Overview
- The draft, which begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh, will air on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC in some markets with streaming on NFL+ and ESPN platforms.
- Las Vegas owns the No. 1 pick and is widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman winner and national champion.
- The NFL cut the Round 1 clock to eight minutes for 2026, and the three-day event will feature 257 total selections across seven rounds.
- Multiple outlets describe a top-heavy class with few clear blue-chip players, a setup that often pushes teams to trade for specific targets rather than sit and pick.
- Pre-draft reporting points to a busy top 10, with CBS Sports linking the Jets to Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey at No. 2 and noting the Cowboys could move up from No. 12.