2026 NFL Draft Live Tracker - Here's Every Pick from Round 1
It’s refreshing, isn’t it?
After weeks and weeks of 2026 NFL Draft mocks and hypothetical projections, with some reported intel mixed in, we have concrete draft results to base analysis around. The first round is underway in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
An astounding six teams entered the night with two first-round picks - the New York Jets (Nos. 2 and 16), New York Giants (Nos. 5 and 10), Kansas City Chiefs (Nos. 9 and 29), Miami Dolphins (Nos. 11 and 30), and Dallas Cowboys (Nos. 12 and 20). Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cincinnati Bengals are empty-handed until Friday’s second and third rounds.
Nothing is certain in the draft, except for the annual booing of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and, this year, the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Heisman-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
Beyond that, expect chaos.
We’ll be tracking it all in real time. Join us.
This is a live tracker and will be updated after each new first-round pick is announced.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Congratulations to all mock drafters for starting the evening 1-for-1.
It’s finally official: Fernando Mendoza is a Raider. Whether or not Mendoza is QB1 for the 2026 season remains to be seen, but the Raiders are invested in him as the future face of the franchise. Mendoza is, in some ways, similar to new teammate Kirk Cousins - certainly in terms of demeanor and football IQ. Newly hired Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak worked wonders with Cousins in Minnesota from 2019 to 2021. Now, both occupy Kubiak’s QB room in Vegas.
2. New York Jets: David Bailey, Edge Rusher, Texas Tech
David Bailey is the first Texas Tech player to go off the board in the top five in the common draft era, so he starts his NFL career with bragging rights over Patrick Mahomes, who went No. 10 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. The initial analysis here is pretty simple. The entire Jets defense compiled 26 sacks in 2025, while Bailey led the nation with 14.5 sacks in 14 games last season.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM.