The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft was full of surprises, trades, and interesting selections. The night started off with one of the most obvious first overall picks in recent memory with Fernando Mendoza going to the Raiders. This is excellent for the Raiders as it’s exactly what they have needed the past few years, a quarterback who is gonna lead the team and command an offense at a high level.
Several teams made some bolder choices like the New York Jets. They were aggressive the entire night making many trades that seemed questionable in the beginning but in the end that gained three first round picks. They did this while still adding some explosive players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Los Angeles Rams Surpirsed everyone by taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick after current Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season.
One of the most questionable picks of the draft came from the Arizona Cardinals after they picked running back Jeremiyah Love out of Notre Dame with the 3rd overall pick. Leaving many people wondering why, the Cardinals seem like a loser of the draft early but only time will tell. Ohio State led the country with the most players drafted in the first round with some big names like Cardell Tate, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs.
Overall, the first round was an odd mix of excitement, predictability and unpredictability. Eight trades happened and many teams filled some of their biggest needs, however, their are still some very big names left on the board for days 2 and 3. Fans are eager to see who their teams will take today when the draft resumes at 8 PM.
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