Half of the picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft changed hands before the selection was made.
Of the 32 picks, 16 of them were traded, resulting in eight teams having no first-round pick, six teams having two first-round picks, and the Jets having three first-round picks.
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The Falcons, Bengals, Broncos, Packers, Colts and Jaguars all entered the draft without a first-round pick, having previously traded theirs. The Bills and 49ers traded out of the first round during draft night.
Six teams drafted two players on Thursday night: The Browns took offensive lineman Spencer Fano and wide receiver KC Concepcion. The Titans took wide receiver Carnell Tate and defensive end Keldric Faulk. The Giants took linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. The Chiefs took cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods. The Cowboys took safety Caleb Downs and defensive end Malachi Lawrence. The Dolphins took offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson.
The Jets had three first-round picks: With their own pick they took linebacker David Bailey, with the Colts’ pick acquired in the Sauce Gardner trade they took tight end Kenyon Sadiq, and then they traded back up into the late first round to draft wide receiver Omar Cooper.
All of the teams with multiple first-round picks missed the playoffs last season. They know they have big roster rebuilds ahead, and they hope they’ve added an infusion of young talent to get those rebuilds moving.
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