Here. We. Go. Or … “here we go,” words often changed in Pittsburgh, site of the 2026 NFL Draft, which kicks off with the first round on April 23. It’s the first time the “annual player selection meeting” has been staged in the Steel City in 78 years – and safe to say this one might be more consequential than the 1948 draft, when Harry Gilmer was selected first overall by Washington. (Oops. Future Hall of Famers Bobby Layne and Y.A. Tittle went late in that draft’s top 10.)
The 2026 draft is not viewed as one with much, if any, Hall of Fame-caliber talent – certainly when juxtaposed with the expectations that are already coalescing around the 2027 draft. But there should be quite a few players entering the league this year that make significant – and maybe even immediate – impacts.
USA TODAY Sports will analyze each pick, one through 32, as it is made Thursday night, so stay right here.
The 2026 draft will be broadcast on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC and streamed on NFL+ and ESPN+ over the next three days:
The NFL draft and trades are synonymous. In any given year, the “annual player selection meeting” might entail two dozen deals or more – to say nothing of the picks swapped during the 12 months (or more) in advance of it. After the Giants and Bengals engaged in a blockbuster involving a top-10 pick over the weekend that sent Pro Bowl DL Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati, six teams (Browns, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins and the Jets being the others) now have multiple first-round selections in the 2026 draft.
