NFL Draft Winners and Losers

The NFL Draft is in the books. Below, we discuss which veteran players gained value as a result of the draft, and which players saw their value sink.

WINNERS

1. Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. – So far this offseason, the Jaguars have let Travis Etienne walk and opted not to select a running back in the draft, leaving Tuten and the newly signed Rodriguez atop the depth chart in Jacksonville. LeQuint Allen Jr. remains after playing the overwhelming majority of third downs for the Jags last year, and he likely remains in that role, given his proficiency as a pass protector, but he only had 23 carries and 11 targets last season. Tuten flashed with seven touchdowns on 97 opportunities as a rookie, while C-Rod played for Jags head coach Liam Coen at Kentucky. Rodriguez offers nothing as a pass catcher — he has seven career targets across three pro seasons — making Tuten the more appealing option, but this will likely be a true competition for carries, with performance dictating who emerges.

2. Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks – Carolina opted not to draft a running back, leaving Hubbard and Brooks as their RB duo for 2026, with Trevor Etienne providing depth after a quiet rookie season. Hubbard had a tumultuous year with Rico Dowdle getting hot midseason and briefly seizing the RB1 role, but the Panthers did turn back to Hubbard when the chips were down, giving Hubbard 13 carries to Dowdle’s five in their lone playoff game. Dowdle is in Pittsburgh now, elevating Hubbard into a clear RB1 role, but the return of Brooks after two torn ACLs creates a committee outlook. Brooks has been cleared to participate in offseason activities and says he feels “close to 100%” with more than four months until the season. He has just nine career carries, but the former second-round pick certainly has immense talent as a rusher.

3. Cam Skattebo – Skattebo dislocated his ankle and fractured his fibula in Week 8 of his rookie season, but he told Rich Eisen in March he’d be at 100% in “a little over a month,” meaning he should be back at full throttle by now. The Giants opted not to take a running back in the draft, leaving Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. atop the depth chart once again. In the final two games Skattebo and Tracy played together before Skattebo’s injury, the rookie out-carried Tracy 35-9 and out-targeted him 17-0. With Jaxson Dart healthy entering Year 2, Malik Nabers likely returning sometime around Week 1, and John Harbaugh as the new head coach, the New York offense could be competent in 2026, and Skattebo received no added touch competition in the draft.