The 2026 NFL Draft, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, featured a variety of notable picks, surprises, and trades during its first round.The Las Vegas Raiders opened the draft by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. Mendoza, a National Champion and Heisman Trophy winner, is recognized as a classic dropback passer who processes reads efficiently and throws with excellent precision. The New York Jets followed by picking Texas Tech EDGE rusher David Bailey at number two. With the third pick, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, an explosive offensive weapon with game-breaking speed and three-down workload potential. The top five was rounded out by the Tennessee Titans taking Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at four, and the New York Giantsselecting Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at five.Several teams utilized trades to secure their desired prospects early on. The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the sixth overall pick to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, a defender equipped with the speed and aggressive press-man skills to serve as an immediate number one cover corner. The Dallas Cowboys also traded up, securing the 11th pick to draft versatile Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who can seamlessly play across multiple positions in the secondary. Additionally, the Philadelphia Eagles moved up to the 20th spot to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. Lemon, an exceptional route-runner with tremendous ball skills and toughness, is viewed as a potential replacement for A.J. Brown.One of the biggest surprises of the first round was the Los Angeles Rams selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpsonwith the 13th overall pick. Though projected by some to be drafted later, Simpson possesses strong intermediate and deep passing accuracy and is expected to develop behind veteran Matthew Stafford before taking the reins of the offense.Multiple franchises bolstered their rosters with more than one first-round selection. The New York Jets walked away with three first-rounders: David Bailey at 2, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at 16, and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. at 30. The New York Giants paired Arvell Reese with Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at number 10. The Cleveland Browns focused on offense by adding Utah tackle Spencer Fano at 9 and dynamic Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion at 24.The hometown Pittsburgh Steelers reinforced their offensive line by selecting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at 21. The opening night of the draft officially concluded when the Seattle Seahawks selected Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the 32nd overall pick.

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