The 2026 NFL Draft concluded with plenty of trades and surprises on Thursday evening, April 23.
In a significant move, the Las Vegas Raiders optioned Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
After the first round, some teams are all concerned about their future, while others are dangerously close to elimination.
Who’s inside
The Las Vegas Raiders are definitely in attendance. With the first overall pick, they drafted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who will be the face of the franchise moving forward.
All four teams in the NFC East are now in contention. The New York Giants are here after drafting Arvell Reese from Ohio State and taking on Francis Mauigoa. The Dallas Cowboys are after trading for “transformative” safety Caleb Downs. Even the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders landed top talent.
The Los Angeles Rams are looking to build for the future. By taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, they made sure to have their guy under center when Matthew Stafford retires.
Who came out
The New York Jets have not found the right path. Despite three first-round picks, officials analyzed their crop, calling edge rusher David Bairly at No. 2 a major reach.
Another setback was to the Arizona Cardinals. Selecting a running back like Jeremiah Love with an underperforming offensive line and glaring defensive needs led to questions about whether the team had ever tanked.
The Miami Dolphins were just as disappointing. Following their spending in free agency on a quarterback like Malik Willis, they failed to provide him with anything of value offensively.
Predictions for rounds 2 and 3
As rounds 2 and 3 approach, analysts are making major predictions.
Starting in the second round, San Francisco will select Emmanuel McNeil-Warren as their safety selection at No. 33 overall, while Arizona selects Carson Beck as their future starting quarterback at No. 34 overall.
Buffalo will take a chance by selecting Josh Allen’s red zone target Denzel Boston at 35th overall, while New York adds to its depth with Jermod McCoy at 37th overall.
Meanwhile, Baltimore is eyeing another shooting star in Avieon Terrell at No. 45 overall. Teams in need of a quarterback will closely watch the Steelers draft Garrett Nussmeier at 53rd overall.
In the third round, Philadelphia drafts an offensive tackle to help improve its offensive line with Caleb Tiernan at 68th overall, while Cleveland deals with another defensive player.
Miami selects tight end Oscar Delp 75th overall, and Pittsburgh looks to continue rebuilding its secondary. As the third round progresses, expect runs on receivers and interior offensive linemen.
