This will be the seventh year I’ve done some form of draft grades article. Generally I’ll intro with an explanation for why draft grades can be useful even if we won’t know how the 257 players selected this past weekend will perform for at least two to three more years. 

I thought about switching it up, but the social media discussion in the wake of the 2026 NFL Draft shows there’s still plenty of griping and misunderstanding about post-draft analysis, a lot of it from gate-keeping dinosaurs. It’s true we’re not going to know the results from this weekend for a few years. That doesn’t mean opinions and analysis on the process are invalid. 

This was the 90th draft in NFL history, so there are well-established do’s and don’ts. I went into some detail on them in the first-round draft grades article on Friday:

1. Trading down > trading up (usually)
2. Beware reaching against consensus
3. Premium picks should be used on premium positions
4. Needs matter but zoom out

And of course, knowing the rules to know when to break them is good advice for any field.

None of these maxims breaks new ground in terms of analysis. Trading down to get more picks has been a sharp strategy for ages. Most people agree it’s bad to take a kicker with a high pick because they’re not a premium role. And No. 4 can be reworded as taking the best player available, something every GM claims they do with every pick. 

I want to talk a little more about No. 2, though, because that has generated recent debate, including misconceptions about what the “consensus board” is. It’s true no one has access to grades from all 32 teams to publish an aggregate average. But if you take rankings from all the different analysts in the huge industry that has become NFL draft media — your Mel Kiper’s and Dane Brugler’s and even our own Ethan Woodie — you get a “consensus board” that is equal, if not a tick better, to the NFL at predicting which players will be successful.

There are multiple consensus boards with slightly different methodologies, but we use the one from Arif Hasan at Wide Left (as do a few NFL teams actually). If you have a question about the project, Arif and others have probably answered it in their extensive writings, so if you’re curious, you can follow the link and learn more. If not, I’m sure I’ll see you in the comments. 

I do want to take a second to clarify that the consensus board is not independent of the countless hours and resources NFL teams pour into evaluating prospective players. The board actually captures this. Many analysts have sources and contacts within the NFL they lean on as they compile their rankings. The ones that don’t shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, either, as there’s so much more information available now. It’s resulted in vastly better NFL analysis than two to three decades ago. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta alluded to this in his pre-draft press conference, saying there is almost no such thing as a sleeper anymore because the Internet and social media allow people to find these under-the-radar prospects. 

So when an NFL team takes a player far ahead of where the consensus board has him ranked, what that team is saying isn’t that it thinks it’s smarter than the media and fans. It’s saying it thinks it’s smarter than the other 31 teams. That’s a claim that should naturally be treated with skepticism. 

In this draft in particular, it felt like a lot of teams were making that argument…

Grades are listed from best to worst. Biggest reaches are weighted slightly towards earlier rounds, as there’s a bigger difference in taking someone 20 spots ahead of consensus on Day 2 than there is in Round 7. 

Buffalo Bills

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	35	T. J. Parker	DE
2	62	Davison Igbinosun	CB
4	102	Jude Bowry	T
4	125	Skyler Bell	WR
4	126	Kaleb Elarms-Orr	LB
5	167	Jalon Kilgore	S
5	181	Zane Durant	DT
7	220	Toriano Pride Jr.	CB
7	239	Tommy Doman	P
7	241	Ar’maj Reed-Adams	G

 
Grade: A

Best Pick: Jalon Kilgore

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Davison Igbinosun (81)

Bills GM Brandon Beane executed seven trades over the course of the draft, most of them moving down. He moved down three times in Round 1 and ended up with pick No. 35, which he used on a player in Parker who was widely expected to be a top-32 selection and also plays a position of major need for Buffalo. Add all of his other trades together, and Beane netted out four additional selections, plus maneuvered the Bills into getting a second, two fourths and a fifth that they didn’t have before. 

The Bills got great value with their picks, too. Bell, Kilgore and Durant were selected well after their consensus ranks. Bell was the victim of a deep class of receivers and teams looking for specific fits. Durant might have gotten a boost from playing at Penn State and testing well. The buzz around Kilgore, though, suggested he was on track to be a Day 2 pick as teams put more emphasis on finding dynamic nickel defenders. He had some dynamic testing numbers and strong size at 6-1 and 210 pounds. Perhaps the rest of the league isn’t as ready to shift its valuation of the nickel role as the narrative suggests. The Bills stand to benefit.

Bowry and Elarms-Orr weren’t value picks per the consensus but both are quality athletes who have a great shot to develop into quality contributors. Given the demand for tackles, getting Bowry where the Bills did was perfectly reasonable. 

Igbinosun has the traits and scheme fit that the Bills have traditionally coveted at cornerback, and presumably fits new DC Jim Leonhard‘s defense. It does create a bit of a logjam at outside cornerback along with Christian Benford and last year’s first-rounder, Maxwell Hairston, but too many cornerbacks is a lot better than the alternative. Buffalo’s lone trade up instead of down was to move a couple of spots and secure Igbinosun, so he was clearly a priority. 

Cleveland Browns

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	9	Spencer Fano	T
1	24	KC Concepcion	WR
2	39	Denzel Boston	WR
2	58	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren	S
3	86	Austin Barber	T
5	146	Parker Brailsford	C
5	149	Justin Jefferson	LB
5	170	Joe Royer	TE
6	182	Taylen Green	QB
7	248	Carsen Ryan	TE

 
Grade: A

Best Pick: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Justin Jefferson (198)

As expected, Browns GM Andrew Berry was active during the draft with trades, moving around the board (mostly down but with some exceptions). Cleveland started the draft with nine selections and finished with 10, plus added two fourth-round picks in 2027 which is supposed to be a much more talent-rich pool. 

Unlike last year, the Browns were also able to do a much better job of addressing needs at premium positions. They double-dipped at tackle and receiver — two huge problem spots going into next season — and the depth chart looks to be in much better shape as a result. Concepcion brings a big-play element and was coveted by a lot of teams, while the Browns took advantage of Boston sliding into the second round. Fano will be a Day 1 starter at left tackle and Barber boosts the depth. Picking him was a reach, but most of the time teams have to reach to get tackles with a pulse after Day 1. 

McNeil-Warren was another slider who dropped into the Browns’ laps, and while the defense is in much better shape than the offense, safety was still a big need. The Toledo product will stay home and is another Day 1 starter for the Browns as a versatile chess piece type who’s not quite as athletic as guys like Derwin James or Nick Emmanwori, but could play a similar role. 

