Day: April 24, 2026

First Round Grades of the NFL Draft

I like to look into how a team addresses their major needs when it comes to the NFL Draft. My grade will reflect that unless the team makes a major reach for a player instead of trading down to get that player.

Arizona Cardinals (Top pick: 3): QB, OT, EDGE, LB

Pick: 3. RB Jeremiyah Love (6-0, 214), Notre Dame. Grade B-. Love is an amazing talent, but running backs picked this high for teams with offensive line issues often struggle early (see Raiders).

Atlanta Falcons (Top pick: 48): CB, WR, DL, OT

Has no first-round pick.

Baltimore Ravens (Top pick: 14): IOL, WR, TE, EDGE

Pick: 14. OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State (6-4, 323). Grade: A- Ravens don’t always draft for need, but they usually get the player they want. And they desperately needed a guard. Ioane is a very good one who allowed no sacks last season. They did pass up Edge Rueben Bain and TE Kenyon Sadiq.

Buffalo Bills (Top pick: 26): WR, EDGE, LB, DL

Pick: None. The Bills were busy dealing out of the first round

Carolina Panthers (Top pick: 19):  WR, TE, OT, CB

Pick: 19. LT Monroe Freeling, Georgia, 6-7, 315: B. Carolina needed a tackle, but he’s more of a developing one. They also signed Rasheed Walker, so they don’t need him right away. Feeling will need a year to continue improving.

Chicago Bears (Top pick: 25): EDGE, DB, DT, WR

Pick: 25. S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon (6-0, 210), Grade: B+. Began his career at Purdue. Wowed with his speed (4.35). Has great range for a safety and had eight picks. Not a major need, but at 25. It was worth taking a potential starter.

Cincinnati Bengals (Top pick: 10): EDGE, S, DB, LB

The Bengals dealt away their pick to the NY Giants for DT Dexter Lawrence.

Cleveland Browns (Top pick: 6): OL, WR, QB, EDGE

The Browns were busy trading away their 6^th for the 9^th pick with Kansas City and picking up the 24^th pick from Jacksonville.

Pick 9: OT Spencer Fano, Utah (6-6, 311).

Pick 24: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M (6-0, 196)

Overall Grade: A-. Fano could end up playing guard only because of his short arms, but he’s athletic enough to play both tackle spots. Concepcion was a nice value pick at 24 with great speed, but also has a 9.3% career drop rate.

Dallas Cowboys (Top pick: 12): CB, EDGE, S, LB

An exciting draft for Jerry and Stephen Jones. They traded with Miami to get the 11^th spot and with rival Philadelphia to move down to get the 23^rd.

Pick: 11: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State (6-0, 205).

Pick: 23: Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF (6-4, 253). Grades: B-. Downs is a special player with no major weaknesses. He’ll start from Day 1 and solidify the back end. Lawrence is a talented player, but has struggled against the run, so he has some work to do.

Denver Broncos (Top pick: 62): TE, LB, RB, DL

No first-round pick

Detroit Lions (Top Pick: 17): EDGE, OT, IOL, DB

Pick: 17. OT Blake Miller, Clemson (6-7, 317). Grade: C-. This was a bit of a reach for a need pick. The Lions will also have to move Penei Sewell to left tackle since Miller is more of a right tackle.

Green Bay Packers (Top pick: 52): CB, EDGE, DL, OT

No first-round pick.

Houston Texans (Top pick: 28): DL, IOL, OT, LB

Pick:  26 (from Buffalo). Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech (6-4, 316). Grade: B+. Houston did need guard help, and this is what the Texans needed. Rutledge plays hard and should help to protect QB C.J. Stroud.

Indianapolis Colts (Top pick: 47): LB, EDGE, WR, OT

No first-round pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars (Top pick: 56): DT, CB, LB, RB

No first-round pick.

Kansas City Chiefs (Top pick: 9):  CB, OT, EDGE, WR

The Chiefs were busy, trading up from 9 to get to 6 and then getting the 29^th from the LA Rams.

6^th pick: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU (6-0, 187).

29^th pick: DT Peter Woods, Clemson (6-2, 298). Grades: B+. They gave up a third-round pick to move up three spots to get Delane. He was the best corner in the draft, but is not someone you normally pick that high. Woods was a nice pick up as a 3-technique to eventually take over for 32-year-old Chris Jones. He has some potential, but a long way to go to be the next Chris Jones.

Las Vegas Raiders (Top pick: 1): WR, OT, QB, DT, DB

Pick: 1. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana. Grade: A. This was a no-brainer, but the Raiders will need to find some offensive linemen to protect him because they were hideous last season, allowing 64 sacks. With Kirk Cousins in the QB room, they could afford to bring him along slowly in 2026.

Los Angeles Chargers (Top pick: 22): OL, DL, CB, EDGE

Pick: 22. Edge Akheem Mesidor, Miami-Fla. (6-3, 259). Grade: B. Mesidor is 25-years old, so there is not much of a ceiling, but at least he can help right away. He was dominant against the run and pass.

