Baltimore Ravens
1 (14). Penn State OG Vega Ioane
2 (45). Missouri EDGE Zion Young
3 (80). USC WR Ja’Kobi Lane
4 (115). Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
4 (133). SMU TE Matthew Hibner
5 (162). Duke CB Chandler Rivers
5 (173). Alabama TE Josh Cuevas
5 (174). Clemson RB Adam Randall
6 (211). Michigan State P Ryan Eckley
7 (250). Michigan DT Rayshaun Benny
7 (253). Northwestern OG Evan Beerntsen
Overview: Passing up higher-profile Rueben Bain Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq, the Ravens stuck to a meat-and-potatoes approach by selecting Ioane, this year’s consensus top guard. Young is a high-motor, low-ceiling power rusher at 6-foot-6, 265. Lane was an underwhelming college producer despite high-end athleticism at 6-foot-5, 204. Sarratt is a ball winner with next to no separation skills. With 4.57 speed at 6-foot-4, 251, Hibner is a big-time athlete and potential sleeper behind downward-trending Mark Andrews. Converted WR Randall is a fascinating talent at nearly 6-foot-4, 232, with 4.5-flat speed. As they typically do, the Ravens homed in on Power-4 players and checked needy boxes. Another quality draft for GM Eric DeCosta.
Grade: B
Buffalo Bills
2 (35). Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker
2 (62). Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun
4 (102). Boston College OT Jude Bowry
4 (125). Connecticut WR Skyler Bell
4 (126). TCU LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr
5 (167). South Carolina S Jalon Kilgore
5 (181). Penn State DT Zane Durant
7 (220). Missouri CB Toriano Pride
7 (239). Florida P Tommy Doman
7 (241). Texas A&M OG Ar’maj Reed-Adams
Overview: WR D.J. Moore is a part of this class after Buffalo sent its second-rounder to Chicago to acquire him, although Moore is 29 years old and very likely on the downside of his career. GM Brandon Beane kicked off Thursday by trading down twice in deals with Houston and Tennessee that upgraded Buffalo’s Day 2 and Day 3 pick slots. Parker put together an extremely productive body of pass-rush work in three years at Clemson. Igbinosun is a long, lanky boundary corner who figures to struggle for immediate snaps behind Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston. Bowry physically and athletically checks virtually every NFL left tackle box but got whipped in the Senior Bowl game, tarnishing his stock. Explosive and productive, Bell is a more-than-worthwhile fourth-round pick. I’m still no fan of Beane, but I’m viewing this draft haul from a glass-half-full lens.
Grade: C+
Cincinnati Bengals
2 (41). Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell
3 (72). Washington CB Tacario Davis
4 (128). Auburn C Connor Lew
4 (140). Georgia WR Colbie Young
6 (189). Duke C Brian Parker
7 (221). Texas TE Jack Endries
7 (226). Navy DT Landon Robinson
Overview: Cincinnati’s biggest move relating to the 2026 draft was trading its No. 10 overall pick for Dexter Lawrence. Yet Lawrence is coming off his career-worst year, turns 29 in November, and carries salary cap numbers totaling $70 million over the next three seasons. 2025’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Howell fell to Round 2 due to short arms and moderate first-step burst. 6-foot-4, 192, with 4.41 wheels, Davis is freakishly built and was polarizing in the scouting community. Lew tore his ACL last October. At 6-foot-5, 218, Young ran 4.49 at the Combine but is checkered with off-field and medical concerns. The Bengals severely overpaid for Lawrence and all but blew their 2026 draft.
Grade: D+
Cleveland Browns
1 (9). Utah OT Spencer Fano
1 (24). Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion
2 (39). Washington WR Denzel Boston
2 (58). Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
3 (86). Florida OT Austin Barber
5 (146). Alabama C Parker Brailsford
5 (149). Alabama LB Justin Jefferson
5 (170). Cincinnati TE Joe Royer
6 (182). Arkansas QB Taylen Green
7 (248). BYU TE Carsen Ryan
Overview: GM Andrew Berry began this draft by adding third- (No. 74) and fifth- (148) round picks in a deal with the Chiefs that only dropped Cleveland from No. 6 to 9, where Berry still landed known top target Fano. The easiest separator in this wideout class, Concepcion could become the Browns’ No. 1 receiver right away. Boston and McNeil-Warren feel like major value picks since both appeared in most first-round pre-draft mocks. In a Day 2 trade with the Giants, the Browns turned pick No. 74 into fourth- and fifth-round picks this year plus a fourth-rounder in 2027. Barber was seen as a top-50 prospect before a rough Senior Bowl. Tytus Howard, projected as the Browns’ starting right tackle, is part of this haul after Cleveland acquired him from Houston for a fifth-round pick (No. 141). I love Berry spending the sixth-round flier on dynamic dual-threat QB Green. Considering what’s ahead of him on the depth chart, I’m not ruling out Green making 2026 starts. I could also envision Green pulling a Terrelle Pryor and moving to wideout down the road.
Grade: B+
Denver Broncos
3 (66). Texas A&M DT Tyler Onyedim
4 (108). Washington RB Jonah Coleman
4 (111). Boise State OT Kage Casey
5 (152). North Carolina State TE Justin Joly
7 (246). Illinois S Miles Scott
7 (256). Utah TE Dallen Bentley
7 (257). Buffalo LB Red Murdock
Overview: Denver didn’t have its first-round selection after trading the 30th overall pick for Jaylen Waddle before the draft. Onyedim profiles as a rotational down lineman. A bowling ball at 5-foot-8, 222, Coleman is a versatile grinder short on long speed. A three-year starter at left tackle for Boise State, Casey may kick inside to guard due to short arms (32 3/4 inches). Joly is a willing blocking tight end and caught 166 passes in his college career. Factor in Waddle, and it helps the look of this class. Otherwise, there isn’t much to get overly excited about.
Grade: C-
Houston Texans
1 (26). Georgia Tech G/C Keylan Rutledge
2 (36). Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald
2 (59). Michigan TE Marlin Klein
4 (106). Oklahoma OG Febechi Nwaiwu
4 (123). Clemson LB Wade Woodaz
5 (141). USC S Kamari Ramsey
6 (204). Boston College WR Lewis Bond
7 (243). Indiana LB Aiden Fisher
Overview: The most physical team in the league got even tougher with its first two picks; a blue-collar lunchpail type, Rutledge will start at center right away. McDonald, who easily could’ve gone on Day 1, will be a 327-pound fire hydrant between Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. German-born Klein showed limited playmaking ability as Michigan’s main tight end after Colston Loveland’s departure in 2025. Part of an offensive line in transition, Nwaiwu should put heat on RG Ed Ingram right away. I love the Texans’ commitment to remaining an imposing week-in, week-out opponent. They reinforced that with this class.
Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
2 (53). Georgia LB C.J. Allen
3 (78). LSU S A.J. Haulcy
4 (113). Kentucky OG Jalen Farmer
4 (135). Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher
5 (156). Florida EDGE George Gumbs
6 (214). Ohio State EDGE Caden Curry
7 (237). Kentucky RB Seth McGowan
7 (254). Oklahoma WR Deion Burks
Overview: The Colts lacked a first-rounder after trading it to the Jets in last October’s deal for CB Sauce Gardner. GM Chris Ballard picked up a fourth-round selection (No. 135) by dropping six second-round slots in a Friday night trade with Pittsburgh. Allen is a gritty if undersized high-motor inside ‘backer who stacked production in the SEC. Haulcy is an on-ball playmaker, amassing 10 interceptions in stints with three schools. Long, strong, and athletic, Farmer offers starter-caliber traits. Boettcher projects as a special teams demon. I’m not sure this is a needle-moving class, but I’m confident the Colts got a little bit better. I’m not giving them any bonus points for the Gardner deal because the cost was so great.
Grade: B-
Jacksonville Jaguars
2 (56). Texas A&M TE Nate Boerkircher
3 (81). Texas A&M DT Albert Regis
3 (88). Oregon OG Emmanuel Pregnon
3 (100). Maryland DB Jalen Huskey
4 (119). Duke EDGE Wesley Williams
5 (164). Houston TE Tanner Koziol
6 (191). Baylor WR Josh Cameron
6 (203). Stanford WR C.J. Williams
7 (233). Washington EDGE Zach Durfee
7 (240). Middle Tennessee LB Parker Hughes
Overview: The Jags didn’t draft in the first round after last year’s trade up for Travis Hunter. WR Jakobi Meyers is part of this haul after Jacksonville acquired him from the Raiders last October for fourth- (No. 117) and sixth-round (182) picks. Boerkircher going in the second round is a testament to the weak talent in this class; Boerkircher is a blocking tight end who gained 417 yards in five college seasons. He’ll turn 25 before Week 1. Smallish and not a pass rusher, Regis’ ceiling is a rotational defensive tackle. My favorite Jaguars pick was Pregnon, a 315-pound power blocker who made 51 college starts. Huskey picked off 11 passes over his final three seasons. Williams ran an abominable 4.9 forty before the draft. Koziol is a good athlete and caught 237 passes in college. Jacksonville’s roster got better with this haul, but outside of perhaps Pregnon, there were no high-impact prospects added.
Grade: C-
Kansas City Chiefs
1 (6). LSU CB Mansoor Delane
1 (29). Clemson DT Peter Woods
2 (40). Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas
4 (109). Oregon CB Jadon Canady
5 (161). Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson
5 (176). Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen
7 (249). LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
Overview: The Chiefs made a surprising Day 1 trade up for Delane, sending Cleveland third- (No. 74) and fifth-round (148) picks to climb from No. 9 to 6. Delane is a clean prospect but hardly profiles as a No. 1 corner. He was a reach at No. 6 overall. Woods, drafted with the pick the Chiefs got for Trent McDuffie, was a college underachiever. Thomas is an undersized designated pass rusher. Canady is an undersized slot corner prospect. Johnson is small and slow, but he could carve a career as a pass-game specialist.
Grade: D+
Las Vegas Raiders
1 (1). Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
2 (38). Arizona S Treydan Stukes
3 (67). Auburn EDGE Keyron Crawford
3 (91). Texas A&M G/C Trey Zuhn
4 (101). Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
4 (122). Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr.
5 (150). Arizona S Dalton Johnson
5 (175). California CB Hezekiah Masses
6 (195). Oregon WR Malik Benson
7 (229). NC State DT Brandon Cleveland
Overview: The most obvious pick in a tough-to-predict draft, Mendoza is my bet for 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year (+400 on DraftKings, as of Friday). Stukes is a plus-in-man-to-man cover safety and a playmaker in the slot. Crawford is a late bloomer with room for potential growth. Zuhn is kicking inside after starting 48 games at left tackle at Texas A&M. Teams were obviously and understandably terrified of McCoy’s surgically repaired knee, but he was a top-10 pick on 2024 tape and easily worthy of a fourth-round gamble. Washington’s game tape is a mess — think old Chiefs RB Knile Davis — but 223-pound running backs with 4.33 speed don’t grow on trees. The Raiders didn’t fill all of their seemingly countless needs — it looks like they’re essentially punting wide receiver — but GM John Spytek upgraded their roster talent considerably here, and I am fully sold on Mendoza as the face of a franchise.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Chargers
1 (22). Miami (FL) EDGE Akheem Mesidor
2 (63). Florida C Jake Slaughter
4 (105). Mississippi State WR Brenen Thompson
4 (117). Memphis OT Travis Burke
4 (131). Arizona S Genesis Smith
5 (145). South Carolina DT Nick Barrett
6 (202). Boston College OG Logan Taylor
6 (206). Oregon OG Alex Harkey
Overview: Mesidor is already 25, but he was one of the two most productive pass rushers in this draft. The Bolts picked up fourth- (No. 131) and sixth-round (No. 202) picks from the Patriots to drop eight slots in Round 2, then flipped the 86th pick to Cleveland for Nos. 105, 145, and 206. Due to its inherent unpredictability, I almost always side with teams giving themselves more bites at the NFL Draft apple. A heady, consistent, and highly experienced college center with plus size at 6-foot-5, 304, Slaughter will likely end up starting at left guard as a rookie. Thompson is a Tutu Atwell clone, but there isn’t an offensive coach in the league I’d rather see him with than Chargers OC Mike McDaniel. The Bolts are getting back Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but it’s no secret that their interior offensive line was a major problem. I love that they went all out to try to fix it by devoting three picks there specifically.
Grade: B
Miami Dolphins
1 (12). Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor
1 (27). San Diego State CB Chris Johnson
2 (43). Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
3 (75). Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas
3 (87). Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek
3 (94). Louisville WR Chris Bell
4 (130). Texas EDGE Trey Moore
4 (138). Pittsburgh LB Kyle Louis
5 (158). Texas S Michael Taaffe
5 (177). Missouri WR Kevin Coleman
5 (180). Mississippi State TE Seydou Traore
6 (200). Texas OG D.J. Campbell
7 (238). Iowa DL Max Llewellyn
Overview: Dallas sent Miami two fifth-round picks (Nos. 177 and 180) to climb just one first-round slot. There, the Dolphins paired Proctor (6-foot-7, 352) with Patrick Paul (6-foot-8, 331) to form the NFL’s most gargantuan tackle duo in front of running QB Malik Willis. They’re going to try to lead the league in rushing attempts. Johnson and Rodriguez will both be Day 1 starters. Bell has first-round-caliber talent but tore his ACL in late November and may not play a snap in 2026. Still, he was well worth a stash for a rebuilding team. I didn’t love every player the Dolphins drafted — neither of their initial third-round picks stand out to me — but I buy their approach. They desperately needed to restock their roster base and, rather than consolidate, wound up making more picks than any team in the league.
Grade: B-
New England Patriots
1 (28). Utah OT Caleb Lomu
2 (55). Illinois EDGE Gabe Jacas
3 (95). Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon
5 (171). Wake Forest CB Karon Prunty
6 (196). Texas A&M OT Dametrious Crownover
6 (212). TCU LB Namdi Obiazor
7 (234). Texas Tech QB Behren Morton
7 (245). Alabama RB Jam Miller
7 (247). Boston College EDGE Quintayvious Hutchins
Overview: A pure left tackle, Lomu’s selection suggests the Pats are already considering kicking 2025 No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell to guard. The Patriots sent fourth- (No. 131) and sixth-round (No. 202) picks to the Chargers to climb eight second-round slots for Jacas, a relentless power rusher who tallied 27 college sacks. Raridon’s Notre Dame career was plagued by injuries, but he’s an elite measurables tester, averaged 15.1 yards per catch in 2025, and can block. The rest of this top-heavy draft consisted of long-shot third-day dart throws, but I like what they did on the front end to upgrade a Super Bowl contender.
Grade: B
New York Jets
1 (2). Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey
1 (16). Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
1 (30). Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
2 (50). Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds
4 (103). Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr.
4 (110). Clemson QB Cade Klubnik
6 (188). Miami (FL) OG Anez Cooper
7 (228). Kansas State S V.J. Payne
Overview: The Jets entered this draft brimming with picks stemming from GM Darren Mougey’s 2025 trades of CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams, the latter of which additionally netted the Cowboys’ first-round selection in 2027. Mougey emerged from Day 1 with three playmakers; Bailey led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss in 2025, Sadiq ran in the 4.3s at 6-foot-3, 243, and national champion Cooper scored 22 TDs over the last two seasons. I’ve seen criticism for the Jets “drafting two slot receivers” in the first round, but that is where the passing game is won in today’s NFL. Undersized overachiever Ponds is a player worth betting on considering his mentality, explosive athleticism, and production. He’s a spitting image of Jets HC Aaron Glenn during his own playing career. Jackson is a size- and length-based project who could reach his ceiling with better coaching. I think this haul netted the Jets four legit starters with a chance at useful contributions from a fifth.
Grade: A-
Pittsburgh Steelers
1 (21). Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor
2 (47). Alabama WR Germie Bernard
3 (76). Penn State QB Drew Allar
3 (85). Georgia CB Daylen Everette
3 (96). Iowa G/T Gennings Dunker
4 (121). Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen
5 (169). Indiana TE Riley Nowakowski
6 (210). Notre Dame DT Gabriel Rubio
7 (224). Oklahoma S Robert Spears-Jennings
7 (230). Navy RB Eli Heidenreich
Overview: The Steelers got sniped by the Eagles for Makai Lemon on Day 1 but rebounded respectably, landing high-ceiling OT Iheanachor at a glaring position of need and Bernard to man the slot between DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. I’m not a believer in Allar — who became the pick acquired for George Pickens (yikes) — but Everette has starting perimeter corner traits, and Dunker could compete to start at left guard right away. Wetjen was the best return man in the nation over the past two seasons, scoring six combined TDs on punts and kickoffs. Nowakowski will get a real chance at playing time following the departure of Jonnu Smith. Darnell Washington is a free agent after this year. Heidenrich is a ready-made Kenneth Gainwell replacement. The Steelers are going to get criticized for being victims of The Howie Roseman Leap, but this was a very fine class.
Grade: B
Tennessee Titans
1 (4). Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
1 (31). Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
2 (60). Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.
5 (142). Arkansas OG Fernando Carmona
5 (165). Penn State RB Nick Singleton
6 (184). Baylor DT Jackie Marshall
6 (194). Indiana C Pat Coogan
7 (225). Oklahoma TE Jaren Kanak
Overview: GM Mike Borgonzi ruined mock drafts by surprisingly but understandably selecting vertical-route winner Tate in an effort to increase Cam Ward’s chances of success. Borgonzi then moved back into the first round for traitsy Faulk, a high-ceiling developmental prospect with inside-out versatility. Hill piled up 249 tackles — including 31.5 for a loss — plus 17 sacks and eight forced fumbles in three years at Texas. Singleton lacks wiggle in the running game but projects as a dangerous kick returner. A heady center and recognized leader, Coogan played in two national championship games in college. I’d be pleased with this class if I were a Titans fan. They improved on both sides of the ball.
Grade: B-
