Draft Round 1 results

The 2026 National Football League draft opened with quarterbacks and skill players reshaping the top of the board, starting with Las Vegas taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1. (nfl.com) Round 1 began Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh, with Rounds 2 and 3 scheduled for Friday, April 24, and Rounds 4 through 7 for Saturday, April 25. The league lists 257 total picks across the three-day draft. (operations.nfl.com) Mendoza was the first quarterback off the board, and the next 12 picks showed how quickly teams split between offense and defense. Arizona took Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, New Orleans took Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 8, and the Los Angeles Rams made Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson the second passer selected at No. 13. (espn.com) The first round also leaned heavily into line play and pass rush after the early skill-position run. ESPN’s pick log shows offensive tackles Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, Kadyn Proctor, Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor and Caleb Lomu all went in Round 1, along with edge rushers David Bailey, Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Malachi Lawrence and Keldric Faulk. (espn.com) For the Raiders, the pick ends months of expectation around Mendoza after a college season that put him at the front of this class. NFL.com said he had been viewed as the likely top selection for months after leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and the College Football Playoff national championship. (nfl.com) For Arizona, the Love selection put a running back in the top three for the first time in this class and pushed defense down the board. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter called the choice an “A” in his Day 1 snap grades, writing that Love’s rushing and receiving ability made him worth a top-five pick. (nfl.com) The Saints became one of the first-night teams drawing the strongest immediate reviews after taking Tyson at No. 8. NFL.com’s snap grades gave New Orleans an “A,” and a separate winners-and-losers column asked whether the Saints were a perfect match for Tyson. (nfl.com) The Rams supplied one of the round’s bigger surprises by taking Simpson at No. 13, making him the second quarterback selected after Mendoza. ESPN included Simpson among the picks that stood out in its Round 1 winners-and-losers analysis as teams reacted to a first night that was “difficult to predict.” (espn.com) Round 1 closed with 32 picks in the books and the rest of the board shifting to Friday night. The draft resumes April 24 with Rounds 2 and 3, when teams that passed on quarterback and receiver on Thursday get their next chance to fill those spots. (nfl.com)