornerbacks and wide receivers than some recent drafts, leaving teams to weigh premium positions against the best overall players. (espn.com) PFF has also flagged several highly regarded prospects as possible sliders, arguing that teams and public mock drafts are less aligned once the board gets past the first few names. In a draft without broad consensus, a small move up or down can change the next 10 picks. (pff.com) So the first question Thursday may not be who gets picked, but who decides to move. By the time the clock starts in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. Eastern, the board may already be changing. (nfl.com; cbssports.com)