After waiting over a month following the start of free agency for some NFL action, we're finally getting it with the first round of the draft kicking off Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Six teams have two first-round picks. Six teams don't pick until the second round. Last year, all 32 teams held their own picks entering the draft. That's what makes it so great – the uncertainty and unpredictable nature from year to year.
So all we can do leading up to Roger Goodell starting the clock on the Las Vegas Raiders is predict the outcomes. Here's a look at 10 people – players, coaches and executives – who will define the 2026 draft.
Ty Simpson, Drew Allar
How can you not talk about those who will define the NFL draft without mentioning the quarterbacks? While Fernando Mendoza is the most notable name in this group, we're going to leave him out since he's been the consensus No. 1 pick for what feels like forever.
So with that, let's talk about two of the most intriguing prospects in Ty Simpson and Drew Allar.
Simpson's not the most polarizing prospect we've seen, described by NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah as someone with "the skill-set to develop into a functional NFL starter, but it might require some patience."
But the University of Alabama product is the most likely QB behind Mendoza to go on Day 1, and teams like the Dolphins (sorry, Malik Willis fans), Rams, Cardinals and Steelers may be looking for long-term solutions.
Meanwhile, Allar has the potential to truly impact the draft. The Penn State star was pegged as someone who could challenge for the No. 1 pick ahead of the season, but he ended up missing a majority of the 2025 season with a broken ankle.
He's got the prototypical QB frame – a hair taller than six-foot-five and 228 pounds – and has a cannon of an arm. Based on recent success from passers with similar traits (*cough* Josh Allen *cough*), it wouldn't be out of nowhere to see Allar get selected far higher than any in the media anticipated.
Plus, it's the NFL Draft. We should know by now to expect the unexpected.
Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiyah Love is probably the top offensive weapon in the draft, and arguably the top overall playmaker, too.
He's an explosive running back who – despite sharing the backfield at Notre Dame with potential first-round sleeper Jadarian Price – will likely hear his name called within the first 10 picks on Thursday night.
Where he lands, well, that's the big question.
After years of seeing running backs like Trent Richardson, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Saquon Barkley being taken early, teams began to shy away from spending premium capital on a position that was being devalued across the league.
But two of the three past three drafts have seen an RB go in the top 10, and Love figures to be the next. Tennessee at No. 4 seems like the most likely landing spot, but will the Titans invest into the position when they have so many holes to fill?
The Giants, despite having Cam Skattebo on the roster, have been rumoured to be enamoured with Love. Same goes for the Chiefs at No. 9, even though they handed Kenneth Walker III a record deal almost two months ago.
If Love – who ranks third on Pro Football Focus' big board, fourth on ESPN's, seventh on CBS Sports' and second on Jeremiah's top 150 – falls out of the top 10, expect there to be a frenzy of teams calling to trade up for the do-it-all back.
John Harbaugh
The Giants figured to be major players in this year's draft by simply hiring John Harbaugh as head coach and possessing the No. 5 pick.
Now that intrigue has been amplified, with the team scooping up the 10th pick from Cincinnati for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on Sunday.
Lawrence served as the team's superstar on defence over the past few seasons, so with him now gone, it's truly a new era for the Harbaugh-led G-Men.
However, it's been a decade since the former Ravens head coach held a top-10 pick, let alone two. But that one (offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, 2016) worked out, so there's hope Harbaugh can nail these two.
Adding to the team's questionable offensive line wouldn't be a bad option, and neither would adding a defensive playmaker like Ohio State's Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs.
Regardless, any team that has two top-10 selections is sure to define the draft, especially with Harbaugh looking to build 'his' team.
Francis Mauigoa
Despite a herniated disc in his back that may require surgery at some point, Miami's Francis Mauigoa still figures to be the first offensive lineman off the board.
If he goes in the top six, he'll become the highest-selected Hurricanes O-lineman and just the fifth to go in the first round.
So, assuming he's the first from the trenches to hear his name called by Goodell, he'll start the run on lineman in a deep class.
In NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' latest mock draft, he had nine offensive lineman taken in the first round, and that excludes Jeremiah's 20th-ranked player in Clemson's Blake Miller.
Mauigoa is the top-ranked offensive lineman on Jeremiah's, ESPN's and PFF's big boards, with all three having at least six linemen within their top-32 prospects, so you can expect a good run on the big boys during Day 1.
