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The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and prospects from around the world are hoping to hear their names called, especially on Thursday night in the first round.
Having the “first-round pick” tag next to your name in the NFL is a rite of passage—teams thought you were worthy enough of their top spot, hoping you can become an immediate impact player for the franchise.
But that pick also comes with high expectations — the player is expected to perform right away and do so with Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods along the way. It can be difficult for those rookies as they try to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NFL compared to college football.
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Broadcaster Greg Olsen watches before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on September 7, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Greg Olsen, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end and FOX Sports NFL analyst, was once in that position and was the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. And while he knows every situation is different depending on the franchise the prospect lands with, the expectations are the same – fans want to see you perform.
So how to deal with it?
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“Handle your business, be a good teammate,” Olsen told Pakinomist Digital while also discussing how he takes his analyst duties to the next level with NFL IQ. “Earn the trust of your teammates, first of all, earn the trust of your coaches. Because at the end of the day, if you play well and the guys in that locker room believe in you and you continue to get opportunities, the fan support will come. As the team wins and you play well, it all takes care of itself.”
For Olsen, he recalled thinking maybe the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers would take him in the first round after a successful career in Miami. But when the Jets traded up for first-ballot Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis and the Panthers later selected his Hurricanes teammate, linebacker Jon Beason, he didn’t know what was happening.
That’s the beauty of the NFL Draft though, as the Bears took him despite Olsen not really interacting with their staff during the pre-draft process.
Greg Olsen speaks on the radio row before Super Bowl LIX at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on February 6, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
In today’s NFL Draft world, Olsen understands that the information these prospects have is much more extensive. In turn, fans have given the same knowledge to the world of social media and how reports, mock drafts and expert analysis shape their understanding of how front offices think during this exciting time of the football season.
With that comes a challenge Olsen knows he didn’t have to deal with as a rookie, but these first-round picks next week will have to weather that storm.
“In today’s day and age where everybody is so concerned about outside opinions, they’re so concerned about articles being written and social media and what’s being posted, you can lose track of, ‘Well, while you’re worried about that, you’re not taking care of home base.’ that it’s not easy, but you control yourself and typically things fall into place, says Olsen.
Olsen added that it will be a “very complex, stressful day” for everyone involved next week, but first-round pick or not, it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. That’s all that matters.
“You hear your name called and a lifelong dream, something you’re excited to do, came true. I was drafted by one of the premier franchises in all of football coming off a Super Bowl appearance a few months earlier. It was a really good place to start my NFL career,” he said.
Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears first-round draft pick, talks to reporters after a summer training camp practice July 30, 2007 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
INSIDE THE FRONT OFFICE MIND
While Olsen enjoyed 14 years in the NFL, his next chapter in the game provides sharp analysis for FOX Sports broadcasts throughout the year.
To help him do that in the offseason while watching the NFL Draft and free picks from each franchise, Olsen has used NFL IQ, the new interactive hub created by the league and AWS (Amazon Web Services), powered by Amazon Quick.
Leading up to the draft, NFL IQ transformed raw data from the NFL Combine as well as team needs, free agency moves and more into this hub that gives fans access to key insights and puts them in the shoes of front office decision makers. Whether it’s the casual fan or a top analyst like Olsen, NFL IQ is an easy-to-use way to expand your football knowledge, especially at a crucial time of roster building like the draft.
General view of NFL IQ, the new interactive hub from the league and Amazon Web Services, powered by Amazon Quick. (NFL IQ)
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“This is the most educated fan base in the history of the NFL, and I think that’s a good thing,” Olsen said.
“Fans actually have a way to access the exact same data, the exact same information that the teams and everybody uses for their own interest, whether it’s something casual or for people who really want to dig into the nitty-gritty. I think it’s a really fun set of tools for the wide range of people that touch the NFL field. I know firsthand as a fan, and now it’s a professional part of the game.”
