In the biggest surprise so far in the 2026 NFL draft, the Rams have selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick.
That makes Simpson the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford, who has mused about retirement.
Simpson was widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in this draft, behind No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, but few expected Simpson to go off the board within the first half of the first round.
Rams General Manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay, however, are believers in Simpson and think he can develop into a franchise quarterback in McVay’s offense.
How much longer Stafford is the Rams’ starting quarterback remains to be seen, but now the Rams know who’s next. Simpson is the Rams’ pick tonight, and the Rams’ pick to be their quarterback of the future.
New Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made his first draft trade before he made his first draft pick.
The Dolphins took former Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with the 12th overall pick of the draft on Thursday night.
Miami made the selection after trading down one spot in a swap with the Cowboys. They picked up the 177th and 180th picks, so they now have 12 more picks at their disposal.
One of those picks is the No. 30 selection they got from Denver for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and all of those picks give them ample ammunition to make a move up the board if there’s a player they covet later in the round.
Proctor started at left tackle for the Crimson Tide for the last three seasons and was a second-team All-American in 2025. There’s been some thought that he could wind up at guard in the NFL and the Dolphins currently have Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson returning at the tackle spots.
The Giants got their defensive player at pick No. 5, taking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. They got their offensive player at No. 10.
The Giants selected University of Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.
It marks the third time in six years the Giants have had two first-round picks.
The Giants re-signed veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who is coming off the best year of his career with a single-season best 1,088 offensive snaps. The Giants could move Mauigoa to guard, where they have a bigger need.
Greg Van Roten, who started at right guard the past two seasons, remains a free agent. Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. is in the final year of his contract.
Mauigoa will start somewhere in 2026, and he had a message for quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“I am ready to die for you,” Mauigoa said after donning a Giants cap.
Cleveland needed an offensive tackle, and now the club has brought one in.
The Browns have selected Spencer Fano out of Utah with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
Fano started on both sides at Utah, with 11 games at left tackle and one game at right tackle as a freshman in 2023. He then started at right tackle in 2024 and 2025, earning Big 12 offensive lineman of the year and the Outland Trophy for his performance.
In all, Fano started 25 games at right tackle and 11 at left tackle.
The Browns acquired the No. 9, No. 74, and No. 148 picks from the Chiefs in exchange for No. 6 overall.
Cleveland also has the No. 24 overall pick in the first round.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has a new target.
The Saints selected Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Shough had said before the draft that he’d love to see the Saints select a wide receiver, and they’ve given him his wish.
Tyson is a big-time talent, but injuries are a concern. He did not run at the Scouting Combine or Arizona State’s Pro Day while recovering from a hamstring injury, but he worked out for NFL teams last week and from all accounts looked great.
The hamstring was far from the first injury Tyson suffered during his college career. He tore his ACL as a freshman at Colorado, and after transferring to Arizona State he broke his collarbone. When healthy, he’s a dynamic playmaker who could be a great addition to an NFL team. The Saints will hope he’s healthier in the NFL than he was in college.
The Commanders went from a run to the NFC Championship Game in to a 5-12 record in 2025 and they used the seventh overall pick on a player they hope can help them turn things back around.
Linebacker Sonny Styles is that choice. Styles became the third Ohio State product to go in the last four picks as his college teammates Carnell Tate and Arvell Reese went at No. 4 and No. 5.
It’s the first time that the school has had three of the first seven picks in a draft.
Styles was a star at the Scouting Combine by running the fastest 40, highest vertical leap and longest broad jump of any linebacker in the draft class. That came after Styles spent three years as a starter for the Buckeyes and led the team in tackles during his final collegiate season.
The Commanders do not have a second-round pick, so their next scheduled selection is at No. 71.
The Giants have two picks in the top 10 of tonight’s NFL draft.
When their turn came to select No. 5, the Giants had their choice of a trio of Ohio State players. They selected linebacker Arvell Reese, taking him over his teammates, safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles.
The Giants have received trade interest regarding edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the selection of Reese makes that a possibility. Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in 2022, and the Giants selected edge rusher Abdul Carter third in 2025.
Their defense should be even better than it was in 2025 with the addition of Reese, who totaled 69 tackles, 10 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss last season, his third at Ohio State.
He was a consensus All-American and Big Ten linebacker of the year.
The Titans have selected receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tate, who played his college ball at Ohio State, was widely considered the best receiver in the class.
He appeared in 39 games for the Buckeyes with 23 starts. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards with nine touchdowns in 2025, playing 11 games. He was out for three contests with a leg injury.
In all, he caught 121 passes for 1,872 yards with 14 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
Now, Tate is on his way to Nashville, where he will be a top weapon for last year’s No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward.
The Cardinals have taken a big swing on the potential of running back Jeremiyah Love to make big plays in new head coach Mike LaFleur’s offense.
With the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Cardinals took Love, the All-American from Notre Dame.
It’s a bold move by General Manager Monti Ossenfort, as running backs have not been selected this highly in recent NFL drafts. Love is the highest-drafted running back since the Giants took Saquon Barkley No. 2 overall in 2018.
Love is an impressive talent who will make plays both running the ball and as a receiver out of the backfield, and perhaps even lining up at wide receiver in some formations. LaFleur must think Love can make a big impact.
All of the talk about the Jets’ plans for the second overall pick heading into the draft centered on whether they would take David Bailey or Arvell Reese to bolster their defense.
The answer to their edge rusher question finally came on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The Jets made Bailey their choice shortly after the Raiders made it official with Fernando Mendoza.
Bailey led the nation with 14.5 sacks for Texas Tech during the 2025 season and the Jets’ level of interest in him became a talking point over the last week because the team canceled a visit with him during the pre-draft process. They had other interactions over the last few months, however, and Jets General Manager Darren Mougey obviously saw enough to make Bailey the man.
The Jets also have the No. 16 pick, so they’ll be heard from again on Thursday night.
