2026 NFL Draft Round 1 tracker: Eight trades, surprise picks and instant analysis for all 32 selections

Every first-round selection, biggest trades and instant analysis from Thursday night

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and it was a wild one, featuring eight trades and multiple surprises.

The biggest shock of the night came when the Los Angeles Rams used the 13th overall pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The Rams became the first team since 1967 to enter the draft with the reigning MVP at quarterback and still spend a first-round pick on a QB.

With each team given just eight minutes to make its first-round selection -- down from 10 minutes in previous years -- the draft moved briskly. The shorter time frame created a chaotic element that was noticeable on television.

There were trades aplenty, which Bills fans are well aware of. There were eight trades in the first round, and Buffalo made three of them, including a deal that took the Bills entirely out of the opening round. That's right -- they didn't even make a pick.

The Jets ended up making three first-round selections, becoming the first team since 2022 to do so.

The draft will continue Friday with the second round kicking off at 7 p.m. ET. As for Round 1, we broke down every pick -- and if you want our analysis, you can check it out in our grades story or live blog below.

2026 NFL Draft essentials

• Day 2 best available: The top prospects still on the board
• Interactive draft tracker: Filter every pick by round, team, position and more
• Live team grades: Instant analysis for every team's draft class
• Round 1 pick grades: Full breakdowns for every first-round selection
• Full draft order: All 257 picks by team 

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[Apr 23, 2026 at 11:15 pm ET · John Breech]

The final pick of the first round went to the Seattle Seahawks and in the least surprising move of the night, they selected a running back in Notre Dame's Jadarian Price. 

After losing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs in free agency, it was pretty clear that that Seahawks would probably try to grab a running back and that's what they did. 

The selection of Price means that Notre Dame became the first team in the Super Bowl era to produced the first two running backs taken in a draft. Jeremiyah Love will be playing in the same division as his former teammate after being taken by the Cardinals at third overall. 

Seahawks general manager John Schneider wanted to trade back, but he ended up keeping the pick and filling a major hole. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 11:10 pm ET · John Breech]

Apparently, the Bills did not want to make a first round pick this year. First, they traded the 26th pick to the Texans in a deal that gave them the 28th pick. After that, they traded the 28th pick to the Patriots in a deal that gave them the 31st pick. And now, they just sent the 31st pick to the Titans. 

Here are the terms of the deal
Titans get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 31), 2026 third-round pick (No. 69), 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 165)
Bills get:  2026 second-round pick (No. 35), 2026 third-round pick (No. 66), 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 101)

After taking Carnell Tate at fourth overall, the Titans turned around and grabbed Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk at 31st overall. Robert Saleh is a defensive-minded coach and it's no shock that he ended up getting a defensive player in the first round. The Titans now have a totally revamped defensive line that should be able to bully opposing offenses with Jeffrey Simmons John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Keldric Faulk.

[Apr 23, 2026 at 11:05 pm ET · John Breech]

After making two picks in the first round, the Jets decided they needed to make one more, so they made a trade back into the first round in a deal with the 49ers. 

Here are the terms of the deal: 
Jets get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 30)
49ers get: 2026 second-round pick (No. 33), 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 179)

With the 30th overall pick, the Jets selected Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. The Jets are cleary doing everything they can to put as many weapons as possible around Geno Smith. Not only did they draft Cooper, but they also spent the 16th overall pick on tight end Kenyon Sadiq. They also made the second overall pick in the draft when they took David Bailey. 

As for Cooper, he'll be playing opposite Garrett Wilson, which gives the Jets a solid 1-2 punch. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:58 pm ET · John Breech]

The Chiefs started their night by taking a defensive player, and now, they've ended their night by taking a defensive player. 

At 29th overall, the Chiefs decided to take Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. With Chris Jones set to turn 32 in July, the Chiefs had to start thinking about bringing in his possible replacement and that's where Woods comes in. Woods will join a defensive line that also includes newcomer Khyiris Tonga, who signed with the Chiefs in October. 

The Chiefs didn't add any weapons for Patrick Mahomes, but it seems their strategy this offseason was to pull off a defensive makeover and they've now done that with the addition of Woods and CB Mansoor Delane at sixth overall. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:54 pm ET · John Breech]

The Bills have officially gotten trade happy. First, they traded the 26th pick to the Texans in a deal that gave them the 28th pick. And now, they've traded the 28th pick to the Patriots. That's right, the two AFC East rivals just made a deal with each other. 

Here are the terms of the deal: 
Patriots get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 27)
Bills get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 31), 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 125)

The Patriots then used their pick on Utah OT Caleb Lomu. If you watched the Super Bowl, you probably noticed how badly Drake Maye got beaten up, so the Patriots were in desperate need of some help at tackle and at the point in the draft, Lomu was arguably the best guy left on the board. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:50 pm ET · John Breech]

For the second time tonight, the Miami Dolphins have made a trade. Last time, they traded down from 11th to 12. This time, they traded up from 30th to 27th in a deal with the 49ers. 

Here are the terms of the trade: 

• Dolphins get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 27), 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 138)
• 49ers get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 30), 2026 third-round pick (No. 90)

The Dolphins then used their pick to grab San Diego State's Chris Johnson. The cornerback is a ball hawk who had four interceptions in 2025, including two pick-sixes. The Dolphins definitely needed a corner, so in that sense, this pick made sense, but there were some solid corners still on the board, including Jermod McCoy and Avieon Terrell. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:44 pm ET · John Breech]

We officially have our fourth trade of the night. The Houston Texans moved up two spots in a deal that saw them go from 28th overall to 26th overall. 

Here are the terms of the deal: 
Texans get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 26),  2026 third-round pick (No. 91)
Bills get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 28) 2026 third-round pick (No. 69) 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 167)

The Texans then used the 26th pick to get Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutlege, who was widely regarded as one of the best interior linemen in the draft. Rutlege will join a totally revamped Houston offensive line that also includes newcomers Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:38 pm ET · John Breech]

The Bears got hit hard in free agency this year with the loss of several players in their secondary, so they pretty much had to add someone at the position and that's what they did with the addition of Oregon's Dillon Thieneman on Thursday night. 

The Bears have shied away from defensive players this high in the draft in recent years. The last time they took a defensive player in the first round came in 2018. 

Thieneman  will be joining a Bears' roster that just lost Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jonathan Owens, so he'll have a chance to prove himself early. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:32 pm ET · John Breech]

The Browns had one of the worst receiving groups in the NFL last year, so they decided to upgrade the unit on Thursday night by taking KC Concepcion with the 23rd overall pick. 

In 2025, only one wide receiver finished with more than 350 yards and that was Jerry Jeudy, who tallied 602. An explosive receiver was exactly what the Browns needed, so this pick certainly makes sense. As an added bonus, he can also return punts. 

It's been a solid draft for the Browns, who also got Spencer Fano at ninth overall. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:27 pm ET · John Breech]

The first round isn't even over the Cowboys might have already won the draft. This team had a horrible defense last season and they needed to fix that in the first round and they've now done that twice over. 

They started their night off by taking Ohio State Caleb Downs and they closed their night by taking Central Florida pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence. Not only did they get some much-needed pass-rushing help, but they traded down to get him and added two fourth-round picks. 

This marks the first time since 2005 that the Cowboys have had two first-round picks and used them both on defensive players (DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears). 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:22 pm ET · John Breech]

You don't usually see a 25-year-old rookie in the NFL, but that's what the Chargers will be getting with EDGE rusher Akheem Mesidor. 

Despite his age, this pick makes a lot of sense for the Chargers. Khalil Mack is only getting older, so they needed to bring in some young pass-rushing help and that's what they're getting here with the former Miami Hurricanes star. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:17 pm ET · John Breech]

With the draft in Pittsburgh, the Steelers got a lot of cheers for taking Max Iheanachor, but did the move make sense? 

This pick is certainly a gamble: Iheanachor's a raw talent who could potentially turn into a star, but there's no guarantee that will happen. 

Iheanachor was a fringe first-round candidate going into the draft and one knock on him is that he just started playing organized football in the last five years. 

The 6-foot-6 and 321-pound Iheanachor has a unqiue story: He came to the United States from Nigeria and due to that fact, he didn't play organized football for the first time until 2021 when he enrolled at East Los Angeles College. With just four years of football experience, Iheanachor is talented, but he's also raw, so the Steelers will be getting a player with a lot of potential, but there's no guarantee he'll pan out. 

No matter what happens, Aaron Rodgers was probably thrilled with this pick and if the Steelers are trying to woo him back, taking a lineman in the first round is a good way to do that. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:10 pm ET · John Breech]

The Eagles just moved up from 23rd to 20th in a trade with the Cowboys. 

Here are the details of the deal: 

• Eagles get: 20th overall, 2026 7th round pick
• Cowboys get: 23rd overall, 114th pick, 137th pick

The Eagles gave up two fourth-round picks to move up three spots and they did that to get USC WR Makai Lemon. 

This makes it seem like A.J. Brown is all but gone. The Eagles have been busy adding receivers this year. Not only did they just draft Lemon, but they traded for Dontayvion Wicks while also signing Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore. 

