2026 NFL Draft Recap: Buckeye Dominance, and Early Surprises

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The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh lived up to the hype on Thursday night, delivering a mix of franchise-altering quarterback selections, a surprising renaissance for the running back position, and a historic showing from the Ohio State Buckeyes.

With the dust settled on the first 32 picks, here is the full breakdown of how Day 1 unfolded.

1. The New Face of the Raiders

As expected, the Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time in selecting Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana) with the No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza, the maestro behind Indiana’s historic 2025 season, becomes the new cornerstone for a Raiders franchise desperate for stability at the quarterback position. Scouts have lauded his precision and rhythm, and he now enters a division featuring the elite arms of Mahomes and Herbert.

2. The Top 5 Shocker: A “Love” Story in Arizona

While the New York Jets followed at No. 2 with the draft’s premier pass rusher, David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech), the first true shock of the night came at No. 3. The Arizona Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame), making him the first running back taken in the top three since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Despite rumors of a trade-down, GM Monti Ossenfort stayed put to land the “heartbeat” of the Irish offense to revitalize the Cardinals’ ground game.

3. Ohio State’s Historic Night

No program owned the first round quite like Ohio State. The Buckeyes saw a staggering four players taken in the first 11 picks, including:

No. 4 (Titans): Carnell Tate (WR), giving Tennessee a polished, elite playmaker.
No. 5 (Giants): Arvell Reese (EDGE), providing New York with a high-ceiling defender to mitigate the loss of Dexter Lawrence.
No. 7 (Saints): Sonny Styles (LB), a versatile hybrid athlete widely considered the “freak” of the class.
No. 11 (Cowboys): Caleb Downs (SAF), whom Dallas aggressively traded up for, securing what many call a “generational” secondary talent.

2026 NFL Draft: Round 1 Results

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Raiders	Fernando Mendoza	QB	Indiana
2	Jets	David Bailey	EDGE	Texas Tech
3	Cardinals	Jeremiyah Love	RB	Notre Dame
4	Titans	Carnell Tate	WR	Ohio State
5	Giants	Arvell Reese	EDGE	Ohio State
6	Chiefs (via CLE)	Mansoor Delane	CB	LSU
7	Saints	Sonny Styles	LB	Ohio State
8	Bears	Jordyn Tyson	WR	Arizona St
9	Browns (via KC)	Spencer Fano	OT	Utah
10	Giants (via CIN)	Francis Mauigoa	OT	Miami

4. Trade Winds: Chiefs and Cowboys Move Aggressively

The Kansas City Chiefs provided one of the night’s biggest headlines, trading up from No. 30 to No. 6 in a massive deal with the Cleveland Browns to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. It’s a rare top-10 appearance for the Chiefs, who identified Delane as the shutdown piece needed to rebuild their secondary.

Similarly, the Dallas Cowboys were active, moving up to No. 11 for Caleb Downs. GM Jerry Jones later traded back into the first round at No. 23 to grab Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF), effectively bookending their defense with two high-impact starters.

5. Quarterback Watch

While Mendoza went first, the “run” on quarterbacks was quieter than anticipated. Ty Simpson (Alabama) was the only other signal-caller taken in the first round, going No. 13 to the LA Rams. Teams like the New York Jets and Washington Commanders opted for defensive stalwarts instead.

The Bottom Line: Day 1 was a masterclass in aggressive team-building. The Raiders have their savior, the Giants rebuilt their trenches with Reese and Mauigoa, and the Buckeyes officially have a campus-to-NFL pipeline that is currently unrivaled.

Day 2 begins tonight at 7:00 PM ET. With several high-profile wide receivers and quarterbacks still on the board, expect the chaos to continue.