2026 NFL Draft: First Round Preview, How to Watch

One of the most exciting nights in the NFL calendar doesn’t even involve a football field. The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on April 23, and teams across the league are preparing to address their biggest needs and draft their franchise’s next superstar.

From the Las Vegas Raiders’ search for their franchise quarterback to contenders looking to add the final pieces, this year’s draft class offers elite talent at every position.

Ready to see all of these top picks in action on the field this season? You can watch NFL football games every day, all season long, on DIRECTV.

Shop Packages

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft will held on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Rounds two and three will air on Friday, April 24 and the fourth through seventh rounds will be held Saturday, April 25.

How Can I Watch the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft will be broadcast on:

• ESPN (DIRECTV Channel 206)
• ESPN Deportes (DIRECTV Channel 466)
• ABC (Check local listings)
• NFL Network (DIRECTV Channel 212)
• NFL+ (Streaming)

2026 NFL Draft Order – Round 1

1. Las Vegas Raiders

Likely Pick: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

Team Needs: Quarterback, wide receiver, defensive line

It’s practically a foregone conclusion that the number one pick will be Fernando Mendoza. Signing of Kirk Cousins all but assures it, giving Mendoza a template for longevity at the quarterback position right there at the building.

Mendoza just capped off a magic season at Indiana, helping them to their first-ever national championship. Mendoza won the school’s first Heisman. Mendoza is the final piece, the final and central piece to the Raiders starting a new chapter with new head coach Clint Kubiak.

2. New York Jets

Likely Pick: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State

Team Needs: Wide receiver, quarterback, edge

The Jets could be a potential trade-back option with another first-round pick at 16, which they got in the Sauce Gardner trade. Bringing in Geno Smith signals that they probably won’t reach for a quarterback here, and so their most glaring issue they will likely stick to an elite edge, which they’ll find in Arvell Reese

Reese was a dynamic playmaker for Ohio State’s number one overall defense last season and carries all the intangibles you are hoping for in a high draft pick you want to be part of your franchise for a long time.

The Jets have already focused their free agent spending on defense, signing David Ojabo, DeMario Davis, Joseph Ossai, Kingsley Enagbare and Minkah Fitzpatrick. But the chance to get an elite long-term answer at pass rush doesn’t come around very often.

3. Arizona Cardinals

Likely Pick: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

Team Needs: Offensive line, quarterback, safety

The Arizona Cardinals are starting a new chapter with first-year coach Mike LaFleur. LaFleur served as the offensive coordinator for the Rams from 2023 to 2025, leading a dynamic attack.

What Arizona really needs is a quarterback, but they’re likely not going to find it this high in the draft this season. After releasing Kyler Murray, they signed Gardner Minshew to add to a quarterback room with Jacoby Brissett, who’s the presumptive starter.

What could help is getting an offensive lineman aid in pass protection that future quarterback to be named later. Francis Mauigoa, the offensive tackle from Miami, would keep whoever’s behind center healthy.

4. Tennessee Titans

Likely Pick: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Team Needs: Edge rusher, wide receiver, center

Bailey tied for the lead in FBS last season with 14.5 sacks as part of one of the best defensive fronts in the country.

New coach Robert Saleh knows well the value of an elite defense. With Pro Bowl edge rusher Jeffery Simmons already on the roster, Bailey would make this Titans front a nightmare for AFC South opponents who see them twice a year.

5. New York Giants

Likely Pick: Spencer Fano, OL, BYU

Team Needs: Defensive tackle, guard, cornerback

New head coach John Harbaugh understands the importance of protecting your quarterback. After Jackson Dart missed multiple games due to concussions, shoring up the Giants offensive line needs to be an offseason priority.

Fano brings experience at every offensive line position. He played tackle and guard in college and even started taking snaps during the combine. In a league where offensive line continuity is one of the most impactful metrics of any team, Fano can fill in and provides the ultimate chess piece to keep the Giants with that advantage.

6. Cleveland Browns

Likely Pick: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Team Needs: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, quarterback

The Browns could be trade candidates here if both Fano and Mauigoa are off the board. But they could also opt to up their receiving game with Carnell Tate out of Ohio State.

Tate looks like yet another hyper-talented wide receiver coming out of the Ohio State program and would give their future quarterback what he needs to succeed.

