2026 NFL Draft: First Round Discussion Thread for Alabama fans

TL;DR

The 2026 NFL Draft first round begins tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT, featuring Alabama players Kadyn Proctor and Ty Simpson. Alabama aims to extend its streak of first-round selections to 18 years.

Key points

2026 NFL Draft first round starts at 7:00 p.m. CT
Alabama players Kadyn Proctor and Ty Simpson are attending
Alabama aims for 18 straight years with a first-round pick
ESPN owns all broadcasts for the NFL Draft
Top 10 picks include Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets

AlabamaLas Vegas RaidersNew York JetsArizona Cardinals

Apr 27, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Alabama quarterback Bryce Young on stage after he was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The time is finally here, and the first round of the NFL Draft is kicking off shortly at 7:00 p.m. Central Time tonight, with broadcasts on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network as usual. In the past, we’ve seen ABC be more “College Gameday” like, with Rece Davis hosting with Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, and Desmond Howard. ESPN is the traditional broadcast with Mike Greenberg, Mel Kiper Jrl, Louis Riddick, and Booger McFarland. Finally, NFL Network has carved out a niche as the more “analysis-driven” broadcast, with Rich Eisen hosting Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, and Joel Klatt. Interestingly, ESPN went and quietly bought the rights to NFL Network this year. So, really, Disney owns all of the broadcasts for the NFL Draft now. NFL Network is supposedly getting to keep their own show as normal this year, but who knows how much longer that will last or how much Disney will have people crossing over in the following days. They’re also giving Pat McAfee an alternate ESPN channel to run his Draft show as well. Even more Disney! For Alabama fans, there are two players with 1st Round aspirations who have been invited to attend the Draft in person: offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor and quarterback Ty Simpson. Proctor is a 3-year starter for the Tide that has long been expected to be an eventual first round draft pick. He never quite caught up to that “top-ten” level expectations, but he’s still expected by most to be a mid-to-late first. Offensive tackles are a hot commodity, and there aren’t a whole lot of good ones this year. Ty Simpson, meanwhile, has been one of the more polarizing players in Draft talk spheres this spring. He had a stretch of about 6 games where he looked like he should be a #1 overall pick, and the rest of the season had mediocre results for a variety of reasons, including health. That lack of sample size and results should push him squarely out of the first round, but his combination of elite film and the scarcity of functional QBs may have teams willing to draft him early. As long as one of the two are picked tonight, it will extend Alabama’s streak to 18 straight years with at least one player selected in the first round. Sure is great to be a Tide fan! For now, here is the expected order of picks for the first round, though it is subject to change as the teams start trading:

Q&A

What time does the 2026 NFL Draft start?

The 2026 NFL Draft first round starts at 7:00 p.m. Central Time.

Which Alabama players are expected to be drafted in the first round?

Kadyn Proctor and Ty Simpson are the Alabama players with first-round aspirations attending the Draft.

How long has Alabama had at least one player selected in the first round?

Alabama has had at least one player selected in the first round for 18 consecutive years.

What teams are picking in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft?

The top 10 teams picking in the 2026 NFL Draft include the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals.