How Many Picks Are in the NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL draft is one of the biggest events on the calendar this season, with all 32 teams congregating in Pittsburgh to select the future staples of each roster.

The draft order is created fairly simply. Each round has 32 picks, and there are seven rounds total over three days. The first round is on April 23, and is when the biggest names, like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, will be picked. The team with the fewest wins (and winners of various tiebreakers such as strength of schedule, record against their division) gets the first pick.

That is how the first 18 picks are chosen, and the remainder were determined from the playoffs, in order of when each team was eliminated. For example, the Carolina Panthers, as the worst team by record in the playoffs this year, secured pick No. 19 as a consequence of their wild card loss to the Rams.

Draft order doesn't mean everything, however, as many of the best NFL draft steals in history came in the final rounds.

How Many Picks in the 2026 NFL Draft?

This year, there are slated to be 257 picks in the seven-round draft that spans over three days. The base number in all years is 224, as all 32 teams are given one pick in each of the seven rounds.

Where the number varies year over year, though, is in compensatory picks. This year, there were 33 compensatory picks given out based on the net loss of free agents -- the teams that lose the most or best free agents end up receiving these picks. The Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers led the pack with four of these extra compensatory picks each.

A prominent example of a compensatory pick is the Minnesota Vikings receiving a third-round pick in this year's draft because of their loss of Super Bowl-winning-QB Sam Darnold to the Seahawks in free agency.

Beyond the 257 picks in this year's draft, players who are undrafted can sign undrafted free agent contracts with any team.

Who Has The First Pick in the 2026 Draft?

The Las Vegas Raiders, who finished 3-14 in the 2025 season, have the first overall selection.

What Is the 2026 NFL Draft Order?

The complete seven-round order can be found here, but here is the first round order, by far the most relevant of the seven rounds:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons)
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. New York Jets (from Colts)
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams)
30. Miami Dolphins (from Broncos)
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks