Having had a ton of time to sleep on it and ponder over the draft, I finally have my 2026 NFL Draft team grades! In the last set of grades for the 2026 NFL Draft, we have the overall team grades. To those who have read along and enjoyed, subscribe to the site, there will be a ton of fun off-season content starting soon!
Arizona Cardinals
ESPN Team Needs: QB, OT, EDGE, S, DT
Picks:
Jeremiyah Love, RB, 1.3
Chase Bisontis, G, 2.2
Carson Beck, QB, 3.1
Kaleb Proctor, DT, 4.4
Reggie Virgil, WR, 5.3
Karson Sharar, LB, 6.2
Jayden Williams, OT, 7.1
My favorite pick is the Carson Beck one. If you as a team do not have a long-term solution at QB, you need to become a volume shooter. The most sure way to get a top QB is to draft one at the top of the draft, but they come from everywhere. The Jeremiyah Love pick is annoying because as an organization, you need to square the compete in a year or two circle, and have Love be a top 5 RB that whole time. That's really hard to do and justify so that brings down an otherwise very solid draft.
Grade: B-
Atlanta Falcons
ESPN Team Needs: DT, WR, LB, CB, OT
Picks:
Avieon Terrell, CB, 2.16
Zachariah Branch, WR, 3.15
Kendal Daniels, LB, 4.34
Anterio Thompson, DT, 6.27
Harold Perkins, LB, 6.34
Ethan Onianwa, OT, 7.15
Maybe the coolest pick in the draft, uniting the Terrell brothers, and great value in relation to my draft guide. I like Zachariah Branch a lot at value as well, and he will add a different dimension to the Falcons' offense. I believe Harold Perkins will surprise people with his contributions as well. Almost as good as you could have hoped for without a first round pick.
Grade: B-
Baltimore Ravens
ESPN Team Needs: CB, S, DT, G, WR
Picks:
Vega Ioane, G, 1.14
Zion Young, EDGE, 2.13
Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, 3.16
Elijah Sarratt, WR, 4.15
Matthew Hibner, TE, 4.33
Chandler Rivers, CB, 5.22
Josh Cuevas, TE, 5.33
Adam Randall, RB, 5.34
Ryan Eckley, P, 6.30
Rayshaun Benny, DT, 7.34
Evan Beernsten, G, 7.37
Such a Ravens draft. Ioane is going to be an instant impact starter at a needed guard spot in Baltimore. Zion Young was not worthy of the first-round buzz he was getting elsewhere, but is a great physical specimen that fits in well with the Ravens. The next three picks are great for an offense looking to add size and physicality. Then I really like the swerve from small, fast backup RBs to a big, heavy hitter like Randall.
Grade: B+
Bufallo Bills
ESPN Team Needs: WR, EDGE, LB, G, CB
Picks:
TJ Parker, EDGE, 2.3
Davison Igbinosun, CB, 2.30
Jude Bowry, OT, 4.2
Skyler Bell, WR, 4.25
Kaleb Elams-Orr, LB, 4.26
Jalon Kilgore, S, 5.27
Zane Durant, DT, 5.41
Toriano Pride Jr, CB, 7.4
Tommy Doman, P, 7.23
Ar'maj Reed Adams, G, 7.25
Seven straight players I had ranked, and great work to trade down and gain more picks. While I am not over the moon about any of these players, and the Igbinosun pick especially being rich for my blood, addressed team needs well and within the Buffalo identity.
Grade: B
Carolina Panthers
ESPN Team Needs: S, WR, EDGE, CB, RB
Picks:
Monroe Freeling, OT, 1.19
Lee Hunter, DT, 2.17
Chris Brazzell, WR, 3.19
Will Lee III, CB, 4.29
Sam Hecht, C, 5.4
Zakee Wheatley, S, 5.11
Jackson Kuwatch, LB, 7.11
Great, bad, meh, good, great, great, sure. If the Panthers had swapped out Hunter for a DT, I liked a lot more that was still available, I would be over the moon about this draft, same mostly applies to Brazzell, but I am more ok with that pick at cost. I am worried about what Freeling means for the long-term health of Ekwonu, but it is smart to use this spot to pick up a replacement to stop it from becoming a major issue.
Grade: B+
Chicago Bears
ESPN Team Needs: S, DT, EDGE, C, WR
Picks:
Dillon Thieneman, S, 1.25
Logan Jones, C, 2.25
Sam Roush, TE, 3.5
Zavion Thomas, WR, 3.25
Malik Muhammad, CB, 4.24
Keyshaun Elliot, LB, 5.26
Jordan Van den Berg, DT, 6.32
The Bears proved their draft board looked very different from most of the league's with this draft. Thieneman is a great player and perfect to come in and address the Bears' desperate need at safety. Logan Jones in the second was a head-scratcher, as was Zavion Thomas. Love the flyer on Van den Berg in the 7th and Sam Roush will become Cole Kmet's successor in the next year or two depending on what Chicago does with him after this year.
Grade: B
Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN Team Needs: CB, OT, WR, LB, G
Picks:
Cashius Howell, EDGE, 2.9
Tacario Davis, CB, 3.8
Connor Lew, C, 4.28
Colbie Young, WR, 4.40
Brian Parker II, C, 6.8
Jack Endries, TE, 7.5
Landon Robinson, DT, 7.10
Another team without a first round pick, the Bengals did pretty decently in this draft. Landon Robinson next to Dexter Lawrence could be super fun as a pass rush specialist, and Howell adds juice in that much-needed department too. Lew and Brian Parker will look to take over Ted Karras' spot next year and will add depth to the offensive line in the meantime. Tacario Davis is an interesting bet in a huge corner to help shore up the opposite side of DJ Turner.
Grade: B-
Cleveland Browns
ESPN Team Needs: QB, WR, OT, G, CB
Picks:
Spencer Fano, OT, 1.9
KC Concepcion, WR, 1.24
Denzel Boston, WR, 2.7
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, 2.26
Austin Barber, OT, 3.22
Parker Brailsford, C, 5.6
Justin Jefferson, LB, 5.9
Joe Royer, TE, 5.30
Taylen Green, QB, 6.1
Carsen Ryan, TE, 7.2
My biggest knock against the Browns is the Concepcion pick, but if you had flipped the picks of Concepcion and Boston, I would feel much better about that. Could have been Omar Cooper Jr. and Boston though, which I would have LOVED. Barber is an interesting developmental tackle who already mauls people in the run game, and maybe practice reps against Myles Garrett will help him as a pass protector. In two years, we could talk about how the Browns selected three TEs to finish the draft.
Grade: A-
Dallas Cowboys
ESPN Team Needs: CB, S, LB, EDGE, TE
Picks:
Caleb Downs, S, 1.11
Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, 1.23
Jaishawn Barham, EDGE, 3.28
Drew Shelton, OT, 4.12
Devin Moore, CB, 4.14
LT Overton, EDGE, 4.37
Anthony Smith, WR, 7.2
Getting Downs at 11 is straight-up highway robbery. Devin Moore is a great bet to see if he can stay healthy and if his tools can finally translate to on-field production. With their new DC Christian Parker probably signing off on that pick, keep your eyes peeled for his progress. Tried to address the EDGE needs, but I would have gone elsewhere with those first two EDGE picks.
Grade: A-
Denver Broncos
ESPN Team Needs: DT, LB, TE, OT, G
Picks:
Tyler Onyedim, DT, 3.2
Jonah Coleman, RB, 4.8
Kage Casey, OT, 4.11
Justin Joly, TE, 5.12
Miles Scott, S, 7.30
Dallen Bentley, TE, 7.40
Red Murdock, LB, 7.41
No first or second-round picks makes this a difficult draft for the Broncos to have done well with, and even knowing that, it is relatively uninspiring. I like the Onyedim pick a lot and think he could contribute early on, and the same goes for Coleman in a reduced role. Outside of that, the picks seemed to lack fun upside potential and mostly seemed to be conservative. Outside of Murdock, who is the king of forced fumbles.
Grade: C
Detroit Lions
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, DT, OT, CB, RB
Picks:
Blake Miller, OT, 1.17
Derrick Moore, EDGE, 2.12
Jimmy Rolder, LB, 4.18
Keith Abney II, CB, 5.17
Kendrick Law, WR, 5.28
Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, 6.24
Tyre West, EDGE, 7.6
The first four picks here are perfect fits for the Lions. Abney fits the physical style they want from their corners, and could earn playing time early as a fifth - round pick. Blake Miller is a tackle with a great floor and some intriguing upside, and Moore will be a problem for teams putting all of their attention on Aidan Hutchinson.
Grade: A-
Green Bay Packers
ESPN Team Needs: CB, OT, EDGE, LB, G
Picks:
Brandon Cisse, CB, 2.20
Chris McClellan, DT, 3.13
Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, 4.20
Jager Burton, C, 5.13
Domani Jackson, CB, 6.20
Trey Smack, 6.35
A team without a first-round pick doing this well is a rarity. Taking the players I had ranked 49th, 60th, and 38th respectively, with each pick being outside of that range, is phenomenal work. Kicker selections are always tough, but adding the nominatively determined Smack could prove e boon for a team who has had some kicking bugaboos recently.
Grade: A
Houston Texans
ESPN Team Needs: G, C, DT, CB, EDGE
Picks:
Keylan Rutledge, G, 1.26
Kayden McDonald, DT, 2.4
Marlin Klein, TE, 2.27
Febechi Nwaiwu, G, 4.6
Wade Woodaz, LB, 4.23
Kamari Ramsey, S, 5.1
Lewis Bond, WR, 6.23
Aiden Fisher, LB, 7.27
The first two picks of this draft significantly improve the average because they are two of the best players at needed positions. If someone swapped their pick positions, no one would notice. That Marlin Klein pick is a massive head-scratcher, but the rest of the later picks are interesting positively.
Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, WR, LB, S, C
Picks:
CJ Allen, LB, 2.21
AJ Haulcy, S, 3.14
Jalen Farmer, G, 4.13
Bryce Boettcher, LB, 4.35
George Gumbs Jr, EDGE, 5.16
Caden Curry, EDGE, 6.33
Seth McGowan, RB, 7.21
Deion Burks, WR, 7.38
Deion Burks in the 7th round of the draft might be the biggest steal of all, and I do not know how he fell so far. Allen and Haulcy are perfect plug and play fits at two huge positions of need for the team. Taking two bets on EDGEs in later rounds was smart as you already addressed two enormous holes at great value, but want to try to address another with some lower odds chances.
Grade: A
Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN Team Needs: DT, EDGE, LB, CB, RB,
Picks:
Nate Boerkircher, TE, 2.24
Albert Regis, DT, 3.17
Emmanuel Pregnon, G, 3.24
Jalen Husky, CB, 3.36
Wesley Williams, EDGE, 4.19
Tanner Koziol, TE, 5.24
Josh Cameron, WR, 6.10
CJ Williams, WR, 6.22
Zach Durfee, EDGE, 7.17
Parker Hughes, LB, 7.24
Uh. Hm. Yeah. I am afraid that whatever I say here will have me in freezing cold takes in a few years because James Gladstone has figured it out a la Billy Beane. Or maybe he has not, and this is a draft as perplexing as it seems. At least Pregnon was great value.
Grade: D+
Kansas City Chiefs
ESPN Team Needs: WR, EDGE, DT, TE, CB
Picks:
Mansoor Delane, CB, 1.6
Peter Woods, DT, 1.29
R Mason Thomas, EDGE, 2.8
Jadon Canady, S, 4.9
Emmett Johnson, RB, 5.21
Cyrus Allen, WR, 5.36
Garett Nussmeier, QB, 7.33
If the pick had been Caleb Downs over Delane, I would have given this and A+. To go up and trade value to get Delane must have meant they knew someone was going to pick him before their slot, but I am not convinced by that. Those first three picks are home runs, though, in rooms where they need more contributors. Emmett Johnson might continue the tradition of Andy Reid's late-round RB successes.
