Who are the players to watch at the NFL Draft?
All 32 teams have one pick in each round - unless they have agreed trades - and go in the reverse order of last season's standings, so the team with the worst record gets the first pick and Super Bowl winners Seattle go last. Four teams finished the 2025 season with a 3-14 record - and the Las Vegas Raiders secured the first pick via a strength-of-schedule tie-breaker. Their opponents last season were deemed weaker than those faced by the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, who have the next three picks respectively.
Jeremiyah Love (left), Fernando Mendoza (second left) and Diego Pavia (second right) were Heisman Trophy finalists in 2025 The Raiders need a quarterback and Fernando Mendoza is the standout from this year's prospects having led Indiana to their first national championship and won the Heisman Trophy, which goes to the year's best college player. The 22-year-old is set to emulate Cam Newton (2011) and Joe Burrow (2020) by being the Heisman Trophy winner, a national champion and the first overall draft pick in the same year. The Jets and Cardinals also need a quarterback but this year's draft class is not strong for QBs.
Although six of the first 12 picks in 2024 were quarterbacks, Mendoza could be the only one selected in this year's first round, with Alabama's Ty Simpson the only other seen as a potential day-one selection. Carson Beck slipped out of first-round contention after a poor year with Georgia, but then led Miami to the national championship game and could be picked up as a development project. Other intriguing quarterbacks are the athletic Cole Payton , who impressed at the NFL Combine and could be used as a hybrid player like Taysom Hill, and the 5ft 10in Diego Pavia , who defied the odds with Vanderbilt to become the Heisman runner-up and could be a late-round gamble.
The NFL's next superstar and how mum's struggle inspired rise to top Mendoza has opted to share the draft experience with his family in Miami so will not be among the 16 prospects attending the event in Pittsburgh. Five of those waiting for their name to be called are from the 2024 national champions Ohio State, four of whom are tipped to be among the first 10 picks - pass rusher Arvell Reese, linebacker Sonny Styles , wide receiver Carnell Tate and safety Caleb Downs . The strongest area in this year's draft class is the defensive front, with pass rushers David Bailey and Rueben Bain Jr also expected to come off the board early.
Otherwise there is depth at wide receiver, with Makai Lemon and Jordyn Tyson leading options, while Jeremiyah Love is the top-rated running back. Lee Hunter's draft stock has risen after the defensive tackle, nicknamed 'The Fridge', interviewed well at the Combine. At 6ft 4in and 318lbs, he is not as imposing as the original 'Fridge', 1980s star William Perry, but he has had pre-draft visits with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers.