Now that the dust has settled on the 2026 NFL Draft, we have 257 prospects ready to get to work. While a few teams really nailed the process — the Browns’ draft stood out — I want to focus on the specific picks that I think were the best.
I’ve narrowed it down to the 15 selections I find myself loving the most, beginning with a defensive playmaker who was a cornerstone on my board.
1. Caleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys (Round 1, Pick 11)
As much as it pains me to praise Dallas, this is incredible value for a player I viewed as a top-five talent in this class. Downs is a pure football player who fills a massive void in the Dallas secondary. He is a seamless fit for the scheme Christian Parker is building as the new defensive coordinator.
2. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 1, Pick 15)
The Bucs had a glaring need on the edge and stayed patient enough to let who many considered the best pass rusher in the class fall right into their lap. People will point to his arm length as a negative, but I don’t see it being an issue. Bain is ferocious, and the tape doesn’t lie.
3. Jermod McCoy, CB, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 4, Pick 101)
When healthy, McCoy is a top-10 talent. He slid because of the medical red flags surrounding the bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee, and teams are clearly terrified he’ll need another surgery. Regardless of the risk, this is an exceptional player at an exceptional value for Las Vegas.
4. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Round 1, Pick 3)
Credit to the Cardinals for not reaching for a specific position and simply taking the best player on the board. There were only a few true blue-chip prospects in this class, and Love was my No. 1 overall player. You can debate the contractual value of a first-round back, but you can’t debate that Arizona needed a true offensive game-changer to spark a stale offense.
5. Zion Young, Edge, Baltimore Ravens (Round 2, Pick 45)
Every year, the Ravens are praised for letting the board come to them and scooping up value. This year is no different. Young could have gone in the middle of the first round and nobody would have batted an eye. Baltimore adds another high-upside disruptor to their front.
6. Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 1, Pick 20)
With AJ Brown likely on the way out, the Eagles had to get ahead of an inevitable need at receiver. They trade up with a division rival to secure Lemon, who is a perfect stylistic match for the new offense Sean Mannion is installing in Philly.
7. Chase Bisontis, OG, Arizona Cardinals (Round 2, Pick 34)
The common knock against taking Love at No. 3 was that Arizona didn’t have the infrastructure up front to support him — a situation reminiscent of Ashton Jeanty last year. The Cardinals silenced that narrative immediately by nabbing a plug-and-play guard to pave lanes for their new superstar.
8. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Cleveland Browns (Round 2, Pick 58)
I had McNeil-Warren ranked significantly higher on my board than this. For Andrew Berry to land him late in the second round is a testament to his process. Berry made three great picks leading up to this, and this safety was the icing on the cake.
9. Avieon Terrell, CB, Atlanta Falcons (Round 2, Pick 48)
From a football and a family perspective, this pick rocks. Terrell was considered a first-round lock for most of his career, but a late hamstring injury caused the slide. Now, he gets to team up with his older brother, A.J. Terrell, in a secondary that just got much more talented.
10. Olaivavega Ioane, G, Baltimore Ravens (Round 1, Pick 14)
This was a staple of mock drafts for months for a reason: Baltimore desperately needed help on the interior. In my eyes, Ioane was the best offensive lineman in the entire draft. He is a massive addition to that Ravens run game.
11. Carson Beck, QB, Arizona Cardinals (Round 3, Pick 65)
Arizona takes a swing on a QB, and frankly, there isn’t much risk involved. If Beck hits, good. If not, they’ll likely be picking high enough next year to secure a top-tier QB then. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move for a rebuilding roster.
12. Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Miami Dolphins (Round 2, Pick 43)
The Dolphins land a legitimate defensive cornerstone in the second round. He plays with incredible processing speed and a violent punch that led to a staggering number of forced fumbles in college. He was the most decorated defender in the country last year, so for Miami to get that kind of high-IQ leadership in the second round is a major win.
13. Colton Hood, CB, New York Giants (Round 2, Pick 37)
The Giants needed a corner who wasn’t afraid to get physical at the line of scrimmage. Hood is an aggressive, high-motor player who fits the blue-collar identity the Giants are trying to reclaim. Getting him early in the second is a great bridge between talent and need.
14. Eli Stowers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 2, Pick 54)
Stowers is a fascinating athlete who can essentially play as a big-bodied receiver. For an Eagles team that will likely see two of its top pass catchers depart in the next two years (Brown, Goedert), they got ahead of the need with Lemon and Stowers.
15. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, New York Jets (Round 1, Pick 16)
The Jets added a legitimate matchup nightmare here. Sadiq is too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties. In an offense that needs to maximize every possession, having a weapon like Sadiq in the red zone is going to pay immediate dividends.