{"id":626217,"date":"2026-04-23T18:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/626217\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T18:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:06:14","slug":"2026-nfl-draft-order-live-updates-fernando-mendoza-awaits-call-from-raiders-at-no-1-will-jeremiyah-love-go-top-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/626217\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft order, live updates: Fernando Mendoza awaits call from Raiders at No. 1; will Jeremiyah Love go top 5?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> has finally arrived, with the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> on the clock with the first overall pick in this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

Indiana quarterback prospect and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is the presumed No. 1 pick, as the Raiders look to secure their signal-caller of the future. Mendoza will be sitting out this year\u2019s draft festivities in Pittsburgh, opting instead to celebrate his selection with family and friends in his hometown of Miami.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Plenty of other top prospects will be in attendance, however, including Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State\u2019s powerhouse quartet of Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles<\/a>, Carnell Tate and Caleb Downs<\/a> \u2014 all of whom were in the top 18 picks in Yahoo Sports\u2019 final mock draft of the year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Notably, the first round will look a little different this year with a shortened clock, as each team gets eight minutes to make its selection (as opposed to 10 minutes in years prior). Rounds 2 and 3 will take place on Friday, starting at 7 p.m. ET, with Rounds 4-7 closing out the action on Saturday, starting at noon.<\/p>\n

NFL Draft Big Boards: Consensus Top 75<\/a> \u2022 Nate Tice<\/a> \u2022 Charles McDonald<\/a> | Draft guide<\/a><\/p>\n

NFL draft start time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Pittsburgh
TV channel: NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Streaming: NFL+, Disney+, DirecTV<\/a>, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news and results from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Live19 updatesThu, April 23, 2026 at 11:04 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

\"FrankThu, April 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Frank Schwab<\/p>\n

The Steelers go into the draft claiming they have no idea if Aaron Rodgers will play<\/a> this season, which isn\u2019t ideal. Whether that\u2019s true or not, the Steelers are a team to watch. They could be the team to draft Ty Simpson, with an eye on the future at quarterback.<\/p>\n

Perhaps they unload a veteran pass rusher like Alex Highsmith<\/a> or Nick Herbig<\/a> from a defense that was too expensive and average last season. It\u2019s also possible the Steelers do nothing exciting and just take another lineman at No. 21, which they\u2019ve done each of the past three drafts. A boring draft would be notable too, given how many options Pittsburgh<\/a> should have in its first draft since hiring Mike McCarthy as head coach.<\/p>\n

Read more on the other storylines shaping this year\u2019s draft.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BenThu, April 23, 2026 at 10:53 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Ben Fawkes<\/p>\n

Every 2026 NFL mock draft has Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza going No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders \u2014 and the betting markets agree.<\/p>\n

Mendoza has been a prohibitive favorite to go No. 1 for months and currently sits at -10000 odds, which means a $100 bet would win $1.<\/p>\n

No other player has better than 100-1 odds.<\/p>\n

The intrigue of Round 1 of the NFL Draft will start at pick No. 2.<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 10:30 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 10:15 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 10:06 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Less than a day after New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced that he\u2019d miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to seek counseling<\/a> in the wake of a photo scandal with NFL reporter Dianna Russini, Page Six<\/a> published additional images<\/a> it says were taken at a New York City bar in 2020.<\/p>\n

These photos show a man and a woman, identified by Page Six as Russini and Vrabel, interacting closely in a dimly lit bar. One photo shows the pair facing each other, their heads close together, suggesting an intimate exchange. At the time, Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans, while Russini worked as a reporter with ESPN.<\/p>\n

Page Six stated that the outlet \u201ccontacted both Vrabel and Russini on Wednesday afternoon regarding the photos,\u201d just hours before Vrabel made the announcement he\u2019d be stepping away for counseling.<\/p>\n

The Patriots hold the 31st overall pick in the draft Thursday night, and Vrabel is scheduled to meet with the media if New England makes a pick, per MassLive reporter Mark Daniels<\/a>. The league already stated that Vrabel would not be subject to the NFL\u2019s personal conduct policy<\/a> in connection with the photos.<\/p>\n

Russini resigned from her position with The Athletic<\/a> on April 14 after the organization launched an investigation following the publication of images of Russini and Vrabel holding hands and sitting in a hot tub together at a luxury hotel in\u00a0Arizona<\/a> in March 2026.<\/p>\n

\"NateThu, April 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Nate Tice<\/p>\n

When Mendoza was tasked with operating Indiana\u2019s well-designed and well-coached offense, he was constantly making the right decision, no matter the task. The ball was out and going to a correct read an overwhelming majority of the time.<\/p>\n