Jerry Jones
Giving Jerry Jones two first-round picks has the potential to serve us fans with plenty of entertainment.
That's not to say that the Cowboys owners will miss on his picks a la Mike Mayock in Oakland – in fact, Jones has hit on a majority of his recent first-rounders – but he's just unpredictable.
The biggest domino that will fall with the Cowboys is whether Jones will use one of his two selections on a wide receiver, potentially indicating a split between the club and star wideout George Pickens.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters on Wednesday that the team will not negotiate a contract extension with Pickens and that he'll have to play the 2026 season under the franchise tag, per multiple sources.
However, Pickens has not signed the tag, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport mentioned that it's unclear if or when Pickens will report.
If Pickens intends to hold out, we could see another Micah Parsons-like move like last season. But for now, Pickens is a Cowboy, Jerry Jones has two picks to play with and the only upsetting part for fans is that there isn't an offensive lineman named Tyler for Dallas to pick – in a true quirk, three of the team's last four first-round picks have been O-linemen with Tyler as a first name.
Jon-Eric Sullivan
It's officially a new era in Miami, and rookie general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has an abundance of picks to help re-shape the Dolphins roster for the foreseeable future.
After the Dolphins sent wideout Jaylen Waddle to Denver last month, Sullivan now owns two first-round picks. But his impact on the draft will likely stem from his plethora of Day 2 picks, armed with a second and four(!) third-rounders.
With such ammo on top of pick No. 30, Sullivan can easily work his way up the draft order or stock up for next year if he so chooses.
That being said, 11 picks, including nine in the top 151, can go a long way in rebuilding the disastrous roster that also has a record $182-million dead cap hit attached to the books for this season.
Rueben Bain Jr.
Once upon a time, in a land not all that far away, Rueben Bain Jr. was considered a favourite for being the No. 1 pick in the draft.
But that was before Mendoza cemented himself as the pick to the QB-needy Raiders.
Bain Jr. enjoyed a dominating junior season at Miami, logging 9.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Many in the media then believed Bain Jr. would be the first defensive player off the board, but then again, there was something out of his control.
The defensive end measured at the scouting combine with 30 7/8" arms, ranking in the third percentile for players at that position in Indianapolis.
Whether that truly impacts his draft stock, only the teams will know. But Bain Jr. doesn't think it matters, comparing himself to Mike Tyson in the process.
"He wasn't the tallest. He wasn't the longest-limbed guy. But when you felt him, you felt him. You kept your distance," Bain Jr. told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe at Miami's pro day on March 24.
He may slip due to measurable concerns and an off-the-field incident that surfaced recently but teams have been aware of it for about a year now.
Darren Mougey
Adding to the theme of highlighting teams with multiple early picks, we have Darren Mougey and the New York Jets.
In his first season at the helm of the Jets last year, Mougey shocked the football world by dealing away stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.
As a result, the green occupants of MetLife Stadium have two firsts and seconds.
Quarterback is the most obvious need for the team, as well as the most obvious solution to get back to relevancy. But the Jets unfortunately missed out on Mendoza at No. 1, and it seems highly improbable that they swing a deal for the rights to pick the reigning Heisman winner.
They could address the position at Nos. 16, 33 or 44. And if they do, the QB will most likely sit behind Geno Smith for the year. But the real question will be if they feel strongly enough about one of these prospects to justify a high pick, when next year is supposed to be a strong class under centre.
John Schneider
We were so close to two John Schneiders winning their respective championships.
Sorry to make you relive the tough memories Blue Jays fans, but it had to be said.
After dominating the Patriots to win Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks enter the 2026 draft with just four picks – the least of any team.
It's a hefty – although, fair – price to pay for a ring, leaving the team's GM with few options.
However, the popular one would be to trade back and accumulate more assets, which Schneider appears fond of.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday, Schneider indicated to reporters early in the week that he would like to move back in the draft.
Now, can Schneider get a return similar to what Tom Michaels pried from Sonny Weaver Jr. in Draft Day? Absolutely not. For Seahawks fans, the return would probably feel like Michaels giving Weaver Jr. all his picks back plus David godd**n Putney since they sat through the entire first round just to delay a pick until Friday.
But as the first team to openly share their thoughts on their first pick, Schneider and Co. will be ones to watch as moves get made.
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