NFL draft late noise
- Mock drafts are tightening as the first round approaches, with the Raiders projected to address a top need at No. 1. (espn.com) - Fernando Mendoza sits at No. 1 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s final top‑150 board. (espn.com) - Teams kept making late decisions, and the Jets GM downplayed a canceled David Bailey visit as boards close. (nfl.com)
The 2026 National Football League draft opens Thursday night with less mystery at No. 1 and more scrambling everywhere else. (nfl.com) ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters projected the Las Vegas Raiders to use the first pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a mock published Wednesday, one day before Round 1 starts at 8 p.m. Eastern in Pittsburgh. (espn.com) Mel Kiper Jr.’s final top-150 board also put Mendoza at No. 1, separating player evaluation from team fit but reinforcing how firmly he sits at the top of this class entering draft week. (espn.com) That convergence is new enough to matter this week because mock drafts usually split on quarterbacks, trades and team needs until the final hours. By Wednesday, ESPN’s draft coverage described the Raiders as “nearly on the clock” for the first of 257 picks across seven rounds. (espn.com) The rest of the first round still looks volatile. ESPN’s NFL Nation mock said six teams hold two first-round picks after the Cincinnati Bengals traded No. 32, adding more room for teams to move around the board Thursday night. (espn.com) The New York Jets are one example of how unsettled teams remain near the top. NFL.com reported Tuesday that General Manager Darren Mougey downplayed concern after edge rusher David Bailey canceled a pre-draft visit, saying the club had “all the information” it needed as the board came together. (nfl.com) NFL.com said the Jets had been widely linked to either Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Bailey at No. 2, a sign that even teams picking early were still weighing different positions and late visit logistics this week. (nfl.com) The calendar is tight enough that small procedural changes now stand out. The league cut the time between first-round picks from 10 minutes to eight minutes for 2026, the first reduction since 2008, while Rounds 2 through 7 keep last year’s clock. (operations.nfl.com) Round 1 begins Thursday, April 23, with Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 24, and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 25. By then, the late noise around Mendoza, the Raiders and the teams drafting behind them will turn into a board that finally stops moving. (nfl.com)