7. Washington Commanders

Likely Pick: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

Team Needs: Wide receiver, cornerback, center

Caleb Downs might not hit on the true positional needs of the Commanders, but Downs has long been considered the best prospect entering the draft. The only reason why he’s falling so far in mock drafts is that people don’t value the safety position as much as they do other more premium positions.

But Downs has been described as the smartest player on any defense that he’s on and would perhaps help one of the league’s worst defenses all get on the same page and try to allow fewer than six yards per play.

8. New Orleans Saints

Likely Pick: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

Team Needs: Wide receiver, edge, quarterback

The Saints might be hoping that Carnell Tate falls to them, but since on this list they’re not, Ruben Bain Jr. from Miami looks like a perfect addition to a team in transition across the organization.

Bain was a massive part of the reason Miami got as far as they did in the college playoff and he’s long been viewed as a top 10 prospect. If they decide to go wide receiver, Jordan Tyson would be the play.

9. Kansas City Chiefs

Likely Pick: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Team Needs: Edge, wide receiver, defensive tackle

Kansas City is probably going to hope that Ruben Bain Jr. might fall to them. But if not, they’ll probably be perfectly happy taking Jordan Tyson out of Arizona State.

He brings another elite playmaker at wide receiver to pair with Rashee Rice and give Mahomes another receiver that can beat man coverage on the outside.

10. Cincinnati Bengals

Likely Pick: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Team Needs: Defensive tackle, offensive tackle, wide receiver

The Bengals simply must do something on defense. They were the league’s worst unit last year, and with Trey Hendrickson gone, their already poor unit just got more woeful.

Unfortunately for them, they’ll probably miss out on the top pass rushers as replacements for Hendrickson, but Mansoor Delane out of LSU could fit the bill at corner. He joins a long line of Tigers cornerbacks that proves to be a shutdown player that shuts down one side of the field. Cincinnati needs all the help it can get in shutting down anything on defense.

11. Miami Dolphins

Likely Pick: Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Team Needs: Wide receiver, edge, cornerback

Miami is in a full rebuild. They got rid of their coach and quarterback and traded their top wide receiver. It’s hard to know where to begin other than the best player available at this point.

Sunny Styles out of Ohio State could pair with Jerome Baker to make this Dolphins defense formidable. Their pick would be Makai Lemon, a wide receiver out of USC.

Lemon finished top 10 in the country in yards and touchdowns and gives new quarterback Malik Willis a polished receiver right out of the gate.

12. Dallas Cowboys

Likely Pick: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

Team Needs: Linebacker, edge rusher, cornerback

Dallas is going to benefit from Sonny Styles falling down the draft board. Styles is a Fred Warner-type disruption in the middle of the field, pairing a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash with a 43.5-inch vertical jump. He instantly improves this low-ranked defensive unit in Dallas.

13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons)

Likely Pick: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

Team Needs: Wide receiver, offensive tackle, cornerback

The Rams would love for Makai Lemon or Carnell Tate to fall to them. In a pure win-now approach, they would love to find a polished wide receiver with big game experience, and they can find it in Omar Cooper Jr. out of the national champion Indiana Hoosiers.

Cooper draws comparisons to Deebo Samuel. He would get the chance to join one of the best wide receiver rooms in the league and help the Rams prepare for the departure of Davante Adams.

14. Baltimore Ravens

Likely Pick: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Team Needs: Tight end, linebacker, edge

With the loss of Isaiah Likely, Baltimore has a glaring need at tight end, and with the declining play of Mark Andrews, Sadiq would give this Ravens passing attack one of the most unique passing threats in the draft.

Sadiq ran a 4.39 40 at the combine, the fastest time for a tight end since 2003. Sadiq is used to working in a fast-paced offense out of Oregon.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Likely Pick: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami

Team Needs: Edge, linebacker, tight end

The Bucs would love for Kenyan Sadiq to somehow fall their way, but it’s tough to see him getting by Baltimore. Instead, they might opt for Akheem Mesidor out of Miami.

Mesidor enters as one of the oldest players in the class at 25. But with big game experience and a deep playoff run with Miami, he also might be the most poised to make an immediate impact for a Buccaneers team that is right inside playoff contention as is and focused on the present.