Jefferson is the biggest reach but with his athletic profile and experience at a big SEC school like Alabama, that’s not an outrageous risk. The tight end double dip and the Green pick are also interesting gambles. New HC Todd Monken has a big emphasis on the position too and both Royer and Ryan are capable in-line options. Green makes for a crowded quarterback depth chart but his physical upside is alluring. 

Baltimore Ravens

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	14	Vega Ioane	G
2	45	Zion Young	OLB
3	80	Ja’Kobi Lane	WR
4	115	Elijah Sarratt	WR
4	133	Matthew Hibner	TE
5	162	Chandler Rivers	CB
5	173	Josh Cuevas	TE
5	174	Adam Randall	RB
6	211	Ryan Eckley	P
7	250	Rayshaun Benny	DT
7	253	Evan Beerntsen	G

 
Grade: A-

Best Pick: Chandler Rivers

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Matthew Hibner (241)

This is a pretty classic Ravens draft, complete with extra selections and some steals from ADP fallers. Ioane was one of the few blue-chip players in the class and fills a major need along the offensive line. Young has the size and demeanor that the Ravens look for in their edge rushers and will be right at home in the AFC North. There was some buzz that he could sneak into the late first round, so getting him at No. 45 was a value. 

Rivers was expected to go a couple of rounds before Baltimore got him, but at 5-9 and 185 pounds, most teams likely projected him solely to the nickel role and that can push players down. The list of positives is long, though. He became a starter halfway through his true freshman season and never left the lineup. His size didn’t stop him from being a feisty tackler and he tested very well, running a 4.4 flat in the 40 and coming in the top range with his other drills. I would expect Rivers to get on the field sooner rather than later for the Ravens. 

Hibner ran a blazing 40 time but I think Cuevas and his skillset as a blocker will make him the better player in the long run for the Ravens, who double-dipped and took advantage of a deep class. They also double-dipped with big-bodied pass catchers in Lane and Sarratt. They reached for Lane and snared Sarratt after a big fall, so it comes out about even. Baltimore needed some size in the receiving room and the double-dip hopefully increases their odds of getting a positive contributor. 

Benny is also worth mentioning because the Ravens got him well over 100 picks after his rank on the consensus board. New HC Jesse Minter worked with him at Michigan, where he was buried behind some other talented players for most of his career, and defensive tackle is an area where the Ravens definitely needed help. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	20	Makai Lemon	WR
2	54	Eli Stowers	TE
3	68	Markel Bell	T
5	178	Cole Payton	QB
6	207	Micah Morris	G
7	244	Cole Wisniewski	S
7	251	Uar Bernard	DT
7	252	Keyshawn James-Newby	DE

 
Grade: A-

Best Pick: Uar Bernard

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Markel Bell (116)

The Eagles made three trades during the draft. They gave up two fourth-round picks to move up and make sure they got Lemon, two third-round picks (including one in 2027) to land Greenard from the Vikings and moved down to add two more picks in the seventh round. While the value going out is fairly high, they fortified two premium positions of need and added a lot of upside to the roster. Greenard is a proven performer who fits the defense. Before this trade, the Eagles pass rush would have been considered light for a hopeful Super Bowl contender. Now it shouldn’t be an obstacle. 

Lemon is a very different player from Eagles WR A.J. Brown but he has the potential to have a big impact down the road as a high-volume slot receiver. New Eagles OC Sean Mannion is installing an offense that has funneled the ball to these types of players with a lot of success. When Brown is traded, that will also replenish some of the draft capital the Eagles gave away. Stowers will be an interesting fit as a move tight end. He’s not a great blocker but the Eagles still have Dallas Goedert to help with those responsibilities while they figure out how best to deploy Stowers. 

As for the other picks, Eagles GM Howie Roseman made some of his classic high upside bets. Payton is a toolsy developmental project at quarterback, Wisniewski is huge for a safety and Morris has a RAS of 9.96 which is exceptional. Bell was a reach but with no picks until Round 5, the Eagles had to make that plunge if they wanted a tackle, and at 6-9 he’s got some strong tools to work with. The highest-upside pick is Bernard, though, an International Player Pathway candidate who has not played a snap of football in his life but has absolutely unholy athletic testing. Eagles LT Jordan Mailata was once a seventh-round pick as an IPP player, and the Eagles are looking to repeat history.

Carolina Panthers

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	19	Monroe Freeling	T
2	49	Lee Hunter	DT
3	83	Chris Brazzell II	WR
4	129	Will Lee III	CB
5	144	Sam Hecht	C
5	151	Zakee Wheatley	S
7	227	Jackson Kuwatch	LB

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Sam Hecht

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Jackson Kuwatch (NR)

It’s easy to love what Carolina did. The Panthers traded four times but ended the draft with the same number of selections that they started with and in approximately the same ranges. They did not take a player ahead of the consensus until Kuwatch at No. 227, and it’s easy to see how he fell through the cracks playing at Miami of Ohio. He’s a high-end athlete, though, and has a chance to develop, which is a fine profile for a seventh-rounder. 

Freeling and Brazzell also checked the high-end athleticism upside boxes for the Panthers. Carolina let the board come to them in the first round and could have a long-term solution at left tackle, which is a hard position to fill. Brazzell slid because of some maturity concerns as well as the difficulty in projecting receivers from Tennessee’s Mickey Mouse offense. At 6-4, 200 pounds and 4.37 in the 40, though, the upside is undeniable. On top of that, the Panthers might have legitimately landed three starters on Day 3. Normally that’s a high and unrealistic bar, but Hecht and Wheatley were both firmly inside the top 100 on the consensus board and have paths to win starting competitions. Lee fits the scheme well and has some interesting traits as an outside corner. 

What stopped me from a full-out A grade is not loving the Hunter pick, though he does fill a need to replace DT A’Shawn Robinson. There were prospects at other needs positions I would have been more jazzed about. The Brazzell pick is also an interesting risk for a team that’s still in building mode, even coming off an NFC South title. Still, I’m nitpicking. 

Dallas Cowboys

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	11	Caleb Downs	S
1	23	Malachi Lawrence	DE
3	92	Jaishawn Barham	OLB
4	112	Drew Shelton	T
4	114	Devin Moore	CB
4	137	LT Overton	DT
7	218	Anthony Smith	WR

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Caleb Downs

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Malachi Lawrence (48)

Dallas moved up to get Downs, giving up two fifths, then moved down and still got one of their main targets in Lawrence, adding two fourths. That’s a great way to play the board. As noted in the first-round grades from Friday, Lawrence was a big reach but had strong odds at the various sports books to be a first-round pick, so it seems like the NFL was higher on him than consensus. Edge rusher is a major need for the Cowboys and they double-dipped by adding Barham. Between Lawrence and Barham, the Cowboys added a lot more speed and juice to the room, but it’ll be interesting to see their exact role for Barham since he’s a bit of a tweener in the Jalon Walker/Nolan Smith mold. 