Grade: A
Duncan Brookover
Los Angeles Chargers
ESPN Team Needs: G, DT, EDGE, WR, TE
Picks:
Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, 1.22
Jake Slaughter, C, 2.31
Brenen Thompson, WR, 4.5
Travis Burke, OT, 4.17
Genesis Smith, S, 4.31
Nick Barrett, DT, 5.5
Logan Taylor, G, 6.21
Alex Harkey, G, 6.25
I can already see the four 50+ yard connections from Herbert to Brenen Thompson next year. Thompson will be electric, and don't be surprised if he offers more than you would expect early on from a fourth-round receiver. Mesidor slots into a major position of need and will bring the energy day one. Slaughter is an interesting selection considering the signing of Tyler Biadasz this offseason.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Rams
ESPN Team Needs: WR, OT, CB, QB, TE
Picks:
Ty Simpson, QB, 1.13
Max Klare, TE, 2.29
Keagan Trost, OT, 3.29
CJ Daniels, WR, 6.16
Tim Keenan III, DT, 7.16
People have discussed this draft extensively, so adding my opinion here feels nearly useless. If you read the rest of this, you know I am all for taking shots at QB. I do not think the Rams qualified as a team that needs to. If Stafford plays two years, this could be an all-time blunder.
Grade: C-
Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN Team Needs: QB, WR, DT, CB, G
Picks:
Fernando Mendoza, QB, 1.1
Treydan Stukes, S, 2.6
Keyron Crawford, EDGE, 3.3
Trey Zuhn III, C, 3.27
Jermond McCoy, CB, 4.1
Mike Washington Jr, RB, 4.22
Dalton Johnson, S, 5.10
Hezekiah Masses, CB, 5.35
Malik Benson, WR, 6.14
Brandon Cleveland, DT, 7.13
Mendoza is the type of QB who can turn a franchise around. Will he, depends if he can cut out the bad plays. The rest of the players are all fun upside plays, and if McCoy can stay healthy, he will be looked at as the biggest steal in this draft.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
ESPN Team Needs: WR, CB, EDGE, TE, S
Picks:
Kadyn Proctor, OT, 1.12
Chris Johnson, CB, 1.27
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, 2.11
Caleb Douglas, WR, 3.11
Will Kacmarek, TE, 3.23
Chris Bell, WR, 3.30
Trey Moore, EDGE, 4.30
Kyle Louis, LB, 4.38
Michael Taffe, S, 5.18
Kevin Coleman Jr, WR, 5.37
Seydou Traore, TE, 5.40
DJ Campbell, G, 6.19
Max Llewellyn, EDGE, 7.22
I absolutely love the picks by the Dolphins. As a franchise, they took stock this offseason and realized it was time to tear it all down to the studs. Knowing that they were working with a nearly clean slate, taking swings at a ton of high-end potential players is fantastic. Taking Proctor earlier than most teams would, taking shots on Chris Bell and Kyle Louis when the rest of the league was afraid to, and grabbing my 76th overall player in the 5th round is great work.
Grade: A+
Minnesota Vikings
ESPN Team Needs: S, C, WR, G, LB
Picks:
Caleb Banks, DT, 1.18
Jake Golday, LB, 2.19
Domonique Orange, DT, 3.18
Caleb Tiernan, OT, 3.33
Jakobe Thomas, S, 3.34
Max Bredeson, TE/FB, 5.19
Charles Demmings, CB, 5.23
Demond Claiborne, RB, 6.17
Gavin Gerhardt, C, 7.19
This entire draft pivots on Caleb Banks' health. The rest of the draft is very solid, and especially all the defensive players will be fun to see deployed in a Brian Flores defense. Golday learning under Andrew van Ginkel seems like a fun experiment too. Though it all rests on the fact if the player who has top 10 talent can stay on the field and deliver.
Grade: B
New England Patriots
ESPN Team Needs: OT, DT, TE, S, EDGE
Picks:
Caleb Lomu, OT, 1.28
Gabe Jacas, EDGE, 2.23
Eli Raridon, TE, 3.31
Karon Prunty, CB, 5.31
Dametrious Crownover, OT, 6.15
Namdi Obiazor, LB, 6.31
Behren Morton, QB, 7.18
Jam Miller, RB, 7.29
Quintayvious Hutchins, EDGE, 7.31
The Lomu pick has me doing the Windy fingers meme. I love what Jacas could add outside, knowing he will have some easier matchups with how much attention opposing offenses put on the interior. Hard to really gage what is going on here though with everything going on.
Grade: B-
New Orleans Saints
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, WR, CB, G, LB
Picks:
Jordyn Tyson, WR, 1.8
Christen Miller, DT, 2.10
Oscar Delp, TE, 3.9
Jeremiah Wright, G, 4.32
Bryce Lance, WR, 4.36
Lorenzo Styles Jr, S, 5.32
Barion Brown, WR, 6.9
TJ Hall, CB, 7.3
In a team that had one real offensive weapon last year, the Saints said lets change that, and I am very pleased with how they did. Bryce Lance in the 4th makes a ton more sense than where some analysts had him going in the 2nd as a big vertical field stretcher. Jordyn Tyson is the most talented receiver in the draft if he is healthy. Delp and Miller are two picks in a long line of Georgia players who did not contribute a ton in Athens, but have the traits to really break out in the lague.
Grade: A-
New York Giants
ESPN Team Needs: WR, G, CB, DT, OT
Picks:
Arvell Reese, LB, 1.5
Francis Mauigoa, OT, 1.10
Colton Hood, CB, 2.5
Malachi Fields, WR, 3.10
Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT, 6.5
JC Davis, OT, 6.11
Jack Kelly, LB, 6.12
Walking away with Arvell Reese at 5 is nasty work. The only slight knock I have is going for Mauigoa instead of Caleb Downs, where the Giants could have come away with my top two players in the draft.
Grade: A
New York Jets
ESPN Team Needs: QB, WR, EDGE, G, CB
Picks:
David Bailey, EDGE, 1.2
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, 1.16
Omar Cooper Jr, 1.30
D'Angelo Ponds, CB, 2.18
Darrell Jackson Jr, DT, 4.3
Cade Klubnik, QB, 4.10
Anez Cooper, G, 6.7
VJ Payne, S, 7.12
I am the internet's biggest lover of the Cade Klubnik pick; it appears. I think he will end up starting at least six games this season. With picking Bailey, I think they missed out on some other better potential players, but I get the process behind it. The offensive skill room is now really good? Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq add to Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Mason Taylor; the Jets might actually have a competent offense if Frank Reich does not get in the way. Ponds is such a perfect pick for Aaron Glenn.
Grade: A+
Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, TE, OT, LB, S
Picks:
Makai Lemon, WR, 1.20
Eli Stowers, TE, 2.22
Markel Bell, OT, 3.4
Cole Payton, QB, 5.38
Micah Morris, G, 6.26
Cole Wisniewski, S, 7.28
Uar Bernard, DT, 7.35
Keyshawn James-Newby, EDGE, 7.36
As usual, Howie Roseman understands the assignment for late-round picks. Draft guys who are just different. They might flame out, but most picks in that range do, so why not take massive swings and see if you can hit a home run. The first two picks leave me scratching my head, though. Both players profile as slot players, and as a team that barely throws over the middle of the field, the fit is interesting.
Grade: B+
Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN Team Needs: QB, G, OT, S, DT
Picks:
Max Iheanachor, OT, 1.21
Germie Bernard, WR, 2.15
Drew Allar, QB, 3.12
Daylen Everette, CB, 3.21
Gennings Dunker, G, 3.32
Kaden Wetjen, WR, 4.21
Riley Nowakowski, TE, 5.29
Gabriel Rubio, DT, 6.29
Robert Spears-Jennings, S, 7.8
Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy
Take shots on QBs! Drew Allar had top-ten hype coming into the season, then played a few poor games before getting injured. For a team without a long-term solution to their QB questions, bringing in someone I like more than Will Howard is a good thing. I absolutely love Iheanachor, and Dunker in the late third is great value. Wetjen going that early is interesting, but between him and Heidenreich, the Steelers' return game could be one of the best in the league.
