NFL Draft 2026: Tracking draft picks; Panthers take Tennessee receiver in third round

The Carolina Panthers took massive offensive tackle Monroe Freeling of Georgia with the 19th overall pick of the first round.

Freeling, a 6-7, 315-pounder from Charleston, South Carolina, appeared in all 14 games, making 13 starts in 2025 for the Bulldogs.

He was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week following games against Auburn and Texas.

The move adds stability for a position in flux.

Freeling played three seasons for the Bulldogs and started 18 games during the past two seasons. He is considered a powerful run-blocker who is adept at pass protection.

Freeling likely projects as a long-term replacement for 31-year-old right tackle Taylor Moton, who has started 145 games.

Carolina's starting left tackle, former NC State star Ickey Ekwonu, is expected to miss most of the 2026 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in the team's wild-card game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal as a short-term replacement.

It marks the third straight year that general manager Dan Morgan has taken an offensive player in the first round.

He selected wide receivers in his first round in his first two drafts, taking Xavier Legette in 2024 and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan in the 2025 draft.

The Panthers went heavy on defense in free agency, signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million contract and Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd to a three-year, $45 million contract.

- The Associated Press contributed

After Fernando Mendoza was taken with the first pick on Thursday night, the intrigue began at No. 2 with the New York Jets, who selected Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey over Ohio State edge Arvell Reese.

"It's surreal to me," Bailey said. "It's an awesome opportunity. I just want to get in there and be a sponge and soak up everything."

Arizona took Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third pick. Love is the highest running back selected since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 to the New York Giants in 2018.

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate was picked fourth by Tennessee in a surprise move that gives QB Cam Ward, last year's No. 1 overall pick, a top target.

The Giants took Reese at No. 5, adding a potential elite rusher less than a week after trading three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati.

- The Associated Press contributed.

Mendoza's journey from overlooked two-star recruit to the top of the NFL draft is complete after the Las Vegas Raiders took him with the first pick on Thursday night.

Turning the Raiders into a contender is the next challenge for the Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to its first national championship.

The 22-year-old quarterback wasn't in the Steel City for the festivities, choosing instead to celebrate with family and friends at home in Miami.

He'll be heading to Las Vegas on Friday to begin an NFL career that may have seemed improbable when few colleges were interested in him coming out of high school.

Mendoza wasn't even a prominent prospect at this time last year. But he had a sensational season with the Hoosiers, completing 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
Still, there are plenty of doubts about him in a quarterback-thin draft class. He's determined to prove any critics wrong again.

Mendoza won't be rushed into the starting lineup by the Raiders, who haven't won a playoff game in 24 years. He'll get a chance to learn from four-time Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins and Raiders part-owner Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who Mendoza grew up idolizing.

Mendoza is the fourth straight quarterback selected No. 1 overall following Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, and Bryce Young. It's the 10th time in 12 years that a QB was the first pick.

None of those 10 have won a Super Bowl, though Jared Goff and Joe Burrow each started one.

In 2024, six QBs were among the top 12 picks. Four have already won playoff games, and Drake Maye was the 2025 MVP runner-up and started the Super Bowl.

- The Associated Press contributed.

The red carpet for the NFL draft under the bright sunshine of Pittsburgh means sunglasses are a must.

So too tailored suits spanning a gamut of color. Embroidery featuring names of loved ones. And don't forget the chance to show off a sponsorship with artwork or photos on the interior lining of jackets. Jewelry in the form of chains, watches or even bling on the teeth also showed up Thursday.

Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Arvell Reese's jacket features his deal with Reese's on the interior lining.

Buckeyes teammate Carnell Tate went with the names of his mother and sisters written on the inside of each lapel on his suit jacket. The wide receiver also switched up his cream-colored outfit with a waist-cut suit jacket or as he put it: "We got a crop top. A little different. Switch it up a little bit."

Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood went with a blue suit with his family in the same matching shade. Inside his jacket? Photos of family and friends.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs had company suiting up, and he joined his family wearing jackets lined with photos.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love's brown suit featuring his own artwork on the left interior of his jacket, promoting his sports anime comic book venture titled " Jeremonstar."

Love partnered with Sharpie to release a limited-edition comic book hours before the draft titled "Jeremonstar: Draft Day Ashcan" with the story of his football journey. Love showed up on the red carpet with one of the characters emblazoned on the inside of his suit jacket.

"This is the biggest stage of my life so far, so I want to make sure I'm ready for it," Love said.

Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa went even bolder with artwork across the back of the jacket covering his massive back to honor his American Samoan culture. He said Samoan culture built him, and the least he could do was to give back to his community by representing them on this stage.

"This is the ulafala, and it represents the high chief or the high monarch," Mauigoa said. "And it's part of our culture, and obviously, my dad is a chief. So in the back, it's a little painting that kind of oversees the whole idea of the American Samoan community."

Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback who led Indiana to a national championship, wasn't at the draft. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is attending, and he went with a classic suit with a white shirt. His teammate, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, took a different approach with dental jewelry he showed off on the red carpet.

- The Associated Press