The 2026 NFL Draft got underway on Thursday, with several franchises acquiring possible future stars to help their respective teams achieve glory.
As should come as no surprise, the first round was loaded with offensive playmakers who could make an impact in their debut seasons. In fact, three of the top five picks came from the offensive side, beginning with Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall.
Who might challenge Mendoza as a year-one star? With the first round in the books, let's dive into some of the early 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorites.
Make your picks for the 2026 NFL season and the rest of the draft on PrizePicks now.
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2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award Favorites
Here’s a look at which 2026 NFL Draft picks could be well-positioned to win the 2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, as well as a few of the most intriguing players that were selected during the first round.
The list also contains PrizePicks Team Picks payouts for each player to come home with the award. "Yes" payouts are for predictions for a particular outcome to occur, whereas "No" payouts are for the opposite.
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
- Arizona Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love: Yes 2.22x | No 1.04x
- Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza: Yes 2.22x | No 1.21x
- Los Angeles Rams QB Ty Simpson: Yes 3.22x | No N/A
- Seattle Seahawks RB Jadarian Price: Yes 3.33x | No 1.03x
- New York Jets TE Kenyon Sadiq: Yes 3.57x | No N/A
- New Orleans Saints WR Jordyn Tyson: Yes 3.57x | No N/A
- Philadelphia Eagles WR Makai Lemon: Yes 3.7x | No N/A
- Cleveland Browns WR KC Concepcion: Yes 4.16x | No N/A
- Tennessee Titans WR Carnell Tate: Yes 4.16x | No N/A
- New York Jets WR Omar Cooper Jr.: Yes 9.09x | No 1.01x
Jeremiyah Love (RB, Arizona Cardinals)
The Cardinals could’ve chosen to address their defensive deficiencies or improve their offensive line with the No. 3 pick on Thursday. Instead, the team selected arguably the most electric playmaker in the 2026 NFL Draft in Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.
The former Fighting Irish star has racked up 2,497 rushing yards and 35 TDs across his last two seasons. On top of that, Love hauled in 55 passes for 517 yards and 5 TDs during that span.
Love is the definition of a dual-threat RB due to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Few players are more explosive in the open field than him. Love registered 40+ yard runs in six games throughout last season.
Love joins a very crowded Arizona backfield that also includes James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson. However, if an NFL franchise is selecting a RB in the top five, it seems evident that he’ll be utilized as a bell cow back.
The 2025 Doak Walker Award winner may have ample opportunities to make an impact out of the gate and could provide some excitement for an offense that was second-to-last in rushing yards per game (93.1) in 2025.
Jadarian Price (RB, Seattle Seahawks)
It was quite a night for the Notre Dame football program, as two of its RBs were selected in the first round. After losing Kenneth Walker III in free agency, the Seahawks picked Jadarian Price with the final selection of round one.
The Seahawks were certainly in the market for a RB after Walker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. That's especially true with Zach Charbonnet coming off a torn ACL. With a weakness at the position, Seattle felt poised to scoop up Price and fill a need while it had the chance.
Behind Love, Price compiled 1,692 rushing yards and 21 TDs on just 280 carries (6.0 yards per carry) in three seasons in South Bend, also providing some value in the kickoff return game.
Price offers the perfect combination of speed and strength. The talented RB can get to the corner and outrun the opposition with ease while possessing the ability to run through defenders if he needs to. The speedy RB also has tremendous vision that allowed him to get to the second level quite frequently.
Price could get a considerable amount of touches as a rookie as Charbonnet recovers, particularly right out of the gate.
Carnell Tate (WR, Tennessee Titans)
The Titans could’ve shored up their front seven by selecting Ohio State star defenders Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles with the No. 4 pick. Instead, Tennessee elected to pick another talented Buckeye in the form of WR Carnell Tate.
It’s possible that the Titans might’ve scooped up Love if available, but Tate isn’t a bad consolation prize. He's coming off his most productive collegiate season in which he tallied 51 receptions for 875 yards (17.2 yards per catch) and a career-high 9 TDs.
Tate oozes potential at the NFL level. The 6-foot-2 wideout possesses an impressive catch radius and was used as a deep threat quite often during his time with the Buckeyes. He's also a quick, tremendous route runner. His speed could come in handy playing with 2025 top NFL Draft pick QB Cam Ward.
The Titans’ receiving corps is fairly mediocre presently, with WR Calvin Ridley having yet to deliver on a massive contract. The team did sign Wan’Dale Robinson in the offseason.
With that in mind, Tate offers a different dimension to the offense that could really help out Ward in year No. 2.
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Make 2026 NFL Draft Predictions on PrizePicks
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and there are still six rounds remaining. What big-name prospects will go off the board to begin the second round on Friday evening?
Don’t wait until the clock runs out — make your 2026 NFL Draft picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
On PrizePicks Team Picks, the possibilities are plentiful. You can make predictions on specific 2026 NFL Draft picks, team selections, position groups, and more. Additionally, the NFL tab is already open with Super Bowl LXI winner picks available.
Keep it right here with the Playbook for continued NFL predictions, picks, news, and analysis all year long.