The Cowboys kept hammering the defense with the Moore and Overton picks, plus trading a fifth for 49ers LB Dee Winters. Moore fits the new defense which will be more reliant on zone coverage. He’s got elite length at 6-3 and if he pans out along with last year’s third-rounder, Shavon Revel (6-2), the Cowboys will have some imposing corners. Overton is an interesting traits-based prospect who never put together the production at Alabama but is a good gamble in the fourth. Winters is in a contract year but the Cowboys really needed a starting linebacker, so a Day 3 pick is a reasonable price to pay. 

Indianapolis Colts

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	53	CJ Allen	LB
3	78	A.J. Haulcy	S
4	113	Jalen Farmer	G
4	135	Bryce Boettcher	LB
5	156	George Gumbs Jr.	DE
6	214	Caden Curry	DE
7	237	Seth McGowan	RB
7	254	Deion Burks	WR

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: CJ Allen

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): George Gumbs Jr. (235)

This is a strong-looking haul for the Colts, particularly with no first-round selection. Allen fell because of questions about his size and ability in coverage, but not many college players were tasked with calling plays for the defense, let alone at a program like Georgia. That kind of football intelligence is worth betting on over other shortcomings, especially since Allen doesn’t miss any other performance or athleticism thresholds. With how bare the Colts’ linebacker group is, Allen will start from Day 1, and there’s a good chance Boettcher is lining up next to him before too long. 

Haulcy is a physical strong safety type who fell to the Colts in Round 3 and should also work into the starting lineup before too long. Farmer also profiles as a potential future starter with his combination of size, athleticism and physicality. It was tempting to list Burks as the best pick, too, since the project third-rounder fell all the way to the fourth-to-last pick of the draft. The odds were too stacked against him to be quite that bullish, but I think there’s a good chance he sticks around and outperforms his draft slot. He is just 5-9 and 180 pounds and never broke through statistically in college, but ran a 4.3 flat in the 40 and has his fair share of highlight plays. 

Gumbs takes biggest reach honors but NFL teams weren’t in the dark about the 6-4, 245-pound former converted receiver who transferred from Northern Illinois to Florida. He’s got the raw tools and competitive makeup to be a developmental project who pays off.  

Las Vegas Raiders

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	1	Fernando Mendoza	QB
2	38	Treydan Stukes	S
3	67	Keyron Crawford	DE
3	91	Trey Zuhn III	C
4	101	Jermod McCoy	CB
4	122	Mike Washington Jr.	RB
5	150	Dalton Johnson	S
5	175	Hezekiah Masses	CB
6	195	Malik Benson	WR
7	229	Brandon Cleveland	DT

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Jermod McCoy

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Dalton Johnson (226)

Back in 2011, the Panthers drafted QB Cam Newton No. 1 overall to lead off an eight-person class. Newton was a slam dunk hit, but there was only one other player in the group who made it past the 2012 season. The Raiders will be seeking to avoid that and keep building up the team around Mendoza. The 2026 class is what it is and a lot of these prospects have warts, but there’s also a lot to get excited about here for Las Vegas. 

The highlight is McCoy, who went from a potential top 10 selection after a stellar pro day to falling all the way to the third day of the draft due to long-term concerns about his knee. The Raiders passed on him three times, not counting No. 1 for obvious reasons, so it’s not like they don’t think those are unfounded. At that point in the fourth, though, McCoy’s talent and the potential for a few really good starter seasons outweigh the doubt about a second contract. 

Stukes turns 25 in September but tested out of his mind and is coming off a season of great tape. He should start sooner than later. Las Vegas reached to snare his teammate in Johnson who also is a speedy athlete, but on Day 3 in this class, that’s an acceptable risk. Crawford might be a situational pass rusher but he has the juice to be impactful with however many snaps he gets. Zuhn provides depth at multiple positions and could push to start at left guard. Washington is an athletic freak who gives the Raiders a big-play threat behind RB Ashton Jeanty.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	21	Max Iheanachor	T
2	47	Germie Bernard	WR
3	76	Drew Allar	QB
3	85	Daylen Everette	CB
3	96	Gennings Dunker	T
4	121	Kaden Wetjen	WR
5	169	Riley Nowakowski	TE
6	210	Gabriel Rubio	DT
7	224	Robert Spears-Jennings	S
7	230	Eli Heidenreich	RB

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Germie Bernard

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Kaden Wetjen (253)

There are a couple of reaches and questionable picks, but overall the Steelers feel like they got better from this past week. Iheanachor has a lot of upside and could help finally close the revolving door at tackle for Pittsburgh, which hasn’t had a long-term option it feels great about for several years now. Dunker is another great value who slid a round or so past consensus. He projects better to the interior but should push to start as a rookie. 

Bernard is just a good all-around receiver who is a perfect fit for the city of Pittsburgh, which will appreciate all the dirty work he does as well as the yards and touchdowns he’ll add. Heidenreich might have pushed for the best pick designation had the Steelers not taken Bernard. He’s a popular draft sleeper but for good reason. Don’t let the Navy uniform distract from the fact that he’s a real-deal NFL athlete, and while projecting from Navy’s wishbone offense takes some imagination, Heidenreich has the skills to be a Julian Edelman or Danny Woodhead type, depending on what Steelers HC Mike McCarthy wants to do.

It made sense for the Steelers to roll the dice on a quarterback, if for nothing else to have someone in the pipeline as a potential backup. Allar has all the physical tools; it’s the mental side where things fall apart, and NFL teams will reach on that archetype more often than not. Wetjen and Nowakowski stand out as pretty major reaches too, but in all three cases you can see McCarthy grasping for role players he can project in a weak class. Wetjen is a legit talent as a return specialist with six combined kick and punt return touchdowns the last two years at Iowa. Nowakowski probably reminds McCarthy of Cowboys FB Hunter Luepke, but bigger and a better blocker. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	15	Rueben Bain Jr.	DE
2	46	Josiah Trotter	LB
3	84	Ted Hurst	WR
4	116	Keionte Scott	CB
5	155	DeMonte Capehart	DT
5	160	Billy Schrauth	G
6	185	Bauer Sharp	TE

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Rueben Bain Jr.

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Josiah Trotter (62)

For a minority of teams each year, the draft just happens to serendipitously align with their biggest needs and deliver them a player they normally would have no shot at adding. That’s what happened with Bain and the Buccaneers this year, as questions about his short arms drove him down the board. Bain is an outlier but there’s plenty that’s projectable from his Miami tape, and at No. 15, Tampa Bay will thank the football gods and live with whatever comes next. 

The Bucs went back to Miami and snared another big faller in Scott, who a lot of evaluators thought would be a second-round pick. Scott’s age (25 in August) and position at nickel (a lot of teams still devalue the role in their defense) pushed him down the board but he plays cornerback like a linebacker. There were times last year where he just took over on defense. Tampa Bay has no shortage of slot defender options but Scott was too good to pass up. 

Hurst, Schrauth and Capehart were other good values that should help reinforce the team’s depth. Trotter will likely start from the jump and should be fine coming downhill. The questions for him come in pass coverage, and that’s why he was a little lower on the consensus ranks. 

Tennessee Titans

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	4	Carnell Tate	WR
1	31	Keldric Faulk	DE
2	60	Anthony Hill Jr.	LB
5	142	Fernando Carmona	G
5	165	Nicholas Singleton	RB
6	184	Jackie Marshall	DT
6	194	Pat Coogan	C
7	225	Jaren Kanak	TE

 
Grade: B+

Best Pick: Carnell Tate

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Fernando Carmona (243)

I liked a lot of the players the Titans selected. It feels like they got a lot of projectable athletes from big-time programs who filled major areas of need. Tate is both reliable and has a bigger ceiling to his game than I think people realize because of the focus on that first trait. Titans QB Cam Ward desperately needed help this offseason and this might be the best move the team has done for him so far. 

Faulk and Hill are each super athletic and among the youngest players in this class. They’re perfect fits for HC Robert Saleh and his defense, too. The Titans did have to trade up to land them, which is interesting considering how much the front office has talked about acquiring extra picks. 

Singleton would have gone a lot higher if he hadn’t broken his foot and been unable to show off his athleticism during the Combine and pre-draft process, especially because this running back class was so shallow. Tennessee’s backfield is crowded right now but Tyjae Spears is in a contract year and Tony Pollard can be cut in 2027. I guarantee Titans OC Brian Daboll brought up Saquon Barkley when talking about Singleton with the scouts this spring. Watch for Coogan to have a dark horse shot to start at some point his rookie year with how wide open the center depth chart is. 

Atlanta Falcons

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	48	Avieon Terrell	CB
3	79	Zachariah Branch	WR
4	134	Kendal Daniels	LB
6	208	Anterio Thompson	DT
6	215	Harold Perkins Jr.	LB
7	231	Ethan Onianwa	T

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Avieon Terrell

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Kendal Daniels (234)

With the limitation of not having a first-round pick thanks to the sins of the previous regime, the Falcons actually did okay with the hand they were dealt. They traded back in the fourth round and picked up another sixth. They also took advantage of a few players sliding with their picks on Day 2. Terrell was expected to be a first-round pick for most of the process before questions about his size and timed speed pushed him down. He rejoins his brother, Falcons CB AJ Terrell, and should start across from him, filling a need the Falcons have had for a few years. 

Branch is small but twitched up with great speed, agility and return skills. Receiver was a major need for the Falcons with Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus rounding out the room besides Drake London. They now have a potential big play threat to go with some of their other top skill position talent. 

There are a couple of interesting tweener types on Day 3. Daniels is a converted safety who is 6-5 and over 240 pounds, but not as impressive athletically as you might think with that info. Thompson beats or matches most of his testing numbers at 300 pounds, which also says a lot about him as a defensive tackle. He’s a tick undersized, though, at 6-2. Perkins is the most mismatched tweener I can recall in a while. His skills and highlights match up best as an edge rusher, but at 6-0 and 220, he’s linebacker or jumbo safety sized. He’s got terrific athleticism in space, running a 4.45 40, and has a nose for the ball, but taking on blocks is a challenge. His athleticism gives him the floor of a solid special teamer, anything beyond that is probably going to require an inspired defensive coordinator.  

Cincinnati Bengals

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	41	Cashius Howell	DE
3	72	Tacario Davis	CB
4	128	Connor Lew	C
4	140	Colbie Young	WR
6	189	Brian Parker II	C
7	221	Jack Endries	TE
7	226	Landon Robinson	DT

Grade: B

Best Pick: Connor Lew

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Colbie Young (233)

You could count DT Dexter Lawrence in here with the No. 10 pick if you’re so inclined. That does give the class a major boost in terms of impact, though not as much in surplus value. Time will tell on whether Lawrence is a higher-impact player than S Caleb Downs or DE Rueben Bain Jr., the top defenders off the board after this pick. Cincinnati addressed the defense even more with its picks on Day 2, taking a speed rusher in Howell who plays with a lot of energy, but has even shorter arms than Bain and fewer compensating factors. Davis checks the measurables box at 6-4 but his tape wasn’t as strong, which is why he was available in the third round. The Bengals don’t need him to start right away but he’s their pipeline to replace one of either Daxton Hill or DJ Turner in 2027. 

The Bengals got some good value on Day 3, stopping Lew’s slide in the fourth round. He’s coming off a torn ACL which meant he was more of a question mark for teams looking for a potential Week 1 starter. With veteran Ted Karras in the fold, though, Cincinnati has the luxury of letting Lew rehab and develop before eventually taking over. Lew ranked No. 76 on the consensus board. Parker and Endries were also both huge values, generally evaluated as fourth-round guys. Parker played tackle at Duke and is a five-tool prospect who can play all over the offensive line. Endries adds some depth to a pretty deep tight end room. Young is the biggest question mark but Brugler had a grade on him right in line with where he was selected, and he has some interesting traits at nearly 6-5 and with 4.4 speed. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	22	Akheem Mesidor	LB
2	63	Jake Slaughter	C
4	105	Brenen Thompson	WR
4	117	Travis Burke	T
4	131	Genesis Smith	S
5	145	Nick Barrett	DT
6	202	Logan Taylor	G
6	206	Alex Harkey	G

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Brenen Thompson

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Jake Slaughter (93)

Given new Chargers OC Mike McDaniel‘s love affair with speed, it’s amazing there wasn’t more buzz about the match between him and Thompson, officially the draft’s fastest player. Thompson will probably be fourth at best on the depth chart at receiver and further down the pecking order in the hierarchy for touches, but his speed and McDaniel’s creativity mean that he could have an outsized impact when he does touch the ball. 

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh will be satisfied with this draft, too, with six of eight picks dedicated to the trenches and four of those to the offensive line. Burke stands out here; literally. He’s 6-9 and 325 pounds, and generated a ton of interest from teams during the process after flying under the radar at Memphis during the season. Los Angeles took Slaughter maybe a round too early but he was in a tight cluster for top center this year, so I get it. They also signed C Tyler Biadasz, who could block Slaughter at least early on, so they might explore shifting someone to guard, which is a less settled position. 

