On April 23-25, the 91st NFL Draft will take place at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These landmarks are located on opposite banks of the Ohio River’s headwaters. There will be 257 picks, with the majority expected to be wide receivers and defensive ends. The large pool of players will be spread across seven rounds and three days as athletes find a future with their new teams.
There will be a new rule for this year’s draft, marking the first change since 2008. The time for first-round selections has been shortened from 10 minutes to eight minutes. The following rounds will maintain the same timing as in previous years.
Currently, the first-round selection order has the Las Vegas Raiders at the top of the list after finishing the season with three wins and 14 losses. Their No. 1 selection follows a rough season in which the team recorded only 25 touchdowns.
The New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals follow closely behind with similar statistics. The Jets totaled 30 touchdowns during the season, while the Cardinals recorded 40 touchdowns.
The player ranked No. 1 overall is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 225 pounds. He is currently a junior playing for the NCAAF champions, the Indiana Hoosiers, and finished the 2025 season with 3,535 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns.
Despite being ranked at the top of the list, Mendoza understands he still has much to learn. When asked about the opportunity to be mentored by Tom Brady, Mendoza said he admires the former quarterback and believes having a mentor like Brady “would be pretty impressive and meaningful.”
Arvell Reese is a linebacker ranked No. 2 overall. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 243 pounds. Reese, a junior at Ohio State, recorded 69 total tackles and 6.5 sacks during the 2025 season.
Reese is known for his hidden potential and superior athleticism. When on the field, Reese describes his mindset as “playing violent and playing fast,” which reflects his explosive style and agility.
Running back Jeremiyah Love is ranked No. 3 overall. Love, a junior at Notre Dame, stands 6-foot and weighs 214 pounds. During the 2025 season, he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns.
During interviews, Love has repeatedly expressed interest in playing with Patrick Mahomes, saying Mahomes is “the best quarterback as of right now” and adding that “it’d be an honor to play with him.”
In brief, this year’s draft is expected to be an exciting event featuring many high-level athletes, ranging from quarterbacks and running backs to wide receivers and offensive linemen. These players hope to achieve their dreams of becoming stars while professional teams look to welcome new talent to their rosters.
