The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 at 7 p.m. CT in Pittsburgh, with the New York Jets holding the No. 2 pick. The Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals are also key teams to watch as trade rumors swirl.
Key points
2026 NFL Draft starts April 23 at 7 p.m. CT
New York Jets have the No. 2 pick
Tennessee Titans are at No. 4
Arizona Cardinals hold the No. 3 pick
Expect trades and surprises in the first round
Mentioned in this story
Pittsburgh
New York JetsArizona CardinalsTennessee Titans2026 NFL Draft
With 32 names that have to come off the board and six teams in possession of multiple first-round picks, there are plenty of reasons to expect trades, surprises and movement up and down the board. Here's The Tennessean's final crack at what the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft will look like, top to bottom.
The closest thing to a sure thing as there is in this class off the edge, Bailey was hyper-productive as a college senior and brings with him a pedigree that includes plenty of bend and burst to go with a Stanford education earned before transferring.
3. TRADE ― Dallas Cowboys: Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State
One way to atone for trading away Micah Parsons is to trade up and pick his heir apparent. The Cowboys give up picks Nos. 12, 20 and 112, plus a second-round pick next year, in exchange for Arizona's picks at Nos. 3 and 104. A huge haul to right a wrong.
No need to overthink this. Free agency was about fixing the defense. Now that Reese and Bailey are off the board, the Titans grab the Robin to Cam Ward's Batman and set up their offense for the next 5-10 years.
Inside linebackers never go this high. But coach John Harbaugh's success in Baltimore was built around a front office philosophy that always prioritized talent over need, and Styles' talents are huge.
The Chiefs move up three picks, giving up picks Nos. 40 and 148 along the way, to get the last of the three premium pass rushers available. Cleveland was already pick-rich, and now it's richer. Let the rebuild begin — again.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels needs playmakers around him. Terry McLaurin needs help, too. Enter Tate, the latest in the Ohio State receiver lineage who gives Washington a physical, aggressive presence downfield.
To the shock and delight of the bayou, the Saints keep one of LSU's finest in Louisiana. Delane will be a transformative presence in the Saints' secondary.
The Dolphins need a full rebuild. It's tempting to pick a flashier player, but betting on a cornerstone blindside tackle is the safer and more prudent choice.
12. Arizona Cardinals: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Cardinals moved back nine picks and still ended up with the player so many folks connected to them at No. 3 back in January. Not a bad deal, and not a bad pair of tackles to have on the roster now.
What to give the team that already has it all? How about a human mismatch for the middle of the field? QB Matthew Stafford looks downfield and sees an embarrassment of riches.
The Eagles love to move up for a player who fell a little too far. The Ravens trust their scouting department to identify future stars late in the draft. Win-win ideologically. The Eagles get a Day 1 superstar for the back end. The Ravens get picks Nos. 23 and 54, plus second-round picks each of the next two years.
Good pass rusher for a team that needs pass rush help. Not much more to it.
16. New York Jets: Makai Lemon, WR, Southern Cal
The Jets still don't have a long-term answer at quarterback, but whenever they find one, he'll certainly enjoy throwing to Garrett Wilson and the polished Lemon.
Teams already have plenty of reason to fear defensive coordinator Brian Flores' front seven. Woods makes it even more fearsome, ushering in what could be a new generation of Purple People Eaters.
In a bit of a surprise, Hood comes off the board before fellow Vols cornerback Jermod McCoy. The Panthers see a gamer in the competitive Hood and like his ball skills plenty, too.
20. Arizona Cardinals: T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
The temptation is to pick a quarterback with the second first-round pick won from the Dallas trade. The Cardinals act with a little bit more forethought and instead land a talented edge rusher with plenty of upside.
Forget that forethought stuff. The Steelers give the home crowd at the draft something to cheer about and pick their quarterback of the future, Aaron Rodgers or otherwise.
Faulk fits the mold of big and powerful edge defenders that the Chargers have tended to favor in recent years and slots in as a developmental piece while Khalil Mack is still around.
After the trade with the Eagles, the Ravens still find an impact starter in the first round. Ioane is a plug-and-play guard who helps fill the gaps left behind by departing center Tyler Linderbaum.
24. Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
The Browns got their cornerstone tackle in the top 10, and now they bet on a big, talented receiver. A lot to like about Boston.
Howell is a bit limited by his lack of length, but he's an absolute handful of a speed threat off the edge and scratches an itch the Bears need scratched.
Picking a DB in the 30s worked out pretty well for the Seahawks last year with Nick Emmanwori. They go back to the well and reload on a defense that lost some key pieces to free agency.