Los Angeles Rams (Top pick: 13): WR, OT, LB, TE

Pick: 13. QB Ty Simpson, Alabama, (6-1, 211). Grade: C.  If you want to draft a quarterback, you don’t worry about where he is on your draft board. Simpson will be a project because he has started just 15 games and is only 6-1. But the Rams have Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford has at least one year left. He was the second-best QB on most boards.

Miami Dolphins (Top pick: 11): WR, OL, CB, EDGE

Pick 12: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama (6-7, 352).

Pick: 27. CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State (6-0, 195). Grades: A. Miami made a bunch of moves to grab a massive tackle in Proctor and a solid corner in Johnson. Proctor is the key, who has had weight issues and might end up at guard. Johnson was very good in the Senior Bowl and is a very sound player.

Minnesota Vikings (Top pick: 18): OL, DB, WR, S

Pick: 18. DL Caleb Banks, Florida (6-6, 327). Grades: C-. Banks is an imposing player, but the Vikes had other needs. He’s also coming off a foot injury that required surgery. This is quite the risk for a middle-first round pick.

New England Patriots (Top pick: 31). OL, EDGE, LB, WR

Pick: 28. OT Caleb Lomu, Utah (6-6, 308). Grade: A. The Pats moved up a few spots to get one of the best offensive linemen in the draft. He has excellent feet and just needs to get bigger and meaner. But to get Lomu this late was a steal for the Super Bowl-runner-up (that was having a rough week).

New Orleans Saints (Top pick: 8): WR, CB, LB, S

Pick: 8. WR Jordyn Tyson (6-2, 203), Arizona State. Grade: B. This was a boom-or-bust pick due to Tyson’s injury issues. His talent is off the charts, and hopefully, he’ll have a consistent QB throwing him the ball.

New York Giants (Top pick: 5): OL, CB, RB, LB

John Harbaugh’s first draft with the Giants wasn’t a boring one. They were able to trade a 28-year-old (declining) Dexter Lawrence for the 10^th pick in the draft.

Pick: 5. Edge Arvell Reese, Ohio State (6-4, 243).

Pick: 10. OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami-Fla. (6-6, 329). Grade: A+ The Giants went for talent in the 5^th pick and need in the 10^th. Reese is just 20, so they can bring him along a little more slowly, but he has 4.46 speed with tremendous upside. Mauigoa is also 20, but he’ll start right away, most likely at right guard. He’ll be dominant in the running game and eventually move to tackle to protect Jaxson Dart.

New York Jets (Top pick: 2): QB, WR, EDGE, CB

The Jets needed a lot of help, and they got it, by making several trades to add the 16^th and 30^th picks.

Pick 2: Edge David Bailey, Texas Tech (6-4, 250)

Pick: 16: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon (6-3, 241)

Pick 30: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana (6-0, 199). Grades: B+. You have to give the Jets an A for effort, though the Bailey pick is a slight head-scratcher because he’s not a complete player with struggles against the run. Sadiq was an excellent pick and will flourish if they can find a passer. Same with Cooper, who was a steal at 30.

Philadelphia Eagles (Top pick: 23): OT, EDGE, WR, TE

Howie Rosenman is going to make moves in most drafts. He moved up in this draft, trading with Dallas to get a wide receiver, which probably means the end of A.J. Brown.

Pick 20: WR Makai Lemon, USC (5-11, 192). Grade: B+. Lemon isn’t very big, but he’s strong with good physicality and should be able to play the slot right away.

Pittsburgh Steelers (Top pick: 21): QB, WR, IOL, OT

Pick: 21. OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State (6-6, 321). Grade: B+.  The Steelers needed offensive line help (more with depth), and they addressed it. However, they have their tackles set to big Max, who will likely sit for a year.

San Francisco 49ers (Top pick: 27): OL, S, TE, WR

No picks in the first round.

Seattle Seahawks (Top pick: 32): DB, RB, EDGE, WR

Pick: 32. Grade: B-. RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame (5-11, 203). The Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker in the offseason and while Price is not Walker, he was the second-best back after his teammate Love. He has very good vision and will do fine in a backup role.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Top Pick: 15): EDGE, LB, TE, CB

Pick 15: Edge Rueben Bain, Miami-Fla, (6-2, 263). Bain could end up being the best Edge in this draft despite the issues with his lack of arm length. He’s very strong and aggressive. Also plays strongly against the run. There are the red flags aside from the arm length, which probably kept him this late or else he’d be a top-10 pick.

Tennessee Titans (Top pick: 4): WR, EDGE, S, RB

Pick 4: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State (6-2, 192).

Pick: 31: Edge Keldric Faulk, Auburn (6-6, 276). Grade: C. This was an odd draft for the Titans, who traded up get the 31^st pick and wound up with a strong run defender in Faulk, who also appears to be a tweener (tackle/end). Tate was considered the best or second-best receiver in the draft and the Titans did need a wide receiver. But they could have traded down to get one. Tate is a strong route-runner, but he’s not the typical top-five receiver that you see.

Washington Commanders (Top pick: 7): LB, WR, CB, EDGE

Pick: 7. LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State (6-5, 243). Grade: A-. Washington needed to get younger and faster. They did so with Styles, who gives them flexibility as a big inside linebacker or a speedy outside linebacker.

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