NFL Draft 2026 winners & losers: Giants, Cowboys double-down in first round; Rams stun with Ty Simpson pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NFL Draft featured a handful of unexpected moves.
Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was not one of those surprise picks. The Las Vegas Raiders selected Mendoza as their next franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Mendoza led Indiana to the College Football Playoff championship and was the most decorated player in college football. Who were the other players who might have been considered the best player in the draft?
We're talking about Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The Cardinals drafted Love with the No. 3 pick, and Dallas traded up to get Downs with the No. 11 pick. Those were surprise moves. Then, the Los Angeles Rams pulled off the stunner of the first round by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13.
How did those surprise moves register on Thursday? Who were the winners and losers after a fast-paced first round in front of 320,000 fans in Pittsburgh? Sporting News takes a closer look:
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ:Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available
The Cardinals selected Love with the No. 3 pick – which is the highest a running back has been selected in the draft since the Giants took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick in 2018. Love flashed at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash – and he was the ultimate big-play running back for the Irish with 39 runs of 10 yards or more last season.
Love will be pressured to be an elite running back right away with first-year coach Mike LaFleur, but the talent for a fantastic career is there. Arizona went best player in the draft at an impact position – and that is not a reach.
MORE: Where Jeremiyah Love ranks among highest-drafted RBs in recent NFL Draft history
The Giants had two top-10 picks after trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals on April 20, and first-year coach John Harbaugh made two quality picks. The Jets drafted Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey at No. 2, so Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese fell to the Giants at the No. 5 pick. Reese had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He joins a pass rush that features Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, who was the No. 3 pick in 2025.
New York added Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa – a 6-6, 315-pounder who allowed just two sacks last season. He will be a long-term protector for quarterback Jaxson Dart. It's a no-nonsense first round that typifies what Harbaugh brings to the Big Apple.
The Browns were expected to go wide receiver-tackle with their two first-round picks and they did not panic when the Titans took Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick. Cleveland traded back with Kansas City and landed Utah tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 9 pick. Fano won the Outland Trophy last season and did not allow a sack for the Utes. That was an easy selection at that point.
Cleveland took Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion with the No. 26 pick. Concepcion had 61 catches for 919 yards and led the SEC with nine receptions. He also adds value in the return game. That is a solid first draft for first-year coach Todd Monken.
Caleb Downs was the fourth Ohio State player selected in the first round behind Reese, Tate and Sonny Styles (No. 7), but Dallas owner Jerry Jones made the right call by moving up one spot with Miami to select the two-time Unanimous All-American safety. Downs had 68 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions as arguably the best defensive player in the draft. Dallas got good value with the pick – and he is an immediate Pro Bowl-caliber player.
The Cowboys selected UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick. Lawrence had seven sacks and should add to the Dallas pass rush.
MORE: Cowboys defense projection with Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence
Seven tackles were selected in the first round. Cleveland started the run at No. 9 with Fano. The Giants took Mauigoa, and Miami grabbed Alabama tackle Kaydn Proctor at No. 12.
Detroit took Clemson's Blake Miller at No. 17, and Carolina grabbed Georgia's Monroe Freeling at No. 19. Pittsburgh used the No. 21 pick to draft Arizona State's Max Iheanachor, one of our favorite first-round sleepers in this draft.
New England traded up to get Utah's Caleb Lomu with the No. 28 pick. Those six tackles combined to allow just eight sacks at the FBS level last season. It was a quality position group that highlighted the first round.