The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and what went down in Pittsburgh put all of our mock drafts to shame. Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate climbed into the top four. The Kansas City Chiefs traded up for a cornerback in Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall, and the Los Angeles Rams pulled off a stunner by drafting quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall.
We also saw a few notable drops, as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs fell out of the top 10, Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15 and the Philadelphia Eagles stole Makai Lemon at No. 20 overall.
Let’s take a look at what we learned.
2026 NFL Draft essentials
- Live draft blog: Rumors, trades and picks in real time
- Interactive draft tracker: Filter every pick by round, team, position and more
- Live team grades: Instant analysis for every team’s draft class
- Round 1 pick grades: Full breakdowns for every first-round selection
- Full draft order: All 257 picks by team
Chiefs not too worried about their offense
It was believed the Chiefs could upgrade their offense during the first round of the draft. They could target a wide receiver and/or an offensive lineman. Nope. Instead, Kansas City traded the No. 9 overall pick, a third- and fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to draft cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall. At No. 29 overall, the Chiefs again went defense, taking lineman Peter Woods out of Clemson. That was a bit surprising.
The Chiefs are coming off the worst season of the Andy Reid era. They went 6-11 and missed the playoffs, while Patrick Mahomes’ offense ranked No. 20 in total yards per game (320.6), and No. 21 in points per game (21.3). The Chiefs’ defense ranked in the top 10 in both of those categories. Over the last three seasons, Mahomes has averaged nearly 50 passing yards per game fewer than his first five NFL seasons as a full-time starter, and his 2.1 TD/INT ratio pales in comparison to the 4.0 TD/INT ratio Mahomes registered over his first five years.
Kansas City did add reigning Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency, but that was the only notable addition as far as the offense goes. It’s notable Brett Veach went defense twice in the first round instead off adding more weaponry or protection for Mahomes. And on the other side, Kansas City reported goodbye to Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Jets hellbent on revamping this roster
The New York Jets have been one of the big stories of the year, coming off their pitiful 3-14 season. After trading for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, they continued to give the defense a total facelift in free agency, signing pass rusher Joseph Ossai, linebacker Demario Davis, safety Dane Belton and Pro Bowl cornerback Nahshon Wright. Offensively, they weren’t as active, although the Jets did trade for quarterback Geno Smith.
It’s been an aggressive offseason for New York, and the aggression didn’t stop in the first round of the draft. The Jets were one of the big winners of Round 1. They selected probably the best “pure pass rusher” in David Bailey out of Texas Tech at No. 2 overall, took the best tight end in the class in Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall, then traded up for Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 30 overall — which is incredible value.
The Jets exited the first night of the draft with THREE new starters. I’m not going to call them a sleeper in 2026, but what Darren Mougey has done is set up this franchise to have a real chance to turn things around this upcoming season.
Rams confident in what they have?
In a night full of surprises, the Rams gave us the most notable one by taking former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall. Simpson wasn’t even viewed as a lock for the first round, but he ended up going early — to a team that didn’t have a need at quarterback with reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford under center!
It’s more surprising that Simpson went No. 13 overall than that he landed in L.A. The Rams were always viewed as a potential landing spot for Simpson. Prior to the start of the first round, the Rams were listed as the third favorite to land Simpson behind the Arizona Cardinals and Jets. When Simpson was mulling whether to return to college or declare for the draft this year, his father consulted several people, according to NFL Media. Among those he talked to was Rams general manager Les Snead, who claimed Simpson was indeed a first-round talent. However, it was thought the Rams could trade down from No. 13, or orchestrate a move back into the first round to grab Simpson later — not take him at No. 13.
This is a clear succession plan for the 38-year-old Stafford, whom the team informed they would be drafting Simpson, per ESPN. It’s unknown how Stafford feels about this, but Simpson was a one-year starter at Alabama and would greatly benefit from learning behind a future Hall of Famer.
Drafting a player who (probably) won’t immediately help in the franchise’s pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy is controversial. It’s easy to say Olaivavega Ioane, Kenyon Sadiq or Makai Lemon could come in and help the Rams win the Super Bowl right now, but Snead decided to play chess with this first-round pick after trading his other first-round selection for defensive back Trent McDuffie earlier this offseason.
“I hate sitting here and going, ‘you’re a player away in the draft from a Super Bowl,'” Snead told reporters Thursday night. “At the end of the day, what we want to accomplish in the draft and any acquisitions that we have is try to engineer as competent a team as possible, and then let’s go to work. Let’s get through May, let’s get through June, let’s come back in August, let’s then go to Australia and play game 1 and try to be the best team and try to evolve and play our best football at the end. I don’t want to sit here in April and say, ‘Ok, we drafted one player and now we’ll go to the Super Bowl.’ There is a lot of hard work that happens between this night and whoever is playing in that game in Feburary.”
Vegas doesn’t know all when it comes to the draft
If you’re not a gambler, you’re probably unaware that bettors were taken for a wild ride when it came to who would be selected at No. 2 overall. Following the NFL combine, Ohio State pass rusher/linebacker Arvell Reese became the favorite to go to the Jets. As the draft process unfolded, Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey overtook Reese as the favorite to go No. 2 overall.
Over the last week, the two players took turns — bouncing back and forth as the favorite to be the second player off the board. As the hours wound down before the start of the first round, Reese began to separate as the favorite — getting up to -300 at some books. However, when commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium with the Jets’ draft card, he read Bailey’s name instead.
No. 2 odds shift chart (DraftKings Sportsbook)
| Arvell Reese |
+120 |
-115 |
-130 |
-135 |
-175 |
-220 |
+135 |
+105 |
-145 |
| David Bailey |
-160 |
-115 |
+100 |
+100 |
+125 |
+165 |
-175 |
-130 |
+110 |
The old adage is “Vegas knows all.” That’s not entirely true when it comes to the NFL Draft, which is why it makes for a fun gambling event.
Eagles successfully solidify WR room with A.J. Brown on the way out
It’s no longer a secret that the Eagles are expected to trade A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in the coming months, so Howie Roseman had to get busy reinforcing that position group. The Eagles signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency, then traded for Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers. The final ingredient was added at No. 20 overall on Thursday night, as Philly traded up with the rival Dallas Cowboys to select slot wideout Makai Lemon out of USC.
I love this pick. Lemon is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner and a Unanimous All-American. He delivered four games last season in which he racked up 150 yards receiving and a touchdown. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is reportedly standing at a crossroads this year, and he will need to be more open to changes with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. So adding a slot weapon that racked up the most yards after catch (502) in the Big Ten last season is smart. Lemon could be the eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year.
NFL teams covet offensive linemen
This offseason, it’s become clear that teams truly covet starting-caliber offensive linemen. Whether it was Cleveland trading for the versatile Tytus Howard and handing him a new contract prior to the start of free agency, or the Las Vegas Raiders breaking financial records by giving center Tyler Linderbaum an $81 million deal, offensive linemen are wanted around the league.
That’s why NINE offensive linemen were drafted in the first round.
|
9
|
Spencer Fano, Utah
|
Cleveland Browns
|
|
10
|
Francis Mauigoa, Miami
|
New York Giants
|
|
12
|
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
|
Miami Dolphins
|
|
14
|
Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
|
17
|
Blake Miller, Clemson
|
Detroit Lions
|
|
19
|
Monroe Freeling, Georgia
|
Carolina Panthers
|
|
21
|
Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
|
26
|
Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
|
Houston Texans
|
| 28 |
Caleb Lomu, Utah |
New England Patriots |
Those nine offensive linemen drafted in the first round were tied for the second-most in the Common Draft Era (1967), according to CBS Sports Research. Maybe fans aren’t rushing to buy the jerseys of rookie protectors, but teams value these players.