16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts)

Likely Pick: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

Team Needs: Wide receiver, cornerback, edge

With edge taken care of, the Jets will hope that Omar Cooper somehow falls to them. But the play here will be Denzel Boston out of Washington.

Washington has produced a handful of talented receivers, and Boston brings an electrifying skill set that would pair perfectly with Garrett Wilson and be another crucial offensive building block for their future franchise quarterback.

17. Detroit Lions

Likely Pick: Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State

Team Needs: Offensive line, running back, linebacker

Detroit’s in desperate need of offensive line help, especially with more pressure expected on Jahmyr Gibbs as the premier back. They especially need help on the interior, and Ioane brings the kind of fierceness one would expect from a Dan Campbell team.

Last season, Ioane didn’t give up a single sack at Penn State. He and Penei Sewell would form one of the best offensive line tandems in the league.

18. Minnesota Vikings

Likely Pick: Jeremiah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Team Needs: Running back, offensive line, defensive back

The Vikings are going to benefit from the free fall of Jeremiah Love out of Notre Dame. Love could be a potential victim of positional value and the already solid depth options of teams drafting in the middle.

Minnesota needs to improve their run game, and Love is far and away the best running back prospect in this class and over the last few years. He gives new quarterback Kyler Murray a running game he can depend on for a Vikings team that quietly won five straight at the end of last year despite all of their setbacks at the quarterback position.

19. Carolina Panthers

Likely Pick: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

Team Needs: Safety, linebacker, defensive tackle

The Panthers had a surprising playoff run a year ago and are looking to take advantage of this window as much as possible. A huge help would be on defense in the form of Emmanuel McNeil-Warren out of Toledo.

McNeil-Warren is a perfect center fielder at safety, sort of a combination of a quarterback and a center fielder back in safety. He would give Carolina a dependable presence on defense for the next decade.

20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers)

Likely Pick: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Team Needs: Linebacker, edge, cornerback

Dallas needs all the help on defense that it can get. They had the number three ranked offense and third-worst defense last year. With Sunny Styles at linebacker, they can bolster it even more with Jermod McCoy out of Tennessee.

McCoy missed all of 2025 with an injury but has all the makings of a number one cornerback. In a season at Tennessee, he defended seven passes and picked off four.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

Likely Pick: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

Team Needs: Wide receiver, offensive line, safety

The Steelers need to find a quarterback of the future, but it’s probably not going to be found at this point in the draft. The Steelers need playmakers on offense, and KC Concepcion out of Texas A&M is just that.

He gets comps to CeeDee Lamb in terms of his game-breaking ability, but he’s a much more physical presence and would give the Steelers a more slot-oriented playmaker to pair with DK Metcalf.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

Likely Pick: Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon

Team Needs: Guard, defensive tackle

Los Angeles has two of the best young tackles in the NFL, but their interior offensive line is a mess. In a very tackle-heavy part of the draft, Los Angeles may opt to go with Emmanuel Pregnon out of Oregon.

He’s one of the best interior offensive line prospects in the draft and desperately solves the issue of Los Angeles’s porous interior offensive line that was their undoing in last year’s playoff disaster against the Patriots.

23. Philadelphia Eagles

Likely Pick: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

Team Needs: Edge, offensive line, tight end

Philly is looking to replicate the success of 2024 with an elite offensive line. They opt for a strategy that has served them well over the last five-plus years, and that is see who the best player available from Georgia is.

At this point, that’s Monroe Freeling, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle out of Georgia. With Lane Johnson nearing the end of his career, Freeling gives the Eagles a dominant presence up front at 6-7, 315 pounds that can bolster this run game and allow this offense to be an effectively balanced unit.

24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars)

Likely Pick: Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

Team Needs: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, quarterback

Cleveland lucked out waiting on a tackle with Blake Miller out of Clemson available. Miller started every game of his career at Clemson and gives the Browns something that they’ve never had trouble drafting, which is a tackle that’s in it for the long haul.

Miller has that Joe Thomas-like quality and gives Cleveland yet another important building block in pass protection for a team around their future quarterback, whoever that may be.

