The 2026 NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET with the Las Vegas Raiders picking Fernando Mendoza to be their new franchise quarterback, but the intrigue doesn’t actually start until after that first pick is history.That’s how this draft will play out. The first pick will go down as the draft’s signature moment, but the fireworks won’t be lit until later.The maneuvering, complications, and curiosity, all of it, begin beyond the first selection.The reason is this draft lacks the allure of multiple quarterbacks competing to go higher than the others. Only one QB beyond Mendoza has even a small chance of getting picked in the first round and that would likely require some of that maneuvering you just read about.TOP 10 DRAFT PROSPECT RUEBEN BAIN MUM ABOUT TRAGIC AUTO ACCIDENTThis draft also lacks the draw of polarizing players such as Randy Moss back in 1998 or Shedeur Sanders a year ago, so finding heroes and villians will be difficult.But this draft does offer touch points of high interest that will keep folks engaged. It offers drama about some teams and some individual prospects.Let’s begin with the teams:This draft actually begins when the New York Jets are on the clock at No. 2 and pick a player whose identity only three people in the organization – coach Aaron Glenn, general manager Darren Mougey and owner Woody Johnson — know with certainty.That’s important, folks. Remember the Jets used to leak like century-old Bronx tenement pipes during the Robert Saleh regime. No more. The Jets are locked up tight, so even insiders aren’t sure if they’re going to pick Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey or Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese.Or somebody else.NFL DRAFT HAS ‘SPECIAL’ PLAYER EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUTThe Arizona Cardinals are scheduled to pick at No. 3. And they might pick any number of players – running back Jeremiyah Love (if they’re smart), a right tackle, or a pass rusher.But here’s the truth: The Cardinals want to trade down. Badly.They want more picks and need more talent and the rumor league-wide is they’ve been leaking interest in Love so that a team that covets the dynamic running back offers them a trade.Are you getting the drift here? This stuff is kind of interesting.The fact is the Cardinals, Eagles, Chiefs, Saints, Browns, Bills, Titans Commanders and Seahawks have all been tied to trade-up or trade-down scenarios.We can only hope for such mass chaos to punctuate this draft.NFL LAUNCHES LOBBYING BLITZ AT FCC TO PROTECT ANTITRUST EXEMPTIONAnd why are teams so willing to move around? Because there are players that come with great ability but also questionable reliability – a combination that makes teams want to trade down to hedge their bets.Consider:Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa is probably the draft’s top offensive tackle prospect. He’s big, strong, tough, everything an NFL team wants in a bookend tackle.He also comes into this draft with a herniated disc in his back.Mauigoa was reportedly asymptomatic t
The most intriguing teams and players of the 2026 NFL Draft’s first round
