NFL Draft Grades

I am no football expert and I haven’t grinded on any tape (more of a hangout by the bar guy unless I’ve had a few), but I do know value and team needs. Here is a breakdown of every 1st Round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft and assigning grades.

NFL Draft 2026 Live: Day 1

Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
- Grade: A
- Analysis: Nothing else can be said and nothing else could have been done. The Raiders lucked out getting the #1 pick and took the only guy they could have.
New York Jets: David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
- Grade: C+
- Analysis: If the question is between David Bailey and Arvell Reese, then trade down and get some value while making someone make the decision for you. I’m always skeptical of late risers too.
Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
- Grade: F+
- Analysis: Is Love good? No question. The Cardinals have damn near nothing on their roster though and just pulled a Giants with Saquon Barkley. The real kicker here is that as the #3 pick, Love will sign a 4/$50m contract. That means he is immediately the highest paid running back in the NFL in terms of guarantee and total value while ranking 7th in APY. Dumb pick by a dumb team, but no offense to Love personally.
Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
- Grade: B
- Analysis: This is another team that has almost nothing and needs to build. Making last year’s #1 pick Cam Ward’s life easier was the top priority and Tate does exactly that. Was there better talent and value out there? Yes, but they essentially improved two positions at one time with this pick.
New York Giants: Arvell Reese (LB/EDGE, Ohio State)
- Grade: C+ (Conditional A)
- Analysis: Reese may have been the best player in this draft, so getting him at 5 would normally be solid work. The only problem is that if there was one position other than QB the Giants had no business picking, it was this one. I’ve heard the talk about having a dominant pass rush, but having 3 blue chippers at the same position is overkill. While Kayvon Thibodeaux is 100% getting traded now, this grade could become an A if they end up trading Brian Burns too. If they don’t, I just don’t get it.
Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
- Grade: B-
- Analysis: The Chiefs have a history of developing CBs drafted lower than this yet moved up to get Delane anyway after trading Trent McDuffie. Did they really not like Reuben Bain and any of the OT prospects at all? They gave up a 3rd round pick to get here and it just doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.
Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
- Grade: A-
- Analysis: Nabbing the best LB in the draft (by far) is certainly not a negative and Washington needed this kind of talent, youth, and athleticism injection desperately. However, much like the Cardinals above, this is a 4/$35m contract for a middle LB. That’s only slightly less than what Nakobe Dean just signed for with the Raiders overall, but more guaranteed. Great talent, poor spot to get him (not in the same ballpark as Love bad though)
New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
- Grade: B (Conditional A)
- Analysis: Are they going to trade Chris Olave? Getting a 2nd year QB a 2nd receiver is fine, but with nearly all the OTs and Reuben Bain still around, waiting on a 2nd round pick would have been a better value, unless Olave is out the door.
Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs): Spencer Fano (T, Utah)
- Grade: A
- Analysis: Moving down and still having their selection of offensive tackles is textbook A drafting, even if it is coming from the Cleveland Browns
New York Giants (from Bengals): Francis Mauigoa (G, Miami)
- Grade: C+
- Analysis: Trading a high level DT in the second half of his career for a top 10 pick was a good move. Using that pick on a positional downgrade was not. Mauigoa is a very good player who has been nothing by solid throughout his career so far. He is going to play guard though. I don’t get it, especially when a slam dunk in Downs was still there.
Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins): Caleb Downs, (S, Ohio State)
- Grade: A
- Analysis: A few years ago, this would have been a similar analysis to the Styles pick by Washington, but the safety market jumped the lasty two off seasons and the Cowboys are getting a very high-level talent for only 4/$28m. That’s good all the way around.
Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys): Kadyn Proctor (T, Alabama)
- Grade: F
- Analysis: This is an insider grade because I live in Miami. There is not a worse match between player and city possible. The knock on Proctor is that he does not put the work in when he needs to. Veterans come to Miami to retire, not show the youth how to be a pro. This kid needed NO distractions but he just got all of them. He is toast. Why not Reuben Bain?
Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
- Grade: D
- Analysis: This pick reeks of “Two Timelines” Golden State Warriors thinking. The Rams are a title contender now and will have Matt Stafford for at least another year or two. They could have taken any number of talents to supplement the current core, but instead they got a game-managing development QB at #13. They should have been in the market for a Day 2 QB (last year too) heir apparent, instead they took their gift from Atlanta and torched it.
Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
- Grade: A+
- Analysis: If Sonny Weaver was the GM of the Ravens he would have had a note in his pocket the said “Vega Ioane no matter what.” This was a destiny pick that perfectly melds need with opportunity with talent. If there was any guard you take this high, it is the pro-ready Ioane. This pick was a done deal the minute the order was finalized.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)
- Grade: A+
- Analysis: Rueben Bain is 21 years old and has looked like an elite pass rusher since the minute he stepped on to the field for the Hurricanes 3 years ago (why didn’t the Dolphins bring him home???). Combine that with the defensive history in Tampa and how enraged he looked at falling to 15 and the Bucs just got a steal, I don’t care how small his arms are.
