Draft order for Round 1: The first 18 slots are set, and the Raiders will pick at No. 1

NFL NationJan 4, 2026, 11:30 PM ET
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With the 2025 NFL regular season coming to a close, the first 18 draft order slots for the 2026 NFL draft are set. The Las Vegas Raiders will have the No. 1 selection, followed by the New York Jets and A rizona Cardinals. The rest of the order will shake out over the course of the NFL playoffs, ending with Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8.

The draft will be held in Pittsburgh for the first time. Round 1 will be on April 23, Rounds 2 and 3 are April 24, and Rounds 4 through 7 close it out on April 25. Plenty of trades have already gone down to shake up the order, and the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts will not be picking in the first round. The Los Angeles Rams have the Falcons’ selection, the Dallas Cowboys have the Packers’ selection, the Jets have the Colts’ selection and the Cleveland Browns have the Jaguars’ selection.

For picks for the non-playoff teams, our NFL Nation reporters broke down each team’s biggest need going into the offseason. We also provided the projected order for pick Nos. 19-32 via ESPN’s Football Power Index, and we will continue to update this page as those picks are set over the coming weeks. Here is the draft order for 2026.

See more on the NFL draft:
Mock drafts | Rankings

1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)

Biggest need: Quarterback. The Raiders haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since JaMarcus Russell in 2007. That could very well change in April. The decision to bring in Geno Smith with the expectation that he could deliver instant success didn’t work. He threw a league-high 17 interceptions, and at 35, he is not getting any younger. If the Raiders are serious about building for the future — or in general manager John Spytek’s words, «sustained success» — that means bringing in a young quarterback. — Ryan McFadden

2. New York Jets (3-14)

Biggest need: Quarterback. The Jets started three quarterbacks in 2025, and the results were grim. They ranked 29th in offensive EPA. With Justin Fields likely to be released and Tyrod Taylor heading to free agency, the Jets figure to add two quarterbacks this offseason — a veteran and a rookie. The latter could come early in Round 1. They have plenty of draft capital to trade up to No. 1 if the opportunity presents itself, or they could even opt to wait until 2027 for a bigger splash in the draft, as the Jets have three first-round picks that year. — Rich Cimini

3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)

Biggest need: Quarterback (possibly). If Arizona parts ways with Kyler Murray this offseason, it will take a long, hard look at drafting a quarterback in April. A lot will depend on which prospects come out, but a quarterback will be high on the Cardinals’ radar this draft season. It’s also possible that Arizona doesn’t take one with its first-round pick and trades back into the late part of the first. Or maybe it waits until the second round to grab a signal-caller. The Cardinals also need an offensive tackle, potentially a guard and possibly another defensive lineman, despite rebuilding their defensive front last offseason. — Josh Weinfuss

4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)

Biggest need: A dynamic playmaker. It’s tough to decide between wide receiver, cornerback and edge rusher, but simply put, the Titans need more impact players. Since selecting Corey Davis No. 5 overall in 2016, they have only selected a receiver or edge rusher once — which was Treylon Burks in 2022 after acquiring the pick when they traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles. The last cornerback selected in the first round was Caleb Farley in 2021. Although they’ve taken a few premier player swings by signing Calvin Ridley and trading for L’Jarius Sneed, it’s possible neither is on the roster next season. Tennessee needs to bring in someone to help quarterback Cam Ward take the next step, and that probably makes receiver the top need. But don’t underestimate the importance of an impact pass rusher to be Jeffery Simmons‘ running mate, too. — Turron Davenport

5. New York Giants (4-13)

Biggest need: Interior defensive line. The Giants need to add run-stuffing defensive linemen to the mix. There is a reason they allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry. Rookie Darius Alexander isn’t the answer. He’s more of a 3-technique pass rusher, and Dexter Lawrence II can’t do it all by himself. The Giants need to add depth and talent to the interior of the defensive line. The run defense has been a problem now for three consecutive seasons, and it can’t be overlooked this year in the draft. — Jordan Raanan

6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)

Biggest need: Quarterback. The Browns cycled through three quarterbacks amid another double-digit loss season. But if you really want to place Cleveland’s issues under center in proper context: The Browns have started 42 different quarterbacks since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999 — by far the most in the league. Neither rookie passer (Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders) established himself as a surefire, long-term option. Browns quarterbacks posted the lowest QBR this season, and with a pair of first-round picks, Cleveland is in position to potentially solve the organization’s decades-long search for a franchise quarterback. — Daniel Oyefusi

