NFL draft 2026: Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love and other top prospects await call – live

Key events48m agoDraft day is here!Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureFernando MendozaThe QB widely expected to be selected no1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, will be the first presumptive top pick to not attend the draft in person since Trevor Lawrence was selected by Jacksonville. Mendoza wants to be at home to share the moment with his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, his father, and other close family and friends. But don’t worry, ESPN TV in the US will have at least one camera inside the Mendoza home to document the moment.And speaking of Mendoza, he’s going to be off the board shortly. Stick with us!New RulesIf you’re after the whole kit and caboodle of how this thing works, you can find all the details here. But the main difference this year is that the time between first-round selections has been shortened from 10 minutes to eight minutes. It’s the first timing adjustment since 2008, when draft windows dropped from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. So in an era when eyeballs are tougher to keep from straying, the NFL is trying to move things alomng just a bit quicker.The timing for Round 2 is seven minutes, and after that, teams will have five minutes to make their selections.1948That was the last time the NFL held its draft in Pittsburgh. A bunch of cigar smoking, whiskey swilling men (that’s just a guess) gathered at the old Fort Pitt Hotel in December of 1947 to select the future NFL booms and busts. Harry Gilmer, a running back from Alabama went first to Washington because they won the draft lottery; that’s how the top pick was determined back then. The biggest name to come out of that draft has to be Y.A. Tittle, the LSU quarterback selected by Detroit, who gave us one of the most famous photos in NFL history. It was snapped at the end of his Hall of Fame career when he was with the Giants in 1964.Y. A. Tittle died at 90 years old in 2017, but lives forever in this 1964 photo. That said,it probably wasn’t his best moment. Photograph: Morris Berman/APBy the way, in case you don’t think your team can do well in the late rounds, in the 1948 draft, offensive lineman Louis Creekmur was selected by Philly with the 243rd overall pick in the, you guessed it, 26th round!Creekmur was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.National AnthemPittsburgh-based singer-songwriter KELS is performing the National Anthem. Ooooo! She’s a little off right there at the end. I was just about to give her an 8/10 score, but unfortunately I have to knock a point off it.Player IntroductionsThe biggest names are being announced and walking on to the stage.The most noticeable thing is that crowd that just seems to go on forever. I mean, Green Bay drew an estimated 600,000 fans, and Detroit had 775,000 in 2024. These numbers to watch players chosen are completely bananas, obviously, and Pittsburgh is expected to draw 500,000-700,000 fans over the three day event.Honestly, I don’t really get it, but the thirst for anything and everything NFL never seems to end.Some questionsHere’s a few things we can ponder as we lead up to the Raiders selecting Mr Mendoza.1. What do the Jets do at two—edge rusher Arvell Reese or David Bailey?2. How high will an NFL GM dare to draft running back Jeremiyah Love?Talented? Oh yeah, but he’s still a back. Sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes it’s not.3. Will Arizona trade pick three or take Love themselves? As always with thew Cards, anything is possible.4. Where does Ty Simpson land as a quarterback? That’s the big QB question this draft. Last year, the big question was, “when will Shedeur Sanders go off the board?” The answer was late. Very late.5. Where of the top edge rushers—Reese, Bailey, and a bit down the line, Rueben Bain Jr., go?6. Does the Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort pull off a trade? See no3.7. Will there be surprise trades early? Philly? New Orleans, KC? Will we have deals?8. Where do receivers and offensive linemen get taken? And how will ghat impact remaining wideouts that are still available, Hill and Diggs for example.9. What happens with some injury concerns like Caleb Banks’ foot? Will a team pick a defensive tackle with a repaired fractured fourth metatarsal in his left foot, early or later in this draft?Chew on that for a bit.Draft orderI’m just drop this right here. Is that OK?1) Raiders2) Jets3) Cardinals4) Titans5) Giants6) Browns7) Commanders8) Saints9) Chiefs10) Giants (from Bengals)11) Dolphins12) Cowboys13) Rams (from Falcons)14) Ravens15) Buccaneers16) Jets (from Colts)17) Lions18) Vikings19) Panthers20) Cowboys (from Packers)21) Steelers22) Chargers23) Eagles24) Browns (from Jaguars)25) Bears26) Bills27) 49ers28) Texans29) Chiefs (from Rams)30) Dolphins (from Broncos)31) Patriots32) SeahawksSo the teams with two first-round picks tonight are the Giants at five and 10, the Jets at two and 16, the Cowboys at 12 and 20, the Browns at six and 24, the Chiefs at nine and 29 and the Dolphins at 11 and 30.One thing to keep an eye on is, with this draft being seen as kind of, sort of, below average - at least when it comes to quarterbacks – will any teams deal 2026 capital to get a spot in a 2027 draft, which is expected to have more box office names? Por ejemplo, Miami doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of interest in winning games this year – will they try to grab a shot at a Manning and the other premiere QB’s next year? Will they try to deal one or both of their first round picks to get into that arm race?Draft day is here!Hello everyone and welcome to our rolling coverage of the 91st NFL Draft!Let me begin by saying that the NFL off-season has two important dates. There’s the day that free agency begins, where moves just fly in at incredible speed and the NFL takes over sports for about a week. And of course, there’s the NFL draft, which is the Big Kahuna, and manages to bring the NBA playoffs to its knees despite the fact that not a single ball is thrown. Somehow, the NFL just continues to grow and eat everything in its path with each passing season, and that includes the draft, which is a premier showcase and a boon to whichever city hosts the event.This year it’s in Pittsburgh, so it gets a 12,000 square foot fan village in its Point State Park, a red carpet event, and a draft theater so big that it’s inside the Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) parking lot. The whole zone takes about a half hour to walk from one end of the event to the other, all along its famous Three Rivers area.So Yinzers are happy and so are visiting fans who can’t wait for the first of 257 picks to be chosen by the NFL’s 32 teams. Who will go first? Well all eyes are on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza who the Las Vegas Raiders may, could, probably, definitely will be snatched straight away. Then what? Well we’ll explore some of the story lines as we draw closer to draft time.Until then, any thoughts, feelings or predictions? Feel free to drop me a line and providing you don’t say anything particularly offensive, I’ll get you in our coverage and make YOU famous!More to come, stick with us!David will be here shortly. In the meantime, see who the Guardian’s staff of writers think is the most talented player in this year’s draft class:Fernando Mendoza will go No 1. But the most talented player in this draft is ...Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State. He is one of the best pure linebacker prospects in a generation, and he has the athletic traits to become a full-time edge defender. Some teams view him as a linebacker; those at the top of the board prefer him as an edge rusher. In an ideal world, Reese will do a bit of everything. Think Philly’s Zack Baun on Super Soldier Serum. Reese has a rare combination of smarts, speed and power. Whichever role he plays, he will be a force multiplier for a defense. Oliver ConnollyJeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame. Not only is Love being discussed as a top-10 overall pick, but he’s also one of the most buzzed-about targets for teams looking to trade up. He’s a physical, explosive three-down back with breakaway speed (he ran a 4.36sec 40 at the combine), great hands and the ability to protect. All in a 6ft, 212lbs frame. Love is the total package. Melissa JacobsThere’s so much to like about running back Love: effortless acceleration, feline elusiveness, stout pass protection, soft hands. Time and again at Notre Dame, he showed a knack for turning chain-moving plays into home runs. The last time a rusher was selected inside the top five was 2018, and Saquon Barkley has since proved his worth for two franchises. Love enters this year’s draft as nearly as complete a player, with all the teams in the top five in need of his services. Andrew LawrenceIf drafting was done on skills alone then Love would be the first cab off the rank. He’s a running back with explosive speed who is also a sublime pass catcher. His versatility draws very favourable comparisons to Jahmyr Gibbs. A home-run pick. Graham Searles