25. Chicago Bears

Likely Pick: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson

Team Needs: Edge, linebacker, defensive line

The Bears may have led the league in turnovers, but their defense was not among the league’s best. A huge addition would be shoring up the defensive line, and TJ Parker, the edge out of Clemson, would be a perfect addition.

Parker had an unbelievable sophomore season with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, which is exactly the kind of presence Chicago needs up front.

26. Buffalo Bills

Likely Pick: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

Team Needs: Edge, linebacker, wide receiver

The Bills were one of the worst run defenses in the league last year, which is a surefire way to make sure that you don’t win a Super Bowl. Kayden McDonald out of Ohio State is the exact kind of run-stopping force Buffalo is in desperate need of.

As an anchor to Ohio State’s number one defensive line last season, McDonald is ready to play right away for a Bills team that might have a new head coach but has the same Super Bowl expectations entering the season.

27. San Francisco 49ers

Likely Pick: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

Team Needs: Safety, edge, offensive line

San Francisco depends on running the ball effectively, and shoring up their offensive line, especially as Trent Williams enters the final years of his career, is a priority.

Kaydyn Proctor out of Alabama is one of the best tackle prospects in the class. Under the Shanahan system, he would thrive as he is one of the more athletic players at the position and would allow San Francisco bolster its pass protection as well as the dynamic run game it wants.

28. Houston Texans

Likely Pick: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

Team Needs: Interior offensive line, defensive tackle, cornerback

Pairing Hood with All-Pro Derek Stingley would give Houston a potentially elite cornerback duo. With the struggles of Houston offensively last season, Houston’s success will hinge on its defense remaining one of the league’s best.

Hood brings the kind of swarming, always-around-the-football type of play that would fit right in in Houston.

29. Kansas City Chiefs via Los Angeles Rams

Likely Pick: Dillon Thieneman, CB, Oregon

Team Needs: Edge, wide receiver, defensive tackle

Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon would go a long way in helping Kansas City make up for the loss of three defensive backs in free agency, including Pro Bowler Trent McDuffie.

Thieneman is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class, running a 4.35 in the 40. But at six feet, 205 pounds, he covers, he tackles and he gives this Kansas City defense a versatile player that they need in this transitionary period.

30. Miami Dolphins via Denver Broncos

Likely Pick: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

Team Needs: Wide receiver, edge, cornerback

Terrell gives Miami another defensive force at corner. He’s physical in man coverage and he has no fear mixing it up against the run. Terrell can help cement a Dolphins defensive identity in this new chapter for the franchise.

31. New England Patriots

Likely Pick: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Team Needs: Offensive line, edge, linebacker

New England needs all the help it can get up front to keep Drake Maye protected. Maye led the NFL in sacks taken last season.

At this point, New England could have a couple of options. Caleb Lomu might be the highest-rated option at this moment. The left tackle out of Utah didn’t allow a single sack last season and could help New England prepare for the eventual departure of right tackle Morgan Moses.

32. Seattle Seahawks

Likely Pick: Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

Team Needs: Running back, edge, cornerback

With Kenneth Walker gone in free agency and Zach Charbonnet likely not expected back until mid-season, Seattle’s in desperate need of a running back to keep their offensive engine running.

Jadarian Price out of Notre Dame is the second-ranked running back prospect in this year’s draft and coincidentally the second out of Notre Dame.

How Does the NFL Draft Work?

The NFL draft is one of the biggest non-game events of the year in professional football. Here are the basics to know how it all works:

Eligibility

To be draft-eligible, players must have been out of high school for at least three years which means players must be at least a junior or redshirt sophomore.

Draft Order

The draft gives the worst-performing teams from the prior season a chance at drafting the best players to balance out team strength across the league. Teams are allowed to trade their draft picks to each other in exchange for players or other draft picks something you might very well see on draft night itself.

The teams that did make the postseason are placed in the order of the round they were eliminated in during the prior season’s playoffs, then ordered by win-loss record.

Teams are also given compensatory draft picks based on how many players they gained or lost during free agency.

Teams that engage in illegal behavior or otherwise violate the league’s rules will occasionally be required to forfeit select draft picks as a penalty.

Watch the NFL Draft on DIRECTV

Don’t miss a single unexpected pick, first-round shocker or real-time trade during the 2026 NFL Draft. Sign up for DIRECTV today and get ready to watch NFL live on TV.

Shop Packages