New York Jets (from Colts): Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
- Grade: C
- Analysis: Sadiq is a physical freak, but what are the Jets doing??? This pick was ripe for a trade down or a trade up, but staying to pick a TE when your team has nothing is just silly. The response I received from a Jets friend (more of an arch-enemy/best-friend really¹), was “WTF, grotesque.” Come on Jets, get in shape before putting on the makeup.
Detroit Lions: Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
- Grade: B+
- Analysis: Miller was polarizing going into the draft process because he is beleived to be mostly a finished product. That’s what the Lions need instead of a project like Monroe Freeling. That being said, they likely could have traded down and still landed him.
Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
- Grade: B
- Analysis: Investing in a defensive tackle is a good use of resources, it’s just not flashy at all and probably could have traded down to get him.
Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
- Grade: B+
- Analysis: You have to wonder if they had Miller in mind with this pick but the Lions beat them to it. Both teams are in a similar spot in that a project tackle was probably not what they wanted. Getting Freeling is a good positional value, but they are trying to win now. Still, he’s an athletic freak, and I love me some freaks.
Philadelphia Eagles (from Packers via Cowboys): Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
- Grade: A+
- Analysis: Maybe that + is a homer grade, but getting maybe the best receiver in the draft at 20 AND stealing Pittsburgh’s lunch in the process is a great move. Plus, he’s only 21 years old. Staying at 23 and selecting a project tackle always seemed both the most likely and least likely possibility. That would have been safe on paper, but Howie don’t play. Best part of all, this unofficially turns the page on AJ Brown.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
- Grade: D
- Analysis: They panicked. They thought they were getting Lemon and were even on the phone with him when the Eagles swooped in. For a team with Aaron Rodgers (maybe?), TJ Watt, and more vets trying to stay relevant, they took the biggest project in the draft??? Excuse me? Also, easily the worst local draft experience so far. Styx? They went nuts for Styx? That was their showstopper? Yikes.
Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)
- Grade: B-
- Analysis: I don’t like Mesidor because he is 25, but if he can equal is level of production from college in the pros then he’s a steal. I’m already dubious of 4th year seniors and he was a 6th!
Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, Central Florida)
- Grade: B+
- Analysis: This guy is a serious athlete. Getting Downs and then Lawrence is a step in the right direction for the defensively challenged Cowboys. Trading down was nice too, but letting the Eagles get Lemon may haunt them though they did fine last time.
Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
- Grade: B
- Analysis: At this point, the draft was getting a little thin so getting a shifty WR with a chip on his shoulder to help out whoever ends up being their QB wasn’t a bad move, especially after grabbing Fano earlier.
Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
- Grade: C+
- Analysis: Am I biased against players from the pacific northwest because of Andre Dillard and Sidney Jones? Probably! Granted, he started with Purdue and I shouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to be in Eugene, I was just never sold on this guy. Not scientific, I know.
Houston Texans (from Bills): Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
- Grade: B+
- Analysis: Texans drafting an offensive lineman = good thing. Great size and athleticism too.
Miami Dolphins (from 49ers): Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
- Grade: B
- Analysis: They need everything, but getting a receiver for Malik Willis (Omar Cooper?) would have made more sense.
New England Patriots (from Texans via Bills): Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
- Grade: B…wait…
- Analysis: Lomu is seen as more of a project at tackle than you would expect for a team like the Patriots who are looking to contend now but Lomu has very desirable traits. As I was typing this, it dawned on me that this pick makes a hell of a lot more sense going to the Eagles for AJ Brown than it does staying with the Patriots. Just a thought.
Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
- Grade: A-
- Analysis: Chris Jones will not be around forever and going heavy on DTs is something the Eagles realized was effective years ago. The Chiefs should have set up the spot next to Jones as an assembly line before. Better late than never though. Not really in on Clemson guys though.
New York Jets (from Broncos via Dolphins and 49ers): Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)
- Grade: C+
- Analysis: Nothing against Cooper who should make a fine #2 level WR in the NFL, but why not use the 33rd pick they used to get here on something else? Either to package with 16 to have moved up or to move down to collect other assets. Moving into the back end of the 1st round is one of the worst value trades to make unless it’s for a QB.
Tennessee Titans (from Patriots via Bills): Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
- Grade: B+
- Analysis: I wanted Faulk at 23 for the Eagles but didn’t think he would be there because he is only 20 years old and a physical freak. Dropping to the end of the 1st round was a coup for the Titans. However, I can’t take away points from the Jets for trading back into the 1st round and not do the same for the Titans.
Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
- Grade: C
- Analysis: Yes, they needed a RB, but taking one in the 1st round after winning the Super Bowl is exactly what the Chiefs did back in 2020. It was dumb then and it is dumb now. There are NO LUXURY PICKS!!!

Photo: NFL

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