Everything is tidy when Mendoza operates. His feet get into a good position to throw. His hitches are consistent and lead to a repeatable motion. That repeatable motion leads to repeatable results, too. Mendoza\u2019s accuracy and ball placement are his winning traits.<\/p>\n

He has plenty of zip to get the ball where he wants to, but he maximizes that zip with where he locates the football and how early he gets the ball out. A solid chunk of the time his receivers are just getting into their route breaks when Mendoza is releasing the football.<\/p>\n

Check out the rest of Mendoza\u2019s deep-dive prospect evaluation.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BenThu, April 23, 2026 at 9:45 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Ben Fawkes<\/p>\n

\u201cBookmakers hate the draft,\u201d Jeff Benson, Circa Sports director of operations, told Yahoo Sports via direct message on X. \u201cIt is tons of work for no gain, and we have zero chance to win. We torch five to six figures a year on [it].\u201d<\/p>\n

Why do bookmakers hate booking the NFL Draft and sharp bettors love it? Is the opportunity for sharp bettors now gone? And if it\u2019s such a losing proposition, why do books offer it at all?<\/p>\n

Betting on the NFL Draft had long been a part of the offshore world, but it was finally approved to be offered in Nevada in 2017 \u2014 the one state in the U.S. at that time with legal sports betting \u2014 and the number of bets available to be offered expanded in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the unique 2020 NFL Draft, with the sports world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that sportsbooks fully utilized that expanded menu to offer bettors a wide variety of options, turning the draft into a true betting event. The draft came into focus on sports betting shows, podcasts and gambling X (then Twitter) because there wasn\u2019t much handicapping of live sports to be done.<\/p>\n

Read about what makes the NFL Draft is so difficult to book.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BenThu, April 23, 2026 at 9:43 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Ben Fawkes<\/p>\n

The New York Jets currently hold the No. 2 pick in tonight\u2019s NFL Draft, and defensive ends Arvell Reese and David Bailey have each been the favorite to go No. 2 at BetMGM in the past few days.<\/p>\n

Seemingly daily, the odds have shifted between the two players. With less than eight hours before Round 1, Bailey is the -150 favorite to go No. 2 with Reese the second choice at +115.<\/p>\n

No other player has better than 100-1 odds.<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Nate Tice, Charles McDonald<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> has arrived! Months of scouting evaluations, testing numbers, pro days, team visits, trades and more all come down to Thursday through Saturday in Pittsburgh<\/a>, when 257 players will hear their names called as draft picks.<\/p>\n

At No. 2, the Jets have been linked to both Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey and Ohio State LB\/EDGE Arvell Reese. In our final mock draft of the year, we\u2019ve got the New York Jets selecting \u2026<\/p>\n

David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been a lot of smoke recently linking the Jets and Bailey,<\/a> so let\u2019s follow suit and start the draft here. This might be a bit rich for Bailey considering the Jets have their pick of the litter, but one thing he has over the Ohio State trio<\/a> is conventional positional value helping his cause.<\/p>\n

Bailey\u2019s appeal is all about his upside as a pass rusher, which is sky high. He has the athleticism, tenacity and a growing set of techniques to use to be a factor early in his career. He has a lot of room to grow as a run defender, but he\u2019s shown upside there as well, albeit inconsistently. The addition of 365-pound nose tackle T\u2019Vondre Sweat makes this pick more palatable and will let Bailey be aggressive without killing the structure of the Jets\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n

Check out the rest of our team\u2019s final mock draft of the year.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 9:09 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

\"CharlesThu, April 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Charles Robinson<\/p>\n

It\u2019s shaping up to be another deep class that packs into the first two rounds, with as many as nine receivers stacked inside the top 60 to 70 players on boards. As anticipated, the big three \u2014 Arizona State\u2019s Jordyn Tyson<\/a>, Ohio State<\/a>\u2019s Carnell Tate<\/a> and USC\u2019s Makai Lemon<\/a> \u2014 were all stacked in a range that will put them in the first round.<\/p>\n

The top wideout slot was a closer split between Tyson and Tate than has been predicted in most mock drafts. Tate was slotted higher than Tyson for most evaluators, but Tyson got the nod as the top wideout on a few boards. Neither was slotted as a top-five pick by teams.<\/p>\n

The real intrigue is shaping up in the next trio of Texas A&M\u2019s KC Concepcion<\/a>, Indiana<\/a>\u2019s Omar Cooper and Washington\u2019s Denzel Boston<\/a>. All three were stacked as the fourth wideout by at least one team. Concepcion was fourth on most boards, followed by Cooper and then Boston. One team had Boston stacked in a manner that would potentially translate as low as the top of the third round.<\/p>\n

