Welcome to the 2026 NFL Draft!
As we do every draft season, we’ll be here for each and every pick with analysis as it happens during the first round. Keep refreshing to see how round one goes and join us in the comments section below to discuss the night’s action.
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NFL Draft Preview: As a Denver Broncos fan, this will be a pretty uneventful evening for me. However, it will allow me to casually enjoy the process as an NFL fan and hate on and doubt every decision made by the hated AFC West rival teams.
The Las Vegas Raiders will pick first and likely go quarterback, which I will obviously hope turns out to be the net JaMarcus Russell because I am a petty Broncos’ fan. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have two picks in the first round and they are likely Denver’s biggest threat next season if they hit on both picks. Patrick Mahomes is always annoying to deal with. I fully expect the Los Angeles Chargers to win the draft and be the offseason Super Bowl pick only to flame out in big games and be picking in the lower 20s against next year.
Overall, the Broncos will need to hit paydirt on their second round pick. Their roster is good, but they can’t rely on winning 11-12 one score games again next season. I do like their chances to win the AFC West again next year.
Heading outside of the AFC, the one darkhorse team that I think could turn into a contender this year is the New York Giants. They have a good defense and a promising young offensive core. With two top 10 first round draft picks at their disposal, they could become an NFC contender immediately. Keep an eye on their picks tonight.
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Enough with the preview, here are the actual live results tonight with some instant analysis from our very own Christopher Hart for each pick:
Klint Kubiak gets his quarterback of the future with Indiana standout Fernando Mendoza. After two seasons at Cal, the junior signal caller had an impressive 2025 season with 41 touchdowns and over 3,500 yards passing to help lead the Hoosiers to a national title. Time will tell if he has what it takes to go head-to-head with the top-notch defenses in the AFC West, but at least the Raiders have a little hope now that they won’t be the divisions bottom-dwellers for much longer.
Darren Mougey and the Jets opt to select Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with their top pick. A lot of people penciled Ohio State prospect Arvelle Reese in here, but Bailey’s much more ready to hit the ground running as a pass rusher to help revitalize the Jets’ defense. He has drawn comparisons to Broncos’ edge rusher Nik Bonitto.
Despite being a running back, a lot of teams presumably had Jeremiyah Love as one of their top-ranked prospects in the draft. He’s a dynamic playmaker who will add versatility as a runner and receiver to the Cardinals’ backfield. He has a chance to become one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL. I’m a fan of this selection for Arizona.
The Titans throw the first big curve ball of the draft by selection Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. They are clearly trying to build around Cam Ward and give him a shot to succeed in year two. Almost everyone had them going defense here. There is no doubt Tate is a great prospect who should make a year one impact, but this is a bit of a headscratcher for me.
