The 2026 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks

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NFL draft draws fans to Pittsburgh for Day 1 | full coverage 29:28

The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with a quarterback being taken No. 1 overall for the fourth straight year.

The Las Vegas Raiders, as was widely expected, selected QB Fernando Mendoza, who capped his stellar Heisman season by leading Indiana to its first national title in school history.

The choice of Mendoza marks an attempt by Raiders minority owner Tom Brady — the legendary QB who won a staggering seven Super Bowl rings — to mentor an heir apparent of sorts, giving Las Vegas a clean slate as it enters a major rebuild following the disappointing one-and-done tenures of head coach Pete Carrol and QB Geno Smith.

A general view of the draft tent is seen prior to Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Jason Miller / Getty Images

A major unknown heading into Thursday was the fate of powerful Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, arguably the draft's best athlete. That question was quickly answered when he heard his name called by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall.

With the position no longer considered premium, it is often overlooked at the top of the first round. Love was the first running back taken in the top 3 since the Cleveland Browns selected Trent Richardson at No. 3 in 2012. He is just the fourth running back since 2018 to be selected in the top 10.

Maybe the biggest shocker was the Los Angeles Rams selection of QB Ty Simpson at No. 13, indicating that the Rams have tapped their successor to veteran QB Matthew Stafford, who is currently in extension talks with the team.

Ohio State, flexing its credentials as a football powerhouse, was responsible for four of the top 11 selections; wide receiver Carnell Tate was taken by the Tennessee Titans at No. 4; edge Arvell Reese was selected by the Giants at No. 5; linebacker Sonny Styles was picked by the Washington Commanders at No. 7; and the Dallas Cowboys traded up one pick with the Miami Dolphins to nab safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.

Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr., who had been projected to go in the top 10, fell all the way to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 15. A report earlier this month found that Bain was involved in a deadly 2024 car crash in Florida in which he was cited for careless driving, but was not criminally charged.

Teams had been expected to focus their early attention on the trenches in a draft experts concur is lacking in blue chippers. But in a surprise, two wide receivers were selected early: Tate at No. 4 and Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 by the New Orleans Saints.

The Kansas City Chiefs conducted the first big draft day trade: moving up from No. 9 to No. 6 to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane in a swap with the Browns.

The New York Giants, who finished with just four wins last year and are hoping for a reset under new head coach John Harbaugh, had two top 10 selections thanks to a blockbuster trade last week in which they acquired the No. 10 pick from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for disgruntled star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Along with Reese at No. 5, they used their No. 10 pick on offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa of Miami.

2026 NFL Draft order for Round 1No. 1: Las Vegas Raiders — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
A detailed view of the stage showing a still of Fernando Mendoza of Indiana on screen after being selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.  / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 2: New York Jets — Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech
David Bailey of Texas Tech arrives prior to the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Jason Miller / Getty Images
No. 3: Arizona Cardinals — RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame celebrates after being selected third overall by the Arizona Cardinals during Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.  / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 4: Tennessee Titans — WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Carnell Tate of Ohio State arrives prior to the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Jason Miller / Getty Images
No. 5: New York Giants — edge Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Ohio State edge Arvell Reese interacts with fans on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 6: Kansas City Chiefs (trade up with Cleveland Browns) — CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Mansoor Delane of LSU celebrates after being selected sixth overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 7: Washington Commanders — LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles poses for a photo on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 8: New Orleans Saints — WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodellafter being selected eighth overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.  / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 9: Cleveland Browns (trade down with Chiefs) — OT Spencer Fano, Utah
Spencer Fano walks during the Utah Utes Pro Day at the Spence Eccles Field House on March 19, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah. / Credit: Chris Gardner / Getty Images
No. 10: New York Giants — OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Francis Mauigoa of Miami celebrates after being selected tenth overall by the New York Giants in the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 11: Dallas Cowboys (in trade with Miami) — safety Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs poses for a photo on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 12: Miami Dolphins — OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Kadyn Proctor of Alabama poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected twelfth overall by the Miami Dolphins at the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
No. 13: Los Angeles Rams — QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson poses for a photo on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 14: Baltimore Ravens — Guard Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Olaivavega Ioane of Penn State participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images
No. 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, edge Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr. poses for a photo on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 16: New York Jets, TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Kenyon Sadiq of the Oregon Ducks participates in a tight end drill during Oregon Ducks Pro Day at the Moshofsky Center on March 17, 2026 in Eugene, Oregon. / Credit: Soobum Im / Getty Images
No. 17: Detroit Lions — OT Blake Miller, Clemson
Blake Miller of the Clemson Tigers walks on the field before Pro Day at Allen N. Reeves Football Complex on March 12, 2026, in Clemson, South Carolina. / Credit: Katie DeVaney / Getty Images
No. 18: Minnesota Vikings — defensive tackle Caleb Banks, Florida
Caleb Banks of Florida participates in the 40-dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 26, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images
No. 19: Carolina Panthers — OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
Monroe Freeling of the Georgia Bulldogs participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Stacy Revere / Getty Images
No. 20: Philadelphia Eagles (in trade with Dallas) — WR Makai Lemon, USC
Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon poses for a photo on the red carpet for the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers — OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
Max Iheanachor of Arizona State participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers — LB Akheem Mesidor, Miami
Akheem Mesidor of the Miami Hurricanes participates in the 2026 Miami Pro Day at Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility on March 23, 2026, in Coral Gables, Florida. / Credit: Megan Briggs / Getty Images
No. 23: Dallas Cowboys (in trade with Eagles) — edge Malachi Lawrence, Central Florida
Malachi Lawrence of Central Florida participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 26, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images
No. 24: Cleveland Browns — WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
KC Concepcion of Texas A&M participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine  at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. / Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
No. 25: Chicago Bears — Safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Dillon Thieneman of Oregon arrives prior to the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. / Credit: Jason Miller / Getty Images
No. 26: Buffalo BillsNo. 27: San Francisco 49ersNo. 28: Houston TexansNo. 29: Kansas City ChiefsNo. 30: Miami DolphinsNo. 31: New England PatriotsNo. 32: Seattle SeahawksWhere to find expert picks for a 2026 mock NFL Draft
CBS Sports has you covered for the NFL Draft, including the latest mock drafts and analysis.

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