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz also had a good week, trading down twice and up once to turn Los Angeles’ original five selections into eight picks. Smith was good value about a round or so below consensus, but I’ll be interested to see how the tackling concerns in his scouting report play for the coaching staff. Mesidor has good tape but I have concerns about drafting a 25-year-old in the first round. 

Miami Dolphins

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	12	Kadyn Proctor	T
1	27	Chris Johnson	CB
2	43	Jacob Rodriguez	LB
3	75	Caleb Douglas	WR
3	87	Will Kacmarek	TE
3	94	Chris Bell	WR
4	130	Trey Moore	DE
4	138	Kyle Louis	S
5	158	Michael Taaffe	S
5	177	Kevin Coleman Jr.	WR
5	180	Seydou Traore	TE
6	200	DJ Campbell	G
7	238	Max Llewellyn	DE

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Jacob Rodriguez

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Caleb Douglas (219)

There’s not a team in the league that needed 13 draft picks more than the Dolphins. Six of those were in the first two days of the draft, actually one fewer than the seven they had on Wednesday going into Round 1. They traded one of those to make sure they got Johnson at the end of the first, but added two fifths for moving back one spot with the Cowboys and still getting the player they would have picked in Proctor. 

With this many picks, the Dolphins are almost certain to get a handful of starters. Johnson and Rodriguez stand out as particularly clean profiles who had a lot of love around the league. Rodriguez is 24 and that plus weaker positional value kept him out of the first. But he’s a turnover-generating machine who will help set the tone for Miami’s defense under DC Jeff Hafley. Bell would have gone much higher if he hadn’t torn his ACL late last season, and if he recovers well, he has dangerous athleticism as an after-the-catch type. 

Louis and Moore are tweener types worth watching on Day 3 who need to settle into roles but have intriguing skills and athletic ability. In Louis’ case, he was 68th on the consensus board but slid because the NFL tends to push tweeners/hybrids down. At 6-0 and 220, he’s undersized for a linebacker but not quite rangy enough for a true safety. 

A couple of picks were head-scratchers. Douglas was on almost no radars as a Day 2 option in a deep receiver group but in hindsight, his 4.34-second 40 time at 6-3 and over 200 pounds likely pushed him up boards. Kacmarek was another blocking type to go a lot earlier than expected, and Miami used the pick they got for OLB Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline to select him. Had you told me that at the time, it would have lessened my enthusiasm for the trade.  

Minnesota Vikings

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	18	Caleb Banks	DE
2	51	Jake Golday	LB
3	82	Domonique Orange	DT
3	97	Caleb Tiernan	T
3	98	Jakobe Thomas	S
5	159	Max Bredeson	FB
5	163	Charles Demmings	CB
6	198	Demond Claiborne	RB
7	235	Gavin Gerhardt	C

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Demond Claiborne

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Max Bredeson (NR)

Some teams might have played it safe with an interim general manager, especially if the former GM got canned for drafting poorly. Not the Vikings. Banks was one of the biggest boom/bust picks of the entire draft and also one of the biggest reaches of the first round. Talent isn’t the issue; durability and maturity might be. It’s a pick that has DC Brian Flores‘ fingerprints all over it, as do the picks of Golday and Orange. Both are good scheme fits with Flores, Golday as a blitzer and Orange as a stout nose tackle at the point of attack. Both players went more in line with their consensus position. 

It wasn’t just the selections, the Vikings shook up the draft, their roster and possibly the league by trading OLB Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles for two third-round picks, one this year at No. 98 that was used on S Jakobe Thomas (another great Flores fit) and another that will come in the vaunted 2027 class. The Vikings didn’t draft an edge rusher but former first-rounder Dallas Turner will get the nod to pick up the slack for Greenard. 

Claiborne is one of my favorite sleepers in the class and a much-needed explosive change of pace in Minnesota’s backfield. A year behind Aaron Jones will be great for him and I think he could make bigger waves in the following years. Bredeson replaces longtime FB C.J. Ham, but with how few teams use fullbacks, I’m not sure the Vikings needed to splurge with a fifth. 

New England Patriots

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Gabe Jacas

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Karon Prunty (NR)

Picking at the end of the round in a weak class, this felt like a draft that the Patriots just tried to get on base rather than make big, aggressive swings to get a roster that made a surprise Super Bowl appearance over the top. They moved up for Lomu and gave up a fourth-round pick at No. 125. He needs a year of seasoning but the long-term reward could be a starting tackle, on either the right or the left, which is worth paying up for. 

Jacas has a lot of fans in the scouting community and should help give the Patriots’ pass rush a big boost. Raridon was the eighth and final tight end picked on Day 2. Like many of those, he projects as an in-line option who can block, but he’s also got a chance to take over for Hunter Henry as the primary receiving tight end with some development. New England reached for him but not as much as some other teams did on Day 2 for tight ends. 

The bar is low for Day 3 picks, especially in the sixth and seventh rounds and especially in this class. Many of those players will be vying for practice squad berths. Prunty was viewed as a cut above the rest by New England but not necessarily by other teams. It feels like the team was impressed by his measurables at 6-1, 190 pounds and with strong speed and agility times.  

New Orleans Saints

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	8	Jordyn Tyson	WR
2	42	Christen Miller	DT
3	73	Oscar Delp	TE
4	132	Jeremiah Wright	G
4	136	Bryce Lance	WR
5	172	Lorenzo Styles Jr.	S
6	190	Barion Brown	WR
7	219	TJ Hall	CB

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Bryce Lance

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Lorenzo Styles Jr. (263)

The Saints executed the rare triple dip, going into the well for a receiver not once, not twice, but three times over the course of the draft. Tyson is the headliner and one of the most talented prospects in the class. He should step in as a complement to No. 1 WR Chris Olave straight away. But the Saints got terrific value with Lance, too, landing him deep into the fourth round. While there are questions about the level of competition he faced at North Dakota State, it’s tough to teach 6-3, 204 pounds and 4.34 seconds in the 40. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to end his college career. Brown looked like a rising star as a true freshman, and while he leveled out he still offers value as a return specialist and slot receiver.

As a cherry on top, the Saints added another pass catcher in Delp, though they had to reach ahead of consensus to land him in the third like a lot of teams did at tight end. He had minimal production at Georgia but had some crazy athleticism scores during the pre-draft process that brought teams back to the intriguing flashes he showed on tape. He joins a tight end room that already has Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.  

Miller fortifies the trenches on defense and gives DC Brandon Staley a strong fit up front. Styles is the younger brother of Commanders first-round LB Sonny Styles and is an interesting prospect, starting out as a receiver at Notre Dame before switching to defense at Ohio State. He ran a 4.27-second 40, second among all players in this class. However, his best fit right now might be special teams. 

