The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here, so prepare yourself for chaos.
That is the message from multiple insiders ahead of a first round that seems to be as wide-open as any in recent memory.
Watch the 2026 NFL Draft LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
There is no intrigue surrounding the first overall pick, with Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s bags already packed for Las Vegas.
At second overall the Jets are tossing up between the two top defensive prospects in the draft, edge rushers Arvell Reese and David Bailey. At this stage, the upside of Reese appears to be the lean.
Beyond then, however, it is anyone’s guess and once the Cardinals are on the clock at third overall, that is where the chaos could really get started.
LIVE BLOG
Follow the latest updates from Round 1 of the NFL Draft below!
Can’t see the blog? Click here!
Everyone knows that Arizona wants to move off the pick. The same goes for the Titans, with the Chiefs and Saints mentioned as two teams who could be interested in moving up for the right price.
All eyes are on Notre Dame standout Jeremiyah Love, who could become the first running back taken in the top five since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Meanwhile, there seems to be a general consensus across the league that something is up.
There is an air of mystery, however, no one either seems prepared to say what it is or knows what it is yet. But NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted on draft day that “there’s something out there in the air around the NFL”.
“Teams feel like something big could happen, but no one can quite get a grasp on it,” he added.
TALKING POINTS: $75m mistake may be worth making; QB mystery to force giant gamble
It comes after Jay Glazer, who has a strong track record for breaking news, said on ‘Wake Up Barstool’ earlier in the week that he was expecting a major move on draft day.
“I know something that’s going on, I just can’t say it yet because I was told you can’t say it until kind of getting on the clock there,” Glazer said.
Could it involve Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens? Out of nowhere, he signed his franchise tag on Friday which guarantees him a one-year deal for 2026.
But up until draft day all indications that been that Pickens would hold out for a long-term deal. The sudden development has fuelled speculation Pickens could be traded.
Schultz also reported that teams have called the Texans to check on stud receiver Nico Collins, although a trade is not considered likely.
Discussion about this post