The 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up last weekend in Pittsburgh — and if you didn't watch it live (it ran until around 2am UK time on the first night), you missed an awesome spectacle.
If you're new to the sport, the Draft is essentially the NFL's version of a talent auction. Every year, the 32 teams take turns to pick the best players coming out of American college football. The worst teams from the previous season pick first — which is how the league keeps things competitive. Think of it like the Premier League's bottom clubs getting first pick of the best young talent in the country. Except it lasts three days, it's held in a massive arena with tens of thousands of fans watching, and the whole of America tunes in live on television.
Here's what you need to know. Missed the pre-draft drama? NFL Draft 2026: The Giant Gamble covers the big stories that shaped the build-up.
1. The No.1 Pick: Tom Brady's New Quarterback
The biggest story going in — and it delivered.
The Las Vegas Raiders held the first overall pick, and they used it on Fernando Mendoza, a 22-year-old quarterback from Indiana University. Mendoza had just come off the most decorated college football season in years: he won the Heisman Trophy (the award given each year to the best player in college football), led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season, and claimed the programme's first ever national championship.
It's like a football player winning the player of the season, whilst leading a newly-promoted side to win the Premier League unbeaten. That's roughly the scale of what Mendoza did in college american football last year.
What makes this pick especially interesting for UK fans is the Tom Brady connection. Brady — widely considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history, with seven Super Bowl wins — is a minority owner of the Raiders (the same as what he's done with Birmingham City back here). He has promised to play a hands-on role in mentoring Mendoza. So you've got the greatest ever at the position taking a raw young prospect under his wing. It's a storyline worth following.
Mendoza wasn't even at the draft in Pittsburgh. He stayed home with his family, including his mother, who lives with multiple sclerosis. Make of that what you will about the sort of person he is.
2. Ohio State Dominated the Top Ten
One of the stranger storylines of the night was just how many players came from a single university.
Ohio State — one of America's most famous college football programmes — had four players taken in the first 11 picks. That's almost unheard of. To put it in context, imagine four players from the same Premier League academy being taken in the top 11 of a draft. It speaks to the extraordinary production line that Ohio State has become.
The four Buckeyes taken early were wide receiver Carnell Tate (No.4, Tennessee Titans), edge rusher Arvell Reese (No.5), linebacker Sonny Styles (No.7, Washington Commanders), and safety Caleb Downs (No.11, Dallas Cowboys).
3. One Of The Early Surprises: The Rams Draft a Quarterback That They Don't Need
The moment that had many in America confused.
The Los Angeles Rams already have Matthew Stafford — last year's NFL MVP (player of the year) — under contract. He's 38 years old but just coming off one of the best seasons of his career. And yet with the 13th pick, the Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who had started just 15 college games.
There's a funny video circulating of Sean McVay, the Rams Head Coach calling Simpson to congratulate him - although McVay's face seemed very unimpressed by the owners decision to take him.
The logic is clear enough: Stafford won't play forever, and Simpson is seen as his long-term successor. But the timing surprised almost everyone. Most analysts expected Simpson to go in round two. The Rams clearly disagreed — and were confident enough to use a premium first-round pick to secure their future quarterback now.
4. The Moment That Made the Whole of America Cry
This is the story that transcended the draft and went viral everywhere.
Kayden McDonald is a defensive tackle from Ohio State. He was widely expected to go in the first round — good enough to be invited to sit in the "green room," which is the backstage area at the draft reserved only for the players considered most likely to be picked in the top 32. McDonald arrived in a custom maroon suit with handwritten messages from his family sewn into the lining.
And then he sat there all night. All 32 picks passed. His name was never called.
What happened next is what made it special. Commissioner Roger Goodell — the NFL's equivalent of a chief executive — went backstage to find McDonald and his family. Instead of letting them leave, Goodell told them to come back the following night, and promised he would personally be on stage when Kayden's name was finally called.
The next evening, four picks into round two, the Houston Texans traded up to select McDonald at No.36. The phone rang. McDonald broke down. He walked to the stage in tears, and Goodell was there waiting — as promised. The two embraced in a moment that immediately went everywhere on social media.
"Mama don't have to work no more," ESPN's Booger McFarland said quietly as the cameras rolled.
In a sporting world that sometimes struggles to show genuine emotion, it was a rare, completely authentic moment.
5. The UK's Own: Seydou Traore Goes to the Miami Dolphins
This is the one that should matter a lot to British fans.
Seydou Traore, a 23-year-old tight end born in France but raised in South London, was selected in the fifth round — pick 180 overall — by the Miami Dolphins. He is the first player to graduate from the NFL Academy in Barnet to be selected in the NFL Draft.
Traore grew up in Westmoreland, South London, playing football, rugby and basketball before discovering American football through the London Warriors — a local amateur team about ten minutes from his house. He caught the bug, joined the NFL Academy's inaugural cohort in 2019, then moved to Florida to continue his development before earning a college scholarship, first at Arkansas State and then at Mississippi State in the SEC — one of the most competitive college football conferences in America.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the draft, Traore said: "My message would be, if you care for something deep enough, go chase it. Don't listen to the ifs, buts and maybes. If you feel it deep in your heart, then it's possible."
He's the latest in a small but growing line of British players to make it to the NFL. There are only 33 players from Great Britain to have ever played in the league. Traore could become one of the most prominent.
6. What Does It All Mean for the Season?
The draft doesn't guarantee anything — history is full of first-round picks who never made it. But here are the key storylines to watch heading into September:
Can Mendoza start straight away? Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has suggested he'd prefer not to rush a rookie quarterback from day one. Kirk Cousins — the veteran signed on a one-year deal — may start the season. But with Tom Brady watching from the owner's box, the pressure to get Mendoza on the field will build quickly.
The Ohio State pipeline. Four players from one university in the top 11. Ohio State is essentially running a finishing school for NFL talent. Keep an eye on any Buckeye — they tend to arrive in the NFL well-coached and ready to contribute early.
Traore's journey continues. A fifth-round pick isn't guaranteed a roster spot — teams can cut players before the season begins. But the Miami Dolphins liked what they saw enough to spend a pick on him. Whether he makes the final 53-man squad will be one of the most compelling UK storylines of the summer.
The 2026 NFL season kicks off on 9 September. There's plenty to look forward to.
Missed the UK times guide ahead of the draft? NFL Draft 2026 UK Time & How to Watch has the full breakdown.