New York Giants

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	5	Arvell Reese	LB
1	10	Francis Mauigoa	G
2	37	Colton Hood	CB
3	74	Malachi Fields	WR
6	186	Bobby Jamison-Travis	DT
6	192	J.C. Davis	T
6	193	Jack Kelly	LB

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Arvell Reese

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Bobby Jamison-Travis (NR)

The Giants largely stuck to a best player available approach in HC John Harbaugh‘s first draft, ending Reese’s slide before the top five was over and snaring Hood on early Day 2 to address a weakness at cornerback. Hood had some first-round buzz and Reese could be the best non-quarterback in this entire class when it’s all said and done. They did sacrifice some positional value to make it work. Reese will play a lot of off-ball linebacker to get on the field as a rookie with how crowded the Giants’ edge rusher room is, and Mauigoa will start at guard instead of tackle with RT Jermaine Eluemunor in the fold. 

The Giants did make one concession for need and that was a major trade up back into the third round for Fields to address a big need for a receiver across from Malik Nabers (and perhaps to fill in if his knee rehab drags into the season). They gave up two fourth-round picks, one at No. 145 this year and another in 2027, to go up about 30 spots. Fields ran a poor 40 but a fascinating three-cone given his size at 6-4 and 220 pounds, and brings something different to a receiving corps that has Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt. 

Washington Commanders

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	7	Sonny Styles	LB
3	71	Antonio Williams	WR
5	147	Joshua Josephs	DE
6	187	Kaytron Allen	RB
6	209	Matt Gulbin	C
7	223	Athan Kaliakmanis	QB

 
Grade: B

Best Pick: Joshua Josephs

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Athan Kaliakmanis (NR)

I waxed on about my appreciation for Styles in Friday’s column; it was one of my favorite player/team/need fits in the draft. The Commanders had limited other selections to improve the roster and weren’t able to swing any trades down the board, so they had to stick and pick. They addressed a major need at receiver by taking Williams and sparking a run of eight other wideouts who went in the third. Williams is a classic pocket-sized slot receiver in the mold of a Josh Downs or Christian Kirk, someone who should have at least a solid floor as a player. 

Josephs is someone our draft writer, Ethan Woodie, was extraordinarily high on throughout the pre-draft process. He was on an island but the consensus still ranked Joseph 77th, way way ahead of where the Commanders got him. Washington may have signed Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but the depth and long-term outlook of the room was still a need, especially with Dorance Armstrong returning from a major injury. 

Washington took Kaliakmanis ahead of Nussmeier and some other better-known quarterbacks, which is somewhat notable. He’s bigger and has a bigger arm, but was less accomplished. 

Arizona Cardinals

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	3	Jeremiyah Love	RB
2	34	Chase Bisontis	G
3	65	Carson Beck	QB
4	104	Kaleb Proctor	DT
5	143	Reggie Virgil	WR
6	183	Karson Sharar	LB
7	217	Jayden Williams	T

 
Grade: B-

Best Pick: Kaleb Proctor

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Carson Beck (114)

I’m not sure how much this class is going to really move the needle for the Cardinals. Despite the issues with positional value, picking Love in the first round is a move I liked a lot and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who called it their best selection. He’s an elite talent and the type of star Arizona really needs. It’s still fair to wonder how much a running back, even an elite one, is going to change things for the Cardinals, and I’m not sure how many other starters they can bank on from this group. 

Bisontis is one and he helps improve the offensive line. His addition is not a good sign for 2024 third-round OL Isaiah Adams, though. The Cardinals got a quarterback after being linked to Ty Simpson all spring, and Beck was thought of as a potential first-rounder a few years ago. He has some prototypical traits and odds are he’ll start some games this year but the odds of him being a long-term answer are not great. 

Proctor got the best pick nod as one of my favorite sleepers in the class. Not a lot of people were watching Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday’s, but Proctor is an outstanding athlete who will not be out of place in the NFL. He could develop into a disruptive interior pass rushing presence and that’s something the Cardinals sorely need.

Detroit Lions

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	17	Blake Miller	T
2	44	Derrick Moore	DE
4	118	Jimmy Rolder	LB
5	157	Keith Abney II	CB
5	168	Kendrick Law	WR
6	205	Skyler Gill-Howard	DT
7	222	Tyre West	DE

 
Grade: B-

Best Pick: Keith Abney

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Jimmy Rolder (167)

The good: the Lions addressed two of their biggest needs on either side of the line of scrimmage with tough, high-character fits who should become starters sooner rather than later. Miller was a rock at Clemson and should quickly be a stabilizing presence for Detroit at right tackle. Moore gives the Lions Michigan bookends, with some speed to get after the passer and a knack for setting the edge against the run. Getting Abney in the fifth round was also a pleasant surprise, as he was projected to be a Day 2 pick by most outlets due to his terrific athleticism and competitiveness. 

The bad: the Lions once again bled value with reaches and trade-downs targeting “their guys.” Lions GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell have turned Detroit into a contender and have had some great drafts, but this approach has also burned them. They reached in a major way to take DT Brodric Martin in the third round in 2023 and he’s nearly out of the league. They traded three third-rounders to take WR Isaac TeSlaa last year and he had 16 catches as a rookie (albeit six went for touchdowns). This year, they reached on both Moore and Rolder and traded away a fourth-rounder at No. 125 overall to move up for Moore. 

Neither decision is nearly as egregious as some of those past examples, but as the Lions shift into a mode where they have less flexibility due to paying their core players, making optimal decisions to maximize draft capital is going to be more and more important. 

Green Bay Packers

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	52	Brandon Cisse	CB
3	77	Chris McClellan	DT
4	120	Dani Dennis-Sutton	DE
5	153	Jager Burton	C
6	201	Domani Jackson	CB
6	216	Trey Smack	K

 
Grade: B-

Best Pick: Dani Dennis-Sutton

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Chris McClellan (108)

It wasn’t a flashy draft for the Packers with no first-round selection thanks to the Micah Parsons trade, but they were able to hit a bunch of needs, including a double-dip at cornerback. Cisse has traits for days and just needs to put together the mental side of the position. Jackson’s similar, if lesser regarded, and will be competing to avoid the practice squad as a rookie.

There could be two gems for Green Bay on Day 3 with Dennis-Sutton, who surprisingly slid after being viewed as a consensus Day 2 option, and Burton. The latter isn’t a big name but started 47 games in college and has great short-range agility, running a 4.52 second short shuttle which is very close to a 4.47 second cutoff that tends to bode well for projecting NFL success. The Packers have a long history of developing Day 3 offensive linemen and Burton fits the profile of the next in the pipeline. Dennis-Sutton tested incredibly well, to a point where it made you question where that was on his Penn State tape, and should carve out a role in Green Bay’s pass rush rotation right away. 