That's four receivers in six weeks that Philly has added. With those additions, the Eagles have put themselves in a spot where they now have more than enough depth on the roster to withstand the potential loss of Brown.

[Apr 23, 2026 at 10:05 pm ET · John Breech]

The reigning NFC South champions just beefed up their offensive line with the addition of Monroe Feeling. 

The Panthers got busy upgrading their team on the defensive side of the ball in free agency by signing guys like Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips, so it makes sense that they decided to improve the offensive side of the ball with their first round pick. 

The Panthers could have used another offensive weapon and Makai Lemon was there for the taking, so that would be the only knock on this pick, but Freeling should make Carolina's offensive line better. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:58 pm ET · John Breech]

The Viking just took one of the biggest gambles in the first round by taking Caleb Banks at 18th overall. The defensive tackle has huge upside, but he has to stay healthy for that upside to pay off. 

The Vikings are getting one of the most talented defensive linemen in the draft, but he's been injury prone. He suffered a foot injury at the combine in February that's expected to sideline him until June. The issue with the injury is that Banks has been dealing with foot issues for more than a year now. The University of Florida star only played in three games last season after having surgery on his left foot, which is the same foot he injured at the combine. 

With Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen gone, the Vikings needed a defensive line, so they decided to take the gamble on Banks. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:54 pm ET · John Breech]

The Lions didn't try to hide their draft plans going into tonight. It was pretty clear they were going to take a tackle with their first pick and that's exactly what they did by taking Blake Miller

If Dan Campbell could design a tackle in a lab, it would probaby be Miller. The former wrestler was an iron man at Clemson with 54 starts. 

With Penei Sewell expected to make the move to left tackle, look for Miller to be Detroit's starting right tackle. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:48 pm ET · John Breech]

After using their first pick in the first round on David Bailey, the Jets came back and used the 16th pick on Kenyon Sadiq. 

The former Oregon star was hands down the best tight end in this draft and it's hard not to like this pick.

 From a blocking standpoint, Sadiq can help with the Jets' rushing attack, but he's also a weapon in the passing game. Opposing defenses will likely be worried about Garrett Wilson, which should create openings in the passing game for Sadiq. 

Sadiq will join a tight end room that also includes Mason Taylor, who was taken in the second round last year. 

We don't know what Geno Smith is going to look like in New York, but the Jets are certainly doing their best to set him up for success. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:42 pm ET · John Breech]

What the Rams did in this draft is something you almost never see in the NFL. 

The Rams have a QB who's the reigning MVP and they used their first round pick on a quarterback. The last time a team was in that exact situation came back in 1966. After Bart Starr won MVP for the Packers in 1966, the team turned around used the 25h overall pick on QB Don Horn in 1967. 

Horn would be an example of why you don't do this. He sat behind Starr for two years and only ended up starting two games for the Packers in his career. 

Although this move was a surprise, it wasn't a surprise to Stafford. According to multiple reports, the Rams informed Stafford earlier today that they were going to take Simpson so that he wouldn't be blindside by the move. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:40 pm ET · John Breech]

Rueben Bain's fall is officially over. Before the draft, there was some speculation that Bain might end up being a top 10 pick, but instead, he fell all the way down to Tampa Bay's lap at 15th overall. 

This couldn't have worked out any better for the Bucs. EDGE rusher was arguably their biggest need, and now, they end up getting one of the top pass-rushers in the draft. Bain was knocked for his short arms, which may have played a part in his fall. 

Bain is exactly the type of player the Bucs needed to get and there's a good chance that no one is happier about his pick than Bucs coach Todd Bowles, who will be getting a game-wrecker for his defense. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:34 pm ET · John Breech]

When you have a strong rushing attack like the one in Baltimore, you need a strong offensive line up front and the Ravens did their best to make their line stronger by adding arguably the best guard in the draft in Olaivavega Ioane. 

We probably should have seen this pick coming, because Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was a fan of Ioane before the draft. 

"I've obviously seen him play a bunch," DeCosta said. "He's physical [and] tough. He's probably a guard, but [he] sort of prototypes, straight from central casting of what you want your guards to look like."

Ioane will almost certainly be a starting guard from Day in Baltimore. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:28 pm ET · John Breech]

The quarterback of the future is officially in Los Angeles. In an absolute stunner, the Rams decided to take Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. 

Matthew Stafford is 37 and is definitely on the back end of his career, so it makes sense for the Rams to add a quarterback, but this comes at a huge opportunity cost. This is team that's trying to win now and Simpson isn't a player who's going to help them win this year. 

Rams general manager Les Snead actually played a part in getting Simpson to turn pro. According to Ian Rapoport, when the Alabama quarterback was mulling whether to return to college or declare for the draft this year, Simpson's father consulted several people about the correct course of action. Among those he talked to was Rams general manager Les Snead, who told Simpson's father that his son was indeed a first-round talent. 

This is a solid spot for Simpson, who will get to sit behind Stafford and learn from Sean McVay, but again, this feels like a pick where the Rams should have taken a player who can help them win now. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:24 pm ET · John Breech]

The Dolphins traded back to 12th overall and ended up taking Kadyn Proctor, which means an offensive linemen has now been taken with three of the past four picks in the draft. 

The Dolphins need to upgrade their offensive line and this is a good start. One interesting part of this pick is that Rueben Bain was still available and a pass-rusher certainly would have been a smart move for Miami, but instead, the Dolphins decided to add an lineman. 

Proctor should make the line more physical, which is good news for running back De'Von Achane. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:16 pm ET · John Breech]

Before the draft, it looked like Caleb Downs was going to be a top 10 pick, but instead, he ended up falling down the board. That ended up working out well for the Cowboys, who ended up taking him with the 11th overall pick. 

Downs is a perfect fit for the Cowboys. This team was in desperate need of a safety and he can obviously play that, but he can also play in the slot if the Cowboys need him there. The Cowboys were in serious need of some defensive help and they got it here. 

The Cowboys still have another pick left in the first round at 20th overall. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:12 pm ET · John Breech]

The Cowboys have made a trade to move up exactly one spot. 

Here are the terms of the deal: 

Cowboys get: 11th overall
Dolphins get: 12th overall, 177th, 180th

Yup, the Cowboys gave up two picks to move up one spot. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:06 pm ET · John Breech]

We are having a run on offensive linemen I repeat, we're having a run on offensive linemen. 

With Caleb Downs still on the board, it seemed like he might be a target for the Giants, but instead, they decided to take Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall pick. Downs certainly would have made sense, but it's hard to argue against bringing in a lineman to protect your QB. 

The Giants had two top 10 picks. They spent the fifth overall pick on Arvell Reese. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 9:01 pm ET · John Breech]

The Browns absolutely had to come away with an offensive tackle in this draft and they did that at ninth overall by taking Utah's Spencer Fano. 

The Browns have totally revamped their offensive line and Fano will be crown jewel in their remake. They had previously signed Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson. They also added tackle Tytus Howard in a trade with the Texans. 

Not only did the Browns get their tackle, but they traded down to get him, which allowed them to add two picks (74th overall, 141st overall) on top of the ninth overall pick. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 8:56 pm ET · John Breech]

We're only eight picks into the draft and we already have TWO receivers off the board after the Saints decided to take Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick. 

Tyson was viewed by most as the most talented receiver in the draft, but some teams were concerned about his injury history, which includes a a torn ACL/MCL/PCL (2022), a broken collarbone (2024), and he also dealt with hamstring issues last year. 

If Tyson can stay healthy, he could be a huge weapon for Tyler Shough. The Saints suddenly loaded offense now includes Tyson, Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 8:51 pm ET · John Breech]

With two surprise picks in the top six -- Carnell Tate and and Mansoor Delane --  that caused Sonny Styles to drop down the draft board and the Commanders took advantage of that by getting the Ohio State linebacker at seventh overall. 

There had been some speculation that Styles was the number one target for Commanders coach Dan Quinn, and if that's the case, then Quinn just got his guy. Styles sounded like a big fan of the Commanders after visiting with them this month. 

"The biggest thing that stands out when you walk in the building is just great energy, great people," Styles said. "When you go in that building, everyone is drive. Everyone's obsessed with getting to the highest point in the league."

Styles fills a much-needed hole at linebacker and should be a good fit in Washington. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 8:43 pm ET · John Breech]

The Chiefs had to beef up their secondary in this draft and they got that accomplished early by taking Mansoor Delane with the sixth overall pick. 

The Chiefs clearly wanted Delane badly because they gave up two picks to get him. 

Kansas City suffered some major losses at the cornerback position this offseason. First, they traded Trent McDuffie to the Rams. After that, they let Jaylen Watson leave in free agency (He also went to the Rams). 

Instead of of giving a big contract to either one of those guys, the Chiefs decided to make a move and get a corner in the draft. 

The Chiefs still have another first round pick at 29th overall. 

[Apr 23, 2026 at 8:39 pm ET · John Breech]

The belief was the Arvell Reese would be taken with one of the top three picks, but instead, he fell into New York's lap and the Giants grabbed him with the fifth overall pick. 

Reese will now be joining Abdul Carter, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibadeoux on a Giants defense that suddenly looks pretty scary.  This is a home run for John Harbaugh in his first draft with the team.