Grade: A-
Seattle Seahawks
ESPN Team Needs: RB, EDGE, CB, OT, WR
Picks:
Jadarian Price, RB, 1.32
Bud Clark, S, 2.32
Julian Neal, CB, 3.35
Beau Stephens, G, 5.8
Emmanuel Henderson Jr, WR, 6.18
Andre Fuller, CB, 7.20
Deven Eastern, DT, 7.26
Michael Dansby, CB, 7.39
Julian Neal seems like a great fit for the aggressive style of the Mike Macdonald defense. Bud Clark also fits well with the aggressive style of the Mike Macdonald defense, and I would have selected both of them around the same draft positions. Jadarian Price, though, whew. That is a lot of draft capital to use on a RB that I had ranked nowhere near a first-rounder. No matter how big a position of need it was and how weak the class was at the position, it is hard to justify that.
Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
ESPN Team Needs: OT, EDGE, WR, C, S
Picks:
De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, 2.1
Romello Height, EDGE, 3.6
Kaelon Black, RB, 3.26
Gracen Halton, DT, 4.7
Carver Willis, OT, 4.27
Ephesians Prysock, CB, 4.39
Jaden Dugger, LB, 5.14
Enrique Cruz Jr, OT, 5.39
I love Stribling, but even for me that selection was a little rich for my blood, especially with Denzel Boston still on the board. Kaelon Black in the third will try to break the streak of questionable Niners RB selections. Ephesians Prysock is another huge Washington corner that might not have the fluidity to translate to the league. Gracen Halton and Romello Height are two banshees on the defensive line.
Grade: B
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, CB, DT, LB, TE
Picks:
Rueben Bain Jr, EDGE, 1.15
Josiah Trotter, LB, 2.14
Ted Hurst, WR, 3.20
Keionte Scott, CB, 4.16
DeMonte Capehart, DT, 5.15
Billy Schrauth, G, 5.20
Bauer Sharp, TE, 6.4
Jason Licht is pretty good at his job. Bain is a steal at 15. Licht selected Trotter a bit early, but Trotter landed in one of the draft's best situations for him. Ted Hurst adds to a receiver room that seems to always be ready for the next man up, and gives much-needed size after losing Mike Evans. Keionte Scott is another perfect scheme fit. Capehart is an athletic freak waiting to be coached up. Just an amazing all around draft.
Grade: A+
Tennessee Titans
ESPN Team Needs: EDGE, WR, G, RB, LB
Picks:
Carnell Tate, WR, 1.4
Keldrick Faulk, EDGE, 1.31
Anthony Hill Jr, LB, 2.28
Fernando Carmona, G, 5.2
Nicholas Singleton, RB, 5.25
Jackie Marshall, DT, 6.3
Pat Coogan, C, 6.13
Jaren Kanak, TE, 7.9
The Titans went and said they want to give Cam Ward someone real to throw at, and did that with the best WR in the class. Carmona or Pat Coogan might make a real push to start this year on the IOL. Faulk and Hill are two 21-year-olds just waiting for their tools to combine with refinement to take off in their careers. Nick Singleton adds some explosiveness to a team who desperately needed more of it.
Grade: A
Washington Commanders
ESPN Team Needs: WR, CB, C, RB, S
Picks:
Sonny Styles, LB, 1.7
Antonio Williams, WR, 3.7
Joshua Josephs, EDGE, 5.7
Kaytron Allen, RB, 6.6
Matt Gulbin, C, 6.28
Athan Kaliakamanis, QB, 7.7
When your first two picks are that good, it is hard not to love the draft. Without a ton of picks, those first two raise not only the floor but the ceiling of the Commanders this year and into the future. Styles' athleticism can cover up a lot of holes on an aging and slow defense, and Williams will be a great slot option next to Terry McLaurin.
Grade: A
Duncan Brookover
Duncan Brookover