Read more on how NFL Draft’s top positional stacks are shaping up before showtime.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 8:30 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Perhaps that\u2019s true, though the opposite could come to pass as well.<\/p>\n

That conversation about the 2027 draft could affect trades, too. Teams presumably won\u2019t want to trade 2027 picks for picks this year. That could slow down trades. We could see teams move up or down by swapping 2026 picks, but are teams really looking for extra draft capital this year?<\/p>\n

Once Dexter Lawrence got traded to the Bengals,<\/a> there aren\u2019t many veterans who are obvious trade candidates (though there are still some interesting names who could move)<\/a>. We\u2019ll see if Veach\u2019s prediction comes true.<\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Baltimore Ravens<\/a> wide receiver Zay Flowers<\/a> has shown immense potential, and the ability to make game-breaking plays down the field in his first three seasons in the NFL. Because of that, the Ravens reportedly picked up Flowers\u2019 fifth-year option Thursday, per multiple reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The move was expected, as Flowers has exceeded 1,000 yards and made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons. With the decision, Flowers will remain in Baltimore through the 2027 NFL season. After making $2.6 million in 2026, Flowers\u2019 salary will jump to roughly $27 million in 2027 due to the option.<\/p>\n

After being selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Flowers developed into the team\u2019s top receiving option.<\/p>\n

Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CharlesThu, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Charles Robinson<\/p>\n

With the NFL Draft<\/a> upon us, we finally get around to what we\u2019ve known for months \u2014 and what we\u2019ve debated for what has seemed like an eternity.<\/p>\n

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first overall pick. And Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson<\/a> is going to get drafted … well \u2026somewhere.<\/p>\n

Peering through the dustup over Simpson\u2019s talent and where he should be ranked among his fellow quarterbacks \u2014 and tuning out and last-minute nonsensical second-guessing about Mendoza \u2014 at least three things emerged about the quarterbacks:<\/p>\n

First, Mendoza swept the board in the quarterback stack without much fanfare. All 10 evaluators put him at the top of the quarterback class and didn\u2019t think twice about it.<\/p>\n

Second, Simpson swept the second spot in the stack among evaluators and did it about as easily as Mendoza took the top spot.<\/p>\n

Third, Miami\u2019s Carson Beck<\/a> may very well end up being the third quarterback off the board, and there\u2019s a chance he squeezes into the tail end of the third round.<\/p>\n

Read more on how NFL Draft’s top positional stacks are shaping up before showtime.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 7:17 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

The over\/under at BetMGM is set at 1.5. We know Fernando Mendoza is a lock\u2026 could Ty Simpson be No. 2?<\/p>\n

\"JeffThu, April 23, 2026 at 7:15 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Jeff Eisenberg<\/p>\n

A few weeks into his first season playing tackle football, Fernando Mendoza<\/a> told his parents that he wanted to quit.<\/p>\n

The 10-year-old Cuban-American boy who occasionally stuttered when he spoke was struggling to make friends with his new teammates or to elbow his way into the competition to earn playing time at quarterback.<\/p>\n

“In fourth grade, I was a new kid on the park football team,\u201d Mendoza recalled in December while delivering his acceptance speech after winning the Heisman Trophy.<\/a> \u201cDidn’t know a single teammate, and was fourth on the depth chart. By midseason, I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to quit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankfully for Mendoza, his mom and dad aren\u2019t the type of parents who would let one of their boys quit without finishing what he started. Fernando and Elsa Mendoza insisted that their eldest son return to the South Miami Grey Ghosts and prove what he could do, a decision that helped him learn to overcome the obstacles he would face throughout his teenage years and paved the way for one of football\u2019s most remarkable underdog stories.<\/p>\n

Read more on Mendoza\u2019s stunning journey toward the No. 1 overall pick.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, April 23, 2026 at 7:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the Round 1 draft order, starting Thursday night at 8 pm. ET:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 NFL Draft has finally arrived, with the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock with the first…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":626218,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[17076,133474,64,63,133465,123563,245556,226256,1250,15427,593,10028,5132,133467,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-626217","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-arvell-reese","10":"tag-au","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-caleb-downs","13":"tag-carnell-tate","14":"tag-heisman-trophy-winner","15":"tag-indiana-quarterback","16":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","17":"tag-mock-draft","18":"tag-nfl","19":"tag-nfl-draft","20":"tag-pittsburgh","21":"tag-sonny-styles","22":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=626217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/626218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=626217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=626217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=626217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}