It's time for NFL Draft grades!
I know there's a whole movement these days saying "draft grades are pointless until we see them on the field." yada yada yada.
But where's the fun in that?
Keep in mind, this is just an exercise in how these teams performed over draft weekend as we see it today.
I make my grades based on: total draft plan, team needs, opportunity cost, value of each pick, potential impact, and then any moves for veterans involving draft picks.
With those guard rails mentioned, let's get into the AFC 2026 NFL Draft Grades!
AFC 2026 NFL Draft Grades
Tennessee Titans: A+
This was the draft I was most surprised by the outcomes, but also maybe the most excited about. It was popular to assume Tennessee would go defense if Jeremiyah Love was off the board, but Carnell Tate was a top 5 player for me, and the Titans NEED receivers in a big way.
To follow that up with an aggressive trade-up for a ball of clay like Keldric Faulk late in the first round was the cherry on top. I was lower on Faulk than consensus - but pairing him with Robert Saleh feels like Nick Emmanwori going to Mike Macdonald. It won’t pay off in year one the way Emmanwori did, but this is the perfect coach+player pairing.
And Anthony Hill Jr gives them a linebacker with some real juice that they needed. After bypassing Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles at 4 overall, Hill was the next best option to give them what they need in the middle of the defense.
The swings on Day 3, especially on offense, were all at key positions as well.
Baltimore Ravens: A
The Ravens have blown this draft out of the water. They got a top-10 player in the draft at a position of need at pick 14 overall in Vega Ioane. Zion Young is the type of starting-caliber edge rusher they need as a pocket-pushing tough guy. And the receiver combination of Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt gives them more size and savvyness at the position.
My one question is where exactly Ioane will fit on the line with veteran guard John Simpson. Simpson and Ioane have both almost exclusively been left guards. Who moves over to the right sound and how that fares will be something I keep an eye on.
Chandler Rivers in the fifth round could also be a sneaky helpful addition as a slot corner, giving new coach Jesse Minter some options with his defensive backfield packages.
Cleveland Browns: A
The Browns had a home run draft. They start by moving back in the first round, pick up two mid-round picks, and take the player they needed and wanted all along in Spencer Fano. Fano has the athleticism to move around the line, and the ability to be a franchise tackle for the long term.
They then double up at receiver, their other big need, and get two different styles of players. KC Concepcion is the explosive slasher type, and Denzel Boston as the big body on the outside.
They then get tremendous value in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at the end of the second round, who is a versatile defensive back, and Austin Barber in the third round, who could turn into a starting tackle in his own right.
Even the swing of Talen Green in the sixth round should get Browns fans excited for this class.
Buffalo Bills: A-
The Buffalo Bills traded down three times during the first round, completely bypassing a pick Thursday night, but in doing so, made up the second-round pick they traded away for DJ Moore. The best part? At 35, they took one of my top players for them at 26 in TJ Parker. Buffalo needed edge help that could get after the passer, play the run, and maybe develop into a really good player, and Parker checks all those boxes.
As I mentioned, they traded their original second-rounder for Moore, adding an element of speed and burst the offense needed. And with the added picks, they brought in a good depth corner in Davison Igbinosun, who has decent ball skills and loves to tackle, plus depth at offensive line and wide receiver.
The Igbinosun pick is key for a team that has sustained defensive back injuries over the years. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a plus starter, but depth at corner that you know can tackle and be in the realm of the ball is so important as a playoff team.
Miami Dolphins: B+
Two things I’ve learned since covering the draft: Quantity doesn’t always equal quality, and the whole “if you rearrange the picks” philosophy may have something to it. So I’m going to try to use those here.
I really like the Dolphins trading back and still going OL. Would Proctor have been my pick? Probably not. But if they believe in Patrick Paul’s ascension and didn’t want to reach for someone to HAVE to play right tackle, I can get behind Proctor being the pick and playing LG for them in a big way.
After that, they got multiple starters in Chris Johnson and Jacob Rodriguez. And while Caleb Douglas and Will Kacmerek might have been “reaches” to start the third round, Chris Bell and Kyle Louis at 94 and 138 were thought to be easy top-100 picks. So in the end, they got good value. Miami made several picks that were a blend of high-upside players and ones who could translate to the NFL right away.
Houston Texans: B+
Houston came into this draft with extra picks from the Laremy Tunsil trade, and I loved the aggressiveness they showed for their top two guys. Keylan Rutledge is such a fun player, and the idea of him converting to center helps put a lot of things about the Houston offensive line in place.
And Kayden McDonald was the one piece this defense had been missing, and that was a young defensive tackle they can count on for multiple years. He can eat blocks and push the line back in a way that will really allow the edge rushers and linebackers to have plenty of room to wreak havoc.
And on Day 3, Kamari Ramsey is an interesting piece for Head Coach DeMeco Ryans to play with as a versatile player.
New York Jets: B+
I’m not sure many teams needed a better draft than the New York Jets. And luckily for them, not many teams did. David Bailey wouldn’t have been my personal choice at 2, but I definitely understand it. Getting a player with prototypical size, ability, and experience to be a double-digit sack edge in the NFL is hard to pass up.
I also loved the combination of pass catchers late on Thursday night. Kenyon Sadiq was a player that grew on me throughout the process - and not even just from his combine. But the top tight ends in the NFL have the same profile as Sadiq, with the more compact body types that play all over the formation. And in Omar Cooper Jr they got another flexible piece with a wide skillset. The best part of the two of them is how they can impact the run game since they are both tough and competitive blockers.
In the middle of the draft, I liked their defensive picks of D’Angelo Ponds and Darrell Jackson Jr to address the position groups they traded away last year. In a shallow cornerback room, Ponds has a chance to make an impact in year one, while Jackson can already see snaps for his run defense.
And the Cade Klubnik swing, I don’t even mind. He was another player negatively impacted by whatever happened at Clemson last year. A fourth-rounder to play a few games late in the season before taking a big first-round swing next year never hurt anyone!
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
The Steelers are having what has become a standard draft under Omar Khan - trench-focused, playing the board, moving around a little, and getting good value. Pittsburgh needed to secure a tackle and a wide receiver early, and they did that in Iheanachor and Bernard.
There is a question about where Iheanachor will play in 2026, but the ceiling is high. And Bernard is a perfect fit to play with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman, with a varied enough skillset to thrive without them in the future.
The swing for Drew Allar is also a calculated one. Once Carson Beck went off the board at 65, Pittsburgh knew they needed to take their QB soon. Allar has the best blend at this point of the draft of tools plus experience. He should be the number three for Mike McCarthy to work on developing.
And in the middle rounds, they get a developmental corner, a potential starting guard/fan favorite in Gennings Dunker, and a much-needed returner.
New England Patriots: B
As a big fan of Caleb Lomu, I think this was a good draft for New England. But they might not see the fruits of it until 2027. Lomu’s best fit for the Patriots in 2026 might be as a backup while he gets stronger and trains at multiple positions. He’s very smooth and strong with his hands in pass protection, but needs to get better against bull rushes and the run game.
On Day 2, they hit on positions of need with Gabe Jacas - a tough and productive edge rusher - and Eli Raridon - a tight end with upside as Hunter Henry gets older. For a team that made the Super Bowl and was active in free agency, it feels like they were playing the long game this draft.
Las Vegas Raiders: B
Let’s start with the guy who has gotten lost in all this over the last two weeks - I’m a big fan of Fernando Mendoza. I think he has all the traits you look for in a first-round QB, and he’s (crosses fingers) well positioned in Las Vegas.
For the rest of the draft, I THINK they got good players, I just would’ve gone a different way with all of the picks. Starting with how late they took wide receiver - which wasn’t until the 6th round.
Now I say this, and I always check myself. If I think they should’ve taken a receiver, where should that have been? Well in the second round, Denzel Boston and Germie Bernard were both available. In the third there was Antonio Williams, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Chris Brazzell. In the fourth there was even Mendoza’s teammate in Elijah Sarratt.
A stack I would’ve preffered to get the same postitions would’ve been Zion Young in the second, Emmanuel Pregnon early in the third, Keionte Scott late in the third, and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth - even if it meant sacrificing the swing on Jermod McCoy, which you do have to appreciate where they took him.
Overall, I see the vision of Treydan Stukes, Trey Zuhn, and Keyron Crawford. I just think there was a better way to do it. Add in a mid-round pick on a running back after taking Ashton Jeanty sixth-overall last year was not a good use of capital.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
The Chargers also had a solid draft, starting with Akheem Mesidor in the first. Getting another edge rusher was key for them, and Mesidor is a perfect fit with that group.
In round two, the Jake Slaughter pick and announcement at guard was interesting. It was earlier than I would’ve taken him, especially with Pregnon on the board, but his combination of strength and quickness will be a good fit for both Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and new Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel.
A few more swings on the offensive line to provide insurance after all of the injuries they sustained last year, plus Genesis Smith was savvy work for Day 3. Plus, McDaniel getting a speed demon receiver in Brenen Thompson could be fun.
Kansas City Chiefs: B-
The Chiefs’ draft was interesting. I can see where they’re coming from - choosing the route to build the defense back up that had floundered the last two years, and I like the players they got for that plan.
