The most intriguing teams and players of the 2026 NFL Draft's first round

The 2026 NFL Draft originates astatine 8 p.m. ET pinch nan Las Vegas Raiders picking Fernando Mendoza to beryllium their caller franchise quarterback, but nan intrigue doesn’t really commencement until aft that first prime is history.

That’s really this draught will play out. The first prime will spell down arsenic nan draft's signature moment, but nan fireworks won't beryllium lit until later.

The maneuvering, complications, and curiosity, each of it, statesman beyond nan first selection.

An advertisement for nan 2026 NFL Draft is displayed connected a video committee extracurricular Acrisure Stadium successful Pittsburgh, Pa., connected March 25, 2026. (Imagn Images)

The logic is this draught lacks nan allure of aggregate quarterbacks competing to spell higher than nan others. Only 1 QB beyond Mendoza has moreover a small chance of getting picked successful nan first information and that would apt require immoderate of that maneuvering you conscionable publication about.

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This draught besides lacks nan tie of polarizing players specified arsenic Randy Moss backmost successful 1998 aliases Shedeur Sanders a twelvemonth ago, truthful uncovering heroes and villians will beryllium difficult.

But this draught does connection touch points of precocious liking that will support folks engaged. It offers play astir immoderate teams and immoderate individual prospects.

Let’s statesman pinch nan teams:

New York Jets caput coach Aaron Glenn reacts during nan first 4th against nan New England Patriots astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected Dec. 28, 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)

This draught really originates erstwhile nan New York Jets are connected nan timepiece astatine No. 2 and prime a subordinate whose personality only 3 group successful nan statement – coach Aaron Glenn, wide head Darren Mougey and proprietor Woody Johnson -- cognize pinch certainty.

That’s important, folks. Remember nan Jets utilized to leak for illustration century-old Bronx tenement pipes during nan Robert Saleh regime. No more. The Jets are locked up tight, truthful moreover insiders aren’t judge if they’re going to prime Texas Tech separator rusher David Bailey aliases Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.

Or personification else.

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Notre Dame moving backmost Jeremiyah Love runs nan shot into nan extremity area for a touchdown successful nan first half against Syracuse astatine Notre Dame Stadium successful South Bend connected Nov. 22, 2025. (Michael Clubb/South Bend Tribune / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

The Arizona Cardinals are scheduled to prime astatine No. 3. And they mightiness prime immoderate number of players – moving backmost Jeremiyah Love (if they’re smart), a correct tackle, aliases a walk rusher.

But here’s nan truth: The Cardinals want to waste and acquisition down. Badly.

They want much picks and request much talent and nan rumor league-wide is they’ve been leaking liking successful Love truthful that a squad that covets nan move moving backmost offers them a trade.

Are you getting nan drift here? This worldly is benignant of interesting.

The truth is nan Cardinals, Eagles, Chiefs, Saints, Browns, Bills, Titans Commanders and Seahawks person each been tied to trade-up aliases trade-down scenarios.

We tin only dream for specified wide chaos to punctuate this draft.

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And why are teams truthful consenting to move around? Because location are players that travel pinch awesome expertise but besides questionable reliability – a operation that makes teams want to waste and acquisition down to hedge their bets.

Consider:

Miami violative tackle Francis Mauigoa is astir apt nan draft’s top violative tackle prospect. He’s big, strong, tough, everything an NFL squad wants successful a bookend tackle.

He besides comes into this draught pinch a herniated disc successful his back.

Mauigoa was reportedly asymptomatic passim nan 2025 play and remains truthful now, but teams are alert that if his backmost acts up, he could require surgery. So, yeah, a important imaginable risk.

Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson is simply a quality wounded list. He had a multi-ligament (ACL, MCL, PCL) knee tear successful 2022, a surgery collarbone successful 2024, and hamstring issues overmuch of past season.

Tyson is besides a quality item reel.

And those 2 traits make teams emotion him. And dislike him. And not judge wherever to draught him successful nan first round.

Injury concerns are not nan only logic immoderate players will beryllium fascinating to show during Thursday’s first round.

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You tin stake that if ESPN expert Dan Orlovsky gets immoderate aerial clip during nan draught he’ll beryllium advocating for Alabama backmost Ty Simpson to beryllium selected because there’s a bromance going connected there.

Simpson is nan other backmost who mightiness spell successful nan first round. But he mightiness not.

Ty Simpson of nan Alabama Crimson Tide runs pinch nan shot against nan Indiana Hoosiers successful nan College Football Playoff quarterfinal astatine Rose Bowl Stadium successful Pasadena, Calif., connected Jan. 1, 2026. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Cardinals, of each teams, could beryllium willing successful him later successful nan first round. Simpson’s not a worth prime astatine No. 3 because he only started 15 assemblage games and moreover Nick Saban, who recruited him to Alabama, doesn’t deliberation he’s fresh for nan NFL.

"He needs to spell someplace wherever he has a chance to create and not play correct away," Saban said connected nan Pat McAfee Show this week.

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There are rumors nan Pittsburgh Steelers initially saw Simpson arsenic subordinate to parkland connected their chair and fto him study down Aaron Rodgers. It’s unclear wherever that reasoning is now wrong an statement that doesn’t bask 100 percent certainty Rodgers will beryllium playing successful 2026.

Call that different chance for intrigue successful nan first information of this draft.