Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft finally put a definitive end to months of rumors and speculation. As the world expected, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza finished first for the Las Vegas Raiders. After that, as many suggested, things got interesting in the next 31 selections.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the biggest surprises from Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carnell Tate went fourth to the Tennessee Titans
In early mock drafts, Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate was projected to go fifth or sixth. However, as we got closer to Thursday, it started looking more likely that he might fall out of the top 10 as Jordan Tyson moved ahead of him on the draft board.
However, with Arvel Reese still available, the Tennessee Titans decided to give Cam Ward a new weapon and selected Tate. Buckeye should be good at the next level, but it can't be ignored that he wasn't even the best receiver at OSU last year. The Titans may have moved up to No. 4 with Tate.
Los Angeles Rams use the 13th pick on Ty Simpson
There have been rumors for several weeks that the Los Angeles Rams were pursuing Alabama's Ty Simpson. However, the idea of using the 13th overall pick on a quarterback seemed ridiculous. Especially since most projections had him going late in Round 1 or early in Round 2. But instead of getting a player who could make an impact during the season with Super Bowl expectations, L.A. boldly decided to draft Matthew Stafford's successor.
Some may see this decision as a major overreach that will have no impact on the team over the next year or two. They are right. But many football analysts believe Simpson could be a very good NFL QB if given time to learn more and develop. He will get it in LA and could end up being a huge addition to the team.
Arvel Reese lost to New York Giants at No. 5
Before Thursday night, many NFL Draft evaluators believed Reese was the second pick of the New York Jets. Especially after he canceled his meeting with David Bailey last week.
Although many believed the player could become a superstar in a matter of years, he was passed up by three franchises and fell to the New York Giants at No. 5 overall. On paper, John Harbaugh now has an absurd amount of talent and looks to be in his linebacker corps with Reese and fellow first-round picks Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
NY Giants trade Caleb Downs for Francis Mauigoa?
Speaking of veterans, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs going to New York with their second pick in Round 1 seemed like a match made in heaven. John Harbaugh has played smart, elite safeties leading his defense on successful teams in the past. He also suggested earlier in the offseason that Downs had Hall of Fame potential.
Yet, when they were on the board again at 10, instead of reuniting him with Reese, they decided to select Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Building from the line and out is not a bad team-building strategy. But the Giants tried that four years ago with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal. And it hasn't worked out so well.
Instead, the top rival, the Dallas Cowboys, traded up a spot to get Downs, and will now have to face talented defenses twice a year for the next decade.
Kansas City Chiefs trade up to 6 to get Trent McDuffie's replacement
There were rumors that the Kansas City Chiefs could advance to Round 1 of this year's event, as they had two selections in the top 30. Many speculated that they could get a player like Jeremiah Love or potentially a top receiver. Instead, they gave up some extra options to get LSU's Mansur Delaney.
After trading All-Pro Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs clearly felt they needed to find his replacement early in this year's event and they liked Delaney. However, it seems like they could still get him at No. 9 and waste draft assets out of fear that he might go first.
Ruben Benn Jr. lands with an unexpected Florida team
Reuben Benn Jr.'s draft stock declined after the NFL Combine when draft evaluators discovered that his arms were shorter than productive players at his position. But statistics don't lie, and he was still a top star for a Miami team that reached the national championship game.
So when the Miami Dolphins were at 12, it made a lot of sense to have the Hurricanes pass rusher in South Beach with the state's most popular NFL team. But instead, they reached out a bit on Alabama's Kayden Proctor. However, Ben Jr. would remain in Florida as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him three times later.
EDGE will stay in FL, but not with the team, some thought Thursday.
Dallas Cowboys help Philadelphia Eagles get AJ Brown's replacement
After weeks of speculation, the Cowboys traded up in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. However, it did not reach the top five. They actually went down three notches. But what made the move a surprise was that they swapped positions with division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles.
It is expected that Philly will trade the star receiver after June 1. That became a guarantee when the Eagles used the 20th pick on USC receiver Makai Lemon. So essentially, the Cowboys helped an opponent get a replacement for the player they were planning to trade and got a nice new weapon for Jalen Hurts. Strange.
The New York Jets got a potential steal at the end of Round 1.
The New York Jets had two picks in Round 1 and played well by selecting David Bailey at No. 2, then landed stud tight end Kenyon Saadiq at No. 16. However, he surprised many when he came back in Round 1 and was the pick of the San Francisco 49ers at No. 30. With the pick, they took receiver Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana.
There are a lot of draft evaluators who like Cooper Jr. a lot. He had a really good junior year for the Hoosiers, as he often made big plays. Who knows if Mendoza wins the Heisman or goes No. 1 without a receiver? Keeping his positive side in mind, New York could get a steal at pick 30.
