NFL Teams Score Top Players During Round 1 of the 2026 Draft
OSWEGO, N.Y. – The NFL draft is underway, bringing a weekend full of hype, hope, and life-changing moments for college football’s finest players.
Kicking off last night at 8:00 p.m., the first round of the draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw 320,000 fans cheering on their favorite players and welcoming newcomers to the teams they root for. For national teams, their picks can make or break the upcoming season, and now is not the time for snap decisions.
If you’re confused about how the draft works, there are 7 rounds. Round 1 took place last night, rounds 2-3 are tonight at 7:00 p.m., and rounds 4-7 will take place tomorrow, April 25th, at 12:00 p.m. Over the course of this weekend, more than 250 players will hear their names called and find their new home teams.
The lowest-seeded teams from the previous season get the earlier draft picks, while teams with better records have to wait til later in the first round, and sometimes, due to trades, the 2nd round and onward.
SUNY Oswego alumnus and host of The Manchild Show, Paul “Boy Green” Esden Jr., was at the draft last night, over 350 miles from home. With this being his first NFL Draft, Paul had a lot to look forward to. “It’s overwhelming to think about it,” Esden Jr. said, “Because I’ve watched this since I was a kid… Being so close to the draft stage, being in the middle of all the activity, I think that has to be the best part,” Esden Jr. Stationed in the New York Jets fan zone. He appeared on the live draft broadcast and got to hold two of three draft pick cards for the Jets’ newest players.
The New York Jets drafted David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. The New York Giants drafted Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa. The Buffalo Bills did not draft any players last night. Trading their 26th round pick a couple of times to land with pick numbers 35, 66, and 101.
Above the statistics, and buzzing about who picked whom? There’s a magnetic air about the draft. Co-Host of the Manchild Show, Jim Lerch, told me fans would descend on Pittsburgh in droves this weekend. “700,000 people are going to go there… they’re going to spend their money on beer, they’re going to spend their money on food, they’re going to spend their money on attractions… it’s absolute insanity,” Lerch said. “Next to the Super Bowl for the NFL, probably their biggest event of the year.”
If you’re looking for places to watch the remaining 6 rounds of the NFL draft, you can stream live on NFL+, Disney+, Hulu, Sling, ESPN+, and YouTube.