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

A year after Shedeur Sanders' stunning fall from first-round hopeful to late-round draft pick, another perplexing passer was all the buzz at the NFL draft Thursday night.

With the 13th overall pick, the Los Angeles Rams selected undersized and inexperienced quarterback Ty Simpson out of Alabama to serve an apprenticeship under NFL MVP Matthew Stafford.

Simpson's selection was the biggest shocker on the draft's opening night in Pittsburgh, but there were a few others that also pushed value into the top of the second round Friday night, when the San Francisco 49ers own the first pick.

Rams general manager Les Snead made a first-round pick for only the second time in the past decade - and he turned in a surprise by taking Simpson, who wasn't considered a first-round talent on most draft boards.

Simpson was a starter for only one season with the Crimson Tide, passing for 3,567 yards and leading them to the Rose Bowl after three seasons as a backup.

Other players who went higher than many anticipated included Clemson offensive lineman Blake Miller to Detroit at No. 17, Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge to Houston at 26 and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods to the Chiefs at 29.

Two University of Tennessee cornerbacks are among the prime prospects expected to go early in the second round: Colton Hood, who also played at Auburn and Colorado; and Jermod McCoy, who missed the 2025 season with a torn ACL.

Others who could hear their names called early in Round 2 include:

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
A high-energy defensive back, McNeil-Warren is a tall (almost 6-foot-4, 201 pounds), long safety who makes big hits his hallmark. He's just as aggressive tackling ballcarriers as he is in hitting wide receivers. He forced eight fumbles in four seasons at Toledo.

Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Hill has exceptional speed (low 4.4 in the 40) for his size (6-foot-3, 238 pounds). He works around blockers with quickness and an elite change of direction, and he sports impressive closing speed. He collected 17 sacks and forced eight fumbles in three years in Austin.

Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
The SEC Defensive Player of the Year had 11 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season. He's undersized for a pass rusher but has proven he gets to the quarterback and finishes. He has the burst to knife through the line and disrupt things behind the line of scrimmage.

Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Terrell is an athletic, if undersized (5-foot-11, 180 pounds), cornerback with great quickness and instincts. An active and willing tackler and an outstanding blitzer, his NFL future is almost certainly at nickel as he's most effective in underneath zone coverage.

Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Boston is strong, fast and has elite ball skills. At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, he's a big target lining up both outside and in the slot. He boasts strength and a long stride and can wall off defenders at any level downfield. He scored 20 TDs over the last two seasons.

Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
McDonald was expected to join Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles as Buckeyes defenders going in the first round. He's a natural run defender who'll clog the middle of the line. At 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, he has excellent size and strength for the position.

- The Associated Press contributed

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.