By Jacob Halbesma, Local and National Editor
Each year, thousands of young players wait eagerly, family by their side, for an NFL franchise to take a chance on them. On Thursday April 23 the annual NFL Draft kicked off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a record-breaking 805,000 people in attendance to watch their team try to draft players to lead the future of their franchise.
With the first overall pick, The Las Vegas Raiders were on the clock. Coming off an abysmal 3-14 season, the team looked to rebuild their roster and improve through the upcoming draft. They selected Indiana University Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the winner of the 2026 Heisman Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding college football player in the country each year.
Mendoza led the star-studded first round on Thursday, with teams searching for elite players to bring in. Leading all colleges in players drafted was The Ohio State Buckeyes, who had 11 picks overall and four players drafted in the first round, which included wide receiver Carnell Tate at pick four and linebacker Arvell Reese at pick five.
The Cincinnati Bengals, however, did not get a chance to take any players in the first round. The team previously traded their 10th overall pick for New York Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, looking to bolster their below-average defensive roster now, rather than take a player who may need time to develop and adjust to the NFL.
The Bengals did not draft any new players in the first round.
“I think management made the right decision, taking a guy who can not only change the performance on the field, but a veteran who can be a leader and change the locker room culture,” first-year business undecided major and Bengals fan Brayden Spriggs said.
This was not the case for the Cleveland Browns, who earned the ninth overall pick after a repeatedly poor season with a record of 5-12. The Browns selected University of Utah Utes offensive tackle Spencer Fano, as well as Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion with the 24th pick in an attempt to build a high-powered offensive force in the coming years.
“They addressed wide receiver and tackle, two glaring issues from last year’s roster. After last year’s great draft, I hope this one will be just as good,” first-year finance major and Browns fan Sean Curran said.
Cleveland received the 24th pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars in last year’s NFL Draft trade, where Cleveland sent the second overall pick to Jacksonville in exchange for the fifth overall pick in 2025 and their 2026 first-round pick.
The draft continued into the weekend, consisting of seven total rounds. A few notable players fell outside of the first round, including University of Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck, who won two national championships with the University of Georgia Bulldogs and lost in last year’s final game against Indiana, who was taken in the third round, 65th overall.
Next year’s draft will be held in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall, marking the first draft in the nation’s capital since 1941.
With teams hoping to improve their roster, the draft gives them a chance to select between thousands of athletes, hoping they lead them to success. The 2026 NFL Draft featured the best young football players in the world, all waiting to pick up the phone and hear the voice of a coach.