The McClellan pick, which came after a trade up to boot, felt like a reach to meet a need. The Packers gave up a fifth-round pick to move up for McClellan. This was not a strong year for defensive tackles, so I get teams that had needs there might have felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst doesn’t have a great history in the third round, either, which is another ominous sign. The Packers also traded two seventh-round picks to move up for Smack, who will compete with incumbents Brandon McManus and Lucas Havrisik. That’s a lot to give up for a kicker, but I doubt many teams this particular year were still using sevenths on players they had draftable grades on.

Los Angeles Rams

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	13	Ty Simpson	QB
2	61	Max Klare	TE
3	93	Keagen Trost	T
6	197	CJ Daniels	WR
7	232	Tim Keenan III	DT

 
Grade: B-

Best Pick: Ty Simpson

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Ty Simpson (38)

Simpson could turn out to be the worst pick for the Rams here as well. There’s just so much volatility with quarterback projections to the NFL. The longer I sit with this pick, though, the more I think it has a chance to pan out. If you asked me a few months ago when I was digging into Simpson’s tape what the best NFL fit for him would be, I would have said the Rams because his strengths match up perfectly with where HC Sean McVay‘s scheme wants to attack and because he wouldn’t be rushed into action too soon with QB Matthew Stafford locked in as the starter. The flashes on Simpson’s tape are enticing, and I think he has better physical tools than he gets credit for. Just 15 college starts is a concern, but it would have been a much bigger concern for a worse organization like the Cardinals which would have been less equipped to support Simpson. 

Still, the Rams are taking on a lot of those same risks. If Simpson doesn’t pan out and the Rams don’t win a Super Bowl in the final window of Stafford’s career, it’s going to be easy to second-guess GM Les Snead. McVay has, intentionally or not, already distanced himself a little from the pick, which is also not the best sign. 

As for the rest of the draft, the Rams were at the forefront of the multi-tight end trend last year, leading the league in snaps of “13” personnel (one running back, three tight ends, one receiver in the formation). They drafted Terrance Ferguson in the second round last year and were bringing back him, Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. Now they add another second-rounder in Klare, meaning they’re probably keeping five tight ends on the roster in 2026. Get ready for more “14” personnel? Outside of that, this group is light on impact. Los Angeles traded two seventh-rounders to move up a dozen spots for Daniels, basically signaling they didn’t think they had many players worth the picks. 

New York Jets

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	2	David Bailey	LB
1	16	Kenyon Sadiq	TE
1	30	Omar Cooper Jr.	WR
2	50	D’Angelo Ponds	CB
4	103	Darrell Jackson Jr.	DT
4	110	Cade Klubnik	QB
6	188	Anez Cooper	G
7	228	VJ Payne	S

Grade: B-

Best Pick: Omar Cooper Jr.

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Cade Klubnik (171)

Landing Cooper, one of my favorite prospects in the class, and filling a big need at receiver went a pretty long way in my Jets grade here. He’d have been a great pick at No. 16, so that lessens the weirdness of that selection when the team already had a pretty strong tight end room and it’s unclear how much they’re going to be able to maximize Sadiq. Bailey was a fine pick at No. 2, it’s just fair to question if he was the best pick. 

After that, the Jets got another buzzy player in Ponds, who starred for the champion Hoosiers the last two years. Size is a real question with him at 5-8 and 180 pounds. That plus his competitiveness and physicality have led a lot of evaluators to project him to nickel. He’s got great tape, athleticism and production, though, and would have been a first-rounder if he were three inches taller. 

Jackson isn’t flashy but he fills a good role as a space-eater as the team rebuilds the interior of the defense. Payne is a monster athlete at 6-3, 206 pounds and 4.4 flat in the 40. Getting him so late is a massive steal. The Jets probably needed to draft a quarterback to fill out the room even if they’re waiting until 2027 to aggressively pursue a long-term answer, but there were more inspired choices than Klubnik, especially since they traded up for him.

Chicago Bears

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	25	Dillon Thieneman	S
2	57	Logan Jones	C
3	69	Sam Roush	TE
3	89	Zavion Thomas	WR
4	124	Malik Muhammad	CB
5	166	Keyshaun Elliott	LB
6	213	Jordan Van den Berg	DT

 
Grade: C+

Best Pick: Dillon Thieneman

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Zavion Thomas (265)

I try not to list a team’s first-rounder as the best pick because that’s the one they’re supposed to get right. The Bears also didn’t have anything to do with Thieneman sliding down to their slot at No. 25. Still, it’s such a perfect match of value, need and player/team fit that I’m just accepting the kismet and rolling with it. Thieneman is high character, high athleticism, high production and a terrific fit for a Chicago squad that had to rebuild its safety room from scratch. 

The Bears reached a lot more during the rest of the draft, zeroing in on players who got the stamp of approval as fits for HC Ben Johnson. In some cases, I understand the approach. Center is a glaring need for the Bears after losing Drew Dalman to retirement and Iowa is a known pipeline school for NFL interior linemen. Jones fits Chicago and Johnson like a glove, and the board was fairly picked through at other higher-value need areas like edge rusher and defensive tackle. Roush was selected about a round ahead of consensus, too, but like Jones he was a perfect fit as a second, blocking-prominent tight end. The Bears certainly didn’t make the worst reach on a blocking tight end in this draft. 

It’s tough to defend the Thomas pick, though. He ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, which was No. 3 among all players this year. He had three long return touchdowns across his college career, and he probably profiles best as a return specialist/schemed touch player. Spending the No. 89 pick on that profile, however, is a massive premium. He was widely seen as a seventh-round player, and this is one of the biggest reaches of the whole draft. 

Chicago made up for that on Day 3 to some extent getting Muhammad and Elliott below projections, and both players could develop into starters. They check a lot of boxes from athleticism to production to makeup. Van den Berg was the only defensive line addition the Bears made, which is not ideal. He has terrific athleticism but as a sixth-round pick is likely a developmental project. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	6	Mansoor Delane	CB
1	29	Peter Woods	DT
2	40	R Mason Thomas	DE
4	109	Jadon Canady	CB
5	161	Emmett Johnson	RB
5	176	Cyrus Allen	WR
7	249	Garrett Nussmeier	QB

Seattle Seahawks

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	32	Jadarian Price	RB
2	64	Bud Clark	S
3	99	Julian Neal	CB
5	148	Beau Stephens	G
6	199	Emmanuel Henderson Jr.	WR
7	236	Andre Fuller	CB
7	242	Deven Eastern	DT
7	255	Michael Dansby	CB

 
Grade: C+

Best Pick: Bud Clark

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (NR)

The second day of the draft made a lot more sense to me than the first day for the Seahawks. They evidently wanted to come out of this draft with Price no matter what given the dire situation they navigated themselves into at running back, so when they couldn’t trade down from No. 32, they just took him there since the odds weren’t good he’d make it to them in Round 2. 