7. Washington Commanders (5-12)

Biggest need: Defensive end. Washington needs impact players on defense — anywhere. But the Commanders have only two defensive ends signed for next season in Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and both are coming off season-ending injuries. Armstrong was leading Washington with 5.5 sacks until he tore an ACL in Week 6. After him, the Commanders’ best edge rusher has turned out to be Von Miller, who was productive with eight sacks but is 36 years old. The Commanders need a young, athletic edge rusher to inject more speed into the defensive front. — John Keim

8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)

Biggest need: Wide receiver. The Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks and released Brandin Cooks after signing him to a two-year deal in free agency. That leaves only Chris Olave, who is heading into his option year. The Saints seem to have found their quarterback in Tyler Shough, but they need to add more playmakers around him this offseason. — Katherine Terrell

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)

Biggest need: Pass rusher. One reason the Chiefs generated just 12 takeaways, the third fewest in the league, is because Steve Spagnuolo’s unit couldn’t get consistent pressure on the quarterback. The Chiefs must find an above-average pass rusher to put alongside Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. The easiest way for the Chiefs to accomplish that is through their first-round pick. Veterans such as Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna and Janarius Robinson could play elsewhere next season, too. — Nate Taylor

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

Biggest need: Interior defensive line. Cincinnati needs to find a quality interior defensive lineman who can be a gap eater and also get after the quarterback. The Bengals will be drafting high enough to get a premium player to fortify the interior after allowing 5.2 yards per rush, second worst in the NFL. — Ben Baby

11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)

Biggest need: Quarterback. This situation will be worth monitoring because Miami won’t be hell-bent on selecting a quarterback in the first round. Obviously, the Dolphins need improved play at the position, but they could turn to a veteran such as Mac Jones (trade) or Malik Willis (free agency). The Dolphins also need to improve their pass rush, secondary and offensive skill players — there are essentially no wrong answers for a team looking for both starting-level talent and depth. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)

Biggest need: Anywhere but tackle on defense. Anywhere. The Cowboys have two first-round picks after the Micah Parsons trade and have needs all over the place, except at tackle where they have Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa. There is no way they could rule out taking a pass rusher, cornerback, linebacker or safety. The Cowboys did not affect the passer well enough in 2026, and they did not take the ball away enough either. — Todd Archer

13. Los Angeles Rams (via 8-9 ATL)

Biggest need: Quarterback. The biggest unknown on the Rams’ roster is whether Matthew Stafford will be back in 2026. But even if Stafford does not retire after this season, the Rams will at some point need to address the position for when that time will come. Los Angeles has two first-round picks in 2026, so it should have the draft capital to move up for a QB in the first round if there is someone general manager Les Snead and Sean McVay feel strongly about bringing in. — Sarah Barshop

14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)

Biggest need: Pass rusher. Before Week 18, Baltimore managed 28 sacks — its fewest in 15 years. This is a major reason why the Ravens have given up over 4,000 yards passing for the third time in their 30-year history. To make matters worse, there are questions about the future of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, the team’s best interior pass rusher who missed the final 15 games with a neck injury. The Ravens’ two most experienced edge rushers — Dre’Mont Jones and Kyle Van Noy — are both unrestricted free agents. — Jamison Hensley

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

Biggest need: Linebacker. With this very possibly being it for Lavonte David, the Bucs will have an enormous task ahead of them in replacing one of the greatest players this franchise has ever known. But it’s not just David. They still aren’t getting the production at edge rusher either, with Haason Reddick not having the rebound season he’d hoped for — although YaYa Diaby continues to take steps forward. — Jenna Laine

16. New York Jets (via 8-9 IND)

17. Detroit Lions (9-8)

Biggest need: Interior offensive line. Detroit’s offensive line needs a major upgrade after struggling this season, notably in the interior. Lions quarterback Jared Goff faced constant pressure all season and was sacked a career-high 36 times behind the unit. This comes after losing a pair of starters last offseason in four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow (who abruptly retired in June) and veteran guard Kevin Zeitler (who signed with the Titans). Detroit’s unit ranked 30th in pass block win rate (55.8%) and 26th in pass rush win rate (31.8%). — Eric Woodyard

18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

Biggest need: Center. The Vikings have needs at multiple positions from a depth perspective, but center is probably the most acute. Veteran Ryan Kelly, who signed a two-year, $18 million free agent contract in March, sustained three concussions in 2025 and finished the season on injured reserve. It’s hard to imagine him back in 2026, but it’s far from clear whether backup Michael Jurgens is ready for the full-time job. Guard/tackle Blake Brandel started six of the nine games Kelly missed, in part because Jurgens was dealing with a hamstring injury. — Kevin Seifert