The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off last night in Pittsburgh. The First Round, 32 picks, were made before a record-setting crowd. While there are still six more rounds to come today and tomorrow, we got a look at a few of the players that will be near the top of our rookie drafts. A total of 10 fantasy-relevant players were taken in the First Round. Below, I look at each of those players—two quarterbacks, two running backs, five receivers, and a tight end—and talk about where it lands them in rookie drafts. Picks appear in the order they were made.

1.01—Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

About: Mendoza was the top quarterback coming into the draft and largely regarded as the No. 1 overall pick. He went as expected, landing with the Raiders. The team has Kirk Cousins, so it’s no lock that he starts Week 1. But Mendoza is the surest lock at the position in this draft and could be poised for a strong season with new Head Coach Klint Kubiak. He was expected to go in the top two picks in the upcoming rookie draft, and that shouldn’t change. He’s still the 1.02 in Superflex for me, but if you’re desperate at quarterback he could go at 1.01.

1.03—Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

About: Love was expected to be the first running back off the board and a Top 10 pick, so his going high was no surprise. His landing spot was a bit of a bummer. Love was the best RB on the board, and for some the best player in the draft. He was near a consensus 1.01 in rookie drafts prior to the NFL draft. Will he remain there? Probably. But this is a bummer of a landing spot. The Cardinals’ offense is a work-in-progress, with likely Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. The line wasn’t great in 2025, which isn’t promising for 2026. In addition, the team already had veteran James Conner and third-year man Trey Benson on the roster, then added free agent Tyler Allgeier in March. That’s a crowded group. Love is the best of the group, but it could still well be a time share. That’s not ideal for rookie year production, probably capping his ceiling. It caps the value of Allgeier and Conner, too. Meanwhile, Benson becomes likely a roster bubble guy. That’s a blow for a player that was the No. 2 RB off the board in rookie drafts just two years ago.

1.04—Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans

About: Tate, out of Ohio State, became both the first receiver off the board and first Ohio State player among many taken at the top of the NFL Draft. He’s the receiving game weapon that Cam Ward needs to take a step forward in 2026. He could be a decent fit, and likely locks up the 1.03 position in rookie drafts. This probably kills the value of Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, such as it was. The team added Wan’Dale Robinson this off-season and still has Calvin Ridley returning. I like Tate the best of those three for Dynasty, though I wouldn’t be shocked to see Robinson have a slightly better 2026. The window to sell Ridley at value has probably closed.

1.08—Jordan Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints

About: The Saints are in need of more production at wide receiver, especially after trading Rashid Shaheed during the 2025 season. The team still has Chris Olave, who should be locked in as No. 1. The team also has an interesting prospect in Devaughn Vele, acquired from the Broncos last pre-season. But Tyson should slot in as the clear-cut No. 2 receiver for the team. Tyler Shough looked strong in year one, and adding Tyson and running back Travis Etienne should boost the offense as a whole. Tyson is a Top 5 pick in Superflex, as he was heading into the draft. It’s a strong landing spot.

1.13—Ty Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams

About: This was the biggest surprise of the First Round of the NFL Draft. The Rams have been looking for a successor to Matthew Stafford—the reigning NFL MVP—for a while. They make the move here to snag the passer out of Alabama, largely regarded as the second-best quarterback in the draft. But he lacks college experience and figures to be a bit of a prospect in need of seasoning. That makes him a tough bet for a rookie draft. He’s likely to sit for one or two years, at least, behind Stafford as the Rams make a Super Bowl push. But it’s a good landing spot for him to, at some point, have decent value. It’s not a great QB class in 2026, which could push Simpson up to the back of the First Round of your rookie draft, even if you won’t get any 2026 production.

1.16—Kenyon Sadiq, TE, New York Jets

About: Another mild surprise. Sadiq was clearly the best tight end on the board and figured to be a lock for a First-Round selection. But the Jets weren’t an obvious suitor, having taken Mason Taylor in the 2025 NFL Draft. But Sadiq adds a dynamic passing game weapon for the Jets and new quarterback Geno Smith. Pre-draft I had Taylor as a high-end TE2 in Dynasty, but his value is shot now. Sadiq slots in behind Kyle Pitts for me at present as a TE1 in Dynasty. He should be a First-Round selection in rookie drafts, probably in the 1.06-1.09 range.

1.20—Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

About: It’s nice to be wanted. Lemon was on the phone with the Steelers, who picked at 21, when the Eagles traded up to grab him. They’ve added several receivers of late, including Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore. This, in addition to selecting Lemon, seems to confirm A.J. Brown will be traded post June 1, as has been widely reported. So, projecting Lemon’s value is likely baking in the fact Brown will be gone. DeVonta Smith is still the No. 1 receiver, but Lemon could take the WR2 slot. He might not have a great 2026 season, but I like his long-term potential. He will likely continue to go among the Top 5 picks in rookie drafts. I still have him as my WR2 in the class.

1.24—K.C. Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns

About: This was another head-scratcher. The Browns were rumored to be targeting a receiver, but this didn’t feel like an ideal fit. The Browns are another team with some issues at quarterback, currently planning to choose between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. The team also has a new scheme, so it’s hard to tell what the offense will be. Jerry Jeudy is locked in as WR1, with Harold Fannin, Jr., establishing himself as a good pass-catcher at tight end. Concepcion will likely battle Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond for the WR2 slot. I’m not sure how valuable that is for fantasy, nor do I have a good feel for where Concepcion fits in the rookie draft yet. I want to see how receivers fall in Round 2 and Round 3. Concepcion could be a late First Round selection or slide in the Second Round in your rookie draft. This pick didn’t move the needle a lot for me.

1.30—Omar Cooper, Jr., WR, New York Jets

About: The Jets traded back into the First Round to make another selection, grabbing Cooper out of Indiana. The team has Sadiq to take over at tight end and now adds Cooper along with Garrett Wilson to provide a new look in the pass offense. This is probably a fantasy blow to Adonai Mitchell, who came to the Jets via trade during the 2025 season and showed some flashes. He’s back to a WR3 position. Cooper has some potential, and likely solidifies his spot as a First-Round selection in rookie drafts. But it’s hard to say how strong the 2026 production will be with Geno Smith at quarterback and a lot of mouths to feed. The Jets could end up in the same situation as the Bears last year, with better receiving options than targets available.

1.32—Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks

About: It was a mild surprise to see a second running back selected in the First Round. It makes some sense because the Seahawks don’t have many roster holes, but running back is a big one. Zach Charbonnet is recovering from an ACL tear in January while Ken Walker is now in Kansas City. That leaves a potential Week 1 combination of George Holani and Emanuel Wilson. So, Price could come in and work himself into a sizeable role in year one. The First-Round draft capital is also a good sign. Price was regarded as RB2 in the class prior to the draft, so that doesn’t change. But he goes from a likely Second Round selection in rookie drafts to the top half of the First Round, especially as a position of need for most teams. I’d take him in the 1.05-1.07 range.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.