The 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday with Round 1.
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The 2026 NFL draft kicks off Thursday in Pittsburgh, Penn., with the first round, as the top college prospects in the nation prepare for their dreams to come true. To kick things off, Texas Tech edge David Bailey went No. 2 overall to the New York Jets.
The Dallas Cowboys traded up with the Miami Dolphins to No. 11 to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, giving up picks No. 12, 177 and 180. He provides immediate value in the secondary for the new defensive coordinator, Christian Parker. Then, the Cowboys swapped places with the Eagles, moving back to 23 and picking up 114 and 137. Dallas selected UCF edge Malachi Lawrence with its second first-round pick.
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GOLDEN: Ced makes his 2026 draft predictions for Texas players
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The Houston Texans are picking at 28. They have needs in the interior trenches of both sides of the ball. The Texans could either bolster a defense that ranked among the best in the league last year, or give quarterback CJ Stroud some much-needed protection along the offensive line. The first Texas A&M draft pick of the day was wide receiver KC Concepcion, who went 24th overall to the Cleveland Browns.
Rounds two and three will be held Friday. The draft will conclude Saturday with rounds five through seven. Here are live updates from the first day of the NFL draft.
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Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion (16) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Michael Conroy/AP
2026 NFL draft live updates
No. 26 — Texans trade up with Bills, select Georgia Tech OL Keylan Rutledge
The Texans give up picks 28, 69 and 167 to move up to 26 and select Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge. Houston also receives pick 91, as it lands reinforcements for the interior of its offensive line.
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No. 24 — Cleveland Browns select Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion
The Browns select one of the most explosive wide receivers in the draft in KC Concepcion. He might not be the biggest body, but he adds speed to the Browns’ offense and special teams.
No. 23 — Dallas Cowboys select UCF edge Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence led Central Florida with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2025. He adds some juice to a defensive line that lacked pressure production after trading Micah Parsons.
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Eagles trade up with Cowboys, select USC WR Makai Lemon
With the doubt surrounding wide receiver AJ Brown, the Eagles trade up and grab another pass catcher in Makai Lemon.
No. 18 — Minnesota Vikings select Florida DT Caleb Banks
Caleb Banks showed off his talent in 2024 but was sidelined by injuries last season. He might’ve been selected even higher if not for his medical concerns.
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No. 17 — Detroit Lions select Clemson OL Blake Miller
The Lions bolster their trenches with offensive lineman Blake Miller. The four-year starter replaces long-time offensive tackle Taylor Decker, who was released in the offseason.
No. 16 — New York Jets select Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
Kenyon Sadiq set an NFL combine record with a 43.5-inch vertical jump, and could be a mismatch nightmare.
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No. 15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr.
Rueben Bain Jr. led Miami to the College Football Playoff Championship game last season, and he fell all the way to the Buccaneers at 15. He recorded 83 pressures and 12 sacks in 2025.
No. 14 — Baltimore Ravens select Penn State OL Olaivavega Ioane
The Ravens bolster the interior of their offensive line with Olaivavega Ioane. He’s 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, and provides some extra beef to the trenches.
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No. 13 — Los Angeles Rams select Alabama QB Ty Simpson
The Rams draft Matthew Stafford’s successor. Ty Simpson isn’t one of the toolsiest quarterback prospects ever, but he’s accurate and will develop under the tutelage of Sean McVay.
No. 12 — Miami Dolphins select Alabama OL Kadyn Proctor
Kadyn Proctor is a monster of a human being, coming in at 6-foot-6, 352 pounds. The Dolphins add beef to their offensive line to power their run game and protect quarterback Malik Willis.
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No. 11 — Dallas Cowboys select safety Caleb Downs
Downs might be the most cerebral player in the draft. He played one season at Alabama under former head coach Nick Saban before transferring to Ohio State and leading the Buckeyes to a national title.
Cowboys and Dolphins agree to trade
The Cowboys move up one spot, giving up picks 177 and 180 to the Dolphins.
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No. 10 — New York Giants select Miami OL Francis Mauigoa
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart showed potential last season. He needs more protection, however, and Francis Mauigoa will provide just that along the offensive line.
No. 9 — Cleveland Browns select Utah OL Spencer Fano
The Browns have questions to answer along their offensive line. They begin to answer them with the selection of Spencer Fano, who could play multiple positions along the line.
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No. 8 — New Orleans Saints select Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson
Jordyn Tyson might’ve been in conversations for the top wideout in the draft if not for his medical concerns. He’s an explosive, savvy receiver who pairs nicely with Chris Olave to give quarterback Tyler Shough two solid weapons.
No. 7 — Washington Commanders select Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
A safety-turned-linebacker, Styles is a chiseled 6-foot-5, 243 pounds. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and had the production to go along with it, totaling 71 tackles and missing only two, according to PFF.
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No. 6 — Kansas City Chiefs select LSU CB Mansoor Delane
The Chiefs traded away cornerback Trent McDuffie and allowed Jaylen Watson to walk in free agency. Delane fills a need and was arguably the top cornerback in the draft.
Browns and Chiefs agree to trade
The Cleveland Browns are falling back to No. 9, receiving picks 74 and 148 from the Kansas City Chiefs, who move up to No. 6.
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No. 5 — New York Giants select Ohio State edge/LB Arvell Reese
Perhaps the freakiest athlete in the 2026 class, Reese played off-ball linebacker last season, but flashed the athleticism to develop into a premier pass rusher. With Brian Burns and last year’s No. 2 overall pick Abdul Carter, the Giants are loaded on the edge.
No. 4 — Tennessee Titans select Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
The Buckeyes are known for their wide receiver development. The Titans give quarterback Cam Ward a long, reliable pass catcher to work with in Carnell Tate.
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No. 3 — Arizona Cardinals select Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
One of the best running back prospects to come out in recent years, Love ran for 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Positional value is always a debate, but the Cardinals decided Love was too talented to pass on.
No. 2 — New York Jets select Texas Tech edge David Bailey
Bailey was one of the most effective pass rushers in college last season, recording 81 pressures and 15 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Bailey is the first Red Raider selected in the top five in the 2000s.
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No. 1 — Las Vegas Raiders select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders get their franchise quarterback. Mendoza has been mocked to Las Vegas ever since the draft order was set. He’ll have a chance to start right away, though the Raiders could also allow him to learn behind quarterback Kirk Cousins.
NFL draft time, where to watch
Round 1
Time: Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m. CT
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Where: Pittsburgh, Penn., at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium
TV Channel: NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Rounds 2-3
Time: Friday, April 24, 6 p.m. CT
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Where: Pittsburgh, Penn., at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium
TV Channel: NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Rounds 4-7
Time: Saturday, April 25, 12 p.m. CT
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Where: Pittsburgh, Penn., at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium
TV Channel: NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Where to stream 2026 NFL draft?
Streaming: NFL+, Disney+, DirecTV, ESPN Unlimited
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