They bypassed better players on the board at a bigger position of need in the secondary to do so, but they still got solid players at the ends of Rounds 2 and 3 in Clark and Neal. Clark has great ball skills (10 picks his final three seasons) and good flexibility to play all over the secondary. Neal has the length and competitive fire the Seahawks prize at outside corner. Both should become useful players. 

The Seahawks were able to trade down and add some late-rounders to take some scratch-off tickets. They also made a bigger move, dipping into the 2027 well of picks — which most teams were reluctant to do given the already obvious difference between next year’s class and this year — for a fourth-rounder that they used on the fifth-round pick to draft Stephens. Is he better than the player they could get in the fourth round next year? Maybe not but Seattle evidently valued a lot the ability to have him play in 2026 instead of waiting a year.  

Denver Broncos

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
3	66	Tyler Onyedim	DT
4	108	Jonah Coleman	RB
4	111	Kage Casey	T
5	152	Justin Joly	TE
7	246	Miles Scott	S
7	256	Dallen Bentley	TE
7	257	Red Murdock	LB

Grade: C

Best Pick: Justin Joly

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Tyler Onyedim (129)

It’s tough for a contending team picking this late to really move the needle with the draft, but that was the goal for the Broncos and I’m not sure they cleared it. The trade for WR Jaylen Waddle looks outstanding in hindsight given the way the board fell for the No. 30 pick, so Denver does deserve some credit there. It’s a little surprising HC Sean Payton didn’t trade up more aggressively in Round 2, as while that’s not normally an advisable approach, it could have been more easily justified this year. 

Instead Denver traded down and took Onyedim, reinforcing a defensive line that lost John Franklin-Myers this offseason. However, it was a big reach in a weak class, and it felt like there were a few other ways the Broncos could have gone that might have had more short or long-term impact. That’s generally my feeling on their draft. Guys like Coleman and Casey project more as depth pieces. The exception might be Joly, who has an intriguing skillset to become a matchup piece for Payton as a move tight end.  

Houston Texans

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	26	Keylan Rutledge	G
2	36	Kayden McDonald	DT
2	59	Marlin Klein	TE
4	106	Febechi Nwaiwu	G
4	123	Wade Woodaz	LB
5	141	Kamari Ramsey	S
6	204	Lewis Bond	WR
7	243	Aiden Fisher	LB

Grade: C

Best Pick: Kayden McDonald

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Marlin Klein (158)

It was hard to settle on just one reach for the Texans. Going 100 picks off consensus for Klein in Round 2 took leading honors because that’s a huge gap for a top 60 pick, especially for a blocking tight end and especially because Houston already had four tight ends who look like strong 53-man roster candidates if we spin things forward to September. But the Texans took Rutledge a whole round off consensus in the first round, sacrificing even more value by trading up to do so with a fifth and a 22-spot drop in the third. Nwaiwu was 85 spots off consensus in the fourth, and they topped that with their next pick for Woodaz, reaching a massive 158 spots to take him. Other teams had picks that were bigger individual stretches, but no team collectively reached more than Houston this weekend. 

That said, the Texans did snare McDonald several spots below where he was expected to go, and he’s a perfect fit in the middle of their defensive line to address one of the few soft spots Houston had last year. McDonald is a monster run defender and if he develops even a little bit as a pass rusher, he’s going to be tough to handle given the Texans’ other beasts up front. Ramsey was expected to be a Day 2 pick, too, and the Texans got him in the fifth to add depth to the secondary. While Rutledge, Nwaiwu and Klein were reaches, they do fit the identity the Texans want to have on offense as a ground and pound team. Woodaz is also fast and plays like his hair is on fire, which is exactly what the Texans want out of their linebackers. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	56	Nate Boerkircher	TE
3	81	Albert Regis	DT
3	88	Emmanuel Pregnon	G
3	100	Jalen Huskey	S
4	119	Wesley Williams	DE
5	164	Tanner Koziol	TE
6	191	Josh Cameron	WR
6	203	CJ Williams	WR
7	233	Zach Durfee	DE
7	240	Parker Hughes	LB

 
Grade: D+

Best Pick: Emmanuel Pregnon

Biggest Reach (consensus rank): Nate Boerkircher (163

It’s still early in the GM James Gladstone/HC Liam Coen era in Jacksonville, and a 13-4 debut season is certainly a strong start. One consistent theme from the last year or so, though, is a tendency to operate as if they are smarter than the other 31 teams. The massive trade and bet on WR/CB Travis Hunter as a true two-way player is the most obvious example, the decision to eschew face time with draft prospects at the Combine and not to conduct official visits are a couple others. So is a 10-player draft class riddled with egregious reaches.

Perhaps the Jaguars do have some real edges over other teams, but I need to see a couple more 13-4 seasons to buy in completely. Until then, I think it’s fair to be skeptical. Boerkircher was the biggest reach, going well over 100 picks before his consensus rank. He’s a 24-year-old developmental project who had 19 catches last year, 38 for his career and profiles as more of a blocking type than a dynamic pass-catcher. This pick triggered a run on blocking tight ends on Day 2 of the draft and the Jaguars were far from the only team that reached here to chase more formational flexibility with multiple tight ends. That is a mitigating factor, and time will tell whether those teams were ahead of the curve or just overreacted. 

Boerkircher was far from the only reach. Regis (150 on the consensus board), Huskey (187) and Williams (236) were all taken two or more rounds before expectation. There are some intangible factors that likely helped them grade out higher in the Jaguars’ estimation, and there are depth and rotational roles they can project decently well toward. But with early picks, you want to feel better about projecting more impact than just depth. Pregnon is the exception here as a major slider after getting a little bit of first-round buzz, and that could be a real coup landing a starting guard in the third. If you’re thinking ahead about players who could earn second contracts in Jacksonville, Pregnon feels like the only solid bet. 

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
2	33	De’Zhaun Stribling	WR
3	70	Romello Height	OLB
3	90	Kaelon Black	RB
4	107	Gracen Halton	DT
4	127	Carver Willis	T
4	139	Ephesians Prysock	CB
5	154	Jaden Dugger	LB
5	179	Enrique Cruz Jr.	T