We are just over 24 hours away from the start of the 2026 NFL Draft. It almost feels surreal. Ever since the Super Bowl ended, I, and many other NFL fans, have been anxiously awaiting this day. Now that it’s almost here, I almost don’t want it to come, because after the draft, we hit a pretty dead period on the NFL calendar.

Some of us sickos have been researching players and doing mock drafts for months now, but there’s a large portion of NFL fans who are just now preparing for this weekend’s action. If you’re a part of that group, don’t worry, because I’ve created a simple draft guide to help you get ready for the NFL Draft.

The First Overall Pick

Before we can talk about who the first overall pick will be, first, we have to talk about who owns the first overall pick. That would be the Las Vegas Raiders, who finished the 2025 season with an abysmal 3-14 record. They had some competition, though. The New York Giants actually held it for a while until they blew the Raiders out in Week 17, 34-10, handing Vegas the No. 1 overall pick.

So who are the Raiders going to take No. 1 overall? The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion is Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana standout threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns with six interceptions while completing 72 percent of his passes and leading Indiana to a perfect 16-0 record. There was some debate about whether or not he’d be the first overall pick for a while, but after his run in the College Football Playoff, he’s a lock to go first overall.

The Raiders rolled out Geno Smith last season, and it did not go well. He was traded to the New York Jets, and Pete Carroll was fired, opening the door for Klint Kubiak to step in as their new head coach and select his preferred quarterback with the first overall pick. The Raiders are getting a good one at No. 1.

Who Are The “Blue Chip” Prospects?

First of all, what is a “blue chip” player? It’s a player who is viewed as a “can’t-miss” prospect, meaning no matter what, they’re going to be good in the NFL. Obviously, it’s not guaranteed that they’ll be good, but something would have to go horribly wrong for them not to work out.

This year, there aren’t very many blue chippers. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are the only two guys that I feel safe calling blue chippers, but there are a handful of others that many consider to be blue chippers.

Ohio State linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey are three others who could be considered blue-chip talents. Reese is a do-it-all linebacker who can line up off the edge, drop back in coverage, or come down and defend the run at a high level. Styles is an athletic freak who still managed to pop on tape despite playing alongside Reese, who many considered one of the best linebackers in the country. And Bailey was the most productive pass rusher in college football, finishing with 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Outside of those five plus Mendoza, I’m not sure there are any other guarantees in this draft class. There are a ton of guys that should be average to above average starters in the NFL, such as Mansoor Delane, Francis Mauigoa, Carnell Tate, and Rueben Bain Jr., but they all have the flaws that keep them from being a blue-chip prospect.

Why This Draft Is So Unpredictable

Part of the reason this draft is one of the most unpredictable in recent memory is because of the lack of blue-chip talent. Typically, we have a really good idea of who the top 5-10 picks will be (with some variation, obviously), but this year, nobody really knows. Even the No. 2 pick, which is typically locked in by now, is still up in the air.

Another variable that makes this draft so intriguing is the fact that six teams own two first-round picks. The Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins all have multiple first-rounders, which increases the chances of at least one of them trying to move up for one (or maybe two if you’re the Giants) of the blue-chip prospects.

We at EssentiallySports have been doing a live mock draft pretty much every day for the past week and a half, and every time we do one, they end up drastically different. And it’s not like we’re even trying to be different. We obviously try to mix it up a little bit, but every time we finish one, we go back and review it, and none of it seems that crazy. There are just so many different ways this draft could play out, and I’m thrilled to see what happens on Thursday.

Should We Expect to See Trades on Thursday?

I kind of hinted at it earlier by bringing up the fact that six teams have two first-round picks, but yes, we should absolutely expect to see trades on Thursday night. And according to Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach, it could be more than normal.

Typically, we see around four trades in round one, but there’s a chance we see that many in the top-10 this year. The Arizona Cardinals (No. 3) and Cleveland Browns (No. 6) both desperately want to trade back and select a tackle, and I wouldn’t be shocked at all if someone like the New York Giants (No. 5 & No. 10) or the Washington Commanders (No. 7) tries to move back a couple of spots if their top target is gone and teams start calling.

There will also be teams in the back half of the draft making calls in the early teens to try to move up for offensive linemen. As we get closer to the draft, it seems like linemen are going to fly off the board earlier than expected, so if I’m Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or any other team with a tackle need in the late-teens or early-20s, I’d be making some calls to make sure I get my guy.

Then there’s also the possibility of someone (likely Arizona) moving back into the first round to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

We could very well see upwards of six trades tomorrow night, which makes the draft even more exciting.

Every Team’s Biggest Needs Heading Into The Draft

I could be here forever talking about every team’s biggest draft need, so instead, I’m just going to give you a list with each team’s three biggest positional needs with no commentary.

Arizona Cardinals: QB, OL, ED

Atlanta Falcons: DL, CB, WR

Baltimore Ravens: OL, TE, WR

Buffalo Bills: DT, LB, WR

Carolina Panthers: TE, OT, S

Chicago Bears: ED, DT, S

Cincinnati Bengals: LB, ED, CB

Cleveland Browns: OT, WR, QB

Dallas Cowboys: ED, CB, OT

Denver Broncos: LB, TE, RB

Detroit Lions: OT, CB, ED

Green Bay Packers: CB, ED, OT

Houston Texans: OG, DT, WR

Indianapolis Colts: ED, LB, WR

Jacksonville Jaguars: LB, ED, S

Kansas City Chiefs: ED, CB, OT

Las Vegas Raiders: QB, WR, DL

Los Angeles Chargers: OG, WR, DL

Los Angeles Rams: OT, WR, QB

Miami Dolphins: CB, ED, WR

Minnesota Vikings: S, CB, DL

New England Patriots: ED, WR, OT

New Orleans Saints: ED, CB, WR

New York Giants: LB, WR, OT

New York Jets: QB, WR, ED

Philadelphia Eagles: ED, WR, OT

Pittsburgh Steelers: OL, QB, WR

San Francisco 49ers: WR, OT, S

Seattle Seahawks: CB, ED, RB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: ED, TE, OG

Tennessee Titans: ED, LB, RB

Washington Commanders: CB, ED, WR

What’s The First Round Draft Order?

Here’s the full first round draft order. This will probably change with trades, but for now, this is where things stand:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. New York Giants (via Cincinnati Bengals)
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons)
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts)
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers)
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars)
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Los Angeles Rams)
30. Miami Dolphins (via Denver Broncos)
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks