The 2026 NFL Draft was this Thursday, and I’ve been met with a lack of optimism from some of my closest friends. For them, preparation hasn’t been as diligent, with one saying, “I just haven’t followed it that closely this year.”

I, on the other hand, have looked at my favorite analysts to see what they envision the first round looking like. I’m probably more invested in this year, considering the Cowboys have two picks in the first round, then disappear until round three thanks to the Oso Odgizuwa trade with the 49ers in the offseason. Of course, I will chronicle some of the other teams and what I expect them to do, along with the Cowboys. But I think it’d be fun to see my optimism before the draft and after. What I mean by that is I’m writing on Wednesday (the day before the draft) and then coming back Friday (the day after) to see what I want to happen versus what actually happened.