NFL Draft 2026: Thrills & Legacies Forged

0:00It's April 23rd. This is NFL News Today, football coverage powered by AI. The NFL Draft for 2026 is about to drop, kicking off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with the first round starting around 1am, British. Summertime. On Friday, April 23rd, Las Vegas Raiders hold the top pick, expected to snag quarterback Fernando Mendoza after his national title run with Indiana. New York Jets sit at number 2. Be grabbing Texas Tech Edge rusher David Bailey or Ohio State linebacker Arville Reese while Seattle Seahawks wait till the end at 32. Fresh off their Super Bowl 60 win. Prefer this has been grinding since August with scouts hitting campuses building massive boards through thousands of hours. Teens run scenarios on whose slides or jumps, but by draft week, it's locked in one shot for general managers to reshape rosters, especially in those early rounds. Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman, now with the Jets, calls it his most exciting day

1:01outside marriage. High stakes mean one pick can make you a hero or haunt you, like gambling on stars versus building with solid rookies on cheap deals. Jets fans are hyped with extra bites at 16 and 33, aiming to spark their sleepy squad. Seahawks, led by defensive coordinator Aiden Durd, who stuck around despite coach offers, focused on traits in that X factor to stay elite long term. As rounds roll into Saturday and Sunday, through April 25th, expect trades, gyms and later picks and legacies forged, draft nights wear, futures flip.