The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here. Three days of hope, strategy, and franchise-altering decisions begin Thursday evening in Pittsburgh, where the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to kick things off by selecting Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. It marks the first time the draft has been held in the Steel City since 1948, and the city is ready — an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 visitors are expected to flood downtown Pittsburgh over the three-day event centered around Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park.
The Raiders hold the top selection for the first time since 2007, when they famously drafted JaMarcus Russell. This time, the stakes are just as high but the prospect profile could not be more different. Mendoza arrives as the most accomplished quarterback in college football after leading Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season and a national championship, throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions. The Raiders, coming off a seventh losing season in the last decade and having fired head coach Pete Carroll after just one year, are betting Mendoza can be the face of a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since the 2002 season.
How the 2026 NFL Draft Unfolded: Inside the Night's Biggest Storylines
The draft officially gets underway at 8 p.m. ET Thursday with Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the selections from the main stage outside Acrisure Stadium. While Mendoza at No. 1 is all but locked in, the drama begins immediately afterward. The New York Jets, picking second, have gone to great lengths to keep their plans under wraps. New head coach Aaron Glenn, general manager Darren Mougey, and owner Woody Johnson are reportedly the only three people who know the pick, with the team deciding between Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.
The Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 present another layer of intrigue. The Cardinals are widely expected to try trading down, and league insiders suggest they've been leaking interest in dynamic running back Jeremiyah Love to entice teams to move up. Beyond the top of the board, injury concerns cloud several high-profile prospects. Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, considered the draft's top tackle, enters with a herniated disc in his back — though he was reportedly asymptomatic throughout the 2025 season. Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson, a human highlight reel, comes with an extensive injury history that includes a multi-ligament knee tear, a broken collarbone, and hamstring issues.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson represents another wild card. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has been a vocal advocate, but Nick Saban himself said on the Pat McAfee Show this week that Simpson "needs to go someplace where he has a chance to develop and not play right away." The Pittsburgh Steelers have been mentioned as a potential landing spot, where Simpson could learn behind Aaron Rodgers — assuming Rodgers is indeed playing in 2026.
Timeline: How the 2026 NFL Draft Came Together
The road to this week's draft has been years in the making. Pittsburgh was officially announced as the host city in May 2024, beating out several other candidate cities. The NFL Draft campus features a bold two-site design split across the Allegheny River, with the Draft Theater and Main Stage on the North Shore outside Acrisure Stadium and the interactive NFL Draft Experience fan festival at Point State Park on the opposite side. The dome-shaped Draft Theater alongside Art Rooney Avenue took approximately a month to construct.
For Mendoza, the journey has been even more remarkable. A two-star recruit ranked 2,149th nationally coming out of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, he nearly played at Yale before choosing Cal Berkeley. After three seasons at Cal, he transferred to Indiana in December 2024 and delivered one of the greatest single seasons in college football history, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Hoosiers to a national championship.
Why This Draft Matters: Expert Analysis and What's at Stake
This draft class is defined by a clear top quarterback prospect but uncertainty almost everywhere else. "This is not a good quarterback draft," Sky Sports NFL analyst Jeff Reinebold said. "I don't have another quarterback with the first-round grade. Ty Simpson might sneak in at the end of the first round, but I still think that's a real risk. Is Mendoza the best football player in this draft? No. But is he the best quarterback in this draft? Without a shadow of a doubt."
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah compared Mendoza's size and arm talent to former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, while Lance Zierlein sees similarities to the Bengals' Joe Burrow. "He is insanely tough, routinely hanging in the pocket and absorbing big hits," Jeremiah said. The Raiders have surrounded their incoming QB with veteran support, signing Kirk Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal and adding center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million contract. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, will also be available as a resource.
The pressure on Mendoza is immense but not unfamiliar. Quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall carry the weight of entire franchises, and the Raiders have just two playoff appearances (both losses) since their Super Bowl defeat at the end of the 2002 season. Legendary agent Leigh Steinberg, who has represented an NFL-record eight first overall picks, believes Mendoza has what it takes. "The job of a franchise quarterback is to represent the franchise, and he becomes the most visible face of a franchise," Steinberg told Fox News Digital. "He's handsome. He speaks well. I think he's sort of an ideal representative or spokesman for the team."
Where Things Stand Now: Latest on Draft Day
As of Thursday morning, the expectation remains that the Raiders will make Mendoza the pick at 8 p.m. ET. Mendoza, however, will not be in Pittsburgh to hear his name called. The 22-year-old made the unconventional decision to stay in Miami with his family, particularly his mother Elsa, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. "I wanted to make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey," Mendoza said on The Rich Eisen Show. "Mentors, family, coaches, friends. Being able to share that memory with all of them is going to be the best memory I can make."
Mendoza and his brother Alberto launched a fundraising campaign for the National MS Society in 2024, raising over $364,000 after setting an initial goal of $20,000. His mother published a letter to Fernando in The Players' Tribune ahead of the Heisman ceremony, calling him her "gentle giant" and thanking him for making her feel "seen" and the "opposite of embarrassed."
The draft itself will feature 257 selections over seven rounds. Round 1 takes place Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (teams get eight minutes per pick), Rounds 2-3 on Friday at 7 p.m. ET (seven minutes per pick), and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday at noon ET (five minutes per pick in Rounds 3-6, four minutes in Round 7). Coverage is available on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network, and streaming platforms including NFL+, the ESPN app, and YouTube TV.
What Happens Next: The Road Ahead for the 2026 NFL Draft
The first round promises plenty of fireworks beyond the Mendoza selection. Teams like the Cardinals, Eagles, Chiefs, Saints, Browns, Bills, Titans, Commanders, and Seahawks have all been linked to trade-up or trade-down scenarios. The Cardinals at No. 3 are the most likely to move, with the team needing multiple impact players. The Broncos hold the final pick of the first round — the No. 32 selection — which will conclude Thursday's festivities.
For the Raiders, the real work begins after the pick is announced. New head coach Klint Kubiak — the team's 15th different head coach since the turn of the century — will be tasked with developing Mendoza alongside Cousins, who has embraced a mentorship role. "I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team," Cousins said. "He's going to have great support around him."
Mendoza has already filed 12 trademark applications covering his name, image, and slogans like "HE15MENDOZA" and "Flippin'" — a clear sign that he and his camp are thinking long-term about his brand in Las Vegas, the hottest sports market in America.
The Bottom Line: Key Points to Remember
- The 2026 NFL Draft runs Thursday-Saturday (April 23-25) in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park — the first time in the city since 1948
- Las Vegas Raiders pick No. 1 overall and are expected to select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led a perfect 16-0 season and national title
- Mendoza will not attend in person, instead watching from Miami with his family, including his mother who has multiple sclerosis
- Major first-round storylines include the Jets' secrecy at No. 2, trade-down possibilities for the Cardinals at No. 3, and injury concerns around top prospects
- The draft features 257 total picks across seven rounds with coverage on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network
