NFL draft 2026: Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love and other top prospects await call – live
Key events
Some questions
Here’s a few things we can ponder as we lead up to the Raiders selecting Mr Mendoza.
1. What do the Jets do at two—edge rusher Arvell Reese or David Bailey?
2. How high will an NFL GM dare to draft running back Jeremiyah Love?Talented? Oh yeah, but he’s still a back. Sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes it’s not.
3. Will Arizona trade pick three or take Love themselves? As always with thew Cards, anything is possible.
4. Where does Ty Simpson land as a quarterback? That’s the big QB question this draft. Last year, the big question was, “when will Shedeur Sanders go off the board?” The answer was late. Very late.
5. Where of the top edge rushers—Reese, Bailey, and a bit down the line, Rueben Bain Jr., go?
6. Does the Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort pull off a trade? See no3.
7. Will there be surprise trades early? Philly? New Orleans, KC? Will we have deals?
8. Where do receivers and offensive linemen get taken? And how will ghat impact remaining wideouts that are still available, Hill and Diggs for example.
9. What happens with some injury concerns like Caleb Banks’ foot? Will a team pick a defensive tackle with a repaired fractured fourth metatarsal in his left foot, early or later in this draft?
Chew on that for a bit.
Draft order
I’m just drop this right here. Is that OK?
1) Raiders
2) Jets
3) Cardinals
4) Titans
5) Giants
6) Browns
7) Commanders
8) Saints
9) Chiefs
10) Giants (from Bengals)
11) Dolphins
12) Cowboys
13) Rams (from Falcons)
14) Ravens
15) Buccaneers
16) Jets (from Colts)
17) Lions
18) Vikings
19) Panthers
20) Cowboys (from Packers)
21) Steelers
22) Chargers
23) Eagles
24) Browns (from Jaguars)
25) Bears
26) Bills
27) 49ers
28) Texans
29) Chiefs (from Rams)
30) Dolphins (from Broncos)
31) Patriots
32) Seahawks
So the teams with two first-round picks tonight are the Giants at five and 10, the Jets at two and 16, the Cowboys at 12 and 20, the Browns at six and 24, the Chiefs at nine and 29 and the Dolphins at 11 and 30.
One thing to keep an eye on is, with this draft being seen as kind of, sort of, below average – at least when it comes to quarterbacks – will any teams deal 2026 capital to get a spot in a 2027 draft, which is expected to have more box office names? Por ejemplo, Miami doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of interest in winning games this year – will they try to grab a shot at a Manning and the other premiere QB’s next year? Will they try to deal one or both of their first round picks to get into that arm race?
Draft day is here!
Hello everyone and welcome to our rolling coverage of the 91st NFL Draft!
Let me begin by saying that the NFL off-season has two important dates. There’s the day that free agency begins, where moves just fly in at incredible speed and the NFL takes over sports for about a week. And of course, there’s the NFL draft, which is the Big Kahuna, and manages to bring the NBA playoffs to its knees despite the fact that not a single ball is thrown. Somehow, the NFL just continues to grow and eat everything in its path with each passing season, and that includes the draft, which is a premier showcase and a boon to whichever city hosts the event.
This year it’s in Pittsburgh, so it gets a 12,000 square foot fan village in its Point State Park, a red carpet event, and a draft theater so big that it’s inside the Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) parking lot. The whole zone takes about a half hour to walk from one end of the event to the other, all along its famous Three Rivers area.
So Yinzers are happy and so are visiting fans who can’t wait for the first of 257 picks to be chosen by the NFL’s 32 teams. Who will go first? Well all eyes are on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza who the Las Vegas Raiders may, could, probably, definitely will be snatched straight away. Then what? Well we’ll explore some of the story lines as we draw closer to draft time.
Until then, any thoughts, feelings or predictions? Feel free to drop me a line and providing you don’t say anything particularly offensive, I’ll get you in our coverage and make YOU famous!
More to come, stick with us!
David will be here shortly. In the meantime, see who the Guardian’s staff of writers think is the most talented player in this year’s draft class:
Fernando Mendoza will go No 1. But the most talented player in this draft is …
Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State. He is one of the best pure linebacker prospects in a generation, and he has the athletic traits to become a full-time edge defender. Some teams view him as a linebacker; those at the top of the board prefer him as an edge rusher. In an ideal world, Reese will do a bit of everything. Think Philly’s Zack Baun on Super Soldier Serum. Reese has a rare combination of smarts, speed and power. Whichever role he plays, he will be a force multiplier for a defense. Oliver Connolly
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame. Not only is Love being discussed as a top-10 overall pick, but he’s also one of the most buzzed-about targets for teams looking to trade up. He’s a physical, explosive three-down back with breakaway speed (he ran a 4.36sec 40 at the combine), great hands and the ability to protect. All in a 6ft, 212lbs frame. Love is the total package. Melissa Jacobs
There’s so much to like about running back Love: effortless acceleration, feline elusiveness, stout pass protection, soft hands. Time and again at Notre Dame, he showed a knack for turning chain-moving plays into home runs. The last time a rusher was selected inside the top five was 2018, and Saquon Barkley has since proved his worth for two franchises. Love enters this year’s draft as nearly as complete a player, with all the teams in the top five in need of his services. Andrew Lawrence
If drafting was done on skills alone then Love would be the first cab off the rank. He’s a running back with explosive speed who is also a sublime pass catcher. His versatility draws very favourable comparisons to Jahmyr Gibbs. A home-run pick. Graham Searles
