Every NFL draft class has a way of quickly laying waste to long-held expectations.
All the rankings, projections and mock drafts that fill out the monthslong pre-draft process tend to quickly fall by the wayside once the picks start coming in. And when this year's first round began on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh, it didn't take long for the pre-draft narratives to fade away as the order took shape.
Still, some moves left teams' decision-makers subject to some justified second-guessing.
With the first round now complete, here are the five most questionable picks in the 2026 NFL Draft so far:
When word first began trickling out this week that the Cardinals were zeroing in on Love, it seemed like classic pre-draft misdirection.
How could a team that lacked any sort of resolution along its front or behind center skip ahead in a roster build and take a top-tier running back? With Arizona also broadcasting its interest in trading back, perhaps the team was simply trying to gin up interest in a deal that would better position the front office to take an offensive tackle later in the order.
No smokescreen here. Now, a team not far along in its reset finds itself in possession of a ball carrier who enters the league as one of the highest-priced players at his position.
On its face, that's bad business in an event in which teams typically mine for cost-controlled young talent at premium positions.
But the decision becomes even harder to square when accounting for the Cardinals' current offensive composition. Yes, Arizona finished 31st in rushing last year and couldn't generate the explosive plays for which Love has become known. But a rookie back alone has exceedingly little control over fixing a ground game on his own, as the Raiders' woes with Ashton Jeanty last year reinforced. Some might tout Love as a supposed all-purpose "offensive weapon," but how much additional value can he provide to an attack that already runs through Trey McBride and should be bringing along Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson? And with Jacoby Brissett set to return as the starting quarterback, running room might be tough to come by.
Good thing Love has mastered the hurdle in the open field. He's probably going to need it.
Love very well could become a highly productive back. Still, there might not have been a team in the top 10 in a worse position to take advantage of what he can offer. This felt like a dessert-first kind of move for a roster suffering from malnutrition.
More: Cardinals draft picks 2026: Full list of team's round-by-round selections
When the Rams secured this pick from the Falcons a year ago, it seemed as though it might provide a prime opportunity for Sean McVay and Les Snead to secure a successor to Matthew Stafford. Then, the quarterback class thinned out to Fernando Mendoza and little else. And along the way, Los Angeles affirmed its commitment to gearing its resources toward another Super Bowl run for the reigning NFL MVP.
Nevertheless, the Rams pulled the trigger on a passer many were uncertain would crack the first round at all.
In some respects, Simpson is a sensible solution for a team that lacked a transition plan behind center. The Alabama signal-caller displays the clean footwork one would expect of a coach's son, and his lack of experience (15 starts) won't prove as troublesome in a situation where he can sit and wait for a year or more.
But the fit here is still strange in myriad other ways. At 6-1 and 211 pounds with arm strength that's middling at best, Simpson profiles as a physically limited offensive catalyst. Pursuing and embracing Stafford as the team's triggerman was a direct effort to move outside of that box.
Maybe this works out and the Rams avoid the rebuild phase that so many other contenders have to endure. But the Rams might feel themselves bumping up against Simpson's ceiling not long after he takes over, and the opportunity cost here was significant.
Equipping Brian Flores with a 6-6, 327-pound missile off the line of scrimmage might seem like a surefire way for Minnesota's defense to up its chaos quotient. Ultimately, the move might end up doing that in the wrong way.
When he's healthy and locked in, Banks is easily the most talented and disruptive defensive tackle in this class. He's a load for any offensive tackle to keep at bay, and he's nimble enough to put himself in position to finish off plays in the backfield rather than just throw them off course.
Part of the problem: He rarely actually does so, with missed tackles an all-too-common problem. That's just one facet of the inconsistency that has come to define Banks' game. His subpar hand usage and leverage also allow less athletically gifted opponents to neutralize him without much trouble. And with two significant foot injuries sidelining him for much of the last year, his ability to stay on the field will loom large over his pro future.