The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and prospects from all over 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 believed you were worthy enough for their top slot, hoping you can be 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 hard for those rookies, as they’re trying to get acclimated to the speed and physicality the NFL has compared to college football.

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Greg Olsen, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end and FOX Sports NFL analyst, was once in that position being the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. And while he knows that each situation is different depending on the franchise the prospect lands with, the expectations are the same – fans want to see you perform.

So, how does one deal with that?

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“Handle your business, be a great teammate,” Olsen told Fox News Digital, while also discussing how he’s taking his analyst duties to the next level with NFL IQ. “Earn the trust of your teammates, earn the trust of your coaches first and foremost. 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, all of that takes care of itself.”

For Olsen, he recalled thinking perhaps the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers would take him in the first round after a successful career at Miami. But, when the Jets traded up to nab 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 radio row prior to Super Bowl LIX at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

In today’s NFL Draft world, Olsen understands the information these prospects have is much more vast. In turn, fans have the same knowledge given the world of social media, and how reports, mock drafts and expert analysis shapes 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 everyone is so worried about outside opinion, they’re so worried about articles being written and social media and what’s being posted, you could lose track of, ‘Well, while you’re worried about that, you’re not taking care of home base.’ I think it’s more challenging today than 20 years ago when I came into the league, but I think that’s something guys have to hunker down and understand it’s not easy, but you control you and typically things fall into place,” Olsen said.

Olsen added it will be a “very complex, stressful day” for all those involved next week, but first-round pick or not, it’s the fulfillment of a life-long dream. That’s all that matters.

“You hear your name get called and a life-long dream, something you’re excited to embark on, became real. I got drafted by one of the premier franchises in all of football, coming off a Super Bowl appearance a couple months earlier. It was a really great place to start my NFL career,” he said.

Greg Olsen, the Chicago Bears’ first-round draft pick, talks to reporters after a summer training camp practice on 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 of the game is providing keen analysis for FOX Sports broadcasts during the year.

To help him do that in the offseason while looking at the NFL Draft and free agency pickups by each franchise, Olsen has been using NFL IQ, the new interactive hub created by the league and AWS (Amazon Web Services), powered by Amazon Quick.

Ahead of the draft, NFL IQ transformed raw data from the NFL Combine, as well as team needs, free agency moves made and more, for this hub that provides 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 deepen football knowledge, especially at a crucial roster-building time like the draft is.

General shot 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 NFL history, 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 everyone are using for their own interest, whether it’s something casual or for people who really want to dive into the nitty gritty. I think it’s a really fun set of tools for the wide array of people who touch the NFL space. I know firsthand as a fan, and now a professional in the industry, it’s a huge part of my interaction of the game.”

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Peshawar Zalmi, champions in 2017, have formally qualified for the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Zalmi, who holds the top spot in the eight-team tournament’s standings with 13 points in seven matches, had their top-four finish guaranteed following Quetta Gladiators’ six-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars here at the National Bank Stadium earlier today.

The Gladiators’ victory meant that Zalmi’s tally of 13 points can no longer be toppled by the fourth-placed side by the end of the league stage.

Peshawar Zalmi started their PSL 11 campaign with a commanding five-wicket victory over debutants Rawalpindiz in the high-scoring affair, while their subsequent fixture against Islamabad United was washed out due to rain in Lahore.

The former champions then registered consecutive victories over Hyderabad Kingsmen, Karachi Kings, defending champions Qalandars, Multan Sultans and the Gladiators, respectively, to consolidate their top spot.

Zalmi’s next match is scheduled against the Gladiators at the aforementioned venue on Sunday, before they head back to Lahore, where they will be locking horns with the Kings and home side Qalandars on April 22 and 25, respectively.

It is pertinent to mention that despite Zalmi’s guaranteed top-four finish, all seven remaining sides remained in the race to make it to the playoffs, with three-time champions United and 2021 winners Sultans in strong contention.

United are second in the PSL 11 standings with nine points after seven matches, closely followed by Sultans, who have eight points, having played a game less.

Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 11

Babar Azam (c), Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris, Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, Tanzid Hasan, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Kashif Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Farhan Yousuf, Brian Bennett, Mohammad Basit and Shoriful Islam.

The New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks are set to play in the first round of the NBA playoffs and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked why it is so much more expensive to attend Knicks’ playoff games compared to the Hawks.

Mamdani jokingly cited Knicks’ foe Trae Young, who starred for the Hawks when they beat the Knicks in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, as the reason for the expensive tickets.

“I would say that I blame Trae Young, and I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young,” Mamdani said at a press conference.

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Mamdani put the blame on Young, who was traded to the Washington Wizards in January. Even though Young isn’t with the Hawks, he caught wind of Mamdani’s remarks and fired back at the mayor.

“Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City has my name in his mouth during a time like this. #DontBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain,” Young posted to X with a laughing crying emoji and a hand emoji.

Regardless of whether Mamdani knows Young is no longer a member of the Hawks, it is not the first time the mayor of New York City has shaded Young, as Bill de Blasio told Young to stop hunting for fouls during that 2021 playoff series.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers remarks at the Service Employees International Union 32BJ SEIU rally on Park Avenue in Manhattan on April 15, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu)

The Hawks defeated the Knicks 4-1 in that series. The Knicks lost that series as the No. 4 seed, while the Hawks were the No. 5 seed.

This time around, the Knicks are the No. 3 seed, and the Hawks are the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) meets with the media during his first return to play the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Feb. 24, 2026. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)

Mamdani said he is “still confident and hopeful” of the Knicks winning a championship this season, and wishes the playoff tickets were more affordably priced.

The Knicks play the first game of the series against the Hawks at Madison Square Garden at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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