Raiders begin again with Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall Very little went according to plan Thursday evening. The Raiders, of course, know a thing or three about that in the 21st century. So it was extremely surprising when they were one of the only teams to stick to the script. The most preordained No. 1 overall pick in recent memory went off without a hitch. It’s the next part that will be difficult. Mendoza’s shoo-in status as the top selection wasn’t because he was a particularly gifted No. 1 overall quarterback. He was simply the only viable quarterback prospect in this sleepy draft class. Mendoza plays with accuracy and anticipation. He’s a precise player, not an explosive one. The timing is rarely right with the Raiders, but there’s a first time for everything.
It would be inaccurate to say it was the worst-kept secret of the pre-draft process that the Cardinals wanted to trade down. That’s because they didn’t keep it a secret. But the phone never rang with the right offer, and now a quarterback-less, rebuilding roster has the highest drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Love is a legitimate blue-chip player, but he’s probably “just” the fifth or sixth best running back prospect of the past 10 years. He isn’t the kind of back who is going to change a franchise, especially in the rugged NFC West. He could put one over the top, but that’s not the situation in Arizona. Hopefully that doesn’t make touchdowns too difficult to come by in fantasy, where Love opens up re-draft season in the RB8-12 range.
Tate spent his entire Ohio State career navigating loaded Buckeyes receiver groups. You would have still liked to see a little more production. “Little more” there does not denote zero production, however. Tate found the end zone nine times in 2025, and averaged 17.2 yards per catch. He was productive at all three levels of the field, but particularly lethal deep. Big plays are what the Titans are hunting after a severe lack of “explosives” during Cam Ward’s rookie year. That profile in this offense figures to make Tate a volatile rookie fantasy option — think WR4 with WR3 upside — but betting against someone with a top-five pedigree is almost always a losing strategy on the digital gridiron.
The Saints’ No. 2 receiver before the draft was … well, they didn’t have one. It was something that had to be addressed. It might as well be at No. 8 overall, where they arguably landed the draft’s highest-upside wideout, but one of its riskiest, too. Tyson runs and cuts with a ferocity that stresses out his lower body. He could barely stay on the field at Arizona State. That’s not usually a skill players tend to learn as they age, but Tyson can play everywhere and catch everything. He has all the potential in the world. Will he have availability? If he can stay healthy through the summer, he will be worth a WR3 flier in this on-the-rise offense.
One sign you’re making a weird pick? When you have to call your best player beforehand to explain it. The Rams had actually been connected to Simpson. But it was expected to be via trading back into the first round or trading up in the second. To the Rams’ credit, that wasn’t a terribly realistic scenario if someone else was in on Simpson late on Day 1. The late-picking Rams weren’t going to win too many bidding wars. But Simpson at 13 when this is the very definition of a “win now” roster isn’t just too clever by half, it’s too clever by whole. Simpson will now sit and develop as the Rams go ring chasing. Sensible in some places, but likely a huge waste of time and resources in L.A.
Few teams entered the draft with fewer offensive weapons than the Jets. They corrected that in a big way even after using the No. 2 overall pick on EDGE prospect David Bailey. Sadiq has raw skill and projectable talent for days. Does he have a position? Although he is a “tight end,” he’s built more like a “big slot.” He is probably the kind of player who is going to require expert scheming and elite positional coaching to experience early career success. That isn’t what we would expect from Frank Reich and company, but perhaps 4.39 speed in a 241-pound body will answer every question. There are fewer obvious concerns with Cooper, though he’s also a slot specialist. The Indiana prospect feasts after the catch. Although we can debate if Sadiq and Cooper might end up cannibalizing each other for targets, there’s no question they deepen this offense and relieve the pressure on a beleaguered Garrett Wilson.
If AJB somehow wasn’t certain to be traded before, he most definitely is now. The draft’s WR3 in Lemon fell a little farther than expected, but he ended up with a team that’s made a name for itself stopping the slides of big name, power conference players. Lemon is arguably the safest receiver in this year’s class, but supposedly not the highest upside. If he is anything like the player he is most frequently compared to, fellow former Trojan Amon-Ra St. Brown, he could make that conventional wisdom look silly in a hurry. Although the Eagles seem to be in perpetual offensive crisis and have no shortage of mouths to feed, Lemon should be expected to make 2026 noise in re-draft leagues.
The Browns needed receiver help any possible way they could get it. No. 24 overall with perhaps the draft’s most underrated player was a great way to do it. Although undersized at 5-foot-11, Concepcion is versatile and explosive, and profiles as an immediate manufactured touch weapon. That can sometimes read as a red flag, but Concepcion has also proven himself on the boundary. Although he could use a little overall refinement — on his routes, his hands, and his blocking — Concepcion is oh-so close to being an off-the-bat, all-purpose weapon. He’s a person of interest in fantasy despite the Browns’ quarterback woes. There are just so many targets for the taking in this left-behind attack.
Just won the Super Bowl and don’t know what to do at 32? Take a committee running back. Unlike CEH before him, Price’s pace-changing didn’t come as a pass catcher, but as a game-breaker. That’s despite “just” 4.49 speed. Price also made a name for himself on kick returns, though the Seahawks already have one of the league’s best in Rashid Shaheed. If that makes Price seem like a curious selection, he at least comes at a position of need. If he is ready to handle (much) bigger workloads than he did as a Domer, Price could be a surprise 2026 RB2 despite his lack of pass-catching prowess. There will be drives to finish at the goal line in an offense that will likely be missing Zach Charbonnet (ACL) for several regular season months.