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.

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.

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.

“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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A former New York City police officer, sentenced to three to nine years in prison for fatally throwing a cooler at a fleeing suspect, will be released from prison while he appeals his conviction.

Erik Duran was granted $300,000 bail by a state appeals court in a ruling on Friday, the New York Post reported.

“I am very pleased to announce that the SBA’s team of attorneys has secured bail for Erik Duran, and he will be released from prison and remain free throughout his appeal,” Sergeants Benevolent Association president Vincent Vallelong said in a statement.

“This is a major win for Erik and his family and for law enforcement officers around the country!” Vallelong added.

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Duran’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, told Fox Digital that it was no surprise that their client was released.

“We are very pleased but not surprised that the Appellate Division found that there are legitimate appellate issues in Sgt Duran’s case,” Aidala said. “It was obvious to the Court that he is not a flight risk nor a danger to the community and was entitled to be at home with his family during pendency of the appeal.”

Duran, 38, a married father of three, was convicted of manslaughter in February for the August 2023 death of Eric Duprey. Duprey was attempting to flee arrest on a moped during an undercover drug sting in the Bronx when Duran chucked an Igloo cooler at him, causing him to crash onto the pavement.

He died instantly.

Duran maintained he was trying to protect other officers from Duprey, who was operating the motorized bike on a sidewalk.

During sentencing, Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell said the punishment would serve as a “general deterrent” to other officers from acting recklessly.

He rejected Duran’s defense that his actions were justified, concluding that the former officer threw the cooler because he was upset that Duprey was fleeing.

“They had enough to investigate and catch him on a different day,” Mitchell said of the police. “The distinction is that the deceased will no longer be seen again by his family.”

Americans are being warned to rethink travel to a sunny Caribbean destination as crime and concerns about terrorism rise. 

The U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of State had updated its travel advisory regarding American tourists.

The advisory cautions that Americans should “reconsider travel to Trinidad and Tobago due to crime,” citing a “heightened risk of terrorism.”

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The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is authorized to search and enter private and public properties while the State of Emergency (SOE), which was declared March 2, remains in effect.

Bail is suspended during this time, meaning that anyone arrested for crimes in the country will be unable to leave local custody.

Authorities say the order is due to “a spike in violent criminal activity that could threaten public safety.”

The embassy said that “although violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago has dropped greatly since 2024 due to security efforts started during the previous state of emergencies, crime remains a challenge throughout the country” — adding that crime rates are lower in Tobago than in Trinidad.

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The advisory also states that U.S. government employees are prohibited from entering certain areas of the capital city, Port of Spain, including Laventille, Piccadilly Street and Besson Street.

Travelers are advised against entering Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite and the interior of Queen’s Park Savannah, as well as certain parts of Charlotte Street.

At night, Americans are also discouraged from going to any of the beaches in Port of Spain as well as its downtown district, Fort George and Queen’s Park Savannah.

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Trinidad and Tobago are distinct islands that were merged into a single colony in 1889, during British rule. They stayed unified when they declared independence in 1962.

The islands are known for their diving and snorkeling opportunities, as well as their beaches. Trinidad is especially known for its high-energy carnival celebrations.

Officials are also advising tourists to exercise increased caution in rural areas due to health risks and limited healthcare access.

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The advisory was discussed in a recent Reddit forum about Trinidad and Tobago, with some locals voicing alarm about the crime situation.

“My heart actually feels broken, and I feel a bit hopeless about crime in T&T,” one Reddit user wrote.

“I am seriously worried about my close family, as it [crime] can hit anyone now.”