With the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, it's time to give out some grades. For all of our AFC grades, check out Eric Froton’s excellent article.
The Cardinals were widely thought to be the clear trade-down spot at the top of the board. With Jacoby Brissett under center for 2026, this is a team that was clearly playing for 2027. If another GM was willing to give them a haul of draft picks, it made sense to take the surplus value and send the No. 3 pick. That never happened and the Cardinals guaranteed Jeremiyah Love more money than any other running back in NFL history. His $53 million contract is fully guaranteed and features $17 million more in guarantees than Saquon Barkley's deal. Love is a great running back, but the Cardinals are committed to him as if he’s already the league’s best runner.
Chase Bisontis was a strong choice in the second round. It was also the last time Arizona chose a player within 18 spots of their projected draft pick, according to Arif Hasan’s Big Board. The board is simply an aggregate of over 100 industry boards. It predicts draft capital well, meaning it gives both an idea of how to value a player’s outlook and when they should be available in the draft.
There was, however, some late steam for Carson Beck that likely wasn’t picked up by the big board. Beck has an NFL frame but not an elite arm. His decision-making can also be frustrating. Beck is an expensive flyer for a team likely planning on drafting a first-round quarterback in 12 months, but it’s hard to ever knock a team for shooting their shot at the most important position in sports.
The Falcons didn’t have a first-round pick after moving back into the first round last year to land James Pearce Jr. Avieon Terrell was a player with first-round potential, but his size (5’10/186) and dreadful 4.64 40 clearly scared some teams off. Atlanta took him at a value, and historically, NFL teams overreact to NFL Combine performances, so I think the Falcons played the game well here. With his brother A.J. occupying an outside corner role in Atlanta, Terrell will get to play slot early in his career.
Zacharia Branch has a place in the NFL, but I’m not sure what he brings to the table is worth a Day Two pick. Branch earned 35.8 percent of his career yards on screens. That rate is the highest for a wide receiver drafted since 2018, putting him just above Malachi Corley and Anthony Schwartz. It’s not a profile with a high success rate, and a team without a first-round pick used one of their two day two picks to secure it.
Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels is a really fun bet for the Falcons. He was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year as a safety at Oklahoma State. Later in his career, he transferred to Oklahoma, switched positions, and put up strong numbers there as well. He totaled nine TFLs and 27 stops in 2025. Daniels is still learning how to play linebacker, but I’m a sucker for an off-ball linebacker with a coverage background.
The Panthers more or less went all in on Bryce Young via the draft, using two of their first three picks on offensive players. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in the playoffs, meaning his availability for a chunk of the 2026 season is up in the air. Freeling could backfill his role out of the gates. He only made 17 starts in college, but Freeling has a massive, 6’7/315, frame with room to grow and started at left tackle in the SEC. It’s a great upside bet.
In the third round, Carolina added Tennessee’s speedster wideout Chris Brazzell. He profiles as a Z in the NFL and his speed could immediately earn him a spot in the Panthers’ three-receiver set. The Panthers are closing in on decision time with Bryce Young. He needs to find another gear in 2026 or the team may want to go in another direction. After improving his line and receiver room, there will be no more excuses for Young.
Dillon Thieneman was widely expected to go to the Vikings a few picks before Chicago took the podium. They passed, and it almost feels a bit personal for Ben Johnson to take the guy everyone thought would be wearing purple and gold. Thieneman is a Swiss Army Knife safety who can affect both the run and pass from several positions.
The Logan Jones pick, on the other hand, felt like a panic decision from Chicago’s front office. Drew Dahlman, their starting center, abruptly retired this offseason. They then went out and took Jones a whole 21 picks before his forecasted draft slot. Jones was an elite pass-protector at Iowa, specifically as a senior, so I admittedly still like the player here.
Chicago got weird on offense again with Zavion Thomas. He was outside the top 250 players on the big board, meaning the Bears could likely have landed him multiple rounds later. Thomas topped out at 503 yards in college and neither of his teams seemed all that interested in getting him the ball. He profiles as a return specialist in the NFL.
This was the year of positional value not mattering. It was a weak class at premium positions with elite prospects at non-premium spots. That was the widespread mantra of draftniks in this class and many used it as a reason to push certain players up their boards. With all of that drumbeat heading into the draft, it baffles me that Caleb Downs was available at 11th overall. Downs is an instinctive pass defender who can also step in to stop the run. He does a lot of everything at an elite level. Downs was a steal for Dallas.
With their second-first round pick, Dallas took a bigger swing (read: more risk) on Malachi Lawrence. He’s a speed demon with good production, but his size (6’4/253) could make him a liability against the run, which was not his strong suit in college.
As expected, the Cowboys didn't let their foot off the gas when it came to drafting defensive talents. Jaishawn Barham has a unique profile. He split his time between off-ball and EDGE duties in college. He posted his best numbers at Michigan in 2025, tallying 10 TFLs and four sacks. I’m not entirely sure what his role will look like in the NFL, but I’m intrigued.
Miller was a stalwart right tackle for the Tigers, making 54 career starts over four seasons. His addition means that Penei Sewell will indeed move to left tackle, and I think that’s a far better setup than taking an inferior left tackle prospect and forcing them to start in Week 1.
The Lions kept it simple in the second round. A Michigan EDGE had a bunch of sacks — 10 to be specific — last year? They have found succes with the model before. Now they have a pair of Michigan defenders to get after the passer in Aidan Hutchinson and Derrick Moore.
Kendrick Law was a surprising pick in the fifth round. He never earned playing time at Alabama and peaked at 540 yards in his lone season at Kentucky. He looks more like a special teamer based on his production profile, and the Lions gave up a late-round selection to move up and grab him.
The Packers didn’t take the podium until pick No. 52, where they selected Brandon Cisse. The former Gamecock allowed just 18 receptions in 2025 and is physical enough to face most wideouts in one-on-one coverage. He’s also a competitive run defender. This isn't the flashiest pick, but it makes sense for a team with a relatively weak cornerback room.
Dani Dennis-Sutton was a five-star recruit who played extremely well in each of the past two years, logging 8.5 sacks twice. He never made the leap from good to great at Penn State, and maybe that never happens. Even if it doesn’t, he has a future as a physical EDGE2 in Green Bay. Of course, as a former Nittany Lion, his 99th-percentile athleticism is a given.