ESPN staff Apr 22, 2026, 06:30 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are nearly on the clock at No. 1 to kick off the 2026 NFL draft . It will be the first of 257 total selections across seven rounds starting Thursday and wrapping up Saturday.

To prepare you for the draft, here is our cheat sheet for everything you need to know -- top prospects, rankings, mock drafts, key nuggets, bold predictions, buzz and more. How does quarterback Fernando Mendoza stack up among recent top picks? What are the best team fits in Round 1? Which sleeper prospects could rise up the board?…