Delane is a clear starting corner and probably a strong "CB1" for years to come, but trading the 74th pick, and more, to go up and get him felt a little rich. But then Peter Woods and his talent falling to 29, and R Mason Thomas being a very specific type of edge rusher, but bringing real speed off the edge they don’t have, all make a ton of sense.
But for an offense that has gotten slow and stale, not addressing that side of the ball until the 5th round was tough - and trading pick 74 feels like a result of that. And with the questions on the offensive line to have not taken one in the entire draft was also questionable.
So, I like the players, and if the vision is to run the ball with Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson, and get the defense back to top-10, I can see where this works out. But to not really support Patrick Mahomes coming off the knee injury at all in this draft is a choice I don’t love.
Indianapolis Colts: B-
I like what the Colts did in this draft. They had two big needs that were more ideas than just positions, but they were only able to hit on one of them. Part of that was not having a first-round pick from the Sauce Gardner trade. And that move is still probably going to net out positive for them, but this draft felt light for the Colts starting there.
Those two big needs were someone in the middle of the defense controlling the action, and to get the pass rush to even a somewhat impactful level. They were only able to address the former.
But CJ Allen in the middle of that defense was a great move. Allen’s speed and instincts at the position are some of the strongest of the whole class, and they need someone like that taking over the linebacker spot.
There was a big hole at safety with Nick Cross leaving in free agency. Haulcy can make an impact right away as a player that loves to play in the box and be physical. I think he also has potential to one day play in the slot, and he also has experience as a deep safety. But his best value is going to be down in the box defending the run.
And in the third round, the Colts always do a good job of replenishing their offensive line depth, and I like Jordan Farmer there in the fourth round. He’s an effective run blocker, and has the athletic profile you want to bet on.
Cincinnati Bengals: B-
I take traded picks for veterans into account in my draft grades, and I can’t help but think that had Cincinnati known both Caleb Downs and Rueben Bain would have been there at ten overall, they wouldn’t have traded for Dexter Lawrence.
But their actual picks were solid. Cashius Howell is a productive and explosive edge rusher that I like as a second-rounder way more than in the first round, as was initially thought. Especially for a team that needs to swing for upside.
They take a similar approach with Tacario Davis and will aim for development from the 6’4 freaky athlete at the cornerback spot. It might have been a reach, but I think they turned around and got excellent value in Connor Lew at the end of the fourth as a future long-term center they desperately need.
I don’t think any of the top three moves they made for their defense will change their unit in a way that will matter for 2026, but they might’ve taken some building blocks for a brighter future. Had that tenth pick been Downs or Bain, however, that would’ve changed the math a lot for me.
Denver Broncos: C+
The Broncos walked into the entire offseason really only needing one this: more explosiveness in the offense. And they got that by trading their first-round pick for WR Jaylen Waddle. If I wanted to try and critique the pick, I could look to see what they could’ve had with the 30th overall selection, and it’s really just Omar Cooper Jr. that intrigues me. And I’d rather have Waddle.
Going defensive tackle with Tyler Onyedim makes a lot of sense with John Franklin Myers leaving in free agency. You could argue they need more talent at linebacker after bringing back Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad to be their starters. But all the top linebackers were taken before even their original second-round pick. So I’m not really docking them there.
My only real quibble left is the running back pick, Jonah Coleman, in the fourth round. They just paid JK Dobbins to come back, and took RJ Harvey in the second round last year. Meanwhile, there were still a lot of good players available in the fourth round.
Jacksonville Jaguars: D
This was a disappointing draft for the Jaguars, to say the least. First of all, the first-round pick being dealt for Travis Hunter at this point was a bust. Now I still believe in Hunter, but based on how year one went ,you can’t call that a positive trade right now.
Then in the second round, they take Nate Boerkircher with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Anthony Hill Jr, and Max Klare all on the board. McNeil-Warren was a borderline first-round player for me, and with the defensive back room undergoing a facelift, he would’ve been a nice addition. Hill was another borderline first-rounder still available at their biggest position of need. And if they were that motivated to go tight end, Klare was sitting right there.
I get GM James Gladstone said they sensed the tight end run of the draft coming, and Boerkircher was the one they wanted, but I don’t know how that’s going to look long-term.
And that was sort of the theme of the draft for them. Taking players way too high that they seemed to want specifically. But maybe they’re right. Maybe we’ll look back and they actually got the best guy at each spot at each range of the draft they were picking. But right now, it looks bleak.
But, Emmanuel Pregnon that late in the third with Ezra Cleveland in the last year of his contract is a good move.
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